#I swear he's just a golden retriever in human form....

[reallyunluckyrunaway]

I can't explain these pictures... I can only appreciate them.

[cryptictongues]

The Sun Lives in His Eyes

pairing: Vincent Valentine x Fem!Reader rating: Explicit (MINORS DNI; 18+) word count: 6.9k summary: You try on swimsuits for Vincent, and he doesn't know how to handle it.

warnings: porn with feelings, angst, teasing, lots of dry humping and making out, come tasting, sexual tension

Spoilerwise, I made it so the emotions after the second visit to the Golden Saucer were present but didn't get very specific as to why aside from the keystone and what the stone is needed for (which is in the OG game too). Other than that, this is pretty spoiler free!

Also, just to add, when trying on bathing suits, please for the love of GOD keep your underwear on. Don't let your bare cooch touch it.

Please read my pinned post before following me! Minors and ageless blogs will be blocked as this blog’s content is NSFW.

[AO3 link]

It was midday in Costa Del Sol and it was alive as usual. The beach goers were all in their swimsuits, with their beautiful lays and their skin that had been kissed by the sun. The sky was as blue as can be with a slight overcast of clouds. Booths of a multitude of items for sale and fun games that make the atmosphere of the area feel like one big fair. It was a refreshing change of scenery, especially after the last 24 hours.

Traveling back to Costa Del Sol was no easy task, especially when exhaustion, anger, and disappointment have infiltrated the air. With the failure to retrieve the keystone, the direction of the group had faltered. No one had a clue where the Temple of the Ancients was located, and the future seemed bleak. That was until the mysterious man, the one you have grown very attached to, had suggested using the Tiny Bronco’s radio to try and intercept the signal from the Turks to retrieve the coordinates.

Vincent Valentine: the epitome of peculiar. A man, a beast, a creature of mystery. You and everyone else’s first interaction with him being an almost fatal one, for the bestial side of him was quite destructive. He was fairly fast for a creature of his size, strong reflexes, and phenomenal perception. He wasn’t a normal beast, but of course he wasn’t: he was still a human underneath it all. Which is why once he had transformed back into his original form, the brokenness and anguish that appeared on his face was apparent. You remember vividly how he had looked directly at you, stunning you in your place as you wondered what you had done to receive such a stare. 

You never thought you’d make contact with those eyes again with his lack of interest in coming along. So, it was a surprise to see him hop on the Tiny Bronco, explaining the sins he must atone for. It made sense, but a weird part of you sensed that it wasn’t the full truth, especially when he kept looking your way during his tiny monologue. It stirred something within you, having never felt an intensity such as his before. All in all, however, he was a quiet one, kept to himself, and very much an observer. 

A very, very good observer. 

Something that drew you to each other was neither of you were talkers. You’ve always been the reserved one of the group, not minding wandering around on your own while the others stayed together. The introvert in you enjoys the peace and quiet when able to have it, even though you love your found family. You assumed Vincent relates in some way because after the arrival to Costa Del Sol the first time, he has lingered by your side ever since. You didn’t mind the company, especially when there was a silent mutual understanding between you two.

What you did mind, however, was how utterly insane he’d make you feel. You don’t know if it’s all in your head, but day by day you swear he is advancing his way into your heart and loins. It started with simple glances that led to subtle grazes of his covered fingers on your exposed ones. The intimate moments have gradually increased, which have haunted your dreams in the most intimate of ways.

Back at the Golden Saucer, you and Vincent had been off on your own together. You both had stayed in the Queen’s Blood gaming area for a while, playing stacked games since you both were considered pros amongst most people. It was the last round, and you had a slight lead. You were waiting for him to take his turn, watching him contemplate his hand. You were hoping, praying even, that he didn’t see how you had set yourself up to win. 

But of course, he had seen right through it. Once he plucked the card he wanted to use from his deck, you already knew it’s game over. You had let out a groan before he could put it down and the look in his eyes shifted as quickly as they had shifted back in amusement.

“You don’t even know what I am playing.”

“I can take a wild guess.”

“Hmm, is that so?” He had hummed, leaning in as close as he could without his body messing up the board. He had held his card between two of his left fingers, dangling the damn thing in front of you. “If you guess the specific card I’m about to play correctly, you win.”

You were in shock as he was one to never willingly gamble his wins. In your dysfunctional brain, you had thought about all of the cards he had in his possession. Vincent’s biggest asset as a player was knowing how to use his cards, often using ones that didn’t seem to do much on the surface. You had thought long and hard, debating between which cards he could have considered, before deciding there was only one that made the most sense.

“Grandhorn.”

Vincent chuckled, putting his card down, and low and behold the Grandhorn appeared. It boosted his score a point above yours, but it hadn’t mattered. You had won.

“So, I guess I won since I guessed correctly?”

“I suppose so, but I expected nothing less.” He had leaned in once more, a glimmer in his eyes as he looked you dead on. “Smart girl.”

The way he had said it had made your insides curl with delight. Having someone like him be so teasing and flirty in his own way with you had you flushed, and you knew he noticed. Before he had said anything to send you into another flushing fit, you had quickly gotten up and told him exactly what you wanted to do next.

You had dragged him over to the G-Bike game, insisting to play as you’ve always wanted to ride a motorcycle, even if it’s just in simulation form. However, within 30 minutes, you were flinging yourself left to right with frustration with the lack of ability to get at least a one-star rating. It wasn’t until you had felt a weight behind you, recognizable leather clad arms wrapping over yours, did you realize how fucked you really were. His body was pressed right against you with every limb touching your own. His fingers had curled over yours and his breath was brushing against the sensitive skin of your ear. 

“ Give me the glasses ,” he murmured.

“Let me take you for a ride.”

Needless to say, you had to excuse yourself. You had felt a tinge of embarrassment at how you reacted, but it was quickly stomped out by how much you needed to relieve yourself. You had felt bad leaving Vincent alone to wander a place that was outside of what he was acclimated to, but the hormonal teen in your brain was screaming at you to do something. 

You had been thankful that everyone was out doing their thing because the minute the hotel door was shut, you were on your bed with your hand down your pants. All you could think about was how good he felt against you. He was warm and you could feel everything; from the buckles, to the leather creases, to the outline of his long cock you felt pressed against your backside. With every twist and turn, your bodies would shift, and it created a friction so teasing that you couldn’t have helped but whimpered.

You had thought about his groans when you would accidentally push back on him. The sound had vibrated on your skin, proving how close his mouth was to your neck. You remembered how his cock twitched against you. Those thoughts had only made you rub your weeping cunt more, leading to more devious ones. You wondered what would’ve happened if you had just kept grinding on him. Would he have lost control? Would he have been as flushed as you had been 30 minutes prior? Picturing images of him flushed below you as you worked each other up had sent you spiraling into release, biting your arm so as to not cause any alarm. 

You had a hard time looking at him the next day without your mind wandering to something sinful. Things have toned down since due to the interruption of plans, but his gazes have stayed firm. You could always feel the stare of his eyes burning into you, and it never failed to make you squirm and plunder. 

Presently, all of you were on the dock, discussing the coordinates Vincent had found over the radio. A game plan was being formed, an agreement that the rest of the day should be one of rest and preparation before the journey tomorrow. The party started to disperse, some with tasks like gathering supplies and booking rooms for the night. You were left to your own devices, debating on what you wanted to do to pass the time. You look out onto the water, and you don’t know if it is the heat or the exhaustion in your muscles, but going for a swim sounded absolutely divine. 

You heard the metal clanking of Vincent’s shoes behind you, making you turn around to greet him. The thoughts back at the saucer were begging to be reminded but you pushed them back, not sure if you would survive those them with him in front of you. He greets you with a hum, hovering very close to you to the point you have to look up at him. Damn, he is so tall!

Clearing your throat, you greet him back with your thumbs twiddling with each other nervously. “So, is there anything you want to do today?”

“That is entirely up to you. Wherever you’d like to go, I’ll follow.” 

Your breath starts to shutter, but you cough to cover it up. You didn’t want to make it obvious how much he is affecting you right now, even though you are sure it didn’t matter what you did. He always knew. 

“Well, this may sound crazy, but I kind of want to go swimming.”

“Oh?” His head tilts, eyes amused.

“Y-yeah, but I know you cannot be comfortable in this heat. I wouldn’t want to keep you in it.” 

“I can manage.”

You laugh because of course he can. “If you say so, but I will need to get a swimsuit. You don’t mind coming with me to buy one, do you?”

He shakes his head, moving to your side to allow you to lead the way. You both start walking towards the bathing suit booth up ahead and as usual Vincent’s fingers linger by yours. There is no touching, but you can feel them right by you, causing your fingers to twitch. It’s driving you mad, and you are tired of him teasing you to the point of insanity. So out on a whim, confidence boosting, you let your hand grab his metal one. You feel his walk stutter, but he quickly recovers to let the gold claws wrap around your own. 

You lead him to the booth right past the dock and start to look around. There are so many options, and you can feel yourself become a little overwhelmed at your choices. 

“Is everything okay?” Vincent was behind you. You guess he can see the tension in your shoulders as you peruse the different styles.

“I guess I just don’t know what would be best to wear.” You admit. 

The young woman running the booth must have been waiting for an opportunity to sell because the next thing you know she is right in front of you. “Good evening! Would you like some help?”

“Oh, uh…” Before you can utter anymore words, she continues her pitch.

“It is no trouble! I can curate some of our different pieces so you can decide which ones you like best!”

Before you can decline again, she is already ushering you to the changing booth, basically shoving you in. “I’ll be right back with some swimwear!”

You peek out and you can see Vincent about to walk over to the seller, irritation clear on his face. Shit.

“Vincent, come here!”

He turns to you before walking up. As he stops in front of you, you see how much his eyes are flared, burning more red than usual. You aren’t sure how to calm him down, not seeing him like this since the incident at Shinra Manor. You reach out, letting your palm rest against his cheek, hoping that will somehow ease his mind. 

“She shouldn’t have put her hands on you. She is lucky to still be standing on her two feet.”

The protective nature he was exuding was endearing, but also very sexy. You put those thoughts on the backburner, bringing your hand to his neck to stroke the irritation there. 

“I appreciate you looking out for me, but I promise it’s okay. I’m okay.” You reassure, squeezing his skin right above his collarbone. “Let me try on what she offers and then we can get out of here.”

“Alright, here are a few pieces I think would go perfectly with your style!” She hands you the pieces, and turns to Vincent, clueless to the absolute annoyance he wanted to convey in that moment. “I apologize, sir, but let’s give your lady friend some privacy.”

You see his eyes flare again, and you quickly shoot your other hand out from behind the curtain to keep him facing you. “It’s okay! He can stay!”

“Well, if you insist! Just no funny business you two!” She winks at you both and walks back to her station. You gulp out of a nervous habit, even though there is no spit to swallow. Is it that obvious that you two have some unspoken thing for one another?

“Okay, um, let me try these on.” You squeeze his arm in reassurance before going back into the changing booth. You close the curtain and lay out the pieces you were working with. You inspected each one, and you came to a horrifying conclusion: these were very revealing swimsuits.

There was nothing wrong with revealing swimwear, in fact you actually quite liked the ones the lady picked for you. However, Vincent was right outside and would see you in one of these. Would it be too much for him to see you so bare? You are very covered up in your usual attire, so this is a complete 180 and leaves little for the imagination.

You decide to try one on anyway, picking the one-piece swimsuit that is all black and has a long v-line cut. You strip away your clothes, and slip the suit on, adjusting it so everything is even. You go to tie the string in the back, but you can already tell it will be a challenge. You try to tie the knot, but you could feel yourself getting frustrated, grunting in aggravation as the tie keeps going undone. 

“Are you okay?” Vincent called from outside, obviously hearing you struggle.

You sigh in defeat, ready for some assistance. “Um, I think I need help tying the string in the back. Can you give me a hand if I come out?” 

You hear him hum in agreement, and you open the curtain and quickly turn your back. “Just the one string please.”

He hums again and gets to work, grabbing the two ends and crisscrossing them before pulling tightly. You hear him shuffle closer to you, and once again his breath is on your ear. “Is that tight enough for you?”

You freeze. He said it so quietly that you wonder if you are hallucinating but you know what you heard. He is teasing you again. He is trying to rile you up like he did at the Golden Saucer. Well, two can play at that game.

“Yes, that is good. Please tie it.” You feel him take a step back, and he ties the strings to ensure they stay together. 

Once you feel his hands pull away, you turn to him to show off your swimsuit. It hugs you in all the right places, quite comfortably, and it covers you aside from the middle of your body. The v-line shows off your chest, covering your breasts and getting narrower until the point stops down at your belly button. You feel sexy and seeing Vincent’s reaction was the cherry on top.

You watch as his eyes take in your form. You see them wander from your chest to your sternum and it is crazy how much the red of his eyes get smaller as his pupils blow wide. His fingers tremble against his side with slight movement in his arms like he wants to reach out for you, but they stay in place. His control is absolutely astonishing. 

“Vincent? Do I look okay?” 

His eyes snap away, coughing in the process like he didn’t just eye fuck you. He rubbed his neck, forcing himself to look anywhere but towards you. “Yes, it looks fine.” 

You release a smirk, feeling almost powerful seeing this man react the way he had. “Okay, well I am going to try the other ones on.”

You go back inside, and giggle quietly to yourself. It felt good to tease him. With how much he teases you, with how much he riles you up, it is his turn to be on the receiving end of torment. You rip off the one piece, and decide to put on one of the two pieces you were given to try. 

The one you decide to put on is a dark red bikini. The top clips on, so you didn’t need assistance this time. You look in the mirror and you notice how much the top pushes out your breasts. The flesh sticks out, making them look so much bigger than they were. You don’t know if Vincent was a boob man or not, but all you can think is you can’t wait to find out.

“Hey Vincent, can you tell me if this looks okay? I’m not sure how I feel about this one.”

You push the curtain open just as he turns to look in your direction, and his look is priceless. You see him take a heeded breath, one hand turning into a fist and the other gripping his side in what appears to be a hard grip. You hold back a smile, not wanting to give hints to your actions, and walk towards him. You are now standing toe to toe with him, looking up at a man who clearly was losing his cool. 

“Vincent, are you okay? You don’t look so good.” You coo, placing two fingers against his pulse point under his chin. He lets out a grunt at the contact, and your mind is reeling at how fast his pulse is going. 

“Vincent, what are yo-”

“I’m fine.” He grunts, taking your hand away from his neck.

You let it drop, and turn around to the booth. “Just one more and we can go, okay? I’ll be quick.”

You don’t give him another glance as you go back in. You fist pump the air in success as giving him a taste of his own medicine was truly a sight to behold. You are ready to go in for the kill with the last one, which is another bikini. However, this one was black with stretchy black laces that wrap around your stomach. This one felt like a good in between from the other two, but you feel this one will affect him the most. You don’t know why, but something about the intricacies of how it covers your body is simply seducing. 

You finish putting it on and you can’t help the excitement you feel. Out of the three, you like the way this one fits you the most. Not only is it comfortable, but it is an absolute confidence booster. It fits your body well and the laces across your waist accentuates it beautifully. Not only was this the swimsuit you would be purchasing, but you are excited to show it off to Vincent for another reaction. 

You rip open the curtain, cutting right to the chase, only to see he is no longer where he once stood. You hop out of the booth, looking around for the spiky black hair and red cloak, only to see him nowhere in sight. 

“You looking for your boyfriend, babes?” 

You turn to see the seller approaching you, the word boyfriend not even registering. You just want to find him.

“Yeah, did you see where he went?”

She nods over to the dock, back where the Tiny Bronco was located. “He went onto the dock. He seemed to be in quite a rush.”

You quickly thank her. You grab your things from the changing booth, and quickly round up the gil for the swimsuit you were wearing. “Thank you, keep the change.”

You run back to the dock and see the Bronco’s door slightly ajar. You push the door open, not wanting to alarm him as you climb on. You see him sitting on the bench in the very back, hands clutching his head and breathing heavy. Alarmed by how he is reacting, you make yourself known and slowly approach where he is sitting.

“Vincent, are you okay?” 

He grunts roughly, fingers visibly clutching his head harder. “You need to get off.”

You contemplated your next move. You could listen and get off, let him calm himself down. But then you think what if he can’t calm down? What if his mind spirals from his thoughts? Would you leaving really make things better or worse?

You think back to the time when you first met him, how defeated he looked after he had transformed back. How he had stared you down, taking your breath away at how utterly disheveled and beautiful he looked. He had been alone for so long, and that thought turned your rational mind off. You weren’t going to run. He needed you. 

“Vincent, I am not going anywhere.”

His head shoots up, his eyes crimson and face scrunched up like he was holding himself back. He notices your final change of the evening and the growl he lets out is feral. “You,” he snarls, “better not take a single step more.”

You stop again, realization hitting you like a freight train. Did I do this? Did I go too far? 

“Did I do something to upset you?” You ask quietly, afraid of what his response was going to be. “If I did, I am so sorry.”

He doesn’t respond, still looking to the ground although his breathing has subsided slightly. You approach him again, this time making it so you were only a foot away. 

“You don’t want this.” He mutters. 

“What do you mean?”

“I am a monster. The baggage I bring with me, the absolute madness that stirs from within. I don’t know if I can control myself, and that scares me, which means it will scare you.”

You can’t understand what he is saying. “You don’t scare me, Vincent. You could never scare me.”

He grunts out a laugh, like he doesn’t believe a word out of your mouth. “You don’t understand what primal thoughts are going through my mind right now.”

“Well, try me.” You reach out for his face, wanting to touch him, but his right hand grabs your wrist. 

“You don’t know what you want, so stop this.”

You feel like you could cry. The whiplash you are receiving after he has gotten under your skin only to rip himself away is too much. How dare he make your blood run hot and then make it go cold in an instant? You rip your arm away, taking a step back. Your gaze falls to the Bronco’s floor, feeling stupid at your attempt to draw him in. Your arms wrap around your body, sequestering it away from his gaze. 

“You don’t know what I want, so stop putting words into my mouth.” You choke out. Your fists are clenching on your tummy, anger starting to bubble to the surface. “I know you know how I feel about you because you wouldn’t continue to rile me up the way you do if you didn’t. I wouldn’t react the way I do if I didn’t. Truthfully, I love it. So don’t you dare tell me that I don’t know what I want.”

Everything goes quiet. The only thing that can be heard is the heavy breathing on both of your ends. Your anger disappears and is replaced with disappointment. You don’t know if there is any way to convince him, and you aren’t going to be made a fool in the process.

“I know what I want.” You say softly. “I have desires too.” 

It all happens so quickly, your body jolting forward until you are straddling his lap. You gasp, immediately feeling his hard on against your own clothed slit. He’s bigger than I thought, you think, for a man so skinny and sculpted . Two golden claws tilt your chin up, forcing you to be face to face with him. He is much taller than you, so he is slightly over you as he closes in. His breath fans over your lips, eyes erratic and glazed.

You let out a shaky sigh, letting your hands travel up to his face, cupping his cheeks gently as if to let him know what he wants to do is okay. “Do it. Show me you want me too.”

Lips press against yours instantly. It’s intense and intimate with the way he still has a hold on your chin and the way his free arm wraps around your waist to keep you grounded against him. You don’t know if it is the way he has you pressed to him or the way he surrounds your senses, but you feel calm. Even with the aggressive nature of his kisses, it is like he has seeped under your skin, a venomous serum to calm his prey down before he devours. You want more. You need more.

Your hands travel up past his temples to the back of his head, curling your fingers around his black locks. You pull delicately, not knowing how keen he was on pain, only to hear the most delicious whine leave his mouth into yours. You take the opportunity to let your tongue touch his, already becoming addicted to the way he tastes. His grip got tighter on you, trying to pull you in closer even if it wasn’t possible. There was an urgency in his actions as if what you two were doing was too much yet not enough. 

His erection was starting to react more and more against you. You could feel yourself growing restless with the need for some sort of contact. You work to shift your knees slightly, spreading them out more across the bench, and start to grind against the shape of his length. 

A growl from the deepest part of his throat rips out into the open. The claws of his gauntlet let go of your chin and latch to your hip. You stop your movements, thinking he was going to stop you, but he does no such thing. He pushes you down further onto his crotch, moving you himself to urge you to keep going. You follow his movements, letting him guide you back and forth on his cock. All you can think about is how large he is, and how good he feels against your pussy. However, it still isn’t enough. 

You move a hand down to your bottoms, sliding the part covering your heat to the side to get more friction. You can’t help the moan that leaves you the second your clit rubs against the leather of his pants, the roughness different from that of the silk. You move your hips faster, not skipping a beat as to chase a release. 

“That’s it,” Vincent growls against your lips. “Just like that.”

