#I just added previous and next chapter links so if they don’t work please let me know

[writing-until-i-drop]

What's In A Name? Chapter Five

Meg Harding and Kate Carter were inseparable until their friends died five ago, then she ran to New Orleans to save lives as a paramedic. But when Javi calls on his two oldest friends to help him collect data, counting on their matching natural instincts for tornadoes, Meg goes home for the first time in years. That's where she meets Tyler and the rest of the Wranglers, the YouTube storm chasers her dad likes to watch, and finds herself fitting in more with them than with Storm PAR. Meg only plans to stay for the week but will it be easy to leave when the dust settles?

If a certain cowboy has a say in it, nothing about leaving is going to be easy.

A/N: Meg has to make a very interesting phone call...

AO3 Link

Previous Chapter

Meg woke up with Tyler curled around her, his heavy arm draped over her waist, a large hand splayed across her stomach, keeping her tight against him. It had been the best night of sleep of her life and she stubbornly gave credit to the softness of Boone’s shirt for it. She carefully slipped out of his hold and down the ladder.

At some point, the Wranglers had driven the camper and the rest of their vehicles to a different motel and they were all gathered up outside, bundled in blankets, sitting around an extinguished fire. Boone was the first to notice her, popping out of his chair to hug her tightly, rocking her back and forth.

“I’m glad you’re okay, Doc, and thank you, thank you, for keeping T safe.” The rest of the Wranglers were quick to join in on the hug, even Ben after she heard the shutter of his camera. Meg almost started crying from the sheer amount of love surrounding her, feeling at home again in Oklahoma for the first time in five years. “You hungry, Doc?”

“Starvin’,” Her stomach growled in agreement.

“I’ll rustle something up,” Boone patted her on the shoulder. “Also, do your parents watch our streams?” She nodded. “They were name-dropping you something fierce in the chat last night, asking for updates if you were okay.” Of course, they had. Meg knew better than to think it was just her dad demanding answers in the chat.

“The whole crew’s probably at my parent’s house debating whether they should drive out here.” She shook her head with a huff of laughter. “Dex, can I borrow your phone? I don’t know what happened to mine.” He obliged and she dialed the house phone, putting it on speaker.

“Harding’s phone,” Rabbit picked up. “Meggy, this you?” Dexter’s mouth fell open, putting all the pieces together faster than the rest.

“Yeah, it’s me. Y’all can stop freaking out, all limbs are accounted for and in working order.” 

“Bill, Jo, guys, it’s Meggy!” 

“Meggy, honey,’ Preacher’s voice was the next on the line. “You scared us half to death.” 

“Margaret Marie Harding,” Her mom shouted into the receiver. “Have you lost your damn mind?” Meg cringed,

“Mama, I’m just following in dad’s footsteps.” There were shouts of “The Extreme” in the background. “Also, y’all might be on speaker with the Tornado Wranglers.” 

“Holy shit, Meggy,” That was Beltzer.

“We’re big fans,” And that was Haynes. The Wranglers were watching her with amused and star-struck looks. Ben, thankfully, was the first to recover.

“Your daughter is quite remarkable.” 

“And alive,” Boone added, giving Meg a thumbs up that she returned, mouthing good job.

“We’re glad to hear it. Hi, Pumpkin.” 

“Hiya, dad. Did you want that mug of yours signed? Pretty sure I can swing it.” 

“Dani, get the man a mug!” Dexter pushed a laughing Dani towards the camper where Tyler still slept. The Wranglers and the original team energetically traded exclamations of excitement and amusement that Meg had kept her last name a secret for so long. That was until her mama started shouting again. 

“I don’t want you anywhere near a tornado unless you’re harnessed  in, do you understand me, young lady?” 

“Mama, please, you’re embarrassing me.” 

“Let me talk to Dexter,” Jo demanded. “He seems like the only responsible one.” Meg didn’t argue, taking her mom off speaker and handing the phone to Dexter.

“Yes, ma’am?” There was a shout of her name from inside the camper, signaling to everyone that Tyler had woken up to an empty bed.  The Wranglers snickered at her, Lily giving her a good-natured shove to the shoulder. “Of course, ma’am. I’ll make sure of it.” 

Tyler came stumbling out of the camper, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, a grinning Dani right behind him with a mug and a marker in either hand.

“Where’s Meg?” 

“That’s Meg Harding to you, Ty,” Lily teased and Tyler’s eyes went wide. “Yup, your girlfriend’s the daughter of storm-chasing legends.” Meg flushed, hoping her parents hadn’t heard that. Tyler looked at her, dumbstruck.

“Your parents are…”

“Yeah.”

“Holy shit,” Tyler ran a hand through his already chaotic hair. “You’re a-,” He pointed at her, “Your parents are-” Meg nodded. “Holy shit.” 

“My parents are big fans of your channel, Ty.” She saw the moment Tyler’s brain fully stopped functioning, giggling. 

“I need coffee,” Tyler’s shoulders slumped. He sat down in Boone’s abandoned seat beside Meg, grabbing her hand and squeezing it, like he was afraid she’d run off on him. Meg squeezed back. “Who’s he talking to?”

“My family.” Meg could get used to surprising the hell out of Tyler, laughing at the startled look on his face.

“Doc, Rabbit wants to talk to you.” Dexter jogged the phone over. “Can I meet your parents?” He whispered and Meg nodded, rolling her eyes with a smile.

“What’s up?” 

“Don’t let your mom fool you, Meggy. She’s giddy as hell you’re chasing again.” Meg knew that in her heart but the reassurance made her smile. “Also, we’re betting on how long it takes you to ride the cowboy. Don’t tell your dad.”

“Rabbit!” Meg shrieked, slapping a hand over her mouth. She glanced over at the sleepy man beside her who didn’t seem to have heard what Rabbit said. Meg was going to turn that man into rabbit stew the next time she saw him.

“Blame Haynes, her idea.” 

“Don’t blame me, blame Joey!” 

“She knows damn well it wasn’t me, it was definitely Lawrence.” Could they get any more embarrassing? She felt like she was fifteen again, listening to the group place bets on how her first date would go.

“Guuuuyyyyysss. Can you please just put my dad on the phone?” There was a brief shuffle.

“Hey, Pumpkin. What was Rabbit saying?” 

“Nothing, just being annoying. She glanced at her blonde cowboy, getting a mischievous idea. “Tyler’s here if you want to talk to him, he’s a fan of yours.” She giggled at the look on his face. “Well, you talk, he’ll hyperventilate.” 

“Be nice to that boy,” Her dad scolded playfully. “I’ve got fifty bucks on you marrying him.” 

“Oh my God, that’s so much worse!” She wanted to disappear into thin air. Tyler took the outstretched phone.

“This is Tyler Owens, sir.” Tyler sat up straighter in his seat, running a hand through his bed head.

Boone came jogging back to the group, holding a 7/11 bag above his head.

“I got you coffee, a muffin, and a burrito.” Giving Tyler’s hand one last squeeze, Meg went to collect her breakfast, thanking the man with a kiss on the cheek. “Dani said you take lots of cream and sugar.” Meg looked at the woman who shrugged,

“I guessed.” 

“You guessed right, Sweet Thing. Thanks again, Boonie Baby,” She gave him another kiss on the cheek before going back to her seat. Meg kept the burrito, passing Tyler the blueberry muffin.

“Yes, sir. No, sir,” Meg couldn’t help but wonder what her dad was asking him, nibbling on the corner of the lukewarm burrito. Bean and cheese, nice. “No, she didn’t tell us her last name.” Tyler chuckled, “Yes, sir. I’m starting to understand that.” He paused, eyes going wide. Meg shifted in her chair, letting her legs fall across Tyler’s lap. He rested a hand on her knee and Meg couldn’t help but think that she could do this every morning, sitting there, admiring Tyler’s stubbled jaw line while the rest of the Wranglers joked around with each other. “I’d be honored but first we’ve got to go find Kate, yes, sir. Sapulpa.” He tapped her knee, “Here, darlin’.” He passed the phone, trading it for her coffee, his nose scrunching up. “I prefer black.”

“Not everything’s about you, Arkansas.” Tyler stuck his tongue out at her. “Hey, dad.” 

“You should marry that boy, Meg.” Her eyes cut to Tyler who was eyeing her back with a small smile on his face, making him even cuter than normal. 

“We’ll see, dad,” She sighed. “Gotta chase down my other half first. Now go feed the guys, I love you.” 

“I love you too, Pumpkin. Come home before you leave.”

“I will, should I bring Kate?” 

“And Tyler. Keep an eye on the sky, Pumpkin.” Meg hung up, mumbling through a mouthful of burrito.

“Trouble makin’ busy bodies, the whole group of ‘em.” 

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were Jo and Bill Harding’s daughter,” Her mom would have liked the way he put her name first. “No wonder you’ve got such good instincts.” 

“Get ‘em from my daddy.” Dani came over, presenting Tyler with the mug to sign.

“And here I didn’t think you could get any cooler, Meg,” Dani teased. “We gotta keep you around.” 

“Here here,” Boone raised his coffee in cheers. “T, buddy, don’t go fucking this up for us.” The Wranglers all added their agreement, making Meg laugh. She swiped the coffee back from Tyler, admonishing him for drinking more than half the cup if he didn’t like it. Then it hit her and she nearly spit out her mouthful of coffee. Lily had called her his girlfriend and neither she nor Tyler had corrected her. What the hell did that mean?

“Stop thinking so hard, darlin’.” Tyler squeezed her knee like he could read her mind. “Just enjoy the morning.” His hand moved up to her thigh as he kicked back in his chair to eat and she rested her hand on top of his, letting her attention fall to Boone and Dani as they teased Dexter for his fangirling. Ben started snapping pictures and Meg didn’t let herself worry about how she looked wearing borrowed clothes, eating a gas station burrito, mud from the night before still on her cheeks, with Tyler’s hand on her thigh.

Unlike when he was chasing, Tyler was an incredibly safe driver on the way to Sapulpa. Meg on the other hand was an incredibly unsafe passenger. She had the passenger seat pushed all the way back, her feet kicked up on the dash, and her boots abandoned on the floorboards.

Lily had lent her a pair of mismatched socks, one was striped and the other was dotted. They were both singing along to the country music blaring on the radio and Meg couldn’t remember a time she felt happier. And she was sad she had to ruin it.

“I should probably tell you what you’re gettin’ into before we get there, Ty.” Tyler turned off the radio, giving her as much attention as he could while driving.

“What, darlin’, you hiding a boyfriend from me in Sapulpa?” Meg snorted, she wished that’s all she had to confess. Instead, she held out her hands in front of her. Her fingertips were all kinked, not quite straight. They were also calloused and scarred, not only from chasing but from her time as a paramedic. Her favorite scar was one on the pad of her thumb, permanently messing up her fingerprints, from when she stuck herself with an EPI pen instead of the patient. 

“You ever notice how crooked my fingers are?” 

“I was a bull rider, healed breaks are normal to me.” She hummed at his non-answer, answer. 

“I met Kate in college and we became close, our friend Addy used to call us two shades of the same color. Always the same but slightly different.” Dandelion and Sunflower, shades of yellow, were her favorite comparison to make. She’d always make a joke about how they were happiest when the sun was hidden behind clouds, so they needed to be surrounded by bright colors. “Mama was her thesis advisor. There were six of us helping her with the research.” 

Meg let the tears roll down her cheeks without wiping them away.

“Parveen and Kate spearheaded the actual idea, Javi collected the data with Dorothy, Addy was there to take photos, Jeb,” She chuckled. “Jeb was just in love with Kate, so he’d follow her anywhere, and I was there to make sure no one got hurt. But they did.” She had spent a lot of time on her partner’s couch drinking and thinking about the situation, coming to grips with the fact that her EMT certification couldn’t have saved her friends that day. “Everything was going great and then an EF-5 came out of nowhere.” 

Tyler exhaled heavily, reaching out to rub her knee.

“We thought it was going to be an EF-1, maybe 2, so we didn’t have the good sense to be scared until it was too late.” 

“I’m sorry, Meg,” Tyler offered in sympathy. Because what the hell else do you say when someone’s telling a story like that?

“Our only hope was an underpass, which tells you how shit outta luck we were. Parveen couldn’t run so fast and was swept up first, then I fell and I dug my fingers into the dirt to hold on.” Her fingers and wrist ached at the memory, “I broke every single one of my fingers and debris shattered my wrist. While I was layin’ there, I heard Addy and Jeb fly away, screaming for their lives.” 

“Shit, Meg. That’s horrible,” She hummed in agreement.

“Kate survived of course but she won’t talk about it and Javi was in the follow vehicle. All he could do was watch as the tornado headed our way. To hear him tell it, it was the worst day of his life and it probably was.” The hurtful things Javi said the night before filtered through her mind, making her sick to her stomach. “Police officer found me and Kate stumbling along the highway, trying to get back to Javi, and took us to the hospital.” 

Meg took a long, deep breath. If things had gone differently that day, her life would have turned out a lot differently. She never would have moved, none of them would have.

“Kate ran away to New York, Javi joined the military, and I went to New Orleans. I was a wreck on the job but my partner Nick’s always had my back. You’d like him,” Nick was her rock, both on and off the job. “He took me to my first second line after one of our GSW patients, Tayvon, a fifteen-year-old kid, didn’t make it.” 

It had been her second week on the job, she had never been on the scene of a drive-by shooting before, there had been so much chaos and blood. They worked on him for a few minutes before they decided it was best to work while driving. Meg had still been an EMT, so Nick worked on Tayvon in the back of the rig while she drove through the busy streets like a bat out of hell. By the time they passed him off to the doctors, things were looking up.

  “To see everyone smiling through their tears and celebrating that kid’s life, it healed me more than anything else ever could. Everyone needs a Nick and Kate didn’t have one.” 

“I think I want to meet this Nick guy,” Tyler squeezed her knee, “Buy him a beer and thank him for taking care of you.” Meg chuckled, thinking about all of the embarrassing stories Nick would tell him about her.

“He’d buy you a beer, tryin’ to charm you into making me your problem instead of his.” 

“Be my problem, baby,” Tyler’s hand moved upwards to squeeze her thigh. Meg laid her hand over his, tears starting up again.

“I’m crying about my dead friends while you drive me to see my traumatized other half. Hate to say it, Sweetie Pie, but I think I’m already your problem.” Laughter filled the truck, first hers and then Tyler’s. “A little late to back out now.” 

“I’m not backing out, Meg, just making sure we’re on the same page.” 

“Which is?” She feigned ignorance. 

“You’re my problem, baby. All mine.” Her dad was going to be over the moon whenever she told him about this conversation. So would Nick.

“Thoughts and prayers, Cowboy. You’re gonna need ‘em.” 

Taglist: @theforevermorereject @beltzboys2015-blog @writingrose @sinners-98-world @nerdgirljen @candlejuice @a-court-of-roscoe-and-baby @football1921 @katiemcrae @emma8895eb @itsdesiree86

Next Chapter

[kikiswriting7]

Take a Chance ✵ JJK ✵ MYG - 5

✵ Pairing: Yoongi x Reader x Jungkook

✵Summary: Y/N just move across the world to start her University. She is paired with a roommate who is complete social butterfly and makes a bet, Y/N needs to take more chances. And at the hint of her new found friend, her social and romantic life take a dramatic turn.

✵Tags/Warnings: Smut, College AU, red flag, sexual tension. angst, dirty talking, drinking, friends with benefits, full of cliches, friends to lover, temptation

✵Notes: Hello! Now that I somewhat have a vacation time and I could not stop thinking about this, my fingers slipped so here goes another chaper! And if you want to be added to the tag list and be notified when theres a new chapter please sign up on this link!

lots of love, Kiki

CHAPTER 5 - Guiding lights and shadows

The week was a relentless sprint, each day bleeding into the next in a haze of exhaustion.With finals approaching, it feels like every teacher is piling on extra work, making the days even more grueling. The highlights are lunch with the boys and the lingering memory of that kiss, which I am trying not to overanalyze. My heart is skipping a beat each time Yoongi’s name is appearing on my phone with a new message about a show or something he’s done. The conversation is always light and definitely far off from the moment we shared the previous weekend. So when he texts today asking if I want to join him in the city center to shop for headphones, I can’t resist. The stores are staying open later than usual, which works perfectly—I just need my finance teacher to let us out on time.

As the clock is ticking toward the end of the period, I am finding myself glancing at it repeatedly, willing it to move faster. When the bell finally rings, I am quickly gathering my things and rushing out, excitement bubbling inside me.

Yoongi is saying he doesn’t want anything serious. He has put the brakes on whatever we have, and I don’t understand why I am still hung up on him, other than the fact that he is clearly my type. When I arrive at the city center station, I spot Yoongi leaning against a lamppost, his gaze focused on his phone. He looks up as I approach, a small smile on his lips.

"Hey," I greet, slightly breathless from my hurry.

"Hey," he replies, his eyes lighting up. "Ready to find some headphones?"

"Absolutely," I say, matching his smile.

We are wandering through the busy streets, popping into various electronics stores and comparing different models. Yoongi is in his element, enthusiastically testing out headphones and discussing their pros and cons. I am admiring his passion for even the smallest things.

Eventually, he finds a pair he likes, and we make our way out of the store. The sky has darkened, with city lights casting a warm glow on the streets. We walk side by side, our conversation flowing effortlessly from one topic to another.

"Want to grab a drink?" Yoongi suggests. “We can get a bottle of something and take a walk by the beach?”

"Sure," I agree, glad for the chance to spend more time with him, though slightly concerned about the growing chill. The days have been warmer, but the nights, with the cold sea breeze, are frigid.

We stop by a nearby convenience store before heading back to our neighborhood bus, hoping to reach the beach faster. I can’t help but steal glances at Yoongi. Even in silence, his presence is comforting.

The city noises are fading as we reach the beach, the gentle sound of waves crashing against the sand taking over. We walk to the end of the beach, where a lighthouse stands amidst a stretch of rocks. It isn’t a long distance, but it feels removed from the city’s bustle. We drink from one of the bottles of wine we have bought, and conversation picks up again. Yoongi talks about his week and how he is grateful that his grade is based mainly on projects rather than exams—a luxury I am wishing for.

“I’m definitely a hands-on learner. It’s not my forte to just sit and absorb a subject,” I say as we reach the rocky path at the end of the beach. “So even though I have just started, I can’t wait for it to be over.”

“There’s definitely a strange feeling when you start,” Yoongi agrees. “Being away from home, studying in a different language... you grow up fast.”

His words are resonating with me. “Yeah,” I say softly, gazing out at the dark, rippling sea. “It’s like you’re forced to figure out who you are, but it’s hard to keep up.”

We are quiet for a while, sipping from the bottle of wine and watching the waves. A shiver is running down my spine, snapping me out of my thoughts. The cold is more biting than I’ve realized. I am stuffing my hands into my jacket pockets, desperate for warmth.

“You know, being cold is just a state of mind,” Yoongi says, breaking the silence. I shoot him a skeptical glance while blowing hot air over my hands.

“Yeah, sure. Try living your whole life in a warm country and then talk about cold being a state of mind,” I huff, making him chuckle. He takes my hands in his, warming them with his touch.

The contact is light, but it sends a jolt through me. Yoongi subtly moves closer, focusing on the sea ahead to distract from the growing warmth between us. “It’s strange how much can change in such a short time,” he muses, taking another sip from the wine bottle before handing it to me.

I also drink from it, feeling the warmth spread through me, but it pales compared to the heat between us. “You know, I never thought I’d be here, sitting with you like this,” I admit, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Dice…” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. It is as if everything suddenly crashes into his mind, and he pulls away, leaving me missing his warmth immediately.

I swallow hard, feeling the effects of the wine as my words tumble out. “I’ve never had a relationship before. But I think what’s important is doing things because you want to, not because someone told you to.” I look back at the sparkling city. “I don’t want to date someone who buys me flowers because they feel obligated. I want to live in the moment and enjoy whatever life throws at me.” I shrug, avoiding his gaze. I notice he is nodding slightly and taking a bigger sip from the bottle.

I turn to him to take my turn and realize it is almost empty. Have we drunk that much? I take a sip, feeling his eyes still on me. A smile starts forming on my lips. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but Gabi is right. I just want to roll the dice and see where it lands.”

He chuckles, his gaze lingering on my lips. I find myself unable to look away from the softness of his gaze and the smile playing on his face. The world around us seems to fade, leaving just the two of us in this moment that feels both exhilarating and intensely intimate. My heart is pounding, almost drowning out the distant city sounds and crashing waves.

I try to maintain my composure, but Yoongi’s gaze makes it difficult. Thankfully, the darkness hides my blush. “You know,” I say, my voice wavering slightly, “sometimes it’s easier to talk about things when you’re... a little tipsy.”

Yoongi’s smile widens as he wraps his arm around my shoulder. His touch is warm and comforting against the cold night air. I lean my head on him. “Yeah, I get that,” he says softly. “Sometimes it’s easier to say what you really feel when you’re not overthinking everything.”

We are sharing a moment of silence, just enjoying the closeness, the intimacy of our shared warmth against the cold. I feel like I could stay here forever, lost in this strange, captivating bubble we are creating.

“Dice,” Yoongi says, his voice barely more than a murmur. He tilts his head slightly, his eyes searching mine. “If you really want to roll the dice... what would you want to happen?”

I meet his gaze, and the question is hanging in the air between us. My pulse is quickening as I struggle to find the right words. “I guess,” I start slowly, “I’d want to take chances. Live in the moment.” I frown. Who would say that I would be thinking like that.

“What is it?” he asks, confusion laced in his expression.

“If you tell Gabi that I said that, I will have to kill you.” I chuckle.

Yoongi’s eyes widen in surprise, but he can’t hide the amused smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. “Oh, so it’s that kind of secret?” he teases, his tone light but his gaze still intense.

I laugh softly, shaking my head. “Yeah, definitely. I don’t need her making fun of me for being all... introspective and sentimental. Especially when it makes her right.”

Yoongi chuckles, and his laughter seems to dissolve the last remnants of tension between us. “I promise, your secret is safe with me. I wouldn’t dare spill it, especially not to Gabi.”

He leans back slightly, but his hand remains gently clasping mine. The touch is both grounding and electrifying. “So, you want to take chances and live in the moment,” he says more as a statement than a question, his voice softening.

I look down at our entwined fingers, feeling the warmth from his touch seeping into me. The silence is comforting, filled only with the gentle sounds of the waves and the distant hum of the city. Yoongi’s thumb is tracing small, soothing circles on the back of my hand, and I find myself leaning in slightly, drawn to the intimacy between us.

“Do you want to know something?” he asks suddenly, his eyes locking onto mine with a mix of vulnerability and determination.

I nod, my heart pounding in my chest. “Yeah, tell me.”

Yoongi takes a deep breath, his expression serious but soft. “I don’t want to overthink things either. I’ve been trying to figure out what I want, but... being here with you, right now, it feels right. And I think maybe that’s enough for now.”

The sincerity in his voice makes my breath catch, and I can see the same longing mirrored in his eyes. The distance between us feels like it is shrinking with every passing second. I take a small, deliberate breath, feeling the weight of his words and the promise they hold.

Yoongi’s gaze remains fixed on mine, and I see his eyes soften with a mix of relief and affection. He leans in, his face close enough that I can feel his warm breath against my skin. The world seems to slow down, the only sounds the gentle rush of the waves and our quickened breaths.

Yoongi’s face is inches from mine, his warm breath mingling with the cool night air. Our eyes lock, and in that shared gaze, I can see a mix of hope and vulnerability. His lips are soft and inviting, and as he leans in, I feel a flutter of anticipation.

When our lips finally meet, the kiss is gentle and exploratory. There is no rush or intensity—just a tender connection that speaks volumes in its simplicity. I can taste the faint, tangy flavor of the cheap wine on his lips.

Yoongi’s lips are warm against mine, moving with a soft, deliberate rhythm. He doesn’t press too hard or deepen the kiss, instead keeping it light and delicate. His kiss is like a whisper, full of unspoken promises and gentle affection. I can feel the slight, hesitant brush of his lips, a caress rather than a demand.

The sensation is comforting, almost comforting in its tenderness. His hand, still holding mine, is providing a reassuring warmth that makes the kiss feel even more intimate. The touch of his fingers against my skin is gentle, almost as if he is afraid of breaking the spell of the moment.

When we finally pull away, our foreheads are resting together, and I can see the soft smile playing on Yoongi’s lips.

Yoongi’s arms are wrapping around me, drawing me into a close, comforting embrace. We stay like that for a while, our bodies pressed together, with the city lights twinkling in the distance and the cool sea breeze gently brushing against our faces. The night feels suspended in time, a quiet and intimate pause amidst the chaos of our lives.

His warmth is seeping through my jacket, and the gentle rise and fall of his chest is a soothing rhythm against mine. We sit in silence, simply existing together in the stillness, the soft rustling of the sea and the distant hum of the city our only companions.

The kiss lingers between us, a tender moment. It is soft, fleeting—a brief spark that doesn’t demand anything more than what it is.

Yoongi’s gaze remains on the city, his expression contemplative but relaxed. His hand is resting lightly on my back, a casual touch that speaks of comfort rather than commitment. I lean my head against his shoulder, feeling a sense of calm wash over me as we share this peaceful moment.

“Cold isn’t so bad when you’re not alone,” he says softly, breaking the silence with a quiet, reflective tone.

I smile, nodding slightly. “Yeah, it’s not so bad.”

We remain there, side by side, wrapped in each other’s warmth and the tranquility of the night. The city lights continue to shimmer in the distance, a backdrop to our shared silence. It is a moment of connection, open-ended and unspoken, leaving the future uncertain but the present moment perfectly still.

The library is unusually quiet for a Saturday morning. The usual hum of activity is replaced by the soft rustling of pages and the faint tapping of keyboards. Eli, Gabi, and I have claimed our favorite study spot near the windows, the table covered in books, notes, and highlighters. Despite the serene setting, there is a palpable tension in the air, especially around Eli.

Ever since the club night last week, something has shifted. Eli is seeming distracted, her usual bubbly demeanor replaced with a more subdued, thoughtful one. I keep my head down, focusing on my notes, trying to ignore the undercurrent of awkwardness.

 “So, Eli,” Gabi says, breaking the silence. “Any updates on the marketing project?”

Eli snaps out of her thoughts, blinking rapidly. “Oh, um, yeah. I think we’re almost done. Just need to finalize a few things.”

Gabi nods, looking satisfied. “Good to know.” She drops her head on her books. “I’m seriously stressing about this test.”

Eli forces a smile. “Yeah, me too.”

The exchange is polite but strained. I can feel Gabi’s curious eyes darting between us, sensing the awkwardness but not pushing for answers, even though we probably knew the answer to it. Yoongi. I also definitely needed to keep quiet as I have also been keeping things from my friends.

Just as the silence threatens to swallow us again, Jungkook and Taehyung arrive, their presence like a breath of fresh air. Jungkook’s warm smile and Taehyung’s energetic demeanor instantly lighten the mood.

“Hey, everyone,” Jungkook greets, pulling up a chair beside me and resting his arm on the back of it. “Hope we’re not interrupting.” He offers the brightest smile that doesn’t fail to bring up the mood.

“Not at all,” Gabi replies, her eyes lighting up. “We could use the company.”

Taehyung plops down next to Eli, grinning. “So, what are we studying today?”

“Marketing,” Eli answers, her smile returning a little. “Big test and deadline coming up.”

“Fun,” Taehyung says, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Good thing I’m here for moral support.”

As we settle into our study session, the atmosphere gradually becomes more relaxed. Jungkook and Taehyung’s playful banter helps ease some of the tension, and even Eli seems to loosen up a bit. However, my phone buzzes incessantly, a series of messages from Jimin lighting up the screen.

Jimin: "Hey, what are you up to?"

Jimin: "Studying again? On a Saturday?"

Jimin: "C'mon, let's do something fun!"

I sigh and quickly type a response.

Me: "I really need to study, Jimin. Maybe later?"

But Jimin, being Jimin, was relentless.

Jimin: "Pleeeeease? I'm bored out of my mind."

I try to ignore the messages and focus on my notes, but my phone buzzes again.

Jimin: "Fine, if you're going to ignore me, I'm just going to complain in the group chat"

A few seconds later, the group chat litghts up with Jimin's messages.

Jimin: "Why are all my friends so boring? It's Saturday! Someone come save me from this boredom!"

Gabi snorts, reading the messages over her own phone. "Sounds like Jimin's having a meltdown."

I roll my eyes, a small smile playing on my lips. "He's just being dramatic."

"Isn't he always?" Jungkook says, a hint of amusement in his voice.

As we continue studying, the group chat buzzes with more messages, most of them teasing Jimin for his dramatics. Even Jungkook and Taehyung join in.

Taehyung: "Jimin, maybe you should try studying. It's very stimulating."

Jungkook: "Or you could come help us. Plenty of fun to go around here."

Yoongi: “Don’t you have a test to study for?”

Jimin: "Ugh, you guys are the worst."

I chuckle at the exchange. It was comforting to have these people around. I am deep down glad of the friend group we formed. I don’t know how I would’ve survived so far without them. 

Eli catches my eye and gives me a small, appreciative smile, as if to say thanks for not pressing her about her unease. I return the smile, but feeling the heaviest feeling in my gut from also holding stuff from her.

After Jungkook and Taehyung joined us, I notice Eli glancing at her phone more frequently, her fingers twitching as if she was expecting a message. Each time it buzzed, she looked both hopeful and anxious, her eyes darting quickly to the screen and then away.

"Everything okay, Eli?" Taehyung asks gently, clearly clueless about all the slightly akward day we had so far. 

She nods quickly, too quickly. "Yeah, just... family stuff."

He nods back, not entirely convinced but clearly willing to let it go for now. 

Throughout the afternoon, I can’t shake the feeling that something is off. Yoongi's absence is unusual. He was usually a steady presence, especially during our study sessions. Even though quiet and burried in his computer. During the week he acted like nothing had happened after he dropped us off at the apartment. But I guess last night might have drawn him away.

As we take a break, Taehyung stretched and glanced at me. "By the way, have you heard from Yoongi today?"

I shake my head. "No, I haven't. It's weird that he's not here."

Taehyung leans back in his chair, crossing his arms and shruggs. "Maybe he needed some time alone. You know how he can be."

Eli's face tightens at the mention of Yoongi, and she quickly looks down at her notes, pretending to be absorbed in her work. The look on Gabi’s face came and went like lightning. She also saw how she reacted. And the quick glance we shared afterwords was enough to tell me we were going to be talking about this later. 

"Yeah, maybe," I say, giving Taehyung a small smile. "He does like his alone time."

As the afternoon wore on, the group started to leave one by one. Leaving me alone with Jungkook at the library. He claims that he knows the subject by heart and that he already finished his part for the group project of the class. He was lucky. Unfortunetly the girl who decided to team up with me convinced me she was hardworking and that we would be done with it in no time. All lies as she would never show up to any of the meetings I tried to set up with her about this damn project.  “I can help you if you want.” Jungkook says looking up from his phone. “I hear the wheels turning inside your head from here” I quickly throw him an annoyed look. “I just feel so overwhelmed. How am I supposed to present this with someone who didn’t even write a single word” 

“Well she did write like 3 paragraphs?” He tries to comfort, but it doesn’t work.

“Yeah, that I had to re-write because it didn’t make any sense.” I can feel my shoulders drop as the realization that it will be my first failed report in school. Great.  Jungkook reaches over and gently pats my shoulder. "Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. You're smart, and you'll figure it out. Maybe we can brainstorm some ideas together?"

I sighed, appreciating his constant attempts to lift my spirits. "Thanks, JK. I might take you up on that."

The library is starting to empty out, the quiet atmosphere becoming almost too peaceful. I glance at the clock, noting that we still had a few hours before closing time. I decided to take a short break and walk over to the vending machine to get a snack. Jungkook follows, his presence comforting in the silence.

As I feed coins into the machine, Jungkook leans against the wall, his eyes fixed on me. "So, what's really bothering you? I mean, besides the project and Eli."

I hesitate, not sure if I was ready to unload everything that had been on my mind. But Jungkook's earnest expression convinced me to open up, at least a little.

"It's just... everything feels off lately," I admitt. "Eli's been acting weird, because… well, you probably know why.” I have to bite my own tongue for not spilling out that Yoongi and I made out. Not once, but twice now. ”And this project is stressing me out. I feel like I'm drowning in everything."

Jungkook nods thoughtfully. "Yeah, I noticed Eli's been on edge... But you don't have to carry all this by yourself, you know? We're all here to help."

I give him a grateful smile, feeling a bit lighter. "Thanks. It helps to hear that."

We returnto our table, and I resume my work with Jungkook's support. His presence made it easier to focus, and I manage to make some progress on the project. We bounce ideas off each other, and I start to feel more confident about the upcoming presentation.

