#I might have another serving of pad thai | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

clubyukhei · 4 years ago

Text

in the mood for love (m)

pairing: wong yukhei x (f) reader

genre: fluff, smut, slice of life, some angst

summary: distance makes the heart grow fonder. in yukhei’s case, it makes him reminisce on all the firsts of your relationship and realise you’re the one he wants to spend the rest of his life with. (or: a long-distance relationship au where yukhei savours every moment of your short reunion.)

warnings: unprotected sex, language

tags: established relationship, flashbacks, set in hk, hendery and kunten appear, drunk texting, flirty dialogue, love letters, talks of marriage, pining, a bittersweet ending

word count: 14.6k

a/n: wow, it feels weird to be finally posting this because i’ve been working on this for months. this took way longer than expected and for that i wanna thank my sweet mutuals and anons who have been so patient and encouraging :’) i hope you’re in the mood for fluff and domesticity because this fic is full of it! enjoy! (reposting again bc the original one wouldn’t show up in the tags. tysm if you’ve interacted with that post btw <3)

heaven is in your eyes

bright as the stars we're under

oh, is it any wonder

i'm in the mood for love?

why stop to think of whether

this little dream might fade?

we've put our hearts together

now we are one, i'm not afraid

if there's a cloud above

if it should rain we'll let it

but for tonight, forget it

i'm in the mood for love

mornings like this are hard to come by for yukhei.

when the only sounds he can hear are the ticking of a clock and your soft exhalations. when you’re cuddled up to him, your face tucked into the crook of his neck where you breathe warm puffs of air onto his skin every few seconds.

it’s probably just another one of those dreams that yukhei gets every now and then. the kind he never wants to wake up from, because when he opens his eyes, all he sees is the dull grey ceiling of his dormitory before his bunkmates’ noisy snores snap him back into reality.

those mornings were the worst. yukhei would give up on going back to sleep. instead, he’d force himself out of bed to wash up and head to the canteen for an early breakfast, all while annoyed that his mind had once again translated his yearning for you into his dreams. he couldn’t help but feel like he was being mocked by his own self.

but this time, it feels different.

his back is resting on a bed that’s much comfier than the thin mattress he’s used to back at camp, and he’s awfully snug and cosy under what feels like a thick fleece blanket.

yukhei peels his eyelids open, ready to be met with disappointment again.

the first thing he sees is the sunrise peeking through the curtains, greeting him good morning with a dark orange glow — which is weird, because he’s always up before the sun is. even though his mind is still fuzzy, yukhei has an inkling that he’s not back at camp. so he lifts his head off the pillow and looks around.

there’s a messy work desk between two huge potted plants; a wall fully plastered with polaroids and pictures; and a clothing rack with clothes that clearly aren’t his but it’s the bra hanging over an armchair that finally tells yukhei that he’s in your bedroom.

he looks down and sighs in relief seeing you in deep slumber next to him. you’re sleeping on your side with a hand absentmindedly resting on his waist, your head tilted as if you fell asleep while gazing at him. your eyes are closed and the look on your face is so peaceful — it’s an image that yukhei wants to keep in his mind forever.

wrapping an arm around your hips, yukhei gently tugs you closer to him. your eyebrow scrunches in reaction and he panics a little, freezing when your hand lands on top of his. but you turn on your other side and snuggle back against his chest instead, and his lips curl into a lopsided smile at this tiny movement.

yukhei hugs you from behind, nuzzling into your hair and sighing when he gets a whiff of your apple-scented shampoo that he has missed so much.

just like that, the warmth of your bodies wrapped around each other and the thought of getting to spend the next few days with you — in real life, not just in his dreams — lulls him back to sleep.

yukhei would never forget the day he first met you.

or the sight of you sitting at the back of his mum’s restaurant, sipping on a glass of iced tea as you stared out of the window and silently observed the hustle and bustle of shatin plaza.

the fact that his usual seat was occupied and that a pretty girl was sitting in it left him speechless, but not annoyed at all. sure, it was his favourite spot. it also unofficially belonged to him, seeing how he sat there nearly everyday doing his homework — but that was years ago.

yukhei felt like the universe had something up its sleeve when it presented him with such a scenario on a day where he finally managed to pop by his mum’s restaurant and pay her a visit. he rarely popped by on weekdays anymore because of how hectic his academic life was becoming.

“look who it is! our yukhei who keeps growing taller and taller!”

yukhei smiled shyly as he stepped behind the counter and greeted the longtime staff — aunties who never failed to shower him with all sorts of compliments — and rushed into the kitchen looking for his mum.

mrs wong was less than pleased when she saw her son, to say the least. the smile on her face lasted for a good minute before she started nagging about how he should’ve gone home to study instead.

“i am going to study! right after i eat.” he whined, shocked that his presence had irritated her so much.

“you always say that, yukhei. but you just play games on your phone!” mrs wong retorted, not looking away from the refrigerator.

yukhei gulped at that statement, unwilling to admit that it was quite true.

“mum, who’s that girl outside? sitting at my table?”

“your table?” she chuckled before looking up at him.

yukhei watched her make her way towards the kitchen entrance to peek at the stranger outside.

“ah, that’s _____. she comes here often.” she said with a bright smile that even yukhei himself rarely received. “she helped us understand what the tourists were saying, talked to them in english for us a few times now. a very sweet and smart girl.”

if anything, yukhei became more attracted to you at that moment.

maybe it’s the thought of you helping his mum out while he’s not around — he knew how rude and impatient some tourists could be with language barriers, having personally dealt with them several times — or maybe it’s just the way you entered his life that, for some reason, felt like an important moment to him.

either way, he already made up his mind about one thing.

yukhei ended up serving you the pad thai you had been waiting for, warmly introducing himself as the lady boss’ first and older son and striking up a conversation with you that went on longer than he had expected.

he thought it was bad that he had to control his excitement when you suggested he take the seat opposite yours, but it only got worse as you both began to talk about everything and nothing.

when you smiled, he lost his train of thought. when you laughed or so much as even chuckled, his chest squeezed around his heart and he wanted to keep hearing the sound of it. and when you listened to him, he had to look away because your attentive gaze on him was truly too much.

by the time you were done with your meal, yukhei had your number saved in his phone. he offered to walk you out, opening the glass doors for you all gentlemanly as if you had just dined at a five-star hotel restaurant.

“it was nice talking to you, yukhei.” you turned to smile at him just before you stepped outside. “see you again, i guess?”

“yeah, let’s—um. yeah, see you around.” yukhei stuttered pathetically.

you giggled and waved goodbye to him and mrs wong before heading off. the lady boss had been subtly keeping an eye on you two after her son insisted on waiting your table.

once you were out of view, yukhei sighed, cringing at how nervous he sounded. before you, he had never in his life felt that self-conscious in front of anyone.

“my dear, what was that?” his mum asked with a sly look of amusement on her face.

yukhei wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole.

“i don’t know, mum.”

all he could think about was seeing you again.

when yukhei wakes up again, he’s alone in bed.

the midday sunlight glares into the room and shines on the empty spot next to him, prompting him to roll away and further into the shade.

he lies on his side, watching some plant-shaped shadows sway across the wall for a minute before forcing himself out of bed. those extra hours of sleep did wonders for his circadian rhythm and for once he doesn’t feel tired to be awake at all — just bummed that he woke up with you not in his arms.

something in the air shifted after last night. yukhei couldn’t get over the way you jumped into his arms when he appeared at your doorstep, or how you got emotional at his shaky confession as he presented you with the promise ring he had been keeping for so long.

he had been craving for your presence so much over the past few months that seeing you reciprocate those feelings made him relieved and somewhat clingy. all he wants is to stick by your side every second he has with you before he leaves again.

so he gets out of bed immediately, walking into your tiny living room where he hears the sound of running water and finds you leaning against the kitchen counter with your back facing him, busily tending to the roses he had gifted you last night.

yukhei makes his way to you fast. his hands sneak beneath your oversized t-shirt and around your waist, pulling your frame against his front as he places a kiss on your temple.

“morning,” you say, relaxing into his touch and reaching for the nape of his neck with one hand to tug his face closer to yours.

yukhei hums in satisfaction when you angle your face perfectly to lock your lips with his in a tender kiss and whines when you attempt to pull away. he wants to taste your lips for a little longer, he’s far from done and you know it too.

you turn around to face him properly, abandoning the stalks of roses that had your attention earlier. a gasp escapes you when he slides his hands down to your bum and swiftly lifts you onto the counter.

“missed my baby so much,” he mumbles against the juncture of your jaw and neck, relishing in your soft sighs by his ear.

he doesn’t miss the way your legs hook around his waist to pull him closer or the way your fingertips lightly scratch his scalp as he busily sucks at your skin, determined to leave a trail of love marks for his own appreciation.

the doorbell rings just as he’s licking over his masterpiece, rudely interrupting the moment.

“yukhei.” you squeeze his shoulders and yukhei forces himself to pull away.

“who’s that?” he asks, unable to hide the tone of disappointment in his voice. his hands refuse to leave your skin, his thumb gently caressing the curve of your underboob.

you giggle at his pouty lips before adjusting the short bangs hanging over his forehead that he hated despite the many times you told him he looked cute.

“i ordered brunch for us.”

dumbfounded and still in a half-asleep state, yukhei helps you off the counter. he watches you look into the peephole before opening the door and picking up a large paper bag that had been sitting on your doormat.

“i thought you’d be hungry after waking up.” you say, setting the bag into your small dining table for two. “i hope you don’t mind, bub. i didn’t want to cook anything because, well—i can’t. i haven’t been to the grocery store this week. but we can always head there later and get stuff for the next few days.”

yukhei lets out a huff of disbelief. “baby.”

but you don’t hear him. you’re so busy unpacking the small food boxes onto the table as you ramble on and on, oblivious to the way he was staring at you in adoration.

“i got you your favourite stuff. spring rolls, shu mai—what?”

at last you notice how quiet he has been and you freeze, looking at him with your eyes wide in concern.

“sit down and let me do the work, please.” yukhei pleads, dragging a chair out. “you did all that while i did nothing and slept like a log!”

you laugh, shaking your head as you sit down. “i just dialed a number and asked for some food. and i know you really needed that sleep.”

once all the food boxes are arranged neatly on the table, yukhei takes his seat next to you. you’re in the midst of reaching for a pair of chopsticks when his hand grabs onto yours, halting your movements.

there’s a moment of silence as you curiously watch him readjust his thumb below the joints of your fingers, bringing the back of your hand towards his lips.

“thank you, baby. i love you.” he tells you with a dazed smile, placing a kiss just above where the promise ring hugs your finger.

“you’re welcome.”

you tell him you love him too before you bite back a huge smile — the kind that satisfies yukhei so much because he knows he’s the reason behind it.

yukhei couldn’t put into words how elated he was when you texted him back a few days after your slightly awkward first meeting, agreeing to hang out with him that upcoming friday night.

truth be told, there weren’t any concrete plans for your first date. it was amusing to him really, how the conversation ended right after you both settled on a meeting place, with no discussions of what to do or where to eat.

maybe you were simply excited to see him again and didn’t really care about what the plan was — because that was exactly how yukhei felt.

the bus ride to the shopping mall felt longer than usual. yukhei found himself staring at his reflection in the window a few times, adjusting the sleeves of his jacket and making sure he looked good.

he had rushed home straight after javelin practice and taken the quickest shower of his life before spending a good amount of time styling his hair. it was not the wisest idea — choosing a late school day when there were six other days in a week where he wouldn’t have to rush — but he had been merely trying his luck when he sent that message asking if you were free. he wasn’t expecting you to actually say yes.

so when he spotted you waiting all by yourself from afar, he quickened his footsteps amidst the crowd, never taking his eyes off of you.

your face lit up as soon as you saw him and you waved, the crop top you wore lifting a little. yukhei’s gaze flew to the sliver of skin exposed and the nervousness that had been bubbling in his tummy earlier instantly melted into nothing.

the night went quite smoothly. yukhei could not have enjoyed himself more, from dinner at the sushi bar you had recommended to the impromptu movie session that had the both of you sharing the only available seat left: a couple seat.

he was falling harder as he got to know you more and it scared him just how fast it was happening.

“do you watch superhero movies a lot?” you asked as the two of you turned into another alley of food stalls.

yukhei had insisted on accompanying you back to the train station after the movie as it was getting late. he was not going to leave you alone when nightlife in the city was just starting, not when the streets were bound to get rowdy.

“not really. i mean blockbusters are nice but i love old dramas and action flicks, you know?” yukhei answered, turning to look at you in his jacket that had been on you since he noticed you shivering in the cinema. he couldn’t help but smile at how your fingertips were peeking beneath the long sleeves.

“wait, me too!” you gasped, turning to look at him with a huge smile. “why didn’t you stop us from watching iron man?”

“well you suggested it so i thought you really wanted to watch it!” yukhei laughed as he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. “i’m sorry.”

“no, that’s my bad. i didn’t know what you liked so i just picked something popular.” you rolled your eyes playfully. “maybe we can watch the great gatsby next time. i think we might enjoy that.”

next time?

it took yukhei a few seconds to acknowledge the idea of a second date that you had brought up so casually.

“r-really?” he cringed as the single word fumbled through his lips.

“yeah?” you replied, the blank look on his face amusing you a little. “we can watch something else too, if you want.”

“no!” he perked up. “let’s watch gatsby.”

eventually the two of you arrived at the train station, where goodbyes were exchanged rather reluctantly and awkwardly. yukhei watched as you took a few steps away from him before abruptly turning back around.

“what’s wrong?”

“your jacket!” you ran a hand through your hair abashedly. “i almost forgot! i mean i did, but.”

yukhei’s hands flew to yours before he could stop himself, stopping you from taking his black denim jacket off.

“it gets cold in the train. you should have it.” his hands flew to his sides awkwardly. “you can give it back to me next time, it’s okay.”

“oh.” you said so softly that yukhei almost missed it. your eyes fell onto the short sleeves hugging his arms and he read your mind right away.

“i’ll be fine. my bus ride home is pretty quick.” he reassured you. it was a lie. the weather had started getting cooler and that’s why he brought a jacket out in the first place, but it was nothing he couldn’t handle.

yukhei noticed that your cheeks had reddened a little. why were you so cute?

“okay then,” you said with a tiny smile. “thanks again, yukhei.”

yukhei landed on his bed face flat after a warm shower, absolutely exhausted and ready to hit the sack. to be fair, it had been a long day for him and it was close to midnight.

if it was any other weekday night, he would be snoring already. but he had just sent you a text asking if you reached home already and was eagerly waiting for your reply.

at last, after a long five minutes, yukhei’s phone buzzed a few times in a row.

[from: _____][sent at 11:57PM]

hey

i just got out of the shower

thx for checking in :)

and thx for tonight again, i had a good time :)

wait it’s almost 12!!

you’re still awake?

yukhei didn’t realise a bunch of alphabets and symbols could make him so happy. his thumb hovered over his phone screen as he began to type out a reply, but a more texts came flying in.

[from: _____][sent at 11:59PM]

well

in case you’re already sleeping..

goodnight and sweet dreams~

just minutes ago, he had been so ready to fall asleep. but the rush of happiness he experienced as he read your texts over again made that impossible now. yukhei couldn’t put away his phone, couldn’t stop himself from grinning.

he was screwed. he knew he was, when that was the effect you had on him after only days of knowing each other.

“well, well, well. if it isn’t my favourite couple.”

“sorry,” you sigh while yukhei simply shoots an apologetic smile at kunhang as he slips into the booth after you. “you know how bad traffic is at this hour.”

“it’s okay.” says ten who’s sitting next to kunhang and shoving his nintendo switch into his bag. “but we ordered some stuff first because i’m starving my ass off.”

“oh that’s great!” yukhei cheers. “i’m hungry too.”

“already? weren’t you guys just at your mum’s restaurant?” ten chuckles as he looks up, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

kunhang snorts. “he’s hungry all the time, remember? you should see his snack stash back at our dorms.”

just before they parted ways at camp at the start of their vacation, kunhang had suggested to yukhei that they have a get-together meal with ten — the oldest of the trio who recently scored a job at a renown art gallery in town and decided to stay for good, instead of flying back to his hometown.

yukhei agreed to it, not just because he missed his friend dearly, but also because it’s been a while since all of you had a meal together. when he brought it up to you, you were thrilled at the idea of catching up with them, even if that meant giving up some of his already limited time with you. that’s how you and him ended up sitting across from his two best friends at a hot pot restaurant tonight.

as food arrives and gradually takes up every inch of space on the table, everyone takes turns giving updates on their lives. yukhei shares memorable incidents at camp and kunhang adds on to his stories with funny anecdotes that make you and ten laugh, while ten announces that his longtime boyfriend, kun, has moved into his apartment.

“so how’s it like living with kun so far?” you ask, ladling soup from the simmering pot in the center of the table for everyone.

“i’m getting used to my fridge having food and my kitchen actually being used.” ten replies with a shy smile that yukhei rarely got to see. “it’s only been a week and it’s getting messy in there, but i’m not complaining.”

“aw.”

yukhei hears you coo, and he can practically see the look of endearment on your face even though he’s focused on all the meat you’ve put on his plate earlier.

“and when are the two of you planning to tell us that you’re getting married?” the long-haired boy smirks, squinting at the gold band hugging your ring finger.

the question stunts you and yukhei and kunhang nearly chokes on his sprite. the innocent smile that was on ten’s face just seconds ago was now long gone and replaced with a mischievous one.

“married?” kunhang exclaims, his voice so loud that the couple in the next booth turns over to look. thoroughly embarrassed, he presses the front of his cap down to hide his eyes. “how am i not the first person to know this, yukhei?”

yukhei sighs. where, and how, should he begin?

as he glares at ten who’s enjoying this a bit too much, you set your chopsticks down and hold your hand out to an eager kunhang, who marvels at the piece of jewellery on your ring finger up close.

“so?” ten lets out a cheeky, high-pitched giggle at the look yukhei gives him. “did you guys just come back from telling your fam the good news or…?”

yukhei grins devilishly as he picks up a bean sprout with his chopsticks, ready to fling it at ten, but you’re faster than him.

“we’re not—i mean, we’re getting married. eventually! not now, obviously.” you chuckle in a flustered manner.

we’re getting married.

yukhei’s heart flutters at that sentence. he wants to hear you say that again, wants to be the one to tell his friends that.

“you’ll be the first to know when we do.” yukhei adds, nudging kunhang’s foot underneath the table, earning an eye-roll from ten.

“well, you better.” kunhang quipped. “we’ve been talking about this for years now. it’s time you two quit playing and actually get it done.”

“ah, so this is a promise ring?” ten cuts in excitedly. it’s now his turn to examine the ring as kunhang gets back to his food. “it’s so pretty. it definitely suits you.”

“thanks,” you beam as you pull your hand back. “yukhei got it years ago but won’t tell me when or where. says it’s a secret.”

the two boys gawk at yukhei right away and he sighs, bracing himself for what’s to come.

“oh xuxi, you romantic baby!” ten teases, clearly having the time of his life making yukhei blush tonight.

“so this is what you were nervous about!” kunhang scoffs in disbelief before looking between you and ten. “we were on the train back to the city and he wouldn’t shut up about being nervous for some surprise plan. and he just wouldn’t tell me what!”

“oh my god, you guys are so cute. it’s gross.” ten shakes his head. “you’re lucky i love you both!”

yukhei smiles bashfully. he was a little embarrassed at first, but of course ten and kunhang had to make it worse. he wanted to pull his beanie over his entire face and ignore everything.

you’re awfully silent next to him as you glance between your food and your lap shyly, your hair shielding your face from everyone else. a warm rush of adoration washes over yukhei and he finds himself gently adjusting your hair, tugging a loose strand behind your ear.

“okay, that’s it.” kunhang groans, grabbing his bag and pretending to leave the table. “thanks for the meal, you guys.”

“you can’t just leave!” ten exclaims, reaching for his cup of tea. “you haven’t asked _____ for her friends’ numbers yet.”

kunhang stares at ten, his eyes widening and jaw dropping in horror before he starts bickering with him — a scene that has you bursting into laughter and yukhei reminiscing the good old days where the four of you would hang out at the mall for hours after class. kunhang was always so starstruck by the popular girls at your all-girls school though you weren’t close with any of them. nothing has really changed since you entered university.

“you told me to remind you!” ten retorts.

“not in front of everyone!” kunhang cries dramatically.

“dude. it’s literally just the four of us.” ten deadpans. “always has been.”

“anyway,” kunhang rolls his eyes as he turns to face you. “so, _____. any of your friends single again?”

you do your best to look sympathetic before shaking your head. yukhei splutters out a laugh while ten pats kunhang’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

“this would be a lot easier if you were, you know, into guys.”

yukhei’s first kiss with you was, for him, a long time coming.

it happened at the end of your fifth date, after a day spent at the park.

summer had fully transitioned into fall and the weather was cool enough for the two of you to set up a picnic at a sunny spot. everything was perfect — from the calming sounds of nature to the desserts you both brought to the cute dress you wore underneath your sweater that matched the greenery around you.

more than a month had passed since yukhei first met you. with every date, the urge to hold your hands when you walked around in public and to kiss you and finally know what your lips tasted like kept growing.

yukhei smiled as he watched you talk about your week even though he already heard these stories since you text each other so much. your words went in and out of his ears and it was hard for him to concentrate because all he could think of was whether you liked him too.

there were moments that made him consider it a possibility, like how you surprised him with his favourite snacks after one of his javelin practice sessions or the way you would smile when you caught him staring at your face.

he was torn between over-romanticising those moments and acknowledging them as the plain and simple fact that you liked him too.

he felt it again as the two of you watched the sun set and slowly sink into the horizon across the river, the sky dissolving into hues of orange.

the scene in front of him was majestic, but yukhei could only concentrate on how close to him you and him were. so close that your arms were brushing against each other’s, so close that you could rest your head on his shoulder if you leaned a little.

“i like this a lot.” you said out of the blue, your eyes still fixed on the sunset in the distance. you leaned back, anchoring your palms against the mat to make yourself comfortable.

“i like you a lot.”

yukhei couldn’t stop himself. those words had been kept inside him for too long.

silence hung in the air as your proximity grew tense. yukhei couldn’t see your face and he was starting to think that maybe it was for his own good. when he felt you sitting up straight and he held his breath, expecting the worst.

“i like you too.” your voice was barely audible and you sounded just as nervous as he did, but yukhei heard you loud and clear.

his eyes widened as he turned to you at the speed of light. you had been looking at him nervously but as soon as your eyes met, your gaze quickly flickered towards your hands that were fidgeting with the sleeve of your sweater.

“really?” yukhei placed his hand over yours, gently circling the back of it with his thumb. “you like me… in that way?”

“yeah.” you mumbled, resting your head in the nook between his neck and shoulder exactly how he had pictured in his mind earlier. “i like you. a lot.”

relief flooded yukhei’s veins and he could finally breathe hearing you say the words he had so badly wanted to hear. nothing else mattered in that moment, because all he could think of was you seeing him in the same light he saw you in.

and suddenly, everything made sense to him. how could he be so stupid, after all that had happened in the past few weeks? the way you’d remember the little details of things he told you and how you’d blush at his terrible pick-up lines? of course you liked him too.

“what are you thinking about?” you squeezed his hand as you pulled back to look at him.

your face had never been so close to his. yukhei could count your eyelashes and have a proper look at your lips that looked soft and velvety. everything about this moment made it impossible for him to ignore what he had been dreaming of doing.