His encouragement sends dopamine right to your brain, giving your hips a mind of their own as you continue to rut against him. Your hips start to tire, becoming noticeable as your knees give out slightly before you readjust. Your mind begs you to keep going, begging to keep your pace so you can reach any type of peak. 

Your knees collapse again, and next thing you know your knees are no longer on the bench but spread far apart by Vincent’s thighs. His garbed hands are on your ass to keep you right where he wants you, and with the motion of his own hips he is rocking up into you slowly with firm pressure. You release his lips, your head resting on his shoulder as he grinds up into your cunt.

“Fuck, Vincent,” you drawl out, gripping his hair tighter with the hand still there, your other hand finding purchase on his shoulder. 

Vincent was having none of that, his right hand shoots to your head to pull it back to face him. What you see invigorates you, as Vincent’s eyes no longer had a red presense. They were the color of the light of day before dusk. The whites of his eyes were illuminated, and his canines had elongated drastically. 

“Is this what you wanted?” Vincent hisses. “Do you still want this?”

The self-pity in his eyes was becoming, and you weren’t having any of that. You were not about to have the man, who is making you go crazy by just nuzzling his long cock into your nethers, get distressed by disillusions. Your left hand drops from his head, dipping down where both of your crotches meet. The tips of your fingers dip into your dripping cunt, the evidence clear as day on his leathers. But if you must show extra proof, you will.

You stuff two of your fingers into your hole, still making eye contact with his yellow orbs as you let your face contort. Your fingers come out covered in your sticky fluid, translucent webbing formed in between your fingers. You bring it between your faces, your eyes bold and lips curling devilishly. “Does this answer your question?”

You don’t know what possessed you, but you let those fingers touch his lips. You pull his lower lip down, seeing if he would let his tongue travel out for a taste. You hum approvingly when he lets the tip give a small lick, and moan all together when he starts to lick them clean. Seeing Vincent obey such a small, unspoken command was the sexiest thing you have witnessed to date, and it makes you want to push him even more. 

You pull your fingers away, causing him to follow them to continue getting his fill. “Look at you,” you purr. “Like a kitten begging for milk.”

“You are one to talk.” He grumbles, thrusting his hips up so it rubs right against your clit. “You’re the one rubbing your bare cunt against me.”

A high-pitched moan wrangles from your throat as he bounced you up and down, followed by a sex drunken laugh. “Why don’t we change that?”

You push his chest so he is leaning way back on the bench, allowing you to steady yourself as you unbuckle his belts. As soon as you open his fly, his bulge pushes outward and you can hear the sigh of relief leave his lungs. Your hands dip into his underwear, pulling the elastic down to release his cock fully. His cock springs up, precum drooling from his swollen head. Your hand wraps around the tip, squeezing to see another pearl form. Your thumb sweeps over it, gathering as much as you can, before bringing it up to your mouth with the need to taste him.

If Vincent’s eyes could glow brighter, they would have blinded you with the way he was watching you. You let your thumb pop out of your mouth, letting some spit travel down your hand before rubbing it over his cock. You readjust once more, angling your hips so your clit would connect with his tip with each roll, and sit right back onto his lap. You both cry out in unison, both of you sensitive and in dire need of release. You crash your lips against his as you roll your hips in a slow, yet firm rhythm. Your hands grip at his hair, loving the way he ruts into you when you pull on it. You don’t hold back, too far gone to tease the daylights out of him, moaning into his mouth every time the head of his cock kisses your bud. 

Vincent wasn’t faring any better, his volume only increasing at the friction. He releases your lips, his head falling onto your shoulder with a long groan. You feel tiny prickles against your skin, his fangs grazing it as he kisses and sucks on your flesh. His hands go over the strings of your swimsuit, gripping the skin of your waist to pull you closer.

His mouth proceeds up your shoulder to your jaw, nipping your pulse point before licking it. The difference between the movement of his hips and his lips is drastic. His lips move slowly, caressing the skin after every love bite he gives you like you are delicate, while his hips buck into you with conviction. It is like he doesn’t know whether he wants to cherish you, or prove to you how much of a monster he can be. 

Both of your essences are mixing as you continue, creating easier movement and a more heavenly feeling. You can feel yourself getting close to your release, hips flying back and forth trying to grasp onto it. It isn’t until your hips give out, a frustrated whine leaving you as the peak downtrails.

“Don’t you dare give up on me.” Vincent orders into your ear. 

“Fuck, I can’t,” you sob, the ache in your hips and knees showing as you start to slow down.

You don’t fully comprehend what happens next, not until you feel the cold metal of the Bronco’s floor on your back. Vincent yanks your bottoms down your legs, exposing all you have to offer to him. He is on you, hunched over you as he thrusts against your fully exposed cunt. You can’t help but shove your head into the crevice of his neck, wailing at how fast he is going. You are surprised he hasn’t accidentally slipped in with how wet you are, the sounds coming from your nethers making that more apparent. 

“I am so close, fuck!” You whimper. You are on the cusp. You needed something. Just a little push to put you over.  “Please, please, please, Vincent! I need it so bad! I need you!”

You feel his fangs against your shoulder, nipping and licking the same spot over and over again. A warm sensation fills you, not registering it until the piercing pain of his incisors sink into your skin. It hurts so good, the combination of pain and pleasure shooting through your system. It sets the tone for your release, causing you to scream into his shoulder. It is electrifying, ecstasy filling in the gaps as your orgasm rolls in waves. Vincent wasn’t far behind, and something about your blood must have sent him into a frenzy. His hips are going inhumanly quick, and after a few more thrusts he ejects his fangs from your body as he cums.

His moans echoing into your ear has you gripping onto him harder, comforting him as he rides out his high. Fingers stroke the hairs on the back of his neck, hushing him soothingly as his body shakes. It isn’t long after he starts groaning, his grip tightening on your thighs. 

“Are you okay?” You ask worried, lifting his head so you can get a good look at him. But what you see stirs something from deep within your chest.

You don’t know if it’s because golden hour has reached its peak, but he looks ethereal. His fangs were no more, but there was blood that has stained his mouth. The beams of golden light reflect off of him, his pale skin shining from the light perspiration on his face. He looks so beautiful in the sun’s rays, like an angel wrapped in light. His eyes slowly open, and a soft gasp leaves your lips. His eyes were no longer illuminating yellow. His eyes, the vibrancy of them, have transformed into the sun. Their usual molten color is bright like the sun's surface. His usual orange rings that surround his pupil are golden, and you can see your reflection in the deep black.

He takes a minute to gather himself before nodding, a sigh passing through his lips before sitting up on his knees. You peer down to your lower half, which is now covered in his seed and your own mess. Vincent’s eyes are glued to your mound, his cum having pooled there from his heavy release. After a moment, he takes his leather glove off his right hand, skin pale and blue from the veins protruding. His fingers dip into his cooled cum, letting it collect on his fingers before pulling his hand away. 

“Vincent, what are yo-” you start before you watch him bring his fingers towards your lips. He lets them hover, waiting to see if you would be as keen to sampling him again like he did with you. 

A light chuckle leaves your lips. He is just full of surprises.

You sit up on your elbows, your mouth pressing light kisses to his fingers before indulging. Your eyes flutter close, a quiet moan rumbling from your chest as take in his taste for a second time. He tastes neutral, nothing too bitter or too musky. It tastes exactly as you expected. Because it was him, he tasted absolutely delectable. And you can’t get enough.

“Look at you,” Vincent mimics your tone from earlier, smirking in the process. “Like a kitten begging for milk.”

His fingers leave your mouth, making you chase after them until he kisses you suddenly. The iron attacks your senses pleasantly, and his humming tells you that his seed is having the same effect on him. You both stay there for a while, just kissing in each other’s mess, and before you know it the sky has turned into its orange hue before the nightfall. 

You decide to pull away first, bringing your hands to his face to soothe the sweat dried skin. “I don’t want this to end, but we should get going. The others may be wondering where we wandered off to.”

He hums slowly, like he was debating whether he cared or not, but ultimately decided to sit fully up. He puts his cock back into his leathers, getting himself situated before he helps you stand up properly. Your body doesn’t feel real from how drained your muscles are, and you think he can tell by the way he guides your hands to his shoulders. He brings your bottoms over to your legs, and urges you to put your feet through the openings. Using his shoulders as leverage, you do as he silently instructs and he pulls them up until you are covered. You look down and see the cum has dried on your skin, and the thought of anyone possibly seeing it makes your cheeks burn, knowing you’d never live it down. 

“Do you think anyone will notice?”

Instantly, like he was already planning to do this, he undid the buckles of his cape and wrapped it around your shoulders. With him being such a broad and tall man, his cape covered you very well and hid the evidence of your coupling.

“It gets cool during nightfall. It won’t be suspicious.”

“But what about your pants? There is cum on them too.”

“Truthfully, I don’t care.”

You pull the cape closer to you, inhaling and exhaling his scent, filling your brain with a sense of safety. Vincent believed he wasn’t deserving of you, that he was a danger to you and others. But when you feel such a sense of security with him, how can he not see that you need him?

He finishes putting his glove back on, flexing his fingers before he goes to open the door of the Bronco. Your brain reacts first, hand grabbing his arm before he could expose you both to the outside world. You needed to know something. You needed to know if he still feels how he felt earlier.

“Vincent, can I ask you something?”

He turns to you, curiosity peaking. He places his golden fingers over the hand gripping his arm, signaling for you to ask your question.

“You don’t regret what just happened, do you? I’m not going to wake up like it was yesterday, am I?” 

There is silence, and you mentally hit yourself for the lack of confidence, your voice having dropped to a whisper. Your head drops again, worried about what was about to not be said, before you feel a gentle kiss on the top of your head.

“There is nothing to regret,” he murmurs. “Especially when it comes to you.”

You lift your head up, eyes meeting his, before letting a smile form on your face. His facial features match your own, and he brings you in for a sweet kiss before you two return to the others. You don’t think about them though, because all you can think is that he let you in.

He willingly let you in.

[mirisss]

Puppy smile & Cat eyes

academic rivals, enemies to lovers (kind of)! non idol!Myung Jaehyun x afab! reader

Warnings: Some swearing, fainting, stressing over grades, slight jealousy, I think that’s it

Wordcount ≈ 9.6k

Please reblog! 

Third Person POV

The sun streamed through the large windows of the lecture hall, illuminating the faces of eager students hunched over their notes. Among them sat Myung Jaehyun, a whirlwind of energy. His laughter, bright and infectious, bounced off the walls like a melody, drawing smiles from everyone around him. With tousled hair that never seemed to fall out of place and an easy confidence that turned heads, Jaehyun was the quintessential golden retriever in human form—radiating warmth and charm. 

“Did you finish the reading for today?” he asked a classmate with an inviting grin, the corners of his eyes crinkling with sincerity.

Meanwhile, at the back of the room, (Y/n) leaned against her desk, her expression as inscrutable as ever. She focused intently on her notes, meticulously crafting her understanding of the material while Jaehyun’s laughter fluttered in the background. The air around her felt heavy with tension; the energy he exuded grated on her nerves. To her, Jaehyun was the embodiment of everything that was frustratingly easy in life. Where she had to claw her way through endless late nights and countless coffee cups, he seemed to breeze through with little more than a smile and a wink. 

“Why does he always have to be so cheerful?” she thought, clenching her pencil as she watched him from the corner of her eye. “It’s infuriating. I mean, does he even study? He probably just glances at the textbook and calls it a day.” 

Jaehyun, oblivious to her glare, continued chatting with friends, his laughter punctuating the lecture like an unwanted soundtrack. He noticed (Y/n)’s seriousness and couldn’t help but feel a spark of curiosity. “She’s smart, no doubt about that,” he mused, though he found her cold demeanor perplexing. “It’s like she’s allergic to fun.” 

As the professor began the lecture, Jaehyun’s gaze drifted back to (Y/n). He wondered why she seemed so distant, why she always wore a frown when he approached her. “Maybe I’ll crack her shell one day,” he thought, a challenge forming in his mind. 

For (Y/n), however, that was the last thing she wanted. The thought of Jaehyun breaking through her carefully built walls felt as welcome as a sudden downpour on a bright day. “I don’t need his charm or his stupid smile,” she thought, resolutely turning her attention back to her notes. “I’ll show him just how hard I can work. Maybe then he’ll see that it’s not all fun and games.”

### Scene

The next class started, and Jaehyun couldn’t shake the thought of (Y/n) from his mind. Determined to bridge the chasm between them, he took a deep breath and walked toward her desk, his usual grin plastered on his face. 

“Hey, (Y/n),” he began, his voice light and friendly, “I was wondering if you wanted to study together for the upcoming exam. I could use a little help in understanding some of the concepts.”

She glanced up, her expression icy, and for a moment, he hesitated. “I don’t need to study with you,” she replied flatly, her tone curt and dismissive. The words struck him harder than he anticipated.

“Why not? I mean, we’re both top students. It could be fun!” he insisted, trying to inject some enthusiasm into the conversation.

“Fun?” (Y/n) raised an eyebrow, her lips curling slightly in disdain. “You think this is a game? Some kind of social event where we exchange laughs over formulas?”

Jaehyun’s smile faltered. “I just thought—”

“That’s the problem, isn’t it?” she interrupted, her gaze piercing through him. “You think everything comes easy, like it’s all just a joke. But for some of us, it’s not.”

The energy in the air shifted, and Jaehyun felt an unexpected surge of frustration rising within him. “I’m not trying to make fun of anything, (Y/n). I’m serious about my studies. I just thought we could help each other out.” 

“Help each other?” she echoed, a smirk dancing on her lips. “You mean you want to spend more time giggling and getting distracted while I do all the hard work? No, thanks.”

He clenched his fists, the familiar warmth he often radiated turning to an uncomfortable heat. “You don’t even know me,” he shot back, his tone sharper than intended. “I study hard, just like you.”

“Really?” (Y/n) crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair as if daring him to prove her wrong. “Because it doesn’t look that way from where I’m sitting. It looks like you’re more interested in being the class clown than a dedicated student.”

Jaehyun felt a flash of anger ignite. How could she judge him so quickly? “Maybe if you opened your eyes for once, you’d see that I’m not just some puppy you can dismiss,” he retorted, struggling to keep his voice steady.

For a moment, the tension hung thick between them, the sounds of the classroom fading into a muffled background. Jaehyun could feel the eyes of their classmates drifting toward them, but he didn’t care. All he felt was the intensity of (Y/n)’s stare, like a storm brewing, and it both infuriated and intrigued him.

“Fine,” she said finally, breaking the silence. “You want to study together? I’ll do it on my terms. No distractions. No nonsense.”

Jaehyun blinked, taken aback by her sudden willingness, but he couldn’t help the spark of excitement igniting within him. “Deal,” he said, a determined smile creeping back onto his face. “Just don’t expect me to be boring.”

As (Y/n) rolled her eyes, Jaehyun couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, this rivalry was about to take an interesting turn.

### Scene

The library was a quiet sanctuary, filled with the soft rustling of pages and the occasional whisper of students deep in thought. Jaehyun found a spot at a large wooden table, stacking his textbooks and notes with a mix of excitement and nerves. He glanced around, the air thick with the scent of aged paper, but his focus remained on the entrance, waiting for (Y/n).

When she finally walked in, she was a study in contrasts—clad in dark colors, her long hair pulled back in a neat ponytail, exuding a quiet intensity. Jaehyun's smile widened as he waved at her, but the warmth of his greeting collided with the icy aura she carried.

“Hey, (Y/n)!” he said brightly, pushing his books aside to make room for her. “Ready to tackle some of this material together?”

She nodded curtly, sliding into the chair across from him without uttering a word. Her coldness hung between them like a barrier, and Jaehyun couldn’t help but notice how her gaze flicked over his textbooks with a mixture of disdain and determination.

As he began to explain a particularly tricky concept, Jaehyun couldn’t shake the feeling that (Y/n) was sizing him up, her dark eyes narrowing slightly with each word he spoke. He tried to keep his tone light, but he could feel the chill radiating from her side of the table.

Inside, (Y/n) struggled to ignore the smile that never seemed to leave his face. It was infuriating, the way it made him look effortlessly charming, almost magnetic. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to concentrate on the notes before her. Why does he always have to look so handsome? she thought bitterly. It’s just a stupid smile. It doesn’t mean anything.

“Okay, so if we look at the equation here—” Jaehyun pointed to a complex formula, his enthusiasm unwavering. “—it’s really about understanding how these variables interact. I think if you break it down, it’s not as complicated as it seems.”

Her eyes flicked to his face, the way his expression lit up with genuine excitement. A flicker of annoyance shot through her. “It’s not complicated for you because you’ve probably memorized it by now. Some of us have to work harder to get it,” she replied, her voice sharp.

Jaehyun’s smile faltered for a moment, a flash of hurt crossing his features. “I’m not trying to show off, (Y/n). I just want to help.” He leaned forward, earnestness etched into his face. “If you just let me explain it, you might see it differently.”

“It’s easy for you to say that,” she snapped, unable to hide the bitterness in her voice. “You don’t know what it’s like to struggle with this stuff.”

He paused, the air thickening with unspoken tension. “I may not know exactly what you’re going through, but I’m here to support you, not to belittle you. I want us both to succeed.”

For a heartbeat, (Y/n) considered his words. The sincerity in his eyes made her chest tighten. No, don’t get swayed. She shook her head, returning her focus to her notes. “Let’s just get back to studying,” she said curtly, fighting the fluttering feeling in her stomach.

“Right,” Jaehyun replied, biting back his frustration. He straightened up, his smile reappearing, though it was tinged with determination. “Okay, let’s go through it step by step.”

As they delved into the material, (Y/n) couldn’t help but catch glimpses of Jaehyun’s enthusiasm. Despite her best efforts to remain unaffected, she found herself begrudgingly impressed by his ability to explain the concepts clearly, and a small part of her wondered if perhaps there was more to him than she had initially thought.

Yet every time his smile flashed in her direction, that small, annoying voice in her head whispered, He’s just a distraction. And with that thought firmly in place, she forced herself to focus on the equations, determined not to let anything—especially him—get in the way of her success.

### Scene

The cozy café hummed with the chatter of students, the rich aroma of coffee wafting through the air. (Y/n) sat across from her best friend, Sungho, a familiar sense of comfort settling over her. He was the one person who always knew how to make her feel better, no matter how tangled her thoughts became.

“So, what’s bothering you?” Sungho asked, leaning back in his chair, a knowing smile playing on his lips. His easy demeanor had a way of easing her tension.

With a sigh, (Y/n) stirred her coffee absentmindedly, the swirling cream mirroring the chaos in her mind. “It’s Jaehyun. He’s so… infuriating!” she burst out, the frustration spilling over. “I can’t stand how he breezes through everything like it’s a joke!”

Sungho raised an eyebrow, his expression turning serious. “I’ve seen you two in class. He seems friendly enough. What’s really going on?”

“Friendly?” she scoffed, her eyes narrowing. “He’s overly friendly. It’s like he thinks he can just charm everyone with that stupid smile of his! I mean, how can he be so confident when I have to work twice as hard just to keep up?”

Sungho chuckled softly, shaking his head. “Sounds like someone’s a little jealous.”

“Jealous? Me? Of him?” (Y/n) huffed, crossing her arms defensively. “I just… I don’t get why he’s so effortless about it all. It’s frustrating. I want to succeed because I earn it, not because I’m cute or charming.”

“I get that,” Sungho said, nodding in understanding. “But you know, it’s not like he’s trying to undermine you. Maybe he genuinely wants to help.”

“Help?” she repeated, rolling her eyes. “He thinks he’s some kind of genius just because he can explain things in a way that sounds easy. But it doesn’t help me feel any less annoyed.”

Sungho leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. “What if you tried looking at it differently? Maybe you can use his help to your advantage. You know he’s good at this stuff.”

“Sure, but at what cost?” (Y/n) retorted. “Every time I see him, it’s like I have to remind myself that I’m here to study, not to indulge in some competition about who’s better at being a student.”

“Competitions can be good sometimes, though,” Sungho said with a teasing grin. “They can push you to be even better. Just don’t let it get to your head.”

She sighed, taking a sip of her coffee as she contemplated his words. “You don’t understand, Sungho. It’s not just about academics. It’s his whole vibe. That damn smile. It makes me feel like I’m losing my focus. Like I’m being pulled into something I don’t want.”

“Admit it, though,” he said, leaning back with a playful glint in his eye. “You find him attractive.”

“Ugh, I do not!” she protested, her cheeks flushing slightly. “He’s just… infuriatingly handsome. It doesn’t mean anything!”

“Sure, keep telling yourself that,” Sungho teased, chuckling. “But honestly, if you’re spending this much time thinking about him, maybe there’s more to it. What if you let down your guard a little? You might find you enjoy his company.”

“I just can’t,” (Y/n) replied, shaking her head resolutely. “I won’t let him distract me from my goals. I’m here to succeed on my own terms.”