Just as I was starting to feel a bit better, my phone buzzes again. It was Jimin, of course.

Jimin: "Im still broed. Seriousljy, can't you come hangt out with mwe?"

I chuckled, shaking my head. He clearly had already his share of drinks tonight by the looks of it. "Jimin really doesn't know when to stop, does he?" I show the phone to Jk who is peeking above my shoulder.

Jungkook laughs. "Nope, but that's part of his charm. Maybe we can do something fun later, after you've finished studying."

"Maybe," I say, glancing at the time again. "I just need to wrap this up first."

As we continue working, I can’t help but think about Yoongi. His absence was gnawing at me, and I wondered what could have driven him away. Eli's reaction to his name had been telling, but I didn't want to jump to conclusions. I decide to check my phone once more and noticed that Yoongi had been active in the group chat earlier, but hadn't sent any messages since. 

The evening progresses, and the library starts to fill with the low hum of closing announcements and the gradual packing up of students. By the time we wrap up, I feel much better about the project, thanks in no small part to Jungkook’s help.

“Ready to head out?" he asks, slinging his bag over his shoulder. 

"Yeah," I said, feeling a mix of relief and lingering stress. "Thanks for staying with me."

"Anytime," he replied with a warm smile. "And remember, you're not alone. We can figure all this out together."

We exit the library doors, blinking in the sudden twilight. The air is crisp, carrying the scent of the faint tang of the approaching sea. Jungkook stretched beside me, his phone clutched in his hand.

"Well, that was productive," he says, more to himself than to me. "Hopefully, your teammate will magically appear before the presentation."

I offer a weak smile. "Yeah, hopefully."

Suddenly, my phone rings in my pocket. My heart leapes – maybe it was Yoongi, finally reaching out. I pull it out, a smile faltering as I see the name on the screen: Gabi. I glance at Jungkook, who was still stretching and checking his phone. I pick up the phone with a soft smile on my lips. Jimin must have gotten into her head about going out and now its her turn to bother me. 

“Hey thank God you picked up,” her voice is shaky at the other end of the line “I need your help. Jimin’s hurt. Can you come over right now? I’m worried.” “What do you mean?” I ask her,  frowning.  Jungkook notices my sudden change in demeanor. “Everything okay?”

My eyes lock with Jungkooks as he is quick to drop the attention from this own phone. 

My breath catches. Something happened to Jimin? He had texted me not long ago about going to hang out with him. I feel a rush of panic and concern. “We came to this new bar and Jimin got into a fight. Hes not looking too good. I’ll send you our location.” She rushes and before I get the chance to reply she hangs up.

“I—Gabi says Jimin’s hurt,” I say, my voice tight with anxiety. “We have to go.”

Jungkook’s expression shifts to concern. “Do you know where they are?”

I agree quickly, looking at the directions to the bar. “Yes, she just sent me their location.”

We hurry through the darkening streets, each step heavy with worry. I try calling Gabi, but her phone went straight to voicemail. As we approache the place, the music throbbed through the night and silhouettes move on the sidewalk. My eyes scan the area, landing on two figures – one slumped against the wall, the other pacing impatiently. Relief washes over me momentarily, but then I see Jimin.

He is sprawled on the sidewalk, his hair disheveled and his clothes askew. A grimace contorted his face, clutching his stomach with a groan. Gabi hovered beside him, her face pale and streaked with tears.

"He… he got beat up," Gabi stammers, her voice cracking. "I don't know what happened!"

Jungkook kneels beside Jimin, his brow furrowed as he assesses the situation. Thankfully, there was barely any blood, but Jimin definitely looked worse for wear.

"What the hell happened?" Jungkook asks, his voice laced with concern.

"I don't know," Gabi sniffles. "We were just leaving the bar when these guys started shoving him around. They kept calling him names…" Her voice trailes off, tears welling up again.

Jimin winces as he tried to sit up. "Ugh, my head…" he mumbled, his voice slurred, as he sat back down.

I kneel beside Gabi, my own worry bubbling up. "Are you okay, Gabi?"

She shakes her head, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "I'm scared. What if they come back?"

Just then, a group of three young men emerge from the bar, their faces flushed and their voices loud. They spott us and start swaggering over, a menacing glint in their eyes.

"Hey! Looks like the little party's still going on," one of them sneers, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Leave us alone," Gabi says, her voice trembling.

The leader of the group scoffs. "Not until we settle the score with your little boyfriend here."

Jungkook stands up, his jaw set in a hard line. He was a big guy, but you could barely notice underneath the jacket he wore. But he radiates a quiet intensity that made me feel a flicker of hope.

"We don't want any trouble," he says calmly, though his voice holds a steely edge. "Just let us go."

The leader barks out a laugh. "Trouble? You started the trouble when your friend got mouthy with us."

The situation was escalating quickly, and I know we were outnumbered. My mind races, searching for a way out.

The tension in the air is palpable, and the group's hostile approach sent a shiver down my spine. I glance at Jungkook, who was visibly bracing himself for a confrontation. My mind desperate to find a way to defuse the situation before it got any worse.

Jungkook steps in front of Jimin protectively, his posture solid and unyielding. “Look, we don’t want any trouble,” he states firmly, though the strain in his voice was evident. “We’re just here to help our friend.”

The leader of the group’s eyes narrow, his gaze shifting between Jungkook and Jimin. “Help, huh? Seems like you’re just trying to play the hero. You should have thought about that before your friend decided to act tough.”

The men behind him shuffle closer, their faces etched with aggressive intent. I could see the situation spiraling out of control, and my heart pounds with fear. I take a deep breath and tried to gather all the courage in me. 

Squaring my shoulders, I rise to my feet, forcing a smile that feels more like a grimace. "Listen, gentlemen," I say, my voice surprisingly steady considering the tremor in my legs. "This is all a big misunderstanding. We're just leaving."

The leader's gaze flicks to Jungkook, who remains a stoic figure beside me. A smirk played on his lips."Misunderstanding, huh? Looks like your little boyfriend here needs a lesson in respect."

My smile falters. Respect? These guys were looking for trouble, and I wasn't about to let them take it out on Jimin. "He didn't do anything wrong," I counter, my voice gaining a touch of defiance. Maybe if I played it tough, they'd back down.

One of the guys snorted. "Yeah, right. Maybe you should teach him some manners yourself, sweetheart."

Their amusement fuel a surge of anger within me. They clearly didn't see the pepper spray nestled discreetly in the side pocket of my backpack. This wasn't a situation that called for playing nice.

With a deep breath, I reach back, my fingers brushing the cool metal canister. They didn't need to see it, just know it was there. "Look," I say, my voice dropping to a low growl. "We're not here to fight. But if you keep pushing, things could get messy. And trust me, you don't want that mess."

The leader's smirk falter for a brief moment, replaced by a flicker of something that might have been apprehension. He glances at his buddies, a silent question hanging in the air.

But then, as quickly as it appeared, the sneer returns. "Empty threats, doll?" he scoffs. "Let's see you back that up."

He takes a menacing step forward, his hand reaching out as if to grab me. It was now or never.

My hand shoots into my backpack, emerging with a hiss. The pepper spray gleams in the dim streetlight, a silent warning.

The leader freezes, his eyes widening in shock. His hand retreats as if burned. The air crackles with a different kind of tension now, thick with fear.

"Maybe you should reconsider," I say, my voice leaving no room for argument. “We’re not here to fight, but if you push it…”

The leader’s smirk falters, replaced by a flicker of hesitation. He glances at his buddies, weighing the situation.

Finally, he gives a dismissive wave. “Whatever. We’re done here. Get your friend out of here and don’t come back.”

The group turns and walk away, their retreating figures dissolving into the night. As the adrenaline begin to fade, I let out a shaky breath, feeling the weight of relief settle in. Jungkook takes away the can from my hand and quickly analyses if I am ok. He softly squeezes my hand in reassurance, before returning to Jimin’s side, helping him to his feet as Gabi wipes her tears away. 

“Lets get him home.” He quickly says while leading the way.  Previous ✧ Next

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Honestly, I am quite excited with this story! Hope you guys are enjoying too! Anyway! Share your thoughts! It honestly makes my day hehe Hope you are liking it so far :)

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[77cc69]

Overthinking

Synopsis: Yoongi asks you out and reassures you about your inexperienced love life.

Pairing: Hybe!Employee!Female!Reader!Y/N X Idol!Yoongi (BTS) (Mentions of other members too)

Genre: Fluff (There’s a slightly angsty theme and suggestion/mention of smut if you squint). Borderline benign obsessive and possessive thoughts from Yoongi, I guess?

Warnings: None.

This is a fictional work. I generally prefer that minors do not interact in case I decide to write about sensitive themes at a later stage. Please read sensibly.

Word count: 3021

This is Part 1 of the Thinking AU. Part 2: Just Thinking (to be added) Part 3: Not Thinking (to be added)

If you wish to be added to (or removed from) the taglist please comment below. 

I’ve used some basic Korean words in transliteration in italics in my writing. In case you don’t know what they mean, here are the translations for all Korean words used: Annyeonghaseyo (안녕하세요) - Hello Sajangnim (사장님) - president / CEO / boss -Ssi (씨) - a term of respect similar to Ms/Mrs/Mr Ne (네) - Yes

Author’s Notes: This is mainly descriptive writing with minimal storyline, but there are other parts that link to this theme that are in the making. I edit my work every now and then, so if you see a new chapter, perhaps consider reading the previous one(s) again in case I edited something to make more sense for the next chapter. This is my very first posted piece of writing, so I’d love to know your opinions. Don’t hesitate to contact me please. Let me know if you have any suggestions too! Just specify which work you're referring to if it's not a comment on the post. If you message anonymously, please provide a reference, alias or emoji for me to differentiate you from others. Last Edited: 25/03/2024

‘Knock knock’. It was gentle, but loud enough for him to hear through his muffling headphones. Patiently, you wait in the passage while other Hybe staff members walk by, bowing their heads as they pass. You’re gripping the papers and the late morning cup of coffee tighter than you should, leaving indents in the pages you’re supposed to deliver. 

There’s a buzz, signalling that the door is now open. You slowly push the door ajar, quietly to not disturb him while he works on his masterpieces that you’re not yet privileged enough to witness. The fact that he lets you enter into his dimly lit studio is honour enough. The only two people who know the key to this room are Jeon Jungkook and Min Yoongi himself. 

There’s a window on the left side of the room, tinted to be able to see outside and into the offices, but no one could see in. That must be how he’d known your name, seeing your labelled desk through the mirrored glass. You hadn’t expected him to notice you, let alone know your name and strike up conversations with you in the company cafeteria. He was one of the world’s best musicians and one of the most desired men on the planet. You were a little nervous to enter. Needless to say, the heartthrob made your heart throb. You always remained polite, respectful and professional as best you could, regardless of the mini developing crush you had blooming inside.

You see him lift the headphones off his ears and drape them around his neck before minimizing the file that was open on his computer screen with a click and spinning around to face you lingering in the doorway. “Annyeonghaseyo.” You bow, careful not to tip the coffee cup. He just nods in response from his spot across the room. “I brought the files that you requested,” you say softly as you gingerly place them on his messy yet somewhat organized desk. He gives a low pitched tired grumble in response. “Mmm.” 

“Sajangnim said that you’ve been in here for quite some time, so I figured I’d bring you some fuel to keep you going too.” You gesture to the warm cardboard cup you’re holding and raise it slightly, steam escaping from the tiny hole in the plastic lid. Has he really been here all night? He looks at you, dumbfounded. You're so sweet. He’s thankful for your kindness.

You stand there awkwardly, holding the coffee cup and searching for a place to put it down that won’t disrupt his mountains of sheet music and chaos. He leans forward and gratefully receives it from your clammy hands. You feel slightly out of place, wondering if you should have ditched the coffee idea and remained entirely professional with him. You fight back the urge to coo at how cute he looks with his saggy eyelids and puffy cheeks. He looks utterly exhausted, like a cat that’s searching for a place to curl up and sleep for the next 20 hours straight.

He takes a sip from the coffee cup, wondering how you knew exactly how much sugar he liked. None. His stage name was Suga, but ironically he takes no sugar in his coffee. He enjoys the taste and appreciates that it’s still hot, but not hot enough to scorch his tongue. Savouring the flavour, his droopy eyes close as evidence of his sleep-deprivation begins to surface. He's not complaining though. He'd work an endless number of hours more if it meant you'd visit him with coffee more often to help with his stamina.

He senses you overthinking about your friendly gesture, but doesn’t show it, opting to lighten the mood instead. He decides to use this opportunity to talk to you alone while he has the chance. “Y/N-ssi?” You look away from his lips on the coffee cup to make eye-contact. “Ne Yoongi-ssi?” “Are you busy tonight?” he asks cordially. You slowly shake your head from side to side, wondering if you should be busy with something. Is this a trick question? Is there a project that you’ve forgotten about? 

“Would you like to go out for dinner this evening?” he asks, all traces of emotion hidden from his face, Daegu dialect pulling through. “Sure,” you accept politely, smiling slightly and internally questioning if that was the correct response or not. “Which of the other colleagues will be there?” you enquire. His face morphs into an unidentifiable expression after you ask what seemed like a perfectly reasonable question to you. 

You’re so naïve.

Your innocent mind and purity almost makes him swoon. He nearly shows it, but tries to stifle the giddiness in his chest. He pretends to be unaffected. “I meant just the two of us. Together. On a date,” he says plainly, awaiting your response.

He observes your pretty face and watches the calculations go off in your head as the final realization in your eyes set in and your lips move to form the word “Oh.” He fears that you might change your mind and waits to hear if your answer to his question changes. 

It doesn’t. 

He watches your beautiful features contort ever so slightly as you hesitate. “I’ve never been on a date before,” you say earnestly. His face relaxes, relieved that that was the only worry plaguing your brilliant mind and he lets out a breath that he hadn’t realized he was holding. “That’s ok. I’ll teach you. I haven’t been on many dates recently either. The K-Pop idol lifestyle isn’t really conducive to it.” He lets out a little chuckle as you huff out a small laugh of relief too. He has successfully made you feel better about your inexperience, he thinks. 

You squirm and fidget with your sleeve, “But –” Apparently not so successful he realizes, “– I don’t know what’s socially acceptable. I-I don’t know how to kiss. I don’t know how to…” you rattle off, stumbling over your own words. It is in that moment that he knows you’re just as insecure about this as he is. You’re overthinking as much as he is, maybe even a bit more, judging by the stutter that just slipped out your pretty mouth. He leans back in his chair, pale fingers clasped together around the cup in his lap, the cardboard warm. There’s a faint gummy smile tugging on his lips as he takes another sip from the coffee. Amused eyes peer in your direction from behind the cup to see the cogwheels churning in your head. You’re adorable. Your face is tinted slightly pink to match the thin ribbon bow in your hair. He’s about to reassure you again when your rambling continues.

“Yoongi-ssi, I don’t know how to… I-I’m a virgin,” you admit. There. You said it.

He immediately splutters the liquid in his mouth, covering it with his sleeve, bending over and placing the cup on his desk without caring if it spills as he gasps for air in his coughing fit. Wow. Ok. It’s Yoongi’s turn to blush now. You really are getting way ahead of yourself. Next thing he knows, you’ll be contemplating marriage and telling him that you don’t know how to be a mother. He doesn’t mind. It’s endearing. He chuckles, gummy smile now on full display as he averts his gaze. The corners of his eyes crinkle and flatten slightly as his small pearly square teeth are clearly visible in a straight line.

You wonder if he’s laughing at you. Have you gone too far? Have you put him on the spot? You cringe. You’ve said too much. 

He’s received millions of proposals before. Quite literally, millions. Yet, somehow, yours would be the only one in consideration. You’re the only person on Earth that Min Yoongi would fear rejection from. He hopes you don’t know that if you had actually asked about marriage, he would have said yes in an instant. If you’d actually verbalised your insecurity about motherhood, he would have held your hand through all of it, regardless of how hard you’d squeeze, even if you’d crush his hand in the process. 

He grips the armrests of his swivel chair, using his legs to push the chair’s wheels out from under his desk and hoists himself up to stand. He glances down at your cute closed espadrille sandals with pink straps and a slight platform. He's wearing socks, shoes kicked off haphazardly at the door, but he towers over you nonetheless. He strides toward you, socks padding against the dark carpet, and you think he’s about to escort you gracefully out of his studio. He’s so close to you now, peering down at your flushed face with a fond look and a twinkle in his feline eyes. 

He cups your cheeks with both of his hands and continues to stare into your soul while you innocently stare right back. His fingers are rough, callouses from a lifetime of guitar practice, grazing your cheek. The string tied around his wrist tickles your ear as his hands push your hair back, framing your face. 

Your eyes strain to look up at him, struggling to focus when the dim lights above you create a blinding halo over his head. Your arms dangle aimlessly and lame at your sides, not knowing what to do or how to react. You think he’s about to take back his offer to take you out for dinner. You understand. It’s ok. You know you’re awkward. 

He tilts his head closer to yours, the proximity making you question your decision to wear less perfume today. The next thing you know, you feel his eyelashes on your cheeks and his bitter coffee breath fanning over your top lip before you register what’s happening. Your eyes are wide open from shock, his doll-like lips pressing into yours while you’re frozen in place. Realization hits you and you close your eyes, soaking in the unexpected sensations flowing through you. All those thoughts swarming in your head a minute ago have come to a halt and you just enjoy this feeling of closeness. You let your natural instincts take over and slowly move your mouth to mould with his, relaxing against his touch. You’ve never experienced this before. You’re happy it’s with Yoongi. 

Yoongi holds your face still, channelling all of the energy that he’s had pent up, into his first kiss with you. He wants this intimate moment to be memorable. For both of you. He’s actually glad that he’ll be your first. Your first kiss, your first date, the first man to hold your hand with the intention of never letting go, and your first… well, your first partner. He hopes to be your last and only. You’re pure, innocent and untainted. He likes that.

You have no idea how much courage it took him to ask you out. Yoongi has the confidence to be able to perform in front of millions of ARMYs, but it was nowhere to be seen when it came to asking you this big question today. His confidence had vanished into thin air and all he was left with was his usual calm demeanour which he hopes did the trick. He hopes it sounded casual enough even though he could hear his heart pounding in his throat. 

He’s been observing you for a while now, seeing as you pass by while running your errands each day. He had been admiring you since the day you started working at the company, thanking the heavens for Bang PD placing you in the same section of the building where his studio was located. The perfect view of your desk was visible through his window where no one could see him being distracted every single day. 

He’d noticed a lot about you in the last few months that he’d known you, like how consistently hard working you are and how you always pay attention to detail. He watched you pouring coffee for Namjoon the other day, swirling a floral pattern into the foam before capping the plastic lid on the paper cup and being careful not to spill a drop. He hopes that one day, he’ll be the only man receiving coffee from your dainty hands. You're clever, beautiful and have a heart of gold. How could he not want to be selfish and keep you all to himself?

It was strange how quickly he'd warmed up to you considering how long it usually takes him to become comfortable with strangers. He's usually so introverted, but holding your face in his palms and having you close to him just felt so normal, so easy, natural and just so right.

As he slowly and reluctantly releases your face from his passionate grip, he realizes there’s something that he hasn’t admitted to you. 

Your eyes flutter open. Neither of you know how long the kiss lasted. Time itself had stopped. Nothing else in the world mattered in that moment. He’d caught you off guard, but you didn’t mind one bit. In fact, you quite liked it, even though he’d left you feeling slightly light-headed. There’s a faint coffee bitterness lingering on your lips, but you can’t bring yourself to wipe the sweet aftertaste away. He’s smirking and you wonder if you’re dreaming. Did he, Min Yoongi, really just kiss you, or are you standing there dumbfounded while he smirks at you after you’d imagined the whole thing? No, you couldn’t have imagined it. You don’t think your mind is capable of being creative enough to come up with something so vivid. Could he hear what’s going on in your head? No, that’s not possible. Right? 

He clears his throat awkwardly, removing you from your dazed state. “Don’t worry Y/N. We’ll get to the other things you mentioned at a later stage, but for now, I think you’d better get back to work.” It is an unsaid promise that there is more where that came from. You look up at him shyly, not knowing what to say, but slowly nodding in acknowledgement, his words left lingering in the coffeed air between you. His smile brightens before disappearing entirely as if it was never there, making you believe that this was, indeed, just a dream all along. “We’ll leave work at seven,” he says flatly, no traces of his adoration shining through anymore like the warm words shared before. He then walks over to his desk and plonks himself back into the swivel chair, slouching lazily once again, wishing you’d stay, but he’d never show it. 

You notice a soft smile peeping through his unphased facade, but it might just be in your imagination again, so you don’t say anything. It still warms your heart to think that maybe, just maybe, he feels the same way you do. 

You bow, flustered, unable to wipe the blush and smile off your face, and turn around to exit. Just before closing the door behind you, you peek back in to see his back facing you, headphones on with dark fluffy hair bopping to the music as before like nothing had happened. You prefer his natural hair colour. You giggle to yourself like a schoolgirl as soon as the door is closed, quick to try neutralize your face when you see someone approaching in the hallway. If this was what your first kiss was like, you couldn’t wait for your first date later this evening.

What you hadn’t seen when you looked back into his studio to see the back of his head, was that Yoongi had the brightest gummy smile plastered over his face with the rosiest doughy cheeks that no one else would ever see. You had energized him, not with the coffee that you’d brought with you, but merely with your presence. As much as he should use this new found energy to get his work done before your date together, he was not going to be able to concentrate for the rest of the day. He’d end up writing ballads instead of the hardcore rap that he’d intended. He thinks, one day, he’ll show you his lyric book, littered with scribbles and confessions all about you. You are his muse after all.

He closes his eyes to picture your reaction from earlier that he’d done his best to memorise. It’s like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. It’s both a blessing and a curse that you are so blissfully unaware of his feelings for you. You don’t notice the fondness in his gaze when he stares at you. You’ve never noticed that he can’t pry his eyes off of you no matter how hard he tries to look away. Even after he’d silently committed his life to you, blatantly asked you out on a date, and kissed you like you were his life support, you didn’t know that he wanted you to be his, forever. You probably thought of him as a guy who just hit on you and kissed you to shut you up. You don’t know that he had kissed you to shut himself up. He needed a way to stop himself from saying the most ridiculously cliched poetry and to stop him from proclaiming everything to the world. He needed a way to show you how much he cared about you without embarrassing himself. He needed a way to reassure you and to settle the insecurities that he witnessed roaming around in your head. 

He doesn’t know when his feelings for you started to develop. What he does know, is that they are diamond strong, and that everything with you just feels right. While you were frantically confessing that you didn’t know how to kiss or go on a date, there was only one thing going through his head. There was something that he didn’t know how to do either. You thought that you were getting ahead of yourself. Compared to him, you were nowhere close. The thing that he didn’t admit to you while he let you babble on, was that he, Min Yoongi, didn’t know how to say the words ‘I love you’.

[sailorsplatoon]

Chapter 2 of a Dedf1sh fanfic I wrote

So I sort of disappeared for a little bit. I thought I would come back by posting the second chapter of that Dedf1sh fic I posted a while ago (which I still don't have a name for, so if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!) Also I tried my best to write Iso Padre in this chapter, but I'm not sure if I captured his manner of speaking properly, so if something seems incorrect I am entirely open to constructive criticism.

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Read it on ao3

Chapter 2 below!

(TW: Mention of blood)

(Side note: If there's ever a TW or CW that I miss, please let me know! I will not hesitate to add anything that needs to be added!)

Ahato woke up with a pain along their entire right side. They’d fallen off the seat and landed on the train floor. They picked themselves up and slung the large duffel bag over their shoulder. They’d probably gotten enough sleep. Looking around the train car, they noticed someone new was sitting in the room with them. A large grey scaly iso pod sat at near the door next to a suitcase full of… plushies? He seemed to be preoccupied by his thoughts. 

“Excuse me?” Ahato asked, hoping to get his attention.

“Oh, hello young squire. I had noticed you were asleep on the floor and thought I would keep you company. Might I ask if you’re alright? I heard you fall but you didn’t wake up.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just really tired I guess. Thanks for asking. Who are you?”

“I have no memory of my name. I have spent so long here that I have forgotten.”

“Oh…” Ahato felt a sudden sting in their chest. What would they have to go through to forget their own name? A name is so special and important. “I’m so sorry.”

“It is quite alright. I may have forgotten much of my life, but I can still enjoy the little memory I have left.” Ahato stood there in silence for a moment. This man seemed to kind. They couldn’t tell exactly why, but they knew instantly that they could trust him. He’d been through so much. They were similar in that way. Two souls searching for what they lost so long ago.

“My name is Ahato,” they said, “I want to help you. What can I do?”

“Well, it’s not much, but I greatly enjoy when the test subjects here share their mem cakes with me. They’re the slices of memory that you earn from completing tests. They are my only link left to what it feels like to have my own memories.”

“I haven’t completed any tests yet… but I will share all my mem cakes with you once I do!”

“Thank you, Ahato. Good luck. And please, don’t push yourself too hard for me.”

***

Ahato stood at the entrance of the station. Everything was eerily quiet. C.Q. Cumber walked them through how to select their weapon and how CQ points worked before they entered the test. 

At first it looked like a forest, but none of the trees seemed quite real. It was so quiet. The silence was so distracting, Ahato felt like every slight sound was amplified. If only there were some music or something to fill in the space. An octoling spawned on top of a large pillar and started to attack Ahato. Why were they attacking? And was their skin… green? Something was definitely off. Not to mention how much stronger this octoling seemed compared to most octoling soldiers they’d- Splat! Ahato respawned at the start of the forest. They were never a part of the fighting division in the octarian army, their specialty was in the medical unit. How were they supposed to fight when normally they did the exact opposite!? Ahato wanted to give up right there. They knew something was wrong with this place and these weird green octolings were definitely a part of it. How were they supposed to fight them? Then they remembered the kind isopod back on the train. They wanted to help him, and the only way to do that was to pass this test. They took a deep breath and trudged into the forest.

***

Ahato boarded the train, mem cake in hand, bleeding. After a while they gave up trying to fight and just tried to disarm the octolings. Turns out they were good fighters even without their weapons. But Ahato managed to do it.

“Oh Ahato! You’re hurt!” The isopod stood up, worried for the octoling’s wellbeing. 

“I’m okay, really. I’ve had way worse,” Ahato sighed from exhaustion as they brandished the thin spongey mem cake they had earned. They didn’t look at it. Why, out of all of their memories, did it have to be that one? The isopod took the mem cake, seeing how obvious it was Ahato did not want to hold it anymore. The moment he took it he understood.

For my f1ngers, your blood a sheet.

1 stress to keep your heart a-beat.

But soon 1 must adm1t defeat.

“Ahato… are you alright?” The isopod asked.

“Yeah, I already told you. I’m totally fine, I just need to bandage up these cuts,” Ahato had already pulled a roll of gauze out of their bag and was wrapping it around their wounds.

“I don’t mean physically.” 

They paused. That mem cake had revealed more than they wanted it to. “Don’t worry, really I’m okay.”

“If you need to talk, I'd love to listen.”

Ahato thought for a moment. When was the last time they talked to someone about anything past their work for that day? “That was when I learned that just because being a medic didn’t require me to be on the battlefield, doesn’t mean I would see any less death.”

“Was this your first time losing a patient?”

“Yes. They’d been shot by a charger from close range. Typically that would just splat you and then you’d respawn, but this one had been rigged so that it shot out projectiles rather than ink. It was designed after some ancient invention used for hunting I guess? It tore directly through one of their hearts, causing them to lose immense amounts of blood. I’d never dealt with damage from a weapon like that before, so I didn’t know what I could do. I watched them die. I still have nightmares about it.”

“I am so sorry that you had to go through that, Ahato. Saving people is never an easy job. I can tell you cared about it deeply.”

“I was never good enough to fight-” they paused to take an ibuprofen pill- “I couldn’t build machines or train new soldiers. Heck, I couldn’t even manage the weapons supply. Everyone in the army thought I was useless. I thought I would end up being a grave digger. But then the medical unit announced that they were understaffed and I got stuck there. I ended up loving it. I could help people.”

“You are a good person, Ahato.” The two went silent. It wasn’t the awkward silence that Ahato was expecting when they opened up about their past. It was more like a silence of understanding. Like there was nothing more that needed to be said because they both knew what the other was going to say already. It was nice. Ahato started to cry. The isopod hugged her. They sat like that for a long time.

***

“Do you mind if I come up with a name for you?” Ahato asked the isopod. “I know it won’t be like your real one, but I want to have something that I can call you.”

“I would be very grateful if you did. What would you like to call me?”

“Iso Padre. Because you kinda remind me of my dad.”

“Thank you.”

[dragons-and-dwarves-are-nice]

To the Shadows that Cry Witch /// Chapter 17

Hello! So I've made this one a little longer to make up for the two weeks of posting I missed, even though it's still a bit of a filler chapter, but I promise more exciting things are coming. Also I may be going on a small hiatus after posting this or the next chapter so I can get myself ready for uni. But apart from that, Enjoy! <3

Summary: Magic was real, but it came at a price. So when two girls end up in the one place they never thought they could reach, strange things began to happen. Good or bad? That's up to them to find out.

Tags: Kili x oc/reader - Fili x oc (POV to be written soon) - Thorin's company × ocs/reader (platonic) - fluff - angst - EXTREME slow burn - crack - Bagginshield

Word Count: 3013

Warnings: Mentions of injuries and distressing events from previous chapter.

Taglist - comment or message to be added!

PLEASE START FROM THE BEGINNING IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY OK LOVE U

Want some background music? Check out my Soundtrack Playlist!

Now available on Wattpad and AO3 (please let me know if links aren't working)

<; Chapter 16 // Chapter 17 // Chapter 18 >

Part 2: Chapter 17 -

I am confusion.

Moira (Definition): A person’s fate or destiny. (Noun / Origin: Irish / Moi·ruh)

Hobbiton, The Shire – T.A. 30th September 2939 of the Third Age (1339 in Shire-reckoning)

“And he just dragged you both in unconscious and decided to let you stay? Just like that?? Yavanna he is a strange hobbit.”

We both nodded in unison at Mrs Greenfoot’s questions and watched as she let out a guffaw, her eyes widening in disbelief at the story we told about our arrival. We had left out the parts where our belongings had materialised out of thin air and the near-death experience we had falling from the sky, otherwise I was sure we would be chased around with a cane and one unhappy hobbit lady yelling about us being delirious.

We were currently sat what seemed like a sewing room, with a folding screen standing tall on one side, whilst the other wall was taken up by a large cabinet and further shelving, that housed threads and fabrics of all kinds of colours and textures. I was currently sat on a small circular ottoman stool, watching Gladiola as she stared at the numbers on a measuring tape she had wrapped firmly around Kay’s waist. Brushing a brown curl out of her face, she released the tape and turned to a small table next to her, jotting numbers down on some paper.

“Well that’s a first.” She began. “It’s not every day Bilbo just lets anyone into his home. Not after he found Lobelia that one time trying to nick an entire drawer of handkerchiefs, my word,” she said with a chuckle, “Their screaming match could be heard from across the river!”

“He didn’t ask us right off the hook, though.” Kay responded. “We explained our situation and managed to convince him in the end.”

“Right.” Gladiola said whilst wrapping the tape around Kay's bicep. “Just make sure you two stay out of trouble – for both your reputations and Bilbo’s. The hobbits here love gossip, nor are all of them friendly to outsiders, if you haven’t already noticed.” She warned.

“Yeah we’ve noticed. I counted 9 who changed their route to avoid us, and don’t get me started on the staring.” I answered unenthusiastically.

Gladiola let out a short laugh. “You’re going to have to get used to it for a little while, I’m afraid. At least until they warm up to you. Hopefully.” She made one final note on the paper and put her tape measure away. “Now, keep in mind I am limited to what I have access to in Hobbiton, but why don’t you two tell me what kind of clothes you want.”

We spent a while sharing our ideas – I asked about a simple layered dress with a bodice that was similar to what Mrs Greenfoot was wearing, and some dungarees. Kay described a something similar, but with her own colour scheme, Gladiola nodding along as she wrote it all down. During that time, Bilbo had returned with the tea, and had a kettle boiling away as we all sat at the dining table.

“Ok, I’ll see what Mrs Brownlock has at her stall tomorrow morning and get started.” Gladiola explained.

Bilbo reached into his pocket and brought out a sack of coins, handing it over to Gladiola, insisting she had some form of money-based payment for the help she was provided, and she received it gratefully. I stood up and walked over to the stove to pour another cup of tea. At that point, loud chatter was heard outside, growing nearer, and soon enough the front door swung open, several small figures darting in with haste, followed by a very out of breath older hobbit.