“can i kiss you?” yukhei asked.

all he could remember was how your eyes lit up instantly, every trace of worry fading away as an innocent smile graced your face. then you leaned in and closed your eyes just as he did, your lips meeting in a long awaited kiss.

yukhei cupped the side of your face with one hand, his thumb drawing soothing circles over your cheekbones. he felt himself sink into the feeling of your fluffy lips moving languidly against his, the way they tasted sweet like the strawberry shortcakes you shared earlier.

it took everything in yukhei to not whine when you pulled away to catch your breath, even though the kiss was probably longer than it should have been. he could still feel the butterflies in stomach as you pressed your forehead against his and he didn’t want them to fade away so soon, so he spoiled you with a few chaste kisses in a row that left both your lips tingling by the end.

“been wanting to do that for a long time.” yukhei beamed.

he reached for your hand that had been on his knee and interlocked your fingers — a small gesture he could now make anytime he wanted, and that made him a very happy boy.

the sun was almost gone but even under the dim fluorescent lighting from the street lamps, yukhei could tell that you were flushing and giddy with affection like him. the golden hour casted a warm orange glow onto your skin and you couldn’t look more like the girl of his dreams.

“i know. me too.”

the butterflies in yukhei’s stomach fluttered wildly at the sound of your airy chuckle. there was nothing that could take away the smile on his face.

yukhei did not expect to wake up to the sight of you in nothing but his camo jacket.

the lack of body heat woke him up and he found himself once again lying alone in bed and wondering where you were — but all his thoughts flew out of the window when he heard the bedroom door creak and saw you stepping back in.

he had to blink a few times to make sure his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him and that you were indeed, dressed only in his camo army jacket.

you’re standing beforeyour dresser to examine the love mark yukhei branded on your neck the night before, oblivious to how he’s silently observing you and getting hard again.

there’s something about the way his jacket reaches your midthigh and teasingly moves upwards to offer him a glimpse of your ass each time you lifted your hands to run over your skin that turns him on so much. and he has seen you in his t-shirts and muscle tanks many times before, but none of that could compare to how you looked right now and he has no clue why so.

maybe it’s the consecutive months of being deprived of your touch and having to picture your body as he took cold showers to relieve himself on some mornings. but he doesn’t have to rely on his imagination now that you’re here, in front of him, like a present waiting to be unwrapped and appreciated.

yukhei lets out a whine that gets muffled into the pillow, but you hear it immediately and whirl around in surprise.

“hey.” you smile lazily as you make your way back to bed, landing on your knees and crawling towards him.

yukhei’s eyes are glued to the gap between his unbuttoned jacket, which hangs loose enough on your body to bless him with the sight of your cleavage, the smooth expanse of your body, and as he lowers his gaze — your core between your parted thighs.

he’s visibly infatuated, and you clearly don’t entertain that as you sit on where his crotch is beneath the sheets, lying down on him to give him a quick smooch. your lips are warm and taste like lemon, which tells yukhei you just had your morning mug of tea.

“morning,” yukhei mumbles, slipping a hand beneath his jacket to rest on your back. your skin is smooth and warm under his touch as always. “this looks so much better on you.”

“yeah?” you chuckle softly. “hope you don’t mind, it was cold.”

“i don’t mind it at all,” yukhei smiles, raising his other hand to cup your cheek affectionately. “but i need you.”

“need you to warm me up, baby.” he says, his voice deepening with the next sentence. “want you to ride me in this.”

you’re looking down at him in a hazy gaze when your breathing pauses. you don’t answer him with words — instead, you slot your lips between his, never pulling away as you get on your knees and pull the covers off.

yukhei sighs into the kiss at the feeling of his cock standing tall and unrestrained, desperately begging for your attention. he lets out a heavier sigh as your hand wraps around his hard length and starts stroking him with purpose.

“just like that.” he groans, his eyebrows furrowed in pleasure as his hips start thrusting into your grip. you line his jaw with kisses, making him feel pampered and content.

“want you too.” you purr.

yukhei hears how needy you are and tightens his grip on your ass, but you’re already one step ahead of him. repositioning yourself, you let your slick folds slide against the length of his cock as you continue pumping him, lubricating him with your own arousal.

the room is filled with desperate sighs. you’re grinding your clit over his tip when it becomes all too much for yukhei, who wants to be deep inside you already.

“baby,” yukhei mutters, squeezing your ass cheeks which elicits a loud gasp from you. “need to be in you now. please.”

the urgency in his voice prompts you to lean forward and stable yourself with a hand pressed to his chest. yukhei watches you guide his cock towards your opening before sinking onto him in one go.

“fuck.” his throat goes dry at the feeling of your soaking walls enveloping all of him and his jaw slackens as he takes a few moments to appreciate how it feels to be buried in you.

“yukhei,” you whine. “it’s hot.”

he watches you shrug his jacket off, letting it hang past your shoulders in a teasing manner. at this point, he just wants to rip it off you. but all he manages is a guttural groan before running his hands up and down your thighs.

“you’re driving me insane, baby.”

you giggle softly at his words, the sound ringing in his ears and going straight to his cock.

“i love you.” you tell him sweetly and kiss him again. then you plant your hands flat against his lower abdomen where his abs are, lifting yourself off him until only his head is left stretching you open.

yukhei grunts when you drop back down slowly and start riding him at a hypnotic rhythm. he’s too overwhelmed to say a word, too entranced by your breathy moans and the lewd image of your chest rising and falling.

you’re clenching around him in such a delicious way that all he can do is knead your asscheeks with his large hands and let out deep “uh-uh-uh”s.

“fuck,” yukhei hisses as he watches you arch your back, moving you hips differently to get the perfect angle.

“let me take over, baby.”

yukhei plants his feet flat on the mattress just as he feels a familiar tight feeling in his balls. you oblige right away and collapse against him, ready for him to fuck you senseless.

pressed chest to chest, he grips onto your ass firmly as he starts pounding into you from below.

the scent of passion and desire wafted through the air. his cock leaves and enters you at a brutal pace, the sound of skin slapping only getting more erratic with your cries for his name right by his ear.

“yukhei…” you cry weakly as his tip nudges your sweet spot again and again.

“i’m here, baby. gonna come inside you, you want that?”

“y-yes. miss you filling me up.”

yukhei curses, and you reach your high just seconds before he does. your entire body shakes in pleasure before he comes into you, flooding your insides with his warm release. he groans as you ride out your high and roll your hips, the feeling of you being warm and full all too heavenly.

after a short while of nothing but heavy breathing as the both of you succumb to a blissful state, yukhei removes the jacket hanging off your elbows and rolls you over with his softening cock still snug in you. he hums in satisfaction, nuzzling his face against your neck as your fingers comb through his hair.

“i love you.” yukhei sighs contentedly. “didn’t get to say it back just now.”

he hears you hum softly and feels a peck on his forehead. when he gains the energy to pull back and look at you, he finds your eyes already on him, half-open in adoration.

“i’ll clean us up, okay?” yukhei asks softly, his elbows pressing against the mattress as he moves to get up. he’s sure there’s already a mess on your sheets.

“no, don’t go.” you murmured, tightening your thighs around his hips in an attempt to lock him in place. you end up pushing him deeper into you instead, making him hiss. “stay like this for a bit.”

yukhei notes the clinginess in your voice and the way your hands trace love patterns along the curves of his back. he lies back down, joining your lips in a deep kiss.

“i’m not going anywhere.”

it’s so easy for him to do whatever you say, he realises. you have him wrapped around your finger because you’re just as clingy as he is — and only he gets to see that side of you.

yukhei had sex with you for the first time in a hotel overlooking the ocean.

it had been his first holiday with you. every december, yukhei would fly back to his mum’s hometown in thailand with his family to visit his relatives — that wasn’t anything new. what was new though, was you tagging along after his mum had enthusiastically asked you to join them.

the week-long trip was the most fun yukhei had in years. minus the shy introductions and teasing from his relatives who were overjoyed to finally meet his pretty girlfriend whom they’ve heard much about over phone calls, it was like a mini honeymoon for the two of you.

after catching up with his cousins in the first half of the trip, yukhei spent all the other days ‘having fun by yourselves’ as his mum had insisted. you ended up exploring the coastal town, hanging out at the beach, and eating the local food to your heart’s content.

the highlight of the trip for yukhei though, was finally being able to make love to you. the resort stay was a godsend opportunity after the many interruptions during your steamy makeout sessions in yukhei’s tiny bedroom. it was the perfect time and place that you both needed.

yukhei swore you were a goddess as you laid on the bed with your legs spread out, your hair fanned out against the pillows, patiently waiting for him to put the condom on.

it was his first time seeing all of you, your curves and body marks displayed to him like a work of art in a museum. he couldn’t look away, couldn’t ignore how rosy your face was from coming apart on his fingers just minutes earlier.

“is this okay?” yukhei asked tenderly, pausing when he stretched you out halfway. “can i go deeper, baby?”

you nodded fervently though the tense look on your face made yukhei unsure. he really wanted you to enjoy this too. sensing his hesitation, you pulled him down for a deep kiss.

“so tight, fuck—” yukhei mumbles against your lips as he pushed himself further into you, his hands caressing the underside of your thighs.

yukhei sighed, the pressure to not come quickly making him slightly nervous. it was difficult not to when your walls were warm and hugging his cock like a glove, letting him experience euphoria like never before.

“beautiful.” his voice gentle as he gave you an open-mouthed kiss. “all mine.”

as soon as you signalled for him to move, yukhei took charge, thrusting into you slowly as he gauged your reaction. his pace quickened after a while a combination of sighs and moans spilled from your mouth. your neck arched against the pillows, presenting him with the perfect location for a love mark.

but yukhei was distracted. he couldn’t take his eyes off your soaking core, couldn’t get over the way you stretched open to welcome him each time his cock slid all the way back in. he had seen his fingers disappear in you before so many times, but this image was incomparable.

“so deep,” you said breathlessly, your fingernails digging crescent moons into his back.

yukhei looked at you. from the hair that stuck to the side of your neck to your lashes fluttered shut in pleasure, you were a sight to behold.

“yeah?” he kissed you sloppily. “does it feel good?”

“yes—oh!” you whimpered just as yukhei’s fingertips landed on the sensitive bundle of nerves right above where you and him were connected.

he drew circles on it with his thumb, groaning when you clenched around him. “you feel so good around me too, baby. you’re doing so well.”

yukhei’s thrusts grew uneven as he coaxed you into your orgasm. by the time he shot his release into the rubber, you came undone beneath him too, crying out in rapture one last time as your thighs shook intensely.

a moment of silence hung in the air as your pants slowly faded into deep and slow inhalations. seeing you come all over him, because of him, gave yukhei’s ego a huge boost. it didn’t help that you were trembling in sensitivity while he cleaned you up as gently as he could and muttered praises into your ear.

“yukhei,” you called him softly and he halted his movements, worried that he had accidentally hurt you.

“i don’t know if i can go out tomorrow.” you mumbled, covering your eyes with the back of your hand.

yukhei instantly relaxed, a smirk taking over his face as he threw the wet wipes aside. “we don’t have to go out, but i can carry you wherever you like.”

when you didn’t respond, he crawled over you and pulled your hand away. you avoided his gaze, looking at his chest instead.

“i’m serious, baby.” yukhei tilted your chin up and looked into your eyes as genuinely as he could. “we can stay in all day if you want.”

“okay. sounds nice.” your hand quickly hovered over your face again.

the smirk on yukhei’s face softened into a smile. it was amusing and adorable to him, how you could still be this shy after the night’s events. he felt as if he was in heaven and within the next second, he was placing kisses everywhere on your face but your lips. when you broke into a fit of giggles, yukhei couldn’t help but keep going. he finally stopped when your hands framed his jaw, guiding his plump lips back to yours for a short, innocent kiss.

“thank you for being so patient with me tonight.” you paused, swallowing a lump down your throat. “it was nice even though i’m a little sore now.”

yukhei’s heart grew three times at your words.

“is that all? just nice?” he smirked.

you pinched his bicep playfully and hid your face again, muttering something about him being so annoying.

“i’m playing with you,” yukhei giggled, pretty sure he had hearts in his eyes as he looked at you. “love seeing you get all shy for me like this.” and with that, he pulled your hands apart and trapped them against the pillows.

just as he was about to kiss away the pout on your lips, the sound of a door slamming shut thundered down the hallway and echoed in the room, sending both of you into speechlessness.

yukhei put his boxers on hurriedly, rushing to the balcony and sighing in relief when he noticed the lights in the next room a distance away had just turned on — a sign that his parents, who had been out the entire evening, have just gotten back. at that moment, he couldn’t be more thankful that his plans for the night turned out well. he wouldn’t know how to face his parents if they overheard him and you, and just the sheer thought of it brought goosebumps to his arms.

“are they back?” you asked nervously, pulling the covers up to your chin.

yukhei nodded, turning the bedside lamp off before cuddling up to you. “we have to be quiet.”

“oh, we will be.” you yawned, making him smile and hug you more tightly. you responded by wiggling around in his embrace. “yukhei, i’m sticky.”

“don’t care.” he whispered against your skin. “just wanna hold my baby like this.”

after a few more indulgent kisses and sweet nothings were exchanged under the moonlight, you dozed off in each other’s arms.

the next morning, yukhei woke up to the sound of waves crashing onto the shore. you were already awake and sitting up with the covers wrapped around you as you silently admired the swaying palm trees outside. yukhei sat up sluggishly, planting a kiss on your shoulder.

you turned around to return a kiss to his lips, eyes still closed when you pulled away, the intimacy of last night clearly still in the air. you opened your eyes, looking completely lost in him just like he was in you.

“good morning to you too.”

the rest of the day was slow and relaxed. you both agreed to stay in the resort, and so the afternoon flew by as you lounged by the pool and dined at the restaurant next to the beach. safe to say, the sight of you in a bikini all day led to another intimate, even raunchier night.

yukhei thinks he’s ready to move in with you.

maybe it sounds a little impulsive. but that’s because there haven’t been a lot of opportunities for the two of you to live together, with yukhei studying at another university and you living in a shared apartment over the past few years.

but staying at your apartment over these few days has given yukhei a sneak peek of life under the same roof as you, and he loves it so much that he wants to be done with his enlistment duties and fast forward to the part where he gets to share a home with you already.

yukhei wants to wake up past noon on weekends and whip up a hearty brunch with you, wants to spend the rest of the day helping you with mundane tasks like laundry and watering all your plants.

yukhei wants to be there for you on days where you’re exhausted from grad school life, when you turn down his pleas for you to take a break despite being drained from staring at your laptop screen. but he’ll massage your tensed shoulders, take your glasses off, and pull you to bed where you doze off to his soothing back rubs and soft praises of how proud of you he is and how well you’re doing.

he craves that kind of domesticity even right now as you lay on top of him, your limbs entangled comfortably and your cheek squished against his chest while your eyes are glued to the great gatsby playing on the tv.

there aren’t any plans to go out today due to the simple fact that you were both too lazy to get dressed and leave the house unless it’s for food. and probably because, though you wouldn’t admit it openly, you want him all to yourself — which is fine because yukhei feels the exact same towards you.

the living room is hushed as you and him watch a drenched gatsby reunite with daisy in a lavishly decorated flower-filled cottage. you sit up just as the scene ends, elbowing the couch as you rest your chin on your palm.

“why are you looking at me like that?” yukhei asks. there’s an unsure look on your face that he can’t quite read.

“i think i remember.” you hold your other hand up, flashing the ring that has been making you so happy. “thailand?”

yukhei grins brightly, the top row of his teeth showing. he nods proudly, taking your hand in his to look at the ring — a thin gold band with a pale blue sapphire — and admire the way it gleams in the afternoon sunlight.

it’s just as beautiful as the first time he saw it in that gift shop in thailand.

yukhei remembers that day vividly. it was the last day of the trip, and both of you were shopping around for souvenirs for your friends back home. he caught you admiring a few vintage jewellery pieces by yourself as he stood in the corner of one of the many shops you stepped into that day, pretending to be interested in some touristy postcards. though it didn’t seem like much to him at first, he later noticed that you picked up the same ring a few times, looking back at it even as you walked away.

eventually, thanks to what he could say in his broken thai, he managed to charm the shop owner into reserving that very ring for him. yukhei secretly returned for them while you thought you were waiting for him to be done in the bathroom at a cafe. he felt a little bad at first, but he knew it had to be done or else he’d regret it so much in the years to come.

yukhei always imagined what the ring would look like on your finger. its design enthralled him when he first examined it up close and he quickly understood why you took such a liking to it — after all, anything vintage was right up your alley. little did he know it would look even more beautiful sitting on your ring finger.

“oh my god.” you let out a huff of disbelief as soon as he finishes explaining everything.

you’re speechless as your eyes flick back and forth between the ring and the coy look on yukhei’s face. this is the reaction he has been waiting for.

“yukhei.” your voice is fragile, like you’re about to cry any moment.

the smirk on yukhei’s face drops immediately. he does not like hearing his name from you like that.

“what’s wrong?”

“nothing,” you smile weakly, quickly brushing away the tears that escaped your eyes with the back of your hand. “i just love you so much.”

“and i’m going to miss you. a lot.” you continue before he gets to reply. “every day. all over again. i miss you already.”

“oh, baby.” yukhei croons as he wraps his arms around you, pulling you down for a tight hug. he rubs your back, feeling helpless at the sound of your sniffles.

yukhei knew this would happen. of course he did. he’s struggling just as much as you are to ignore the impending distance you’ll both have to deal with again — maybe that’s why he was clinging onto the idea of a future with you so tightly.

“we’ve talked about this. the sooner the better, right? ” yukhei says sadly, finding it hard to agree with himself.

“i know, i’m just being emotional again. i’m sorry.” you chuckle unhumorously. “i didn’t think i’d get to see you before the year ends, you know? but you came back. you’re actually here and i’m so happy.”

“and,” you prop your arm up on his chest, the promise ring once again in yukhei’s view. a moment passes as the two of you stare at it — the symbol of your love and future.

“i love you so much. i want to live the rest of my life with you, like the past few days.” you say resolutely.

yukhei is overwhelmed with happiness, love, and nostalgia all at once. suddenly he’s transported back to that park where you first kissed as teenagers, where he first found out that you liked him too. but loving someone and knowing that they love you back so much so that they want to be with you forever is something so much more special. it’s a privilege yukhei never thought he’d have.

and now, he does. as he looks into your eyes, he realises that you’ve blessed him with that privilege, and that you’re truly the best thing that has ever happened to him.

yukhei finds himself unable to express in words just how he feels at this moment. so he shifts your bodies around until you’re lying side by side, until all he sees is your face up close. he cups your tear-streaked cheeks before softly brushing his lips against yours, sinking in the warmth that blossoms in his chest.

“i love you.” he says delicately when he pulls away, tugging a loose strand of hair behind your ear. “i’m so glad the universe chose you for me.”

the fond smile on your face falters as a tear rolls down your cheek and your bottom lip begin to quiver, the violins playing in the long-forgotten movie adding more melancholy than needed to this moment.

yukhei’s heart breaks as he watches you avoid his gaze and desperately blink away the tears pricking at the corners of your eyes. but he knows that you two will make it, that the distance is merely temporary. and he knows you know it too. what you and him have is so strong.

“hey, look at me.” he whispers.

you turn towards him, your eyes curiously examining his face.

“i’m gonna come home. to you.” yukhei places a kiss on your forehead. “and it won’t be long. think about it baby, i’ll be out this time next year and we could be living together by then.”

“i can’t wait for that.”

“me too. you’ll get to wake up next to me everyday, but you’ll have to teach me how to not burn our pancakes for breakfast until they’re perfect.”

at last, the corners of your lips twitch and you chuckle into the sleeve of your sweater.

“how does that sound?”

“waking up to you everyday or the pancakes?”

“me coming home. and us living together.”

“like a dream come true.”

a moment passes as you smile at each other in a placid silence.

yukhei cups the side of your face with one hand, brushing over your cheekbone and memorising every little detail that adorned your face and made him feel at home no matter where he is. you lean into his touch, reveling in the warmth of his palm.

the fact that he only has one more day until he will have to wait months before he gets to be with you like this again makes his heart swell in longing. so he holds you close, enjoying the moment while he still can.

the first time yukhei told you he loved you, it was an accident — not really.

that morning, he was awoken by a ball of fur nuzzling against his bare shoulder.

he opened his eyes, looking around the room for a good minute before spotting a familiar siamese cat that was perched at the foot of the bed and observing him with its soft gloomy eyes like it had been waiting for him to wake up for the longest time.

“good morning, louis.”

the cat meowed once as if announcing its disappointment in yukhei before hopping off the bed and making its grand exit by squeezing through the slim door gap.

yukhei shrugged, reaching for his phone that had been charging on the nightstand right by the bed. a quick look at the time and date on his lock screen refreshed his memory, vaguely reminding him of the events of the night before.

he crashed against the mattress and let out a muffled groan into the pillows, shuddering at the thought of how much alcohol he had downed. he was absolutely regretting his idea of not having a birthday party, but instead an entire night of drinking to celebrate turning his legal age.

his final hours of being seventeen were fun, though. ten, kunhang, and a couple of other friends brought him to an upscale steakhouse located in the city’s nightlife district. but like every other boys’ night out, the night eventually descended into borderline chaos. in last night’s case, they went through too many rounds of drinking games and yukhei soon came to the realisation that he was the type to get all giggly and sappy when intoxicated.

yukhei threw the covers over himself and ignored the dryness in his throat, ready to slip back into slumber but he couldn’t. something felt off. he grabbed his phone again and there you were, smiling back at him in his lockscreen wallpaper.

oh no.

flashbacks of how he had asked for you last night and proudly claimed that you were “the one” for him came running back to him. he quickly unlocked his phone, checking his text messages.

[to: ♥][sent at 1:55AM]

hey baaby

baby

i miss u ;(

ii'm still with ten and. kunhang

he mahde me drink so muhch hheheehe

babyy reply me plz

i can seee u readin all of thiks :(

i miss You

[from: ♥][sent at 1:56AM]

oh my god yukhei

are you okay?

wru now???

[to: ♥][sent at 1:58AM]

hi bab

im OK

at tens place now…

he has 2 catss. theyre so Cute

anyway

i need to tell u sometxhing

its rneally imbportant

and that is i love u

u make me so happi

u r so pretttyjf n soooo smart

ur alsoreally kind.. lwiterally an angel

hdeheheheheheee

im so lucky to be youre boyfrjend

becayuse i get to see Ur smile everyyday. hold your hand whenegver i want

onlyi can call u Baby

did u know ?

i bet u djd not ;)

i l o v e LOVE you

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

[incoming call from: ♥]

declined.

[incoming call from: ♥]

declined.

[from: ♥][sent at 2:00AM]

why aren’t you picking up yukhei

you’re making me worried now

are you okay :(

[to: ♥][sent at 2:15AM]

hey _____, ten here. don’t worry about xuxi! he just passed out on my couch.

[attachment: 1 image]

i’m just gonna let him crash here tonight since my parents aren’t back anyway. feel free to pop by in the morning btw, i think he would be really happy. and sorry for texting you at this hour!! goodnight :D

yukhei stared at his phone screen blankly, the jumbled letters of his drunk texts burning into his eyes. there was also that picture of him sprawled across the leather couch in ten’s living room in deep slumber, with his shirt completely unbuttoned and a party hat strapped to his forehead like a unicorn.

“morning, birthday boy.”

yukhei’s heart jumped. he jammed his thumb against the button on the side of his phone, turning around to find ten’s head poking out of the door.