Sungho smiled knowingly. “I believe in you, but don’t be afraid to loosen up. You might surprise yourself.”

As they finished their drinks, (Y/n) couldn’t shake the feeling that Sungho was right in some way. But how could she reconcile her determination with the undeniable tension that seemed to crackle whenever Jaehyun was around? With that thought lingering in her mind, she resolved to face the next study session with a renewed focus, even if it meant confronting those feelings she was desperately trying to ignore.

### Scene

As Jaehyun strolled past the café, the familiar buzz of conversation enveloped him. He had just finished an exhausting study session in the library and decided to grab a coffee for a little pick-me-up. But as he glanced through the large glass windows, his gaze landed on (Y/n) sitting across from Sungho, her laughter ringing clear as he leaned in, clearly enjoying a moment that felt intimate.

A jolt of something sharp pierced through Jaehyun—something he couldn’t quite place. **Are they on a date?** The thought hit him like a cold wave, and he stood frozen, watching as (Y/n) tossed her head back, her hair catching the sunlight, her smile illuminating her face in a way that made his heart clench. 

He didn’t realize how long he lingered until a couple of students bumped past him, breaking him from his trance. As he walked away, his mind raced with conflicting emotions. **Why did it bother him so much?** He hardly knew her. They were just rivals, right? 

But for the next two days, that nagging feeling wouldn’t leave him alone. He found himself distracted in class, his thoughts drifting back to that café moment, the way she smiled, the way Sungho leaned in close. Every time he tried to study, his mind would wander, replaying the scene over and over. 

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. **Why does it even matter?** He told himself it was just jealousy over her friendship with someone else, that they had a connection he didn’t understand. But deep down, something else was gnawing at him—a longing he hadn’t recognized until now.

Finally, as he lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling, it hit him like a revelation. **I like her.** The realization washed over him, both exhilarating and terrifying. The girl who challenged him in every way, who matched his energy with her cold demeanor, had somehow found a place in his heart. 

Jaehyun sat up, the truth crashing down on him. **Of course I’m jealous.** He had never expected to feel this way about his rival. Every interaction, every heated debate, every study session filled with tension and unspoken words had transformed into something deeper. 

His mind raced through the possibilities. Would she even feel the same? Was it too late to change the dynamic? And what about the way she looked at him—was it just disdain, or could there be a hint of something more beneath that icy exterior?

The next day, Jaehyun entered the lecture hall with a newfound resolve. He spotted (Y/n) at her usual seat, focused on her notes, her expression serious. He took a deep breath and approached her, determined to navigate this newfound territory. 

“Hey, (Y/n),” he called out, forcing a smile that felt a little less effortless than usual.

She looked up, her brow furrowing slightly. “What do you want, Jaehyun?”

He hesitated, searching for the right words. “I wanted to see if we could study together again. I know you said you didn’t want distractions, but…” He paused, gathering his thoughts. “I think it might help us both.”

Her gaze flickered with skepticism, but he pressed on, trying to sound more confident. “I mean, I realize we’re rivals, but I think we could actually help each other out. And maybe… I don’t know, it could be fun?” 

“Fun?” she echoed, crossing her arms, her expression unreadable.

“Yeah,” he said, a hint of playfulness creeping in. “Or at least less miserable than just studying alone.”

To his surprise, (Y/n) considered it, the tension hanging in the air palpable. He watched her expression soften just a fraction, a glimmer of curiosity sparking in her eyes.

“Fine,” she replied slowly, her tone still guarded. “But no distractions.”

Jaehyun nodded eagerly, unable to hide his smile. “Deal.” 

As they settled into their study session, he felt a sense of hope. Maybe this was the beginning of something different—something more than just rivalry. And for the first time, he didn’t mind that she was still guarded; he was ready to break down those walls, one smile at a time.

Jaehyun sat at his usual spot in the campus café, a half-finished cup of coffee in front of him and his textbooks spread out haphazardly across the table. But his focus was nowhere near the equations staring back at him. Instead, his gaze was fixed on (Y/n), who was sitting at a nearby table with Sungho, their heads bent together in quiet conversation. 

As he watched her laugh at something Sungho said, a mix of admiration and frustration churned in his stomach. Why does she have to look so carefree? Jaehyun thought, feeling a familiar ache at the sight. Why does he get to make her laugh?

“Dude, you look like a lost puppy,” Taesan said, breaking Jaehyun from his reverie. He and Riwoo had just returned from the counter, coffee cups in hand. Taesan leaned over to nudge Jaehyun, a teasing grin plastered on his face. “You’ve been staring for like ten minutes.”

Jaehyun straightened up, feigning nonchalance as he tried to look back at his notes. “I’m just… studying.”

“Studying what?” Riwoo chimed in, taking a sip of his drink. “The art of longing? Because you’re nailing it.”

“Shut up,” Jaehyun shot back, but the flush creeping up his neck betrayed his embarrassment. He glanced back at (Y/n), who was now chatting animatedly with Sungho, her eyes sparkling with warmth. 

Taesan chuckled. “You’ve got it bad, man. Just ask her out already.”

“I can’t just ask her out,” Jaehyun replied, exasperation lacing his tone. “We’re not even that close.”

“But you keep hanging out,” Riwoo pointed out, raising an eyebrow. “What are you waiting for? A formal invitation?”

“I don’t know, maybe,” Jaehyun muttered, his thoughts racing. He felt like a tangled ball of nerves. What if she says no? What if she likes Sungho?

“Look, all I’m saying is that it’s not going to get easier if you keep sulking over there,” Taesan urged, leaning back in his chair. “You’re wasting your time thinking about it instead of just talking to her.”

Jaehyun sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I know, but what if she doesn’t see me that way? What if she thinks I’m just her study buddy?”

“Then you need to change her mind,” Riwoo said, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Get in there and show her you’re more than just a puppy waiting for scraps.”

Jaehyun shot him a glare but couldn’t help the small smile tugging at his lips. “You guys really think it’s that simple?”

“Why not?” Taesan shrugged. “You’re charming, even if you don’t realize it. Just be yourself. Stop acting like you’ve lost your favorite toy.”

“Yeah, because nothing says ‘I like you’ like looking miserable from a distance,” Riwoo added, rolling his eyes playfully. 

With a huff, Jaehyun shifted in his seat, feeling a mixture of determination and fear bubble inside him. Maybe they were right. Maybe he needed to take a chance. But as he glanced back at (Y/n), her laughter ringing through the air, he felt that familiar wave of uncertainty crash over him again.

“Okay, okay,” he finally said, glancing between his friends. “I’ll try to talk to her more. Just… give me a little time.”

“Time? You’ve had a month!” Taesan exclaimed, smirking. “At this rate, you’ll need a miracle to get her attention.”

Jaehyun rolled his eyes, but deep down, he knew his friends were just looking out for him. With a renewed sense of purpose, he took a sip of his coffee and focused on (Y/n) once more, determination building within him. Maybe it was time to stop just watching and start doing.

After their next shared class, Jaehyun's heart raced with determination. He spotted (Y/n) gathering her things, her hair falling in soft waves as she concentrated on organizing her notes. This was his chance. He took a deep breath and approached her, trying to keep his voice steady.

“Hey, (Y/n),” he said, forcing a smile that he hoped masked his nervousness. “I was wondering if you wanted to have another study session? I could use your help with the next topic. You know, it being your favorite and all,” 

(Y/n) looked up, and for a moment, Jaehyun thought he saw a flicker of surprise in her eyes. But then, just as quickly, her expression shifted to one of gentle disappointment.

“Ah, I’m sorry, Jaehyun,” she replied, her tone apologetic. “I already have plans with Sungho.”

The words struck Jaehyun like a punch to the gut. He tried to mask his disappointment, but he could feel his heart sinking. Of course. Sungho again. He nodded, forcing a smile that felt increasingly difficult to maintain. 

“Oh, right. No problem,” he said, trying to sound casual, but his voice wavered slightly. “Maybe next time, then.”

As (Y/n) gathered her things, Jaehyun couldn’t help but steal glances at her, wishing he could find the right words to keep her from leaving. This was the first time she had seen him look genuinely sad—his usual exuberance dimmed, replaced by a quiet disappointment that was hard to ignore. 

For (Y/n), it was a moment of revelation. The carefree, golden retriever persona she often saw in him faltered, and she felt a pang of empathy. Maybe he’s not just a happy-go-lucky guy. She shook her head internally, trying to push the thought away. Focus, (Y/n). You can’t let this distract you.

But as she looked at Jaehyun’s puppy-like expression—eyes wide and hopeful, yet overshadowed by the weight of rejection—something in her shifted. She didn’t like the idea of him feeling this way, especially not because of her.

“Hey,” she said, her voice softer now, “if you ever want to review something else, just let me know. I’m sure we can find time.”

“Yeah, sure,” he replied, his voice quiet, though a hint of gratitude flickered in his eyes. 

“See you around?” she asked, feeling a strange mix of concern and guilt.

“Yeah, see you,” Jaehyun said, watching her leave with Sungho, their laughter fading into the distance. 

As she walked away, (Y/n) couldn’t shake the feeling that she had just seen a side of Jaehyun that was raw and unguarded. But she had her own goals to focus on, her own studies to tackle. She knew she couldn’t get distracted, even if that fleeting glimpse of vulnerability tugged at her heart.

Meanwhile, Jaehyun stood there for a moment, watching (Y/n) walk away. He felt a mix of frustration and sadness, but also a new resolve building inside him. I need to step up my game. The thought echoed in his mind as he headed back to his own study materials, determined not to let this setback hold him back.

Exams loomed just around the corner, and the atmosphere on campus was thick with tension and determination. (Y/n) was in full study mode, her focus laser-sharp as she buried herself in her textbooks. She was determined to be at the top of the class, fully aware of the fierce competition that Jaehyun represented. He was charming, likable, and annoyingly good at academics. But this time, she was ready to give it her all.

Surrounded by notes and highlighted textbooks, (Y/n) tuned out the world around her. Her desk was a fortress of study materials, and the library became her sanctuary. Each page she flipped, each problem she solved, felt like a step closer to achieving her goal. But as much as she tried to concentrate, there was an undercurrent of anxiety gnawing at her—what if she didn’t measure up? 

Across the room, Jaehyun was also studying, but his concentration was faltering. He sat at a table, a pile of books in front of him, but his attention was drawn irresistibly to (Y/n). She sat with her brows furrowed, scribbling notes with fierce determination, and he couldn’t help but admire her. She looks so dedicated.

But the memory of their last conversation echoed in his mind, where (Y/n) had firmly declared, “No distractions until exams are over!” It had been a lighthearted remark, but it stung nonetheless. He knew she was right; they both needed to focus. So, he complied, even as he sat there, longing to be near her.

He shifted in his seat, trying to immerse himself in his studies, but every time he glanced up, his heart would race at the sight of her. She was engrossed, flipping through pages with purpose, and the way she bit her lip in concentration made him ache with admiration. 

Why can’t I just focus? Jaehyun thought, running a hand through his hair in frustration. His eyes betrayed him, wandering back to (Y/n) like a moth to a flame. He felt a mix of admiration and helplessness. He wished he could approach her, share a quiet word of encouragement, or even just tell her how much he respected her drive. 

Instead, he remained in his corner, watching her from afar like a hopeful puppy yearning for attention but knowing it wasn't his time. As he sat there, the reality of the situation sank in—exams were coming up, and both of them had their goals to achieve.

Despite the distance, there was a strange sense of connection in the air. Jaehyun could sense (Y/n)’s determination, and it ignited something within him as well. If she can push herself this hard, then so can I.

With that thought, he forced himself to return to his books. He could at least match her intensity, even from across the room. And while he couldn’t speak to her directly, he hoped that, once exams were over, they could return to the comfortable camaraderie they had begun to build.

For now, he just needed to focus, and maybe, just maybe, they’d find themselves on the other side of these exams as something more than just rivals. With renewed determination, Jaehyun opened his textbook and immersed himself in the material, though every so often, he stole glances at (Y/n), drawing inspiration from her unwavering focus. 

The day the exam results were posted was one of the most nerve-wracking moments of the semester. (Y/n) stood in front of the bulletin board, her heart racing as she scanned the crowded hallway, filled with students eagerly checking their scores. Sungho was right by her side, his presence a comforting anchor amidst the whirlwind of anxiety.

As (Y/n)’s eyes darted over the list, she felt her breath hitch in her throat. Please, please let me be number one, she thought, desperation clawing at her. She had put in every ounce of effort, every late night and early morning. She had to be at the top.

Finally, she spotted the results and her heart sank. There it was—Jaehyun, bold and triumphant at the top of the list. Number 1: Jaehyun.

Her vision blurred as tears prickled at the corners of her eyes. The realization hit her hard, like a punch to the gut. Sungho, sensing her distress, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, offering silent support. 

“I’m so sorry, (Y/n),” he murmured, watching as her emotions unfolded. “You worked really hard. You’ll get it next time.”

But (Y/n) couldn’t hear him; her thoughts spiraled as the weight of disappointment settled heavily on her chest. She blinked back tears, but they spilled over anyway, trailing down her cheeks. 

From a distance, Jaehyun observed the scene, feeling a mix of emotions as he stood off to the side. He had come to celebrate, to share his joy with friends, but now he felt like an intruder in this moment. He wanted nothing more than to reach out to (Y/n), to comfort her and let her know that her hard work didn’t go unnoticed. But he also understood that right now, he was the last person she wanted to see.

Watching Sungho gently hold (Y/n) as she cried twisted something in his chest. He felt helpless, as if there was an invisible barrier separating him from the comfort he wished he could provide. She deserves better than this moment of sadness.

Jaehyun's heart ached, knowing how much effort she had put in. He felt guilty for achieving the rank she so desperately sought. Maybe if I had just worked a little less hard… But deep down, he knew that wasn’t how it worked.

He took a step closer, then hesitated, unsure if he should intrude on their moment. Instead, he forced himself to stay put, to respect (Y/n)’s feelings, and to be a silent witness to her disappointment. 

As Sungho continued to comfort her, Jaehyun felt a resolve forming within him. Next time, I’ll help her. I’ll make sure she knows how talented she really is.

For now, he would let (Y/n) have her moment, and when she was ready, he would be there to support her, whether as a rival or something more. With a heavy heart, he turned away from the bulletin board, his mind swirling with thoughts of how to approach her when the time was right.

After the exam results were posted, Jaehyun felt a knot of anxiety in his stomach whenever he thought about approaching (Y/n). The way she had reacted to the results still stung, and he couldn’t shake the fear that she would be just as cold as before. Often, he would catch sight of her in the library or around campus, wanting to reach out but ultimately chickening out at the last moment. 

Meanwhile, (Y/n) noticed his distance. She saw him lingering at the edge of her vision, a familiar figure she had come to associate with her study sessions. Part of her missed his cheerful presence, the way he effortlessly brightened the atmosphere. Yet another part felt relieved he wasn’t there to distract her anymore. She could focus on her studies, free from the competitive energy that had colored their interactions.

As days turned into a week, (Y/n) found herself reflecting on their last conversation. The tension had been palpable, but beneath her frustration was a flicker of something else—something that made her think about Jaehyun more than she cared to admit. Still, she convinced herself that keeping her distance was best. She didn’t want to be distracted again.

One afternoon, while deeply engrossed in her textbooks, she sensed someone nearby. She glanced up to find Jaehyun standing there, looking both hopeful and hesitant. He seemed to want to say something, but the hesitation in his posture was clear.

“Jaehyun,” she said, trying to sound indifferent but unable to hide the slight tremor in her voice.

He took a tentative step closer. “Hey, (Y/n). Can we talk?”

“Actually,” she interjected, her voice sharper than intended, “I’d prefer it if you went away.”

His expression shifted instantly, the brightness in his eyes dimming. Jaehyun's lower lip trembled slightly, and for a brief moment, tears glistened at the corners of his eyes. The sight of him looking so vulnerable tugged at (Y/n)’s heart, but she pushed the feeling aside.

“Okay…” he whispered, shoulders slumping. He turned to walk away, casting one last glance over his shoulder as if hoping she’d change her mind.

Watching him leave, (Y/n) felt an unfamiliar ache in her chest, but she steeled herself. This was for the best, she told herself. It had to be.

Jaehyun trudged across the campus, his heart still heavy from (Y/n)’s rejection. As he made his way to the sunlit courtyard, he spotted his two best friends, Taesan and Riwoo, lounging on a blanket, a couple of books spread out beside them, music playing softly in the background. The warmth of the sun contrasted sharply with the chill in his heart.

He approached them, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders. Without a word, he laid down on the blanket, facing the ground, wishing he could disappear into the grass.

“Hey, Jae,” Taesan said, noticing the unusual silence. “What’s up? You look like someone just kicked your puppy.”

“Yeah, man, you okay?” Riwoo added, peering at him with concern. “You’ve been out of it lately.”

Jaehyun sighed deeply, the weight of his emotions too heavy to hide. “I just… I talked to (Y/n) today.”

“Oh?” Taesan leaned forward, intrigued. “Did it go well?”

Jaehyun shook his head, his voice muffled against the blanket. “No, she told me to go away.”

The air around them shifted as his friends exchanged worried glances. “Dude, that sucks,” Riwoo said gently. “I’m sorry. She doesn’t know what she’s missing.”

Jaehyun felt a pang of frustration. “It’s not that simple. She’s been so focused on beating me in class. I think I just annoy her.”

“You’re not annoying!” Taesan protested, sitting up straighter. “You’re one of the best people I know. If she can’t see that, it’s her loss.”

“But she’s so brilliant, and I just…” Jaehyun’s voice trailed off, the weight of self-doubt creeping in again. “I don’t want to be a distraction for her. I just wanted to be friends.”

“Look, relationships are complicated,” Riwoo said, trying to offer some comfort. “It’s normal to feel this way. You two just need to communicate better. Maybe she’ll come around once she realizes how much you care.”

Jaehyun turned his head slightly to peek at them, the corners of his mouth twitching in a half-smile. “You really think so?”

“Absolutely,” Taesan affirmed, giving him a reassuring nudge. “But you’ve got to give her some space. And in the meantime, we’re here for you.”

With a heavy sigh, Jaehyun pushed himself up to sit, the warmth of the sun slowly melting away his sorrow. “Thanks, guys. I just hate feeling like this.”

“Let’s distract you,” Riwoo suggested, grinning. “How about we read some ridiculous books and laugh at them together?”

Jaehyun couldn’t help but chuckle, the heaviness in his chest lifting just a little. “Alright, I’m in.”

As they settled in together, the music filling the air and the warmth of the sun surrounding them, Jaehyun felt grateful for his friends—his heart might still be aching, but at least he wasn’t alone.

(Y/n) buried herself in her studies, her textbooks sprawled across her desk like an insurmountable mountain. The pressure to be the best consumed her, and the fear of returning home with anything less than top marks loomed over her like a dark cloud. Her parents had always been strict, and she couldn’t bear the thought of their disappointment. 

Days turned into nights, and as time passed, her dedication morphed into an unhealthy obsession. She barely slept, skipping meals, convinced that distractions would lead her away from her goals. The exhaustion was palpable, but she pushed through, telling herself it was just a phase she had to endure.

As Jaehyun walked through campus one day, he noticed her at a study table in the library, her face pale and eyes sunken. He frowned, feeling a sense of worry creep in. It was unusual for (Y/n) to look so worn down; her usual intensity seemed muted, replaced by an almost fragile demeanor. He exchanged glances with Sungho, who had just arrived.

“Is she okay?” Jaehyun asked quietly, nodding toward (Y/n).

Sungho sighed, his brow furrowed with concern. “I don’t think so. She’s been at it for days without a break.”

“I want to say something, but… I don’t know how,” Jaehyun admitted, feeling a mix of anxiety and helplessness. He had always admired (Y/n)’s drive but couldn’t shake the feeling that she was pushing herself too hard.

Just then, (Y/n) swayed slightly in her chair, her hand trembling as she reached for her notes. Before either of them could react, she suddenly collapsed, the sound of her books hitting the floor echoing in the quiet library.

“(Y/n)!” Jaehyun and Sungho rushed to her side, panic flooding their senses. Sungho knelt down, checking her pulse while Jaehyun fumbled for his phone to call for help.

A few moments later, they found themselves in the nurse’s office, (Y/n) lying unconscious on the bed. The nurse was tending to her, but Jaehyun could only focus on the fear gnawing at him.

Sungho sat beside her, his expression a mixture of worry and guilt. “I should have noticed sooner. She’s been under so much pressure.”

Jaehyun looked at him, confused. “What do you mean?”

“Her parents… they expect her to be perfect,” Sungho explained quietly, glancing at (Y/n) as she lay there, pale and still. “They’re really strict about her grades. Second place is never good enough for them.”

Jaehyun’s heart sank. “I had no idea. I thought she just wanted to win against me.”