The taller hobbit leant on the door, his face glowing a rosy red as he heaved deep breaths, and we all watched as several hobbit children scampered around, yelling with glee as smiles plastered each of their similar faces. All of them had mops of brown curly hair, varying in shades, lengths and styles, that swished around as they tumbled down the hallway. Though that came to a stop as they reached the kitchen.

The tallest of the children entered first and immediately froze, her large, dark blue eyes, that matched her dress, widened as they honed in on us. Another two crashed into her, causing her to stumble, and one by one the rest followed, crashing into each other until they all were stood still in the hallway, staring in with wide eyes.

Finally, the older hobbit caught up, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. He wore a grey button-up, tucked into a simple pair of brown trousers held up by suspenders of the same brown colour. A striking pair of dark blue eyes that matched the tallest child in front of him were slightly hidden by a mass of dark brown curls that spiralled down just past his pointed ears. His eyes were wide, darting around as his face held an awkward expression at the sight of the four of us.

“My love,” he greeted Gladiola, who gave him a warm smile in return. “I uhh – didn’t… realise we were having guests today?”

“Are you an elf?”

My body jerked slightly, startled as I looked down to find one of the smaller kids had silently approached me, and was now staring up with giant brown doe eyes as she poked at my knee.

“Uhhhh, no?” I answered confusedly.

“But you’re so tall?!” This time it was one of the boys that spoke up, hurrying over to join what I guessed was his sister to where I was stood by the stove.

“She has long straight hair like an elf!”

“And look! Her ears are pointy!”

“Ah, no,” I answered with a nervous laugh, “They just look pointy when I face forward.” I turned my head and pointed at my ear. “I can assure you they’re round.”

The two of them looked like they didn’t believe a word I said, and I felt myself begin to sweat slightly at the pressure of their staring. That was, until the girl glanced at Kay, and immediately set her sights on her.

“What about you!” She exclaimed, causing Kay to jump in her seat. “Are you an elf?!”

“She not tall enough.” Said the boy, and I burst out laughing at the sight of Kay’s offended face, her mouth open in shock. “Maybe she’s half elf.”

“Melba! Rothad! That’s enough!”

Gladiola’s voice resonated through the room, silencing the two kids.

“Sorry ma.” They both said in unison.

“Mum, who are these people?” Piped up the tallest who had come through first. She was definitely the eldest of the group, her protective nature showing with the wary look on her face as she subconsciously picked up the smallest child and held her in her arms.

“They’re friends of Bilbo’s dearie,” Mrs Greenfoot answered. “They’re staying here for a while, so I’ll be making them both some outfits to fit in.”

“But I thought Bilbo didn’t like outsiders?” Revealed the eldest, much to Bilbo’s chagrin.

“W-well it’s not that I dislike everyone who comes through the Shire,” He defended with a red tint to his ears. “I’ve just happened to have some unfortunate encounters with the men of Bree during the odd visit, that’s all.”

The eldest looked unconvinced, her brows pinched as she pinned him with an intense glare, causing Bilbo to shrink in his chair slightly at the sight of the challenging child.

Gladiola quickly went to break the tension, distracting her eldest child with a suggestion to introduce everyone, to which she did.

“My name is Menegilda, and these are my sisters, Melba, Berylla and Lalia.” She gestured to the girls on her right, then to the three boys grinning on her left. “And these are my brothers, Rothad, Griffo and Madoc. Also, this is our father.” She pointed her dad who had sneaked passed the seven kids, and was pouring himself a cup of tea.

He gave us both a warm grin, walking over to give his wife a kiss on the forehead, before introducing himself. “Gilbert, it’s lovely to meet you both, and to see you again Bilbo!” He clapped the other hobbit on the back, sitting down on the chair by Gladiola, who turned towards us.

“I hope you guys are up for the challenge, cause you’ve got seven kids to look after.” She said.

Her sentence was met with a wide range of reactions: Kay and I nodded in agreement, whilst Gilbert slumped in his chair with a sigh of relief (turns out he likes having his weekends off with the kids, but it was nice to have a break sometimes). The children were a mix, most of them shouting in excitement whilst others like Menegilda and Madoc – who were the eldest of the group – looked unsure at the thought of strangers looking after them. I didn’t blame them though, I’ve had my fair share of babysitters in the past, and not knowing them beforehand made things a little awkward when it came to them telling you what to do.

Though we no longer had any choice on whether or not we wanted to get to know them, because the two of us were instantly swept away, Melba and Rothad in the lead as they dragged us further into the house. I gave Kay an exasperated look.

“I think I’m gonna have a hard time remembering all these names.” I whispered as much as I could over the yelling.

Kay scoffed. “But you can recite the names of over eighty Transformers characters? It shouldn’t be that hard.” She smirked as I pouted with a frown.

 It wasn’t long before Kay and I found ourselves sat on the floor of one of the kid’s bedrooms, being prodded with questions as some played with our hair, whilst the others scurried around the room, grabbing random things of theirs to show us. Menegilda had remained in the corner at first, but soon enough she was sat in front of us with the youngest in her lap – Lalia – after seeing my wrist splint and asking how it happened, but now she quietly spoke about what the seven of them usually got up to.

Hours passed, and we found ourselves waving goodbye to the Greenfoot family, exhausted from the children’s constant playing, and full from both Bilbo and Mr & Mrs Greenfoot effortlessly putting together the last 4 meals of the hobbit day - Luncheon, Afternoon Tea, Dinner and Supper. As a thanks, I promised to make another batch of Victorian sponge cakes, much to the excitement of the large family at the thought of trying a new type of pudding. And with that, the two of us and Bilbo finally made our way up the grassy path, dimly lit by the dying light of the golden hour, ready to go to bed.

25 Days Later – T.A. 25th October 2939 of the Third Age (1339 in Shire-reckoning)

It had been almost a month since we were introduced to the Greenfoot family, and things had been getting better. Kay’s concussion had finally cleared, the dizzy spells it caused now completely gone, and the large cut on her forehead was slowly losing its scabbing. We also found out, much to Kay’s relief, that her spinal injury was simply a bruised bone, and the blood-red bruising on her back had finally begun to turn into a mottled green-yellow.

As for me, my ribs were slow on their recovery journey, my breathing still painful from time to time depending how much rest I had that day. My ankle had stopped swelling finally, after Erard had found out I had been up and about too much for his liking and had threatened to twist the other ankle if I didn’t take bed rest. He came in once a week to check up on us and change my wrist splint, which apparently wasn’t going to fully heal for another 4-8 weeks, much to my disappointment. The large gash on my hand was my least favourite to think about – it was fine, not infected or anything, but it wasn’t nice to look at the reddened, gnarly raised skin, knowing that soon there would be an ugly white jagged scar replacing what was once the smooth skin of my palm. I also hated the fact that every time I looked at it, I would be reminded of what was probably the most terrifying and painful night of my life. But apart from that, all our other scratches and bruises had disappeared, apart from the larger cuts scarring slightly here and there.

A knock sounded at my bedroom door, and I was snapped out my thoughts as Kay called through, saying that Gladiola was in the kitchen with some of the clothes she’d made and if I was able to come out. Standing up from my bed, I approached the door and opened it, following Kay to the kitchen.

We spotted Mrs Greenfoot as we entered the kitchen, greeting her as she hauled a large bundle of cream coloured material onto the table. Pulling it apart, she separated it into two piles, picking something out of one of them, before unravelling it.

I gasped in delight as I recognised the shape of clothing that spanned that was longer than Gladiola herself.

“A shift!” I exclaimed excitedly. “I’ve always wanted to make one of these!”

“Well now you have one!” Gladiola announced proudly as she admired her work. “It’s only a simple undergarment, but the cotton is breathable enough for you both to wear it comfortably under any outfit.” She explained.

We both chattered excitedly with the hobbit, who had handed us our garments along with a set of cotton pants and a type of chest covering that was similar to a modern bra, and ushered us off to try them all on to check that they fitted well.

Twirling around, I admired the shift as much as I could in the small mirror on top of the dresser, watching as it swayed with my movement. It was only an undergarment, but for some reason it made me feel so happy and giddy inside.

Sitting on the bed, I slipped on the knitted socks, admiring the patterns in the cream colour that wound and twisted upwards until it reached halfway up my shins. Wiggling my toes at the soft feel of the wool, I stood up and bounded out the door, eager to show Mrs Greenfoot how well everything had fitted.

Kay appeared not long after me, sporting her own matching shift and set of socks. Gladiola was immediately upon us, tugging and prodding at the fabric to check if it fitted her standards. Apparently it did, and she relaxed back onto her heels with a satisfied huff.

“It looks like nothing needs adjusting, are you both happy with what you have so far?” she asked looking up at us. We both nodded with a ‘mhm’, smiles on our faces. “Brilliant, I best be off then, got a linen delivery coming in the hour.”

“Wait!” I blurted, and quickly hurried to the pantry, much to the surprise of the hobbit. I returned not long after with a basket in my arms, a light blue tartan cloth draped over the top of it, and handed it over. “We made some scones for you to take home, and there’s some clotted cream and strawberry jam that Bilbo taught us how to make in there as well.”

Gladiola let out a noise of delight as she lifted the cloth up to reveal a batch of giant scones, taking a deep breath of the freshly baked scents. We walked her to the door as she thanked us both, and waved as she disappeared down the hill.

Returning to our rooms as it was now late in the evening, I busied myself with tidying up, before sitting down and playing around with the ribbons on my dresser and trying to see what hairstyles suited the heatless curls I had put in last night . Deciding on a loose low ponytail that allowed my light fringe and curtain bangs to flow freely, I tightened the ribbon, and froze on the spot.

That same feeling had returned. The same one from almost a month ago when I thought I was going to be mauled to death by some ghost-looking beast. I still hadn’t decided whether it was a dragon or a demon yet, since my fear had blocked me from remembering the creature.

I forced myself to glance the my left, using the mirror to look at the wardrobe behind me that stood ominously in the faint glow of my candle. No blue. Thank god.

But that feeling didn’t leave.

It felt like a pull – a sudden motivation to do something you hadn’t thought of. But this time it didn’t pull me towards the wardrobe. Instead I felt it wanting me to walk out the door. I stood up, but not before I opened one of my drawers, taking the sharp sewing scissors and zipping them into the pocket of the waterproof coat I had worn when we dropped into Middle Earth. Slipping the coat over the shift I was wearing, I kept the wool socks on and slid on my walking boots, grimacing at the small splashes of old blood stains that scattered the material.

Picking up a lantern and lighting it, I quietly made my way through the hallways and reached the front entrance, before a voice called out.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

I spun around, staring into the darkness that stretched beyond the light of my lantern, until I spotted a concerned Bilbo as he emerged from the shadows holding a candle.

“Uhhhhh, just for a walk.”

“At night.” He deadpanned.

“I think all this bed rest is making me restless.” I half-lied, since it was kinda true.

He eyed me suspiciously, but backed down. “Alright, but be no longer than half an hour.”

I nodded, and after he disappeared back into his room, I opened the door and crept into the night.

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

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<; Chapter 16 // Chapter 17 // Chapter 18 >

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[redrosesartcabin]

5.Scenario: An Unexpected Visit from the Past

Megatron x reader fanficition ( can be found here as well https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redrosessoulcabin)

Link to the previous chapter: https://www.tumblr.com/redrosesartcabin/722531374941274112/4-scenario-the-tree-house-part-2-love-making?source=share

Link to the first post:

Link to the next chapter: https://www.tumblr.com/redrosesartcabin/722531749648793600/6scenario-poetry

Miko and Ratchet make a cameo!

--

Miko Nakadai was a young woman nowadays, working as a special agent in international business concerning alien as well as internationally organized crime, traveling with the space bridge by Ratchet who also worked for government business most of the time and kept an eye out for any kind of Transformer activity.

About one year ago an unusual signal seemingly belonging to a Cybertronian had turned up from space for just a few seconds but suddenly disappeared when it had gone through earths atmosphere.

But now, after careful calculations and observations, she had the coordinates where the mysterious Cybertronian might have landed, and Ratchet sent her there.

“You sure you don’t need backup?”, Ratchet had asked but she just shook her head.

“Nah, it’s all good”, she smiled, “I don’t even know if this’ll amount to anything and besides, I have my com-device with me. If I need help I’ll call. But for now this is just like a routine check-up”

How wrong she had been, so it seemed because as soon as she had exited the portal, she was met with the sight of Megatron. Like a reflex, she pulled her plaster gun and pointed it at him, but immediately lowered it, just a tad, remembering the message from her Autobot friends from Cybertron. Though of course neither them nor her could completely trust him still, so she kept the gun ready and loaded.

“How did you cloak your life signal?”, Miko asked, not deeming it necessary to greet Megatron.

He looked at her like he had looked at her from the moment she had went through the portal: With horror. Not something she ever thought she would be faced with.

“I honestly…don’t…quite know”, he answered her slowly, “It seems something in my system got fried, having fallen through your planet’s atmosphere for the second time... I don’t know more”

“I will believe that for now”, she said, “Though I can imagine you’re glad about that- your life signal not showing up anymore I mean”

“I am”, he confirmed.

Miko found it increasingly strange to have such a calm conversation with him, albeit awkward because he still looked at her that way. So anxiously, like she could do something to him he feared more than anything else.

So she asked him, “Why do you look at me like that?”

He looked away in response, letting out an ex-vent before he asked, “What are you doing here?”.

“Well”, she began to explain, “I work for international matters of activities of non-earth origins and that also means keeping an eye out for Cybertronian activity”, then she added,”You know there are still Decepticons fighting the cause you have led for so many millennia right here on earth?”

“Really?”, Megatron asked genuinely surprised.

“Yes. And now that I’m finding you here and I assume you’ve turned good?- you could help out in catching them”, Miko proposed. It was an idea that had come to her spontaneously and she could barely believe she just said that. Didn’t she say to herself the moment she saw him she still didn’t trust him? But something about his aura just spoke volumes on just how much he had changed.

Megatron smiled at her kindly, something he wore better than she could’ve ever imagined.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that”, he said to her, “But please believe me when I say I don’t refuse because of capturing who used to be my own. I don’t care about whatever scum still goes around running this Decepticon shtick to the ground. And maybe it’s another good way to redeem myself, but I have already found my own way to do so. And more than redeeming myself, I found a new pacifist way of life that I love and want to keep on living… The Megatron you used to know is dead and he should stay dead for everyone else as well…”, he took what could be considered a breather, looking at her pleadingly, “Can you promise me not to tell anyone that I’m here?”

Miko thought about that for a moment, still having to digest what she just heard and how she had heard Megatron speak. She was still fighting the voices telling her to never trust him, but she also couldn’t ignore the genuine nature in which he spoke and the fact that despite having been on earth for about a year, he hadn’t done anything.

She sighed, “Ok, here’s the deal: You can stay here and I won’t tell, but in exchange you will be fine with me checking up on things from time to time and I may ask you questions about Deception technology as well as hide-outs or other things that may help us in investigations. Do you comply?”

“We comply”, suddenly came an answer from the off.

Miko and Megatron turned their head to where the voice had come from at the same time, both not having anticipated it.

“How long have you been standing there?”, Megatron asked you.

“Long enough, was very interesting to finally hear form Miko”, you commented, “I didn’t think I’d ever meet any of your former enemies”

“Who are you?!”, Miko suddenly bursted out, shell shocked by this random person showing up out of nowhere and talking to Megatron like it’s casual.

“I”, you said, chest proudly pushed out, head held high, “am his lover”

At that Mikos eyes almost seemed to pop out of her head, “Excuse me, you are what? Megatron and a human lover?”

“I can still hardly believe it myself”, Megatron admitted, “Well, hard enough though”, he added and winked at you at which you blushed and giggled like a silly little schoolgirl.

“Please don’t”, Miko simply said and then tried to collect herself again. All of this was odd yet strangely endearing… but still mostly odd.

“So this is why you can’t leave?”, Miko eventually asked as they stood around, not quite knowing how to continue this conversation.

“Yes”, Megatron confirmed, “Though I didn’t really want you to know”, then his head turned to you again, “You shouldn’t have interfered”, he scolded you, albeit very lightly.

“Since when do I do what you tell me to?”, you ask cheekily back, “I’ve been in your business ever since we met”

“Touché”, he chuckled.

“Dear god,”, Miko exclaimed “stop! this is too much cheese in one day, I think I’ll leave now. Congratulations you two, you’ve scared me away”

You laughed, “It was a pleasure meeting you Miko ‘you-should-remember-my-face’ Nakadai”

“He told you about that?”, Miko asked amused. She hadn’t thought he would even remember.

“Make no mistake: I Know everything”, you said, your face suddenly much more serious and she immediately understood you: You were sending the message that this was true, this thing between you and Megatron and that she should not interfere, and suddenly Miko was actually scared and why shouldn’t she be? You were the lover of a former warlord turned soft and kind. What being could do that? Even if Megatron had already renounced his ways beforehand, the way he had changed had been no guarantee. You had given him a wonderful path to walk on, and she respected that.

“I understand”, Miko then said, “I’ll be back in a bit then”, she said and waved them goodbye, adding, “I’ll call for pick-up a few meters away so Ratchet won’t pick up on anything” and then she was gone as quickly as she had arrived.

“Quite a character that Miko”, you laughed.

“Yes, quite”, Megatron agreed, “We must be careful, underestimating her can come back to bite you”

*

When Miko returned, she wore a strange smile on her face that Ratchet couldn’t place an emotion on.

“Everything ok Miko? Find anything?”, he asked.

For a moment he saw her contemplating before she said, “No, nothing. And I’m fine, I’ll go back to do some paperwork now” and then she disappeared around the corner down the hallway leading to her office.

“She was never one to rush to paperwork”, Ratchet said to himself, finding her behavior a bit curious but in time he forgot and just kept doing his own work. Perhaps, he thought, the walk in nature had just been nice for her.

[holly-fixation]

Ink Clouds: Chapter 18

Summary so far: Cloud is sent back in time by the calamity, and is now half squid that constantly spews ink that carries Geostigma. Tifa, Cloud, and Zack have all been interrogated separately about their time with the creature and why they’ve committed the stunts that they have. The last respondent is Sephiroth, but instead of the interrogators that wouldn’t be able to read his emotionless nature, it’s the only person he can’t control his emotions around: Hojo.

Based on the prompt by @im-totally-not-an-alien

Please Enjoy!

Chapter 18: Glass

"No." Sephiroth didn't realize he voiced his thought allowed until the scientist gave a short, mocking laugh in reply.

"Still acting childish, are you?" He asked with a sick grin.

The silver general stared daggers into him and silenced.

This interrogator was enjoying it too much.

"Apparently so." Hojo held the back of his chair for a moment before pulling it back and gesturing to the open one near the silver haired man. "Have a seat."

Sephiroth only crossed his arms. He did not move or say anything. His blood boiled as he gripped his biceps for a semblance of self control.

"Come on," He taunted, "for old time's sake?"

"What do you want?" Sephiroth seethed, every ounce of his being poisoning the room.

Hojo laughed again. "Before you break something, let's talk like civilized people."

"Why. Are you. Here."

"Oh please," He scoffed. "Trained or not, those interrogators don't have what it takes to understand you in one conversation."

Because they're rightfully afraid of me. "And yet, they didn't need this field."

"I have a proposition for you," Hojo ignored his previous statement and took his seat.

Sephiroth's brow twitched in confusion and frustration.

The snake leaned back in his chair. "You want investigation clearance for the Nibelhiem reactor and the central mountains of the west, correct?"

His inhuman eyes narrowed, his thin pupils barely visible slits.

"And now, with that girl breaking in and that troop identical to the creature, the board has to accept my request for research."

"Congratulations," the general spat with so much sarcasm its venom was tangible.

"We'll need escorts." Now he had the general's attention. "And the monsters there are too much for low class SOLDIERS."

"...what do you gain from this?" Sephiroth questioned skeptically.

"I am a man of my work," He stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "If an escort is my biggest inconvenience, I am living every scientists' dream."

"Even working with SOLDIER?"

He waved his hand at the inclination. "A bit more learning could do the lot of you some good. We'll give you access to the files we have on the creature, as well as whatever you find in the destinations."

He paused as he considered the deal. "...On one condition." He saw the 'scientist's' eyes brighten with satisfaction, even behind the black glasses. "We have as much access as we please to information we find in either location. Your team gives us the slightest suggestion to stop our investigation, we leave."

Hojo grinned. "Then, I believe we have a deal."

"And I believe we're done here," Sephiroth barely took a step away while speaking.

"Ah-ah-ah," The snake scolded. "You still have questions to answer." He could feel the fire in Sephiroth's returned eyes. "This is an interrogation after all."

Suddenly behind the chair again, Sephiroth's grip on the back caused a loud crunch to shoot through the room. This was it; the same as before: poked and prodded to Hojo's content as his underlings watched from one way mirrors, only watching, always ignoring the pain as they took notes in observation as it increased with each test.

"I'd say 'have a seat' if you didn't break the chair."

He glanced down at his hands. Sure enough, the supporting bar for the back cushion was crushed, buckled under his strength. That didn't matter though, he needed a way out of this situation, but he couldn't find one. All of SOLDIER was on the line for his insubordination; he needed to swallow his hatred and pride to protect his comrades, his friends. Any other investigator would have been fine, but it had to be him, right here, right now.

"Ask your questions," Sephiroth spat. Gods he was tired of seeing that monster's teeth.

But Hojo couldn't control his grin as he leaned forward and clamped his hands in front of him. "What are you and the creature hearing?"

His eyes widened for a millisecond and instantly returned to his angry gaze. Most people wouldn't see it because of its subtle and quick difference.

"Don't lie to me," Hojo demanded as if he could read the silver general's mind, just like before: poked and prodded to his heart's content.

"What I hear, is what the creature says," he started.

"Most of it," Hojo finished for him. Anyone else wouldn't make such an assumption, but Hojo could see through the silver haired boy like window glass since birth.

Any other investigator would have bought his answer. But Hojo knew more.

"Perhaps only part of it," Hojo realized as he observed Sephiroth’s reactions. "So, again, what do you hear?"

"You have to be more specific." He instantly regretted the words that left his mouth.

Hojo's smirk curled in vile curiosity.

That means more questions.

"Let's start with the first one that caused a reaction. 'Forgive'."

Crap, he's in a corner. His lies and half truths were caught instantly. He had no choice but to inevitably tell the truth, like the corner he protected himself in when they came in to start experiments, the child locked away in an examination room with no escape.

"You'll have to ask for a new one," He spat. "You can check your records for that."

"So you've told the creature what you hear?"

He nodded, but the slight glance away of his eyes was noticed.

"Not everything, though."

He let go of the chair before it shattered, clenching his fists at his sides.

Hojo gestured with his hand. "Go on. Tell me about ‘Forget’."

There was a pause, but it didn’t hold the same tension as the pauses when he tried to think of a lie. How long could he delay the inevitable? “It was nearly the same.”

“What did you hear?”

Another corner. He crossed his arms as he tried to think. His interrogator sighed and sat back.

“The faster you answer, the less time you spend here,” The ‘scientist’ reminded, nearly mocking.

“‘This time you won’t forget’,” He spoke with no emotion. Maybe he can get away with just one half truth.

“All of it,” Hojo corrected, and he could practically hear the curses going through the silver general’s head, reduced to the little lab rat was born as.

It wasn’t worth fighting anymore. He looked to the wall above the snake. He needed to avoid the bastard’s reactions or he would destroy everything in the room out of spite, just to delay progress on the only project R&D was permitted, but it was a project he needed to save his friend. “‘Is this the pain you felt before, Cloud? Let me remind you. This time you won't forget’.”

He could hear the breath of a smirk in response as the scientist brought his connected hands to his mouth. “And ‘Cherish’?”

“‘Tell me what you cherish most. Give me the pleasure of taking it away’.” Sephiroth had absolutely no emotion, and absolutely no eye contact. Even for him, it was off.

“And last: ‘Future’?”

Another hesitation. Another pause.

“All I need is an answer,” Hojo mentioned with a barely noticeable tilt of his head in eagerness. “Only one more question after this, and you’re free to go.”

He would take his chances at sounding insane if it meant even a second less in this godforsaken room. “‘And one day we’ll find a new planet, and on its soil we’ll create a shining future’.”

Sephiroth didn’t hear a response beyond a slight breath. He forced his gaze to lock straight ahead. He couldn’t move his eyes from the wall behind his tormentor.

“Why did you do what you did last time?”

“I don’t know.” There was a pause, but he kept his eyes steady and repeated. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know what you did?” Hojo questioned.

Like glass.

“Would you like to find out?”

Sephiroth couldn’t stop himself from looking to the scientist in disbelief.

Hojo, with his slimy grin, slid an open tablet through the field.

And Sephiroth, like a dog spotting food fall from its master’s table, immediately grabbed it and hit the large play button on the security video, pushing the broken chair out of his way. The camera was in the far back corner away from the exit to this section of the lab. Sephiroth didn’t focus on that fact.

First, it was exactly as he remembered. The creature on his back, Zack a small but cautious distance away as they both questioned the creature. There was no audio in the recording, which was probably for the best.

Then the creature started yelling, and Zack immediately tried to stop it. But there were too many tentacles for the creature to work with to keep the First-in-training away. He was frozen for three seconds, then ripped the creature in front of him by its arm with his left hand. Then he used both of his hands to choke it, saying something as he did.

Zack unsheathed his sword and swung, probably to scrape his arm as a warning. But his right hand shot off of the creature to the wrist of his apprentice. Zack yelled his name. He responded with something, before letting go of the creature and grabbing Zack’s shoulder. Zack tried to break free. Then he turned Zack’s wrist until he cut his apprentice’s left arm.

The creature moved to him but he couldn’t tell what the goal was. He kicked it so hard it flew across the room to the corner wall of the exit and the tank. Then he looked to Zack, spoke again, and disarmed and took his apprentice’s sword before throwing them next to the creature. Then he threw the sword. It cut Zack’s left arm too as it jammed into the wall. Zack had barely dodged the direct strike.

Then he yelled ‘stop’ and grabbed his head. Zack pulled the sword out of the wall and used healing materia on the creature first. The creature nodded to Zack before looking at him with curiosity. Zack healed himself, but held his arm to check on wounds, but the materia worked.

Zack ordered them both and they both obeyed. Once they left the room, the video stopped.

His eyes didn’t leave the screen after the video ended. He just stared at the play button that appeared for seconds.

Hojo’s grin was ear to ear, but he made no comment, only the mocking lilt in his voice. “Thank you for your time. You’re all dismissed. My assistant will inform the rest of your little party.”

Sephiroth froze to process his words, then escaped through the now open door without another word.

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Thanks for reading!

[astupidweeb69]

Unrequited (Yandere! Ticci Toby x Reader) Part 5

Next Chapters: Part 6, Part 7

Links to Previous Chapters: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, & Part 4

Author's Note: Well, I finally added Kate. I don't know how most people interpret her character, so I kind of used my own take on it. I’m thinking she’s probably around 26-27 years old, while Toby is like 20-23? And Tim and Brian are somewhere in between.

I just wanted some evil women to be in this too. And idk if her “advice” makes sense to everybody, but I know a lot of people who are around Kate’s age, and most of them HATE texting. I’ve received lectures similar to what she says so many times in my life lmao.

And this chapter may feel a bit rushed but… let’s just say it’s because I’m very excited to write the plot I set up for the next one. Cross-posted on my Ao3 account.

Warnings: Swearing. Brief descriptions of self-harm (like punching walls? idk if that counts). Sexual themes towards the end. (3,086 words).

*****************************

 Toby was furious.

 His thoughts were incoherent, an angry whirlwind of emotions. Nothing went the way he’d planned.

After he left your home, he marched back to the cabin to process what had happened. Of course, that only ended with him trashing the place. He screamed at nothing, threw everything in sight, and punched holes in the walls until finally, his body gave out.

Now he sat on the floor, back up against the wall, panting to catch his breath. For the first time in a long time, he felt tears threatening to form.

 You had rejected him.

 You didn’t feel the same.

 He was sure you had been flirting back with him. Every glance you took in his direction, all the times you made contact with his skin. He genuinely thought he’d picked up on some clever hint to kiss you. To make a move. A grand gesture of romance.

But he was wrong.

He fucked up.

And then he made the mistake of trying to call your “bluff”. Which only made you angrier.

The shock of being yelled at had been too much for him to deal with. And he reacted like he always did in those types of situations. With wrath. How could you possibly trust him after this?

Oh god, and you’d seen his face.

That horrific scar.

His heart tightened at the memory. He could barely breathe.

Fuck.

He needed to talk to you again.

If he just explained himself and apologized, you’d come around, right?  Give him another chance? It was only a misunderstanding. A tiny blip in what would become an intense love affair between the two of you. Something you’d both laugh at later down the road.

Toby shakily got up from the wooden floor, still exhausted from the outburst. Where was his phone? He had to find it immediately.

Frantically, his eyes scanned over every surface that it could be on. Did he throw it at one point? He couldn’t remember.

Tossing aside a few pillows, he finally recognized the black case on the ground.

The screen was cracked. Relief washed over him when the tiny monitor lit up; it still worked.

There was your name in his contact list, along with a couple others, but your conversation was the only one saved. The only person he wanted to form a real emotional bond with.

His fingers started to type on their own. Toby needed to resolve the issue as soon as possible. He couldn’t take it anymore.

‘I’m sorry about tonight’

The first text. It needed to be an apology. He needed to start off by admitting his fault.

‘I have trouble controlling my feelings. And I get scared when I’m rejected. I like you SO much (Y/N). I feel like such an ass, especially for scaring you. I don’t want you to be scared of me. Please please please give me another chance. I’ll make it up to you I swear.’

He waited for your response.

It didn’t come.

No.

This wasn’t happening.

It couldn’t be happening. He had to see you again. You HAD to be in his life in some way.

Toby paced around his home, chewing on his cheek. Blood gushed down his face from the gnawed flesh.

You were just busy right now. Probably talking to your friend.

That must be it.

You wouldn’t just ignore him like this. After all the moments the two of you shared together, he must’ve meant something to you.

 The phone buzzed.

 A reply.

 ‘Thank you for the apology, but there’s no way for me to know if it’s sincere. I feel like you could be using it to guilt me. I just can’t believe what you say Toby, and I think it’s better for both of us if we don’t see each other again. I wish you the best, and hopefully, you can learn from this in the future.’

His heart stopped.

 ….Oh God no.

 “NO! NO! NO!” He punched the wall next to him until his knuckles bled, painting the plaster with red streaks. “YOU CAN’T! YOU CAN’T! You… can’t…”

He started to cry.

Now the floodgates opened, and an ugly sob came from the boy. Curling up on a ratty couch, Toby shoved his face in the cushions to muffle the sounds.

He never did learn how to manage his feelings properly. He knew that there was some kind of mental illness that made it difficult for him. His fucked-up head, he thought bitterly. Controlled by The Operator and controlled by his disorders. There was always something preventing him from having people in his life.

Would he always be this lonely?

 Bang!

 Bang!

 Bang!

 Someone pounded on the front door.

 Toby peeked his head up from the sofa.

Who could that be?

Shit. He hoped it wasn’t Tim. That was the last person he needed to see in this state. But he had to talk to whoever it was in case there was a job.

A grin settled on his face.

Actually, that wasn’t a bad idea.

A little sadistic fun never hurt, well at least not him anyways. It could help him relieve some of these thoughts. Take them out on somebody else.

Maybe this would prove to be a good thing.

The door swung open, the visitor being too impatient to wait any longer.

Long matted dark brown hair that was almost black, hazel eyes, camping gear strapped to the back.

It was Kate.

“Toby! You home? Sorry, I let myself in I-” She stopped mid-sentence, noticing the mess surrounding her, dark stare settling on the culprit.

“Holy shit what happened here?” She let out a worried laugh. “It looks like a tornado came through. Are you okay? Did you have another episode?”

The older proxy dropped her bags and walked over, kneeling to get a better look at his condition. Toby was slumped over, sluggishly sitting up, refusing to look directly at her. Ashamed to be seen in such a vulnerable way.

Kate was the nicest person he had in his life. Besides you. After all, she was still a proxy.

The problem was that she was hardly ever around. Unlike him, or even Tim and Brian, Kate never settled down in one place for long. She was nomadic, carrying all her earthly possessions in a backpack. Being the fastest and most agile proxy, it was easy for her to hunt individual trespassers and take them down, so she was almost always on the job.

However, once in a blue moon she would stop in to see him. Kate and Toby had a somewhat strong connection. Not unlike how Tim and Brian were attached to each other, and while Brian could be nice to Toby at times, he mostly did it out of necessity. Kate, on the other hand, was kind to Toby in ways that reminded him of his older sibling. Not that he liked comparing her to Laura… or was it Lyra? Sometimes he had a hard time remembering the name. That’s what his journal was for.