“how are you feeling?” ten asked. yukhei sat up immediately when he saw a glass of water in his friend’s hand. “like shit, i’m guessing.”

ten sat himself down at the foot of the bed, handing the water to an eager yukhei who gulps it all at one go.

“close enough. i feel like i’ve been run over by a bus.” yukhei replied, coughing to clear the raspiness in his voice.

ten hummed. “well, your girl came over with a lot of food. i think you’ll feel better after eating.”

yukhei’s eyes widened, his voice lowering into a whisper. “she’s here? now?”

“sort of. she went out to get coffee with guanheng but they should be back soon.” ten narrowed his eyes at yukhei, trying to read the look on his face. “what’s wrong?”

“nothing.”

“uh huh.” ten snorted. “you suck at lying.”

“okay, fine. i might have spammed her with some texts last night while i was wasted.”

“oh yeah, i saw those. you were crying for her for at least thirty minutes last night by the way.”

“fuck.” yukhei let out a groan. “let’s not talk about that. not now please, ten-ge.”

“okay, okay.” ten smirked. “only because it’s your birthday. now, continue.”

“i told her i love her. like, love love her.”

“oh.” ten paused, his expression fading into one of confusion. “wait, i don’t get it. is that a bad thing?”

“no, no. it’s not.” yukhei cut in quickly, glancing at the door every few seconds nervously. “it’s just—i haven’t told her that before!” he whisper-shouted.

“i don’t know how she reacted to it! what if she doesn’t feel the same?”

ten burst into laughter right away, his eyes squinting into crescents. “oh, xuxi. you’re so cute when you’re in love, you know?”

“i really don’t think you have to worry about her not feeling the same. but i do think you should go tell her in person soon.”

yukhei blinked, relaxing a little when he realised that ten was probably right. the older male grinned, ruffling yukhei’s bed hair playfully before leaving the room.

in less than five minutes the door swung open again, and yukhei tensed a little when he saw you, almost as if he had seen a ghost. he didn’t realise you were back already and had been planning to sit in anxiety by himself for thirty more minutes.

“you okay?” you chuckled as you walked over and sat next to him.

yukhei hummed as you cradled the side of his face with one hand, your thumb smoothing away the drool crust on the corner of his lips that he didn’t even realise had been there.

“someone clearly had a lot of fun last night.”

yukhei’s lips curled into a silly, crooked smile as you crossed your arms and pouted. your attempt at guilt-tripping him had failed completely, it endeared you instead and suddenly he felt like his drunk self bombarding you with all those confessions last night.

your lips eventually cracked into a huge grin. you threw your arms around his shoulders, doing your best to engulf his big frame in a tight hug which made yukhei chuckle. he loved it whenever you hugged him like that or let him be the small spoon when you cuddled.

“happy birthday bub.” you coo dearly, giving each of his cheeks a loud smooch which made his face scrunch up adorably. “are you sure you’re okay?”

“thank you, baby.” yukhei smiled, his mind completely free from his worries already. “i’m okay, just a little hungry.”

“well, it just so happens that there are loads of yummy things waiting outside. maybe even some of your favourite desserts.” you smirked enticingly as you grabbed his hand and stood up. “c’mon, let’s go eat.”

“wait.” yukhei’s breathing stuttered, pulling you back quickly. “i need to tell you something.”

you moved into the spot between his legs, waiting for him to say something as your hands hung in the air intertwined.

“what is it?” you asked.

yukhei looked up at you, taking in the curious smile on your face. it brought so much joy and warmth to his life and he could never get tired of seeing that.

“i love you.” yukhei said, each word rolling off his tongue so naturally. “all those texts i sent you last night? i meant every single word. i love you, _____.”

your eyes were glossy as you relaxed a little, sinking into his touch when he clasped his arms around your thighs to pull you closer. yukhei could tell you were recalling all those cheesy texts as you bit your lip shyly.

he closed his eyes just as you bent down to slot your lips against his in the most delicate way possible before whispering those three words back, as if they were only for him to hear.

“i love you too, yukhei. you make me so happy.”

“say it again.” yukhei asked, his voice laced with desperation even though he knew it was the first of many ‘i love you’s to come.

your cheek was soft and warm in the palm of his hand. you grinned, closing the distance between your lips once more.

“i love you.”

it was the best birthday gift yukhei had ever received.

as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

in yukhei’s case, the past five days have flown by quickly and alas, it is the penultimate day of his short vacation.

but he’s more than satisfied with how the week has gone by despite how short it felt. he managed to visit his family, catch up with his closest friends, recover all the hours of sleep he had lost while on duty, and most importantly, be around you literally every day of this vacation so far. he woke up and slept next to you, cooked and ate all his favourite foods with you, and interrupted every other activity with sex and cuddling sessions — and he wouldn’t have it any other way. just looking back on those moments brought a smile to his face.

his thoughts are interrupted when the door to your bedroom opens and you walk in with a small stack of laundry in one hand.

”thank you baby.” he says, taking the clothes he had worn in the past few days, that are now clean, from you. they’re still warm from being fresh out of the dryer, and he gets a whiff of roses when he holds them under his nose.

“you’re very welcome.” you plop down right next to where he had been sitting cross-legged on the floor, packing his belongings.

as yukhei stuffs his sneakers deep into the bottom of his haversack, you look at all his other things that have been laid out neatly, side-by-side, on your bedroom rug. he doesn’t pay much attention as you pick up his wallet and entertain yourself with its contents.

“is this what i think it is?”

you ask, pulling out a small folded piece of paper that was stuffed into one of the card compartments. the look of curiosity on your face morphs into one of surprise as soon as you unfold it completely and realise what it is.

“you keep this in your wallet?”

it’s one of the few handwritten letters you mailed to him during his first month in camp when he, like every one of his teammates, had zero access to their phones and gadgets.

yukhei still remembers how tough that period of time was. being thrown into a whole new environment and expected to adjust to a lifestyle that was the complete opposite of university life was not easy at all. not only was his freedom snatched away, he had to deal with a long list of strict rules and responsibilities dumped onto him. and as if all that wasn’t enough, he had to witness his newly-made friends live through the countless military break-up horror stories he heard from his seniors.

it was a lot, but he got through each day thanks to the camaraderie he shared with his team and those letters you had mailed him, since they were the only form of communication he had with you.

“yeah. it got me through some tough times, you know.” yukhei admits, watching you read through your own words.

each letter was detailed with updates on your life and things his mum told you to convey to him. they all ended with a short paragraph of best wishes and sweet words which yukhei appreciated very much because he was absolutely sick of hearing about duty and honour.

yukhei had no idea he was so sentimental. he’d reread those letters in your voice, stare at your handwriting, and hold it up to his nose to get the faint scent of your perfume. it was like a piece of you — which was what he needed to fight the homesickness gnawing at him.

“maybe you should write to me.” you mumble, refusing to look at him as you slid the letter back into his wallet. “i mean, if you’re not too busy. i would love getting mail from you even though we can text and facetime now.”

“i’ll try to, baby.” yukhei smirks. “my good morning and goodnight texts not enough for you?”

“no,” you drawl, rolling your eyes playfully. “i love waking up to a bunch of heart and rose emojis.”

yukhei laughs, going back to packing his things while you roll his clothes into bundles that would help him save space. after a short while of teamwork between you two, his haversack is stuffed and he’s done.

“don’t forget these,” you hand him his leather glasses case that had been sitting on your bedside table. then you’re on your feet, pacing around the room as your eyes scan every inch of the space, looking out for anything he might’ve missed.

“i’ve looked everywhere earlier.” yukhei tells you before getting on his feet too. he stretches his arms high above him and lets out a silent yawn. “i think that’s it.”

“okay.” you answer in a small voice.

now that you’re done helping him pack, there’s just one last thing left to do and it just happens to be the hardest task of all — you’ll have to say goodbye to him this time, tomorrow, at the train station.

that realisation settles between the two of you, once again compelling yukhei to make the most out of the time he has left. with a sad smile he holds his arms out, instantly drawing you into his embrace like a moth of a flame. you squish your cheek against him, hands locked behind his back as he hugs you warm and securely.

“you need to stop working out so much, your abs are hard enough.” your voice comes out slightly muffled. “by the time you’re out, i’m gonna be hugging a rock.”

yukhei grins at your words, bursting into full-blown giggles when your fingers poke into his sides and smooth across his tummy. the faint muscle lines that were there before he enlisted were now more defined, some even visible through the cotton fabric of his t-shirt.

“you say that like i have a choice, baby.” he replies. “i can’t just sit aside while everyone else does seventy push-ups and ten laps around the field.”

you let out a disgruntled noise and hugged him even tighter, as if you were trying to mold your body into his.

“and you like it. admit it.” yukhei teases.

“i do.” you murmur. “you smell so good, by the way.”

yukhei giggles at how quickly you switched the topic.

“it’s that detergent you’re using. i wish my clothes smelled this nice when i’m there.”

“i’m talking about you, bub. the way you smell. my hoodie doesn’t smell like that anymore.”

“the way i smell?” yukhei laughs. “and i think you mean my hoodie.”

“it’s been mine for a while now.”

“well, wanna give it back to me? since it lost its purpose.”

“okay. i’ll trade it for this shirt.”

you tug on the hem of his shirt as you look up at him, eagerly waiting for his response. it’s moments like this where yukhei wonders if you know you have him in the palm of your hand.

“whatever you want, baby. i’ll give it to you.”

the lovestruck smile on his face widens as he places a kiss on your forehead, drawing circles on your back.

“can i have it now then?” you ask innocently, but yukhei’s ears pick up the hint of playfulness in your tone.

“right now?” he asks.

“yeah. what’s stopping you?”

“oh, i’ll give it to you now.” yukhei tells you lowly.

the cheeky smile on your face morphs into an ‘o’ shape as his grip on your waist tightens, guiding you towards the bed where you both crash against the mattress. there’s a moment of silence as he hovers over you, suavely tugging his shirt off with one hand and dropping the crumpled fabric next to your face.

“thanks.” you whisper.

it’s hard to ignore the way your core is perfectly aligned with his when you’re lying underneath him in a hoodie and a pair of grey boyshorts that have been testing his patience for a while now.

yukhei runs his hands up your thighs to your sides, bunching the hoodie up to your chest. wet open-mouthed kisses are left all over the smooth expanse of your tummy and he takes delight in how hard you’re breathing.

“it’s no problem, baby.” he replies nonchalantly, his fingers pulling at the waistband of your boyshorts. “anything else you want before i take this off?”

you shake your head and shoot him a silly smile, and it’s all yukhei can remember before he embarks on yet another mission to please you with his mouth. then he makes love to you again, his warm touch roaming every inch of your body which he memorises to perfection.

later, when you’re both sated and holding onto each other like two long-lost lovers, yukhei dreams of you again. this time, he’s hiding another velvet box in an even bigger bouquet of roses as he sits nervously in a dimly lit living room, waiting to surprise you when you get home.

the thought of you being his forever is enough to make him smile in reality, enough to push him through the upcoming months of separation. yukhei was more than ready to be done with that.

it’s only been a minute since you’ve gotten home but the place already feels too big for one person — which is laughable because your apartment isn’t even that huge to begin with. now that yukhei is gone, it feels as if life has been sucked out of these four walls. it has reverted back to nothing more than a roof over your head and a living space for one.

after hanging your coat up and stepping out of your shoes, you stroll to the kitchen and lean against the counter, staring into thin air with the refrigerator whirring softly behind you.

even though it’s only three in the afternoon, it has been an awfully long day for you. the few hours you spent outside drained you and all you did was sit at a restaurant with yukhei and his family for one last meal before sending him off at the train terminal.

the meal was nice and the send-off was not as bad as you thought it would be. but it was still an emotional farewell and you shed a few tears despite it being nowhere as difficult as the first time he had to leave you.

you and yukhei stood at the train platform hand in hand until the train finally arrived and came to a stop in front of everyone.

you let ten and kun attack your boyfriend with their bro hugs first, followed by mrs wong who affectionately caressed her son’s face and repeated her fifth “take care of yourself, my little soldier boy” of the day, and lastly, a less-emotional mr wong who gave his son a few encouraging pats on the back.

looking around, you were filled with dread as you watched the same thing happen with every other soldier who was hugging their loved ones and waving goodbye to them.

when everyone left and when it was just you and him again, yukhei instantly pulled you into his arms, clearly just as reluctant as you are to face this moment.

this was it.

he pulled back, cupping your cheeks and smiling at you forlornly. you stared back at him, taking in how smart he looked in his uniform and the beret framing his beautifully sunkissed face, and mustered all the strength in you to not cry.

it was impossible. tears swelled in your eyes within seconds and you couldn’t help it, the harder you tried to force them away, the more they wanted to spill out. you silently chided yourself for how naive you were to have wished for a tear-free farewell.

“don’t cry, baby.” yukhei pleaded softly, his big eyes looking watery too. “remember what i said?”

you swiped your tears away with the sleeve of your turtleneck and nodded frantically, not trusting your voice at the moment.

“i’m gonna come home to you. we’re going to live our lives together.”

his voice was soft yet grounded with conviction, calming you down instantly and offering you the consolation you needed.

“i’ll be waiting for you.” your voice croaked and you rolled your eyes at how pathetic it sounded.

“i know you’ll be.” yukhei smiled, gently stroking your back. “and you’ll be getting your first letter really soon, i promise.”

“something else i get to look forward to.”

you tightened your arms around him, closing your eyes to really savour what it felt like to be in his arms one last time before forcing yourself to let go.

yukhei interlocked your hand with his, pressing a kiss to the back of it and stealing a glance at your favourite ring.

“i love you so much.” you said, adjusting the collar of his uniform thoughtfully. “eat well and be safe, okay? don’t worry about me. you know you can call me—”

he intercepted you with a long kiss to your lips, letting go only when you pinched his arm. unlike him, you weren’t bold enough to be this affectionate in public.

“i will.” yukhei answered breathlessly. “promise me you’ll sleep early and not overwork yourself while i’m away. i need you to take care of yourself too.”

“i promise.” you mumbled, locking your pinky with his as you looked around anxiously. “you should get going now. don’t want you missing your train.”

he squeezed your hand to bring your attention back to him. “i love you.”

“love you too.”

and with a final kiss to your lips, his hand loosened from yours, reaching for his haversack on the ground and swinging it over his shoulder in one go.

“text me once you’ve settled down?”

��i will, baby.”

after one last peck to your forehead, he turned around and trudged towards the edge of the train platform, where kunhang had been taking pictures with his sisters while waiting. you stood rooted to the ground as you watched your boyfriend’s figure become smaller, waving at him when he turned around to look at you one final time before getting onto the train.

ten and kun kindly gave you a lift home afterwards. you nearly teared up again when you walked past the parking lot and spotted the two of them patiently waiting for you in the comfort of their heated car. on the way home, they even made dinner plans and insisted you didn’t spend the rest of the day alone — which you were extremely grateful for.

you still have a few hours to yourself before meeting them, and it dawns on you that you should probably take a short nap after the sad amount of sleep you got last night. so you force yourself to stop moping and drag yourself to your bedroom to find a comfy set of clothes.

you spend what feels like hours under the hot shower that by the time you step out of the steamy bathroom, the skin of your fingers are wrinkly. just as you start combing your hair, your phone buzzes, its screen lighting up to show you a single notification.

you whisk it off the table, gaping at the sight of yukhei’s name staring back at you.

[from: yukhei][sent at 4:10PM]

hey baby i miss you ♥

[to: yukhei][sent at 4:10PM]

miss you too :(

you guys back there already?

[from: yukhei][sent at 4:11PM]

we’re still on the train

i didn’t get to nap. kunhang snored so loudly :(

[to: yukhei][sent at 4:11PM]

poor baby…

[from: yukhei][sent at 4:11PM]

it’s fine

your boyfriend is a strong man. a day without a nap is nothing :D

you snort at his reply. the typing icon appears next to his name so you wait for his next text.

[from: yukhei][sent as 4:12PM]

anyway, i left a surprise in your desk drawer for you

i think you already know what it is ;)

you don’t.

[from: yukhei][sent at 4:12PM]

i hope you like it baby ♥

you never know what to expect from yukhei because he’s always surprising you with the sweetest, most meaningful gestures. even the story behind your promise ring has you in wonder still. when you pull open the drawer and realise just what he had left for you, a huge grin spreads across your face and you take a second to appreciate the sight of it. he was truly something else.

there, carefully placed on top of the paperwork you had kept in the drawer, is an envelope with your name on it.

“yeah. you’ll be getting your first letter really soon, i promise.”

you reach for it, immediately peeping inside when you notice it’s unsealed. there was indeed a letter as yukhei had promised. you recognize the lined paper that he clearly tore off from one of your notebooks and assume he wrote this secretly while you were sleeping. the mental image of that melts your heart.

to _____, my favourite girl in the world.

i have been staring at this blank piece of paper for ten minutes now while you’re sleeping so peacefully. i still don’t know what i should write for my first letter, so here’s an old-fashioned love letter from your admirer for life, your boyfriend, and your future husband: me <3

you giggle to yourself like an idiot. it’s funny how a single paragraph could switch your mood instantly, how yukhei manages to make you happy even though he’s so far away now.

was that too cheesy? i’m sorry. you know i’m not a poetic person even though i wish i am. you’ll probably laugh as you read on but that’s okay, because i want you to be happy whenever you read this.

so where should i begin?

how about the first time we met? when i saw you sitting at the back of mum’s restaurant, i had butterflies in my stomach (is this how that phrase goes?) and quickly hid in the kitchen. do you remember?

the smile on your face grew as you continued reading yukhei’s letter. it spoke of the vivid details of all your firsts in your relationship, of the little habits you have that he adores. of the warmth and safeness he feels when he’s around you, of how in awe and inspired he is by you — and how lucky he is to get to experience all that for the past few years and hopefully, the rest of his life.

by the time you reach the end, you’re laughing and crying. you miss him so much.

i love you, _____. nothing else matters. you’re the light of my life and i hope i can keep making you feel the way you make me feel: safe, happy, and loved.

until we meet again,

wong yukhei

p.s. i hope you’re not crying. and if you are i really hope it’s because i made you laugh too much.

you reread the letter again, letting his voice linger in your head for a bit because you’re not ready to let it go yet. then you laid on the bed for a good fifteen minutes as you stared at the ceiling with his letter clasped to your chest, yearning for his presence all over again.

it’s going to be fine, you tell yourself. you can handle a few months without him. after all, you already have. and he’s never completely away from you, you realise, as you hold your hand up and admire the gorgeous ring shining in the afternoon sunlight.

for now, that’ll do.

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imanativeofswlondondahling · 4 years ago

Text

Becoming A Stark (8)- Peter Parker x Stark!femReader

Word Count: 2390

Warnings: Swearing

Author’s Note: No Peter in this chapter, but he’ll be in the next few. Promise.

Chapter One || Previous Chapter || Master List

Your dad hasn’t been home in 48 hours but, according to Pepper, he somehow had time to go to MIT, spend the night at the compound and then fly to Berlin. It took less than a week for him to go back on what he had said and to be honest you were a bit passed pissed about it. Pepper had decided to order dinner for you both and had said Tony could figure something else out whenever he got home. If you were a betting woman, you bet that Pepper ordered some extra Thai food for him though. You, on the other hand, had decided to work on homework while waiting for food to arrive. But not even your English homework could hold your attention it seemed. Tony has managed to take the joy your favorite class normally brings you, because all you can think about is how pissed you are.

It also didn’t help that the tower was freezing, but you didn’t feel like telling FRIDAY to turn the temperature up. So instead you go digging through your drawers to find a sweatshirt to help warm you up. It wasn’t until you find a black one with words that really suit your mood. ‘No. I Checked My Receipts. I Don’t Buy Any Of Your Bullshit.’ Even though AC/DC’s Highway to Hell is blasting over your speakers, a knock on your door tells you that someone isn’t going to leave you alone.

“Hey there kiddo.” Even his voice irritates you right now. Instead of greeting him, you turn back towards your English assignment and continue typing. “Wow, two days away and I get the cold shoulder.”

“FRIDAY turn music up by 25%.” You say, trying to block him out.

“FRIDAY, music off.” You huff at the fact that his commands override yours. But decide to play it sweet instead of sour.

“Did you need something?” You turn in your chair and paste a fake smile on your face.

“I know I was gone the past two days. I let you down. But I came and saw you before I even went looking for Pepper.”

“I don’t care.” But then you see the bruise on his face and you can’t pretend anything. “What happened to your face?”

“Ex-assassin under some brainwashing. Long story.” So he’s still going to keep things from you?

“Was this while you were in Berlin? Missing family dinner again?” You know you sound like the stereotypical teenager that you usually try to shy away from, but you can’t help it.

“I fucked up. I know. And honestly, according to people other than you I fucked up in more ways than you can count. But I’m here for tonight’s dinner. I even pushed a trip to Germany to be here for it.” Tony sits down on your bed.

“Wow, I came before Germany. Not before Berlin though.” You throw your hands outward as your head moves from side to side.

“You do come before Berlin. I was hoping to make it home before I missed another dinner because I didn’t want to disappoint you again. I’m not good at saying it, but I’m sorry. I missed you the whole time I was gone.” His eyes read your sweatshirt and then looks back at your face. “That’s at me isn’t it?”

“Kind of.” You admit. “You did say ‘I would drop anything and everything for you’ and a week later I’m having dinner by myself and then finding out that Natasha’s in building’s that are being bombed and I don’t even know where you are and I was hurt by it.”

“You’re allowed to be hurt by it. I’m trying to be better, but that doesn’t mean I won’t fuck up occasionally. I wasn’t in Vienna, but I’ve seen Nat and she’s fine. Saw her in Berlin earlier.”

“Don’t tell me she has one of those too.” You motion towards his eye.

“She’s fine. She’s also an ex-assassin, remember? They tend to be pretty good at fighting other ex-assassins.”

“Good.”

“Now, dinner? Last I checked you were trending downward, so it’s a perfect time for dinner.”

“Has dinner been delivered?”

“It arrived when I did. Come on.” Tony offers an arm to you and you sink into his side hug as you walk downstairs with him. Pepper smiles at the two of you as she unboxes the Thai food that had been delivered.

“You two all good now?” She asks as she sets the food on the table. You nod. “Good. Now dinner is served.” You sit down and start eating your pineapple fried rice and tofu as Pepper and Tony talk about some SI stuff.

“You know Y/N, I talked to a boy from your school today.”

“Really, why?”

“Possible intern.

“Uh, ok. Guess that makes sense. But do you even work at the lab at SI that much really?”

“He might end up being my personal intern here or at the Avenger’s Compound.”

“Really? Do I know him?”

“He knows you.” You can’t help but cock your head to the side as you take a bite of food. “Name’s Peter Parker. Talked about you quite a bit. Especially how you skipped out of class today.”

“I had a good reason. You see your family members' names in tweets with the word bomb and you would skip out of class too. I was going to call you too, but Natasha told me you weren’t there.”

“Well he told me so much about you that it makes me wonder if I need to start laying down some ground rules for you and dating.”

“Pepper, make him stop!” You plead as you use your chopsticks to scoop up more food.

“Tony.” She warns from the other side of the table.

“No, this is my little girl. I’m allowed to be protective about this aspect. Dating and evil villains are my prerogative.”

“I’m not little. I’m fourteen. I’ve already gone on my first date.” Tony chokes on the water he was drinking.

“I’m sorry. Maybe I misunderstood you, but I thought I heard you say you already went on your first date.”

“I did. I already had my first boyfriend and girlfriend too.” You wait to see a reaction from either Pepper or Tony, but nothing happens.