Sungho shook his head. “It’s more than that for her. She feels like she has to prove herself, and it’s tearing her apart. She never wants to let anyone down.”

Jaehyun felt a knot in his stomach as he processed Sungho's words. “I thought you two were… you know, together.”

“No, we’re just friends,” Sungho replied, looking down. “I care about her, but it’s tough for me to get through to her when she’s so focused on her studies. I wish I could help her more.”

Feeling a sense of urgency, Jaehyun leaned forward. “We have to make sure she knows she doesn’t have to do this alone. She deserves better than this pressure.”

Sungho nodded, determination in his eyes. “Agreed. When she wakes up, we’ll talk to her. She needs to understand that she can lean on us.”

As they sat there, the weight of their shared concern hung heavy in the air. Jaehyun glanced at (Y/n), wishing he could reach out and tell her everything would be okay. They just had to help her find her way back to herself.

Four hours later, (Y/n) slowly stirred awake, the dim light of the nurse’s office filtering through her heavy eyelids. As she blinked into focus, she was surprised to find Jaehyun sitting beside her, his expression a mix of worry and relief. His eyes were glossy, and for a moment, she just laid there, taking in the sight of him. 

Gone was the puppy-like exuberance that usually characterized his demeanor. Instead, he looked vulnerable, as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. For the first time, she noticed how handsome he truly was—not with anger or jealousy, but with a strange sense of admiration, maybe even something deeper.

Jaehyun didn’t notice her waking at first, his gaze lost in thought. But when he finally met her eyes, his expression shifted instantly. “(Y/n)!” he exclaimed, relief flooding his voice. “What happened? Are you okay?”

She hesitated for a moment, feeling the warmth of his concern envelop her. “I… I guess I overdid it a bit,” she replied softly, avoiding his gaze as embarrassment washed over her. 

“Overdid it?” Jaehyun echoed, his brow furrowing in concern. “You collapsed! You need to take care of yourself.”

A lump formed in her throat at the sincerity in his voice. “I know. I was just trying to be the best. I thought if I worked hard enough, it would all pay off.”

He shook his head, frustration creeping into his voice. “You don’t have to do this alone, (Y/n). You’re already amazing, and no one is expecting you to be perfect.”

She met his gaze, the warmth in his eyes contrasting sharply with her own self-doubt. “It’s not just about me,” she whispered, feeling a wave of vulnerability wash over her. “I can’t let my parents down. They want so much from me.”

“I get that,” Jaehyun said, his tone softening. “But you’re more than just your grades. You have friends who care about you—friends who want to support you, including me.”

At his words, a flicker of something new ignited in her chest, a feeling she hadn’t allowed herself to acknowledge before. Maybe it was a growing fondness, or perhaps even the start of something deeper.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, finally allowing herself to take in the concern etched on his face. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”

Jaehyun smiled, though it was tinged with sadness. “Just promise me you’ll take a break and let us help you. You don’t have to go through this alone.”

“Okay,” (Y/n) replied, her voice barely above a whisper. “I promise.”

As the two shared a moment of understanding, something shifted between them—a connection forged in vulnerability and care. She couldn’t shake the warmth blooming in her chest, and as she looked at Jaehyun, she felt a sense of comfort she hadn’t realized she needed.

After that day in the nurse's office, Jaehyun made it his mission to ensure (Y/n) took care of herself. He often found her at the library or in the café, surrounded by textbooks and notes, and each time he spotted her, he felt a surge of determination to help her find balance.

“Hey, (Y/n),” he greeted one afternoon as he approached her usual study spot. She looked up, surprise flickering across her face. “I brought you lunch.”

She blinked at the small container he set down beside her. “You didn’t have to do that,” she said, though the hint of a smile betrayed her appreciation.

“I know, but you need to eat,” he replied, flashing a bright smile. “Studying on an empty stomach isn’t a good idea.”

She hesitated but then relented. “Okay, just a little.”

As she opened the container, Jaehyun settled down beside her, digging into his own lunch. They shared a comfortable silence for a moment, the ambient sounds of the café surrounding them.

Deciding to lighten the mood, Jaehyun broke the quiet. “So, what’s your favorite childhood memory?” he asked, genuinely curious.

(Y/n) looked thoughtful, her fork pausing mid-air. “Hmm, that’s a tough one. I think it would be the summer I spent with my cousins at my grandparents’ house. We built the craziest forts in the backyard out of blankets and chairs.”

Jaehyun grinned, leaning in. “That sounds awesome! What kind of forts did you make?”

“On the last day, we made this huge castle,” she recalled, a nostalgic smile spreading across her face. “We even pretended to be knights and princesses, complete with cardboard swords. I still remember how silly we looked.”

“I love that! I used to do something similar with my friends,” Jaehyun said, his eyes lighting up. “We’d build spaceships out of old boxes and pretend to go on intergalactic adventures. I was always the pilot.”

“Of course you were,” (Y/n) teased lightly, her expression softening. “Did you have a special spaceship name?”

“Absolutely! It was the Star Chaser,” he said, puffing out his chest in mock pride. “We would save the universe from aliens and go on wild missions. It felt so real back then.”

“Sounds like you had quite the imagination!” (Y/n) chuckled, feeling the weight of her worries lift a little. “I miss those carefree days.”

“Me too,” Jaehyun replied, a hint of wistfulness in his voice. “Life seemed so simple back then. But I guess we can still create fun moments, right?”

“Definitely,” she agreed, her heart warming at his words. “I’d love to go on some sort of adventure like that again, even if it’s just a picnic in the park or something.”

“Count me in! I’ll bring the snacks,” he said, excitement bubbling in his voice. “It could be like our own little mission.”

As they continued to share childhood stories—memories filled with laughter, imagination, and innocence—(Y/n) found herself laughing more, the pressure of her studies momentarily forgotten. 

With each story Jaehyun shared, her fondness for him deepened, sparking a connection that felt both new and comfortable. It was a strange and wonderful sensation, one that made her heart flutter in ways she hadn’t anticipated.

Two weeks had passed since Jaehyun first began his mission to ensure (Y/n) was taking care of herself. He was relentless in his efforts to make her eat and take breaks from her studies, bringing her lunch, snacks, and even the occasional dessert. With each passing day, their conversations deepened, and a connection blossomed that Jaehyun found both exhilarating and terrifying.

As he sat in his favorite spot in the café, his friends Taesan and Riwoo flanking him, Jaehyun couldn’t shake the nervous energy buzzing in his chest. He fiddled with the edge of his napkin, his mind racing as he contemplated the idea of asking (Y/n) out on a date. 

“You’re overthinking it, man,” Taesan said, breaking into his thoughts. “Just go for it!”

“Easy for you to say,” Jaehyun replied, glancing at his friends. “What if she says no?”

Riwoo leaned in, a teasing grin on his face. “Then you’re back to being friends. But at least you won’t be stuck wondering ‘what if’ for the rest of your life.”

“I don’t know, guys,” Jaehyun mumbled, feeling his anxiety bubble up again. “What if I ruin everything? We’ve been getting closer, and I really like where we are.”

Sungho, who had joined them after grabbing a drink, chimed in. “You like her, right? You know she’s single, so just be honest with her. You have my support, dude.”

Jaehyun sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I know, but… what if she doesn’t feel the same? I mean, she’s been through so much already. I don’t want to add more pressure.”

“Dude, you’ve been there for her through thick and thin. If anything, she’ll appreciate your honesty,” Taesan encouraged. “Plus, she’s been smiling more since you’ve been hanging out. That has to mean something.”

Jaehyun couldn’t help but recall the way (Y/n)’s eyes sparkled when she talked about her favorite memories. Those moments, filled with laughter and warmth, fueled his resolve. But still, he felt the weight of uncertainty pressing down on him.

“I just need the right moment,” he murmured, glancing toward the door as (Y/n) entered the café, her hair catching the light in a way that made his heart skip. She looked tired but brighter than usual, and Jaehyun felt his breath hitch.

“Look, there she is!” Riwoo said, nudging him playfully. “You’ve got this, Jaehyun!”

As (Y/n) made her way to their table, Jaehyun’s nerves surged, and he fought the urge to back out. She greeted them with a smile, and for a brief moment, he forgot all his doubts. But as she settled into the seat across from him, his heart raced with the weight of what he was contemplating.

“Hey, what are you all talking about?” she asked, a curious smile playing on her lips.

“Oh, just plotting world domination,” Jaehyun joked, trying to ease the tension in his chest. But even as he laughed, he felt the growing urgency to take the next step. 

With his friends rallying behind him and (Y/n) sitting just a few feet away, he knew he couldn’t let this chance slip away. But for now, all he could do was savor the moment and hope for the courage to come.

Jaehyun paced nervously in his room, the bright afternoon sun streaming through the window. He had come up with a plan that made his heart race—he would ask (Y/n) to be his date for the upcoming dance. Sungho had mentioned that several others had asked her already, but she’d turned them down, saying she was waiting for someone else. 

That “someone” was going to be him.

Determined to make it memorable, Jaehyun spent the day preparing something special. He picked out a bouquet of vibrant flowers—bright sunflowers and cheerful daisies—and added a cute golden retriever plushie, knowing it would remind her of his playful spirit. Finally, he crafted a big sign that read, “Wanna go with this puppy to the dance?” 

With everything packed neatly into a bag, he headed to (Y/n)’s favorite café, where he knew she often studied. His heart raced with each step, excitement and anxiety intertwining as he approached the familiar entrance.

As he entered, he spotted her at a corner table, her nose buried in a book. Jaehyun took a deep breath, reminding himself of Sungho's words—she was waiting for him. This was it. 

He approached her table, trying to keep his nerves in check. “Hey, (Y/n)!” he said, forcing a casual tone.

She looked up, her expression shifting from surprise to something more guarded. “Oh, Jaehyun. What’s up?”

With a flourish, he set down the flowers, plushie, and the sign on the table. “I have a question for you!” 

(Y/n)’s eyes widened slightly as she took in the colorful display. “What’s all this?” she asked, trying to maintain her usual cool demeanor, but the corners of her mouth betrayed her.

“Wanna go with this puppy to the dance?” he asked, his voice brimming with hope as he gestured to the sign.

For a moment, (Y/n) tried to keep a straight face, her expression almost icy as she processed the surprise before her. But the warmth radiating from Jaehyun’s smile was infectious, and she felt her resolve slipping. 

“Jaehyun…” she began, struggling to keep her tone neutral, but her heart was racing. “This is… very unexpected.”

His eyes sparkled with anticipation, clearly waiting for her answer. “So, what do you think?”

Her façade faltered, and a genuine smile broke through as she looked at the flowers and the plushie. “You’re ridiculous,” she said, unable to hide the happiness blooming inside her. 

“But you like it?” he pressed, hope hanging in the air.

“I—” she started, then paused, glancing at the other customers in the café who were now watching their interaction. She felt a mix of embarrassment and excitement, her heart racing at the thought of saying yes. 

Jaehyun leaned in slightly, his expression earnest. “I just wanted to do something special, and I really like you. So, what do you say?”

Caught between wanting to maintain her “black-cat” demeanor and the undeniable joy his gesture sparked, (Y/n) found herself at a crossroads. She took a deep breath, her cold exterior wavering under his bright smile. “I... need a moment to think about it.”

Jaehyun’s smile dimmed slightly, but he nodded, understanding her need for space. “Of course. Just know that I’d really love to go with you.”

As he turned to leave, (Y/n) couldn’t help but feel a warmth spreading through her chest. The idea of going to the dance with Jaehyun felt thrilling, even if she tried to mask it. As he walked away, she couldn’t shake the smile that threatened to break free—after all, who could resist that infectious grin?

Jaehyun stepped out of the café, a mix of disappointment and anticipation swirling in his chest. He had tried so hard to muster the courage, and now, as he walked away, he felt a weight settling on him. Just as he reached the sidewalk, he heard a familiar voice call out.

“Jaehyun!”

He turned around, his heart racing as he saw (Y/n) sprinting toward him, flowers and the plushie clutched tightly in her hands. The determination in her eyes made him pause, a spark of hope igniting within him.

Before he could say anything, (Y/n) closed the distance, grabbing his face and kissing him passionately. The warmth of her lips took him completely by surprise, and for a moment, everything else faded away.

When she pulled back, breathless and glowing, she smiled playfully. “I want to go with you to the dance,” she said, the words flowing effortlessly.

Jaehyun’s heart soared, a wave of joy crashing over him. “Really? You mean it?” he exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face. “I thought you were going to say no!”

“Why would I say no?” she teased, her eyes sparkling. “It took you long enough to ask, though!”

His excitement bubbled over as he stepped closer, his heart racing. “So it’s really a date? I can’t believe this!” 

“Yes, it’s definitely a date,” she confirmed, her laughter infectious.

With that, Jaehyun couldn’t contain himself any longer. He leaned in and kissed her again, this time filled with joy and the promise of everything to come. As they pulled apart, both of them were grinning like children, the world around them bursting with possibilities.

“Okay, let’s plan something amazing!” he said, his eyes shining with excitement. He could hardly believe this was real. 

After the exhilarating kiss, Jaehyun stepped back, his heart still racing. As he looked into (Y/n)'s eyes, a thought struck him. “Wait, you said it took me long to ask you!” he exclaimed, a playful pout forming on his lips. “I mean, I really tried to gather my courage!”

(Y/n) chuckled, a teasing glint in her eyes. “Well, you did keep me waiting.”

Jaehyun ran a hand through his hair, feeling a rush of emotions. “You have no idea how hard it was for me! I was terrified of being rejected—especially by you. I mean, academics come easily to me, but love? That’s a whole different story.”

She watched him, her expression softening. “I had no idea you felt that way. You always seem so confident.”

“Confident? Me?” Jaehyun laughed, shaking his head. “I’m like a puppy trying to chase a shadow half the time! When it comes to you, I didn’t want to mess it up.”

(Y/n) smiled, her heart warming at his sincerity. “Well, you didn’t mess it up. You’re here now, and that’s what matters.”

“Yeah, but for a while, I thought I’d never get the chance to ask,” he admitted, a hint of vulnerability in his voice. “I kept seeing you with those other guys, and I thought, ‘What if she chooses someone else?’”

“But you didn’t give up,” she said softly. “You kept trying.”

“Because I really like you,” he replied earnestly, his eyes locking onto hers. “I didn’t want to just be friends anymore. I wanted more, and I was scared that if I failed at this, I’d lose you altogether.”

(Y/n)’s heart fluttered at his words. “You don’t have to be scared anymore,” she said gently. “We’re going to figure this out together.”

Jaehyun beamed, feeling a surge of hope. “Together,” he echoed, his excitement returning. “I can’t wait for the dance, and now I can finally relax knowing I didn’t mess it up.”

As they walked side by side, (Y/n) couldn’t help but tease him. “So, I guess you really are a lovesick puppy now, huh?”

Jaehyun laughed, a lightness in his heart. “Guilty as charged! But you know, I think I wear it well. What do you think? Am I pulling off the puppy look?”

“Oh, definitely,” she replied, smirking. “Just don’t start barking or wagging your tail in public.”

He feigned shock, placing a hand over his heart. “Barking? I would never! Maybe just a little excited yipping when I see you, though.”

(Y/n) chuckled, shaking her head. “I can’t believe I’m going to the dance with such a dork.”

“Hey, dorkiness is part of my charm!” he said, puffing out his chest playfully. “And I’ll make sure to bring my best puppy eyes to win you over even more.”

“Just don’t overdo it,” she teased. “I might get overwhelmed by all that adorableness.”

Jaehyun grinned, the warmth between them making the world around them feel brighter. “Adorableness is my specialty, especially when it comes to you.”

She smiled back, feeling a flutter in her chest. “Well, I guess we’ll just have to see how adorable you can be at the dance.”

“Challenge accepted!” he declared, his excitement palpable as they continued walking, both of them looking forward to what lay ahead.

[five-rivers]

Dream Lantern Chapter 1

For Ectoberhaunt 2023 Day 5: Hunt.

The person who entered the small examination room wasn’t a doctor.  They weren’t even human.  

Danny, who had been hunched in the less-than-comfortable chair in the corner, waiting for the doctor to get to him, sprang to his feet.  “You!” he hissed, green sparking from his fists and his rings snapping into place and sweeping outward to transform him.  “You did this!”

At first glance, the person in front of Danny looked human, but that was only at first glance.  The ridges of their eyes curved smoothly, owl-like, into the bridge of their nose.  Their hair, too black, formed a widow’s peak so sharp Danny wasn’t sure it couldn’t draw blood.  They wore a black suit that was about ten times too formal and old-fashioned to even exist in Amity Park.  

But all of that could be brushed aside.  Sometimes people just looked or dressed strangely.  The real indicator was the eyes, which were red from lid to lid and faintly luminous.

“Yes,” said Nocturne, gloved hand touching their face as if to make sure it was still in place.  “Did you think someone else could have?”

“Put them back!” demanded Danny.  “Or I’ll–”

“Or you’ll do nothing,” said Nocturne.  “They are hostages, boy.  I’m sure you realize this already, or you would have attacked.” 

Danny bristled.  “What do you want?”

“Your help.”  They laughed, showing off teeth that were both too white and too sharp.  “You like that, don’t you?”

Danny scowled.  He couldn’t deny the way his core had twitched at the word ‘help,’ but even full ghosts weren’t mindless slaves that could be programmed and activated by their Obsessions’ triggers.  Besides, he had better people to help.  

Like Tucker and Sam.  Jazz.  His parents.  

They were elsewhere in the hospital, in comas so deep Danny couldn’t touch their minds at all.  The doctors had kept Danny here, just in case he was about to slip into a coma, too, but knowing that it was Nocturne, rather than just suspecting it…

He wanted to fight.  He wanted to force Nocturne to let them go, to wake them up.  

But… hostages.  

“With what?”

“With retrieving something,” said Nocturne.  

“And if I help, you'll bring them out of their comas?”

Nocturne lazily raised a hand.  “I swear it.”

“Fine.  What is it and where is it?”  If it was something dangerous, he could always sabotage it.  He had experience with that kind of thing.

“Oh, you mistake me, child.  I will retrieve it myself.  I only need you to accompany me to do so.  A being of your… nature is required.”

“What, a half ghost?”

“A creature neither alive nor dead,” said Nocturne.  “I think you fit that requirement quite nicely.”

The way Nocturne leered at him made Danny’s skin crawl.  He forced the ectoplasm swirling around his hands to recede and landed.

“Fine,” he snapped, again.  

Nocturne reached out towards his face and Danny swatted their hand away.

“I’ll go there awake, thanks.”

“Very well,” said Nocturne, still smiling.  They turned and opened the door.  It no longer led back into the hospital.  Nocturne’s form liquified, and they oozed through the door, gaining volume as they did so until they were in their massive usual form.  The one that could hold and crush Danny in the palm of a hand.  

Danny swallowed.  He hadn’t realized Nocturne could make portals like that.  He followed, and the portal shut behind him.  

Nocturne’s smile grew smugger.  They turned and made a sweeping gesture.  “Behold,” they said, “the Plain of Dreams.”

There… wasn’t much to look at.  There was a big island there, sure.  One large enough that the other side vanished into the horizon.  But the surface of the island was flat and gray, devoid of any point of interest except for size.  

“You live here?” asked Danny.  

“Once,” said Nocturne, almost wistful.  “But there is no time for reminiscing.  You have a role to play here.”

“Which is?”

“That of a lantern.”  Nocturne reached into the invisible folds of their robes and pulled out a glittering, golden, jewel-studded cage, one shaped like a lantern and floored with rich, plush bedding.  They pinched the door open and held it up in front of Danny.  

“No,” said Danny.  “I’m not getting in there.  If you need my glow or whatever for your thing, well, guess what?  I glow just as well out here.”

“It’s not quite that simple,” said Nocturne, circling him.  Danny turned, trying to keep eyes on Nocturne’s face and hands.  “You must be neither alive nor dead, awake nor asleep, willing nor unwilling.  Caged, but uncaptured.  Hungry, but full.  Complaisant, but steadfast.”

Danny’s skin prickled again.  He did not like this, and the fairy-tale-like phrasing was not helping his nerves.  “I don’t know that I’d call myself complacent.”

Nocturne chuckled.  “Different word, little ghost.  Or… I can seek out more friends of yours.  The girl in red, perhaps?”  They switched directions so fast Danny couldn’t keep track of them.  Their next words were whispered into Danny’s hair.  “She still dreams of you, you know.”

Danny flinched away, glaring, but he couldn’t hold Nocturne’s gaze for long.  He frowned at the cage instead.  He did not like it.  At all.  

“I get to leave at the end?” he asked, knowing full well he couldn’t hold Nocturne to that in any meaningful way.  Even Nocturne’s word that he’d let his family and friends go didn’t mean much.  