“Do you want to talk about it? I won’t make fun of you. No matter how tempted I am.” She sat down next to him, rubbing his back reassuringly.

Toby took a shaky breath, comforted by the gesture. “I-I… fuh-fuck… give me a suh-second…”

He didn’t know how much to share with her. He didn’t want to put you in any danger, and while Kate may have been nice to him, there’s no telling how she’d react to learning about his obsession with a “human”.  

She was more… fanatical when it came to serving The Operator.

Different proxies had different levels of devotion to the being, as well as their own unique reasons for serving it. Brian was more apathetic, not caring one way or the other, viewing it like any other profession. Something to train for and do well. Tim was more complex, a mixture of apathy, fear, and at times enthusiasm, mainly when in the act of killing.

Most proxies had no memory of their past lives, no ways to connect to whoever they were before. That’s why it was easy for them to refer to anyone who didn’t serve The Operator as only being “humans”. It was a way to completely remove themselves from the species, to look at them as nothing but an inconvenience or a tool to gain favor with the malevolent entity dictating their lives.

But Toby was a special case. He could still remember. He hadn’t been a proxy for as long as the others and could still picture the faces of his mother and sister. He even knew what his shithead father looked like, especially after he hacked him to pieces. These were the reasons he found it hard to go on. Pretending to everyone that he didn’t resent The Operator’s control at times. That he never longed to try to have a normal life. Maybe kill the occasional abusive dad he might come across. But other than that, be an average everyday person.

And here you came along. An answer to his prayers.

But things were complicated now.

 He needed advice.

 “I muh-may have… messed up?”

Kate snorted. “Okay… wanna try being more specific maybe?”

Toby picked at the skin of his hands, peeling the areas around his nails.

“I sort of... luh-like somebody…” He trailed off.

It’s not like it was uncommon for proxies or killers to date and hook up with each other. Although everyone knew Toby never had any luck with the others in that department. But despite that, if he kept the conversation vague enough… it should be fine.

“Oh shit! Really?” Caught off guard, the brunette quickly tried to dial it back. “I mean…wow. I didn’t really expect that… who?”

Did he really have that bad of a reputation within their group that it was this much of a surprise to her? It was a little insulting.

“I don’t want to say.” Toby snapped. His temper was starting to get the better of him. And he didn’t want to share any sensitive information.

Luckily, Kate never took what Toby did personally. “Okay- you don’t have to tell me… but watch your tone young man.” She joked.

“Suh-sorry. I’m just really upset. We had a fuh-fight and I don’t know what to do.” He felt like a kid asking their mom for help. But he was desperate.

Toby couldn’t stand the idea of you walking around hating him. Sure, his plans included taking you back to his home, most likely by force, but he thought he would’ve had more opportunities for you to get to know him in a more… conventional way.

“Have you apologized to this… person?” Kate asked, carefully choosing her words. Picking up on how defensive he was being.

“Yeah! I duh-did and-“

She interrupted, “Wait. Did you do it in person or over text?” There was a sternness in her voice at the question. Like Kate was already accusing him of doing something wrong.

“Over text….” He admitted.

“See, that was your first mistake. If you’re going to have an important conversation with someone you need to have it in person. Otherwise, things can get lost in translation. You should speak to them face to face and apologize formally.”

The younger proxy tilted his head, “What if they duh-don’t want to see me?”

Kate sighed. “Well… sometimes you just have to show up. I mean, imagine trying to explain a misunderstanding to someone like Jeff over text…” She paused, scrunching up her face. “Well, that’s not a good example. You would have to call him or else he’d try to stab you. But you know what I mean. People like… us … are quick to just remove people from our lives if we’re hurt. But with our jobs, every connection with other killers or proxies needs to be maintained. Especially since The Operator demands it. So, you should go and see them…. when you’ve calmed down, of course.”

It was clear the brunette was applying her own work experiences to giving Toby guidance. Kate was always well-liked, and in a group full of murderers and malicious beings with untreated mental illnesses, that was no small feat.

But regardless, her explanation made sense. Even though Kate didn’t understand the full context of what happened, her advice probably still applied, right? Sure, you weren’t a killer, but Kate had the best grasp on how to handle disputes out of anyone he knew. If you just took the time to see how sorry he was, and all the effort he was putting in to fix the relationship, then you’d have to forgive him.

“Thuh-thanks. I’ll make sure to do that. I feel like shit that we huh-haven’t gotten the chance to see each other in a while and this….” Toby gestured vaguely to their surroundings. “Is what you fuh-find.”

Kate smiled. “Don’t worry, I get it.”

The fact that it was her that showed up today was very convenient. She was one of the few people who knew Toby well enough to calm him down.

It was almost too convenient.

He narrowed his eyes, looking out the cabin window. Was his boss around? “Anyways, I nuh-never asked you why you’re here.”

“Well, I figured I was long due for a bath. And I wanted to see my favorite proxy. Why, not happy to see me?” She huffed, feigning offense.

“Nuh-no! That’s not it. I just wuh-wasn’t sure if there was a job or something we needed to do.”

The brunette’s eyes glinted with admiration, flashing a small yet strangely sinister smirk. “It’s good you take our work seriously. It’s always best to have The Operator smiling favorably upon us.”

Toby shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Sometimes she spoke like a weird cult member. It made his skin crawl, reminding him that despite her soothing demeanor around her peers, Kate could be one of the most brutal and wild killers when carrying out their boss’s orders. Maybe that’s why she always stayed in the forest.

“I’ll be out of your hair in an hour or two. Sadly, there aren’t any sacrifices to make today. I hate having nothing to do.” She grumbled the last part before getting up to grab her bag. “Mind if I take that shower now?”

“No, guh-go right ahead. Not like I pay the water bill for this puh-place.” Toby quipped, shrugging his shoulders with a crack of his joints.

When Kate left the room, he mulled over what actions he needed to take next. Everything was just “lost in translation” as the older proxy said. His mistake was only in how he delivered his apology.

There was hope for him after all. This could be fixed and then you and Toby could be together again. Have the life he knew you two could have.

After everything subsided and he felt at ease, his mind wandered to that passionate kiss he had shared with you. Sure, in retrospect he definitely shouldn’t have done that, but it was nice in the moment. How your lips felt against his, your warm body squirming under him.

It was electric.

If only things had gone well, if you didn’t find him so… repulsive now. Maybe he could’ve taken things further. But there was always time for that later. When he had more time to convince you that he was made for you.

Your mind as well as your body.

 … Especially body.

 He grinned, getting up to stretch out his muscles. Today was more exhausting than usual after the rollercoaster of feelings he’d gone through. Toby needed rest, and once he felt more confident, he’d pay you a surprise visit. Bring some sort of peace offering. Weren’t guys supposed to give flowers when they wanted to be forgiven? Like those crappy husbands who cheat on their wives.

Not that he wanted to be lumped in with those dudes.

Toby made his way to his room, making sure the door was locked behind him. Even though he trusted Kate, he didn’t want to take any chances.

He could still hear her showering and she would probably be a while. She wasn’t the most hygienic person.

Not that he was one to talk, but he didn’t like having that much blood and dirt caked on him for too long. Kate, however, didn’t seem to mind it. Toby had been assigned on a weeklong mission with her once and as soon as she got “in the zone” the older female was practically feral. Showers just weren’t in her vocabulary at that point.

Lying on his bed, he opened his phone to look through his camera roll. Something he did routinely now before trying to fall asleep… for many reasons.

It was full of photos he’s taken of you over these past months.

Having an outdated phone never really bothered him before, but now he wished he had one that could take better pictures. Especially the ones he took at night. Those always come out too grainy.

Unconsciously, a wistful smile tugged on the corners of his mouth. He couldn’t help it. It always happened when he saw you. He scrolled through each photo, taking in every part of you he managed to capture. His mind had almost everything memorized.

“(Y/N)…” He whispered.

Sometimes he just liked to say it. Simply enjoying the sound. How it tasted with every syllable.

Now that he had time to relax, it occurred to him how surprising his argument with you had gone. Every day there was something new he was learning about you. You were actually kind of brave, even if it was to the point of being stupid. But you had stood up to him when he’d lost his cool. Him. A murderous proxy. A serial killer. You didn’t know that, but it was still obvious he could overpower you.

Yet thinking of the passion and determination in your eyes as you stared him down made him shiver with delight.

He loved it.

Toby could feel himself growing tired, lazily flipping through a couple more photos before he’d call it a night.

He stopped.

A picture of you undressing in front of your bedroom window.

Your underwear even matched that day.

His cheeks reddened, a familiar feeling stirring in the pit of his stomach.

He reached a clammy hand into the case of his pillow, retrieving a pair of plain black panties he’d stolen from your house.

 He figured he could stay awake a little longer…

[just-dreaming-marvel]

It’s Always Been You ~ 167

OUT OF TIME MASTERLIST

IT’S ALWAYS BEEN YOU MASTERLIST

< previous chapter

Word Count: 3,000ish

Summary: Peter is excited about Europe and leaves. Tony and Y/N try their best to be more “stay at home” parents as they can.

Notes: Please read the taglist information link at the end of the chapter for updated information. (You must read Out Of Time in order to understand this. The chapter numbers continue from Out Of Time.)

“And then I think I’m going to take her on top of the Eiffel Tower and give her the necklace!” Peter explained as Y/N worked on fixing up dinner. “It’s the perfect plan!”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit much, Pete?” Y/N questioned. “You are just in high school after all. You don’t need to go over the top.”

“Nonsense!” Tony argued, as he came into the room. “Over the top is what will make him sweep her off her feet.”

Y/N rolled her eyes. “Of course you would say that.”

“Hey! I have never been completely over the top for you or really around you, Mrs. Stark. I’ve been holding back as to not scare you away.”

“Cause your birthday party back in 2011 wasn’t over the top at all.”

“I was dying!”

“Excuses, excuses,” Y/N laughed.

Tony waved his had, dismissing Y/N as she continued to laugh. “Anyway kid, I didn’t hear the plan. Why don’t you run it by me?’

“Yeah! Okay! So, first, I’m gonna sit next to MJ on the flight.”

“Okay, strong start.”

“Second, I’m gonna buy a dual-headphone adapter and watch moves with her the whole time.”

“So will you be buying this dual-headphone adapter after you sit next to her or before you get on the plane?”

“Tony!” Y/N playful scolded as she continued working on dinner.

“What? It’s a valid question.”

“I’ve already bought it,” Peter responded.

“Good. What’s next?”

“Three, happens when we go to Venice.”

“Venice. Honey?” Tony turned towards Y/N. “Have you ever been to Venice?”

“Only on assignments,” Y/N replied.

“We should plan a trip and go, it’s very romantic. We could—“

“Uh, Mr. Stark?” Peter interrupted. “This is kinda a big deal to me and I would like to get your opinion.”

“Right, go on kid.”

“Venice is famous for making stuff out of glass. So I’m gonna buy her a black dahlia necklace because it’s her favorite flower.”

“Interesting.”

“Four, when we go to Paris, I’m gonna to take her to the top of the Eiffel Tower and give her the necklace. Five, I’m gonna to tell her how I feel and then six, hopefully she tells me she feels the same way. So, what do you think, Mr. Stark?”

“Y/N thought this was a bit much? I don’t think it’s enough!”

“You don’t?”

“Not at all.” Tony shook his head. “I think—“

“You are not ruining his plan, Tony,” Y/N interrupted. “If this is the way Peter wants to confess his feelings, let him do it this way.”

“But my idea—“

“You aren’t the one confessing your feelings to MJ. Let him be.”

“Fine,” Tony huffed. “But, Pete, say the word and I’ll add more funds to your account.”

Peter frantically shook his head. “You really don’t need to do that, Mr. Stark,” he said. “You’ve already gave me plenty.”

“Trust me, kid, you can never have enough money in Europe.” Tony winked as Y/N rolled her eyes.

“Now, if you boys could actually be of some help, I need the table set,” Y/N said.

“Okay!” Peter jumped up. “I’ll—“ 

Peter cut himself off as he fished his buzzing phone from his pocket. He quickly hung up and stuffed it back away. Y/N and Tony eyed the teenager, curious as to who had just called.

“Who was that, Pete?” Y/N wondered.

“What? Oh, that? It was just… uh…. It was just, you know,” he stammered, trying to come up with an answer.

“Spit it out, kid,” Tony said. “You’re a terrible liar when it comes to us.”

“Fine,” Peter sighed. “Mr. Fury has been trying to get a hold of me.”

“What?!” Y/N and Tony exclaimed.

“For how long?” Tony asked.

“And why?” Y/N added.

“I don’t know why,” Peter shook his head as he answered. “But he’s been trying to reach me for a few days now. Happy was actually the one to warn me that he’d be reaching out.”

“Happy was the one to warn you?” Tony questioned. “Happy?”

“Uh, yes…”

“Why the hell would Fury do that without talking to me first?”

“Excuse me?” Y/N scoffed. “Without talking to us, Tony. Us. And let’s not forget about May, Peter’s legal guardian.”

“I’m going to go talk to Happy.” Tony marched off.

Y/N sighed. “Peter, it’s your choice whether you talk to Fury or not. Okay? No one can make that decision for you. Just… be careful, okay? I’ve known Fury for a long time. He’s a… interesting man. He has mostly good intentions, but he uses people to get what he wants. Be wise and trust your Peter tingle.”

Peter groaned. “Not you too.”

She chuckled. “What? It’s cute?”

“It’s—No it’s not cute!”

“Sorry, sorry,” she laughed. “Just, trust your instincts when it comes to Fury, alright?”

“Alright.”

“Now, go set the table please and grab Morgan so that I can pull Tony away from yelling at Happy.”

~~~

“So… since I apparently would be scared away by your over the top antics,” Y/N began as she stood in front of the sink getting ready for bed. Tony was in the shower.

“You know I didn’t mean it that—“

“I know, honey. But, I’ve been thinking lately… if the timing had been different and, let’s say, the Civil War didn’t happen, no one had been blipped, Morgan was born in a “normal” way, and I had chosen you.”

“Hey!” Tony peaked his head out of the shower. “I thought you did chose me!”

Y/N let out a breathy chuckle as she turned to face him. “I did, hun. It’s always you.”

“Good.” He went back into the shower. 

“What I’m trying to get at is, if things had gone the way we had thought or hoped they would, how would you have proposed?”

Tony’s head popped back out of the shower. “You don’t like how I proposed?”

“That’s not what I said. Just… never mind.” 

Y/N shook her head as she turned and headed into the bedroom. She slipped into the bed, turned on the lap on the night side, and then picked her book up to read. Tony didn’t stay in the shower very much longer, his thoughts too caught up with trying to figure out what his wife was meaning. He dried himself off, got dressed and then entered the bedroom to find his wife reading. He sighed lightly as he went over to his side of the bed and crawled over to Y/N. He came up, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her into him.

“You wanna know how I would have proposed if life didn’t get in the way?” Tony wondered as he pressed kisses to Y/N’s chin. “I would have swept you away onto a world wind vacation the moment you told me that you chose me. Shower you every city, buying you something super expensive that you probably would never like.” Y/N giggled. “With every gift I’d tell you how much you’d mean to me, almost feeling like a proposal every time but never actually being one. And then, finally, we’d end the vacation in a very romantic city. Not Paris, obviously, cause that’s too cliche.”

“Obviously,” Y/N chuckled as she rolled her eyes.

“We would have just had amazing city on top of or near an amazing city landmark. We’d be breathing heavily, staring into each other’s and I’d simply say, ‘Marry me.’ It wouldn’t even be a question, and you’d respond with ‘okay’. And then we’d have sex again.”

“Wow. That’s—“

Tony cut Y/N off with a kiss. “I’m not done, let me finish.”

“Okay.”

“That proposal that I just described would have been amazing. But it didn’t happen because other things got in the way. Some of the things absolutely sucked.”

“Some?”

“Alright, most of it absolutely sucked. But I wouldn’t change the way I ended up proposing for anything. We started are married life here, in the place we call home. We didn’t need anything over the top, just each other. And I think that’s just as romantic as anything.”

“I love you.” Y/N smiled as she leaned in and kissed Tony.

“I love you too.”

“Thank you for helping me.”

“Anytime.” He gave her a short kiss. “Though, now that I know you’re kinda okay with me going overboard, expect my next date night to be over the top.”

“Oh, I’m counting on it.”

~~~

It was about two days later when the Water Elemental attacked Venice. Y/N and Tony were freaking out as they watched the news.

“We need to get to him,” Y/N flung off the covers and jumped out of bed.

“Honey, we can’t just leave Morgan here alone,” Tony scrambled out of bed and around to his wave. “We need to think this through.”

“If Peter get hurt—“

“I’m right there with you sweetheart but, remember, your powers are still on the down low. We don’t know what the Government will do to you if they find out, especially after the Westview incident.”

“I know but—“ Then someone flying around the Water Elemental on the screen caught Y/N’s eye. “Who is that?”

Tony turned around to see what his wife was talking about. “I have no idea.”

They watched as the flying man with a fishbowl on his head, took care of the Water Elemental.

“I don’t need to know who that guy is to know that I don’t like that guy,” Tony grumbled.

“We need to call Pete,” Y/N said, reaching for her phone.

“No.” Tony stopped her. “We need to go to bed. Let him deal with the aftermath without you worrying just yet. Besides, he’ll just reprimand us for not being asleep.”

Y/N sighed. “I still want to call him.”

“I know.” Tony stepped closer with a teasing smirk. “I want to, too. But,” his smirk grew, “I think I know a way to keep us both distracted.”

“Yeah?” Y/N tried to hold in the grin that threatened to form.

“Yeah.” His face was now brushing up against Y/N’s, lips teasingly not touching hers. “Would you like to hear my plan?”

“Yes, please.”

~~~

“Are you sure you don’t what us to send a jet?” Tony asked. He, Y/N, and Aunt May were on a group call with Peter, trying to make sure he was okay. “You’re friends can come home too.”

“No, no, no,” Peter answered. “We wanna stay.”

“It’s a good thing I packed your suit, huh?” Aunt May said. “i can’t believe you forgot it.”

“You didn’t pack your suit?” Y/N asked. “Have you learned nothing from hero life Peter?”

“You know, I actually thought you’d be proud of me for leaving it behind so that I could try to have a normal experience,” Peter responded.

“So who was that guy that you were with?” Aunt May asked. “Was that Mr. Strange?”

“Doctor Strange, May. Doctor Strange. And, no, I don’t know who that was. It was a new guy. I was trying to help him—“

“Happy, that’s my lunch. Don’t eat that one.”

“Happy?” / “What?” / “Happy’s there?”

“Yeah, it’s Happy. He’s here. He came by to volunteer. And he’s hanging around the office. And he wants to say hi.”

“I don’t want—Hi, Peter,” Happy angrily replied.

“Hey, Happy,” Peter responded.

“Hi, Happy,” Tony and Y/N said together, trying not to laugh to much.

Happy groaned. “Sorry, guys, I’m working hard here. I gotta do a—a leaflet drop.”

“What are you doing?” Peter asked.

“I’m glad you’re having a good time, Pete. Don’t worry, I’m really taking care of your aunt.” Y/N and Tony burst out into a fit of laughter.

“So hows the plan going, Pete?” Aunt May asked.

“There’s been setbacks, for sure,” Peter replied.

“Don’t overthink it. Trust your instincts and you’ll be fine.”

“And let me know if you need more money,” Tony added.

“Yeah, okay. I’ll talk to you all later,” Peter said. “Love you. Bye.”

Peter ended the group call. Y/N looked at Tony to see him holding back some emotion.

“Is it cause he said love you?” Y/N asked.

“I’m just… I’m just gonna transfer over some more money for the kid,” Tony said, walking away. “He deserves it.”

~~~

“So FRIDAY just informed me that Fury changed the itinerary for Peter’s trip,” Tony told Y/N as he came over to where she was working in their garden. Morgan wasn’t too far away, playing. “Instead of Paris, they’re going to Prague.”

“Prague?” Y/N repeated. “What could Fury possibly need with Peter in Prague?”

“I don’t know, the man’s not answering.”

“Of course not.”

“You should try. He’s always liked you better.”

“Yeah, like he wouldn’t know what we’re trying to do. It’s not like we’re married or something.”

“I don’t trust Fury all the time, alright?”

“I would seriously be judging you if did. I’m worried about what his plan is with Peter, too. We just need to be patient and see what happens. Peter also needs to make his own decisions and fight his own battles. How else is he suppose to learn how to handle things like that without doing it himself?”

“You’re so wise, you know that?” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Y/N’s head.

“We switch off occasionally.” She leaned up and pursed her lips. He chuckled as he game in for a kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Daddy!” Morgan shouted. “Come play with me!”

“Come play with you?” Tony turned to head over to his daughter. 

“Yeah! Hide and seek!”

“Okay. I’ll cover my eyes and face this tree and count to 20.” Tony put his hands over his eyes and began counting.

Morgan giggled as she ran over to Y/N. “Mommy!” Morgan tried to whisper.

“Yes, my dear?” Y/N responded, a fond smile on her face.

“Can you help me hide from daddy?”

“Of course. Where would you like to hide?”

“The tree!”

“The tree?”

“14, 15, 16…” Tony continued counting.

“The tree it is. Hang on.” 

Y/N moved her fingers and a protective shield formed around Morgan. The girl put her hands up to her mouth as she tried to stop her laughter. Y/N smiled as she rose Morgan up and placed her on a large branch of one of their biggest trees. She used her powers to keep Morgan anchored the tree just as Tony finished counting. Tony turned around to begin looking for Morgan as Y/N acted like she had down nothing, working on the garden.

“Morguna, Morguna,” Tony called out as he searched around.

Y/N sucked in her lips to stop her laughter. She glanced up to see her daughter doing the same thing.

“Okay, seriously, Morgan. Where are you?” Tony wondered. He looked over to see his wife hiding a laugh. “Huh, I suppose you wouldn’t happen to know where our daughter is?”

“No,” Y/N said, failing to hide a smile.

“Really?”

“She’s a really good hider.”

“Oh yes, her usual hiding spot of behind the tree I counted near is definitely a good hiding spot.” He glared playfully at his wife. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything.” Y/N stood up. “You just need to be better at finding her.”

“Oh yeah? And if I ask FRIDAY when the last time you used your powers was, she’s going to tell me it was when we had sex the other night, right?”

“Tony, just look for her yourself,” Y/N laughed. “You’re ruining the game.”

“Fine,” he huffed. “If you used your ways, I’ll use mine.” He pressed a button on his watch and a suit formed over him. 

Y/N rolled her eyes. “And here I thought you had stopped storing the suit on you.”

“Sorry, hun,” Tony said through the mask. “When you stop running into danger, I’ll stop being prepared to come after you. Now, to find my daughter.”

Y/N watched, amused, as Tony flew around to get tree, calling out for Morgan. Morgan sat up against the tree, giggling. Tony finally went to the tree Morgan was in and hovered near her.

“And how, little miss, did you get up here?” He asked.

“Mommy,” Morgan giggled.

“Figured. That little minx.” He put his armored arms out and took Morgan by the waist as Y/N let her power go from around Morgan. “Hang on tight, we’re going on a little ride before we go back down to mommy.”

“Yay!”

“And you didn’t think I wouldn’t join you?” Y/N teased, using her powers to hover next to Tony.

“What are you three up to?” Steve asked loudly, coming down the porch steps with his concerned captain face on.

“Come up and join us Uncle Steve!” Morgan replied.

“I’m good from down here. Someone needs to be available to call 911.”

“You sure, Stevie?” Y/N wondered. “I can easily help you.”

“I’m good. Just don’t drop my niece, alright Tony?”

“Don’t worry, Old Man,” Tony responded. “I’ve got this.” He leaned in towards his daughter. “Wanna race mommy around the house?”

“Yes!” Morgan squealed.

“Alright,” Tony’s nano suit strapped Morgan to his back, “hang on sweetie.” Then they blasted off.

“Oh, it’s on,” Y/N grinned before following after them.

Steve shook his head. “I’m definitely going to need to call 911.”

next chapter >

I appreciate all likes, comments, asks, and reblogs! Thank you for all the positive support!

TAGLIST IS CLOSED-Taglist Information

IT’S ALWAYS BEEN YOU TAG LIST:

BOTH:

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@tuttifuckinfruttifriday​

@i-dumb-bitch​

@booksarebae2000​

@roxytheimmortal​

@love-couldbe-my-weakness​

@bellamy-barnes​

@loveisallyouneed1125​

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TONY:

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[violettelueur]

— JUJUTSU KAISEN EPISODE TWENTY ONE (PART TWO) || JAMAIS VU

↳ featuring : itadori yuji + fushiguro megumi + kugisaki nobara + gojo satoru from jujutsu kaisen

↳ warnings : EXTREME grammar issues

↳ form : story

↳ published : 27 april

↳ pronouns : she/her

↳ word count : 2.8k

↳ synopsis : within the jujutsu world, there were three famous clans to be aware of, the Kamo clan, Zenin clan and the Gojo clan. However, unknown to many sorcerers there was one last family that was known to be apart of the three, only for them to disappear after the golden era leading some to speculate that they had died in battle after the sealing of ryomen sukuna, but....

↳ previous episode : jujutsu koshien

↳ next episode : the origin of blind obedience 

↳ barista’s notes : lets play a little game...find the genshin reference ╲ʕ·ᴥ·　╲ʔ

BEFORE READING, I NEED YOU TO BE AWARE OF THIS:

1. the whole story belongs to Gege Akutami and the credits go to them and them only.

2. the spell curses used belong to Tite Kubo due to them being the ‘Kidos’ being used on the manga and anime ‘Bleach’ - but none is mentioned in this chapter.

2.5. for the ‘cursed spells’/kidos (bleach) i will link this video here and tell you the time stamp to check out what i am intending to show - remember i add a few twist here and there by adding the katana to link with Y/N’s cursed technique : hopefully this video is slightly better...

3. if you are confused on anything, please don’t hesitate to message me since i know this whole thing is so confusing.

“May I ask why you are following me right now?”

At this moment in time, you were seated within a train in the Tokyo Underground Metro travelling to your planned destination wearing a white button-up shirt with the first two buttons loose since it was quite oversized that was tucked into a pair of wide-legged trousers since you didn’t want it to show at the bottom of your large oversized grey v-necked sweater with the final touch of a pair of Stan Smiths that Gojo had gifted you the second you entered the Gojo’s estate after packing the last of your things back at the Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College - ‘think of it as a housewarming gift’ you remember him saying.

Speaking of Gojo…

“Why not~ It’s mine and your’s off-day, so let’s have a father-daughter day out together!” Gojo exclaimed in an excited tone, as he tilted his glasses down to look slightly down at you, showcasing his sparkling blue eyes with a cheeky smile planted on his face.

Turning your head to the side to look at him, you couldn’t help but want to snatch his glasses off and throw them across the other side of the train carriage since you have informed him all the time that you wanted to go on this outing of yours alone due to the fact that you wanted to clear your head about everything that has happened within the past week.

“Also, why the hell are those three following me?” you questioned in an annoyed whispered tone as you turned your head back to face forward before crossing your leg over your other one as you could sense the lingering but obvious trail of cursed energy from the other side of the carriage. However, you didn’t want to make it crystal clear that you knew Itadori, Fushiguro and Kugisaki were sitting on the other end looking at you while trying to not be or look suspicious.

“Well, let’s just say they are worried about you~” Gojo answered before placing one of his hands on the top of your head before beginning to gently ruffle your hair causing you to relax from your tense posture since it left a somewhat warm feeling in your heart - you also have gotten used to this little action of his since he would do the same thing when you were walking around the estate.

“So where are you planning to go? I did jump on this train because you were going in it,” Gojo asked, as he fixed his glasses leading you to look up to find that the next stop was the stop you were looking for, causing you to stand up and walk towards the exit leading Gojo to follow since he was just going by your lead at this moment in time.

“Kiyose Station?” Gojo said in a curious tone, only for you to step out of the train the second the doors opened leading Gojo to follow you as well as the three first-years that were trailing you from behind, just a few feet away to not get caught by you - even though, you already knew that they were stalking you from behind.

‘Really...did these guys forget I can sense their cursed energy?’

“Yeah, I guess I never really told you that I come here every year…’ you quietly confessed, causing Gojo to look at you with a confused expression before wondering why you were willing to take an hour-long journey for something to come to every year on the same day.

“Is that so?” Gojo questioned before looking up to the sky as he took in a deep breath of the fresh air that he was able to obtain after a long journey in the underground train station.

From his view, the sky was quite clear making it known to him that you probably had checked the weather beforehand when you were planning to go wherever he was following you to, you were always the type to be somewhat prepared for the day from what he could remember from past outings. For example, when you and him came out of a cafe to find that it was raining, you immediately took out an umbrella and held it above you and him even when you knew he could use his infinity to protect himself from the wet droplets.

“Don’t use your technique too much, just use an umbrella, you drag,” he recalled you saying and to be honest, he was somewhat gleeful at the fact you treated him the way you did. It was like you cared for him but didn’t want to explicitly admit it or make it too obvious, he felt like you were treating him like he wasn’t above you in the jujutsu world, you were basically the reason why he could relax and get away from the gripping pressure of being ‘the strongest’ - instead, you gave him the role of a father figure that he wasn’t an ideal person for, but you could tell he was trying.

“You know we are here right, you’re too much in a daydream right now,” you announced causing Gojo to snap his head back down to see a simple fence gate in front of a massive and bright field of sunflowers looking at his way like they were greeting him with their yellow happy petals.

“A sunflower field?” Gojo asked in a confused tone causing you to give a somewhat deadpan expression before turning back around to open the gate before entering the large field with other guests already hiding within the mass of tall flowers as you could sense your triplet classmates coming closer.

“You know, I knew I had weird classmates, but I didn’t know how weird…” you mentioned, causing your adoptive father to start laughing before wrapping an arm around your shoulders as you both began to walk around to view the tall flowers that had been planted and grown for the season causing Gojo to somewhat come to the realisation that you had some fascination with flowers ever since he had come to meet you - except for your weird addiction to orange juice that he learned first.

“Wah~ the sunflowers are in full bloom~” Gojo excitedly beamed out, causing some visitors to look at the tall man with a surprised expression to then quickly turn into admiration when they realise how handsome the man looked causing you to cringe since this is what you wanted to avoid coming here.

“So why do you like flowers Y/N?” Gojo suddenly queried you causing you to turn your head up to look at him while continuing to stroll down the path you both were going at, leading you to begin questioning how your fascination with flowers came about and to be honest….

“I don’t know,” you answered in a low tone before turning back to view the beautiful display that was surrounding you with the warmth you needed right now. “I guess...it’s like a remedy...one that I need,” you further explained causing Gojo to look down at you with a small smile before turning his head back slightly over his shoulder to notice his over students a few feet back arguing about whatever they were talking about while trying to keep up with the both of you - it seemed like his unnecessary tall height somewhat helped them to scout both you and him.

“Also, the estate is so dull, you need some sort of colour, so I might as well buy some sunflowers here,” you quickly added, causing the strongest sorcerer to quickly snap his head back to look at you before childishly complaining how the estate looked fine and there was no need to judge the decor of the clan house you were living in at his current moment, only for you to counter his argument with how paintings weren’t helping and the empty antique vases were not going to fill themselves up magically.

“The servants can find flowers, you don’t need to do this yourself,” Gojo mentioned causing you to give him a side look before saying that you wanted to do this, leading Gojo to close his mouth quickly as he suddenly remembered how you would always help out even when they would try to push you away since they were worried about you over-working when you were emotionally recovering this week. He also recollected how you would just admit that you were used to doing chores yourself since you had lived alone for six years before he took you in.

Unexpectantly, you turned somewhere to the right causing Gojo to be somewhat surprised since he didn’t expect you to take a sudden different route, only for his eyes to come into the sudden appearance of a little market place where some people (especially some elders) selling vegetables, small accessories, flowers and what seemed to be some charms.

However, it seemed like you weren’t telling him where you were planning to start since you were now basically just guiding him to wherever you wanted to go - after all, it was his first time here and probably needed some guidance from you.

From behind, Itadori and Kugisaki were chatting about how they were going to stay hidden away from you, while Fushiguro looked exhausted with both of them by his side and somewhat knew that you knew they were following you since he remembered that you were able to sense people’s cursed energy like a tracking system - he even reminded both his classmates about this technique of yours and they flat out ignored it, not recalling his first lesson when him and Itadori were forced into a maid cafe while tailing their teacher.

“Gojo knows a lot of places, doesn’t she?” Kugisaki muttered in amazement as she spun around to obtain a 360-degree view of the sunflower scenery that they were at right now, leading Itadori to agree with her as he smiled happily at the bright-like atmosphere that was surrounding them right now.