“No more dating until you're 25, at least. I forbid it. I don’t care who they are. No one is good enough for you!” Tony says before angrily eating his food.

“He’ll lighten up eventually.” Pepper says with a smile.

“Or he’ll have FRIDAY lock me in my room until I’m 25.” You say with an eye roll.

“Don’t give him any ideas.” Pepper teases.

“I’m not completely unreasonable. I would just lock her in the tower.” Tony teases back.

“I’ll text the Avengers to come save me.” You watch as your dad’s face grows darker. “What’s going on with the Avengers?”

“Nothing I can’t handle.” He says, not really answering the question.

“I can call Natasha and ask.”

“Natasha is busy and I don’t think you should bother her.” Based off of the conversation you had with her earlier today, you can guess that’s probably actually true. “Besides, don’t you want to see your old man before he leaves tomorrow?”

“Why are you leaving?”

“Official Avengers business.”

“Weren’t you just on official Avengers business?”

“Yes and sometimes the Avengers business is nonstop.” You glance over at Pepper and see a look of almost exasperation on her face. Apparently this isn’t the first time for her hearing this argument.

“When will you be back?”

“Hopefully, tomorrow night. But if not the day after at the latest.” Tony wants to promise that he’ll be back for dinner tomorrow night, but even with quinjet, he doesn’t think he can make it back in time.

You walk back into the kitchen later, not expecting to find anyone. You just want a glass of water and then you’ll head to bed. “What are you wearing?” Your dad’s voice startles you.

“What are you doing up still?”

“Shouldn’t I ask you the same thing? One of us has school tomorrow, and it’s not me.”

“I was thirsty. Came to get water.” You shrug. “What do you mean what am I wearing?” You glance down at the shorts and tank top you had thrown on to go to sleep.

“You’re Iron Man?” He questions, looking over the wording on the grey tank. You glance down and finally realize what shirt you had put on to sleep in.

“Pepper found it when we were thrifting before school started. She thought it was funny.”

“Definitely is kiddo. Now water?” He asks, already reaching in the cupboard for a glass. Stepping into his favorite role, he gets you your water and walks up the stairs with you to your room.

“You don’t have to come tuck me in. I’m fourteen.”

“Humor me.” He says, following you into your room. You set the glass on your bedside table and climb under the covers. Tony pulls them around you and tucks you in. “Goodnight kiddo. I love you.”

“Love you too Dad.” He kisses your forehead before heading towards his own room. He can’t help but smile as he thinks about you wearing something that reps him.

“What’s got you all smiley?” Pepper asks, setting down her Stark Pad.

“Well seeing as you got her the shirt, I guess you did.” Pepper’s eyebrows furrow as she tries to understand what Tony is talking about. “The Iron Man tank top? Y/N wore it to sleep in and... I just love her so much Pep.” Pepper smiles but reaches for her phone.

“You want to see something better?” She asks as she sends Tony a picture. He glances at his phone before making a double take. “Completely her idea on the pose.”

“This is the best thing ever. I have the best kid.” Tony says. He slips under the covers to lay down next to Pepper, but can’t help but look at the picture again. Fuck it. He logs onto Instagram. Caption- I have the best kid ever. Nothing else and then posts the photo after tagging you. After posting it, he flips over to your Instagram. He notices you have changed your bio to no longer show your old last name, but it doesn’t read Stark. He scrolls through some photos that you and your friends must have taken at lunch the other day as well as some pictures of some recent reads. You really plow through books fast. Maybe he should look at signing you up for one of those book subscription boxes that you get new books every month. You’d probably like that. He likes the newer photos that he hadn’t liked yet, before clicking his phone off. He pulls Pepper into his arms and lets sleep pull him under.

When you wake up the next morning, you see your notifications have blown up over night. You have hundreds of thousands of new followers on both Instagram and Twitter. There’s also a bunch of comments. What happened? You had been sitting at a few hundred followers when you went to bed, and most of them were friends or people you knew from school. So what happened after you went to sleep. You click open Instagram and look at notifications. It’s too cluttered for you to find anything. So instead you click to your profile to see if one of your book photos went viral? That’s the only thing you could think of that would do this. But then you see the notification that you’ve apparently been tagged in a photo. Flipping pages, you see that your father made the dumbest mistake yet. You grab your phone and walk towards your dad and Pepper’s room, knowing that they’re probably up but not yet out of their room. You can’t help but roll your eyes at the situation as you knock on the door.

“Come in.” Pepper calls from inside the room. As you walk in, you see her putting on jewelry, getting ready for her day at SI. Your dad is still laying in bed on the other hand. “Good morning Y/N.”

“Is it a good morning? Because someone in this family is an idiot.” You say looking at your dad.

“What did I do?” He asks, glancing up from his datapad as he keeps working with the design that he’ll need to work on when he gets back from Germany.

“You tagged me on Instagram. My private account now has a few hundred thousand followers and people have found me on Twitter too.” Pepper turns from where she stands in the mirror.

“I thought we were trying to keep her name out of the press?” She asks, looking at Tony.

“Ok, so I didn’t completely think this through. But it was so cute I couldn’t not share it.”

“That’s not the point Tony. The whole world knows who your daughter is.”

“They already did.” Tony counters.

“No they knew you had a daughter. But her name and her face were mainly out of the picture.” Pepper takes a deep breath. “Guess I know what my day will be focused on.”

“I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry.” Tony says pushing off from the mattress. He wants to hug both females that are upset with him but doesn’t know which to go after first. You, definitely you. “Kiddo, I just had to share with the world how much I loved you. I didn’t think what tagging you would do. I’m sorry.” He pulls you into his arms. “Forgive me?” He asks.

“Yeah I guess so. Except that now everyone knows for sure that I’m related to you.”

“I’ll up security if I have to. You’ll remain safe. I promise you that.” He says into your hair. “I do have to steal Happy from you for the next few days. He’ll take you to school today, but one of the other security people will pick you up. I’ll have Happy text you who it will be after we know for sure.”

“Fine, if you have too.” You step out of your dad’s arms. “I have to go get ready for school. Try not to expose anything else about me online while I do that ok?” You tease him.

“Cross my heart.” He promises.

Permanent tag list: @wormonastringonastick

Becoming A Stark Tag list: @persephonehemingway @iamaunicorn4704 @furiouspockettoad @daughter-of-stark @eternalharry @huntective-kyeo @riiis-stuff @sunnyoongles @cosmicqueenieb @sovereignparker @bbarnestan

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elizaisthetruehero · 4 years ago

Text

Stranger with my Sister's Face Chapter 1

Someone at the DOD has a cruel sense of humor. That’s the only explanation Jo can think of for why her brother Tony is standing in front of her, being introduced as the new DOD liaison for Eureka and GD. Tony takes in his new assignment in stride as well as he can, though he has some trouble reconciling the person in front of him with his little sister. She just seems to have a little too much practice keeping secrets from him, starting with the boyfriend.

AO3 Link

Sunlight came streaming in through the windows and was glinting off of the data pad Zane was pushing in front of Jo. "Come on, one more problem, and then we'll take a quick break. You've got orbital and flight mechanics down, and you know the ship inside and out. I know you can do this. Let's just make sure everyone else knows it too."

Jo leaned back in her chair, where she was sitting at Zane's kitchen table, with more data pads and textbooks spread out in front of them. "And what were you thinking of for a break?"

"Well," Zane placed his hand on her arm, gently caressing up towards her shoulder, "you should probably have a snack, feed that brain. I've got the stuff for smoothies if that sounds good. Then", he leaned in and pressed a kiss to where her jaw met her ear, "I should probably make sure you get nice and relaxed. Studying while all tense can't be good for memory retention, I'm sure there's a study on it." He continued to press his lips along her jawline, marking a trail to her chin and back to her ear.

"You're sure?"

"Yeah, someone in educational psychology has probably done studies on the length of the cramming session" another kiss was pressed to her jaw, "the proper environment" his nose nuzzled at the side of her face, "and what mental state the student should be in." He pressed a quick kiss to her lips and drew back, smirking. "I think a snack and a few minutes away from the books will be just what the doctor ordered."

Jo raised her brow and tried not to smile at his familiar antics. "I think you want an excuse to get me out of my clothes."

"Now Miss Lupo, who said anything about taking off your clothes? Besides, that dress looks so nice on you. It'd be a shame to take it off." Zane said while looking up and down her body, grinning appreciatively, his eyes lingering.

"I had church before I came to see you."

"I'm not complaining JoJo, just complimenting."

Jo's PDA buzzed, and she pulled it out to check it. They've got to be kidding me. "Shit, I gotta run."

"What happened?"

"The new liaison from the DOD came early. They sent someone active duty military, and I have to give their briefing and finish their clearance."

"How long is that going to take?"

She stood from the table and started looking through the papers for her wallet and keys. Where the hell did I put those? "Probably about an hour or so, I'll make Larry settle them into housing and everything else, I just have to handle the security aspect. It would have gone faster if they'd given me their information beforehand like I asked, but the DOD keeps to their own schedule. If it takes much longer than that I'll grab dinner from Café Diem for us on my way back. Does Thai sound good if I have to do that?"

"You don't want to make them sweat while you finish this last problem?"

She smiled at Zane's pouting face softly. "I'll finish up with this guy as quickly as I can and then I'm all yours to torture with orbital mechanics and rocket ship engineering for the rest of the weekend." Jo kissed him slowly, bringing a hand around the back of his neck. Zane pulled her to him, both arms slipping around her waist, a tongue licking into her mouth. She smiled against him then pulled away. "I'll text you when I get out of GD."

"Fine, go, do your job. Make sure that the DOD didn't send a complete moron our way."

"Or a Consortium spy."

Zane furrowed his brow in confusion. "Shouldn't they have already checked that?"

"Yeah, but my background checks are more thorough. Even if the DOD objects to them. Apparently, it's rude to request those records for a sitting Senator. But some lowly grunt is fair game." Jo grabbed her keys from the dish on the table beside Zane's front door and tried not to think of how she'd automatically tossed them there when she'd gotten there a few hours ago, how easily she'd slipped back into the habits built from two years together.

She drove off to GD, parked, grabbed the extra blazer she kept hanging in the backseat of her car, putting it on to look a little more professional and pulling her hair into a ponytail, now grateful that she hadn't changed after church. Her heels clicked on the floor as she made her way to the conference room off to the side of the rotunda.

Jo saw Daisy Lowell, one of her overnight and weekend security guards standing outside the conference room and nodded in greeting. "New liaison get in okay?"

"Uh, yeah, he just got here. His files are all here, and I ran the checks you like when he showed up, as soon as I got the name. No security concerns, no red flags." Jo heard a slight shuffle, looked down and saw Daisy's left leg shuffling, a tell that something was off with her.

"Is there something else you'd like to tell me?" Jo kept her tone light, but her eyes on the shifting leg.

Daisy kept her gaze forward but avoiding Jo's face. "One thing you should know Ma'am. When I saw his record, I noticed that it was someone who, well, uh, would be familiar to you."

Jo turned her eyes upwards to Daisy's face. "Someone I served with in the Rangers?"

"He was a Ranger." Her voice was tight, clearly taking care not to betray anything.

"Lowell..."

"Look, I didn't say you were the Chief of Security, and he didn't say anything, so I think he'll be just as surprised as you. Just go in there, do the briefing, and maybe schedule in time to catch up." Daisy handed her the file, moved out of the way of the door, and Jo pushed it open.

She first saw Senator Wen sitting at the head of the table, and the back of the new liaison. Crew cut, tan skin, the muscles obvious through the army dress uniform, but not particularly broad, though from what she could tell while sitting, fairly tall, at least six feet. She began cycling through the men she'd served with, trying to place him without the face or voice. Maybe Matteo Garcia, or Joey Pesci. Hell, if Adam Johnson had been serving somewhere sunny before coming here, he might be tan enough to fit the bill.

Senator Wen noticed her enter the room. "Ah, Ms. Lupo, glad you could join us." The new liaison's head swiveled around, and he almost toppled out of his chair getting up. Jo realized that all of her guesses were wrong, that while this man had been a Ranger, he hadn't served with her.

"Hi, Tony." She did her best to act blas��, though she was sure he would be able to recognize the surprise on her face.

Tony just blinked at her, looking just as he had when they'd been caught trying to sneak out to go to a concert years ago, "I, uh, Jo? What are you doing here?"

"You have a security briefing. I'm the Chief of Security here. Do the math, you're going to have to do a lot of it here."

"I thought you said you were working private security for some tiny tech company."

Jo drew her shoulders back and tried not to sound too smug. "You are familiar with the concept of top-secret and need to know, right? Cover stories? I do hope so, or else I'm going to have a hard time approving your clearance."

"Ah-hem." Jo and Tony turned to Senator Wen who had a slight upturn to her lips, almost a smile. "Evidently you two don’t need me to introduce you to each other."

Jo smiled, "No, that won't be necessary. That was taken care of a long time ago."

"You were irritating and loud from the moment we met," Tony smirked.

Jo chose not to respond verbally and simply backhanded him in the gut. "Senator, with all due respect, how long have you known my brother was coming to Eureka?"

Senator Wen did smile now. "Oh, a few days now. I thought it would be a nice surprise for the two of you." She walked around the table. "I'll let you get to work now. He already got an overview briefing in DC, he just needs the details of what's going on right now and security procedures."

"I'll take care of it." Jo and Tony each shook the Senator's hand before she left.

"Pleasure meeting you Major Lupo. Oh, and it goes without saying, but he will not have any say in the selection of Astraeus candidates. Washington was very clear about that." The senator left, and Jo tried to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach, the one that said that her brother's placement in Eureka had something to do with her.

"Well?"

Jo turned back to her brother. "Right, let's get this started. So, what were you told? I just want to make sure we don't miss anything."

Tony looked at her incredulously. "No no no, back up, let's take a minute. When one goes months without seeing one's siblings, it's customary to express some form of affection. Acknowledgment that we're not complete strangers. That sort of thing." He held his arms out and cocked his head.

She rolled her eyes and hugged him. "It's good to see you too Tony."

He chuckled. "Why did that sound like it hurt a little?" He squeezed her tighter, and Jo pushed her face into his neck smiling, taking in the familiar smell of the god-awful musky cologne he'd always worn. She hadn't smelled it since before 1947.

"Don't be a jackass."

"There's only so much I can do about that." They separated from the hug and sat down at the table. "We should probably get started."

Jo opened his file on the table and checked which briefing and checks he had gotten in DC and what Daisy had already taken care of. "Okay, so you know the basics. Eureka was founded as a place for the greatest scientific minds in the US to gather, collaborate and redefine the cutting edge. We get funded by the DOD, and they get military projects and inventions. You're the military liaison, so you're going to be focused on the projects with military applications and finding military applications for others, mostly weapons projects, but also infrastructure, energy alternatives, medical advancement, etc.

You'll have meetings with department and lab heads, but you should schedule those. These scientists are very busy, and their experiments often have delicate timetables. They can't drop everything to chat with you. I do not want one of their pet projects blowing up because you forgot how to work a phone. Is that clear?" Jo fixed her brother with a look that made it clear she was not making a suggestion.

"Yeah, crystal."

"I also see you were told about the Astraeus mission."

"Yeah, they mentioned the 20 Billion dollar space project. I'm still confused as to how it travels, but apparently, it's been tested and works, and last I checked, understanding how these things work wasn't my job."

"Yeah, it's a 6 month mission to one of Jupiter's moons, Titan. I'm sure the DOD will find some use for the research done on it. And no, no one expects you to understand the details of the science and the experiments done here, though you will probably pick some things up. The people here like to talk about their work, and you're going to be pressed for company that doesn't already have multiple PhDs."

"Okay," Tony looked over the paperwork he still had to sign and then asked, "What did Wen mean when she said I obviously wouldn't have any say over the candidates. I figured the DOD would want a little more say over who goes on this thing."

"You'd get accusations of bias." Jo drew her attention to the papers in front of her, looking for the different disaster procedure outlines for him to sign. If Larry lost them again, she'd kill him for real.

"Why would I get accused of bias? I don't know any of the geniuses trying to get off the planet."

"Tony," she drew her shoulders back and sat straighter, the way that she'd been drilled to in Basic training, the same way her brother had been drilled too, "I'm one of the candidates for the Astraeus mission."

He blinked. "That's very funny Josefina."

"I'm not kidding."

"Seriously." He paused, staring at her in shock. "You want to go into a never tested spaceship, that has a barely tested, still experimental engine that travels through creating wormholes, and hang out on another planet for six months doing what exactly?"

"First of all, I just told you, Titan is a moon, not a planet. Second, the researchers are going to be doing their experiments around Titan and out of the atmosphere at various points and will need an experienced pilot to handle the mission shuttle. Third, in case you forgot, I went to West Point for Mechanical Engineering, and since coming to Eureka, have gotten a more thorough practical education. I know what I'm doing, I know how the ship works, and am damn good at wrangling those geniuses when something goes wrong, which it inevitably will. And for the love of God, it's the opportunity to go to space! This is what everyone dreams about! I'm not turning that down."

Tony shook his head. "This is Uncle Ralph's fault."

"What are you talking about?"

"If he hadn't gotten you those books on space when you were a kid, this wouldn't be happening."

Jo couldn't believe what he was saying. "Oh come on."

"Nicky always told us the space phase would come back to bite us in the ass. We didn't believe him, but what do you know, crazy shit happens."

"I know what I'm doing. This is what I want, and I'm good at it." Jo tried not to be annoyed at Tony, but he was making it difficult. "Look, can we have this conversation later? We have a lot to get through."

"Fine." She knew that she wasn't going to be able to avoid this conversation for very long, and Tony would probably try to talk her out of the Astraeus mission at least a few more times. Stubbornness was a shared Lupo trait after all. "After we finish the government's business, is there somewhere around here to get take out? My briefing in DC mentioned an apartment, but to be honest, after the flight, I don't feel like cooking. And it would be nice to catch up."

"Yeah, I can grab us something from Café Diem while Larry gets you settled." Jo's gut twisted. She wasn't going to be in and out of this like she thought. She took out her PDA and messaged Zane and turned the non-emergency ringer off. Briefing going to be taking longer than I said. Won't be available until after dinner, later tonight. Sorry.

"Everything okay?" he nodded toward her PDA.

"Yeah, I just had plans. Going over stuff for the written science background test for Astraeus with a friend. I was just letting him know I had to cancel."

"Uh-huh. And uh, did these plans have anything to do with why you're wearing a dress?"

That got him a glare. "I had church this morning and I didn't bother changing afterward. Do you want to finish this after midnight, or do you want food at some point?"

Tony looked like he wanted to argue, then thought better of it, "I would like food at some point."

"Then shut up."

Paperwork was completed, Larry showed up, and Jo handed off Tony to him, noting the wide eyes as Larry processed who the DOD had sent. She quickly ordered some pizzas and salad (ignoring Vince's eyebrow-waggling, since he probably thought she was bringing them somewhere else) and brought them back to the one bedroom apartment that the DOD had arranged for Tony while Larry was leaving with the completed paperwork. He unpacked his bags, which had been brought when he arrived. Jo and Tony spent the rest of the afternoon and evening catching up, Jo retelling some of the stories she had already told him over the years with the details filled in, now that he had clearance.

She excused herself around 8, saying she had work in the morning, and still needed to take care of things, and drove over to Zane's apartment. Jo knocked on the door and forced herself to keep calm while waiting. It's not the end of the world. It's just Tony and Zane living in the same town. Working in the same building.

Oh God. The end of the world would probably be less explosive.

Zane opened the door and waved her in. "How long did it take to sign in some DOD bureaucrat?"

"Signing him in didn't take very long. Catching up is what took up most of the afternoon." She wrung her hands together and turned to face him, her skirt swishing against her knees. Zane closed the door behind him and leaned against it.

"They send someone you served with?"

"I wish," Jo scoffed, then ducked her head. "Someone at the DOD has a sense of humor, and decided to give my brother Tony the job".

Zane stiffened, then cracked a strained smile. "Big Brother sent big brother?"

"God, I'm going to be hearing that one for weeks aren't I?"

"Oh yeah." Zane came closer, and wrapped an arm around Jo's back, pulling her to him. "So what does he know?"

"Tony has access to all labs but will need prior authorization from myself or Fargo before entering Section 5. He does not get to harass the scientists, and we're trying to make sure he doesn't disturb the work done."

"Jo…"

"He knows about the Astraeus, and that I'm a candidate, and let me tell you, he is not happy about that, thinks I'm an adrenaline seeking idiot for going to space, and he doesn't want to have to tell"

"What does he know about us?"

Jo paused. "What, that his little sister is screwing the town felon? Funnily enough, that question didn't come up."

Zane ducked his head down to meet her eyes. "He's going to hear about it. Your brother is going to be here until at least the launch, if not longer, and people in this town talk. Zoe heard about us while she was on the other side of the country. How long do you think we have until someone mentions me to him?"

"Carter didn't find out for over a month."

"Yeah, and once it got out, it spread. Everyone knows, and everyone's a gossip. He's going to find out we're sleeping together some way or another."

"Look, I just need you to behave yourself around him, okay? Tone down the flirting, don't blatantly discuss the fact that we're sleeping together in front of him and try not to stare at my ass. Or my chest."

"Why should I?"

Jo stilled when she heard him, not understanding what he was saying. "What?"

"What motivation do I have for behaving? You're insistent that we're just friends, so why should either of us care what your brother thinks of me?" Zane ran his hand up and down her spine softly, trying to get her to relax. "I don't know what the Zane Donovan you knew was like, but I have a reputation for spitting in the face of authority. If I start sucking up to some DOD schmuck for no reason, well, someone's going to think I'm up to something."

"Or maybe they just think you're turning over a new leaf. You know, becoming an actual grownup."

Zane leaned back from Jo, and pulled one arm away from her, propping it up on the counter. "Maybe, but maybe he wouldn't."

Jo raised an eyebrow "You realize it sounds like you're asking me to introduce you to my brother at my boyfriend, right?"

He shrugged, "If that's what you want to call it, fine by me. If you want to tell him we're just having meaningless sex, which, need I remind you, has been your call, that's your choice. If you want to look your big brother in the eye and use the phrase Friends with Benefits, go for it, I will back you up. But you and I both know that's not the only thing that's going on here.

We have dinner together most days. I spend most of my free time with you. You spend most of your nights in my bed. Honestly, you really should start keeping clothes here at this point, there's going to be a Eureka disaster at some point. Do you want to show up in yesterdays' clothes or better yet, mine?"

"Zane,"

"I have no intention of going out or being with anyone else right now, and I don't think you do either. What's the harm in telling your brother what he's going to hear anyway? At least this way I'll see it coming when he tries to shoot me."

She stepped back and wrapped her arms around her chest, looking away from Zane, not knowing how to explain the relationship between herself and her brothers. "The last time I would have introduced a guy to my family in this timeline, would have been my junior prom date. They were so overbearing and overprotective and just awful that I told them the next time I introduced them to someone I was dating would be when I was handing out wedding invitations."

"In this timeline?"

"I'm assuming so anyway. Based on conversations I've had with them, they never met anyone I dated."

"What about the other timeline?"

Jo turned her gaze toward the floor, away from his bright blue eyes. "In the other timeline, we had been dating for two years before you met my dad and my brother Nicky. You- He, never met Rico or Tony." She felt him staring at her.

"Tony's the one who the DOD sent, right?" She nodded. "Two years, popped the question, I never met two of your brothers?"

"You'd talked to them on the phone, skyped a couple times, but not in person. You were supposed to come with me to meet Rico and his family when he was home on leave, but you were stuck in the Arctic on a project."