But what else could he do?  He’d already tried to wake them up himself, and he didn’t know what else Nocturne could do to them when they were in that state.

“Yes, yes, and I’ll wake your family.  We have already discussed this.  You are wasting time.”

“We hadn’t discussed this, actually,” said Danny.  “We’ve barely ‘discussed’ anything.”

“I can send them deeper,” said Nocturne, voice low and dangerous.  “Do you want that, child?  Perhaps their doctors will notice when they stop breathing on their own.  Perhaps not.”

Danny, core making an awful whining sound, raised his hands in surrender and flew into the cage.  Nocturne, moving swiftly, closed it behind him.  

The exhaustion he’d been holding back all day (or was it all week?  All month?  All year?  Since he died the first time?) poured over him.  Against his will, he sank slowly to the blankets and pillows at the bottom of the cage, clouds of golden dust rising around him as his weight settled.  His eyelids fluttered, and his vision became blurred, uncertain.  

Nocturne threaded their long, pointed fingers through the bars of the cage and pressed one against Danny’s chest, over his core.  Inky, starry blackness flowed from Nocturne’s finger and into Danny.  He could feel it being pressed into his core, and his core drank it in, growing colder.  His aura flared out involuntarily, to a brightness that was almost painful.  He groaned and tried to turn his head against one of the pillows.  

“That wasn’t so bad, now, was it?” asked Nocturne in a falsely sweet voice.  It echoed weirdly, the words warping around their edges, morphing into other voices, other conversations.  “A simple waking dream.  Look.”

With some effort, Danny raised his head as Nocturne thrust the lantern-cage forward.  For a moment, bright colors streaked dizzyingly across his vision, like fireworks and flowers, but then–

What lay before him was not the gray and featureless plain he had seen only moments before.  Instead, ringed by the golden haze of dreams was a vibrant forest, decked with vivid colors and bright flowers, brighter and more numerous than they ever would be in reality.  Or maybe jungle was a better word.  In the distance, majestic mountains rose from the middle of the jungle, tinted blue and purple, glittering cities of gold and crystal built on their slopes.  A flight of butterflies bigger than birds exploded from the near edge, and swooped around Nocturne and Danny in a rainbow whirlwind.  Some of them had wingspans longer than his arm.

“What,” Danny might have said, aware that his words were slurred into unintelligibility, if they were spoken at all, “is that?”

“The Dream Wilds,” said Nocturne.  

They reached into the cage again, adjusting Danny’s position so that he was halfway between sitting and lounging, hemmed in and supported by blankets.  They might as well have been chains, and even as that picture developed in his mind’s eye, it developed in reality as well.  Blanket twisted around his limbs and grew darker, the fabric taking on a metallic sheen.  Pillows grew heavier… but also softer, pulling him yet deeper into the half-dreaming state Nocturne had forced on him.  

He was, really, horribly comfy.  

If it wasn’t for his hazmat suit and its boots, Danny could almost be convinced he was bundled up in his own bed.  Then, he blinked, long, slow, and sleepy, and he wasn’t wearing his hazmat suit anymore.  Instead, he was wearing a set of pajamas that, if he’d seen them in the real world, would have sent him into paroxysms of envy.  They were a set, a button-down shirt and a pair of pants, the type of pajamas he liked the most.  They also were sewn with tiny star-shaped sequins in the pattern of real constellations.  

Danny knew they weren’t real.  Unfair.  

Nocturne chuckled and tugged on Danny’s newly-bare toes.  

“Don’t,” mumbled Danny, sleepily, not coordinated enough to twitch away.  “Let’s get this over with already.”

“Yes,” said Nocturne, gliding forward.  “Let’s.”

.

The Plain of Dreams was only the greatest of the many places in the Ghost Zone where the ethereal and otherwise elusive energies of dream gathered.  It had been tamed, once, and inhabited, brought to the kind of civilization only known in the dreams of visionaries.  Crystal cities of philosophy.  Hidden villages in perfect harmony with nature.  Utopias of justice, science, and art.  

But those realms were long gone.  When the rulers of the Dream Kingdoms saw the approach of Pariah Dark's armies, they ordered the caged dreamers on whose dreams the foundations of the cities were built woken and released, and their cities faded back into the wilds, and the wilds themselves faded and sunk into slumber until only fragments and memories remained.  

There were ways to navigate them, if one had the right tools.  Ways to access the Dream Wilds where they slumbered, still beautiful, rich, and powerful.  Even with those tools, however, the Dream Wilds were still immeasurably dangerous.  

Even in the Ghost Zone, there were few places where one could be destroyed by their own passing fancy.  

It had taken years upon years for Nocturne to find the lantern-cage, a relic from one of the Dream Kingdoms, traded to a traveler and sold on as a curiosity not long before Pariah took the throne.  Cages not unlike this, but far grander, had held the forever-sleeping dream-architects who had made up the foundations of the great Dream Kingdoms.  The only other Nocturne had ever heard of beyond the borders of the Dreamlands had been from their own collection, melted down to be reforged as part of the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep.  

The success of that plan had made the sacrifice worth it, but Nocturne still resented it, and the lost opportunities it represented.  

All too often, Nocturne found themself dreaming of what would have been, if they had still had their own lantern-cage.  If they had been able to travel back, to reach the Dream Kingdoms before they fell to ruin entirely, to enter the great halls with a dreamer, and once again let dreams be true.  

But even dreams must bow to time.  

The cage was not all Nocturne needed, nor the only preparation they had to make.  Among other things, the cage was useless without the proper dreamer.  

The Dream Kingdoms had, for the most part, used volunteers.  Specially selected, educated, and prepared, quite literally pampered beyond the dreams of sloth, the dream-architects of old had been remarkable.  But even they were unlikely to have had the qualities Nocturne sought.  

And seek they did, searching high and low, throughout both the Infinite Realms and the human world.  But no matter what dreamer they brought to the Plain of Dreams, no matter how long Nocturne wandered, their lantern did not light the way.  

They had thought it must be a matter of power, and set to collecting dream energy from wherever they could, even going to the human world to gather it from living sleepers.  That particular endeavor did not go well, and they returned to the Realms with less than what they’d started with.  

But then they found that old record, and its list of odd requirements.  Neither alive nor dead, awake nor asleep, willing nor unwilling.  Caged, but uncaptured, hungry, but full, complaisant, but steadfast.  A liminal dreamer was required, and not just any liminal.  

There were only two liminals that Nocturne knew of.  He could, with some effort force either of them to fulfill most of the other conditions.  Waking dreams were well within his capabilities, the right pressure on an Obsession would have any ghost, full or otherwise, walking into a cage.  Hungry but full was trickier, but the lantern-cages were designed to help regulate what their inmates absorbed, among other things that allowed their function of bringing dreams into reality.  A glut of dream energy and a dearth of more traditional forms of sustenance would do nicely for Nocturne’s plans, and if the requirement was more metaphorical, they could adapt.  

The difficulty lay in 'complaisant but steadfast.'

The elder half ghost was widely regarded as a coward, having fled from too many fights he himself had started.  Even if he wasn't, Nocturne had tasted his dreams.  Vlad Masters relished every bit of power he could hold over others, and resented any he could not subjugate or suborn.  

The younger… Any being that could escape a dream crafted by Nocturne had to be described as both willful and strong-willed.  Yet, while the child had dreamed of being recognized and praised for the service he provided, in the waking world he provided those services unasked and unrewarded.  

It wasn't ideal, but it would have to do.  Nocturne wasn't about to make more of the creatures.  

From there, their preparations were relatively simple.  Phantom was young and brash, not stupid.  He may have managed to defeat Nocturne once, but the circumstances had been vastly different.  Then, Nocturne had been gathering dream energy and assessing the potential of dreamers.  They had been spread thin, distracted.  

trapping a whole city in slumber.  

Which led to the present moment.  

As during their first encounter, the boy was far more susceptible to dream sand than even ordinary humans.  Nocturne could not recall at the moment whether or not Plasmius had fallen asleep as quickly, or if the weakness was unique to Phantom, but that hardly mattered.  What mattered was that he was working.

Where Phantom's aura fell, the Dream Wilds and all their flora and fauna became real, material, some might even say alive.  The radius of the effect was miniscule.  Nocturne could easily see beyond it, past the golden air and verdant leaves, to where the Plain of Dream was as drab and flat as ever. Phantom was not one of the great dreamers of old.  Nor, Nocturne could already tell, would the masterworks once crafted by those dreamers be making an appearance.  Phantom's conception of the Dream Wilds was too simple, too imperfect to support such complexities.

Butterflies.  Really.  

Even some of Nocturne's earlier dreamers had done better, reached further.  

And yet… the texture, the depth of color, the quality of light… Yes, with Phantom as their lantern, he would reach the ruins at the heart of the Dream Wilds, and finally claim what they had sought for so long.

Lantern in hand, they glided forward, beneath the boughs of the great trees.  

.

Danny had expected it to be dark under the trees.  It had looked dark.  Instead, every leaf, every branch, every flower, every crawling, flying, or running thing, every wisp of colored mist was illuminated by Danny’s own aura, which showed no sign of dimming.  The shadowless quality of the surroundings added to their dreaminess, another layer of unreality on top of the haze, blur, and dazzle.  

Danny slowly turned his head back towards the way they’d come from.  The way he thought they’d come from.  Already, the open Ghost Zone sky was entirely hidden from view.  They could have been walking for hours, not… not…

How long had they been walking?  Had it been hours?  He couldn’t tell.  

Danny really didn’t like this.  But he couldn’t really do anything about it.  He was in a cage, and Nocturne still had his family hostage.  Plus, moving and thinking felt like swimming through honey.  Soft, cozy, comfy honey that made him sleepy.  The way the cage swung helped with that, a gentle, lulling, rocking motion that had him drifting, distracted.  

He blinked hard, rousing back to the half-asleep state Nocturne had put him in.  Being caged was one thing.  Being totally unaware of his surroundings while caged by an enemy was something else.  

“Where are we going?” he asked.  

Nocturne said nothing.  

“Where are we going?” he repeated, adding volume in the hope that it would let his words carry more clearly.  

Nocturne looked down at him contemplatively, clearly weighing options.  Then they smiled, sly, smug, and indulgent.  “We hunt the Beast of Dreams.  A chimera with many forms and faces, it guards the way to our destination.  Three times we must face them, and three times we must gain their tokens, else even your light will not shine on our path.”

“What if we, um.”  Danny licked his lips, trying to recover the thread of his question.  His tongue felt heavy in his mouth.  “What if we can’t find them?”

Nocturne tsked at him.  “What a terrible attitude to have,” they scolded.  “It’s almost as if you don’t care about your family at all.  After all, if you are useless, so are they.”  

They stopped their glide and reached through the bars of the cage, touching Danny’s shoulder where it joined to his neck.  Normally, with his hazmat suit, it wouldn’t even be exposed, but now Danny shivered as Nocturne pushed more energy into him.  He whimpered as his aura burned ever brighter in response.  His core hummed, high and strained, but his heart beat steadily, and his breathing stayed deep and slow.

“Guide me, little lantern, little light,” whispered Nocturne.  “I seek the Beast in the guise of Falsehood, where it lairs at the Gates of Horn and Ivory.  Show me the way.”

Danny had no idea how Nocturne thought he could navigate when he had never been here before and could barely see past his own aura.  No direction seemed better or more notable than any other direction.  

Finally, his eyes landed on a group of trees practically exploding with white and purple flowers.  He twitched his fingers in their general direction.  

Nocturne withdrew their hand and started moving in that direction at once.  Danny let out a sigh as his core gradually returned to a more relaxed state.  

They were looking for 'The Beast of Dreams in the guise of Falsehood.'  What did that even mean?  What did that look like?  Some kind of animal?  Like a fox?  A snake?

"The being we go to meet is the very essence of the deception of dreams.  It is that which makes you forget that you are dreaming, that which make you think the dead are living, and the living, dead, that which calls you late to events long past, that which casts you in a thousand roles whose lines you have never learned.  It is illusion and confabulation, a fabulist beyond all others.  He speaks truth only in service to greater lies."

Danny… understood some of those words.  Maybe if was more awake, he'd know more of them.  

“Even so, within the bounds of this, our trial, he will be forced to some measure of truth.  He must set a true price for his token, when asked three times, and when that price is paid, he must hand it over.  But even such a small honesty is one it despises, and it will seek to mislead us.”

“Mhm,” said Danny.  Beast guy would lie, and lie a lot.  Not much different than dealing with Nocturne themself.  Must be a dream thing.  

His eyes drifted to the trees and flowers outside the cage.  Periodically, glossy leaves reflected his aura back at him, making him blink and wince.  The trees here were really big, most of them towering even over Nocturne.  Which made sense, if Nocturne was from here, and they had those huge butterflies to contend with.  They’d fit their scale.  It still felt weird to Danny, and didn’t help with his deepening sense of unreality.

He blinked again, and his blink must have been longer than he'd thought, because when he opened his eyes, they were no longer walking, but standing under a massive apple tree.  Its branches spread wide and hung heavy with brilliantly red fruit.  No other trees grew under its shadow.  

To either side of the trunk, set into the hedge-like mass of greenery beyond the reach of the single great apple tree, were two tall gates made of pale materials.  Flowering vines grew around them, holding them shut as effectively as any chain. 

Speaking of chains… he shifted uneasily, and listened to the soft clanking of the blankets around him.  Yeah.  They were still messed up by… whatever was going on.  It wasn’t as if Nocturne had actually explained anything, and–

Something in the tree moved.  Danny startled as he realized that something was an immense snake.  Patterned in poisonous green and red, it blended in almost-perfectly with the surrounding leaves and apples.  

Normally, he wouldn’t blink twice at a giant ghost snake.  He’d fought more than his fair share of them.  Cobras, boas, vipers, rattlesnakes, you name it.  But this ghost radiated power far beyond that of a normal animal ghost, and he felt himself shrinking down among the pillows and blankets in an attempt to hide.  

He knew it wouldn’t work.  He was glowing too brightly.  

“Nocturne,” said the snake without moving his mouth.  His was deep and smooth, and reminded Danny of Vlad and, oddly, Clockwork.  “What an unexpected pleasure!”  It extended its head down, beyond the lower branches of the tree, as if in greeting.  “I see you have a new lantern with which to light your way.  I wish you good fortune on your journey, and hope you gain everything you seek.”

Danny winced at the use of the word ‘wish,’ but Desiree didn’t immediately jump out of the bushes, so he forced himself to refocus on the conversation in front of him.  

“Falsehood,” said Nocturne, “I come for your token.  What price have you set for it?”

“Is that any way to greet a friend?  It has been so long since your last visit, and you have not even thought to introduce your new friend.”  The snake lowered itself partially to the ground, the end of his tail still hidden in the trees, and began to circle Danny and Nocturne.  “He looks delectable.  I would love to just gobble him up.  That’s a joke, dear.”  It twisted to look more fully at Nocturne.  “I would never dispute your ownership of anything, after all.  Much less the light you steer by.”

“Enough,” said Nocturne.  “What price have you set for your token, that I might move forward?”

The snake shook his head.  "Moving forward, my dear?  Is that what you call this?  I must congratulate you indeed.  And in such a timely manner, too, for just the other night, another lantern-bearer came by, and took for herself the last of my to–"

"What must we pay to receive your token?"

"You won’t let me have even the smallest morsel of fun," complained the snake. "Your mother taught you no manners.  But very well.”  It turned away from both of them, somehow conveying the sentiment of sulking despite its body being a tube.  “In exchange for my token, I require either a thing that is both true and false at once, one lie that will become true, or one truth that will become a lie.”

"Any one?" asked Nocturne suspiciously. 

"The merchant cares not if you pay in gold or silver, only that he is paid."

"I want an answer, not a riddle."

"That is my sister's domain, not mine."

“Oh my gosh,” said Danny.  “Just do it.  If he doesn’t give you anything, then you know he lied.”

“Stupid child.  What do you think he means by ‘will become?’  So long as even a fraction of this place is held in reality, he has the power to make it so, and his games are far worse than those of the jinn you play with.”

“I know the rules as well as you, if not better,” protested the snake.  “I would not break them.”

“You would if you could.”

“I will not break them, then.  It is the same.  If you do not, perhaps I will assume you did come just to visit.  There are so many things you have missed when you were away, dearest.  It breaks my heart.”

“I doubt that.  This place is an abandoned ruin, the merest shadow of what it was.”

“And many places are, since the reign of the Pariah,” said the snake, mildly.  “Yet, even so, you have come here, dreamer in hand.  Do you imagine that everything is where you left it, even as you say that this place has fallen?  Perhaps.  Perhaps not.”

Nocturne shook their head.  “I will not listen to your lies.  You won’t trick me.  Not again.”  They hung Danny’s cage on one of the lower branches and started to pace, hands behind their back.  

The snake sighed, and, to Danny’s alarm, wound around the branch he was suspended from to peer into the cage.  His eyes weren’t like a normal snake’s.  Instead of pupils, they had several spirals in varying shades of red, green, and black, and rotated slowly, hypnotically.  Danny found himself unable to look away, his awareness of Nocturne and, indeed, the rest of the snake fading.  

Until, that is, the snake spoke again.  

“It is just as possible for a lie to be told for a greater truth, as it is for a truth to be told for a lie.  I do not care for you, but my games, as you call them, are for the greater good of all.”

Danny blinked his eyes, which had begun to water, hard.  Crap, that was scary.  Not quite to the level of Freakshow’s staff, but scary.  The only thing that kept him from trying to find a way out right now was that even if he escaped, his family couldn’t.  He needed to stay here, stay strong, for them.  He’d already tried everything he could do on his own.  

“You will accept a statement that is both true and not in exchange for your token?”

“Yes.  Or one truth that will become false, or one falsehood that will become true.  I’m not terribly picky.”

“And you only want to hear this thing, not wipe it from my mind?”

“I don’t even have the power to do that.”

“I know for a fact you do.  You only want to hear this statement, and you will accept that as payment?”

“Oh, are you asking me three times?  It is almost as if you don’t trust me.  That’s hurtful, after our long acquaintance.”

“Will you, or will you not, accept a statement both true and false as payment?”

“I will, I will!”  The snake sniffed loudly, a sound Danny didn’t even think snakes could make…  Then again, this snake was talking, a ghost, and maybe also a dream (Danny was unclear on that point), so, really, they were already far beyond that point.  “I know you don’t consider me worthy of respect, but shouldn’t you at least respect the rites and rules?  It will go much more smoothly.  Quickly, too, if that’s something you’re after.”

Nocturne smothered a growl.  They raised a knuckle to their lips, the starry blackness of the digit standing out starkly against their mask-like face.  “Then my payment is this: the path I seek is the one that leads to the Crown and Cup of Dreams.”

The snake laughed, an odd, barking noise.  “And you say I never taught you anything.”

Nocturne opened their mouth as if to argue, expression pinched and sour, but then closed it, thoughtfully.  “You are trying to distract me.  I have given you payment.  I expect your token in return.”

The snake sighed long and heavy.  It wound its way onto a nearby branch and pointed its nose at one of the apples.  “Any of these apples may serve as my token.”

Nocturne quickly picked the apple the snake had indicated.  Then, they flew to where Danny’s cage still hung.

In Nocturne’s hand, the apple was large.  Big enough that it wouldn’t look strange if they tried to take a bite out of it.  Big enough that if it was hollowed out, Danny could fit in it comfortably.  But that wasn’t what Nocturne did.  Instead, they brought the apple to the bars of the cage, and as it passed through them, it shrunk down until it could fit easily in Danny’s hands.  

The perspective made Danny’s head swim.  It didn’t work.  But it did, and it was, and Nocturne was pressing the apple against his lips.  

“Eat,” they said.  Despite their earlier anger, that smug, teasing smile was once again bending the corners of their lips upward.  “The purpose of these tokens is to ensure the lantern can light the way.”

Danny leaned away from the apple, squinting at it.  "No," he said.  

It wasn't as if Danny's parents had ever sent him to Sunday School (the Holy Spirit was bad enough.  The Holy Ghost?  You got the picture), but Sam had always been delighted to share the darker stories, and Tucker’s parents went to church on Sunday mornings, whether Danny was staying over or not.  Plus, he did try to pay attention to literary symbolism in English, even if Mr. Lancer didn't think so.  

A snake offering apples?  Bad news. 

Maybe if Nocturne was the one being told to eat it, or if Danny's friends and family weren't on the line, he wouldn't have said anything, because screw Nocturne.  But they weren't and they were.  

"This isn't your token.  You're lying."a

The snake chuckled.  "Clever child."

Nocturne snarled and darted forward, clawed hand closing around the serpent's neck.  The edges of their form were flared out, like feathers or fur.  The apple fell down and vanished among the pillows and blankets.  

"I have paid your price.  I fulfill every requirement to walk this path, and you have no right to keep it from me!"