“Fushiguro, look! There are so many!” Itadori beamed, leading Kugisaki smacking him on the head before informing him that he was being too loud and they were about to get caught causing Fushiguro to let out a sigh in slight annoyance.

‘I can tell she’s laughing at us, right now’ Fushiguro thought as he could see your shoulders going up and down like how they would when you would giggle.

As time went on, the trio kept tabs on you as you went from market stall to market stall to view those items that the sellers had for sale leading them to wonder what you were looking for since you never really took the time to bring out your wallet and pay for whatever the seller would pitch you.

“These are so cute, why didn’t she buy them?” Kugisaki questioned as she lifted up a pair of sunflower earrings that you had previously viewed causing the seller to start telling her how they made it and how beautiful they would look on her, while Fushiguro looked to the side peering at you and Gojo only to discover you at this one stall where the seasoned sunflowers were being sold.

However, before you could even ask the seller for a bouquet, a little girl sudden ran up to the stall asking their mother if they could get a sunflower, only for the worried woman to inform their child that they weren’t about to afford it due to them using the last of their money to pay for the food that they ate causing the little girl to quickly become quiet before turning back around to view the bright flowers that she wasn’t able to get with tears pending in her eyes.

“Excuse me madam, how much for two flowers?” you asked gently, causing the old woman being the stall to turn her head to look at you before answering your question with a price leading you to place a purchase while adding your bouquet to the order, causing the little girl standing beside you to look at you with a confused expression since she didn’t understand why you were buying a whole bouquet of her favourite flowers with two single ones alone.

While the woman was wrapping the last of the single sunflower she was preparing for you in the classic brown paper, you gently took the one she had finished before handing it to the small child that was by your side, causing her to look at the flower in complete awe before looking up at you, only to see a small but gently smile painted on your face.

“It’s for you,” you informed her in a light and soft tone, leading the girl to slowly take the bouquet away from your grasp before noticing how you were going to pay extra for the black ribbon tied around the flower as well as the white baby breaths that surrounded the single flower before giving the other single flower to them mother that was behind the child, causing the woman to look at you in shock before thanking you for the gift as she didn’t expect you to buy something for her as well after you gifted her daughter with what she wanted.

“What do you say to the nice lady, dear?” the mom questioned her daughter causing the little girl to look confused before realising what she meant as she jumped in excitement.

“Thank you so much, miss!” the girl cheered, causing you to smile at her before excitingly showing the mother the flower you had gifted her as you then turned back around to collect the bouquet that you had brought for yourself as you processed to give her the amount of money needed for the large purchase.

“Shame...and I thought you were giving one each to me and you…” Gojo muttered with a pout, causing you to give him a weirded-out side glance before scoffing in amusement.

“Never in a million years dad,” you answered in a teasing manner before making your way towards the trio that was at the stall behind you, leaving the strongest sorcerer shocked at what you had just said to him, as the duo of Itadori Yuji and Kugisaki Nobara screamed at your sudden appearance since they would they were in the clear, while Fushiguro was looking at you with a gentle but his usually stoic face as he somewhat found out about your side of kindness you had for other people.

“Gojo!” Itadori screamed, causing you to give them a small smile.

“So...care to explain why you have been following me since I left the estate? Why is it once you finally get a break from being a sorcerer, rather than taking a rest, you instead come to me?” you questioned in a sinister tone, causing all three of your classmates to shiver at the dark aura that was emitting itself from your body right now.

However, before they were even able to answer in their frightened state, Gojo suddenly launched himself at you from behind with tears in his eyes causing you to yell at him for his childish behaviour, only for him to wrap his arms around your shoulders before rocking you from side to side in pure happiness.

“You called me ‘dad’, come on, say it again! One more time!” Gojo requested in pure glee as tears of happiness streamed down his face with a silly smile, leading the trio behind you to look at the sorcerer with pure horror as you informed him that he was already asking you for too much as once was enough causing Gojo to complain in a childish voice again that ‘it wasn’t too much’ and that you have to say it again, almost causing you to smack the bouquet across his face.

“Let me go!” you yelled out, as you tried to pry Gojo’s arms that were around your shoulder while trying not to crease the flowers that you have just bought only for your adoptive father to cling onto you tighter to which caused your body to give up and you stood there with a disheartened expression on your face, completely forgetting that Itadori, Fushiguro and Kugisaki had followed you here as you had another issue to deal with.

While this was going on, Fushiguro couldn’t help but continue to recall the situation that had happened earlier between you and the little family, especially the small action of your hand going down to pass the flower to the little girl...as if a hand has reached down to him before leading little images of a hand passing him a bandage came into view, yet he didn’t seem to have any recollection of it...like a memory, he technically didn’t remember.

“Gojo?” Fushiguro called you out, causing you to turn to him while grasping on the bright sunflowers that were facing his way as if to give him encouragement to say what he was planning on asking you.

“What’s the opposite of Deja vu?”

© violettelueur 2021 : written and published by violettelueur - do not steal or repost

[taestefully-in-luv]

Always You | JJK (Four)

Summary: you and Jungkook have been best friends since freshmen year of college, there’s a lot of unsaid feelings and tension but neither make a move. what happens when his friend Taehyung (also your crush) needs a fake girlfriend?

Pairing: Jungkook x Female reader, slight Taehyung x Reader

Genre: friends to lovers, idiots to lovers, slight slow burn, roommate au, college au, SMUT (starting ch2), fluff, angst (in later chapters) slight crack, lots of drama

Word Count: 12k

Warnings: Swearing, alcohol consumption, sexual tension (?), jealous Tae (?), rough blowjob, hair pulling, slight degradation (like 1 line), swallowing, vaginal fingering, vaginal intercourse, coming on breasts lol, doggy style, coming on ass, crying, confrontation, drama and sadness lol

Notes: Okay, SO much happens in this chapter!! honestly this chapter is really the beginning! I hope you guys look forward to more:) remember to send me an ask or whatevs if you want to be added to the taglist! Or even if you just want to chat about the story!

Taglist: @mooniyooni @thisartemisnevermisses @giadalin @kookiebunny097 @cosmosjk @moonchild1 @just-jeon @anpanman-sonyeondan @starlight-night0 @yessii-i @apollukee @mikasaredscarf1 @kaye-rosales @bunnyjeonjk @dyriddle @seagulljk @hass-mich-los

© tastefully-in-luv

Previous ---Next ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your dress gets dragged past your hips and falls to the floor, pooling at your ankles. Your panties are next…it’s a black lacey thong and they are snug against your skin. They get dragged down leg by leg, thrown off to the side. Your skin feels hot and tingly…this bra needs off too. It unclasps from the front, freeing your breasts…they bounce as they’re released, you groan in satisfaction. You’re left completely naked and… wait, this sounds oddly sexual, doesn’t it? Yeah, you’re not getting any, sorry. You’re just trying on different clothes.

Taehyung is taking you to a party tonight and you want to look your best, you want to choose everything carefully. From your bra, to your panties to which dress you wear. You have this dress you’ve been saving but it might be too sexy…it’s black and sleek and falls off the shoulders. You might just wear it though…you’re wanting to give Taehyung some steamy thoughts tonight, even if they’re just in his head. A win is a win, right?

You choose another thong, so there’s no panty lines and a strapless bra. You slip the black dress on and it falls deliciously over your curves. You hum in approval as you eye yourself over in the mirror.

“Lookin’ good babe.” You whisper to yourself, nodding your head with a grin.

Jin is hosting a little party at his place tonight, you know when they say ‘little’ it’s more than you know, a little.So you’re looking your best. Taehyung is wearing dark dress pants and a button up shirt so you know it’s going to be at least a little nice, so you are putting some effort.

Speak of the devil, he’s waiting for you in the living room so you need to hurry.

You slide on your heels, grab your phone and your purse and make your way out your room. You see Taehyung leaning against the couch on his phone when you clear your throat to announce your presence.

“Woah.”

But it’s not coming from Taehyung, no. Coming from your side exiting his own bedroom is Jungkook.

He awkwardly clears his own throat and coughs into his fist. “Uh, you look nice.”

You snap your head to the side to get a look at the man, he’s dressed in his dark jeans with a dark button up shirt tucked into his pants…his hair is wild and he looks…breathtaking.

“What are you doing?” you eye him up and down suspiciously.

“Uh. Taehyung said I could ride with you guys…”

Taehyung slips his phone into his pocket and walks over to you guys,

“Yeah, I thought since we are all going to the same place…also, wow. y/n…you look…” Taehyung gestures towards your body and brings his hand to his mouth, “Just incredible.”

You blush at his compliment, your plan already working. Hehe.

“Thanks Tae.”

“I mean, I complimented you too but aight.”

You hit Jungkook’s shoulder and roll your eyes, “Thanks JK.”

Taehyung looks between you two and smiles softly, he runs a hand through his hair and sighs out.

“Should we get going?”

~~~

Usually during car rides Taehyung holds your hand but tonight he’s holding back, you can tell. Jungkook seems to be in a good mood though, he’s talking up a storm in the backseat, going on and on about how he reached a new goal at the gym. He even playfully flexes his muscles, making Taehyung chuckle from beside you. Jungkook leans forward until he’s in the middle of the console between your seat and Taehyungs seat, showing his phone to the both of you at some meme he found.

“y/n, y/n. LOOK.” Jungkook is shoving the phone in your face. “It’s our favorite meme!”

You take his phone from him, setting it down in your lap, “Before I look…is it The PeePee PooPoo Man?” you stifle a laugh.

Jungkook is already cracking the fuck up, “Damn, I can’t even look at it…”

“Me either…I’ll explode.” You start laughing already, the thought of the meme already killing you.

“What? I wanna see!” Taehyung whines.

You and Jungkook are already laughing your asses off, just thinking of the meme and thinking of Taehyungs reaction. When he gets to a stop light, you hesitantly hand him the phone while you cover your mouth.

“Okay…” Taehyung takes the phone.

“Read it out loud!” Jungkook practically yells, his excitement incredibly evident.

“Yeah, read it out loud!” you and Jungkook look at each other and start laughing again,

“Okay…” Taehyung looks at the meme and starts reading, “Say his name…you won’t be laughing when he kills you…” he scrolls down, “The PeePee PooPoo Man…..”

You and Jungkook DIE. Your laughter filling the car so loudly that Taehyung winces and covers his ears.

“Please tell me this isn’t really your guys’ favorite meme….” Taehyung chuckles awkwardly.

“What do you mean? OF COURSE it is!” You say, trying not to cry.

“Shit, I can’t…I can’t.” Jungkook has his hand on your shoulder. The two of you start to relax, your laughter finally dying down.

“I mean, really? PeePee PooPoo Man?” Taehyung just doesn’t get it. You guys really think this is funny?

You start cackling again at the mention of the name,

“Oh my god, stop. Don’t say his name.” You look at Jungkook who is already looking at you with a wide grin, his own eyes watering from laughing so hard.

“You guys are something else…” Taehyung drives through the green light, his eyes watching the two of you. He smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

~~~~

“Friends!” Jin opens his arms wide as if inviting all 3 of you in for a hug, “Welcome to my humble abode!”

“Yes, yes. Very humble.” Jungkook takes the invitation and quickly hugs his friend.

“Taehyung, y/n. Don’t be shy, come come.” He gestures towards his body.

The two of you laugh and embrace your friend, Jungkook stands off to the side looking all around the place.

“Small get together my ass.” Jungkook huffs.

The house is packed with people, lots of faces you don’t recognize but a few faces you do.

“JIMIN!!! TRINA!!!” You leave the boys sides to meet your friends.

“Hello beautiful.” Trina pulls you in for a hug, her laugh ringing in your ears. Jimin embraces you next, his arms wrapping lovingly around your body.

“What’s up sexy.” Jimin winks as he pulls back. Jimin looks gorgeous as usual, his hair pushed back so the world can see that beautiful god damn forehead.

Jungkook and Taehyung jog up to you guys, greeting your friends one by one. “Trina.” Jungkook nods in her direction.

“Jeon.” She nods back. “And hello Taehyung.” She links arms with the boy, “have you been treating our y/n well?”

Taehyung makes awkward eye contact with Jimin, panic written all over his face.

“Yeah Tae Tae,” Jimin says smoothly, his eyes narrowing. “How have you been treating our y/n?”

“Jimin can I talk to you?” Jungkook cuts in.

“I don’t give a shit about our promises from 3 fucking years ago. Get over it.” Jimin spits out, “y/n is my friend. I’m telling her.”

“Wait, Taehyung says he’s going to tell her.” Jungkook rushes to say, he’s got his hands on Jimin’s shoulders but Jimin shoves him off.

“I’m disappointed in you Jungkook. You’re keeping this from her all because you’re scared she’s going to find out about that stupid new years eve party. That was 3 fucking years ago dude, get over it.” Then Jimin quirks a brow, “Unless…you’re not over it? Not over h—”

“Shut up dude, it’s not fucking like that.” Jungkook tries defending.

“One week. That’s all he has before I tell her myself. You fucking idiots.”

“Hey, is everything okay?” You walk between the boys, your hands on both of their shoulders, “things looked heated for a second…” you say awkwardly, “are you guys okay?”

Jungkook gives Jimin a look that you decide you can’t decipher. Jimin rolls his eyes and releases a long breath before turning to face you.

“Everything’s fine, babe.” Jimin gives you a small smile and turns around heading towards your friends, “Trina!” he calls out, “Let’s get fucking drunk!”

You face Jungkook, “Is he alright?” you can’t help but feel concerned, Jimin is acting really strange. Jungkook stares into your eyes for a while, nibbling on his lips deciding what to say.

“He said everything’s fine, didn’t he?” His hand reaches forward to rub your arm, his way of comforting you. Taehyung watches the two of you from the corner of his eye.

“Should we get fucking drunk too?” you tease, trying to lighten the mood.

“You know it, baby.”

~~~~

Once inside, you find Taehyung’s side. His long arm wraps around your waist and pulls you in close to his frame. You two find the kitchen to fetch some drinks, Jungkook follows closely behind you two.

“How about we start the night taking some shots?” You hear Jungkook suggest from your side.

“I like your thinking Mr.Jeon.” your playful tone makes him smile.

“You know I like being called that,” he winks. Taehyung’s grip tightens around your waist and you remember you’re in his embrace.

“Um, what do you think Tae?”

“Sure. Sounds good.” He says quietly, almost detached.

The 3 of you take shot after shot, Taehyungs hand never leaves your body. He keeps you steady as the world becomes just a bit more hazy. You drunkenly laugh into his chest anytime anyone says anything remotely funny. Taehyung enjoys that you’re leaning on him, that you are feeling comfortable.

He watches as you soak in the world in front of you, your wide eyes observing your surroundings. He laughs when you stumble forward every now and then but he always catches you. He kisses your head every few minutes to remind you that he’s here and he has you.

You feel like you’re floating, the alcohol running through your veins and causing the world to be so much more fucking awesome, hell yeah.

You scan the crowd and see a bunch of people dancing and you decide you want to dance too! You take Taehyung’s hand and move your head around looking for Jungkook, but you don’t see him.

“He went his own way a little while ago,” Taehyung reminds you, as if reading your mind.

“Oh.” You don’t mean to sound so disappointed, but you do. You fucking do.

You turn to face Taehyung and smile brightly anyway, “Let’s go dance!”

The music is so loud it’s all your body can register. Every note swims through your ears and every thump of the bass makes you move. Your arms are wrapped loosely around Taehyungs neck, your bodies swaying to the beat of the music. You’re having so much fun until you see it. A few feet in front of you, you see his tattooed hands on some random girls ass. You shouldn’t be feeling the drop in your stomach but you do. You fucking do.

Your eyes trail up his arms until you meet his eyes when you see he’s already staring at you. His dark gaze makes you fucking shudder, you hate that can he do this to you. Even after all this time.

You watch him carefully as you inch closer to Taehyung, you grab a hold of him more tightly. Taehyung grunts when he feels you grind your hips into his. Jungkook watches you as you dance with Taehyung, his gaze somehow becoming more and more dangerous. He leans down into the girls neck and begins sucking bruises, his eyes never leaving yours. He kisses her and she throws her head back, you can see her smile in approval of his attention. He fucking smirks when you roll your eyes. Two can play that game. Taehyung watches you watching him but you don’t notice. But you wish you did. You pull Taehyungs face down to meet you for a kiss, your lips moving against his hotly, though your eyes remain on Jungkook the entire time. Jungkook just glares at you, turning the girl around so she can grind her ass into his crotch.

You sway your hips into Taehyung, his hands go to hold your hips moving them to the beat of the song. He groans when he feels your ass backing into him, he feels himself getting hard at the contact. You feel it too. You break eye contact with Jungkook to look up at Taehyung, his dick catching your attention.

“Oh don’t mind me.” Taehyung throws his hands up, whispering bitterly.

“I’m gonna go get another drink.”

And Taehyung is slipping away, disappearing in the crowd. You watch as he fades from your drunken vision.

You stand there feeling completely abandoned and puzzled when you feel a hand on your arm. You turn your head to see Jungkook standing there, breathless.

“Can we talk? Are we…okay?” He looks strange. Confused even.

“No, I gotta find Tae.” You say, “Plus, you’re busy, aren’t you?” you point your head in the direction of the girl.

“Does that bother you?” Jungkook whispers somewhat defeated, “Because I think…” he shakes his head, “No, I’m drunk.”

“We’re all drunk, Jungkook.” You release his hold on you, “I gotta find Tae.”

Jungkook feels…like he recalls this feeling. He doesn’t want you to go and find Tae. He wants you to stay with him. He recalls these familiar feelings and internally deflates, he doesn’t want to feel this. Not again.

You weave through the crowd until you make your way into the kitchen, you scan the area but see no Taehyung. Frustrated, you smooth down your tangled hair and take a minute to think. Where did he go? Where could he have gone? This house is huge! You recall just trying to find the bathroom that one time. You decide to try the backyard, you walk out the door and notice only a few people occupying the place. But still no Taehyung.

You head back inside the house and try out each random door. Well, he’s definitely not in the kitchens pantry. Damn, you’re drunk. You head down the hall and try out those rooms, your fingers slide against the wall as you walk. The first room is empty, the second room has a small group of people playing some game, the third room—you definitely interrupted something sexy going on. And finally, the fourth room has one Kim Taehyung. He’s sitting quietly on the edge of a bed, he doesn’t even look up to see who entered the room.

“Tae…” you walk inside, closing the door behind you. It softly clicks and you walk towards him.

“What’s wrong?” You ask but obviously you know what’s wrong, but your dumb ass has to make sure.

Taehyung stares down at his hands, his fingers playing with the sleeve of his shirt. He doesn’t look up at you when he breathes out through his nose.

“What’s wrong? Seriously? My girlfriend was dancing with me but playing some fucking eye fuck game with another guy.” He slurs.

Well, you knew. But it still stings to hear. Also, he must be really drunk if he called you his girlfriend and didn’t correct himself.

“I wasn’t…we weren’t…”

“When will you two just…” Taehyung stops to breathe, collecting his thoughts. “Fuck, I think I…no, I just…” he runs a frustrated hand through his hair, “I’m so confused.” He admits.

“About what?” you go to sit next to him, you leave a few inches of space between you. But still close enough for him to exhale deeply and lay his head on your shoulder.

“About you.” He says so quietly you don’t really hear.

“I meant what I said earlier.” Taehyung changes the subject. “You look so incredible tonight.” His hand falls to your knee, he starts rubbing it soothingly. You know this would feel nice sober but it feels indescribable drunk. His touch is soft and light that you fall into a trance.

“You think so?” you breathe out pathetically.

Taehyung lifts his head and turns to face you, “I’ve thought about kissing you all night.” He admits softly, “Then you really…” he glances down at his crotch, “Gave me quite the problem.” He drunkenly pouts. “Because you’re so beautiful.”

You can’t help but giggle, “I can take care of that if you want.” You offer, your tone light and teasing yet powerfully seductive.

“Really need to kiss you first.” He breathes out heavily, his cock twitching in his pants.

You lean forward and peck his lips, you lean back and smile but then Taehyung surges forward and plants his lips on yours in a rushed and heated kiss. His lips move against yours quickly, his tongue finding its way in your mouth. You moan out loud, the sound going directly to his growing length. Your hands explore the front of his body, they travel from his hair to his chest to his stomach…all the way until you feel his cock through his pants. He groans loudly when you cup him.

“Are you gonna tease me, sweetheart?” he leans back on his forearms. “Because I wouldn’t mind that.” He smiles slyly.

“I have thought about this a million times, I don’t think there’s any time to waste quite honestly.” Wow, you are drunk because you just admitted that.

“Is it really me you think about?” he whispers under his breath, his eyes narrowing as he looks up at you.

“What? “Nothing, show me what you think about.”

“Have you ever thought about me? If so, I want you to show me.”

Taehyung stands to his feet, “Oh sweetheart,” he begins unbuckling his pants, “I can show you…if that’s what you want.” You nod your head and he smirks.

“Get on your knees for me.”

You do as Taehyung says, you fall to your knees in front of him and look up at him expectantly.

“So fucking pretty.” He lowers his pants down to his knees along with his boxers, his cock springs free, bouncing against his lower stomach. Your mouth fucking waters. His dick is gorgeous but like it’s Kim Taehyung…of course, he has a beautiful dick. It’s long, and thick and golden and you want your lips wrapped around it right fucking now.

“This is okay, right?” he asks.

“Yes.”

“Then open that pretty mouth of yours for me, sweetheart.”

But he doesn’t give you time to think because he’s pulling your head back and shoving his cock between your pretty, pouting lips.

You silently gag around him, and you can hear the string of explicates push past his plump lips. He sounds so fucking hot. His grip on your hair only tightens as he begins to shallowly thrust past your lips. He loves how you seem to swallow him whole, looking so beautiful as he fucks your mouth just waiting to fill it with his cum.

Pulling out all the way, he roughly fucks his cock back where it belongs, taking you by surprise causing you to choke. You absolutely love letting him have his way with you, so you moan loudly letting the vibrations stimulate his cock even further.

“You like it when I pull your hair that hard? You like it when I make you feel that’s all you’re good for?” He grits between his teeth. He looks down at you, and you look up into his dark, piercing gaze and mutter words of mercy.

“Taking my cock so good, aren’t you sweetheart?”

“Yes Tae” you say almost inaudibly, tears pricking your eyes and falling in streams as you hollow your cheeks around his thick length. Your chest pounding as you close your eyes, allowing him to go to town on you. His grip weakens and his dick twitches in your mouth, spilling his hot seed down your throat.

“Fuck,” he curses, rubbing your cheeks tenderly. “You made me cum so fast, what a fucking good girl, my sweetheart.” He says, continuing his caress your cheek. You feel your panties become so unbelievably wet, drenched if you will. God damn.

“You let me fuck this mouth…will you also let me fuck this pussy?” his fingers on your chin guides your face to look up at him.

“Please.” God, you’re so needy its pathetic, but its god damn Kim Taehyung.

“First I gotta stretch you out, sweetheart.” He motions for you to lay on the bed, “Take off your clothes for me.”

You do as he says, you crawl on to the bed and slip your dress off, then your bra and you’re about to drag your panties down when he stops you.

“Wait…leave those on.” His dark gaze commands you.

Taehyung takes off the rest of his clothes and makes his way to the bed, crawling over you. Your breath catches in your throat, you feel like everything’s stopped.

His hand lightly drags down your stomach until his hand is hovering where you want him most.

Without warning, he moves your panties to the side and his fingers slide into your sopping, desperate cunt, curling them just right to brush against that spot in you that make your toes curl.

His long fingers slides in and out of you, the sound of your wet pussy and your loud moans filling the room.

“More. More.” you plead.

“What is it that you want?” he says still working his fingers inside of you.

You just moan loudly in response.

Taehyung clicks his tongue and rolls his eyes, “Sweetheart…” he begs.

“You. You. I want you!”

“Fuck yes.” He grits, his hand on his cock already. “Gonna fuck you now, okay?”

“Yes!”

He’s sitting on his hunches as he lines his cock up to your wet pussy. He slowly drags it up from your hole all the way up to your swollen clit, he then rubs circles over your clit with this cock, you both moan at the feeling.

He drags it back down and lines it up with your entrance, taking your legs and hanging them over his shoulders. He finally begins pushing into you with one slow drag of his cock, and as he bottoms out, you whimper his name repeatedly. He is stretching you out deliciously. He stays completely still for a moment before he starts moving his hips dangerously slow, you go to moan out his name but no sound comes out. The feeling of his dick brushing inside you leaving you speechless.

Your mind goes blank for a second, then suddenly images of Jungkook cross your mind. You think about him with that other girl, you think about him fucking her, you think about him coming inside her. You try so hard to speak but the way Taehyung rolls his hips into yours over and over lets out only loud, pleading moans. Only the sound of your whimpers and his heavy breathing fill the room.

Dropping one of your legs, Taehyung moves his hand to the soft skin of your stomach, his touch is electric.

“So close Ju-Tae…”

“Where should I come?” he asks, breathless as he continues to fuck into you.

“My tits.”

Taehyung smirks as he thrusts harder and faster until you’re coming undone on his cock, your loud moans giving away your orgasm. Jungkook’s face filling your mind again as you come…only making you come harder. Taehyung pulls out and shoots his cum all over your chest, he smiles down at you as he enjoys the view.

Taehyung falls forward, his lips meeting yours in a slow kiss.

“That was amazing y/n. You’re so good to me, sweetheart.” He kisses you again.

You look up at the ceiling, the soreness already announcing its arrival between your legs. Your orgasm is kind of sobering you up. Did you just fuck Taehyung? You kind of laugh, a bit confused. It was fun and all…wait, why are you beginning to over think? It’s just…you just had his cock filling you up yet you lay here with his arm draped around you and you feel…empty.

How did things escalate this much? But this is what you wanted, isn’t it? God, why are you being such a baby! You just fucked THE Kim Taehyung and you’re wondering why you feel disappointed…congratulations y/n, you’re the world’s most ungrateful bitch.

But then your sober thoughts come in once again, reminding you of what set you over the edge. No, you don’t want to remember.

Taehyung is already snoozing beside you, his arm loosely thrown over your body. You look down at him and feel guilt bubbling in your chest. What have you done? What are you doing?

Wait—did he really fall asleep while his cum dries on your tiddies?

~~~

The next few days you spend in and out of Taehyungs apartment, he invites you over for dinner, to watch TV, to paint—for sex. Basically, any and everything.

The sex is…good—really good, actually. He treats you super well, still the gentleman and makes you feel incredible.

You want to feel incredible. You should feel incredible. Isn’t this incredible?

But still, something makes you ache. The ache is beginning to consume you. You want it to go, to disappear to leave you forever because you should be feeling incredible. But then your mind goes back to the same damn thing—

Brrr Brrr

You are lying on your bed with a sour punch straw hanging out your mouth when your phone buzzes. You ignore it, trying to focus on your thoughts again but then you hear it go off again. You roll over on your stomach and pick up your phone, unlocking it to read your texts.

Taehyung 8:14pm

Hello beautiful!

Taehyung 8:15pm

Wanna come over for a movie? I miss your pretty face.

You read the texts to yourself over and over, nibbling on your lips like the action will somehow help you. You…this is what you wanted, right?

y/n 8:18pm

You miss me already? You just saw me :p but sure I’ll be over in 30.

You sit up in bed, the straw still dangling from your lips and you begin chewing…the straw disappearing centimeter by centimeter. The sour flavor making you scrunch up your face but you take it.

You sit there and wonder if you even really want to go…but you know you should. So, you get up and get dressed into something a little more presentable and exit your bedroom.

Jungkook is in the kitchen making something to eat when you walk out, he’s got his back to you and doesn’t notice your presence.

“Boo!” you yell out, jumping towards him and hugging his waist from behind.

Jungkook doesn’t even flinch, he just chuckles softly and slowly turns in your embrace.

“What do you think you’re doing miss not so sneaky?” his eyes narrow as he takes in your appearance.

“Wait—are you going somewhere? I…I thought we could watch Howl’s Moving Castle tonight?” he loosens your grip on him and lowers your arms down to your side.

“Oh…” you say awkwardly. “I already told Tae I would go over there for a movie…”

Jungkook blows air through his nose, and rolls his eyes to the side, “Again? Weren’t you just there?”

“It’s normal to hang out with your…friends.” Friends? You and Taehyung are friends or are you more than friends? Or? What is going on?

“Can’t you just cancel on him and hang out with me, your best friend?” he crosses his arms over his chest, leaning back on the counter.

“Jungkook…”

“Fine, fine. Have fun.” He turns back around to continue making whatever it is he is making,

Since spending so much time with Taehyung the last few days, Jungkook hasn’t been getting the attention he’s used to. You decide to step forward and hug him from behind again and nuzzle your face into his back.

“Love you.” You whisper into his shirt, the scent making you feel cozy.

“I…” he clears his throat. “Yeah, me too.”

~~~~~

Taehyung collapses on top of you, hugging you from behind, out of breath and sweat sticking to his skin. His thrusts are quick and shallow as he fucks into you, your face buried in the cushion of his living rooms couch.

“Fuck, I’m about to blow, sweetheart.” His hips grind into you and you moan out from the feeling.

“Gonna come all over this pretty ass, that okay?” he grits out.

“Yes. Yes.”

Taehyung quickly pulls out, grunting your name, and comes down your lower back and ass, his hand grips his cock tightly as he shoots his load. You feel the warm, sticky goo dribble down your cheeks and you cringe.

You lay there breathless, even though you didn’t come yourself, but the fuck was still good—so you say to yourself.

“Please get me a towel.”

Taehyung is quick to roll off you and grab his t shirt and wipe your skin clean. “Better?”

“Yeah…”

Taehyung sits back down on the couch, a wide grin on his face when realization hits him… “Oh my god, you didn’t come. I can…I can eat you out.”

“No it’s okay, really.” You assure him. The mood is long gone.

“This just keeps getting better.” Taehyung pulls you to his side, he smiles into your neck as you steady your breaths.

“What does?” your hand goes into his hair and you begin massaging his scalp—you know he likes that. Unlike Jungkook, he doesn’t like his hair being pulled. Ugh… Why did you have to think that?

“God, just everything.” Taehyung pulls back and smiles at you and you try to return it whole heartily but you fall short.

“Hey, is everything okay?” He asks.

“Everything’s fine,” you lie. “Just noticing the time and I think I should head out soon.”

Taehyung pushes his head back, a confused smile makes its way on his face.

“It’s barely 11?”

“It’s just…Jungkook wanted to watch a movie tonight too…you know his horrible sleeping habits so no doubt he’s going to be up for a while, “ you begin. “so I thought…I could still make it to watch it with him.”

Taehyung doesn’t say anything for a while, he only stares at you with hard eyes. He leans back on to the couch and exhales deeply.

“Have you been thinking about this the whole time? About him? Even while…” he shakes his head. “Sorry.”

“Sorry about what?”

“y/n I think…we really need to ta—”

“No!” you cut in, you feel anxiety stir within you.

“I mean, I just mean, we can talk tomorrow? You wanted to meet for brunch right? We can talk then. For now…” you lean over and pick up your shirt and throw it on. “I’m gonna head home.”

Taehyung bows his head down, his hands running through his hair as he mutters something to himself.

“What’s that?” you ask while standing to find your shorts.

“Nothing…” he lifts his head, “Actually…y/n.”

“What is it?” you laugh awkwardly, buttoning up your shorts.

“You and Jungkook…” he stands up too, “When will you two just…”

“I’m gonna go Tae.” Your guilty smile making you feel sick, but it doesn’t stop you from walking towards him and kissing his lips.

“y/n I think I like y—”

“Tomorrow?” you smile sweetly as the ache you have been feeling only grows larger and larger.

“Yeah…” Taehyung smiles back, “Tomorrow.”

~~~~~~

y/n 11:08pm

You still up?

Jungkook 11:09pm

Yeah, whats up?

y/n 11:09pm

you still up for that movie?

Jungkook 11:09pm

You coming home already? But yeah sure:)

y/n 11:10pm

yeah I’m about to head that way

Jungkook 11:11pm

Ok don’t text and drive

y/n 11:11pm

hey its 1111 make a wish

Jungkook 11:11pm

Really? What are you, 12?

You chuckle to yourself as you sit in the driver’s seat of your car, you exit your messages and open up your music app to play one of your playlists.

You put the car in reverse and exit Taehyung apartment complex parking lot, it’s kind of cramped and you’re having to put the car in drive and reverse too many times for your liking…making you feel fucking frustrated.

Your mind goes to tonight…you hate this feeling. You just want to go home. Home where its warm and safe and no one is trying to have a serious talk with you.

You’re avoiding it. You have been for a while…you’re not stupid. Taehyung…no, you don’t want to think about it.