"So I still got my ass frozen off in that timeline too? Good to know some things stayed the same."

"Yeah." Jo tried to look anywhere that wasn't Zane. I almost lost him both times then.

Zane crossed his arms over his chest, and Jo tried not to notice his shirt pulling at his biceps. "So, what are we telling your brother?"

Jo slipped off her blazer and draped it over the couch. "Well, if he asks, I guess we're telling him you're my boyfriend. But only if he asks."

Zane smiled, and unbuckled his belt, slipping it off before shoving down his jeans. "Of course. I'm not looking to get a bullet in my head if I don’t have to."

#Stranger with My Sister's Face #Jo Lupo #Zane Donovan #a town called eureka #my fic

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feverinfeveroutfic · 4 years ago

Text

chapter ten: stuck in the middle with you

A couple of phone calls and twenty minutes later, and she had arrived at Charlie's front step just before their dinner showed up. Marla towered over Sam when she walked into the apartment, and her black two inch heels only added to it. The ceiling light made her bright orange hair glow and to the point it looked as though she had a halo about her head. The pink and blue streaks on the right side of her head resembled to crystals by the little glimmers in her hair. Her skin looked even creamier in person, and in lieu of the paint spattered white smock, she wore a bright red sweater with glittered thread embedded within and snug black jeans paired with big shiny black boots.

Charlie greeted her with a pair of little kisses on either cheek and then he put her arm around her to show her off to Sam and Frank.

“You haven't met him yet,” Charlie told her with a nod to the latter.

“The infamous Frankie,” she proclaimed, and she turned to Sam with a soft little smile on her face.

“And this is our new friend Samantha,” Charlie continued. “Sam I Am from California.”

“Good to meet you,” Sam told her with an outstretched hand.

“You, too.” Marla had a delicate grip: the soft cupped hand and light fingers of an artist.

“I hear you're an artist,” said Sam as she moved in closer to her.

“I am, yes! Art student but—I don't really feel the student part of it.” She shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes at that.

“Well, she'll probably be a student soon enough, though,” Charlie pointed out, and Marla's face lit up. “I can see it getting better for ya, babe.”

“Oh, yeah! I hope you can get into it—it was hard for me, I'll admit it.”

“Well, she's got yet to show us her skills, though,” Frank added. “I've definitely seen yours.”

Marla showed him a smirk and another shrug of her shoulders. A knock on the door caught their attention, and Charlie let go of her and rounded Frank and Sam.

“Maybe after dinner I can show off a little something?” she suggested to Sam.

“Yeah, I'm up for that,” she said with a nod of her head.

“I'm up and down for it, too,” Frank joked as a smirk crept across his face.

“Up and down?” Sam asked him.

“I'm up for it, and I'm also down for it. Up and down.”

“Up and down in another way, too,” Marla said with a straight face.

“Up and down like these bags of food?” Charlie called out right as he shut the front door with his left foot. Indeed, he held two large brown paper bags, one resting upon either hand, as if he was presenting the three of them with silver platters filled with food. Frank ducked over to him for the one in his right hand.

“Have you tried this place down the block here?” Marla asked Sam in a low voice, and she shook her head. “Ooh, you're in for a treat, babe.”

The four of them took to the love seat underneath the bar, with Sam and Frank right next to each other on the right arm and the middle cushion respectively, Marla on the left side, and Charlie on the arm next to her.

“Why don't you grab a chair, Charlie?” she suggested to him as she opened the bag he had held in his left hand.

“I'm good,” he promised her, and Sam took a single look to find the tips of his feet rested on the carpet. Perhaps he could lean back onto the couch when he ate his fill, or lay down on the floor.

“So we've got orange chicken, pad thai, pea pods, and a shitload of noodles and vegetables,” Charlie told her as Marla took out a pair of plastic forks for the both of them, and then she took out two more for Sam and Frank.

“Shall we grab a quartet of plates for ourselves?” she suggested.

“Might as well,” Charlie said as he held onto the box with the pad thai. “I've got bottles of cream soda and beer in there if any of you'd like some.”

“I'll take a beer, dear,” Marla told him with a gentle toss of her orange hair.

“Beer dear,” he echoed.

“Dear beer,” said Frank with a wag of his finger.

“Dear, beer...” Sam ran the tip of her index finger along her palm as if writing something down.

“Dear diary, jackpot!” Charlie declared, and he stood to his feet and made his way to the kitchen.

“You know what? I'll take a cream soda this time,” Sam told him. After having a beer in the studio earlier, it only made sense to calm down the alcohol already running through her system with a little something sweet and bubbly.

“Yeah, me, too,” Frank followed up with a wave of his hand. Charlie soon returned with little green plates for each of them including himself, and then he doubled back for their drinks. Within time, he returned to his seat on the arm of the love seat, and he and Marla served out the food for themselves, and then Sam and Frank.

It wasn't much and it didn't take but Sam herself found the noodles and the chicken to be more than enough for her. The chicken was so lush that, when combined with the orange flavoring and the noodles, it felt like having a taste of home once again. The broccoli, the carrots, the baby corn, and the water chestnuts were perfectly steamed. Frank took seconds while she had to stop herself from undoing her jeans right in front of them.

Charlie took a hefty swig of beer and almost fell off of the arm of the love seat. Marla giggled at him.

“D'you bring your stuff with you?” he asked her as he held the bottle in one hand and his fork in the other.

“My art stuff?”

“Yeah.”

“No, I didn't think I'd be doing a demo for you guys.” She reached for her bottle and took a little sip.

“Now, now—an artist should always come prepared.” He leaned forward for a look over at Sam. “Right?”

“Right!” she said as she took another bite of broccoli and water chestnuts. She had cleaned her plate and rested it on her lap.

“Are you done?” Frank asked her.

“I am, yeah. That was too good. About as good as the pho we had with Aurora the other day.”

“That was incredible,” Frank remarked. “Both this and the pho, I mean.” He raised his bottle of cream soda for her, and she picked up her bottle for a toast to him. The bases of the bottles clinked together and they both took a hearty drink at the same time. The cream hit her parched mouth and washed it all down.

Meanwhile, Charlie said something which coaxed a big laugh out of Marla, and she pushed him to the side. He almost lost his balance on the arm of the love seat but he caught himself just in time. She downed the rest of the bottle in a few large gulps and ran her fingers through the streaks on the side of her head.

“You know what we haven’t done yet?” she said to him in a louder, clearer voice.

“What’s that?” he asked her after a clearing of his throat: he had already had one other drink back at the studio, and for all Sam knew, he had had another one when she wasn’t looking.

She didn’t answer. Instead, Marla stood to her feet and strode around the coffee table. She stripped off her sweater and revealed her little black camisole underneath, and she turned around to toss Charlie her sweater. Something silvery caught Sam's eye, something on Marla's chest, right above the hem of her top. She tugged down the hem of her camisole over her slim waist and gave her orange hair another toss.

To think Sam was actually jealous of her. She pictured herself standing before Marla in the farthest corner of the room and painting her perfect body for all the world to see.

“Oh, I see—you wanna get down a little bit, don’t ya?” Charlie’s words slurred from the alcohol, but he climbed to his feet with ease. Marla took a seat on the carpet near the hallway entrance with her legs spread out before her: despite their shine, it looked as though she had had those boots for a long time from their eroded, worn down soles and slight scuffing near the soles. She leaned back against the wall and sighed through her nose.

“How ya wanna do this?” Charlie asked her, and he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Sam looked over at Frank: they were both sober, and neither of them had any idea as to what to do right then. Charlie said something, which in turn brought another laugh out of her.

“Too much to drink between the both of us,” she muttered.

“Yeah, I'll say,” Charlie laughed. Sam glanced over at Frank and the flustered look on his face, and he tucked his feet right underneath him. They were underneath that bar and within range of the kitchen door.

“So you want me to do the honors, or should we switch?” Charlie asked her as he got down on his hands and knees, right in front of her knees. Marla opened her legs for him, and Sam parted her lips. She looked over at Frank again, who had raised his eyebrows at the sight before them.

“Ho, boy,” he breathed out.

“Yeah—” Sam squirmed in her seat, and Frank shifted his weight on the cushion right next to her. They watched Charlie undo the button on Marla’s jeans; he peeled them back to reveal the bare milky white skin underneath. Sam squirmed in her seat once again and huddled closer to Frank, who let out a soft little laugh out of nerves. Charlie tugged off her panties with one finger and slid them down to her knees. He bowed his head over her lap, and Sam and Frank looked at each other once again: she felt her face growing warm and her heart began pounding in her chest.

“Too much to eat, and too much to drink,” she said aloud.

“Yeah—and I don't think they seem to notice that we're even here, either.”

Frank shifted his weight yet again and he bowed his head a little bit. The collar of his jacket brushed against the lower part of his face and his lush dark hair sprawled over his shoulders. The very sight before them was almost too much to bear even for Sam.

She dropped her gaze to his hands, which he had dropped down onto the couch cushion on either side of his hips. She returned to the sight before them, and in time to catch Marla with her head pressed up against the wall. She had pinched her eyes shut.

“Dinner and a show,” Frank muttered with a giggle. Sam pushed her bangs up from her forehead to alleviate the warm feeling. Too much warmth all at once.

“Come with me,” Frank said right in her ear.

“Where?” she asked him in a hushed voice. He gestured for her to follow him away from the love seat, but then he stopped her right in her tracks.

“Never mind,” he said with a wave of his hand, and then they climbed to their feet and he crept around them there on the floor: Sam almost tiptoed around them as she entered the hallway right behind him. Indeed, there was Charlie's bedroom on the left but there was another room right next to it. Frank yanked open the door and clicked on the light on the ceiling overhead, and he gestured for her to step inside first.

“Thank you,” she said with a smile on her face: the room was tiny and narrow, complete with a heavy wooden bar on the wall to the right and a tiny dusty window at the far end: the amber light from the street shone onto the pane to the point it resembled stained glass. And it took her a second to realize it was a walk in closet except nothing hung off of that dowel.

“Charlie's closet?” she asked him when Frank closed the door behind him.

“Yeah, but he doesn't really use it, though. 'Cause—he doesn't have that much stuff with him.” He shrugged his shoulders: his dark lush hair brushed against his collar such that it resembled to dog ears.

“I wanted to get out of there, too,” she remarked.

“Yeah—me, too.” She gazed into his eyes, large and dark like big ink splotches. He nibbled on his bottom lip.

“You've got something you wanna tell me?” she asked him; Frank bowed his head a bit and sighed through his nose.

“Frankie?”

“I'm almost inclined to start making out with you,” he whispered to her.

“Why?” she sputtered. And then she flashed back on what he and Charlie had told her in the coffee shop, that story of them watching two women in a moment across the street from them. She wondered that, given it had been such a long day for both him and Charlie, that all he wanted was to kick back and get down with it all.

“I will only do it if you wanna do it,” he added. “You know, I—I don't wanna make you uncomfortable.”

“Frankie,” she started and then she hesitated. She closed her eyes as she struggled to find the write words. Marla said something to Charlie: they could hear them on the other side of the wall. “—Frankie, we've only known each other for a few days.”

She opened her eyes to find him gazing up at her with his head bowed a bit; he showed her a flutter of his eyelashes.

“Again, it's all up to you,” he told her in a low voice. She shifted her weight right on the spot, and she peered over her shoulder to the rest of the closet behind them. Completely bare—not even a box or a chair to be found in there. But the carpet looked soft enough, and the closet itself looked wide enough for them to have a seat and stretch their legs. She returned to Frank, who lifted his head enough for her to look right into his eyes.

“Would you rather I draw something in front of you?” she asked him in a near whisper. “Like—just something between of us? I won't show it to Charlie, or Marla for that matter. Draw something and then maybe follow it up with some kisses.”

“That sounds good by me,” he said with a warm little smile.

“You know, I'd have to go back out there to fetch my purse for my journal and everything.”

“It's alright—” He raised a finger to her. Silence on the other side of the wall, followed by something sliding on the floor. “I hear them shuffling around out there and doing something. I'm sure they won't notice.”

“Okay. I'll be right back.” He flashed her a wink before she skirted right past him to the door. When she reached the hallway, she caught the sound of Charlie breathing heavy. Something scraped on the kitchen floor as Sam reached that front room. She bowed her head a bit, but then she realized Charlie and Marla had gone into the kitchen. Acting quickly, she made her way over to the love seat for her purse and her journal, and then she scurried back to the closet and Frank without saying a word to either of them.

She shut the door behind her and he crouched down underneath the window. She took a seat next to him in the corner and they stretched their legs out before them. He offered to protect her purse underneath his left hand even though they weren't going anywhere.

She opened her journal to a fresh page near the beginning. Her mind fell blank for a second as she caressed the smooth clean surface of the white paper.

“Dunno what to draw?” he asked her in a soft voice, and then she clutched her pencil.

“Nah, I think I have an idea.”

Without another word, she brought the tip of the pencil to the paper and sketched out a little round curve first. She eyed Frank's lush nearly black hair, from his soft short bangs which rounded out his heart shaped handsome face to his narrow nose. He took a glimpse up at her for a second before he returned his gaze to the paper.

“Let me see,” she coaxed him and she brought a hand to his chin. Her finger tip lightly touched his skin and he gazed on at her. His eyes locked onto hers long enough for her to squirm again. Sam then lowered her hand and returned to the drawing in her journal.

She drew out his nose in the form of a little nub, followed by his eyes in an almost half moon shape; his eyebrows were narrow and straight; she started at the roots at the crown of his head and let the pencil lead her way. The graphite lightly kissed the paper so she could give it a bit of ink within time.

She drew the locks of hair such that it looked as though he was standing in an updraft of wind, down past his shoulders and complete with a part over his face. She gave him a little lanky body, one that wasn't too fixated on anatomy. She figured it would be nothing fancy: just a little thing between the two of them and no one else.

At one point, she set down the pencil next to her and picked up the ink pens. The two thinnest points would do the trick: she set the two millimeter one on her lap and took the cap off of the one millimeter pen. Carefully, she ran the ink along the graphite making up his face. Black ink contrasted against the soft white paper.

“It's almost like I'm seeing you at your most vulnerable,” he whispered to her.

“You—kind of are,” she told him and she showed him a smile at the sound of that. “You're seeing me at the most me I'll ever be.”

She followed the pencil markings around the crown of his head and even added some more to make his hair more to the real thing. Despite the cartoonish look of the drawing, she wanted it to resemble to the real thing. Short and small hatch lines underneath his eyebrows, and slightly larger ones on the side of his face obscured by his hair. A bit of cross hatching on his thighs and all around his jacket. She made the outline a little bit thicker under his head and around his neck; out of the corner of her eye, she could see him smiling.

“I mean, having you right next to me makes it even more intimate,” she remarked as she ran the pen over the piece of hair under his head. “It's almost like—I'm actually making out with you.”

“Touching and feeling me with the pen and the pencil,” he followed along.

When she added the final thin pieces of hair on the crown of his head, she signed her initials at the bottom of the page, but she hesitated for the date.

“It's the third,” he said.

“Already?” she asked, stunned; she scrawled the numbers “2 | 3 | 1985” right next to her initials. And then she turned back to him right as the beaming smile crossed his face. He then put his arm around her and tugged her closer to his body.

“I'm gonna keep going,” she told him, to which he nodded his head.

“Sounds good by me.”

She turned the page and proceeded on yet another round little face, this time one slightly fuller and with a cleft chin and a curlier crown of hair. She gave him a taller, lankier body as well, cloaked in a dark overcoat; she added little spirals and curls to his hair, such to the point it was twirling in the wind.

“There he is!” Frank declared as she signed her initials and the date once again. The fact she had someone right next to her only fueled her, and the fact that someone was Frank only made it better. She turned to the third page and proceeded on another one. His face was more square and his hair fluffier in texture, courtesy of her making shorter strokes on the crown of his head. Given the drawings of Frank and Charlie themselves had their hands stuffed into their pockets, she decided on showing off his hands. But before she got anywhere with it, she turned to him.

“Is it cartoon lore that all characters should have four fingers?” she asked him, to which he shook his head.

“I don't think so. Especially with us 'cause we're the real thing, you know?”

She nodded her head and proceeded on with five fingers on each hand: his left hand rested on the collar of his little coat, while his right hand hung right next to his head, as if he was adjusting his hair. Meanwhile, his hair streaked out from his head in a much smoother fashion, given his hair was straighter in comparison to Frank and Charlie's waves and curls. And yet, she still made little curlicues at the tips of his hair to give it that look of twirling in the wind.

“Danny?” asked Frank with a look of excitement on his face.

“Yes!” she exclaimed as she filled in the shadows with more hatching. She signed her initials and dated the drawing a third time before she turned to him again.

“Scott or Joey next?”

“Both,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.

She turned to the fourth page and sketched out Scott's squarish face first, followed by the tendrils of wavy hair at the top and the sides of his head which, once again, twirled in the wind.

“I like how they're all consistent,” Frank remarked with a twirl of his finger.

“It was windy upstate today,” she pointed out as she drew his hands pressed together as if he was saying a prayer. “It kinda makes sense to me.” She made sure his coattails flowed with the fictional wind as well, and they billowed out before the front of his body. She couldn't recall if Scott wore gloves that day, but she added a bit of extra hatching to his hands so as to resemble gloves. Much like the drawing of Frank himself, she added finer strands of hair near the top of his head with the one millimeter pen as a finishing touch before she signed her initials and added the date yet again.

“And now—the big man,” she announced; Frank yawned and stretched his arms over his head, and then he brought his right arm back down onto her shoulders.

“The big chief,” he declared as he sank down even more next to her. She made sure the hair at the crown of his head was curly enough, but then again, they all stood in the wind so she drew most of his hair down by the side of his head. She pictured him in the back of his car, under that big heavy Indian blanket, all freezing cold and waiting for them to show up to help him out, and how he could not get warm for the longest time, and she drew both of his hands up by the collar of his jacket.

She felt Frank lay his head onto her shoulder at one point, but she didn't mind, especially when she began drawing out Joey's thick jet black curls with the two millimeter pen. Some extra hatching near his waist and his hips and she found herself recalling what Aurora had told her. Maybe she could catch him in the act at some point: she could find a way to make sure he was looking at her just right and then go from there.

After adding a bit of frizz to the tips of Joey's curls, she noticed Frank had started breathing at a more heavy, slower pace. He had fallen asleep right next to her. Indeed, the rest of the apartment was silent. She sighed through her nose and signed her initials and the date for a fifth time before she closed the book and set it down next to her. Careful not to wake him up, she climbed to her feet and ambled over to the light switch. Darkness blanketed the closet save for the light outside of the window; she hesitated for a second and then, using that ambient light, she returned to Frank on the floor there. He never stirred as she slid up next to him and leaned her head onto his shoulder.

Even with the hard wall at her back, Sam closed her eyes and still managed to drift off in no time.

She was laying on the ground again somewhere, this time surrounded by a series of glowing golden rocks the size of houses. The man with the stripe in his hair had appeared before her, and he, too, was laying on his side right next to her and wrapped in a heavy green blanket.

“Stay with me always,” she begged him in a near whisper.

“You never listen to me,” he told her in a full, deep voice.

“I'm listening,” she insisted; with that voice, there was no way she couldn't not listen to him.

“Come with me,” he begged her, and he scurried out from under the blanket like a hermit crab trying to find a new shell for himself. She followed him to the cliffs off to the side, and they rose up to the sky as high as she could see them. She lagged behind him given her feet and her ankles were tired. He stopped for her to catch up to him.

“Are you okay?” he asked her. She didn't reply. She couldn't reply. He seemed a thousand miles away from her and yet he sounded so close, as if he was standing right next to her.

“Come on, come on, quickly,” he insisted with a gesture of his hand.

“Where are we going?”

“You'll see.”

The waves crashed down on the shores of the island and more golden rocks landed on the beach before them.

“Don't touch those, they're radioactive,” he said in a single breath. But she could scarcely run. It felt like she wasn't going anywhere. Her hips began to ache from trying to run in the sand, and yet that white stripe at the crown of his head shone so bright in the sun, like a warning siren. He pulled further away from her even as he continued to sound as though he stood right next to her.

And then she tripped on one of the rocks.

And she woke up to the sound of Frank's voice.

“Sam—Sam?”

“Hm?” Her eyes fluttered open and she gazed on at Frank's dark silhouette. It was still nighttime. “What is it?”

“You're sitting on my hand.”

She moved her hips a little bit so he could take his hand out from underneath her. In the dim light, she watched him shake it about to get the blood flowing again. A banging sound outside of the door caught both of their attention.

“Oh, shit,” Charlie's voice rang out through the apartment. Marla's voice caught her ear as well.

“Scott and Billy—they're outside—I'll explain it later—”

Sam shifted her weight next to Frank, who shuffled his feet about the carpet before him. He groaned in his throat and nestled closer to her.

“Not the first time I've had to sleep on the floor,” he whispered to her. Yet another dream with the strange man with the streak in his hair, and this time she was next to Frank and it was the middle of the night.

“I keep having these dreams about a guy,” she started.

“What kind of guy?” he asked her.

“A guy I never met before. I don't know who he is, and I don't know what he wants from me, either.”

“What's he look like?”

“He's got this big stripe of white hair on top of his head. Like—this big shock of bright hair in a head full of rich black hair. He's—kinda handsome, too, like he's got this real sharp brow and a cute little nose. All I can think about is the stripe in his hair. I keep seeing him in places near water, too, like I've dreamed about him at the beach, or a drying lake bed, and just now I dreamed we were on an island.”

“Huh.”

“It's like the third time in a row I've dreamed about him, too. I don't know who he is or what he wants from me.”

“The literal man of your dreams?” he suggested.

“Could be—who knows, really.” She closed her eyes again and leaned her head against Frank's shoulder, who lay his head onto hers. They both snuggled against each other in the middle of the far corner. Outside, Scott and Billy's voices cut through the night, but they would have to address it come the morning.

#fanfic #fanfiction #anthrax fanfic #anthrax #chapter 10 #charlie benante #frank bello #charlie benante x oc #fever in fever out #fever in fever out fanfic #mild smut #mildly nsft #also on ao3 #text

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datingintampafails · 4 years ago

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Chapter 30: Richard*

Let me start by saying, nothing is wrong with Richard*. I match with Richard* right as the nightmare that is “the microwave” has come to a close. Now that I am mere days away from being fully vaccinated, I break the rules a little bit to give myself a headstart before I am able to actually go on the dates. I figure, what is the harm in working on getting back out there? I send a “Like” to him on Hinge, inquiring about a prompt that mentions he had broken both of his arms. The next morning, I get a reply with the story. After discussing that series of events briefly, he goes on to ask more about me and the video games I play. I step on my soapbox for a time. He tells me that he plays a video game called League of Legends, which has a reputation for having some of the most toxic players online. I ask him half-jokingly if that is his way of telling me he is toxic. He swears by his alibi of not having his microphone on when he plays with strangers, so as to not be tempted. We reminisce about Runescape, and he tells me more about some of the games he plays.

We get into the topic of pets, where he says my dog seems nice. I ask him if he has any pets where I am surprised to learn he has two snakes. We talk briefly about what it’s like having snakes, and we segue onto a conversation about television shows due to my dog having a character’s name in a show he watches, which then segued into a conversation about having coronavirus, and travel, and my changes in taste since aforementioned COVID-19.