The serpent evaporated and reformed deep among the branches of the apple tree.  “You call me a liar, when you tell such untruths yourself!  Every right is mine, and mine alone!  Nor was I paid.”

“I gave you my statement, both true and untrue.  You will not cheat me.  Not now.”

“Did you?” asked the snake, clearly delighted by this turn of events.  

“How dare you speak of rules and respect, when you desecrate this ancient rite?  How dare you stand in my way, when I–”

“Indeed!  Who else should stand in your way?  My sisters and brothers?  All those with a greater claim to this path?”

As it turned out, despite everything, Danny had been paying attention to the whole conversation, even if he hadn’t followed all of it.  Nocturne had been sure the snake couldn’t lie if he was asked the same thing three times… so maybe he didn’t.  

“If the token is for me,” he said, slowly, “is Nocturne the one who has to pay the price, or is it me?  When you said ‘you’ earlier, you were talking to me, weren’t you?  I’m the one who needs to say one of those three things?”

The snake approached again, and Danny hastily averted his eyes.  "I like this one, Nocturne.  He reminds me of you, when you were younger, and better behaved."  He paused, significantly.  "And smarter.  Yes, little light, you are the one who must answer me, if you desire my token.  Of course if you do not…"  

Danny understood what the snake was implying, but he did, in fact, need that token.  

He really hated hostage situations.

But if what Nocturne had implied about the snake’s powers was true, maybe he could use this.  After all, nothing said the lie had to be his.

"Nocturne said they'd bring my family and friends out of their comas if I help them.  Can I give you that as the lie?"

The snake started laughing.  Danny, meanwhile, felt like his brain had been peeled out of his body and he was floating over his skin.  The persistent misty softness had converged on him, and now he was floating.  

"I had doubted before, but now I understand how it is that you were the one to defeat Pariah Dark.  Nocturne, dear, he has to be able to take the token.  I doubt keeping him like that will prevent him from vexing you, anyway."

“I can make him take it.”

“As you would.  Now–”

“You have not been this cooperative before.”

“Perhaps I simply want you gone.  You are, as I have mentioned, incredibly rude.  And ugly.  And I find what you are doing to be repugnant, as you yourself would, had you given it thought beyond your base desires.  Not that you listen to me–”

“You’re going to try to pass off something random as your token again, aren’t you?  And then you’ll claim it is because you didn’t give it to him, you cheat.”

“Me?  A cheat?  Never.  Or only at card games.  It is very difficult to play a hand when you don’t have any.”

“You aren’t even a snake.  You only look that way because of how he’s dreaming you.  But what I don’t understand is why you seem to want him awake.  You’re never this transparent.”

“Are you sure I want him awake?  Perhaps that is only what I want you to think.  Ah, and now you’re tying yourself in circles.  A shame.  Once you were good at this.  Or at least passable.  And you wonder why you couldn’t even hold the dreams of a single human city, much less the power that passes through here.”

“I am the Master of Dreams, and–”

“Only because there was no one else qualified.”

There was a long silence, and Danny felt himself drifting back to the surface of awareness.  That had been… strange.  

“Give him,” said Nocturne, their voice gravely with suppressed rage, “your token.”

Danny noticed with some alarm that the snake was wound around the cage.  When did it get so close?  Why did it get so close?  His scales flashed at him.  

“Take two,” said the snake.  

“What?”

“Take two of my scales.  Together, they make my token.”

“And… am I supposed to eat them or something?”  That… was that the right thing to ask?  Everything was still a bit floaty.  “Don’t laugh,” he said, crossly as the snake started to snicker.  It did that a lot.  “I’m serious.  You wanted me to eat the other thing.  The, um, the apple.  Are you going to make me eat these, too?”

“Take them and find out.”

Danny glanced back at Nocturne, but they didn’t make any objection this time.  Carefully and slowly, he crawled over the blankets to the bars of the cage.  Because of the way the bottom of the cage was curved and how the pillows and blankets were ever so slightly higher near the outside edge, he had to hold onto one of the bars to stay in place.  

“Any two?” he asked.

“No, the two you get by adding one and one.”

Danny glared at the snake for a moment, but quickly returned to looking at the scales.  Each one was only a little smaller across than his palm.  They glittered, and Danny blinked sleepy tears out of his eyes.  He adjusted his grip on the bars and resisted the temptation to lie down.  

He really didn't want to do this.  

"It won't hurt you?" he asked. That wasn't his main concern, but… in the moment, it was a concern.

"No more than pulling free a hair."

Depending on the hair, that could hurt quite a bit.  He reached out and grabbed a scale at random.  It slid free with surprising ease.

Most of it was green, but the edge of it was vivid red, as if it had been rolled in blood.  He tucked it quickly into the pocket at his breast, and reached for the next scale.  This one was green all over, a smooth gradient from one side to the other.  

He let go of the bar and slid back into the cozy nest in the center of the cage as if guided by an outside force.  Even without Nocturne’s intervention, the blankets and pillows tucked themselves in around him.  If anything, he felt even more secure than before, only head and hands free.  

But he was sitting there, holding the scales, one in each hand.  

In dreams, occasionally a dreamer is seized by knowledge or need apropos of nothing.  They know that this is their grandmother's house, even though it's obviously the grocery store.  They know they must hold the cards with only their left hand, or otherwise they'll lose, never mind what game they're playing.  Sometimes, too, the dreamer simply acts.  The impetus for their actions obscure, not originating from their own thoughts.  Jumping from cars, yelling, fighting, eating, smoking, cheating on tests, being unable to stop.  

Danny, not thinking about anything in particular, raised the scales to his eyes.  They sunk into his skin without a trace.  

At first, he rubbed his skin and eyes furiously, hoping to find a way to peel them off, but then… 

He saw.  

He could see.  

Before, it had been difficult to keep his eyes open, impossible to see past his own aura, but now everything looked so clear, from the leaves, to the apples, to the grass, to the gates and the ruins beyond them.  

"You see, now," said the snake, kindly.  "The purpose of my token is to shield your eyes, so you can see.  And, I suppose, better guide the one that carries you.  Before, you burned too brightly for your own good, but now…"  

Danny nodded as the snake spoke.  Vaguely, he felt as if he shouldn't agree with him, but what he was saying made sense.  He did see better.  He saw more.  

Most things were still misty, out of the corners of his eyes, but directly in front of them, they were clear and crisp.  Sharp.  Well defined.  

He could even see the path on the forest floor, where it ran underneath them and to one of the pale gates - which didn't look nearly as overgrown as he had originally thought.  

(There was something very wrong with that thought, with all these thoughts.  But this thought, in turn, slipped away and disappeared.)

“Which way, child?” asked Nocturne.  “We have wasted enough time here.”

Danny’s tongue felt heavy in his mouth, so he pointed instead.  It was strange that Nocturne could not see the path.  Nocturne walked that way, lantern in hand.  And when had he picked the cage back up?  Danny was missing something.

“Nocturne,” called the snake.  “I meant what I said.”

“About what?”

“All of it.  Give my sister-self my regards.”

[jongbross]

A headcanon with Exo:

How would they express their feelings for the reader?

a/n: thank you for requesting <3 i did this thinking about love languages, i hope it's okay!

minseok:

acts of service.

minseok has a beautiful way with words, but most of the times he gets awkward to say them out loud, so he learned his love language is acts of service. whenever he sees you're feeling down, he'll do something nice for you, so more often than not you'll get home to him cleaning up the house, finishing that task you've been trying to do for weeks but work just wouldn't let you, or all dressed up waiting for you so he can take you out and treat you with a nice meal.

he always says "i love you" at the end of a phone call or before leaving, but more than that, he tends to show you he loves you through his acts.

junmyeon:

gifts.

i know we all (fans and members) joke about junmyeon being rich and spending all his money as he wants, but somehow he learned that giving gifts is also a love language.

don't get me wrong, he doesn't think he can win people over with that. but if you see and like a nice little pair of earrings, what's the matter with him buying it for you? if you complain to him that you're having a shitty day, is really that bad for him to buy you your favorite desert and get it delivered at your work? if you're the love of his life, the one he's sure he wants to spend the eternity with, can't he buy a new house for the two of you where you can start a family together?

think about it...

yixing:

physical touch.

zhang yixing is one of the softest boys out there. he has a busy schedule and he always puts work first, so sometimes he can't be around you as much as he'd want. so whenever he has some time to spend with you, believe me - he'll be all over you. he will kiss you every chance he have, hug you even if all you're doing is brushing your teeth, lean on your shoulder while you're watching your favorite show.

yixing always makes you feel loved, wanted. he's forever grateful for all the support you give him, for all the times you let him go with a smile on your face because he needed to persue his dreams. he may write a few songs about the way he feels about you, but he rather show you through his touch.

baekhyun:

quality time.

baekhyun knows exactly what he wants and how he wants, so he has confessed to you before. but the funny thing you've realized is, baekhyun is so full of love but has been hurt so many times, that he tries not to talk about his feelings a lot - he's lowkey scared it will all happen again if he wear them on his sleeve.

so, to always remind you how much he loves you and how he cares about you, he learned to just spend some time with you. and it's so natural to him, to turn off the world and just focus on you, give you his full attention; watching your every move, listening to your every word, doing whatever makes you happy - always with a smile on his lips and eyes overflowing with tenderness.

jongdae:

words of affirmation.

have you seen jongdae? he's the walking form of words of affirmation. he is always reminding you how amazing you are, how he's grateful for all the things you do for him, how he knows you're capable of anything you want.

he might not be the one to give you the best birthday gift ever, for an example, but he will always be the one to make you cry at his beautiful words. he might not always be around when you need a hug, but he's always just a call away whenever you're facing some trouble and needs someone to tell you "i love you" and "i believe in you" - and jongdae does, from the bottom of his heart.

chanyeol:

acts of service & physical thouch.

chanyeol is a mix of both, i think. he's the human definition of a golden retriever, i swear! whenever you're sad or need some reassurance, chanyeol hugs you and pulls you closer to his chest because he solemly believe - but won't ever admit it - that how much he loves you emanates from his body and it can heal you.

apart from that, he also likes to shows you that he loves you through his actions rather than words, so don't be surprised if you ever come home and oh, that photo you two took together last month on a trip is now hanging on your wall. (:

kyungsoo:

acts of service.

if you think kyungsoo isn't good with his words, you're right. he has some trouble talking about his feelings, so very early on his life he learned that he can show gratitude and love through his actions. he tends to care for those around him, especially the ones who has done a lot for him too, so of course it wouldn't be different with you.

you also realized this as soon as you two got together. it isn't unusual for kyungsoo to only smile and nod when you tell him you love him, followed by either him bringing you food because you're so busy with work or letting you sleep till noon even though it's his day off and you were supposed to be together - you deserve that rest and he worries about your health because he loves you, so it's okay.

jongin:

physical touch.

there's a very specific moment in one of superm's lives that jongin holds baekhyun's fingers and keeps playing with them for such a long time... that's how he acts with you too.

jongin does say he loves you, very often actually, but you feel that everytime he touches you - which he also does a lot. he's always touching you somehow, from pulling you close everytime he laughs to just touching shoulders while watching something on the couch. he needs that warmth, he craves that from his lover, and he can only hope that it's enough to show you that hey, he's so in love with you (spoiler alert: it is more than enough).

sehun:

gifts.

poor baby doesn't know how to show love. perhaps, since he's not only exo's maknae but also the youngest from his family, he has always been spoiled and showered with love in so many ways that he doesn't know how to pay back. the only way he gets to do it, and that's also a little bit of junmyeon's fault, is through gift giving.

sehun showers you with gifts every chance he gets. anything you want, name it and it's yours - or don't name it, because sehun learned how to read you so everytime you see something, check the price and be like "hm, that's too expansive" DO NOT be fooled, give sehun barely two weeks and the thing you wanted it's on your hands. he'll spoil you rotten if you let him, but don't blame him, it's his way to say "i love you so much, thank you for taking care of me".

[thezombieprostitute]

I fully believe Jake and God would be a good team...

Any thoughts?

First thought: golden-retriever-boy meets cat-in-human-form!

Second thought:

Jake handles the online tracking, narrowing in on their target. God goes in for the physical stalking. Jake's pretty strong himself so God likes to have him in case any heavy lifting is required.

For the most part, though, God mainly works with Jake because he makes such cool things. Who do you think supplied God with the electric shock ring? Jake isn't just a hacker, he's a tinkerer.

God will swear up and down that they're just work acquaintances but if anyone messes with Jake, makes the puppy sad, God is immediately stepping in.

So when you break Jake's heart, saying you just want to be friends, God goes out of his way to bring you to Jake as a gift. Complete with a bow on the rope binding you. As you...learn to accept Jake's love, God finds himself wanting some of that for himself. Of course Jake is willing to share you. You're so loving, you must have love enough for both of them. Well, you will one way or another.

[affectionate-team]

Picture-perfect fairytale romance 2/3

Synopsis: Fairytales help tell children of all sides of human life without exposing them to real dangers. But what will happen if a child keeps their favorite story far too close to heart, projecting fantasies onto reality?

Part two, finally! I've been struggling with deciding how to approach the whole thing, but, thanks to how much time autumn holidays are giving me, I managed to finish this! Now, only one part left... I wonder if what I'm planning for it will be predictable, or maybe the hints weren't obvious enough to pick up on? (ﾉ*･ω･)ﾉ

TW for delusional Neige, some mild swearing, a little ooc. MC is gn.

He always thought the circumstances would be slightly... different.

As he watched them disappear in the woods, Neige unconsciously reached out a hand towards his beret. Words written in golden embroidery burned against skin: "Someday my princess will come".

But they are nothing like the fairytale princesses. Helplessness and dependence are not words suit for them. It may be far too soon to make assumptions, but the way that person held themselves, the light their whole body radiated should be a sure sign... "No, I'm thinking about this too much - too soon. That's what I'm always being told... I swear, I'm not desperate, just- how am I supposed to know when I'll meet my destined person? If I act nonchalant all the time, I might accidently drive them away and never even know of that." These thoughts brought a childish pout to his face, creases forming between perfectly sculptured brows - an unusual expression for the normally cheerful boy.

Still, some things don't add up to his expectations.

"Ah, but how could your heart have any place for doubt? Were it myself, I would never let my dear beloved go."

You don't even remember how much time passed after the strange encounter in the woods. Days trickled by leisurely, with no crazy adventures and, thankfully, no overblots. The only inconvenience so far was Ace getting into another quarrel with his housewarden and being collared for a week. You found out about it when the boy in question turned up on the doorstep of Ramshackle late in the evening - right when you and Grim were about to head to bed. Clad in old pajamas (found in one of the old wardrobes during sunday cleaning and thoroughly washed), you opened the door, interrupting Ace's violent knocking. Behind his back stood Deuce - nothing surprising; the two had been inseparable since the chandelier incident, it would've been weirder to see them apart - who made a show of scolding his companion for showing up there at an ungodly hour and dragging him along, but was just as excited about possibly staying over. You didn't even hear out the story behind their appearance, as the bright-red collar on Trappola's neck told enough, leaving the door open for them and walking up the stairs to retrieve three sets of blankets and pillows. Grim, having taken the hint, was already sprinting to the pantry to pick out his favorite snacks (and bring some for you, too). Ace and Deuce had made such sleepovers a habit for your group, so, without any further questions, they headed to Guest Room to move the furniture and make space.

"Can't believe you have the audacity to bother prefect every time you get in trouble..."

If the jab bothered Ace, he didn't let it show, "Shut up, Deucey. You pretend to be all righteous, but when they offer us to stay over, I never see you turning them down."

"That-! That's because I was taught it's rude to not accept invitations, especially from friends! And there should be at least someone watching over you to make sure you don't get into more trouble."

Coming from the kitchen with three empty glasses (and a small cup) in hands, you take the opportunity to interject, "You're just as bad, to be honest. If anyone's being responsible among us, that's got to be me."

The redhead scoffs with crossed arms, "Uh-huh, responsible my ass... You're only right about one thing - Deucey being a walking hazard."

You exchange more sarcastic remarks, with sleepy Grim lying stretched out across your lap, until the topic eventually switches to more menial things: clubs, teachers, fresh gossip. One particular talk makes you recall the encounter you had a few days earlier.

"And then Vil started raging when a commercial came up on some guy's phone. It was that new music video with his kidfaced arch-nemesis; He was trying to keep it cool, but I swear he almost chucked a water bottle at Rook when that creep approached him."

"Really? I did see him annoyed a few times, but for Vil, of all people, to attempt a murder in broad daylight. Who could've bothered him that much?"

"Eh, it's Neige for you, nothing new. These two have had a rivalry going on for a long time. Did you not know? Their fans have the wildest and most ridiculous discourses ever, it's kinda fun to watch."

You tear your eyes away from the ongoing game of cards, looking up at Ace with furrowed brows.

"Neige, you say...? Can you show me a photo?"

His face noticeably scrunched up, "Ew, why would you even want to look at him? He's just another one of those pretentious freaks from RoYaL SwOrDs", clear disdain and disgust in his voice switched to smugness as he leaned closer to you, almost draping himself over your shoulder, "Aren't I more handsome, hm? And, unlike that stuck-up princey, I can give you all~ the attention in the world, without any fans hogging it."

Deuce, annoyed with his friend's touchiness, grabs Ace by the collars and nearly throws him off of you, "I wonder why you don't have any fans, then. Even prefect is more popular than you are, dumbass!"

Upon noticing your unamused (and somewhat pissed off) frown, he hurries to retaliate, "That's not what I meant! You're really cool, so it's obvious you'd have some fans, but you're also new here, and you spend more time with us and not others, and I didn't-"

"I get it, you can calm down..."

"...sorry again."

A bunch of idiots, that's what they are. Still, it's hard to be mad with them, your two first and best friends here, for long. Someone shoves a phone right into your face (thankfully, without breaking your nose) just as you start going deeper into your thoughts.

It's Ace phone with Magicam open on it. Before you is a profile of a model and actor, as seen from the description. You scroll a little and open the last posted picture. True to your suspicions, it turns out to be exactly the Neige that you met after classes some time ago. Eyes lighting up in recognition, you murmur a quiet "Huh, I know him". That brings out a reaction from the other two.

They kept on pestering you, until you gave in and told them the whole story. Neither one seemed convinced. And you didn't need them to be, as long as they'd stop pestering you, they were free to believe whatever their sturdy selfish hearts desired.

"Thank you for accompanying me, prefect. I hope our joined efforts will be fruitful."

Jade smiles in his usual polite manner, fixing straps on his backpack. He leads you along the forest trail, keeping his eyes on the ground on the lookout for mushrooms, hidden by wide leaves and long blades of grass. As the only member of Mountains lovers club, Jade was eager to have somebody - especially the infamous magicless prefect of Ramshackle - come along, even if he knew you only agreed because of some favor you needed from him. Both equipped with light camping gear, you venture up a hill in search of mushrooms. On the way to the top Jade tells you why he took you there in the first place: apparently, on one of the Botanical lessons he learned of a rare species of mushrooms, last seen around that hill; to his delight, the said species weren't hard to care for - a perfect addition to Jade's terrarium - and the way from NRC wasn't long or tiresome, which allowed him to bring you along without worrying about you collapsing halfway from exhausting, not quite used to walking big distances.

Whatever fears you might've had for the trip instantly evaporate when you notice how passionate your senior is about his hobby. It's not the fear-inducing hitman everybody sees and describes him as, but only an ordinary highschooler ranting about his interests to the first willing listener. What a heartfelt scene.

"...and it's told to possess strong poison, able to paralyze a mammal as big as an elephant from just a bite. Why, isn't that curious? I'd love to have one of them in my disposition."

...up until the moment his (seemingly inherited) thirst for murder lets itself be known.

The higher the trail goes, the more changes add to scenery. Colorful wild plants and berries, butterflies and beetles of various kinds. And most importantly - air, fresh and free, a fine change compared to stuffed school air you've grown used to.

"According to the data I collected, it should be growing around this area. I propose splitting up for more efficiency. Can I trust you not to get lost, mauled by beasts or poisoned?", looking you over, he thinks for a second, soon reconsidering, "No, it would be best for you to just stay put and wait for me there. Do try not to wander off too far, and call for me if needed - after all, for this short while your safety is my responsibility."

"Then why did you even drag me along?"

"For company. Hiking is most enjoyable with a companion. Take this as a chance to catch a break from all the bustle your poor body has had to endure. Do not worry, I won't be away for more than five minutes."

He frames his words (so unlike the thinly veiled threats and mocking remarks he'd usually make in school) with a nod, leisurely going his own way, often bending down to check under trees and most suspicious patches of grass for mushrooms, before he disappears from sight.