The drive home is relaxing for you…there’s barely anyone else out and your music is at the right volume. Just loud enough that you can’t hear yourself think. Perfect.

You enter your apartment, and are welcomed with a dark, quiet place. Where’s Jungkook?

You take your phone out and shoot him a text asking where he is but several minutes pass and he doesn’t reply. Where did he go? He didn’t…cancel on you, right? He isn’t with some girl right now, right?

Anxiety stirs within you once again, the thought of Jungkook elsewhere making breathing harder. You just wanted to come home but somehow this empty apartment feels like the farthest thing from home. The blue glow of the TV making you feel like you’re in an odd, far off place. You pull your legs up on the couch and hug them close to you, you suddenly feel so lonely. So fucking lonely.

Your face contorts, and before you know it you are trying not to cry. The last few days are catching up to you and you feel like a mess. Why can’t things feel fucking incredible? Your lip quivers and you struggle to breathe in and out like a normal human being.

“Why are you sitting in the dark, weirdo?”

You didn’t notice the sound of the front door opening and the light being turned on.

Your head snaps to the side to see Jungkook at the front entrance with a bag in his hand, he looks at you with a toothy grin until he realizes you’re crying.

“Woah woah,” he rushes to set the bag down and heads your way, he makes it to the sofa and sits down next to you and is quick to pull you to his chest, his arms wrapping around you.

“What’s wrong, baby?” he whispers into your hair. “Are you okay?” He pulls back to get a look at your face, you start sniffling harder.

“Did Taehyung do something?” then Jungkook begins to panic, “Fuck, he did, right? I knew it…I’m gonna beat his fucking ass.” Jungkook lets go of you and begins to stand up when you desperately pull him back down.

“No…” you cry out quietly, “It’s your fault, dummy.”

Jungkook tilts his head innocently, “My fault?” he says, pointing to himself.

“I thought you bailed on me…” you sniff.

Jungkook breathes out and laughs softly, “I was…I went to the store to buy some beer for us.” He gestures towards the bag on the ground.

“Why didn’t you just call me?” he asks.

“I texted…but you didn’t answer.”

“Then you should have called,” His fingers brush across your cheek.

“I thought maybe you could have been with…someone…I didn’t want to interrupt.”

Jungkook looks at you incredulously, his brows pinched together so tightly.

“You think I would do something like that?” he pulls you in again, “I would never do that. I wouldn’t leave you like that.”

“You wouldn’t ever leave me in general would you?”

“Never, baby.” He kisses the top of your head and you nuzzle yourself into his chest.

Home. Your apartment finally feels like home again.

You and Jungkook are a few beers in and watching one of your favorite movies, he looks over at you every once in a while to make sure you’re okay. You smile softly towards him and he smiles back…this goes on for the entire movie. Near the end, you have the urge to be closer to Jungkook so you grab his hand and interlock your fingers. He doesn’t look at you as he weaves his fingers through yours and holds your hand tightly.

“You like holding hands, huh?” you say, slight tease in your voice.

Jungkook goes stiff, a memory sucking him in. Fucking great.

“You like holding hands, huh?” you tease as Jungkook lifts your joined hands above your head.

“Love feeling closer to you.” Jungkook leans down and plants wet kisses down the expanse of your throat, you moan as you feel his lips devouring you.

Jungkook continues to kiss and kiss until his lips meet your collarbone, until his lips drag down to your breasts, until his lips are kissing at your stomach, until his lips are where you want him most. He continues to hold your hands, lowering them to your sides.

“Love feeling closer.”

“It’s pretty late…2 in the morning…sheesh.” Jungkook untangles your fingers, “Goodnight, y/n.” he leans over and kisses the top of your head before standing from the sofa and walking towards his room for the night.