I narrate to him a conversation I’m having with my best friend about the show of the moment, “Bridgerton,” on Netflix. Pretty randomly, he officially asks me out for drinks. I tell him I have a caveat, that it needs to be next week, as at this time I am still technically not supposed to be dating yet since I am awaiting my second COVID-19 vaccination. I make a joke that I bet he thought I was going to say I had a penis. He jokes back that he was hoping I would. I continue a joke saying I am pretty sure I don’t have one, but if I do have one it’s extremely small. We learn that we have opposing schedules, “we suck” is how I put it. I offer that in the meantime, we can text/call/video chat in order to continue getting to know each other. He sends me his number though offers that we can talk with a “different method.” Being the jester I am, I turn this into a joke of seeing how many alternate methods I can think of. A good sport, he plays along and adds a few of his own, ending in “Mongolian throat singing.” Despite the ingenious ideas we come up with, I opt to stick to contact him via text message.

Upon texting him and seeing my area code, he recognizes it as his cousins lived in that area. He grew up a couple of hours away in rural Maryland. It is late, so our transition to text is brief for now. In the morning I challenge him regarding who woke up the earliest; I win this challenge due to having a call in at work at four in the morning. We then bond over the legendary Mountain Dew Game Fuel, Citrus Cherry, that would come out at game releases; once my favorite drink, being reminded of its existence brought me anger and sadness, which I expressed I was feeling to him. We are getting along so famously, that I decided maybe I can make an exception to seeing him before my vaccine. He says he is fine either way. We start to plan our date and settle on a brewery I like near me.

Much of our texts are light-hearted jabs at each other, nothing super deep. He compliments my quirks often. He often makes jokes about having a smooth brain and sends me many diagrams. He tells me about his major in college. I then realize I don’t know what he does for a living. I ask him what his job is, that’s when he tells me he is in the Army. The stereotype for men in the military is that they usually get engaged quickly, without knowing a person for very long. Being the jokester I am, I take this opportunity to jab at him. My response to his career is, “oh sorry I don’t want to get married next month.” He says that that is why he doesn't have his job in his profile, because of the stereotypes. I joke that I have been misled to believe he had been a chill down to earth guy.

When it is the day of the date, I jokingly keep saying I am going to wear an evening gown; I mention it a couple times. When I arrive, in my skirt and crop top, I see he’s actually dressed pretty nicely and is sitting outside, wearing long khaki pants and a dress shirt. It is a decently warm day, so I hope he's okay. I compliment him, saying he looks nice and he didn't need to dress up for me. He admits that because I kept talking about the evening gown, that he thought I might have been serious, so he wanted to match my formality. I do notice over the course of the date though that he is sweating through his shirt, especially at the underarms; not the most attractive, but a person cannot help these things.

The conversation goes well, we have a nice time and I regale him with the drama in my video game community and just talk about random things. I have a couple drinks and although we weren't planning on eating dinner there, he ends up eating a burger and I opt to just "steal some fries" since I had a late lunch. He is craving dessert so we walk a block to a local ice cream place and get some ice cream as well. When we return back to where the cars were, I realize that he had Ubered there, because another joke of mine was taken seriously regarding getting super drunk. I feel bad and offer to drive him home. We get in my car and I have him put in his address into Google Maps. I drive him there and when approaching his apartment, I see a lot of construction. He instructs me where I can drop him off and suggests that I turn around in a certain lot. He gives me a hug goodbye and I drive off.

I get completely confused and lost in the construction, between closed streets and cones blocking lanes, so I get stuck in the vicinity of his apartment for five minutes before being able to find my way back to the main road. I let him know of my troubles driving, and also when I got home. He thanks me for going out and says he had a great time. Whereas I also had a good time, I found it strange he made no moves whatsoever during the night and I didn't really feel a romantic urge with him.

I get my second COVID-19 Vaccine and take a day off to recover. We still talk at least daily while he is away on his trip; while he is gone I focus a little more on the other guy I am chatting with, John*. I've told my mom of my predicament between the two men, and between her and I, I decided I'll go out with Richard* again, give him another chance. If things still aren't progressing or feelings startup, I will end it and entirely focus on John*.

Richard* asks me when he can see me again and offers to cook for me. I give him my Friday night, which is a day after I am seeing John* again as well. On Thursday, he texts me to verify, saying "I'd like to see you tomorrow, did you still want to do dinner?" I told him I meant to confirm that day. We don't talk besides that, which is good for me because I don't have to worry about getting texts from him when I'm with someone else. The day of my second date with Richard*, I text him to ask for his address again and ask for suggestions on parking, since the construction was such a fiasco for me, I'm still traumatized lightly. He tells me and after a few hours, I get some complicated news regarding my gaming community, so I ask Richard* if I can reschedule to tomorrow, Saturday. He says it is fine and so we just chat for the rest of the day.

On the day our date will actually happen, he again seems to verify the date, asking me if I'm planning on coming over "today." I snarkily replied, "yeah I don't bail, you said 730." He asks me what I want to drink, as he must be grocery shopping. I panic and say seltzers. I take a quick nap and then let him know I am headed to his apartment. When I arrive, I try to follow his parking suggestions but get confused and don't see anything. After driving around for over five minutes, I start to panic as I don't see anything. I find a random gravel lot that is in earshot of where I had dropped him off on the first date, and I call to admit defeat. I send him a photo as well to show where I am. He comes out to find me and almost walks past my car. I flash my high beams at him to indicate it's me and he hops in the car. We drive around a few minutes and luck upon a spot that is close to one of the side entrances to his apartment complex.

I follow him to his apartment, he is again dressed nicely, and I am wearing more comfortable clothes. He is wearing a nice shirt, but with jeans. We get to his apartment and it is slightly better than a typical bachelor pad, but definitely not overly showy. He is still finishing up dinner, chicken pad thai, and he gets me out a white claw to drink. We chat briefly but he starts acting weird, just off. I just sit in his gaming chair and spin around, look at his one snake, and stay quiet. In a way, I am fine with the silence, as it solidifies my unease about this going anywhere. He eventually speaks up, saying he just got a killer headache and isn't feeling well. Due to his travels, I joke about him having coronavirus.

When the food is ready, I let him serve me, I tell him to go light as I don't eat much. He had talked a lot of game regarding his pad thai being good, and unfortunately, it was pretty disappointing. He used chicken thighs, which I am not a huge fan of, and the noodles seemed almost soggy. Richard* was aware of this, however, and commented that this wasn't his best dish and had used a new kind of noodles. I don't like and say that it's just alright, at least palatable. We watch some Brooklyn 99 and eat on his couch, sitting on opposite sides of the couch. After dinner, I get an official introduction to the snakes and get to pet them, it is bizarre, but kind of cool. Definitely not as fun as playing with, say, a dog. Shortly after that, I say it's getting late and I should probably go home. He walks me back to my car, which is a need since his complex is a maze. Again, he makes no moves and gives me a hug goodbye. For me, it's easy to see that something isn't quite right here. We chat briefly, for the next few days, as I'm not ready to immediately break his heart.

When he texts me four days after our date, explicitly saying the following, I see it is a perfect opportunity to come clean:

He took things very well, and I didn't hear from him again. I commend myself for being a real human and telling people how I feel, rather than ghosting and not giving others closure. I wish more conversations could go this way. I feel bad for the guy. It isn’t his fault that I ended up “playing the game” and doing what you’re supposed to do when you’re dating, which is, not to get stuck on one person and date around. It just so happens, he ended up being the one I obviously didn’t like as much and had to sacrifice for his own good. It’s possible that only due to my extreme attraction to the other guy, that he never had a chance as it was shadowed by my feelings for someone else.

#dating #relationships #tampa #tampabay #hinge #tinder #bumble #stpete #clearwater

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besttravelbd · 4 years ago

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Best Unique Idea Things To Do In Bangkok In 3 Days

One of the most crowded urban communities activities in Bangkok , Thailand. awesome scenes, staggering sanctuaries, fascinating historical centers, novel culture, boat rides, scrumptious road nourishments, and so forth!

you will feel and discover everything in your heart delight here.

I might want a direct sentiments toward do in Bangkok is sufficient to make out all the best there, Whenever a voyager makes a pail rundown of movement.

Bangkok consistently turns into their need. A city where you enjoying can dance the entire night, eat road nourishments, tune in to the road musicians, relaxing body back rub and spa these are generally the things you ought not miss!

Your certainly feasible a range of 3 days of activities in 3 days in Bangkok . Thus, I put here for you straightforward schedule to make things simpler to design your outing to investigate and make some extraordinary memories passing with your loved ones!

Here are the absolute best activities in Bangkok in 3 days:

Entrancing Explore Bangkok city :

Visit to fascination in The Grand Palace

The Grand Palace one of the milestone heart of Bangkok. Perfect royal residence. Must you visit! You get see two spots to visit, the sanctuary and the castle. Sanctuary is more agreeable as you can really go in and investigate around.

The castle worked in 1782. It's rich engineering and brilliant plans will overwhelm your brain. You'll become acquainted with the Thai culture in detail! Mind boggling realities about Thai progress will enhance your insight. You need to keep up an exacting clothing regulation to enter or you must be more cautious whatever you're wearing. In the event that your dress isn't covering enough, they'll make you purchase jeans and shirts. The extra charge is 500 Baht, which is practically equivalent to $16.

Severe clothing standard authorized at the Grand Palace:

In Grand Palace you won't permitted inside in the event that you are not dressed impeccably.

Shoulders must be covered: This suggests no tank tops or sleeveless shirts for men or women. You may wear a tank top, anyway hide with a cardigan preceding entering. Shirts are okay.

Knees must be covered: This suggests you should wear pants or a dress/skirt that falls underneath your knees. Additionally, people, your 90's style shorts that rundown down past your knees are not worthy... for certain reasons.

Not acknowledge tight wears: Don't wear stockings or a tight dress/skirt that could be seen as improper. Dressing in free attire will moreover keep you cooler.

Not straightforward dress: This is truly quite obvious.

No flip-flops allowed: You can wear shoes, anyway they ought to have a reaction to be commendable.

Covers are okay to wear and can give you a dash of shade.

Tips: Easy and comfortable shoes wear since certain spots the grounds that need to take off shoes to enter. however be careful in some cases taken shoes so don't wear costly and most loved shoes.

How reasonable time go to the at Grand Palace:

On the off chance that you make an arrangement spending on couple hours at that put on seek after. attempt to reach there promptly toward the beginning of the day, due to warmth of the day will set in rapidly. more often than not visit bunches show up around 9 a.m. So attempt to before they come.

you need purchase Audio direct cost is 100 Baht at the ticket counter.

Visit Wat Pho Palace

A Gorgeous Temple intricate, wonderful designed and lines of Golden Buddha. The most seasoned and greatest sanctuary of Bangkok is name Wat Pho Palace. At the point when you are in visiting in Bangkok. You should see Wat Pho sanctuary. A 46 meters in length gold made lying Buddha made it more uncommon and worth the visit. It's arranged in an old town which is Rattanakosin Island in Bangkok. The extra charge is around 100 Baht, which is nearly $3.20.

At the point when you visit Wat Pho

By and large Wat Pho open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The great chance to show up before 10 a.m. to beat the vacationer transports. since thus, swarmed to the around leaning back Buddha.

Clearly, dodge those are days, Such as public occasion, ends of the week since sanctuaries gets to much occupied. Staying away from the early afternoon in light of the fact that without shoes cant conceivable there strolling.

All seasons are can be high temperature. In this way, If you have the extravagance travel to pick which month you visit, I would suggest the colder time of year seasons. October to the December and up to the long stretch of February (you check occasion just as). The temperature ascends in nation April and May. while blustery season is June to September.

What wear in Wat Pho

There are doesn't any clothing regulation however you wear genuinely loose dress. prompted cover your shoulders and legs. at the point when you entering sanctuary of the leaning back Buddha. In the event that you need Shawls accessible at the sanctuary . shoes must cover your toes. each sanctuary expected to take off your shoes when you entering sanctuary.

Visiting the Wat Arun Temple

Another sanctuary you need to visit is Wat Arun. It is a Buddhist sanctuary. Wat Arun is straightforwardly inverse Wat Pho. It's arranged in a region of present day Bangkok called Thonburi. The extra charge for this sanctuary is around 50 Baht which is $1.60.

Wat Arun is a milestone sanctuary on the bank of Chao Phraya stream. The main light of the morning reflects of the Wat Arun sanctuary. It is one of the lovely sanctuary in Bangkok. This sanctuary configuration is altogether different from different sanctuaries. Its nicknamed "Sanctuary of Dawn". It is comprised of bright enhanced glass and stands grandly over the water.

you need to take a cross stream boat ride from Tha Tian Express Boat Pier to Wat Arun. Section is per way 4 Baht for each person.

Khao San Road

Khao street as known as a middle for explorers. its area in the Old City (Rattanakosin) makes it an ideal base from which to investigate Bangkok's exemplary attractions. Road slows down, road food, and bars, uproarious music will make your night noteworthy. Be that as it may, in the event that you are a low spending explorer, at that point you can abstain from purchasing anything from here. This spot isn't that, frankly. In any case, , there are numerous lodgings and in the event that you are looking for convenience, at that point it's an incredible spot for you.

Khao San Road best activities around Bangkok

The best Thai Food in Bangkok:

Encountering Thai food is unquestionably probably the best activities in Bangkok in 3 days. Bangkok is acclaimed for road nourishments, energy natural product juice, and particularly Pad Thai. Cushion Thai is make of rice noodles with tofu of chicken and vegetables.

In the event that you need to investigate the cafés and its nourishments, at that point you can look at these spots:

The Unicorn Café

This café is not the same as different eateries for its stylistic theme and climate. The majority of the nourishments and different things are serve in blue and pink hued dishes. This unicorn-themed café is enjoyable to visit yet its food isn't deserving of the value that you pay. In any case, you can view it and have some good times!

Madame Musur

You can go to this café for supper. It isn't so expensive at everything except the nourishments are delectable. In the event that you are an espresso individual, finding a decent espresso for yourself can be a hard mission. You can browse one of these bistros and bars,

Pool time bistro

You'll discover numerous eateries with creatures like felines, canines, and so forth Be that as it may, in this eatery, you will discover charming raccoons. The food, espresso, and beverages are so much invigorating. Likewise, the climate is unwinding. The out of control stylistic theme of this eatery makes this spot Instagram capable.

The Gallery Drip Coffee

On the off chance that you need to work and make the most of your espresso, you can go to The Gallery Drip Coffee. Work areas are put together there and the climate is likewise .

Some other Café in Bangkok

Old town bistro Bangkok and Roots espresso are two more popular cafes where you can have your magnificent espresso and make an arrangement for the afternoon.

Shopping In Bangkok:

You can go to Pan Tip Plaza for hardware shopping. one of the objective you can't miss that spot visiting. different things find here. "Chatuchak Market" is an end of the week market. you can discover many kinds of Seafood slow down, cognac garments and excellent quality hardware thing. so that market is One of the greatest business sectors on the planet.. It covers just about 35 sections of land of zone. You'll additionally discover intriguing handmade Thai items here.

"Talad Rot Fai Srinakarin" is a night market. Brilliant lights, extravagant viewpoint will make your night out the best. Additionally, you'll find numerous collectibles and vintage items here. It's the best spot in Bangkok for old fashioned sweethearts. In case you're purchasing something discount, deal hard. Also, search for good shops for better items. Remember to purchase a sim card for yourself. You can get a limitless bundle with your sim card for just $20.

Amusement in Bangkok:

Riding Tuk-Tuks

In the event that you need to add something new and more enjoyable to your experience, remember to ride in a three-wheeled motorbike named tuk-tuk at any rate for once. Tuk tuks are incredible approach to move around truly its a lot quicker then taking a texi, They just charge 200 baht.

One thing without a doubt is that this city doesn't rest! It administrators every minute of every day, really, there are night market. On the off chance that you needed to accomplish additionally shopping make on slows down all over the place... also, obviously numerous different attractions here.

The Green Space

In the focal point of the occupied and swarmed city of Bangkok, you'll locate a quiet park. Lumpini Park is a green space not quite the same as the entire other climate. A tranquil spot like this will eliminate your sluggishness. You'll will see reptile kinds of creatures there. Remember to visit Lumpini Park in the event that you need a peaceful time for your brain.

Unwinding

You'll become acquainted with various types of back rubs and can choose these for a particular time range. The cost will rely upon the sort of back rub and length. There are endless things you can do yet Thai back rub is certainly perhaps the best activity in Bangkok in 3 days. The Thai back rub is unique in Bangkok however it's somewhat difficult for common individuals. Be that as it may, it'll revive and loosen up your entire body. You can get a fragrance oil treatment and spa for unwinding. They are likewise exceptionally modest. Beginning from 200 (Approx. $6.39) Baht to 800 Baht (Approx. $25.55) or most noteworthy 1000 Baht (App

#travel #travelling #travelers #travelphotography #travelphotoshoot #travelbangkok #things to do in Bangkok #travellovers #Bangkok #thailand #travellife

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oliviadreams · 2 months ago

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The Joy of Japanese Food: A Family Update

Japanese cuisine is often hailed as one of the best in the world, and for good reason. Whether it’s sushi, ramen, or tempura, there’s something incredibly special about the way these dishes are prepared and enjoyed. Yet, despite the overwhelming goodness, I’ve encountered some folks who just don’t get it. So, let’s set the record straight: Japanese food is awesome, and anyone who says otherwise is seriously missing out! This post is actually more for my family back home, to keep you all updated on my life here and share some of the culinary experiences I’ve been having. I want to take a moment to say, loud and clear: Japanese food is not just sushi and ramen, though those are fantastic. It’s a whole world of flavors, textures, and experiences that you simply can’t appreciate until you’ve tried it for yourself. Let’s start with sushi. I know it’s the most famous of Japanese dishes, but it’s so much more than the raw fish you might think of. Freshness is key, and when you bite into a piece of sushi made with the best ingredients, you experience a symphony of flavors and textures. The delicate balance between the vinegar-seasoned rice and the fresh toppings is something you have to taste to believe. Sushi isn’t just food; it’s an art form. Then there’s ramen, which is far from just another noodle soup. Each bowl of ramen tells a story of its own. From the rich, savory broths to the perfectly cooked noodles and the array of toppings, every bowl is a unique experience. Whether you prefer a spicy miso ramen or a more traditional shoyu ramen, there’s something incredibly satisfying about a well-made bowl. And let’s not forget about the side dishes—gyoza (Japanese dumplings) and okonomiyaki (savory pancakes) are just the beginning.

Tempura is another highlight. This dish might seem simple—battered and deep-fried seafood or vegetables—but it’s a testament to the skill of Japanese chefs. The batter is light and crisp, and the ingredients are always fresh. It’s the kind of food that’s both indulgent and surprisingly delicate. Every bite is a crunchy, flavorful delight. Japanese food is also deeply connected to the culture. Eating here is not just about satisfying hunger; it’s about experience and tradition. For instance, the Japanese tea ceremony isn’t just about drinking tea; it’s about the art, the rituals, and the deep respect for the moment. Dining in Japan often means experiencing a whole new way of connecting with food and with others. But while I’m singing the praises of Japanese cuisine, I have to be honest—Korean food holds a special place in my heart. Korean dishes have an incredible depth of flavor that is both bold and comforting. From spicy kimchi to hearty bulgogi, Korean food is all about robust, flavorful dishes that are often shared with friends and family. The variety and intensity of flavors are unmatched, and there’s something incredibly satisfying about a well-prepared Korean meal.

I’m also excited to explore other cuisines as I continue my journey. Thai food is high on my list. The blend of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy in Thai dishes is something I can’t wait to experience. I’ve heard so much about how vibrant and diverse Thai cuisine is, and I’m eager to dive into dishes like pad Thai, green curry, and mango sticky rice.

Italian food is another cuisine I’m looking forward to exploring. Italy is known for its rich culinary heritage, and Italian dishes like pasta, pizza, and risotto are iconic around the world. I want to experience these dishes in their home country, to truly understand the flavors and traditions that make Italian food so beloved. It’s not just about the food; it’s about immersing myself in the culture and history that surround it. Of course, I could go to restaurants in Japan that serve Thai or Italian food, and I’m sure they’d be great. But there’s something special about experiencing a cuisine in its country of origin. The ambiance, the local ingredients, and the cultural context all contribute to a richer, more authentic experience. That’s why I’m looking forward to traveling to Thailand and Italy someday, to fully embrace and enjoy their food and culture. So, to my family reading this: I hope this gives you a glimpse into my life here and the culinary adventures I’m having. Japanese food is truly incredible, and it’s been a joy to explore the diverse flavors and dishes. But my culinary journey doesn’t stop here. I’m excited to try new things, to explore different cuisines, and to experience food in its cultural context. It’s all part of this incredible journey I’m on, and I’m grateful for every moment of it.

Thank you for following along and for supporting me. I miss you all and can’t wait to share more stories and experiences with you. Until then, enjoy a good meal wherever you are, and remember: Japanese food is awesome, and there’s a whole world of flavors out there waiting to be discovered.

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royvelasco · 4 years ago

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Top Things To Do In Chiang Mai

Just like most of the South East Asian Cities on the tourist route, Chiang Mai offers limitless Buddhist temples spread throughout the city. But what really stands out with this popular city north of Thailand is its rich history and colorful culture that still blend into the modern time.

If you’re already tired with the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, Chiang Mai might be the place for you. It can still give you the hyper vibe Bangkok has but with a more laid-back feeling into it. It is still a province and far off from the capital, so expect to get a rustic, slow-paced, stress-free environment from time to time, which is actually a good thing!

I can actually compare it to Bali. You can party yet find relaxation at the same time. Though instead of beaches, you’ll be on the mountains here in Chiang Mai.

How To Get To Chiang Mai?

Your best bet in getting to Chiang Mai is flying in to Bangkok. Numerous international airports fly in to Thailand’s capital so that wouldn’t be a big issue.

Once you’ve stepped in to Bangkok, either you can stay for a few nights (recommended!) or go straight to your destination. Taking the night bus or train is the most famous option for budget travelers, yet flying in to Chiang Mai can also be cheap. Take note that the bus and train can take between 11 and 14 hours of travel. Make sure to check airlines like Thai AirAsia, Thai Lion Air, & Nok Air as well as they offer cheap flights domestically.

How To Get Out Of The Airport (Chiang Mai International Airport)?

I actually had done enough research on how to take the public transportation from the airport to the Old City, where most of the attractions and accommodations are. There is an option which looks like the most local one called Songthaew or a shared pick-up taxi (usually red in color) available once you exit the arrival hall. I’ve also bumped into an article online mentioning about airport shuttle vans with designated stops in the Old City. And of course, your “trustworthy” airport taxis ready for your service for a steeper price.

Despite of these options I got, I hadn’t taken any of them since good thing, Grab is available in Chiang Mai. Grab has always been a reliable travel app here in South East Asia. It works like Uber that has reasonable pricing and you’ll most likely get a safe and comfortable ride.

Well to be honest, I was rooting for the Songthaew but I was unsure on how to take them. LOL! I was seeing a lot passing by but it looked like some were privately hired. It was not clear to me which one to take and what to do next once I’ve hoped in. I also didn’t see any airport shuttle vans or at least a counter or a queue for them. I was just grateful that Grab was available. :D

What To Do In Chiang Mai?

Chiang Mai is known to be the most visited city in northern Thailand. Most activities in this part of the country can be seen here that’s why you’ll certainly never run out of things to do in Chiang Mai. My 3 days of stay in this beautiful city might be a quick one yet I can say that I had witness most of its beauty. Listed below are the top things I didn’t miss out on this amazing place.

1. Do Temple-Hopping

You might already be templed-out if you have been traveling to Indochina for quite some time now. I’m pretty sure that you have seen countless similar looking temples throughout your trip and the last thing you want to see is another temple.