You decide to take a seat on a dry stump, surrounded by vibrant-green moss. Birds' trill fills in the growing silence. Leaves rustle somewhere over your head - something you would've hardly heard a minute or two ago. As if trying to accommodate a picky guest, the nature around you beams in full flourish, bringing a sure sense of comfort. Despite having intruded its domain, you don't feel alien - with no visible threats nearby, you follow Jade's advice and give yourself permission to relax... only to be disturbed by someone's voice reaching from down the hill.

"Hey! Anybody here? Please, help me!"

...No need to think twice to recognize the voice. What a coincidence. There's no way he just appeared there, far away from both his and your schools, all by himself, and didn't even you and Jade's path.

"By the way, five minutes should've already passed by now. Where the hell is he?"

This whole situation is starting to look like one big ridiculous play. It wouldn't be so surprising if Vil suddenly popped out from under a rock, shouting 'Cut!' and reprimanding you for lacking proper emotions. You drag a hand across your face, constructing a simple plan in head: rescue Neige, tell him off, find Jade and pass out on the couch in Ramshackle. With a set of tasks in mind you venture down the trail - good thing it was obvious enough not to get lost among the greenery - and follow the boy's calls, not without tripping a couple of times on the way.

"Heey- ah, hello! Thank the Sevens you were near!", here he is, hanging upside down from a tree branch, legs tangled up in a... hunting net? "For a moment I was afraid I'll have to hang there all day and night. Could you please get me down?"

"What were you doing there in the first place?", moreover in such a casual attire, as if he just walked out of his room...

"Ah, that... is a long story. May I tell you after my feet get to touch ground?", he answered with a sheepish smile.

You sigh, but relent, reaching into one of your pockets for a switchblade, then grasp the rope (it wasn't hanging too high) and cut it. "Should've told him to brace for the fall", you thought, watching him land face-first into dirt. While Neige was preoccupied with brushing off his cardigan, you pocket your knife, preparing to go search for your mushroom-obsessed companion (how ironic for the one who was worried about you getting lost to disappear himself), but not without the black-haired boy scrambling after you.

"Thank you! Once again, I don't know what I would do if it weren't for you." "Mhm." "I'm not sure how, but I suddenly found myself here after following a butterfly, and-" "Yeah, great. You can go back home now." "But how can I leave and not even offer a token of my appreciation for your help? How about-"

Jade better come back as soon as humanly possible, because, Seven be witness, you might just tie this boy to the biggest tree in the forest and leave him to be eaten by wolves. At least Schoenheit will have a reason for a genuine smile this one time.

[catboytenya]

previous anon here, I think that's really interesting! Who are all of your headmates/fictives?

SORRY FOR BEING 3 HOURS LATE I'VE BEEN PLAYING BUGSNAX- putting it under the cut again because there's *looks at pluralkit* a lot. They're in alphabetical order! (You might notice a theme where a lot of us are more animal than human even human fictives) I bolded their names in case you only want the names and aren't interested in the info i added

Agoketsu - He's a bnha oc that moved in because lee thought about him too hard (not sure what he's here to do in the system yet, relatively new)

Akemi - Also a bnha oc that moved in because lee thought about him too hard (also pretty new)

Anan - This is a bnha fictive, it's thirteen! You know and love her <3 she's decently close to her source appearance wise but personality wise she takes on a more motherly role and her personality doesn't line up with her source at all, i think she's mostly here to "reign in" the littles

Angel - not a fictive! they're my weird fucked up angelic feral wolf who's golden retriever kin, by far the funniest person in my system if you think about her too hard, also he uses any pronoun, doesn't front too often, but it's just objectively funny to have this cool angelic wolf in your brain and they wish they were a normal ass dog

Applejack - mlp:fim fictive HONESTLY. forgot she was in here. i don't know if she's still around at all tho headmates can come and go and she hasn't fronted in a long while, wonder if she's still around? she was basically identical to her source tho which! is actually very rare for me

Bendy - Ink demon fictive go BRRR! in all seriousness Bendy's a very valued member of my system, he's very good at masking when we need it and he keeps a close eye on things, i appreciate him a lot, even if he stands there. menacingly. he's pretty similar to his source appearance wise but he's got a demon tail. probably because i've always been a bit bitter bendy didn't get a tail (as a note i'm not involved in the bendy fandom AT ALL like i know nothing about the fandom space)

Bethy - not a fictive! she's a weird feral white lion with neon pink and green stripes. she's the newest member i'm pretty sure? she's good company

Davesprite - yeag. he's my oldest headmate, i'm pretty sure! basically the same as canon but more bird so talons instead of hands, the usual, formed for company really early on i think?

Dominick - weird seraphim leather daddy that lives in my brain :) he's funky i like the him :)

Eclipse - DCA fictive, he's like a mini system in my system!

Eijiro - bnha fictive <3 personality wise he's pretty close to his source, appearance wise he's partially shark

Eri - bnha fictive + little <3 she's actually basically my daughter in the system which i can elaborate on later if you'd like, she's got these pretty little white and gold dragon features, cute as a button, love her to death, out littles don't front much because it's just inconvenient if they do, but it's nice to have them co-front now and then

Green/Blue - pokemon fictive who can't ever pick which fucking name he likes i swear i'm gonna beat his ass metaphorically because he keeps changing. his proxy with pluralkit. and then FORGETTING HE CHANGED IT. he's part eevee but part of me feels like he just. wanted to feel included because almost everyone else is part animal. (i don't think that's really how it works but it's funnier that way)

Hanta - bnha fictive, he's new-ish don't know a lot about him tbh, he showed up because lee kept listening to scotch tape and cellophane, he's fronted like 3 times so far i think? idk much about him you might have better luck asking lee about him they've co-fronted together before

Himiko - bnha fictive, she helps with blood phobia stuff, she not super similar to her source but she's close-ish? friendly as hell, the type of person to send asks off anon like a madwoman. to get a feel for her vibe look up honduran white bats

Inasa - bnha fictive, i'm gonna be honest??? don't know a thing about this guy. idk if he's still here or not he's been dead quiet. he showed up in the system the same day as eri so maybe he's just afraid of being outshined <3 (JOKING i'm sure he's just not active, it's actually common for someone to be silent for months even years without fronting because their services just aren't needed at the moment)

Izuku - bnha fictive, weird scorpion rabbit who takes control of the body for three weeks straight and drops like 20 chapters on ao3 and then dips (basically when we need to focus on something and just Can't he'll show up to do the work for us)

Jin - bnha fictive, twice my beloved ect ect, basically there to help us cope with new situations/new people we have to interact with, not very similar to his source appearance wise, he's a whole ass anthro husky, we love him tho he's pretty helpful, likes to push himself into front to steal conversations though it's kinda annoying

Katsuki (bear with me there are two of us) - bnha fictive, this one's me, for a while i was acting host because lee went poof for a while (he's back to being host i'm just fronting today because i had stuff to do) i've got red and black dragon features and probably the one with the most art because my partner(s) loves to draw us together (my partner's also a system for some context something something if i had a dime for every time i helped someone realize they were a system i'd have a concerning amount of dimes) basically. i take care of the body when lee can't, so cooking, brushing teeth, things like that, i'm also under the protector category and i don't hesitate to get into arguments/screaming matches (and i always regret them later since it is. usually with my family 😭 sorry mom ily)

Katsuki (TWO) - bnha fictive also, so, headmates can split or fuse, right? i think this was a result of a split? we're similar but pretty different at the same time, he's a wolf hybrid, like, think satyr kinda body type hybrid, something got fucked along the way though so he's got seraphim wings?? awful and annoying and terrible during phantom limb moments. you don't know hell until you feel like you've got three sets of wings ON TOP OF your own set of wings. hell on earth, truly. i hate phantom wings i hate them so bad. anyway i'm rambling- he's also a kinda take care of the body when lee can't but when it comes to proper rest/relaxation, basically an emergency break self care day we are eating cake and watching a favorite show today fuck your work

Keigo - bnha fictive, he's very different from his source and he actually tends to avoid people who like his source character unless he trusts them it's a long story ANYWAY he's more birdlike, his feathers are red and black instead of just red, things like that, his entire job is basically Act As An Emergency Companion, but also if the body/system is stressed out and feeling unsafe, he'll usually switch to front to keep things calm

Lee - oh hey it's the host/original! you guys know this dude by now you don't need an introduction with him

Lucus - Also a bnha oc same as the other two so far don't know much about his job in the system

Mangle - fnaf fictive, WEIRD DOG?? i think she's a weird pet regression headmate. brain gets all fuzzy when she fronts kinda deal? nothing more to really say here

Mina - bnha fictive, WE LOVE A QUEEN WHO FORCES US TO NOT BE DEPRESSED. she's got pink jaguar features and she does so much for making sure we do not fall into Depression Rotting Times, if we start to rot she'll hop into front and go make us do something really fun, basically, i love her to death. fun fact though! while my ex was visiting, when he knew she was in front, he spent the entire time misgendering her and i really think that was the one time she really just gave up and was genuinely upset

Mirio - bnha fictive, he's a griffin anthro so completely different to his source character in appearance, but pretty similar in personality, has a similar purpose to mina in that he's an emergency "STOP BEING DEPRESSED" but instead of redirecting us to a fun activity he directs us to talking to people we love and care about

Mystery - Weird little galaxy dragon thing?? he's been here for a while and i still don't know why they're here. girl what do you even do. do you even pay rent.

N - pokemon fictive, i think he's also a really old one? no clue why he is here he could've just been for company like davesprite was?

Oboro - bnha fictive, he's part drake, he doesn't front much anymore (shitty ex friend who he was really close to made him not like fronting anymore, but he's warming up to fronting again i think), but he actually used to be the person who fronted the most outside of lee, it's why the system is named the Cloudy Creatures system, he did a lot of heavy lifting early on when we finally realized we were plural (we had been plural for a long, long time before we realized, we. did not know we were. we have a history of hallucinations and delusions so we just. assumed. we were in active delusion when we were like "i think i am oboro shirakumo??" so. yea turns out! plural!) he gets us outta the house and makes us friends

Ochaco - bnha fictive, he's part bat i think? he's basically an emergency break rest time person too, but in a "let's go treat ourselves we deserve it" kinda way

Pinkie - mlp:fim fictive, she's basically mina 2 if i'm being honest, job wise, no shade to her though pinkie's got her own personality and shit they're not 1:1 or anything

Raggedy - weird purple and blue reptilian dude who lurks around. he's been around for years. no clue who he is, what he does, or anything like that. but considering he's been around for so long he kinda just feels load bearing?

Rainbow - yea. another mlp:fim fictive. i do NOT have the entire mane six i promise. this is just what happens when you binge watch a show for 5 days straight without really stopping. idk what she does though

Rarity - I SWEAR. I DON'T HAVE THE ENTIRE MANE SIX. idk what she does either also btw. (i don't really interact or co-front with any of the ponies sorry 😭)

Red - pokemon fictive, part pikachu, you know the drill, idk why he's here i think lee just got obsessed with him for five days straight or something? but he's here

Ripcord - giant feathered frost dragon, i feel like his full fucking time job is just Yearning.

Rusty - little tiny fluffy red wyvern, goes to events nobody else wants to go to, things like that, he's about the size of a ferret give or take

Shadow - sonic fictive, he's a little, sticks around anan most of the time if she's fronting he's probably co-fronting, i think he was our first little? does basically everything other littles do, heals the inner child, perpetually is mad we don't set up the gamecube for him to play dora the explorer and the purple planet (NOT A FUCKING JOKE!! BTW!!)

Shota - bnha fictive, this is the consequences of lee's actions (obsessed with aizawa) in all seriousness it's nice to have another person to step in to take care of the body in the same way i do, since i do get tired if i front for too long without breaks

Shouto - bnha fictive, cat hybrid (similar to the other katsuki's wolf), you see him mostly around fall, he basically every year takes halloween, loves fall weather, loves painting the body's nails, just genuinely here for a good time, for some reason though most of the time when he fronts nobody remembers what he was up to except people who co-front with him and him, most of us we can get fuzzy memories but when he's fronting? nah. shit's gone. real interesting though, right?

Techno - another bnha oc but this time it's one lee is just genuinely obsessed with. it was only a matter of time before this fucker (affectionate) moved in. no clue what he does tho! here for a good time AND a long time tho

Tenko - bnha fictive, another little, he's basically oboro's son like how i've got eri, does things littles do, y'know how it is

Tenya - bnha fictive, this man single handedly cleans our room when it gets too bad, fox hybrid, he's just genuinely pretty good at taking care of the area around us rather than the body

Thistle - NOT A FUCKING CLUE WHAT THIS DUDE IS. i think he's a changeling from mlp:fim?? idk but i think he's a protector too, he's good at shoving into front to just fucking block people. things like that.

Trench - fuckass giantass sea serpent motherfucker, you'll probably never interact with him ever unless you become VERY VERY VERY close with the system, genuinely hates most people, from what i've learned is that sometimes, a headmate's entire job? is just. holding trauma for the host. so. he does his best, and we appreciate him even if he's a dick sometimes and hates humans

Yoichi - bnha fictive, drake anthro, amazing at diffusing situations, will step in if we're having an argument and we're the ones in the wrong to apologize, things like that, i think that puts him in the protector category too? he's good people

Yuga - bnha fictive, yayyy sparkle butt yayyy, he's a poodle peacock human thing, not a damn clue what he does, but he looks good while doing it?

OKAY that's the entire list i don't think i forgot anyone! if you have any questions about anyone let me know or2 sorry for the essay and a half lol

[jakelikestacosalot]

Does anybody have those teachers who are absolutely amazing outside of class but in class they're a nightmare??

Like, my English teacher is the sweetest person alive when you meet her in the hallway. She’ll smile, ask how your day is, and even hand you cookies she baked over the weekend. But the second you walk into her classroom? Boom. New seating chart, essay due tomorrow, and If you breathe too loudly during silent reading, that’s five points off your grade.

And don’t get me started on my gym teacher. At school events, he’s out there hyping everyone up, cracking jokes, and dancing like he’s the life of the party. But in class? He’s all, Oh, you forgot your shoes today? Guess who’s running an extra mile Like, bro, how are you the same person who gave me a high five at the assembly two hours ago?

Then there’s my history teacher. This guy runs trivia nights at the local café and always remembers everyone’s drink orders. I swear, outside of class, he’s basically a golden retriever in human form. But once the lesson starts, it’s like "Surprise! Pop quiz because y’all didn’t seem engaged enough yesterday."

I’m convinced these teachers clock into class with the specific goal of ruining our day. Like, why are they like this? Outside of school, they act like saints, but in class? They make you feel like you just enrolled in boot camp.

[jeanieprabhakar]

Laughing at the look on his face, she reached up and shoved at him in protest. Trust him to jump to that conclusion. "Dude that's not what I meant, oh my god." Then, after giving it a moment of thought, she reconsidered. "I bet you the Grinch fucks like crazy though. He's got big dick energy." Besides, Martha May Whovier had wanted to fuck him and anyone who could pull even a fictional Christine Baranski had to have something going on. As far as Jeanie was concerned that was scientific fact and she said as much to CJ.

Struggling into a sitting position, she let out a sound that crossed somewhere between a sigh of relief and a groan of protest to accompany the sound of all of her joints cracking. God, she really needed to work out more often. Eventually she'd muster up the energy to go rummaging through his bag, but for the moment she just needed to sit (preferably without trying to fold herself into some impossible position). "I swear I'll try to be less of a ghost." There was sincerity behind the promise. It wasn't that she'd been avoiding them or anything, life had just gotten busy and the time had sort of just... slipped away with it. She had plans to fix it though. Her eyes widened as he leapt at her. Sometimes it was easy to forget that CJ was basically a golden retriever disguised in the form of a human guy. "CJ- jeez, chill," she said, laughing again, trying to steady them both. "Uhh... I don't know if 'nice' is the word I'd use, but they're pretty cool." How did one even go about explaining the phenomenon that was Ty? "As for the other stuff... yes, yes, and yes."

@cjwelford

Yoga had come easy to CJ. He started in high school, because there was a dude on the swim team who was hot and did it. Then everyone in California was like, super into it, and then he never stopped. But, as it was CJ, he just assumed everyone else was good at it too. So he glanced over at Jeanie’s strained voice with both confusion and concern, but remembered something that it was considered embarrassing if you asked people if they were okay when exercising or something, so let it go. “Down to — Jeanie, do you want to fuck The Grinch? Or The Easter Bunny?” He didn’t judge what got people going, but even that seemed like a step too far, and CJ had a crush on both Lightning McQueen and Sally. “I have some Advil in my gym bag. I think there may be a joint in there, hmm, it could be one of Seb’s so if you take it, be warned.” He advised with a wink.

He didn’t want to be lame and state how much he missed his Jean Shorts, but his smile, whilst happy because he was always happy when with his friends, faded slightly as he nodded. “I mean, it has, but like, Iunno even out of café hours it’s like you’re a ghost. And not one of those fun kinds like in Caspar. Like a sad one. A metaverse one.” He had forgotten the word ‘metaphorical’ but considered that one close enough. When she announced she had been seeing someone, CJ’s eyebrows raised comically high, jumping over onto her mat and shaking her shoulders. “You’re seeing someone?! That’s fucking awesome, dude! Are they nice? Are they good in bed? Do they like pancakes?” Only psychopaths hated pancakes. “Are you happy with them?” Now that, even CJ knew, was the most important question.

@jeanieprabhakar

[minisugakoobies]

Fledgling | KNJ

Pairing: Namjoon x Vampire!Reader

Genre: supernatural, slight fluff, slight smut, strangers to lovers, Vamp!AU

Rating: M (18+)

Warnings: swearing, feeding, turning, mentions of blood, allusions to slaughter, implied sexual activity, references to broken beds, mentions of chains and being restrained, Namjoon is essentially a golden retriever in vamp form

Word Count: 1.2K

Disclaimers: NSFW, obviously I don’t own BTS - they just inspire me

Summary: Your beloved is full of surprises.

A/N: Vamp!Reader and her lovely little human Namjoon are back! Couldn't stop thinking about them, decided to write a little more. This is dedicated to @herecomesjoon - Satvrn, I wanted to have this ready for your birthday, I'm sorry it's late! I hope you enjoy a little bit more of our favorite vamp boy toy. 💜

Unbeta'd as usual.

Previous - Hungry (For Your Love)

The one undeniable fact about Kim Namjoon, your beloved - he is full of surprises. 

Like the day he informs you that he knows you’re a vampire. It comes much faster than it ever did in any of your previous relationships, only a few weeks in. He’s not scared or angry when you confirm the truth. No, he’s curious, and spends the next few days following you around, eagerly asking you question after question, until you finally promise to tell him all about your ancient life, but slowly and over the course of your time together, not all at once. 

Then there is the day he asks you to turn him. You had assumed he would want to remain a human - that he understood how precious his mortal life was and would want to protect it. But as he explained it to you again and again, every time you asked him if he was certain, “Baby, there are three things I know for sure. I want to explore the world. I want to be with you. And I want to do both of those things forever.” 

You still make him wait. An entire year comes and goes, and his answer never changes. Then a second passes. After the third, when it seems his aspiration remains unwavering, you oblige him. Take him to bed, drink of his blood, then make him drink of your own. Drunk on your venom, he tells you that your blood tastes like honey. Calls you his little bumblebee, says your sting felt better than he’d ever imagined. You laugh at your silly human, knowing that the morning will bring so much change with it. 

Given how much he’s always surprising you, perhaps you should’ve expected that his turning would be different from others. You’d prepared for a rapacious fledgling, having learned your lesson after London, when your lover had succumbed to her feral bloodlust and gone on a tear across the city, leading you on a chase that lasted for days - that was a messy experience you wish to never repeat. When the morning comes, Namjoon willingly slips into the chains that keep him bound to the bed, also wanting to avoid a bloody scene.

The thirst comes upon him almost immediately, eyes opening with an unearthly glow. He begs and cries for blood, but he never tears at his restraints, never tries to free himself and disappear into the night like the dreadful creature he’s become. 

No, he isn’t overwhelmed by his new thirst, thankfully. Although, his newfound nature seems to… amplify… his human hunger. For you. If you thought he had a voracious appetite before, it’s completely insatiable now.

Being chained doesn’t stop him from breaking the bed that night. It’s just the first of many to end up as splintered ruins. 

Tonight, though, he’s excited for a different reason, because you’ve decided it’s safe for him to finally go outside. Even though you’re sure he’s not going to go on a killing spree, you’re still on high alert, remembering vividly that the first time a fledgling ventures into the world with their heightened senses can be… intense.

It’s about midnight when the two of you leave Namjoon’s house. You lead him towards the woods, away from town and the overpowering scent of humanity that hangs there like a tempting cloud. As soon as you reach the park at the edge of the tiny forest, Namjoon takes off, exploring his new vamp speed by zipping around. He’s a blur even in your unnaturally sharp vision. 