“Night Jungkook…” you whisper, feeling the emptiness dig its hole within you again.

~~~~~

You can’t really describe this hole in your chest that you feel. It leaves you empty and in pain. It leaves you wondering why and how and when this all started…

You’re meeting Taehyung for brunch at the café, you’re seated in a booth across from him and he looks quite chipper. You watch as he eyes the menu and you watch as his lips curve upward into a warm smile when he speaks to you. You watch his lips as he talks, you watch his hands as the gesture around the place, you watch—

“y/n? y/n?”

“Oh. Yeah?”

“You’re not getting pancakes?” Taehyung pouts, setting down his menu.

You chuckle softly, “Why does it matter?”

“I thought you would get one flavor and I would get another and we could like, share.” He says almost childlike.

You nibble on your lip, it wasn’t a bad idea actually.

“Fine.” You smile, “I’ll get blueberry.”

“And I’ll get chocolate.” He grins at you with all his teeth. The two of you wait for your server to arrive but she is nowhere to be found so Taehyung stands from the booth and says he is going to fetch her. You nod your head and watch him walk past a corner. You pull out of your phone and begin scrolling through twitter when a feminine voice cuts in,

“y/n, right?”

You look up from your phone to see a familiar face. Long brown hair, big bright eyes, full pouting lips. Long legs, the works. Anna.

“Um, yes?” you bite your lip, feeling anxious all the sudden. Why is Taehyung’s stalker talking to you?

“If you’re…” you try to come off more confident. “Looking for Taehyung, you should just forget about it.”

Anna looks taken aback before she’s smirking down at you, “And why is that?”

“He’s not interested Anna, you need to like, move on.”

“Oh? It’s me who needs to move on?” she laughs light heartedly. “Listen, y/n. I don’t know what you’ve heard about me but it sounds like you have it all wrong.” She taps her manicured fingers on the table.

“I don’t think so Anna.” You stand up so you’re at eye level with her, “He—”

“Tell Taehyung it’s starting to work though. I am starting to regret it.” She says, her voice so smooth. “Oh.” Her bright eyes widen, “Or I could tell him myself.” She says, looking behind you.

You turn around to see Taehyung approaching the table, his face as white as a ghost.

“A-Anna? What are you doing here?” his voice filled with panic, you’ve never seen Taehyung look so freaked out before.

“Just telling your little girlfriend I miss you.”

Taehyung visibly frowns at Anna’s words. Like they hold depth for him. What the hell is going on? What’s starting to work? What is she regretting? Your head snaps to face Taehyung,

“Taehyung, what’s happening?”

“Yeah, Taehyungie, what’s happening?” Anna copies with a coy smile.

Taehyung looks between the two of you, panic written all over his face. Anna’s hand softly clutches onto Taehyungs forearm and he very clearly relaxes at her touch, making you feel even more confused.

“Do you know her? Like know her know her?” you finally ask.

“Does he know me?” Anna lightly chuckles, a hand coming to cover her mouth, “Do you know me Tae?” she continues to giggle. Then her large eyes meet yours, “It looks like you’re the one who doesn’t know him.” then she’s looking at Taehyung again, “I’ll be waiting for your call.” And she steps to the side, smiles at you and walks away. You watch as she disappears through the door of the restaurant and your eyes never leave the door. Your mind trying to process what just happened.

“Y/n, I can explain.” You finally hear Taehyung speak up. His hand reaches for yours but you yank it back.

“Don’t touch me. Just talk.” You demand, sitting back down in the booth.

Taehyung sits across from you and exhales a long breath.

“Anna is my ex-girlfriend.” He lets out. Pausing, waiting for a reaction from you but it never comes. He continues,

“I might of not been completely honest—”

“No shit.” You cut in, “But please,” you gesture your hand for him to go on.

“She left me for another guy…” Taehyung doesn’t expect you to feel sorry for him, he folds his hands in his lap and he thinks about what to say next.

“I just…wanted her to feel what I felt. Like I moved on, I wanted her to want me back.”

“Because you want her back…” you finish for him. Your eyes darting all around the café. “You lied to me…” then you look at him, “Why me? Why did you ask me?

Taehyung looks down at his hands, “I knew you liked me, so I thought you would agree to it.” He admits.

You breathe out a long breath, your eyes beginning to gloss over,

“You knew I…? So all of this was truly just fake?”

Taehyung shakes his head frantically, “No. No. Well, maybe in the beginning.” He admits, his voice starting to crack. “Anna—“

“And how didn’t I know you had a girlfriend?”

“Listen, please just listen. Anna and I were dating, yes. But she wanted to keep quiet about it…” he notices you quirk a brow, “She had her reasons.” He defends. “but then she came to me, telling me all this shit about how she met someone else and I…I panicked.” He looks down at the table, his voice wavering.

“Am I supposed to feel bad for you?” you point out, “You fucking used me.”

“I know, I know.” Taehyung chokes on his words, “And I feel awful about it,”

“How awful Taehyung? You fucked me.”

Taehyung’s eyes widen, he shakes his head again. “Please let me continue….I…I am really confused right now. I thought I wanted Anna back but you…you make me feel…but…”

“But what?” you cross your arms over your chest, you raise your head, trying your best not to fucking cry.

“I’m just so confused.” He says again.

“You used me.” You whisper, your tears finally fleeing from your eyes.

“Yes…but I think you used me too.”

Excuse you? The fucking audacity this fucker has!

“Used you? Please tell me how I used you!”

Taehyung meets your eyes, they’re soft and warm. “Please don’t play dumb,” he says.

“Aren’t I just your little distraction from Jung—"

“Stop.” Your eyes grow twice their size, you push your shoulders all the way up to your ears. You’re fuming. “I don’t know what you think you—”

“y/n.”

He looks at you softly, you stare into his eyes and your lip begins to quiver. What does Taehyung think he knows? What does Taehyung know that you’re too afraid to say out loud yourself? Your eyes refill with tears and he reaches for your hand across the table, this time you don’t pull back.

“It’s okay y/n, I know.” He says so gently it feels like someone’s hugging you.

You stare at him in disbelief while the tears begin to fall. Fuck. Years of pent up emotions finally break free, you quietly sob like a baby in the booth of the café. His hand never leaves yours.

You cry like this for several minutes, letting years of unrequited feelings get washed away. Taehyung eventually moves to your side of the booth and holds you, you cry pathetically into his chest. Why couldn’t this work? You made a wish in the bubble bath and everything…why couldn’t you get your way? You sacrificed so much…you put Jungkook’s friendship on the line for this…why?

“How did you figure it out?” your shy tone makes Taehyung smile fondly towards you.

“You’re pretty obvious. I always thought you guys had a thing going to be honest…but he always denied it.”

You feel your stomach drop, it’s not like you’re surprised that Jungkook would deny something like this but for some reason it still hurts.

“Makes sense.” You sniffle into your elbow. “We aren’t like that.”

Taehyung looks at you with so much fucking pity it kills you.

“y/n…he could feel the same way…”

“He doesn’t.” you rush to say, “Trust me.”

Taehyung looks down at his hands, he feels more guilt surface. He’s kept so much from you…now he’s keeping another secret.

“Don’t give up.” He smiles towards you, “I hope that with time you can be my friend again…I understand if you want some space.”

“Wait.” You feel anger begin to bubble over, “Jungkook…he fucking knew about you, didn’t he?” you ball your hands into fists. “He didn’t fucking tell me?” you turn your head to face Taehyung, your eyes filling with tears once again. Your best friend didn’t tell you about this?

“Wait wait y/n. That’s my fault not his, I swear. A few years ago I told him and Jimin about Anna and they had to swear not to say anything and they told me stuff in return…so the 3 of us swore to each other…” he begins losing his train of thought, “It’s just…it’s not his fault.”

“Jimin…too?” Your brows pinch together, you feel so fucking betrayed. You feel like an idiot.

“Jimin only just found out and he only didn’t tell you because Jungkook said he was going to tell him that I planned on telling you…”

“Were you going—”

“Yes!” Taehyung exclaims loudly, the people in the next booth over look over. “I promise, I just—I needed to figure out how. But then my feelings got so confusing and we slept together and I thought I could pretend…”

“Okay okay…” you pat his back, “I believe you.” And you do. You recall every moment he was going to tell you but you stopped him…because deep down you knew this was all too good to be true.

“y/n please forgive me.” He chokes up, “I really don’t want to lose you.”

You chew on your bottom lip, contemplating what to say. Yes, you feel hurt and betrayed but are you any better? You were so desperate for Taehyung to like you because…because you wanted to forget about Jungkook. You used him too. He’s right. And no matter how hard you tried and how much you forced yourself…Jungkook is still the only one you can think about.

Wait a fucking minute. No. He lied to you. He used you. And yes, maybe you were maybe trying to use him too but his is much worse. And you shouldn’t forgive that so easily. Right?

“I think you’re right about needing space Taehyung…you…you did me really wrong.”

Taehyung exhales deeply, looking into your eyes.

“I know y/n. I’m…I’m so sorry.” he looks down at his hands, they’re cold and clammy.

“y/n…please believe me, I’m so confused. I think I like—”

“Don’t.” you hold up your hand in front of him. “Don’t do that.”

Taehyung’s shoulders slump as he nods his head un understanding. “Sorry.”

You’re hurt. You feel used and betrayed. You should direct all your anger towards Taehyung, the one who did this to you but somehow the feeling of hurt and betrayal is coming from someone else. Jungkook. He kept this from you. Why? Why the hell would he keep this from you? You guys are supposed to tell each other everything but then you scoff at your own thought. He won’t even open up about his home life, why are you surprised he keeps things from you?

You decide to walk home from the café, rejecting Taehyungs offer to give you a ride. You need the fresh air, let’s be honest. You finally see your apartment in view and you sigh.

You reach the front door as you unzip your bag to reach for your keys to unlock the door. The keys are cold between your fingers as you search for the right one, but much to your frustration you can’t fucking find it. Obviously, it’s here. But why is it hiding from you?

You very irritatingly rattle the knob just for shits and giggles. You even pound the door with your fists just letting out all your anger, the feeling of betrayal catching up to you. You hit your head against the wooden door repeatedly wincing at the pain but not letting that stop the movement.

Much to your surprise, the door swings open and your head falls forward into Jungkook’s warm hand. You look up with shocked, watery eyes. He studies your face for a few seconds before exhaling deeply.

“What’s wro—"

“You knew. About Anna.” You spit out, standing tall.

Jungkook’s lips form a small ‘o’ before his face is hardening. “I tried to warn you.” Is all he says.

“Warn me?” you scoff in disbelief. “You should of told me.”

“You should of just listened to me, and trust me.” He scoffs back, his lips turning downwards.

“You let me go around pretending to be his girlfriend when you knew how much I liked him??”

“You’re not my responsibility. And it wasn’t my business,” he eyes you up and down. “Are you going to come inside or not?” he gestures towards inside the apartment. You are quiet for a moment before breezing past him and settling in the kitchen.

“Why are you always keeping things from me Jungkook?” you feel so tired, just so fucking tired.

“y/n…” he shuts the front door and walks towards you, his head hanging low. “I wanted to tell you but I couldn’t.”

“Yeah, you guys have your fucking weird ass secrets or whatever. Probably another thing I don’t know about you.”

Jungkook’s eyes grow in size, his eyebrows rising towards his hairline. “He didn’t tell you…”

“No Jungkook.”

He sighs in relief. He walks closer to you until he’s reaching his hands to grab yours.

“I’m sorry…he—”

“We…” you feel your eyes bubble over with tears again, “We slept together.” You sniffle, “He fucking used me.” You stare at Jungkook with a pained expression, “All this time I—I thought I was making progress…” your head falls into your hands and you begin to cry.

. “That asshole fucked you?” Jungkook’s voice is dangerously low.

“I told him…he couldn’t…that fucking dick.” Jungkook turns towards the counter and grabs his keys.

“W-What are you doing?” You lift your head, panic written all over your face.

“Gonna beat his ass.” Jungkook is walking towards the front door to find his shoes.

“No!” you rush towards him, grabbing onto his arm, “I-I’m fine. Me and Taehyung are done, it’s over. No need to do anything el—”

“Fine? How are you fine?! You’re not fine, y/n!” he looks at you, exasperated.

“I—"

“This is my fault.” He bows his head, “I should of told you.” “Well…yes. You should have Jungkook.” You let go of his arm and turn around, you run your fingers through your hair. You feel frustrated as fuck.

“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?”

“How can I make this up to you?” Jungkook doesn’t know how to feel right now. Guilty? Horrible? Okay? Happy that you and Taehyung are finally fucking done? Furious that his friend fucked you? You of all people? He should beat Taehyungs ass just for that alone.

“I said… why the fuck didn’t you tell me?”

Jungkook’s eyes leave yours, they move all around the place as he mind races. What can he say?

“Don’t worry about it.” He whispers.

Your eyes go wide as hell, biggest they’ve ever been. “No. No.” You quickly walk towards him, you shove his chest. Jungkook pinches his brows together as he stumbles back.

“You will not give me that bullshit, Jungkook.” You cry out.

“Just tell me how I can make this up to you so we can move on…” Jungkook crosses his arms over his chest.

“So we can move on? How dare you? You fucked up, Jeon Jungkook!” You struggle to find a breath as you cry, “tell me why!”

Jungkook frowns as he watches you, his heart breaking, He can’t tell you why. His mind takes him back to 3 years ago when he made a promise with himself, he would never tell you why.

“You’re going to lose me Jungkook.” You wipe your eyes with the back of your hand, “Do you want that?”

Jungkook feels his heart pounding. Lose you? No, he can’t…

3 years ago

You haven’t talked to him in weeks…and it’s pure torture. He is feeling the same pain he felt when his mom left him. Not the exact same pain…but the feeling of loss is there and it hurts.

You are without a doubt the most important lady in his life and he fucked it all up. He should of never... Why did things have to escalate like that? Why did he have to brush it off like it was nothing? Because now you aren’t talking to him. Is this going to…ruin your friendship?

Jungkook doesn’t think he could handle that. Could he handle another loss like that? No. He needs you in his life, he needs you. He thought…you wanted it. Wanted him. But he was wrong. And he is willing to do anything to go back to how things were before…he wants nothing more than to have your friendship. He swears he will never, never jeopardize your friendship again, no matter how empty it might make him feel.

One month. It took one month for you to finally respond to his texts and agree to meet up. You showed up at his apartment wearing your sweet smile and he broke down crying in front of you for the first time. You sat him down and rubbed his back, whispering words of comfort.

“Let’s just…never talk about it.” You continue to pat his back. Jungkook lifts his head and nods slowly.

“Okay…” he agrees,

“We don’t want to risk our friendship.” You rub the center of his back and he flutters his eyes shut. “Promise?”

Jungkook nods his head again. He promises he will never bring it up, bring up his…his…he promises he will never bring it up. He has to bury this. Because he won’t risk anything with you. He won’t lose you. He won’t make you uncomfortable again, he won’t cause damage to this friendship. He will be best friend Jungkook and that’s it. Because that’s what you want.

The flashbacks are too overwhelming for Jungkook, his memories flooding his body and he’s beginning to drown. His breathing becomes harsher, the loud breaths filling your ears.

“J-Jungkook?”

Jungkook stares at you with his mouth wide open, he tries to speak but no words come out.

“Hey?” you walk closer to him but he takes a clumsy step back.

“Lose you?” he finally manages to stutter out, his eyes wet with unfallen tears.

“Just tell me why, Jungkook.” Your voice is soft this time and he chokes on a quiet sob, his tears beginning to spill.

You walk closer and Jungkook steps back until his back is against the front door, he wipes his sweaty palms on his sweats. These feelings…he doesn’t want to taste their familiarity. He breathes deeply and screws his eyes shut.

“y/n…” he whimpers.

“Just tell me, Jungkook.” You’re standing just in front of him, your chest almost touching his. You tilt your head up and your hands travel up his arms until they’re cupping the back of his head.

Jungkook hesitantly opens his eyes and stares down into your eyes.

He stares down at your face and he admires all your features…he observes how creamy your skin looks, how your eyes crinkle at the edges, how your eyebrows crease slightly as you frown and how pretty and pouty your lips look. His eyes never leave your face as he takes you in. Cute. That’s how he usually views you. But today, right now, you look absolutely beautiful.

Jungkook feels his heart starting to thump wildly in his chest and he grows anxious. He can’t view you that way. He won’t. But his eyes linger on your lips and you look at him with such a cute, confused expression and he can’t help but lean a little closer. He can’t do this. He won’t do this. The anxiety grows and grows but he gets closer and closer. Your eyes begin to flutter shut and before he knows it, his lips find yours. His mouth slants over your own in a long, hot and maybe even a little sloppy kiss. His lips are plush against your own, they move in desperation at first but come to a slower pace. He begins savoring you. But you don’t move. You are in a state of shock.

Before you know it, Jungkook is unfortunately moving away from you. His lips disconnecting from yours and a look of horror is plastered on his face.

“Sorry I—”

You stare at him in shock, not able to speak.

“y/n… I shouldn’t have done that, I’m sorry—”

And then you’re snorting. A light hearted giggle escapes your lips and you go to cover your mouth from the slip.

Jungkook continues to look horrified, totally and completely terrified of your reaction.

“Sorry, it’s just…” you continue to laugh, “This reminds me of the first time we kissed.” You say softly, a small smile decorating your face.

Jungkook frowns at your words, taking a moment to think.

“It does?” he says, but then he remembers how it went and a soft smile begins to make an appearance.

“Yeah.”

“I dare you to kiss y/n” Jimin says with an evil smirk. You choke on the drink you have in hand once you process his words, eyes wide in terror. Kiss you? Jungkook? Your best friend?

Everyone in the room starts whooping and hollering at the idea but you shake your hands in front on you in denial.

“No, no. We can’t do that!” you slur, your eyes squeezing shut at the idea.

“Yeah, no way in hell am I kissing her.” You hear Jungkook say harshly from beside you.

You don’t know why but that kind of sucks to hear. You feel a pang in your chest, why did he have to say it like that? You mean, it’s just a kiss. It’s not like you were disgusting right?

“Uh yeah.” You say, your mood obviously shifting.

“That’s literally the last thing I want to do!” You hear Jungkook cackle. “someone else can do the honors” he continues to bark loudly, his laughter filling the room.

Jimin frowns, his hands clasping together. “Fine, I dare you to kiss Amber instead.”

“That, I can do.” Jungkook smirks.

How is your best friend making you feel so rejected? You feel your heart drop to your stomach and your stomach drop to the floor. Amber is pretty…probably Jungkook’s type. Although you thought Jungkook didn’t have a type. But whatever it is, it isn’t you.

“I’m gonna go get something more to drink,” you say to no one as you stand to your feet and begin heading out the door. But you feel a body behind you and you know it’s Jungkook. You roll your eyes, feeling annoyed.

The party is still going hard when you make your way downstairs again, you weave through the crowd to get to the kitchen to fetch yourself another beer.

“y/n! Wait up!” you hear Jungkook call from behind you but you decide to ignore him.

You find the cooler of beers and grab yourself one, the chilling beer freezing against your fingertips. You crack it open and begin chugging it back, enjoying the carbonation that sizzled down your throat.

“Slow down Lightning McQueen.” Jungkook chuckles next to you.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” you snap.

“What’s with you?” he quirks a brow, looking adorable while doing so.

“What are you doing here?” you snap again, “Shouldn’t you be like, making out with Selena or whatever her name is.”

Jungkook tilts his head to the side, his doe eyes big and bright, “Selena? Oh! You mean Amber? Nah, I saw you leaving so I came with you.” He smiles, “I told you no girls tonight. I am spending new year with you.”

You blink at him in surprise, but you shouldn’t be surprised. Jungkook always keeps his word to you.

“Want to go outside?” he asks, heading nodding towards the back door.

“It’s cold, Jungkook!”

“I’ll keep you warm.” He winks then transitions into a soft smile, “Promise.”

The two of you walk outside, it is pretty damn cold, your skirt and crop top barely doing enough to keep you warm.

“Here.” Jungkook is shrugging off his jacket and handing it you.

“Thanks” you shiver, slipping on the warm, fuzzy coat. “Will you be fine?” you question.

“Only if you come snuggle with me.”

“Do these lines work on most girls?”

“Usually all of them.” He smirks, rubbing his hands together for warmth.

You giggle and move closer to him, wrapping your arms around his middle. Even though it’s like 20 degrees outside, Jungkook is unbelievably warm.

Jungkook pulls his phone out to check the time, huffing when he sees there’s still a few more minutes until midnight

“So how many girls did you have to reject tonight?” You ask with a snicker. Jungkook raises a brow in question, “Like, ‘oohh Jungkook please be my new years kiss??’ ya know, shit like that.” You mock.

“Oh that? No girls lining up tonight.”

“Why’s that? You shut em all down early?”

Jungkook sways back and forth, your body clinging on to his, “I think they all see me with you tonight and are laying off.”

You scoff at his words, “Right, because I have stopped them before.” You roll your eyes.

“Ha, you never know.” Jungkook takes another look at his phone, “Oh less than a minute.” He says with the shrug of his broad shoulders.

“Wanna be my kiss Jeon?” the words slip out of your mouth almost killing you in the process. You can’t believe you just asked that, “Just kidding, you would rather have someone else kiss me, right?” you huff, saving yourself.

Jungkook chokes on his spit as he tries to swallow down your words, “W-What?”

“Nothing.”

Jungkook obviously heard you loud and clear. Did you actually want to be kissed by him?

5

4

3

2

1

Cheers of your classmates erupt besides you and you cannot help but smile at everyone’s happiness.

“It’s nice right? Every—”

You didn’t get to finish what you were saying before Jungkook’s chapped lips were on yours. His mouth is warm and inviting but you don’t make yourself at home. Instead, you stand absolutely still as Jungkook innocently moves his lips over yours. Before you can really react, Jungkook is pulling away: absolutely horrified.

“y/n…I shouldn’t have done that…I’m sorry,” Jungkook is quick to stutter out.

You are frozen. You wish you could blame something, anything, wish you could blame the flurries that floated down to the earths ground, wish you could blame the below freezing weather and your short mini skirt, wish you could blame anything for why you are standing absolutely frozen.

You wish you could move, but the universe just won’t allow it.

“Oh my god, y/n…I really am sorry…fuck…” Jungkook’s wide eyes are focused on his feet as he threads his fingers through his thick, black hair. “Fuck, I’m sorry. Please forget about th—”

Jungkook’s lips may be a bit chapped but they are as soft and fluffy as you have once imagined. With your lips back on his, you take charge. You quickly move them over his, he hums in satisfaction. Your fingers find themselves in his dark locks, pushing up into his soft hair as his hand moves to cup your jaw.

You gasp when you feel his teeth nibble at your bottom lip, and moan into his mouth when you feel him jerk his hips into yours.

“Let’s go to your place.” You heavily breathe out, your fingers dragging down the side of his face.

Jungkook disconnects himself from you, stepping back a good foot, inspecting your face,

“You sure?” he asks.

“I’m sure.”

“Are you thinking about that night?” You ask, your voice low.

“No.” he lies, “We promised we would never talk about it y/n. We don’t want to risk our friendship…” he pushes you back by the shoulders—gently, of course. “We need to forget about this kiss too. I fucked up. You’re in a bad place right now—”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. The guy you had feelings for was fucking using you y/n, of course you’re not fine.”

“Would if I want to kiss you Jungkook?”

You don’t believe your own ears as you ask that, but god, you have been holding all this in for 3 years. And he kissed you.

“You don’t. You’re throwing yourself at me because you’re in a bad place.”

You scoff, not believing his choice of words, “Throwing myself?”

“You—you know what I mean.”

“We agreed, didn’t we?” you take a step towards him. “We would never talk about that night, ya know, to save our friendship or whatever.” Another step. “But would If I don’t care anymore?”

Jungkook narrows his eyes at you, “You don’t care about our friendship anymore?” his tone soft and almost sad.

“I just mean, I wonder what more…no, forget it.”

“Yeah, forget it. You’re just sad about Taehyung.” He says more seriously. He backs himself into the wall, he continues to wipe his sweaty palms on his pants.

He…he isn’t wrong. You know what? You are sad. You’re sad Taehyung thought to use you the way he did…you’re sad your best friend didn’t tell you about it. And for what? Because he apparently has a secret of his own? Great, just another thing you don’t know about him. You don’t want to cry and you don’t think you will but that tightness in your throat is apparent and warning you of oncoming tears.

Jungkook lets out a frustrated breath as he pulls you back in to his chest…and you’re too weak to resist. You wrap your arms around him and breathe him in, his scent filling you up and making you feel more at home over and over again.

Jungkook’s hand trails up from your waist to the back of your head, he hated seeing you like this.

The first time Jungkook saw you cry was a couple of years ago in an abandoned parking lot in his old beat up car. Your boyfriend had just broken up with you and you let all the emotions build to the point that when the seatbelt wouldn’t god damn buckle, you lost it. You sat there struggling with the seatbelt trying to click it in the stupid hole thing and it just wouldn’t. Jungkook just watched you with pity as you continued to curse at it for not clicking. You finally gave up, letting the seatbelt crash against the side of the car as the water works began.

You cried like a baby, the tears falling helplessly and Jungkook didn’t know what to do. He knew not to ask why your boyfriend broke up with you but he had a hunch and he was eaten alive by guilt. It was probably the same reason the boyfriend before that broke up with you. Him.

You are obviously growing frustrated but you never, not once, took it out on Jungkook. Instead, you would say it’s fine that you hardly liked them anyway. But he also knew that was almost always a lie. You had this boyfriend that was more serious than the others—he felt it, he knew that this boyfriend would become priority and Jungkook had to be okay with that. But before things could deepen and become more serious…he dumped you.

This was the first time you actually cried over one of your breakups and Jungkook felt heartbroken, he felt lost and confused. This was his fault for being so close to you? But he chooses to be selfish again and again. Because he never distances himself from you, no, instead he somehow always becomes closer. He’s selfish and he knows why.

“Maybe you should take a nap…” Jungkook doesn’t want you to go to sleep. He just doesn’t want you to go. But he has to let you go…in more ways than one.

“Sleepover?” You don’t want to be alone right now.

“Not right now…” he gently pulls you off his body, his head tilted down to get a good look at you.

“I think we need some space y/n.” He almost regrets the words as soon as they leave his mouth, your face falls into a deep frown and he wants to take it back but he can’t.

“What do you mean?” You reach up to caress his face but he pushes his head back.

“I need time.” He states.

You begin shaking your head as you start to panic.

“Time for what?” you ask desperately.

“We just…don’t…” his words fall ill on his tongue, they’re on the verge of death but he pushes them out regardless.

“We aren’t working right now…I don’t know how else to say it.”

You shake your head more frantically.

“No Jungkook…” the tears that wouldn’t fall earlier begin to slide down your cheeks as you realize what he is saying.

“I’ll stay at Jimin’s for a while.”

“Jungkook please…I cannot be without you…” you wipe your face with the back of your hand.

“You can.” His hand reaches up to wipe away a few stray tears and you lean into his touch, loving the warmth his hand provides.

“I can’t.” you whimper into your shoulder, trying to hide your face. “What happened to ‘never leaving you’ huh?” you spit out.

“I’ll always be here for you y/n but right now I just need some time to think.” He says quietly, almost ashamed.

“Think about what Jungkook?!” you raise your voice at him and you wince at your own volume. What the hell does Jungkook even need to think about?

Jungkook knows that this is selfish but he has to…he has to put some distance until he can handle things again.

“y/n.” his tone warning you to be careful. Jungkook wants nothing more than to hold you and be here for you but for his own god damn sake he needs to get out of here, for his own fucking heart.

“I’ll be back in a few days, I promise…” he pleads, holding on to your waist again. “Just please give me a few days.”

You look into his giant doe eyes and you melt. You exhale through your nose and give him a troubled smile.

“Just a few days?” you look down at your feet, finding your shoes to be fascinating.

“I promise.”

Little did you know this was going to be the first promise Jungkook ever broke.

[momobani]

What’s *really* wrong with Secretary Kim? - chapter 4

Secretary!Mingyu x fem!reader / 3.5k

Sum: Mingyu models for you again and you can’t help yourself. (ft bestie Jeonghan). 

chapter warnings: swearing, food mentions, suggestive, lil angst, fluff, mentions of alcohol

Song rec (for this chapter) - I Want You To Want Me - Letters to Cleo

A/N: am I crazy or did one of the members call him Mango once? Still a fresh carat here so if anyone knows please share with the class haha. Penultimate chapter. Also support Ruby by Woozi, it’s insane! 

Links to ch 1 /  ch 2 /  ch 3 /  ch 5

Taglist: @lavendersvt , @fav9yu

Chapter 4

Turns out your next bad decision came not too long after the previous one. Your phone rang the next day, Mingyu announcing that he had baked banana bread with caramel glazing (was that even a thing, you wondered) and informed you that he was going to drop some off for you in an hour. That’s when you decided to ask him for another round of modelling.

You’d wanted another photography session and you’d found yesterday’s to be too lonely as you just took close up pictures of your back garden; a leaf here, a mushroom there. Cute but snore. You had been bored, the few friends you had all busy and/or unavailable so you’d been alone pretty much the whole time. Save for hanging out with Soonyoung whilst cleaning and photographing Mingyu.

You took a quick shower and thew on a pair of grey sweats and a plum coloured vest with spaghetti straps, omitting a bra last minute as you felt like experimenting with Mingyu’s reactions and patience. Yet another rendition of your slightly unhinged, bored self making impulsive decisions. What could you say? At work you had to always be put together but your vacation had been an opportunity to do whatever you wanted.

It wasn’t long until Mingyu showed up, loose-fitting indigo button up shirt with the first couple buttons undone, Tupperware full of banana bread in hand and sparkling smile equipped. You let him in and he followed you to the kitchen, depositing the banana bread on the counter and moving to grab some plates and cutlery. The scene didn’t even seem odd as you were more used to Mingyu cooking in your kitchen than you cooking in your own kitchen. He enjoyed how spacious it was and you liked seeing him have a good time.

“What have you been up to lately?” He asked as he cut the bread. As soon as he had opened the box, the gorgeous smell had wafted up to your nose and took you by storm. By the time Mingyu sunk the knife into the loaf, you were positively salivating.

“Nothing much; taking photos, romancing myself and giving zero fucks.” You listed and you added an exaggerated stretch, knowing exactly how your top became snug, hugging your curves as you lifted your arms. The desired effect was achieved as you noticed Mingyu’s eyes lingered for a split second but he carried on apportioning the banana bread as if he hadn’t noticed.  

“That sounds good, better than sinking into a serious existential crisis.”

“Don’t remind me, I haven’t given it much thought because I just needed to clear my head.” You watched Mingyu as he placed two slices of banana bread on a plate each and push one towards you. “Thanks.” He was silent for a second, picking at his own slice.

“You’re not actually going to quit are you?” His voice was almost at a whisper, eyes firmly planted on the plate, pout accompanying. You stopped, loaded fork mere inches from your mouth and looked at Mingyu. He looked a little miserable and you inferred it was from the topic of conversation. You hadn’t thought what he’d do if you quit; probably become the next CEO’s secretary, and it would probably be Jeonghan, at least at first. Then, you had no idea.

“‘Gyu,” you started softly. “I don’t know yet-” you confessed.

“It’s okay, let’s not talk about it then, go on, try the bread.” He put on a smile and gestured to your uneaten forkful. You agreed and took a bite. It was like your mind expanded in a matter of seconds to accommodate the galaxy of flavours that were produced in the bread - and it blew up. You half-moaned, half-hummed at the taste, eyes wide and glaring at Mingyu.

“You are making that again, I don’t care when, but I’m reserving a slice from now. Tell everyone else to get in line.” You gushed and hurried for another bite, savouring the mouthful as you chewed in delight. Mingyu was quiet, watching you, his own plate untouched, the look on his face difficult to pinpoint, but if you wanted to hazard a guess, it was an expression of fulfilment. Satisfaction. It unnerved you how affectionate it seemed but you tried not to read too much into it as you enjoyed the rest of the slice.

As soon as you mentioned another session, Mingyu practically jumped at the opportunity. You speculated that he liked the attention, after all if he ever got any attention at work or events (you could spot his handsomeness from a mile away if you had eyes) from people mistaking him as the CEO and you as the secretary, he happily relinquished it by correcting them, and they turned their backs to him and started trying to rub shoulders with you instead. You always hated the way they would push past Mingyu to get to you, making you feel like Mingyu was your abandoned puppy.

You were more than happy to give Mingyu the attention he deserved from behind your camera. You’d decided to have a photoshoot in the garden since it was a lovely day. There was a very gentle breeze but it was still super hot outside, the promise of a blistering summer hanging in the air. You asked him to pose in various places, snapping photos fairly quickly and precisely now that you were getting used to it again.

After a few minutes you asked him to pose next to a tree, its low hanging branches not much taller than Mingyu himself, indeed some of them were just below his height. You captured a particularly well timed photo before a bee interrupted the serenity between you two, circling Mingyu until he was practically dancing on his tip toes trying to get away from the bee, not watching where he was going and walking into a branch. You were pretty sure the leaves probably entered his mouth, before he yelped and jumped back, falling to the ground.

“Mingyu!” You exclaimed and rushed to him, laugh bubbling up in your chest when you saw he was absolutely fine. He was lying there, dazed, this giant man K.O.ed by a tiny bee and a couple of leaves. You couldn’t help laughing at how cutely he lay there, shrivelled up on the grass. A tiny laugh escaped his lips, joining you in laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation.

“You’re such a coward,” you teased him as you helped him get up, words lacking bite. Mingyu pouted for a second.

“M’not a coward. That leaf came out of nowhere.” He mumbled. You didn’t give him time to sulk.

“Okay, okay, let’s keep going.” You got back on task, still smiling. Mingyu turned away and walked back to the tree. When he turned around in position, you stopped short, finger hovering above the camera button. He had unbuttoned his shirt and was standing there, suddenly cool, perfect posture showing off his toned abs and bulky chest.

You weren’t sure what you were doing, but the click of the camera told you that you’d carried on, playing along with Mingyu’s antics. You didn’t miss a beat, continuing as if he hadn’t done anything. He posed a few more times, and you snapped each new pose silently.

You paused for a while, monitoring the photos, turning your head away from Mingyu and shielding the camera screen from the sun so you could see the photos. They had come out pretty good, only one or two weren’t quite up to par but it wasn’t fatal.

You turned back to Mingyu and were completely dumbfounded. He lay in the grass propped up on one elbow, about seven feet away from you, shirtless under the sweltering sun, a large hand draped dramatically over his eyes drooping half-closed, triceps on show for the camera. You remained stone faced to the best of your ability, unaffected as far as Mingyu could see. You couldn’t help but sigh and ask.

“Mango, what are you doing?” The nickname rolled off your tongue without warning.

“Paint me like one of your French girls.” He replied with no hesitation and completely unfazed. Dork. You burst out laughing, working up your volume into an ugly cackle that you were sure Soonyoung could probably hear on his land. Mingyu was shaking with silent laughter but adamantly held his pose until you raised you camera again. Humour him, you thought, he was pretty cute, and well - pretty and cute.

You only took a few photos for fun and went to inspect the finished product. You were so concentrated that you didn’t notice Mingyu creep up behind you until he suddenly rested his chin on your bare shoulder, attempting to peer at the photos. You stiffened at the contact for a split second but didn’t jerk away. You held the camera so he could get a better view. You made the mistake of turning your head to catch a glimpse of his face only to find yourself nose to nose with him.

The two of you were still for a heartbeat, breathing the same air, his eyes boring into yours, and you swear you didn’t know what it was, but you felt yourself being pulled toward Mingyu, some invisible hand pushing you as you closed the space between you and tentatively brushed your lips against his. There was no hesitation as he kissed you back, lips moulding onto yours as he bought a hand to cradle your face whilst he straightened up a tad. His other hand came to land on your shoulder, the strap of your top being knocked to the side in the movement as his hand touched the warm flesh there.

You barely breathed, coming apart only a few millimetres for air, lest one of you would disappear and you deepened the kiss, bringing a hand to the back of his neck to keep his mouth glued to yours. His hands made their way to grip your hips tenderly, sliding up until his wrists brushed the swell of your breasts, a slight shiver threatening to wash over you at the unexpected contact. You sighed into the kiss, but only a moment later, Mingyu pulled away, deer in the headlights and speechless.

“I-” he gulped. “I’m sorry.” He breathed out and rushed to find his discarded shirt before practically sprinting away from you and back into the house. You were frozen, a life size statute in your little garden, unable to process what just happened, the emotions swirling in your brain and the tingles left buzzing on your lips and heart thumping in your chest. You were aware of the camera still in your hand and the breeze caressing your exposed shoulder.

How were you supposed to move on from that?  

***

You moved as if you were possessed for days, unsure of what you were doing or what you weren’t doing. It resulted in you almost setting your kitchen on fire via frying pan and almost tripping on a stray sock in your laundry room. You weren’t usually that clumsy, but you realised it must just be the ‘Mingyu effect’.

You’d thought a lot about what happened.

The scene was etched into your mind, a reel stuck on replay without any sign of ending. You still recalled the feeling of his lips against yours, his warm hand resting on your shoulder, skin to skin, and the way you felt dizzy after you realised he had run out.

“Coward,” you whispered to yourself in your empty kitchen. Which one of you was the bigger coward was beyond you right now. You could have tried to hold on to him, you lamented. You weren’t sure what to do or say, so you didn’t. You didn’t contact him and he didn’t contact you. It was truly radio silence between you two, for the first time ever. You hated it.

You called Jeonghan to catch up with him instead and ask how the week had gone in the office. He came around Friday night, sweats and sweater clad, the epitome of anti-corporate attire. You worried for a second that he’d set a surprise casual Friday without consulting you. Again.

(Jeonghan, the pathological prankster, had done it as a prank on Mingyu but it had turned to be a joke on you and Mingyu since you didn’t get the memo either. The two of you showed up to work as a set in your formal clothes. It was strange being the prankee rather than the pranker, but since being around Mingyu, it was becoming a regular occurrence.)

Jeonghan bought you some carbonara from a restaurant you two had often gone to to catch up, back before you had your company. He knew how much you liked it and he got himself some lobster stuffed ravioli ‘because now I make big bucks’ and was fulfilling a personal vendetta since he hadn’t been able to afford it all those years ago.

You were hesitant to tell him exactly what had gone on between you and Mingyu so you listened to his report on the office first, ‘hmm’-ing and ‘ahh’-ing as you tucked into your pasta. Jeonghan had managed to do everything that you’d left for him and then some, not surprisingly since he was Yoon Jeonghan (full name use necessary) and he was brilliant.

“You know, Wonwoo? Silent dude, phantom type, don’t see him in the daylight much?” He inquired after a while, spearing a ravioli on his fork. You nodded.

“Sure.”

“Well, he came by my office.” uh-oh.

“So? What about it?” You chewed, attempting to avoid Jeonghan’s suspicion-filled gaze.

“‘So?’ So, he asked me how it was going.” He said, baffled. “He never asks anyone how it’s going. There’s never been a sighting of him in other offices either.” You shrugged and kept chewing. “It was just odd. You don’t know anything about it, do you? It’s almost as if someone had asked him to check up on me.” You felt Jeonghan’s inquiring eyes on you.

So you did what anyone with a shred of self-preservation instinct would.

“I kissed Mingyu.” You blurted out. Jeonghan’s fork clattered to the floor.

“You did what, with who?”

“You heard me, Hannie, don’t make me repeat myself.” You used your CEO voice on him, but it came out a little shaky.  

“You know, I’m shocked but not surprised.” He said finally, retrieving his fork.

“What does that mean?” You asked a little too defensively.

“I see the way you look at him, sweetie, I know you better than you think. You haven’t looked at anyone like that since Jihoon.” Jeonghan knew exactly how to make a point.

Jihoon had been your boyfriend in college for almost two years and the only person you’d ever had a meaningful romantic relationship with. It had been great, you really had loved him and he you, but you had to grow up and join the real world and in the real world you worked forty plus hour weeks when you started at the bottom of the food chain. His job hours were unusual and yours drained you beyond recognition, so you’d amicably called it quits.

You’d seen him once since you’d let him go at an art gallery where his company, a music label, held some album launch party and he’d invited you one last time. That was years ago and since then you hadn’t committed to anyone, thinking that it was just nice to see people casually, without getting attached. It had worked just fine and suited your social recluse tendencies well.

It dawned on you that you’d been too busy working with him to notice how Mingyu had carved himself into your heart, one smile, one clumsy move, and one baked good at a time. He was the person you wanted to thank, to apologise to, the one you missed even if you’d just seen him.

“Op, there it is. About time.” Jeonghan smirked knowingly at the dazed expression on your face. “And don’t think I didn’t notice you changed the subject. We’re not done talking.”          

***

Saturday night came and you allowed yourself to burry yourself in blankets and binge a TV show. Whilst the floodgates were open you allowed yourself to dump a frozen pizza in your oven and ate it with vigour once it was done. It was pretty nice, doing nothing in particular.

You spent a couple of hours doing that, then a few more until it was two in the morning and you wanted to crash hard. You turned the TV off and started towards the staircase but nearly jumped out of your skin when your doorbell rang. At this hour, who could it be beside a serial killer, you thought but checked your security camera to find a couple of familiar figures on your doorstep.

You rushed immediately to the door and flung it open to reveal a very laboured Seokmin (in charge of your floor’s reception desk) and slumped against him, a clearly drunk Mingyu. The image was rather alarming, if not slightly comical, your usually bright sunshine of a secretary totally out of commission.

“What the fuck?” You yelped before Seokmin could even say ‘hi’. You ushered them in and made Seokmin bring Mingyu to the couch so he could explain.

“Is he okay?” You asked Seokmin.

“Define ‘okay’?”

“Seokmin!”

“Okay, okay, he’s fine, just fucked up into the stratosphere that’s all. We went drinking, a few friends of ours and Mingyu decided he wanted to get smashed. Then we got to his place and he couldn’t remember the passcode and he kept saying ‘go to YN’s house’ and ‘I wanna see YN’. So here, a present for ya.” Seokmin grinned.

“Oh my god.” You said under your breath. “Okay, bring him to the guest bedroom.”

The only person ever to use your guest bedroom was indeed Mingyu, and he’d stayed there a few times during emergencies, such as the Night of the Plunging Stocks, legendary Duck Momo shirt on in all its glory.

You got Mingyu a glass of water and some painkillers as Seokmin tried to reverse Cinderella his shoes off for him. Soon he was lying down in the bed, trashcan beside it in case the poison decided to leave him, and Seokmin huffing and puffing about how heavy Mingyu was. You sat down on the side of the bed, careful not to wake him as it dipped slightly, but then you realised he’s already out of it.

“How much did he drink?” You asked.

“Hah! How much didn’t he drink, is the question.” Seokmin laughed in disbelief. “I don’t actually know, that’s why I bought him here.”

“Thanks, I so very wanted an overgrown puppy to nurse over the weekend.” You paused. “Thanks for looking out for him.” You said to Seokmin. He shook his head.

“No, thank you for letting him crash here. Dummy forgot his passcode then chewed my ear off to come here.”

“Let it slide, he’s totally pissed. I’d forget my own name if I was that drunk.” You replied.

“Well, I should go. Thanks anyways. Goodnight, Boss.”

“Night, Seokmin.” You stayed a little while longer with Mingyu as Seokmin let himself out. He seemed so still, eyes closed and off to slumberland. You hadn’t seen him or spoken to him since he ran away that day. You decided to get up from the bed only to hear Mingyu’s objecting ‘hmm’. His eyes opened slightly but didn’t hold up.

“Don’t go,” he mumbled, but it sounded more like ‘dun g-’

“Okay, I’m here.” You conceded. He shifted at the sound of your voice, as if trying to echolocate you before his hand landed in your lap. Then out of nowhere:

“Kiss my forehead, please.” He was mumbling into the pillow but your ears weren’t ones to deceive you for the most part. “Please.” He breathed. You had half the mind to want to laugh at his adorableness but also found yourself leaning in to deposit a soft peck on his temple.

“Stroke my hair, please.” You reached out automatically but hesitated. Then you thought you’d already given in once, so you obliged him again, gently running your fingertips over his soft locks. The corners of Mingyu’s mouth twitched into the ghost of smile.

“You’re so cute,” he whispered. It caught you by surprise. So he was a whiny, affectionate, clingy drunk. “S’cool an’ badass ‘nd sexy.” He continued. It was all muffled but you were amazed by the diversity of his drunk vocabulary. Truly impressive.

“I liove you.” He mumbled. Your fingers froze. You processed the words; it’s as if he tried to say ‘like’ and ‘love’ at the same time and it just came out all slurred together. You knew he was basically blackout drunk but you let the words wash over you and it made your heart clench when the desire to reciprocate bubbled up in your chest.

Instead you brushed your thumb over his knuckles, the non-offending offending hand in your lap, and whispered:

“You’re gonna regret this in the morning.” But you realised your words fell on deaf ears as this time, Mingyu was actually lights out. And you left him there, sleeping peacefully whilst you allowed those few little words to cause a great turmoil inside your being.

You didn’t sleep for a while but lay under the covers of your own bed, staring up the the ceiling, wondering and wondering into the depths of the night …    

***

*copyright 2021 © momobani

[ethanesimp]

THE OAK TREE // ZERO E.T. 

Pairing: Ethan Torchio x GN! Reader

Summary: Everyone at the Oakes Academy is aware of the rivalry that exists between two of the school’s best students, Ethan Torchio and Y/N L/N. What nobody knows is what a brilliant team they are when they’re at risk of their reputations being damaged and a killer’s on the loose.

Word Count: 2.6k

Warnings: Just Ethan and Y/N behaving like children, mentions of killing someone (as a joke), swearing.

Masterlist // Taglist link in bio

TEASER

A/N: This is the first chapter of The Oak Tree! I hope you guys enjoy :) Huge thanks to @night-girl-301​ for proofreading this and cheering me on! I was like... scared as shit to post it so yeah.

Taglist (strike means it won’t let me tag you):  @oro-e-diamanti @gretavanfleetlove @victoriadeangeliswifey @cheese-toastie-11 @selenophiliaxx @superchrystaldrug @petit-poussin @bidet-and-legolas @fallingforyou123 @ethaneskin @soft-boy-ethan @teenyweenynightghost @reputationdamiano @cantaraiilmionome @tabi-toast @queen-of-brokenhearts @geklutst-ei @juststalking @cruz-ata @ohtorchio​ @ethan-torchio-angelo​ @unitermoonshine​ @everythingisdefinitelynotfine​

It was only a few minutes past two-thirty when you managed to open the door that led to the greenhouse. The key, more often than not, would get stuck in the lock, and you’d have to spend a few minutes trying to yank it free, but this time around luck seemed to be on your side.

You placed your large black backpack on the stool that was always by the door before closing the entrance again. Mr. Murphy was still watering the plants, completely oblivious to your presence thanks to the loud music coming from the small stereo he kept near the gardening tools. You tapped his shoulder gently not to startle him; it wouldn’t be the first time you’d come into the place unannounced and you didn’t want to be the reason why he had to walk around with a cast on his arm again. 

He smiled fondly at you and adjusted his large glasses that were starting to slide down his nose. Mr. Murphy was an old man with long white hair and kind blue eyes, he’d been in charge of the greenhouse at the Oakes Academy for almost twenty years and had been the first person to show you kindness after you first arrived at the place years back.