Chiang Mai might be an exception. I have checked out some of their famous temples and I can say that they differ from one another. Unlike the temples in Siem Reap, Cambodia (which are great by the way), temples here in Chiang Mai feels homely and simpler in structure. They are way less intimidating despite of the golden Buddhas and other statues all around.

Below are some of the cool temples I was able to visit:

Wat Chiang Man

Wat Chedi Luang

This temple is my favorite in Chiang Mai as it has an impressive ruin chedi (pagoda) at the center of the temple ground.

Wat Phan Tao

This temple was not listed on my itinerary but I was able to visit this on my way to Wat Chedi Luang.

Wat Lok Molee

Wat Phra Singh

Wat Sri Suphan (Silver Temple)

Make sure to visit this temple at night to witness its illuminating beauty.

Situated up in the mountain with an astonishing view of the province, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is considered to be the most popular for tourists. Unfortunately, I was unable to visit this temple as it is quite far off from the Old City.

2. Experience The Night Market

There are a few amazing night markets to choose from when you’re here in Chiang Mai but the most popular would be the Sunday Night Market or also known as the Walking Street along Ratchadamnoen Rd. It’s a kilometer stretch of delectable cuisine, artsy souvenirs, and cool local events.

Evidently, this only takes place every Sunday from 4PM until around midnight.

3. Learn How To Cook Thai Cuisine

I’ve always been eager to try a cooking class ever since I started traveling. Food has always been a big part of all my travels and what better way to know more of the local cuisine than trying to make them by yourself!

I almost had the chance when I was in Penang, Malaysia but was out of time. I found the cooking courses in Luang Prabang, Laos quite expensive on the other hand. The perfect moment came when I visited Chiang Mai!

Thailand definitely is the best place to savor on a gastronomical experience. I was able to enroll for a 3 Dishes - Half Day Course for a reasonable price (the cheapest I saw online) under Mama Noi Thai Cookery School. This activity is available online via Klook and Kkday. If you’re new to Klook, make sure to sign up HERE to get a Php150 reward!

4. Eat A Lot!

Thai cuisine has always been one of my favorites ever since. No trip to Thailand is complete without trying their authentic food choices.

If Pad Thai is screaming in and out of Bangkok, you might need to ditch that delectable plate for now and focus more on another local noodle dish made popular up here in the north.

Unlike Pad Thai that is dry, Khao Soi is another noodle dish served with a creamy spicy curry-like coconut broth.

Khao Soi Khun Yai is one of the popular stalls in the area that sells Khao Soi. I actually had my lunch here before I went to Wat Lok Molee which is just across the road.

I had this sweet Longan Juice to pair with my spicy Khao Soi.

Tip: Make sure to go here early as they only run from 11:00AM to 2:00PM and usually sell out quickly.

Some travelers even continue their journey way up further to places like Pai, Chiang Rai, and even Luang Prabang in Laos. But Chiang Mai indeed has these countless attractions your eyes can enjoy. I could also say that this is a great place to retire. No doubt a lot of digital nomads has found a home in this charming ancient city with a modern twist. I can describe Chiang Mai as a city away from the hustle. Despite of the city thriving its way, Chiang Mai still manages to hold its tradition making it an authentic city that catches every traveler’s heart.

DISCLAIMER: Information above is based on my actual experience during my visit on March 2018. Details like prices, contact information, etc. may change due to different factors. Feel free to comment down below for updates. The conversion rates are estimated and current as of writing.

NOTE: I own all the images used on this blog post unless otherwise stated. Please don’t use these for any purposes, unless you acknowledge the owner. Thank you.

#Travel #Food #Thailand Travel #Thailand Food #Chiang Mai Travel #Chiang Mai Food #Blog 2018 #Thailand 2018 #Chiang Mai 2018 #Thailand #Chiang Mai #Mama Noi #Khao Soi

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shockpop · 5 years ago

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@PURRASER SAID :

it’s clearly not nothing.

astute as ever , denki can’t exactly find fault in aizawa for making a talent out of connecting the dots .

given that the afternoon had long since sprawled into official night owl hours some time ago , the train ride back to musutafu is fairly empty , void of middle - aged businessmen on their way home to a hot meal or teenagers clogging the aisles to complain about some winter assignment they didn’t want to do --- much as denki had done when he was in their shoes . the time stretched between that life and now is generously over ten years , idly serving to remind him that he’s not immune from the dreads of aging .

while public transportation wasn’t really the most favorable of heroes on the move , one could be excused once the bustle of long missions has left them dead on their feet and free to proceed as they wish . befitting the current status of the man and his former teacher beside him , whom occupy two of the many empty seats in their car , neither are supplied with the energy necessary to carry themselves home tonight .

calling it a rough night hardly even covered the bases , but it’s also one of the few the two men ever find themselves crossing paths on anymore . one is looking a little more worse for wear than the other , some vague metaphor for the difference of finesse applied between their skillsets . no matter how adult he tries to feel , denki is often forced to acknowledge that aizawa’s still got fifteen more years of experience under his belt , and that nothing about delicate handling is all that conducive to an electricity quirk .

he still won’t give him any credit for addressing the obvious , though ; the thick , angry branches of lichtenberg figures decorating his skin along ley lines of burst blood vessels are anyone’s game when the latest model of his hero costume lacks any means of cover - up past the elbows .

likewise , one such vessel has made itself most apparent in the way it’s left blood pooling like ink around denki’s left iris --- the reason why he’s yet to remove his visor , a dead giveaway . aizawa is well aware of how the accessory has come to rest rather painfully against the bridge of denki’s nose these days .

they’d made idle conversation about it , once . back when conversing on the way home wasn’t such a taboo between them , where denki had demonstrated the now - foreign inclination to be as childlike in his curiosity as possible . trading eyewear with one another was as natural a time - killer as it was a stepping stone into a part of aizawa’s life that he’d not shared with more than a select handful of people , which , since then , now included his former student , following how he’d asked about where the spectacular ( and apparently , ‘ hella comfy ’ ) googles had come from .

at the end of it , denki didn’t have to apologize for prodding , because aizawa didn’t make it seem like he ought to , no matter how his face read as clear guilt . the twenty - seven - year - old always had a knack for missing the obvious , a rule that applied even then as he ghosted over the fact that it was a simple form of trust ; that their relationship had secured itself as something familial in that very moment , and that denki didn’t owe aizawa words that wouldn’t have held power over that impact anyway , modern literature degree be damned .

and while he might not have understood the exact severity of faith placed in him back then , denki still didn’t provide aizawa reason to believe his role of confidant was made anywhere in poor decision , having even commemorated his teacher’s dedication all those years to protecting his kids by any means possible , the hand on his shoulder a comforting reassurance to what denki deemed obvious : shirakumo would be proud of you , sensei .

that chapter of their lives felt as far gone as the kinship between them currently lies .

presently , denki hasn’t offered conversation to aizawa in many a train ride home , not willingly . that was his real first mistake ; it’s about as uncharacteristic as it comes for someone like denki , because even when he was tired , he would just prattle on about how tired he really was , and aizawa’s track record of chosen companions was fortunate in having long since steeled him to the lack of breath taken in between non - stop chatter . if there were even a millisecond of silence to be had , denki would find a way to obliterate it .

what’s for dinner tonight , sensei ? cookin’ the husbando up anything good ? i was thinking of picking up some pad thai , myself . there’s this place near my apartment that always gives me extra shrimp to take home for tempurra , but he mostly just bats it around , and i end up finding pieces of it under the couch a few days later . it’s so effing gross . i think the cashier might be super into me , though -----------

but now , denki’s energy is as uninviting as it has been nearly every day these past few months , and if anything , he finds what few words are thrown his way in attempt of conversation to be rather annoying and intrusive of his thoughts . he even sits hunched forward , elbows on knees with hands clasped loosely in one another , looking as if he wanted to stretch for a minute but then just ended staying like that ; a position aizawa might know too well as one of shutting out the rest of the world .

he doesn’t recall supplying the habitual ‘ nothing ’ when the elephant in the room is finally addressed , tugging down sleeves lacking the material to do what he wished of them .

that , and the unusually long pause between the question and its answer has little to do with the fact that language doesn’t exactly process right in his head right now , that his eyes haven’t been able to focus on anything since the start of their night , hours and hours ago . back when he looked less determined about something on his mind and more like , somehow , that his very life depended on an outcome of success .

aizawa presses the matter , and denki’s stillness is reminiscent of a corpse .

❛ and so what if it isn’t , ❜ he mutters dismissively , glaring off to the line of windows opposite them , where their reflections are made out clearly in the train lighting against passing backdrop of darkened cityscape . the empty seat between them was a decision made subconsciously , one he doesn’t even pick up on now as it stares him right in the face --- that natural obliviousness serving as the bare remnant of the old him , wherever that guy is currently squatting .

the train jostles both of them lightly , the only movement made for the remaining forty minutes of their night together .

#purraser #answered .#so like. die i guess

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welcometothepenumbra · 6 years ago

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ORIGINAL: JUNO STEEL AND THE CASE OF THE MURDEROUS MASK (PART TWO)

SOUND: DOOR OPENS, BELL RINGS, RAIN.

MUSIC: STARTS.

CONCIERGE: Ah, good evening, Traveler! Welcome to the Penumbra. May I take your coat?

You’ve picked an excellent place to spend the night, dear Traveler. The Penumbra is the grandest hotel this side of nowhere. Countless rooms and countless halls. Just look ahead of you. See the doors go on and on… even we aren’t sure how many there are, or what lies behind them.

Will you be staying long? Many of our guests do. You’re in good company, Traveler. The Penumbra draws guests from everywhere and everywhen, and all of them have stories to tell. Stories that will excite you, delight you, and maybe even terrify you.

Don’t believe me? Well, see for yourself.

SOUND: KEYS JINGLING.

This guest has been a fixture in The Penumbra for as long as anyone can recall. He’s a detective by the name of Steel, and he’s been called in on a murder millions of years in the making.

SOUND: THREE KNOCKS. BLASTER SHOT.

What luck! It sounds like he’s in. Come, Traveler. Come with me into room J-12.

SOUND: DOOR CREAKING OPEN.

Juno Steel and the Case of the Murderous Mask.

ALL SOUNDS: FADE OUT.

***

JUNO (NARRATOR): The smell of french fries and Pad Thai stuck to the air like a hangover. It was the kind of smell so thick you can taste it. Hell of a meal, they serve over at the Empire’s Dragon: cut lips and busted ribs, all before they even bring out the appetizer.

My name’s Juno Steel, and this was the nicest meal I’d had in weeks.

GLASS: Juno! Oh, you delicate little flower, that punch didn’t knock you out, did it?

JUNO (NARRATOR): The only real difference between then and any other meal was that guy. Rex Glass, agent with the Dark Matters Initiative. We were chained back-to-back in an unfinished basement after getting the hors d’oeuvres beaten out of us, so things were lookin’ up. Usually you have to pay top dollar for that kind of treatment.

JUNO: Mind keeping it down back there, Glass? I’ve got a hell of a headache.

GLASS: You’re intolerable.

JUNO: Glad you noticed.

SOUND: DOOR OPENS, CLOSES.

VOICE 7: Ah, Detective Steel! And his… guest! It’s a pleasure to see you again, detective.

JUNO: Wish I could say the same, but we’ve never met.

VOICE 7: Please, gentlemen… have a seat. (LAUGHS)

JUNO (NARRATOR): Fang was a big man with little eyes and a little brain. He was maybe three hundred pounds soaking wet, and he was always soaking wet. Sweatiest man I’ve ever seen.

VOICE 7: My name is Zhu Fang, and I am the regional manager for this branch of the Triad. May I get you two anything? Water, green tea, milkshake?

GLASS: I, for one, would love some water; if you could see your way to releasing—

VOICE 7 [ZHU FANG]: Nothing? What a shame. We’ve been watching you for a long time now, Juno Steel. You have a tab with the Triad.

JUNO: I took Cecil off the Triad’s hands six years ago, Fang. It’s a long time to hold a grudge.

FANG: Your debt accrues interest every day. Each day Cecil Kanagawa remains living is a day viewers across the galaxy tune in to his shows, his feeds, his streams. And if they’re watching those, Mr. Steel, they aren’t watching ours. The Triad cannot allow that.

GLASS: This is just a thought, but… have you tried improving your own programming? It seems just slightly less drastic than espionage, kidnapping, and murder.

FANG: Improve?! (LAUGHING) Hardly! Cecil’s programs are exquisite. I especially liked his feature the other night on recent improvements in ritual execution. The demonstrations were breathtaking!

No, no, I’m afraid we’ll never beat that. And that leaves only one option: we’ll just have to beat… him. (LAUGHING) But even Cecil is pocket change compared to our specific topic for the evening. Tell me, Juno, do you read the tabloids?

JUNO: Not really.

FANG: Well, I am surprised.

For every hundred entries in any rumors column, one always tells the truth; and there is no business more lucrative than the business of truth, is there? You must know that, as a detective.

JUNO: I don’t know, Fang. I deal in truth every day and I’ve barely got enough to feed my bookie.

FANG: (LAUGHING UNCONTROLLABLY)

GLASS: I think he might have liked that one, Juno.

FANG: No, no, no. The money isn’t in speaking the truth. It’s in owning it. Sitting on it, like a dragon on his gold. You’d do well to remember that.

I heard an interesting rumor just the other day, Mr. Steel. One worth very much indeed.

JUNO: If it’s true.

FANG: Of course.

SOUND: SWITCHBLADE OPENING.

GLASS: Juno!

FANG: You were at the Kanagawas’ this morning. I want to hear about Croesus.

JUNO: Never heard of the guy.

REX: Juno, you idiot!

FANG: You’re a funny man, Juno Steel. But the time for jokes has passed.

JUNO: I agree. So why don’t you put down that toy and bring in a real knife?

SOUND: BLADE SWISH. GRUNT.

FANG: What do you know?

JUNO: (PAINED) I know you don’t know the first damn thing about Croesus, or else you would’ve aimed somewhere a little more vital than my thigh.

FANG: I was being generous. There are plenty of places even less vital than that, and much, much more painful.

GLASS: No! No! Don’t you dare! We’ll tell you anything you want to know!

FANG: Well, it seems we’ve gotten somewhere after all! So… Agent Glass, was it? Will you be more cooperative?

GLASS: Immediately so. Croesus Kanagawa—

JUNO: Shut up!

GLASS: —has recently obtained the Death Mask of Grimpotheuthis, an incredible archaeological find, and he’s installed an entire wing of his mansion just for storing it in.

JUNO: You…!

You shouldn’t’ve told them, Glass. The Kanagawas aren’t gonna like it.

FANG: Grim’s Mask? (LAUGHS) Gentlemen, I’ve no interest in any masks. Whether Croesus collects ancient treasures or model spaceships makes no difference to me.

I’ll be more direct. The Kanagawas’ contracts go up at the end of the month; for weeks the entertainment world has been awash with theories and speculation as to what their next slate of programs will be.

I’ve heard – from a very reputable source – that their already-extensive line will be expanding significantly.

JUNO: Interesting theory. What’s the source on this rumor?

FANG: A house that large generates a lot of trash, Mr. Steel. And I’m not just talking about the Kanagawas.

GLASS: (LAUGHING) Ehem. Well, now. I really liked that one.

JUNO: Someone found it digging through the dumpster. Not exactly rock-solid.

FANG: That may be true, Mr. Steel – but thankfully, I’ve managed to locate two experts to deliver to us firsthand testimony of Croesus’s plan. They – that’s you – will give me the details I desire.

JUNO: And then?

FANG: Then you die.

JUNO: That’s a bad deal.

GLASS: Yes, I would expect a businessman to have a better grasp on the basic tenets of selling.

FANG: I’ll remind you I have an edge in these negotiations.

GLASS: I believe he means his knife, Juno.

JUNO: Sounds about right.

GLASS: He’s being creative with his language, you see.

JUNO: Yep.

GLASS: How very clever.

FANG: What did Kanagawa send you for? What’s he planning?

GLASS: They say the truth will set you free, Juno.

JUNO: Kanagawa isn’t planning anything.

SOUND: PUNCH.

So much for that.

FANG: I’ll kill you both.

JUNO: You do, and there goes your payday. Any middle-manager who’d throw out his profits won’t stay a middle manager long. How do you think Shenlong would feel about that?

FANG: (LAUGHS) You’re behind the times, Mr. Steel. The Triad of a year ago might have left you alive. But tonight, you will die.

So what will it be, gentlemen? A quick death… or a slow one?

JUNO: (SIGHING) Alright, Fang. You win.

FANG: Of course I do. Now—

JUNO: We don’t know what the shows are. But we can get you the person who does.

FANG: You don't mean…

GLASS: Juno, do you think this is wise?

JUNO: Get us a secure line, Fang. We’ll get you a meeting with Croesus.

FANG: The man himself…! I’ll get you that line. But you’d better not try anything cute, or you’ll die on the spot.

GLASS: Nothing cute? We couldn’t possibly promise that—

JUNO: Nothing tricky. Got it.

FANG: Good. Well, gentlemen. Think about what you’ll say. It had better be a very convincing phone call – or you will have a long, long time to wish you had rehearsed.

SOUND: DOOR OPENS, CLOSES.

GLASS: Well, I have to say, Juno, that the political situation on Mars seems… unnecessarily complicated.

JUNO: Try living in it.

GLASS: Do you have any idea of how to get out of here?

JUNO: Just don’t move.

JUNO (NARRATOR): Listen, when you get tied up as often as I do, you eventually learn to prepare. My prep was cheaper than most: didn’t cost any more than a spool of thread, a needle, and a ten-cred plasma-blade box cutter. I untied the threads in my sleeve and pulled the cutter out.

GLASS: Stay still? That seems entirely contrary—

JUNO: Stay still.

JUNO (NARRATOR): I twisted it in my fingers slowly. A single twitch and that thing’d be down by our feet, and then we’d be six feet under that.

I turned the blade toward the chain, held my breath, and clicked the switch. The first chain snapped.

SOUND: LOW ELECTRIC HUM. CHAINS CLINKING.

Our hands loosened just a bit.

GLASS: Careful where you put that, Juno.

JUNO: Careful as I can be.

JUNO (NARRATOR): I didn’t mention that I couldn’t look at the cutter, the chains, or either of our hands. Maybe I should’ve. He might’ve been more ready.

GLASS: (GASPS) Ah!

SOUND: METALLIC CLATTER.

JUNO (NARRATOR): He pulled away his hand… and my plasma cutter along with it.

JUNO: Damn.

GLASS: You don’t… happen to have another one of those, do you?

JUNO: Of course I do. Just get a cab back to my place and I’ll show you a drawer full of them.

GLASS: Well? Do you have anything else?

JUNO: Can’t… quite… reach…

GLASS: Stop pulling! You’re an unbearable bunkmate, Juno. First the burning, then you hog all the chain!

JUNO: Got any better ideas?

GLASS: Somewhere in here, I’m sure. Check my back pockets. They’re too far from my hands for me to reach, but… you’re back there. Just be careful; who knows what you’ll find?

JUNO (NARRATOR): Glass wasn’t kidding. He kept more per pound in those pockets than most kangaroos. Pens, keys, cards, tablets, something that felt like a compass, a toothbrush, a phone. I found it between half a sandwich and the other half of the sandwich: a heavy-duty plasma cutter. Not exactly the kind they hand out to civilians.

JUNO: Would’ve been nice to know about this before.

GLASS: You said you had it under control.

SOUND: ELECTRIC HUM, SIZZLING.

Were you an only child, Juno? You don’t play well with others.

JUNO: Remember how I said my mother never killed me?

GLASS: Yes.

JUNO: …My brother wasn’t so lucky.

GLASS: I…

I’m… so sorry, Juno.

SOUND: CHAIN FALLS.

JUNO: Fang’s gonna be back any second. Chances are he’s bringing some goons with him. Any ideas?

GLASS: Millions. Cut the other hand free, and I’ll—

SOUND: DOOR OPENS.

Nevermind.

FANG: Well, well. So this is how the Kanagawas do business.

JUNO: Any ideas now?

GLASS: Would you like to live?

JUNO: Don’t go out of your way.

FANG: Shun! Wei! Show them what happens when you cross the Triad!

GLASS: I hope you’re good with a knife, Juno.

JUNO: Don’t worry. I’ve had plenty of practice; with… my other hand.

SOUND: BLADE UNSHEATHING.

SHUN & WEI: (GROWLING)

JUNO (NARRATOR): They came at us, roaring like Sasquatch and Sasquatch’s football coach. With my good hand still chained to Glass’s and a hole in my leg deep enough to hold my keys, I wasn’t exactly in fighting form. So I dropped the knife and kicked one of the gorillas off his feet—

SOUND: GRUNT.

JUNO (NARRATOR): —and before the guy hit the ground Rex had carved him a clean set of gills.

SOUND: THUD, CHOKING.

JUNO (NARRATOR): I don’t like to look at blood, so I didn’t. Unfortunately, neither did the other ape – and that left the two of us looking at each other.

SHUN OR WEI (DOESN’T REALLY MATTER): For Zhulong!

JUNO (NARRATOR): The Neanderthal threw a mean left hook, which caught me in the chin and didn’t let go. I fell over, and Glass fell, too.

GLASS: Juno, you— oof!

JUNO (NARRATOR): But there was no time: Ursa Major’s left was spent, but his right was aiming for Glass’s head. He’d accessorized that one: a line of nasty-looking steel spikes jutted from his knuckles.

I pushed Glass out of the way and raised my arm. I always was a good catch.

SOUND: THUD. PAINED YELL.

The claws dug into my forearm deep enough that the bastard couldn’t yank ‘em out. Worked just as well for me. If he couldn’t pull ‘em, he couldn’t hit back.

I reared back with my free hand and punched him, and punched him again. After about half a dozen auditions as my speed bag, the big guy finally passed out on the floor – and his claw passed out of my arm.

JUNO: You son of a—!

GLASS: Juno! He’s getting away!

JUNO (NARRATOR): Fang was halfway out the door already, and he was dialing the phone.

JUNO: He left his gun on the desk. Put it in my good hand.

Now don’t move a muscle.

JUNO (NARRATOR): In ten seconds he’d be on the line with Triad HQ; in twenty we’d be up to our asses in gangsters.

I gave him five.

SOUND: BLASTER SHOT, THUMP.

FANG: You…

GLASS: How… unpleasant. It appears he’s still alive.

FANG: (PANTING) You… you’ve made… a grave mistake, Juno… Steel! The Triad… doesn’t forget!

JUNO: I make a lot of grave mistakes, Fang. It’s the only way to get anywhere.

Enjoy your meeting with Croesus.

SOUND: BLASTER SHOT.

GLASS: Well. All in all, that was one of the least successful dinner meetings I’ve ever had. Three bodies, one injured detective, a big boo-boo on my hand, and no clues at all.

JUNO: I wouldn’t say none. Take a look at the ID on the number he was calling.

GLASS: He was calling Triad Headquarters, so it should be…

Zhulong? But wasn’t the Triad boss named—

JUNO: Shenlong. They don’t line up. There’s been a change in management in the Triad.

GLASS: I don’t understand how that affects our case, Juno.

JUNO: The Triad wouldn’t write the wrong name. And even if Shenlong bit it after they killed Croesus, it takes time to pick a new boss.

GLASS: Then… whoever wrote that name didn’t know about the change in management.

JUNO: Whoever killed Croesus wasn’t Triad. Just looking for a convenient stooge.

Come on. We’re headed back to Kanagawa’s.

JUNO (NARRATOR): We would’ve gone straight back to Kanagawa’s if Glass hadn’t gotten in a twist over nothing. So we wasted a few hours in the local emergency room.

GLASS: Juno, I’m no doctor, but I think you might actually have more blood outside your body than inside it at the moment.

JUNO (NARRATOR): Rex was a good babysitter. It wasn’t so bad being petted for a change. Most of the human contact I get wears titanium knuckles and comes in a few hundred miles an hour. I was almost sorry when the doctor came in.

The guy bandaged my leg, put a cast on my arm, and told me I’d be bedridden for the next four days. Glass and I waited four minutes and then snuck out the back door.

GLASS: So, back to the Kanagawas’, then?

JUNO: Only place left to go.

SOUND: PAGE TURNING.

GLASS: So… you think you know who killed Croesus?

JUNO: Never said that.

But… I think I know enough to get into some trouble.

GLASS: That does seem to be your method, doesn’t it.

What’s that?

JUNO: Tabloid. I was reading it in the waiting room.

JUNO (NARRATOR): Had to hand it to Fang: he wasn’t wrong about the rumors page. Rumors about Kanagawa’s contracts, a colony of surviving Martians, a treasure thief in Hyperion City, a woman who gave birth to android twins, back-door deals and front-door lies. Figuring out what was true and what wasn’t was worth a hell of a lot of money, if you knew who to tell.

JUNO: Hey, Glass. You work this sector, right?

GLASS: Mostly. Why?

JUNO: Lot of interesting stuff in here. Lot of money to be made.

Thought you might want to look into it together.

GLASS: Why, Juno! Is that an invitation?

JUNO: Don’t read too much into it.

GLASS: I hate to break your heart, detective, but we Dark Matters agents don’t stay in any one place too long – as soon as we’ve settled this matter with Grim’s Mask I’ll be riding the cosmic breeze to the next planet.

JUNO: I’m sorry to hear that.

GLASS: As am I. But that’s the future, Juno: here we are in a beautiful present, and I’m more than willing to look into whatever you’d like. Now, where would you like to talk about these rumors? Your place or mine?

JUNO: Just land the damn car, already.

SOUND: DOOR OPENS, FUNHOUSE MUSIC STARTS. FOOTSTEPS.

CECIL: Juno! You’re… oh, my. What happened to you?

JUNO: Dog bit me.

CECIL: That’s a hell of a cast for—

JUNO: It was a big dog.

GLASS: With all due respect, Cecil, I think Juno would either like to get right to business or right to a liquor cabinet.

JUNO: Both of which, I’m guessing, we could find in your dad’s office.

CECIL: (LAUGH-COUGHING) Father’s office? Well, Juno, there are just so many things in there that it wouldn’t be wise to show to the public…

JUNO: Public? I though we were brothers, Cecil. I thought that’s why you wanted me here in the first place.

CECIL: Ah, ha ha, well… I wouldn’t know what I could… (NERVOUS CHUCKLING) I’ll admit it: you caught me on my words, Junebug. Of course we trust you. But, see, it– it’s kind of crazy around here, and—

JUNO: People seem pretty calm, actually.

GLASS: That man’s been picking his nose for the last five minutes.

CECIL: (FORCED LAUGHING) Well! We’re not all busy, of course. But I am. Very, very busy. So…

VOICE 8: Now, Cecil! Is that any way to treat family?

JUNO (NARRATOR): And in she came through the door: Min Kanagawa, the shadow behind the Kanagawa family. The other three had TV shows, video streams, perfume lines. Cecil had all three. But the public almost never saw Min – even though there wasn’t a decision the family made that she did not touch.

VOICE 8 [MIN]: Juno, darling! It’s been so long!

JUNO: Min.

CECIL: Mi– M-mother! But– but you told me th—

MIN: Oh, hush, Cecil. I heard the way you talked to Mr. Steel. I could hear it from down the hall!

CECIL: But– but I—!

MIN: No buts! It’s inexcusable! And… and what’s more inexcusable is your tardiness. Your talk show is set to air in ten minutes, and where are you?

CECIL: But I– but—!

MIN: Berating the guests! Now out, you, out! Mr. Steel and his friend had a perfectly simple request, and you’ve turned it into an inquisition!

CECIL: Min!

MIN: Out!

CECIL: So sorry, friends. I’ll be on my way.

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS. DOOR OPENS, CLOSES.

MIN: (SIGHS) Children! I’m so sorry for Cecil’s behavior, Juno. We’ve been turned upside-down since last evening. It’s Croesus’s office you want, isn’t it?

JUNO: If you don’t mind.

MIN: Not at all. Follow me, gentlemen.

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS.

GLASS: (QUIETLY) Well, that was easy.

JUNO: (QUIETLY) Don’t count on it.

MIN: I’m sure Cecil told you what the situation has been like on our end – just horrible. At the pace we live, we haven’t even had a moment to mourn poor Croesus yet – there are some moments when I call him to ask a question, only to remember… (SNIFFS) horrible, horrible.

GLASS: We’re so very sorry for your loss, Mrs. Kanagawa.

MIN: I assume Cecil told you not to say a word about this.

JUNO: Had us sign about a dozen forms to that effect, too.

MIN: Good. Oh, I know it seems heartless. This is business, I think to myself. Where has the soul gone from business? But we’ve shareholders to consider, viewers to appease. This just isn’t the end to Croesus Kanagawa that will satisfy them. We’ll have to keep it quiet until such an end is written.

VOICE 9: Um, excuse me, Mrs. Kanagawa? The writing team put together these posts for the boss’s feed, but they need signatures.

MIN: Of course they do. I’ll be just a moment, gentlemen.

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS DEPARTING.

GLASS: She seems nice.

JUNO: Seems that way.

GLASS: Pretty, too.

JUNO: Mm-hm.

GLASS: I don’t like the way you’re looking at that woman, Juno.

JUNO: Woman like Min Kanagawa, taking your eye off her is a good way to end up dead.

GLASS: Do you think she killed him?

JUNO: No. She’s Croesus’s second wife, and there’s good money on the fact that she opened that position herself.

GLASS: You don’t mean…

JUNO: That job was so clean it took five experts just to prove that a woman was dead. Killing Kanagawa with the mask… too messy. Not her style.

MIN: Oh, boys! What are you two whispering about back there?

JUNO: Ancient history.

MIN: How delightful. So sorry to interrupt you with business matters, but…

SOUND: PEN SCRIBBLING.

…there. The world keeps turning, even when the master is away.

JUNO: That was a hell of a signature, Min. Didn’t see your name anywhere in it.

MIN: I’m sure you two can keep that little legal indiscretion to yourselves, can’t you? So many papers flow by… Croesus just didn’t have time to look at them all. You know how it is.

JUNO: I’ll take your word for it.

MIN: Good. Now, Croesus’s office is just around the corner.

SOUND: DISTANT YELL.

GLASS: What in the hell was that?

MIN: I don’t know. You don’t think… anyone is hurt, do you?

SOUND: ANOTHER YELL.

JUNO: It’s coming from the office!

SOUND: RUNNING FOOTSTEPS.

JUNO (NARRATOR): We ran down the hall together, and the screaming just got louder.

I already knew who it was, and I knew Min did, too. There wasn’t a single person in Hyperion City who didn’t recognize that roar – it had played on the Kanagawa stream between the hours of 8 and 9 every Thursday since she was fifteen years old.

SOUND: DOOR OPENS.

JUNO: Cassandra!

CASSANDRA: Juno! (PANTING) You took it, didn’t you? You always do this!

JUNO: Don’t remember. Help me out. What did I take?

CASSANDRA: Yesterday! Give it back, Juno, or I swear I’m gonna ki—

JUNO: You don’t mean the mask, do you?

CASSANDRA: The mask? I don’t care about the mask!

GLASS: Nobody seems to.

CASSANDRA: I knew it! I knew I couldn’t trust you!

GLASS: I’m Special Agent Rex Glass, with the Dark Matters Initiative.

CASSANDRA: Get out!

JUNO: Settle down. Agent Glass is here to help me figure this whole thing out.

GLASS: I’ve been sent to investigate this curse, and any claims toward its existence I am charged to examine. Ms. Kanagawa, my only interest is the mask. Truly.

MIN: Talk to them, Cassandra. It will be alright.

CASSANDRA: You’re going to tell me that? Seriously?

You wanna know what I’m looking for, Juno? My papers. I’m sick of waiting for you, and I’m getting out of here.

GLASS: As is your right as a Martian citizen, Ms. Kanagawa. Once the matter of your father’s death is settled, you’ll be free to go.

CASSANDRA: (LAUGHS) I’m leaving now.

GLASS: Let the detective and me clear you, then, and you may go. Isn’t that right, detective?

JUNO: Yeah, Cass. Just answer a few questions. If it all lines up, you can go.

CASSANDRA: You’ll show me where to go? She can’t stop me, right?

JUNO: She doesn’t have the right.

MIN: Hmm.

GLASS: This shouldn’t take five minutes of your time, Ms. Kanagawa.

CASSANDRA: You’re on the clock.

GLASS: After you, Juno.

JUNO: (SIGHS) Alright. What’re you looking for?

CASSANDRA: I already told you. My papers.

JUNO: I don’t think so. Earlier today, Cassie, you told me Croesus was going to let you go. That he wasn’t gonna renew your contract. That right?

CASSANDRA: …Sure.

GLASS: We heard a rumor to a slightly different effect. Is it at all possible that you were mistaken?

CASSANDRA: I heard him just fine.

GLASS: Well, another perspective, then. Is it possible that he… deceived you?

Don’t tell me your father never lied to anyone, Cassandra. Nobody ever made it in show business telling only little white lies.

CASSANDRA: Just a few questions, huh? Some questions, when you already know the answers. That contract was a secret, and you took it just to mess with my head, didn’t you!

GLASS: Your father told a lot of lies, I gather. A man like that is bound to meet a violent end eventually.

CASSANDRA: Better late than never.

JUNO: What’d he do? What was so bad that he had to die?

GLASS: Just what was it about that contract that made you kill Croesus Kanagawa?

CASSANDRA: It was right here! Another ten seasons for all of us, twice as many shows… on camera every second of the day, Juno!

JUNO: I thought you said he was going to let your contract lapse?

CASSANDRA: That’s what he promised! That’s what was supposed to happen. And then he– then he stole that stupid mask, and the ratings went up. Everyone’s did, and then… I was so worried… there was so much money. He was gonna sign me away again. I just– I couldn’t just let him get away with it!

GLASS: Is this a confession?

CASSANDRA: I saw that contract in here about a week ago, when I was looking for him. I brought it into my room to read the thing over, but… I had to put it down for a while. I couldn’t believe it. He promised me, he promised me so many times, and then, when I was finally going to tell him off, the contract was gone. I couldn’t find the damn thing anywhere.

JUNO: It was…

Hang on.

CASSANDRA: So. He lied to me. And when he found out I knew about it, he snuck into my room and took his contract back. So two nights ago, I finally decided… decided that I’d talk to him about it. One-on-one. Without anybody watching.

GLASS: Without witnesses, you mean.

JUNO: Just a second, Glass—

CASSANDRA: I didn’t have anything planned! I was just gonna talk to him.

I found him in that room – the one with the mask. He was pissed off the second he saw me, screaming about… I asked him about the contract. He told me he didn’t know what I was talking about, and he just kept screaming about his stupid mask and that stupid glass case he’d spent all that money on. He wouldn’t admit it! He lied to me about my freedom, and he lied to me about the contract, and I couldn’t take it anymore! I just got so mad, I…

I pushed him. I didn’t think I pushed him hard enough to break the glass, but… it was enough, I guess. He fell into the case. The mask covered his face, and then… it ripped him apart.

JUNO (NARRATOR): She wouldn’t look at me when she said it. For a minute I thought it was because she was ashamed. Should’ve known better. I followed her eyes to the door, and there stood Min – a cameraman pointing his all-seeing eye over her shoulder. Delivering lines to the camera, her tears sent out in high definition over every stream across Mars.

I wasn’t mad at her. You can’t blame a puppet for moving when the strings get pulled.

CASSANDRA: Juno… what did I do?

JUNO: It’s showbiz, Cass. It’s in your blood.

MIN: Gentlemen, I think it’s time to take my daughter away now.

SOUND: HEAVY FOOTSTEPS. DOOR OPENS, CLOSES.

GLASS: Well. I suppose… come to think of it, that doesn’t answer any of my questions about Grim’s Curse at all.

JUNO: No curse here, Glass. Just business.

GLASS: A curse of its own stripe entirely. …Juno?

JUNO: Y’know, there are just two things bugging me about this case, and the curse ain’t one of ‘em. First one’s about that contract. Not like an important doc like that to just go missing. Is it, Min?

MIN: Surely a sign of a fractured mind. Our psychiatric evaluators will get right on it.

JUNO: Your shrinks. Huh. That must be where she’s headed, then.

GLASS: I’m not sure I follow—

JUNO: Hoosegow. Local lock-up owned and operated by Croesus— sorry, by Min Kanagawa.

Y’know what’s funny about Hoosegow, Glass? Cameras everywhere. They cover every inch of the damn place. It’s for security, they say. But… hey, who owns that footage, Min?

MIN: Cecil, technically. It’s for his shows.

JUNO: Cecil owns the footage. So if someone owns Cecil…

It is funny about the contract. Funny how a paper with Croesus’s signature on it just goes missing. And it must be hard for you, Min, but if you take the long view of it, you’re doin’ alright, aren’t you? Croesus’s show was on the decline anyway—

GLASS: Juno!

JUNO: —Cassandra was going to leave; once people forgot about the mask, you were gonna have two duds on your hands again. But now… now you’ve got a special on the starlet who killed her father, you’ve got a show about her rotting away in jail, and you still have her brother to milk for all he’s got.

Sound about right, Min? Theoretically, I mean.

MIN: Theoretically, of course. If only you had the paper to prove it.

JUNO: It’s a real shame I don’t. I don’t mean much, Min, but I do mean that.

Come on, Rex.

MIN: Oh, Juno! Speaking as one who cares about you, dear, you might want to stay clear of dark alleys for a while. The Kanagawa family doesn’t take well to brothers who harm their own.

JUNO: Never put much stock in family, Min. Thanks for reminding me why.

ALL SOUNDS: FADE OUT.

***

GLASS: Well. All’s well that ends well, eh, Juno?

Admittedly we’ll need to broaden our definition of ‘well,’ but…

SOUND: LIQUID POURING.

Juno, you aren’t going to be silent all evening, are you? Your overbearing misanthropy is part of your charm, but this is a bit much.

JUNO: Not in the mood to celebrate, Glass.

GLASS: Oh, come now, Juno, I’ve only one evening left on Mars. You aren’t going to spend it sobbing into your drink, are you?

JUNO: Never been much of a sobber. I’m more of a “catch your reflection at the bottom of a glass and feel sick” kind of guy.

GLASS: Juno…

You’ve done nothing wrong, you know. She did still kill her father.

JUNO: That’s true.

GLASS: It’s over. We all survived, if you don’t count my poor hand. My wound still throbs when it rains, you brute.

Only… I was wondering. In Kanagawa’s office, you said there were two things bothering you, but you only mentioned one. What was the other?

SOUND: LIQUID POURING.

JUNO: Refill?

GLASS: (LAUGHING) So that’s how it is, is it?

You know… you’re very handsome when you’re like this.

JUNO: Getting drunker by the second?

GLASS: Morally outraged.

Look at him… standing up against the big, mean world… It’s so… futile, and foolish, and…

Sexy.

JUNO: You…

You don’t have to go, Rex.

GLASS: (GIGGLING) See? This is exactly what I mean.

JUNO: Listen. You don’t have to do this. You know that, right?

GLASS: Oh, but of course I do. I’m needed by something larger than we are. I’ve given my life to it.

But life can wait one night, Juno. Come here.

SOUND: KISSING.

JUNO (NARRATOR): Lips like silk. Strong hands, pulling on my coat. It was the kind of kiss that feels like it’s going to last the rest of your life… until it’s over, and then you know you got as much as you deserved.

I wanted to get to know this man. And that’s why I had to say it – even if it was the last thing I wanted to say.

JUNO: Rex…

GLASS: Juno.

JUNO: Has anyone ever told you…

SOUND: HANDCUFFS CLICKING.

…that you’re under arrest?

GLASS: Oh, Juno! Usually not until the second date, but—

JUNO: I mean it, Glass. Or… whoever the hell you are.

GLASS: I… I take it from your tone that this is not another layer to the roleplay. (SIGHING) Fine, I’ll play along. Under arrest for what?

JUNO: The attempted theft of the Mask of Grimpotheuthis.

GLASS: I haven’t the first idea what you’re talking about.

JUNO: And for stealing the keys to my safe right out of my pocket.

SOUND: KEYS JINGLING.

GLASS: Ha ha… yes, well, that does sound more familiar.

JUNO: You want to know what the second thing was? It was the mask’s case. A perfectly circular cut – the kind of cut that compass in your pocket might be able to make.

GLASS: Very perceptive! I knew I’d regret letting you root around in there. But I couldn’t resist.

JUNO: I had it figured out before then. You called the case “smashed.” It wasn’t smashed – it was broken into cleanly. A burglary, not a struggle. Why the hell would Croesus Kanagawa’s killer take the mask out so quietly, and then leave it behind like that?

You must have been interrupted. You cut that circle in the glass, but didn’t have time to pull it out – and then Croesus came along.

GLASS: I had to make good my escape, and quickly – you have no idea about the security in that mansion, Juno. There ought to be a law!

JUNO: Who are you really?

GLASS: Oh, what’s in a name, Juno? We’re all but shapes, moving through this void of ours; it so great, and we so small.

JUNO: I need to know.

GLASS: You may want to know, love, but you don’t need to. A signifier to these senses you feel – it might make things simpler. But life is hardly simple, Juno, and neither am I.

I don’t tell anyone my name. It would take someone very special for me to tell it now.

JUNO: I knew it was you. But I thought you’d…

So is Wire in on it too, then? You two working together?

GLASS: Who? Oh, you mean Dark Matters? No, no, Juno. They told you the truth. The truth as they knew it, at any rate. I do answer to the name Rex Glass – for the moment.

JUNO: You got into Dark Matters on your own?

GLASS: (LAUGHING) Not alone. It pays to have powerful friends, Juno, when one makes powerful enemies. You’ve demonstrated as much with the Kanagawas.

Allow me to shift the focus of our conversation, will you?

SOUND: COMMS BEEP.

JUNO: You’ve got about two minutes before the cops get here. You can say whatever you want until then.

GLASS: Hyperion City isn’t the safest place for you at the moment, is it? In one day you’ve made enemies with two of the largest crime families in town – hardly wise. It sounds to me like you need to… disappear.

And I happen to be an expert in disappearance.

JUNO: Taking off takes a lot of things I don’t have. Money. Self-respect.

GLASS: Oh, but you do have those things, Juno! You can leave Hyperion City behind; I’ll leave my powerful friends behind. We’ll sell the mask and live a life of thrills and decadence across the galaxy, always running, never looking back. We could have quite a time together, Juno. Who knows what kind of trouble we could cause?

SOUND: KNOCKING. DOOR OPENS.

JUNO: Officers.

VOICE 10: This our guy?

GLASS: I could be, officer. Just give me a chance.

JUNO: Be careful with him. He’s slippery.

SOUND: FOOTSTEPS.

GLASS: It could be quite an adventure, Juno.

JUNO: I’m sure it will be. I wish I could come along.

I’ll be down at the station in a minute.

GLASS: You’re so cute like this, Juno. Until we meet again.

SOUND: DOOR CLOSES.

JUNO (NARRATOR): He was gone. His smell still lingered in the air – that cologne I never could place. A scent from some other planet, like nothing I’d ever smelled before. It’d take weeks to get that stink out.

I needed to clear my head a minute before I drove over. I poured myself another drink…

SOUND: LIQUID POURING.

…and that’s when I saw it. A little slip of paper, sticking up between the cushions. He must’ve written it behind his back. I’d believe he could do anything.

GLASS (NARRATOR): Juno,

If you wish for one last glimpse of me, watch the public access feed for Route 742. Somewhere around Mercury Drive, I suspect… but no farther than Vulcanis Way. Get a good look, detective: it may be your last.

I do hope it isn’t, though. I meant every word I said, Juno. It will be quite an adventure. I’ll be waiting for you to join me.

Signed, Your Better Half, Peter Nureyev

JUNO: Damn!

SOUND: COMMS BEEP.

JUNO: Rita!

RITA (FROM COMMS): (YAWNING, GROGGY) M-Mista Steel…? Whatta you doin’, callin’ me—

JUNO: Rita, I need you to get me a call with Sasha Wire. Now.

RITA (FROM COMMS): Who…?

JUNO: Agent W. The Dark Matters woman who called this morning.

RITA (FROM COMMS): She said it was con-fi-dent—

JUNO: Just call her, damn it!

RITA (FROM COMMS): Alright! Testy, testy…

SOUND: COMMS BEEP.

JUNO (NARRATOR): I couldn’t wait. I had to know.

SOUND: STATIC BLIP. TV CHANNELS CHANGING.

JUNO: Come on, come on, god damn it, Nureyev, where are you?

SOUND: DISTANT SIREN.

JUNO: Damn it!

MUSIC: STARTS.

JUNO (NARRATOR): It was exactly where he said it would be. Route 742. Mercury Drive. The cop car was parked on the sidewalk. Sitting on the ground beside it, in nothing but their skin and their skivvies, were the two cops who’d picked him up earlier. They were hog-tied, their mouths gagged. And Nureyev was nowhere in sight.

I checked my pocket. The key to my safe was gone.

JUNO: No!

SOUND: COMMS BEEP.

WIRE (FROM COMMS): Juno! This line is confidential! If you needed me so badly, you should have had Agent Glass call!

Where is he?

JUNO: Wish I knew, Sasha. Come on down sometime and I’ll tell you the whole story.

WIRE (FROM COMMS): You’ll tell me the story now, Juno. Juno!

SOUND: COMMS BEEP.

JUNO (NARRATOR): That’s how things go, in Hyperion City. One day, she’s your daughter; next day, she’s your killer. One minute, he’s your partner; next minute… he’s gone.

I drank until I couldn’t think anymore and then I passed out on the couch. Sasha might have called a few times, but I didn’t answer. Couldn’t trust her. I couldn’t trust anyone just then.

But when you get hurt by the big mean world, you lick your wounds, and you start over. The world gets a little bigger, a little meaner. Maybe you do, too.

And in the meantime, sleep; sleep, and the smell of Peter Nureyev in the air. It would take weeks for that smell to fade. I’ve missed it ever since.

MUSIC: ENDS.

***

SOUND: RAIN & MUSIC.

CONCIERGE: The tale you’ve just heard, Part Two of Juno Steel and the Case of the Murderous Mask, was told by the following people: Joshua Ilon as Juno Steel, Noah Simes as Peter Nureyev, Dan Squizzero as Zhu Fang, Sophie Kaner as Agent Sasha Wire, Cecil Kanagawa, and Cassandra Kanagawa, Kate Jones as Rita and Min Kanagawa, and Kevin Vibert and Ryan Meyer as the ensemble.

On staff at The Penumbra: Ryan Meyer is our recording engineer. Kevin Vibert is our lead writer and sound effects designer. Sophie Kaner is our director, lead editor, and sound designer. Juno’s theme was written by Ryan Vibert.

The Penumbra was created by Sophie Kaner and Kevin Vibert.

I’m so sorry you’ve been called away, dear Traveler. We eagerly await your return.

ALL SOUNDS: FADE OUT.

#juno steel

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