“I thought I told you to take the afternoon free, Y/N,” He shook his head disapprovingly and you could only shrug. You had to work at the greenhouse at least three hours a week to maintain your scholarship per the Academy’s rules and it’d been long since it stopped being a task and instead became your favorite part of each day. 

“We were let out of Philosophy earlier so I thought I’d come by before I go study. Can I help with anything?” The older man sighed but nodded. He adjusted his glasses once again and wiped the dirt from his jeans.

He pointed at the corner where all the pink anthuriums were kept, shielded from direct sunlight, “Please water those, put a bit of fertilizer on the ones that arrived on Wednesday, and if you’ve got time, can you please feed the worms?” 

“Sure thing, anything else?”

“Just those three things. I’ve got to go help unload the groceries so please lock up both doors once you’re done,” He asked with a smile on his face as he buttoned his coat and grabbed his walking cane from where he’d dumped it on the floor right next to him. Back when you’d only known him for a few days, you’d always rushed to his side to pick up his cane and help him, but quickly realized it was a thing that annoyed him because of how independent and stubborn he was. “Oh and, before I forget, the kid’s outside. I don't want to come back and see you two trying to tear each other's heads off."

A laugh escaped past your lips and you shook your head as you tilted your head to the side so you could look through the hole in one of the windows. Just like he’d said, the boy with the long hair was sitting outside by the oak tree reading a book. You looked back at Mr. Murphy and shrugged, "No promises."

"I'm serious. You're smart Y/N, and I'm pretty sure you could easily find something you've got in common. That much hatred isn't good for either of you." Those were Mr. Murphy's last words before he walked out of the room.

You stood by the plants for a few minutes as you played around with the headphones that hung around your neck. You’d already sort of been startled by the topic you’d seen during Philosophy that day and you hoped that being at the greenhouse would serve as a little distraction but Mr. Murphy’s words hadn’t helped much.

You huffed and looked around for the hose to water the pretty anthuriums to get your mind off of everything that had gone down that day.

-

Hours later, you were still unable to shake Mr. Murphy’s words off. It wasn’t the first time he’d insisted on voicing his thoughts against that rivalry you had going on with the person standing between you and your biggest dream coming true. The thing that pissed you off though, was that his words had reminded you of what your best friend, Rory, had told you just the previous night while you did your usual hate rant. According to them, it was a good way to destress yourself.

You scoffed at the thought alone and let your chin rest on your palm as a frown appeared on your forehead. There was not a thing you could name that made you even remotely similar to the person sitting only a few feet away from you at the quiet school library. Ethan Torchio, a.k.a. Your archnemesis, the person you disliked the most in the face of the earth, was biting on the tip of his pencil as he concentrated hard on the thin black book he was holding up. Those dark eyes that shone honey whenever light hit them just right and those long strands of hair that graciously fell down his back accompanied by his signature turtlenecks and pretty smile were enough to make someone’s knees weak, but they only made you gag. 

You were sure he felt your eyes bore holes into the dark depths of his soul because it didn’t take long for him to look over his shoulder and meet your stare. Ethan smirked and his eyebrows shot up as he sent you a wink and a small wave. You knew that expression of his, he was teasing you, riling you up, hell, maybe he was trying to intimidate you. As crazy —and maybe a bit pathetic— as it made you sound, a simple smirk wasn’t just that when it came to him, never had been. Those dark eyes of his communicated his devilish intentions to you while he looked like an innocent child who’d never break a plate to anyone else.

You held his stare and mirrored his expression, which made him chuckle softly. It was nothing more than a silly game you’d play with one another to see who’d get tired of it first. The stare-off didn’t last too long that time around because his attention was stolen by one of his friends, Thomas. You simply shrugged and went back annotating on your copy of the black book. It was nothing more than one of those books written for the sole purpose of boring people to death. You loved reading, but when it came to those school-issued books that took around three pages to describe the sky-blue sofas in the main character’s living room, you couldn’t read more than a few pages before wanting to aggressively chuck it out the window. 

In a desperate attempt to distract yourself from the book that did nothing other than make you feel miserable, you stood up. You walked over to the large window that went from floor to ceiling. To your delight, the curtains were drawn back, which allowed sunlight to illuminate the otherwise dark library with its beautiful hues of orange and yellow. The librarian was a grumpy woman that loved when the curtains covered all the windows and blocked any source of light that wasn’t the soft glow of the lamps placed all over the dark room. You were almost convinced this woman had never felt the warmth of the sun against her pale and ashy skin, sometimes you even thought of her as a vampire that’d burn to death if she dared to stand outside for a few minutes. 

You looked out the window and admired the green gardens that adorned the front yard of the Academy’s largest building. The Oakes Academy was old and had been around since 1057. However, unlike most ancient schools like this one, the school board hadn’t been too interested in renovating the place outside of simply reinforcing the structure enough to fulfill the basic safety guidelines and the installation of optical fiber wires for a better internet connection. Even then, it was still considered to be one of the most prestigious schools to study at, and if it hadn’t been for the generous scholarship you were offered, you wouldn’t have been able to afford it anyway.

“Still plotting that little plan of yours to end the human race?” You bit down on your bottom lip to stop the colorful curse words from spilling as you turned sideways to look at Ethan. He’d decided to wear one of those annoyingly tight black turtlenecks of his and a pair of plaid trousers that made him look taller than he already was.

“Yes, and I’ll start with you first,” You smiled sarcastically at him, “In fact, I’ll swing by your dorm and murder you in your sleep,” You added while you choked the air for dramatic effect.

Ethan laughed and rolled his eyes. He had that spark of hate in his eyes that was always present when he was talking to you. That look alone told you that all that hatred and disgust you felt towards him was returned in the same magnitude. This rivalry of yours that consisted of dirty looks and constant arguments had been going on since eighth grade and it just seemed to get progressively worse as graduation approached. 

Everyone at Oakes knew how much Ethan and you despised each other, it wasn’t a secret. Even the Head Professor had been a witness of plenty of your many petty fights and you didn’t doubt that the people in charge of the Student Welfare department were sick of the many reports you’d filed against each other for breaking the ‘student rules of politeness’. No one remotely important cared much about your reports anyways because they were far from serious and, more often than not, childish.

“How cute. Although I don’t think that’d work too well for you, would it amore? If something were to happen to me they’d know it was you,” He commented. You shrugged and bit your lip in anger at the nickname he knew very well you detested. 

You casually leaned against the window, “Meh, it’d be worth it if I knew I wouldn’t have to see your face again. Now please get away before someone starts getting the sick idea that we’re friends.”

Ethan rolled his eyes but backed up a few steps either way, “God forbid someone would think such a horrific thing," He scoffed and raised his hand only to show you his middle finger when he knew the librarian wasn’t looking.

Before either of you could utter out another word, Damiano, one of Ethan’s closest friends, walked up to where you two were standing, effectively ending the conversation between you.

He waved at you and offered you a kind smile, which you immediately returned. Unlike his best friend, Damiano was a delight to be around. He was one of the kindest and nicest people you had ever met. You were quite close thanks to the fact that he’d been dating Rory for a while and you got used to spending long nights with the two of them doing silly things like playing board games or watching films. You were basically their third wheel, but neither of you minded much, if at all. 

“Hey, what’s up?” Damiano smacked Ethan on the shoulder as he started a conversation with him. You took it as your chance to leave and just awkwardly walked away after mumbling something about having to find Rory. They had told you something about eating dinner together, and while you’d initially refused because you were supposed to finish the book and start on your report, you were tempted to accept their offer and forget about the stupid book for a little bit more.

Just as you were about to leave the library, your phone vibrated inside the pocket of your warm cardigan. You took it out and chuckled when you read Rory’s message about their new phone but groaned when you realized they wanted to see you after curfew. You sighed and left the library as you tried to think of a great excuse to tell your roommate Emilia so she’d cover for you while you snuck out.

Ethan had his eyes focused on your figure as you left the library but turned back to look at Damiano when he spoke up, “If you’d only talk to them Ethan, I-” He sighed and interrupted his best friend, already irritated by the conversation he’d had with you.

“No, I will not talk to them, okay? Not like we can even talk because we start arguing like two toddlers,” Ethan mumbled out the last part and took a deep breath in. Truth be told, no part of him wanted to talk to you. You were annoying, rude, and didn’t seem to have more than one brain cell in his eyes, so why lose his time talking to you? Not like there’d be anything to talk about.

“They’re just so exasperating!” He spoke up and Damiano rolled his eyes as he saw his hate rant start approaching. They were both aware that once he started, he wouldn’t be able to stop, “I just- They try so hard and it’s annoying. Like I swear they’re also a huge hypocrite. I know you don’t see it but I do, I’ve never met anyone mo-”

Before he could end his last sentence, he felt a body slam into his and arms snake around his waist. Ethan huffed at the impact but wrapped his arms around her frame once he noticed it was Adeline Rossi, or Addie as everyone liked to call her. 

She pulled back and looked at both Damiano and Ethan excitedly, “You will never believe this but the craziest thing just happened… Hey, where’s Vic?” She trailed off as she started looking around for her friend.

Ethan chuckled lightly when he saw Thomas quietly approach Addie while she was distracted. They all knew she was the easiest person to scare, so it didn’t take more than a slight push and a soft boo for her green eyes to go wide and for her to jump. She was quick to turn to where Thomas was standing and didn’t think twice before smacking his shoulder with the heavy book she was carrying.

Thomas put his hands up in defeat as he took a step back and rubbed his shoulder, “Okay, okay shit. Stop, that actually hurts,” He whined and Addie only shrugged as Damiano and Ethan watched the whole interaction with amusement. 

“Right, so, ignoring all that,” Addie spoke up once again and shifted her attention back to Ethan, “Since she is nowhere to be seen, could you please help me with some stuff? It’s just this little interview for one class of mine and I’ve already interviewed Damià and Thomas but I need just one more.”

He nodded and said a quick goodbye to his two best friends before following the shorter girl out of the library. However, while he was walking, he felt his phone vibrate inside the pocket of his jeans. He fished it out and frowned as he read the text that had just been sent to him but laughed once he noticed it was only his girlfriend Emilia from her new phone. 

Then he sighed and rolled his eyes once he realized she wanted to see him past curfew again and he knew Will would ask him for money in exchange for not ratting him out. He quickly texted her back and slipped his phone back into his pocket as he followed Addie to her dorm.

Next

GOOGLE DRIVE 

[silhouetteofacedar]

Fox Mulder, Closet Romantic Ch.3: Jesus Is A Pisces

Previous Chapter - AO3 - MSR, rated E

Mulder has forgotten Scully’s birthday every year but one. Actually, make that two now, since this year he’s determined to make the day special for her somehow. He’d asked her casually what her plans were, and she admitted that outside of a lunch with her mother and some church friends on Sunday the 22nd, she didn’t really have any intention to celebrate.

“It’s been a rough couple months,” she’d explained softly, and that’s all he needed to hear.  She’d gained and then buried a daughter within a few days’ time over Christmas, for fuck’s sake. He didn’t know how she managed to stay sane after that, and if he thought about it for too long the waves of powerlessness and guilt that rolled over him were debilitating.

So instead he focused on what he could do.

“You wanna do something after work on Monday? I promise to be as un-festive as possible,” he offered.

She looked uncertain, licked her lip. “Just us?” she asked.

“Just you and me,” Mulder assured her, the words giving him a tiny, shameful thrill.

She was quiet for a moment. “Sure,” she said finally.

Come Monday, February 23rd, it’s business as usual in the basement office. They finalize their reports from the previous week’s case, wrangle their receipts, argue over who broke the stapler (It was him, she insists; while he claims she jammed the staples in and made it impossible to use properly).

At three minutes to five o’clock, she clears her throat softly as she gathers her things, and he can feel her preparing to speak.

“Yeah, Scully?” he murmurs.

“We still on for tonight?” she asks, sounding almost cautious, and his heart fractures.

“I’ll pick you up at seven,” he confirms, leafing through a file. “Be sure to bundle up.” He looks up at her and gives her a reassuring grin.

She looks happy and… relieved? Huh.

“Well, I’ll see you then,” she says, shrugging on her coat as she leaves.

Mulder smiles at the door as it clicks shut behind her. He’s unusually giddy about what he has planned for the evening.

Over the weekend he had gone to the grocery store since his refrigerator was barren, then camped out in his building’s laundry room all day Sunday washing every blanket he owned. He even stopped at the little bakery around the corner from his apartment, purchasing a single chocolate cupcake and a loaf of rye bread.

After work he packs his car with a cooler, a duffel bag, a large thermos of coffee, and a pile of blankets.

He’s surprised to see that she’s waiting for him on the steps of her apartment, wearing a heavy jacket and thick turtleneck sweater.

“I got too hot wearing all this inside,” she explains, climbing into the passenger seat. She seems almost excited, and he strangely wants to cry. God, he’s so fucking glad he had the balls to invite her out again.

“Where are we going, Mulder?” Scully asks.

“It’s a surprise,” he replies.

Seven minutes and three wrong turns later, he reaches into the glove compartment and pulls out the map, handing it to her. “Rock Creek Park, please, Navigator,” he says.

“Aha! I thought the route we were taking seemed… circuitous,” Scully says with a smirk, unfolding the map.

“Just tell me where to go; I don’t need a running commentary,” he gripes, secretly relishing her needling.

In about twenty minutes, they arrive at the park’s nature center. Mulder pulls into the lot next to the field across the road and cuts the engine.

“We’re here?” Scully asks, looking around. “It’s deserted. Mulder, please don’t tell me we’re ghost hunting,”

“Ghosts? No,” he says, climbing out of the car and going around to the trunk. “Help me with some stuff?”

Scully comes around to the back of the car, where Mulder hands her the cooler and thermos. He slings the duffel bag over his shoulder and gathers up the pile of blankets. “Close the trunk, will you, Scully?” he says, walking towards the field. “My arms are full.”

They trudge out to the middle of the field, cold winter air biting their cheeks. Mulder stops abruptly and drops the blankets onto the ground in a heap.

“We’re here,” he announces, setting down the duffel bag. He picks up a heavy wool blanket and spreads it out on the grass.

Scully sits down on the blanket, cooler and thermos beside her. “What exactly are we doing out here, Mulder?” she asks.

“Well first, we eat,” he replies, reaching for the cooler. He opens it and pulls out two waxed-paper parcels, handing one to her. “Pastrami on rye,” he announces. “I went a little crazy with the mustard on one of them, we can trade if you want.”

“You made these?” she asks, unwrapping the sandwich and taking a bite. “Oh my god,” she groans. “Mulder, you’ve been holding out on me. This is delicious.”

The satisfaction in her voice makes him flush. “It’s pretty hard to mess up pastrami.”

“True,” she agrees, “but I was starting to doubt you could even make food. Your refrigerator is usually pretty sparse.”

Mulder shrugs, opening the thermos of coffee and pouring her a cup. “Cooking for one doesn’t hold much appeal,” he explains.

“Mm,” she agrees around a mouthful of sandwich, taking the proffered cup. “So Mulder, tell me; is there a reason we’re having a picnic in the dark?” She eyes the duffel bag beside him suspiciously.

“I’m glad you asked,” he replies, unzipping the bag and pulling out a tripod. “You know anything about constellations, Scully?”

It’s a rhetorical question, of course. He already knows.

“A thing or two,” she replies casually, clearly attempting to hide the smile sneaking across her mouth as she eats.

“Well that’s good, seeing as I lugged this telescope and a star map all the way out here,” he says, pulling the telescope case out of the bag.

Scully is enraptured, and Mulder thinks this might be the best thing he’s ever done for anyone.

“I haven’t done this in years,” she says, peering through the eyepiece as she adjusts the telescope’s position. “Not since…”

She doesn’t finish her sentence, but she doesn’t have to. He remembers her telling him once, on a long car ride to some anonymous, unremarkable town, about stargazing with her father when she was a child. Captain Ahab and his Starbuck, navigating the night skies by way of celestial markers.

The temperature’s dropping, and Mulder drapes the ratty tribal weave blanket from his couch around her shoulders as she searches the heavens.

“You want a turn?” she asks, drawing back from the telescope for a moment.

He shakes his head, plops down on the blanket and gazes at her instead.

They could be astronauts together, sailors of the stars. Dropping anchor in pools of the Milky Way, swimming through constellations and running their fingers through glittering strands of nebulae.

“I’m good,” he replies softly.

“Mulder?” Scully says from under a pile of blankets.

They’re lying on their backs now, side by side, eyes on the sky. Waiting for a meteor, or a passing satellite, or for God to wave hello.

“Yeah, Scully?”

“Do you give any credence to astrology, or is that too close to religion for you?”

“I appreciate its historical and cultural significance,” he replies. “Beyond that, I can’t say I have much of an opinion on it. Aren’t you a Pisces?” he asks, as though he doesn’t already know that she is, and that he’s a Libra, and that the shitty magazine he picked up in the dentist’s office says they’d be a tumultuous but passionate match. Not that he gives horoscopes any weight.

Passionate, though…

“I am. And I’m inclined to agree with you, though astrology’s link with early Christianity is fascinating. For example, did you know that Jesus is linked to Pisces? His birth coincides with the dawning of the astrological Age of Pisces, which spans from 1 AD to the year 2150. There are many scriptural references to fishermen, and early Christians used the fish symbol as a sign of their faith.”

“Huh,” he says, tucking a blanket more tightly around his shoulders.

“I don’t believe that the stars dictate my temperament, by the way,” Scully continues. “But there’s something beautiful about having a constellation in the sky that corresponds with your own birth. Missy knew more about this stuff,” she say wistfully. “She’d read me my horoscope every morning before school while we brushed our hair or whatever, in the bathroom where Mom couldn’t hear. It was fun,” she says with a sigh.

“Do you think she’s out there, in the stars?” Mulder asks and immediately regrets it. He didn’t mean the question to sound flippant.

Scully takes it in stride. “Is it crazy if I say maybe? There’s… there’s things I’ve seen and heard, Mulder, that I can’t explain. Who am I to say how God operates? Maybe He’s laid the stars out like a map for us to read. That’s probably wishful thinking, but life would be a hell of a lot simpler if everything was dictated by heavenly bodies.”

“Better that than by governing bodies,” Mulder agrees.

Their eyes drift along the razor-sharp curves of the crescent moon.

“My mom wants to set me up with one of her church friends’ sons,” Scully says without preamble.

“Huh,” Mulder replies, tracing Orion with his eyes. “Let me guess; he’s a dentist.”

“Emergency physician, actually,” she replies. “He’s nice.”

Mulder suddenly feels the weight of gravity pressing him down to earth. He can feel the rotation of the planet under his back, spinning him at a thousand miles an hour. “You’ve met him?” he asks.

“Yesterday, at lunch,” Scully replies. “He’s a widower, with a six-year-old daughter. I think… I think my mom thinks we could help each other.”

Mulder’s stomach churns, a facsimile of seasickness rolling through his body. “What do you think?” he asks, voice oddly hoarse. “Do you… agree with her?”

Scully pulls the blanket higher under her chin and sighs. “I don’t know, Mulder. I’m thirty-four today, and my career runs my life. I’m not sure how many chances at a family will come my way in the future. It’s not ideal, but maybe I’m past the point of getting to choose.” She pauses. “I’m sorry, I’m being fatalistic.”

Despite the near-freezing temperature, he’s got a cold sweat forming on his back. “You can always choose, Scully. As far as I see it. It’s-it’s important to me that you know that.”

She rolls onto her side, snaking a hand out of the blanket to prop herself up on her elbow beside him. “Mulder, I know you blame yourself for the things that have happened to me. But they’re not your fault.” He opens his mouth and she interrupts him before he can speak. “Don’t argue with me. It’s my birthday.”

He’s grateful for a change of subject. “That reminds me,” he says, sitting up and reaching over to open the cooler.

He pulls out a small pink bakery box and opens it to remove a single chocolate cupcake with a candle stuck in the middle. He digs a lighter out of his coat pocket and gives it a flick, igniting the candle.

“Happy birthday, Scully,” he says sheepishly, holding out the cupcake.

The single flame shimmers in her eyes as she takes the dessert. “Mulder,” she says softly, in a tone that makes his heart turn to liquid. “I don’t… I don’t know what to say.”

“Just make a wish and blow the candle out before the wind does it for you,” he replies. There’s only a bit of a breeze but he’s not taking any chances. She deserves a wish.

Her eyes fall closed, and she sighs contentedly, no doubt formulating her request. Suddenly she opens her eyes and locks her gaze with his over the flickering candle, and Mulder feels a thousand words rumbling in him like an approaching avalanche.

Before he can say anything she purses her lips and extinguishes the lone flame with a breath.

She pulls the candle out of the cupcake and pops the end into her mouth, licking off chocolate frosting, and Mulder thinks he might die right there on a blanket in Rock Creek Park. He’s been so good, keeping his feelings to himself, but in this moment his only thoughts are that he loves her and wants her; no, needs her. He needs to touch her, taste the icing on her lips, map the constellations of freckles hiding beneath her sweater. Shake the winter chill out of his bones, letting the flames of her red hair lick across his skin and light his whole body on fire.

She’s saying something to him, biting into the cupcake, chocolate crumbs falling onto the blanket.

“Hm?” he asks, returning to terra firma.

“I asked if you wanted a bite,” she reiterates.

Yes, his body responds. Please please please-

“It’s yours,” he says as a declination.

“Therefore it’s mine to share,” she declares. She holds it out to him, and his stomach flutters as he leans in and takes a bite. He thinks of his parents’ faded wedding photos, of them feeding each other cake in black and white.

Don’t date the doctor guy, he pleads silently as he chews. Stay with me. Show me galaxies.

She falls asleep on the car ride home with one of his blankets tucked around her, the car’s heater cranked all the way up. When he parks in front of her building she stirs, likely awoken by the sudden cessation of warm air on her feet.

“Scully,” Mulder says softly, “We’re home.”

“Mmm,” she responds. “What time is it?”

“Almost eleven,” he answers, glancing at his watch. “Can you walk or should I carry you up?” The question feels faintly suggestive, and he’s only being so bold because she’s drowsy and likely not registering the subtext.

“I can walk,” she says, sitting up and removing the blanket. Her hair is a fuzzy red halo in the glow of the streetlights.

“I’ll go with you,” he says, unbuckling his seatbelt. “Make sure you don’t pass out on your way up.”

“Thanks,” she yawns. “I don’t know why car rides make me so drowsy,” she says. “It’s like I’m five years old again.”

“Or it’s hypothermia,” Mulder suggests jokingly. “It got pretty damn cold out there.”

“Winter night picnics aren’t the most practical, it’s true,” she says. “But the blankets and coffee were a good idea.”

When they reach Scully’s apartment door she turns to face him. “Thank you for this,” she says, voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t realize how much I needed it.”

He smiles softly at her. “Happy birthday,” he replies.

He’s mentally debating giving her a hug when she reaches out and pulls him in gently, arms looped around his waist. He wraps his arms around her and drops a light kiss to the crown of her head.

It’s over way too soon.

“Goodnight,” she says. “See you tomorrow.”

If he says anything else to her before she slips into the apartment and closes the door, he doesn’t remember it. His feet are firmly on the ground, carrying him out of her apartment building and back to his car, but his head is far above the atmosphere, adrift in space.

He’s so in love he feels as though he’s running out of air.

[limitlessgojo]

Blood Bound: Red Strings of Fate (Ch 13)

Warnings: Action, Coarse Language, Fighting, Descriptions of Blood

Previous Chapter: Goldenrod

Next Chapter: The More You Know

Next SFW Chapter: Big White Lies

Tags: Soulmates AU, Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Fem!Reader

Taglist: @lessie-oxj @rizzo-nero @whoreuc @fkngkumiko @isl3t @gojoussunglasses @onepotatostand-blog @s-t-f-u-b-i-t-c-h @sunaswife @lordguameow @track5enthusiast

Notes: If you want to be tagged for every update, specify if you're okay with nsfw posts or not, and please mention it in the comments below ty ❤

Chapter 13: Home Sweet Home

That weekend you went back home. It was so refreshing to see everyone. You yelped out with joy as you ran over to your cousin “Hiroki niichaaaan~” You jumped into his arms.

He hugged you tight. “How have you been doin lil sis?”

“Very good! I missed you all so much, especially you Hiroki nii." You pouted up at him.

You caught up with your family, had meals with them, and trained with Hiroki. They were most curious about your soulmate, as you have expected.

“What’s he like? Aren’t people from the big 3 clans so stuck up all the time? Even Satoru is full of himself at times, ey?”, Hiroki asked you with a mouthful of food.

“He isn’t too bad to be honest. He’s a gentleman and sweet with me. Decent man. Just, seems a bit like the private type? I mean… Doesn’t talk much about his family even though we are soulmates. Oh I’ve already talked to him about you guys.” You added.

Hiroki tilted his head, “Ehhh… mysterious huh.”

“Give him time. The Kamo Clan aren’t the most open minded people. They’ll feel you out before allowing you in.” Your dad said.

“Even though I’m his soulmate?!” You exclaimed.

Silence. “We don’t know what they’re thinking so we can’t say for sure.”

◇◇◇

“Heh, you’ve gotten better lil sis,” Hiroki dropped low and thrusted out his spear. You jumped and immediately shifted your stance to land a kick on him. He easily parried and slipped out of your range.

Your family specializes in dealing with reverse cursed techniques aside from the occasional esper. Hiroki was only a semi-grade 1, because he trained his ass off for years.

Now that he’s built, he uses cursed tools to help him fight. A strong 185cm man can definitely handle close combat well. And in terms of healing abilities, he was number 1 in the clan.

It was only the women in your family that were able to inherit psychokinesis for some reason. But usually it only applies to a specific thing. Like how your mom can control plants. And your other aunt does with small metallic items like coins and darts.

Mother approached you after your sparring session. "Does he make you happy my dear?" Your mother asked you. Hiroki drank quietly from his water bottle.

You thought about it. The past few months were not easy but really colorful with Noritoshi. Minus the nagging feeling of him covering up his family affairs from you.

But… "He does. I feel so safe with him ma. Like I do with all of you. He is family to me now. I think I really like him and I trust him with my life." You whispered out.

"Then next time, bring him here. We will gladly welcome him with open arms." Hiroki smiled at you and leaned into your side.

◇◇◇

You went to visit your dead older sister’s grave just before you went back to Kyoto Jujutsu High School.

It was just you and Hiroki. You both cleaned the grave, trimmed the weeds, changed the flowers, burned fresh incense, and said your prayers for Sora. It was such a clear day with barely any clouds. The sky was so blue.

Just like her namesake.

Hiroki left you to give you some privacy, saying that he’ll pick you up in 2 hours.

You took a deep breath. “Sora neechan. It’s been a while. Sorry I couldn’t come to see you as often, because I’m currently a student at Jujutsu High.”

“I met this guy. He … So he is my soulmate. The first time I met him, I thought he was pretty. As I got to know him more, I felt as if there was a reason as to why the heavens chose him for me you know? He is really cool, but so warm and sweet with me. I think I’m a little bit in love with him.” You admitted.

“I’m really scared to lose him. After I lost you, I just… it was hard… I try my best to be cheerful and helpful really. But it gets tiring at times. I’m glad I was able to make a lot of friends who understand the life of a Jujutsu sorcerer at least. I tried to open up to Noritoshi a bit more. But it’s hard because he seems so closed off at times.”

You had mixed feelings, because you promised Noritoshi you would trust him more. That means working on anything that bothers you regarding your relationship with him. But can he accept it if you tell him that you want to know more about his family? He already clearly stated he needs more time.

“Am I being too greedy and hasty Sora? I want to support his clan affairs, even if it's just a tiny bit as his soulmate. He seems so troubled with it all the time. Like he wants to carry the burden all alone. I want to help, but he doesn’t really let me. I don’t know. I wish you were still here with me.”

“Last time I asked him about his parents, he snapped at me. Of course he apologized. … Maybe it’s all just in my head. But I do want to meet his family. Eventually. Though at this rate I have no idea when. Everytime I ask about them he just shuts up.”

“Falling in love is way too hard….”

The wind blew as if to agree with you. The leaves rusted in a circular dance just around the grave. You smiled.

You bid farewell to your family after the weekend. Hiroki hugged you tight and whispered, “I hope it gets better for you and Kamo kun soon enough.”

You looked up at him, “Yeah, thanks bro.”

◇◇◇

You texted Noritoshi and let him know that you were on your way back. He said he was free for the evening and that you could come over to his room.

You knocked on his door with anticipation. You opened the door, “I'm back, Toshi!” He pulled you into a tight hug and closed the door behind you. “I missed you. Come in. How was your family? Sorry I couldn’t go with you again.”

“It’s fine! They’re all okay and excited to meet you next time.” You looked up at him. He looked a bit regretful, “Next time I’ll make sure to properly clear my schedule with my father so I can go meet them okay?”

“Ah, okay.” You both walked over to his table and knelt down on the floor.

“I’ve been wanting to tell you this for a while,” you started. Noritoshi looked on intently. “I’ve already told you about my family right? Mom and dad and my other male cousins. Ah, what I didn’t tell you before was… I used to have an older sister. I - uhm. Well she died after being attacked by a curse. I … I hope to bring you to her grave one day.”

Noritoshi’s heart dropped. He pulled you in close. “I’m so sorry to hear that. I’m sure she is proud of you. Of course I’ll go with you to see her next time.” He was now highly regretting choosing to do some useless tasks for some of his clan’s elders instead of spending the weekend with you.

You gripped his clothes tighter. “Thank you, that really really means a lot to me.” You started tearing up, but you blinked your tears away.

"Oh! My family and I have gifts for you. I'm not so sure if you'll like it. It's a Coral and gold bracelet. Everyone in my family has one. It's almost like tradition for us, and we believe it to have a layer of protection. I also brought Jade here for you." You presented the bracelet alongside the Dragon carved Jade Pendant hanging on a thick white gold chain.

Noritoshi's eyes widened. The jewelry was stunning and looked expensive. He may have been favoured as the heir to the Kamo clan, but even he didn't own so much expensive jewelry.

He sputtered out “I appreciate it but I can’t take something so expensive and precious-”

“Noritoshiiii,” you whined out loud, making him stop talking. “You don’t want to accept such a precious gift that I picked out for you?” you whined with the largest puppy eyes.

“No, I- I am grateful. Thank you, I’ll accept it.” Noritoshi conceded.

Got him. You grinned madly as he shook his head. “You’re a dangerous one,” he muttered under his breath. “What was that?” you asked him absentmindedly as you worked on unclasping the bracelet to put it around his wrist. “Nothing, nothing at all dearest.”

You narrowed your eyes at him before grabbing his wrist and putting it on for him. It was a perfect fit. You thanked yourself for loving to hold his hand so much that you knew his general hand measurements.

His hands down to his wrists were so pretty. You didn't realize that you were playing with and smiling down at his fingers until he opened up his hand and linked his fingers with yours.

Slowly, carefully. Falling in love with you was the easiest thing Noritoshi had experienced. Now that he had embraced his emotions and tried to open up to you, it was a bit better now.

'Is this what love is? I don't know since it's my first time experiencing it.' Noritoshi wondered to himself.

It was in the smallest of things with you. He loved the way you would call out his name with loving eyes. The way you would always greet him first before the other senpai. The way you give him coffee and kisses on late and cold nights of studying.

The way your hair smells. Your perfume. The way your eyelids flutter shut when he kisses you. The tightening of his chest and shortness of his breath made apparent whenever he was with you.

The way you don't ask for too much from him. Just that he shows his love to you either by his actions or words. The comfort he simply feels when he is beside you.

He really just needed some time, and seeing you around more often really made up for it.

He ticked the inside of your palm which made you shiver and yelp. He laughed out loud at this and pulled you into his lap, hugging you tightly.

Staying quiet, you buried your head in his chest. You could feel his heartbeat, and it was faster than you expected. But soon it went back down to a steady rate.

"Your heartbeat is so steady, but mine is always wild around you. Noritoshi I feel kinda embarrassed to be honest." You admitted, fingers curling into his kimono.

He smiled and his heartbeat quickened to match yours. You looked up at him in confusion. "Did you just…" He just leaned down to rub his nose against yours. "I am a blood manipulator. I can manipulate my pulse rate darling." You huffed out a laugh, feeling warm and fuzzy.

"I love you." You said suddenly. He stared in shock at your words. You realized that you said it without intending to. But you didn’t take it back.

"Kamo Noritoshi I'm madly in love with you." It wasn't a sudden realisation of being in love. You slowly fell for him again and again each day.

Noritoshi’s brain short circuited.

Suddenly he was kissing you. Tongue slipping into your mouth and playing with yours and rubbing along the roof of your mouth.

You tried to fight his tongue for dominance, but you ended up surrendering, your back bent back with your face turned up towards him.

You clasped your hands around his neck as he pressed deep kisses against the top of your chest. Your face was flushed as you fell limp against him, gasping out heavy breaths. "I'm not going anywhere angel." Noritoshi whispered against your neck, hands tightening possessively against your waist.

‘Please wait a little longer for me. Until I can confirm that these feelings for you are indeed true love.’ His thoughts went unsaid.

The one thing Noritoshi promised to himself is that he would never lie about his feelings for you. To him, the worst he could do was to confess his love without actually being in love with you.

Blood Bound: Table of Contents

[purrincess-chat]

Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s Spite Playlist: Remix CH22

And we’re back! Chapters will resume posting on Fridays both here on tumblr and on AO3 (linked below). I hope you’re ready for the second half of this story. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve that are different from last time, so I hope you all enjoy it!

Previous     First     Next      AO3

Chapter 22: Mean

Marinette chewed her lip, picking at the hem of her shirt. She’d been too nervous to sleep, and the coffee she drank on the way to the hotel made her jittery. Clara and her manager flipped through her designs, the silence eating away at Marinette’s composure. Did Clara like them? Hate them? Had Marinette let her down? Why wasn’t she saying anything?

Clara glanced up at Marinette, a smile curling on her lips. She stood up with an amused giggle and took Marinette’s hands. “Oh, Marinette, you can chill. These designs really fit the bill. Choosing you was in good taste. Eloise, send these to my tailor, posthaste.” Clara winked, and Marinette breathed a sigh of relief. “Truly, great work, Marinette. I love them.”

“I’m glad. Thank you so much for this opportunity.” Marinette bowed.

“Although your formality is rather cutesy, there’s no need since you and I are friends, you see.” She spun Marinette around and pulled her in for a hug. “I felt a connection with you right away. If you ever need anything, you just have to say.”

Marinette’s chest swelled as Clara pulled away and brushed her nose with a finger.

“Eloise, write a check for her beautiful mind.” Clara ordered, pacing over to the piano. “I’ve got an idea for a new song that will be simply divine!”

Clara’s manager tore a check from her book and handed it to Marinette as Clara began to pluck at the piano. Marinette did a double-take to make sure the decimal was in the right place, but before she could protest, Clara’s security guard ushered her out.

“Goodbye, my dearest friend. I’ll miss you until we meet again!” Clara blew a kiss.

As the door closed behind her, Marinette glanced down at the check, heart pounding. Clara liked her designs! She considered Marinette a friend! Oh, she’d love to see the look on Lila’s face the day Clara walked the red carpet in Marinette’s dress.

“I’m so proud of you, Marinette!” Tikki said as Marinette tapped the button for the elevator. “You worked really hard, and it paid off.”

“I’m just happy that Clara liked my designs. It’s not about the money for me. I want to design clothes that make people feel good,” she said, stepping onto the elevator. “I can’t wait to tell everyone over tea this afternoon!”

“Will there be cookies at the tea party?” Tikki asked.

Marinette shot her a knowing smile and brushed her kwami’s nose with one finger. “Control that sweet tooth of yours.”

“I want to celebrate your accomplishments!” Tikki shot back indignantly. “If there happens to be cookies there, then so be it.”

“Tell you what,” Marinette said as the elevator dinged on the first floor. “I told everyone to come over at 2. Why don’t you and I celebrate now? Let’s go get some ice cream.”

Tikki perked up, ducking down into her purse. Marinette shut the clasp as she paced out the front doors of the hotel. Pulling out her phone to see where Andre was stationed today, she failed to look up as she rounded the corner and collided with another person.

“Sorry!” she gasped as they both stumbled backward, but upon seeing the face of her victim, her face hardened.

“Finally apologizing for trying to upstage me? It’s about time,” Lila said.

“I’m sorry for bumping into you. Nothing else.” Marinette rolled her eyes and stepped around her.

“So, you’re not sorry for abandoning all of your friends then? For turning your back on Alya?” Lila asked.

Marinette’s hands balled into fists, but she didn’t stop. “Alya made her choice.”

“And she chose me over you.” Lila smirked. “She even got us matching bff necklaces. She’s so sweet.”

“Congratulations. I’m sure your genuine friendship built on honesty and trust will last a lifetime.” Marinette retorted.

“I’m just glad she finally deleted her blog dedicated to that insect. She has so much more time on her hands to do all of my work,” Lila said. “You know, I’m class representative now since you deserted your post.”

Marinette bit her lip hard. Lila was taunting her, and she knew it. How could anyone be this vindictive? Marinette had always known Lila was evil, but she really had a way of one-upping herself. Marinette made a promise with Adrien to stay out of it, but no matter how far she ran, Lila was always right behind her.

Marinette spun around with a sharp retort on her tongue, but a silver limo pulling up to the curb cut her off. She half expected blond hair to pop out, but to her surprise, it was Martin who appeared.

“Hey, Marinette. I saw you walking, so I had my driver pull over.” He flicked his gaze between them. “Do you and your friend need a ride?”

“Ha! She and I will never be friends. I have much better taste,” Lila said.

Martin eyed Marinette, eyebrows knitting together when she shifted her weight.

“Then if you don’t mind, please leave her alone. She’s my friend,” he requested.

“You don’t want to be friends with a loser like her. I’m the great-granddaughter of world-famous piano player, Victor Laurent,” she said, fluffing her hair. Her sinister smile said that she’d taken all of Marinette’s friends once, and she’d do it again.

“Victor Laurent didn’t have any children. He died alone at the age of 72 from pneumonia…” Martin tilted his head to one side. “And anyway, Marinette’s great-uncle is a world-famous chef with his own brand of cookware—my mom loves his knives. Not to mention she knows Jagged Stone and is good friends with Adrien Agreste. She has a lot of connections.”

Marinette stifled a laugh as Lila gasped in offense. Martin blinked in confusion as Lila stalked off with a huff, glaring over her shoulder at them.

“Who was that girl?” he asked.

“One of the worst human beings you’ll ever meet,” Marinette replied. When Martin seemed confused, she added, “It’s a long story. I was actually on my way to get some ice cream. Wanna come?”

“Sure.”

Andre was in Marinette’s favorite spot in the Trocadero—a fitting compensation for the unpleasant encounter they’d just had. They found a bench, ice cream cones in hand, and Marinette flopped onto it with a sigh. Lila was insufferable, but Marinette wasn’t going to let it spoil her day. Clara liked her designs. Nothing else mattered.

“So, that’s the girl who turned all of your friends against you?” Martin asked, and Marinette nodded. “Wow. No wonder you changed schools. I would have changed cities.”

“I thought about it.” Marinette took a spoonful of ice cream. “She’s super manipulative, and if you side against her, she does everything in her power to ruin your life.”

“She sounds like Gabrielle just without the muscle, but at least we don’t have to put up with her now that her family’s bankrupt,” Martin said.

“Yeah…” Marinette lowered her gaze. “I bet you were really happy when you found out about Gabrielle.”

Martin shrugged. “I’m glad she doesn’t pick on everyone anymore, but I can’t imagine losing everything. I feel kinda bad for her… Is that weird?”

“I don’t think so,” Marinette said. “Actually, I feel the same way. No one deserves to go through that.” She pursed her lips, jabbing her ice cream with the spoon. “I’m surprised you of all people don’t hate her. She was the worst to you.”

“I try not to hate anyone,” Martin said around a bite. “I think everyone has good inside them deep down, and with the right influence, anyone can change if they want to.”

“So, you think Gabrielle could be a good person?” she asked.

“Well, sure. Why not?” Martin quirked a brow.

Marinette eyed him, a small smile curling on her lips. She sat up and turned to face him.

“Can I tell you something?”

“Uh, sure. What’s up?” he asked.

“It’s a long story, but Gabrielle and I are kind of friends now. I think…” Marinette admitted. “I haven’t told anyone because of everything, but I think you’re right. Anyone can be nice if they want to be, even Gabrielle.” When Martin seemed stunned, she curled her shoulders and added, “Do you hate me?”

Martin’s face softened, and he shook his head. “Of course not! I could never hate you.” He assured her. “I think it’s good. If anyone can help Gabrielle find the light inside of her, it’s you, Marinette.”

She leaned back on the bench with a smile, the spring sun warming her cheeks. Winter was over, leaving the cold and dreary behind. Nature was turning over new leaves. A fresh start, just like Marinette wanted. She took a deep breath, picturing all of the good things in her life. Adrien, Macy, Eliott, Martin, Gabrielle. Chloe, weirdly. Her parents, Tikki, Master Fu, Chat Noir, Clara. New opportunities. New beginnings.

She exhaled, letting all of the negative flow out with her breath. Lila had no power over her anymore, and after two months of running, Marinette was finally free.

♪♫♪ Cruel Summer ♪♫♪

Marinette hummed jovially, the heat from the tea kettle on the stove warming her arms. Her friends would be over soon to celebrate her presentation. After her run-in with Lila earlier, Martin dropped her off at home, where her dad made special macarons for their celebration. Talking to Martin eased her nerves, and Lila’s empty threats were far from her mind. Today she was celebrating.

It was the first time her new friends were coming to hang out at her house. After seeing all of their extravagant homes, Marinette might have felt self-conscious about her family’s tiny apartment, but her friends never gave her reason to worry. If only Adrien were joining them, but he was busy with a photoshoot. He promised to make it up to her, which had her head swimming with possibilities. Oh, she hoped whatever he had in mind involved kissing. Three almosts was driving her wild. Would she ever get to kiss those perfect lips?

And what were they now? Were they dating? Marinette didn’t know for sure, but they had to be pretty close, right? Adrien was so bold with her lately, complimenting her, touching her face, her hair, her hands… One of these days she’d snatch those lips down to hers if he didn’t kiss her soon. Kissing Adrien—the thought alone made her melt.

She wanted to hear his voice, but did she dare call him? He probably wouldn’t answer since he never brought his phone to photoshoots—always so professional. Then again, she could listen to his really cute voicemail… And she still hadn’t told him how her presentation went. Maybe she’d leave him a message. Girlfriends were allowed to do that, right? Oh god, Adrien’s girlfriend! She’d have to get used to calling herself that. Okay, no more stalling. New beginnings. Marinette wasn’t going to second-guess herself anymore. She was going to charge forward with confidence!

Pressing the call button, she chewed her lip with a giggle. This was really happening! One cute voicemail, then the next time they saw each other, she was going to kiss Adrien on the lips. Then they’d become boyfriend and girlfriend, date throughout the rest of collége and lycée, go off to university and get married, have 3 kids, and a hamster named-

Wait!

What was she going to say in the voicemail? She didn’t know how to be cute and flirty! Every time she tried, she ended up rambling about her toothbrush or falling down stairs. She needed to write a script. Abort! Abort!

“Missing me already?”

Marinette’s heart skipped at Adrien’s flirtatious lilt.

“Adrien! You answered,” she gasped.

“You called me, and you’re surprised I picked up?” he chuckled.

“Well, I thought you had a photoshoot, I was just going to leave a message,” Marinette said.

“I just got done with makeup, so I have a few minutes. I was actually thinking of calling you,” he said. “I’m sorry I can’t be there.”

“No worries. I understand.” She assured him.

“I take it your presentation went well?”

“Yeah! That’s what I was calling to tell you. Clara loved my designs! I’ve never been so happy.” Marinette paced the length of her living room, biting back a smile. “I ran into Lila as I was leaving, but not even she could ruin my mood.”

“Whoa, wait! You ran into Lila?” Adrien asked.

“Ugh, yeah, but it was fine. Martin swooped in before she got me too riled up. She even tried to lie him out of backing me up, but he totally called her out. I’ve never seen her pout so hard.” When Adrien remained quiet on the other end, she added, “I’m fine, really. I’m not going to let her bother me anymore. This thing with Clara could open up a lot of opportunities for me.”

“I guess you’re right. Lila only wishes she were half as talented as you. You’re amazing, Marinette,” Adrien said, bringing a familiar warmth to her cheeks. “They’re ready for me on set, so I have to go.”

Marinette tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yeah, sorry for interrupting. I just wanted to tell you the good news, and…talk for a minute.”

“You can interrupt me anytime. I’m always happy to hear your voice,” he said. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Okay.” Marinette bit back a smile.

“Oh, and congratulations! You deserve it, Marinette.”

Marinette hung up with a dreamy sigh, hugging her phone to her chest. She was going to replay that conversation in her head for the rest of the evening. Before she could get lost in her lovestruck daydreams, the doorbell rang.

“Congratulations!” Macy hugged Marinette’s neck the moment she opened the door. “Oh, I knew she was going to love them!”

“Uh, I think you’re choking her.” Martin pointed out, and Macy let go.

“Sorry! But you did it! A major celebrity is going to wear your designs to an official awards show. That’s huge!” Macy squealed. “Oh! Is this your living room? It’s so cozy!”

As Macy pushed past Marinette into the apartment, Martin presented her with a bouquet of flowers.

“We picked these up for you on the way.”

“Thanks! That’s so sweet.” Marinette gestured him in, moving to find a vase in the kitchen. “Where’s Eliott?”

“He’ll be here soon. He was auditioning for another play today, so he’s running late,” Macy explained. “Your house is so cute! Did you make these pillows?”

“Uh, yeah. They were one of the first things I learned how to sew,” Marinette said, filling a vase in the sink. “My dad made macarons, and I’m making tea if you want any.”

Martin helped himself, taking a seat at the table, but Macy moved over to the bookcase to look at their family photos. Marinette set the vase in the middle of the table and grabbed the cups from the cupboard.

“Are you feeling better now?” Martin asked while she set the table. “I mean, after running into that girl earlier?”

“Yeah,” Marinette said, surprised by how much she meant it. “I’m not worried about her anymore. I’m fine.”

Martin relaxed. “Good. You seem happier now than when you first came to school,” he said. “I could tell how sad you were, even when you were smiling.”

Marinette grabbed the kettle from the stove and pursed her lips.

“I guess I’m not as good at hiding as I thought.” She laughed bitterly. “It’s been hard, but I’m really lucky to have people that support me. I have you all to thank for that.”

“That’s what friends are for, right?” Martin smiled, an expression Marinette returned.

“Right.”

“Marinette? Is this you?” Macy held up a baby picture. “You were so cute!”

Marinette’s cheeks burned, but before she could snatch the photo away from her, the front door flew open. Eliott burst in, hair disheveled and eyes wide with panic.

“Eliott? What’s-” Macy started.

“I need help!”