“This is amazing!” he shouts as he whooshes past you to the tree line. 

With his enhanced hearing, your giggles remind him of the bright tinkling of bells. “Look at you, bouncing around the woods like a little bat. My little bagjwi.” 

Namjoon comes to a dead stop, eyes widening. “Wait, shit, can I turn into a bat now? I never thought to ask!” He takes off again, and with a running leap he jumps up several meters into the air, landing in the bough of a towering pine. “Whoa, did I just fly??”

“No, darling, I’m afraid that one is a myth. You can run and jump better than any animal, but we do not possess the gift of flight.”

He pouts, but only for a second before he drops from the tree, gracefully landing on his feet. And then he’s off again, whirling around you as he tests his limits. 

“How fast can I go?” He pauses at your side for a moment. “What’s the fastest a vampire’s ever gone? Do I go faster if I’ve fed than if I’m hungry?”

“So many questions,” you laugh, cupping his cheek. “I truly hope you never lose your sense of wonder, my love.” 

He leads you further into the woods, where the moonlight shining from the clear sky above lights a shadowy path under the canopy of the tall trees. Namjoon marvels at how well he can see now. “I don’t need my glasses anymore, do I?” 

You shake your head, smiling as he runs off again, darting between the closely-grown trees with incredible ease. He won’t need corrective lenses ever again. Or hearing aids, or any of the other devices humans have invented to help themselves as they age. He doesn’t even need a coat tonight, running around in a t-shirt even though it’s late autumn. As long as he continues to nourish himself with human blood, his body maintains the perfect temperature. Everything about him is perfect, now. Or more perfect, really, considering what he was like to begin with.

The two of you reach a small clearing in the forest where several trees have been cut down. Long limbs and round stumps litter the area. Namjoon pauses near a pile of wood.

“Wait a minute - I want to try something.” He grabs one of the thicker stumps lying on the ground. “I saw this in a movie once.” With a cheeky grin, he proceeds to rip the stump in half with his bare hands, dimples flashing as he laughs. “Holy shit, it worked!” 

Well. It’s an odd trick, for sure, but you don’t care, lost in admiring the way his biceps ripple as he tears the wood apart with his vamp strength. You do so love it when he wears those sinfully tight t-shirts, the ones that hide absolutely nothing from your lustful gaze. 

Namjoon’s head suddenly snaps up. A pair of golden eyes gleam at you. “I can smell you.” 

“Of course you can, darling. Enhanced senses, remember?” 

The look on his face is darker than you’ve ever seen as he walks towards you. Purely animalistic. It weakens your knees, and sends a wave of desire flooding through you. 

“It’s more than that. I can hear your heart thumping, too. It just got louder. Faster.”

He continues to advance, and you wonder if this is what your prey feels like when they see you coming. It’s a thrilling sight, at once arousing and terrifying. 

“Baby,” he purrs, wrapping one hand around your waist while the other strokes your cheek. “I can smell how wet you are.” He inhales, nostrils flaring, and hums a low note of satisfaction. “Fuck. You smell delicious.” 

As his strong arms lock around you, you sigh contentedly, gazing into his gorgeous face. How lucky you are, to have found such an extraordinary soul to spend your eternity with. 

“Then you better take me home, little bagjwi, and have your fill.”

Please don’t be a silent reader! 🥺 I’d love to know what you think - my inbox is always open! 💕

Masterlist 🧛‍♀️ Find me on AO3 🧛‍♀️ 

© 2022-23 by sunshinerainbowsbts/minisugakoobies. Crossposted to AO3. Please do not copy or repost.

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[aamalaaa]

The Hike

Idol Namjoon! x reader

genre: so much fluff, more fluff and then fluff again

word count: 816

warnings: swearing, Joonie is so adorable it gets dangerous, slight k i s s i n g

a/n: this is the continuation of another short drabble I did, River. But you can definitely read it as a stand-alone. I hope you like it!

-

-

When Namjoon proposed hiking the Dobongsan Mountain, of course you said yes. Had anybody ever been able to say no to this golden retriever in human form? You couldn’t imagine that happening.

It’s not that you don’t like hiking per say. It’s just that you were a walking time bomb, a disaster waiting to happen. After all, you DID meet because you fell off your bike at Hangang River approximately two months ago.

After that first encounter you both met up again a week later for a bike ride that ended up with Namjoon falling off this time. That’s when you realized the man was as clumsy as you. But that just made him that much more endearing. That day was also the day you both exchanged your first kiss, a fleeting, shy and sweet kiss that was enough to leave you light headed for a few days still.

Then you saw each other again, and again and again, never getting enough of each other’s presence. Now here you are, hiking Dobongsan Mountain with the man you’re dating. The most fascinating, adorable human being on the planet. How you got so lucky you couldn’t say, but you sure as hell were not about to fxck this up. Not if you could help it.

“Babe, look!” A dreamy low, slightly out of breath voice shakes you out of your thoughts. A large hand that’s been gripping yours since you started hiking tugs your hand cutely to signal it’s owner wants your attention. You shoot your gaze up, noticing the dazzling vision before your eyes. Ah and of course you also notice the scenery a few seconds later, beautiful, truly.

“It’s beautiful Joon” You grin from ear to ear, unable to hide how incredibly happy you are. What a wonderful day, with an even more wonderful man by your side, holding your hand like it’s the most precious treasure he could ever hold.

Oop-

Yelping, you feel strong arms around you, realizing juuuust a little too late how you stumbled on a tree root and almost fell, face first on the dirt path. Could you be even more embarrassing?

Blush creeping up on your face like a traitor, you slowly lift your gaze to meet your lover’s amused eyes. He’s chuckling. You pout and hit his arm lightly.

“Is this amusing to you Kim Namjoon?”

The man has the audacity to laugh even harder, and you can’t help but chuckle too. The grip this man has on you, absurd really. He brings his forehead to rest delicately onto yours, you both close your eyes, warm breeze caressing your skin.

“I’m sorry for laughing, I couldn’t help it.” You feel his hand coming up to your right cheek, cradling it gently, like it’s the most fragile thing in the world. “but… you should’ve seen your face”

Your eyes snap open and you smack his arm again, getting out of his grip and walking away, leaving him behind. You hear him laughing like a goob. The audacity.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” He shouts while catching up to you, still giggling like a school kid. He takes your hand in his once more and you grin, the man is stupidly adorable. You’re so whipped you could give Cool Whip a run for it’s money. You wouldn’t have it any other way though.

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

An hour later, you find yourself sitting on a rock, between Namjoon’s toned legs. And you wonder if life could get any better than this moment, right now. You feel at peace, safe and secure, your back pressed against his torso, one hand on his knee. You could stay here forever, but then forever wouldn’t be enough, you want more. How greedy.

“Joon?” You stare at the scenery before you, the sun shines brightly. There’s birds singing, a few people here and there chatting amongst themselves.

“Yeah?” You feel his warm breath on your neck, goosebumps immediately erupting on your skin.

“I’m happy” You simply state, just shy of a whisper. You feel soft, plump lips on your neck and you sigh, automatically melting in his tender embrace.

“Me too” He declares, disconnecting his lips from your skin. You can feel him smiling.

You turn your head around, as much as you physically can, to try and catch a little glimpse of his cute dimples, them being your favourite sight this whole world can possibly offer. Everything else pales in comparison really. You meet his enchanting eyes before he drops his focus on your mouth, slowly closing the distance between both of your lips. You sigh in content when he finally does, the angle slightly awkward but you couldn’t bring yourself to care even if you wanted to. He’s here, right now, holding you, kissing you. And that’s all that matters.

He whispers the next words so softly that you barely catch them.

“Me too..”

[ticklepinions]

Heartstopper - Nick Nelson HCs

Everyone's favourite human rugby playing golden retriever

Lee:

As anyone with a brain would have guessed, so freaking ticklish

I am pretty sure this man is a lee-leaning switch

He blushes like a lot. So so much. Doesn't even take much to make his entire face red.

I saw someone else (I forgot who) say he has a really ticklish tummy and kick his legs like a dog and all I can say is 100% canon idc

He really likes tummy tickles, like adores them, especially from Charlie

Unfortunately for him, Charlie loves tickling him while kissing. So Nick is always so smiley and giggly after locking lips

King of unusual tickle spots bro

He's super embarrassed about his ticklish hands for some reason. Always huffs in playful annoyance when Charlie decides to be a lil shit when holding hands

His biceps are also a weird tickle spot that Charlie teases him about. All those big muscles that can't protect him from being so ticklish

Okay back to tummy tickles. He holds the lers hand in place simultaneously pulling them towards and pushing their hands away because poor boy is so utterly ticklish there his body reacts with a big "no" but he loves it.

He sometimes lies across people's laps and places their hands their looking up with shy puppy dog eyes

I think he would have this really boisterous and hearty laugh. The one everyone hears and can't help but laugh along. And here's a secret, tickle him long enough and he starts snorting.

Snickers when Charlie kisses his cheeks multiple times but swears it's not because it tickles, I'll leave that to you guys...

Don't tease him about it though, he gets super flustered and we don't want to kill the baby

Also. How could I forget, if you search up rugby players they have massive thighs. And you guessed correctly. Nick has incredibly ticklish thighs.

Brain definitely short circuits when tickled. He can't really form coherent sentences and becomes a blabbing mess.

Ler:

He is king smirker. You know that adorable lopsided smile he has... Yeah many have fallen victim to that dastardly smile

Very stronk and comes in handy pinning his lees

Extremely playful and enjoys a good chase

When he does catch you, he throws you over his shoulder and squeezes your sides

Always compliments the lee's laughter

Known for the infamous "claw" move after Charlie teased him about not being good at the claw machine game in the arcade that one time. I mean if you can't beat em, join em am I right?

Loves cuddles and tickles

Sometimes when tickling Charlie he just gets so awestruck and can't help but smile at his giggling "proper nerd". Think of his face when he saw Darcy and Tara kissing at the party (y'know the scene).

He's just so gentle you don't even know. Always checking in to make sure everyone's having a good time

[tommyssupercoolblog]

:00!!!!

If it's of any interest to you our exomemories were sorta like that

U might not know this but me n Seán are like...A/B/O factives?? Like we're factives obviously but we also formed with abo traits that effect the exomemories/source memories we have to a smol degree. Seán has actually full exomemories and I only have like, gut feelings and things I just Know like, factually with no images, like a list on Wikipedia.

IF YOU WANNA KNOW ABOUT THAT THEN UM UNDER THE CUT I WILL DO A TOMMY THE INNIT RAMBLE

I don't remember it being much of an issue for me, like yea cultures were different but no one was mean to me and I had friends. jerks existed but I never had to deal with it much, I ran into them rarely and everyone where I lived agreed they kinda sucked. I was in a city tho so???? Those tend to be more progressive IRL anywayes

Seán remembers like...being ostracized a little, in kind of a way where people talked to him and were nice, he had friends, but he just could tell they saw him as a little different. Like being included but people not knowing quite how to act at first, or just talking to you Slightly Differently in how they use their voice. He didn't know anyone else like him though outside of his family, so the town he lived in was hybrid-scarce (Hybrid were what we were called). He does remember distinctly being told that looking inhuman to any degree was Rude and like, bad table manners or something. Informal at the very least.

For us being a hybrid came with shifting abilities, like being able to slide easily between human and animal form (along different degrees too, depending on how much you shift and in what areas). So being a Beta was seperated by default regaurdless of anything else because. Doggy!!! :0 doggy,,,,

But they still had their own like, stereotypes. I remember it being though like.... betas having a sort of androgynous vibe?? And generally the premise was that they were like, all best friend characters. The stereotype was basically that you're a yes-man golden retriever with No Opinions who supports and latches onto whoever's in your pack. Smart but in a sort of "didn't study and passed last minute" or "only know about this one specific thing", way, and also will support you to the DEATH even if you kinda suck ngl. Again best friend character.

Omegas were basically ditzy manic pixie dream people and aggressively supportive (bragging about everything you did ever) who hissed at everything and had FEELINGS and have no motor skills whatsoever and will constantly be injured by like, a breeze. They WILL bite you though. Cute and sweet and also a little unhinged/terretorial but no thoughts between the eyes. Their brain is a TV screen with a bouncing DVD logo that's also facing the wall and unplugged. "Hard to handle".

Alphas are the song Little Miss Perfect but bass boosted. They are serious and good at everything and the CEO and popstar and martial arts champion and top of their class or they will DIE. The last time they felt an emotion was when they were born and that emotion was redbull. You insulted their friends/pack/so and they are now going to fight you to the death- "Hey the creep who hit on you? Want me to KILL THAT GUY FOR YOU????" Someone get them a therapist I swear to God what the fuck. Only eats meat eggs and vegetables because they have to be STRONG AND PERFECT and they treat every task like a speedrun.

Men/women also had stereotypes though; women were supposedly closer to philosophy and art or whatever and also more empathetic and usually strong parental figures. They tied groups together in one way or another.

Men were supposedly more bent on action and practically, and closer to physical stuff. They also were more likely to vocally stand up to people or make decisions/back up the decisions made, and push things into motion.

These would interplay with the other genders, so it's almost like you had SIX gender options, except A/B/O are more like flavours of the first once, primary gender *variants*, like picking a class and then a subclass.

Basically on top of the A/B/O stuff we picked up from humans, we also adopted their bullshit girl versus boy garbage and adapted it into our culture in a way we could understand, so we could fit in better. It's like taco bell is to actual Mexican food. We didn't have it originally I don't think, although idk if we had A/B/O either, and then as we integrated with humans and they were christianized and also started that false idea of wolf packs, we adapted with them.

We also had orientations, so like....im gay twice. I'm double queer. I'm Omega for Beta and also a man who loves men. I don't have a label for that though, not one I remember anyways and I don't really need one tbh

I might have been called a stupid dog/mutt once, I'm not sure, but yeah overall I think i personally was literally fine. I just vibed.

I HOPE THIS WAS!!! INTERESTING!!!

omegaverse hot takes

You cowards. You fools. Make trans dynamic omegaverse characters. Do it. Do it now.

"why do they have ABO ranks anyway it's been disproven-" gender is messy already buckeroo. S already made up. Also if in your universe ABO folk live with "normal" people then s prolly safe to say they picked it up from them the same way they would anything else

OMEGAVERSE CAN BE SFW I'm cryimg I'm shaking I'm taking you by the shoulders here and sobbing.

Omegaverse isn't a genre it's a setting/worldtype. You can have dystopian horror omegaverse. Romance omegaverse. Adventure or fuckin cooking show shonen omegaverse if you want to. You can do anything. WE CAN DO ANYTHING LET'S GET CRAZY GET STUPID

Biology and gender are separate anyway so like...having cis male omegas who give birth is fine. Chill outt girliepop

If you write beta/omega, beta/alpha, alpha/alpha or omega/omega pairings I am so greatful for your service. Keep doing God's work she's so proud of you

GENDER NONCONFORMING A/B/O. YES. YESYESYES

Omega women aren't just "regular women" and Alpha men aren't just "regular men" let's get SPICY y'all let's get CREATIVE let's get EXPRESSIVE let's allow ourselves to explore the omegaverse space outside of how it affects male omegas, female alphas, and they're SOs. Let's flip the tables, let's get things WILD. You as an author have so much room to play here!!! Play!!!

Similarly if you like to write about healthcare or politics/rights movements or how specific jobs and fields work and general life stuff in abo I am so happy

[astaroth1357]

Demigod MC Series: Hades

Demigod MC Series: Intro, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hades

Lucifer

Well… this is awkward…

He’s actually met Hades multiple times for business reasons (Underworld-Devildom relations are amiable if not a little odd. Hades was something of an uncle figure to Diavolo as a wee demon lad, which should speak for itself really). He’s a gloomy fellow and not much for chit-chat, but he never thought they’d end up taking one of his kids by accident…

He had to send a formal apology letter to the Lord of the Underworld immediately, but thankfully he didn’t seem very concerned for his offspring - if anything he appeared to think the Devildom would suit them nicely which was… concerning.

And he was not wrong. The darkness, demons, ghouls, and frights of the Devildom hardly seemed to faze the MC, if anything they fit right in. He’d dare say they were thriving if not for one thing…

They were So. Damn. Bleak.

Getting a smile out of this one AT ALL was rare. For once he felt the need to check up on someone constantly just to be sure they were alright... They’d keep assuring the House that they’re not actually as sad as they look but it’s hard not to assume…

He was a little mortified at first when they first met Cerberus cause… well they called him “Cerbi” and the massive demonic guard dog rolled over for them like a Golden Retriever! 

Apparently he and the Cerberus that they knew are from the same litter and they must have smelt familiar... He would have probably limited their interactions just to keep his dog on his side but after seeing the MC smile for once while they played with the big oaf well…

Cerberus got a new playmate and the MC got a massive, three-headed therapy animal. Win-win. 😌

Mammon

Do ya really gotta be such a downer all the time, MC…? 😔

He thinks they’re nice, like really nice. They’re always super concerned when his brothers attack him or when he gets injured, but he’s pretty sure it’s because they’ve seen people die before so…

At first, he had no idea why he had to be saddled with this depressing wisp of mortal but over time he started to understand that they weren’t all that sad. They had… Resting Gloom Face? Is that a thing? 

They also had a different way of seeing things. He could win the lottery and they’d tell him to stay inside so he wouldn’t get hit by lightning or if he pissed off the wrong people, they’d joke about him keeping his fingers and toes. Dark stuff, but not intended to be so… well morbid.

However, what he eventually found out that the REAL advantage to having a Hades kid in the Devildom was that nothing scared them. Literally nothing. Not even the ghosts - which to reiterate, are terrifying!

Cue Mammon getting dragged to horror movies nights with his brothers and pulling the MC along to be his personal security blanket. He’ll hold onto them for dear life as they just pat his head or something, watching and not even flinching at the jumpscares.

The first time the House had an unexpected power outage he clung onto the back of their shirt like a lost child while they calmly looked for the circuit-breaker...

If he could jump into their arms every time something scary happened like Scooby-Doo, he absolutely would. His brothers make fun of him, but after seeing the MC handle Cerberus like a puppy any time something frightens them they hide behind the mortal as well…

Leviathan

In some ways, he totally relates to their moodiness but come on! Who can still look so sad when watching The Magical Ruri Hanai: Demon Girl?? Ruri-chan can make anyone smile! 😠

When he first met the MC, he was a little confused about why they didn't find him intimidating at all. He even reverted to his demon form and showed his fangs but no dice! All they said was, "I've walked along the edge of Tartarus. You're gonna have to try a lot harder than that, buddy…" 

That was probably his first sign that the "human" wasn't normal…

After Mammon told him who their Dad was, things made a lot more sense. A child of Hades in the Devildom? That's ironic enough to be its own anime plot!! They certainly felt like an angsty protagonist at times. 🤷‍♀️

Truth be told, they could relate to each other in a lot of ways. You wouldn't think that an offspring of the Underworld and a demonic shut-in would have much in common but the one thing they share between them is that sense of never really fitting in.

Turns out that Hades kids are black sheep, even among other demigods, and Levi? Well, he's had trouble relating to others since his angel days. He and the mortal were like off-beat kindred spirits!

Which, I mean, you wouldn't get just by looking at them together. Levi being the impassioned super-otaku rambling their ear off while his somber companion would just go along with him quietly, but hey, there's more beneath the surface. Probably. 

Now if he could just get them to cosplay as the Lord of Emptiness with him… They'd be perfect! Perfect he says!!

Satan

Highly considered drugging their food with antidepressants for a while… 

This was before getting to know them better, of course, but for the first couple months he honestly couldn't shake the feeling that the mortal looked miserable! 

Now, he's one to particularly care for the comfort of strangers, but just looking at them like that every day would sour his own mood quite considerably. It was very irritating...

It was only on closer inspection that he realized there was something else at play, though.

The mortal was different - even for a demigod he imagined. They took to the Devildom easily and the realm almost accepted them right back!

The flora looked better in their presence, the hellish beasts that roamed the wilds would roll over for them, and they even seemed to be welcomed in by the never-ending shadows… 

It was fascinating. Like the effects of the Underworld were baked into their DNA and mingled with the environment around them… Two layers of darkness coexisting within one person.

I mean, what other creature - other than Lucifer - could ride Cerberus around like a pony??

Had they not been so kind, they'd probably scare him shit-less... Their potential power was too great to ignore. But after getting used to their gloom, at least they made for pleasant company. 🤷‍♀️

Satan likes them well enough, but even still he has to wonder just what they were capable of… you know?

Asmodeus

Oh. My. WORD. What a buzzkill!!!

Really, the new mortal was no good at parties or pictures for that matter!

Not because they looked bad, or even because he couldn't get them to smile, but because GHOSTS would always photobomb any pictures they were in!! 😫

One time he got a selfie with them on the couch and a creepy ghost child could be seen hiding behind the cushions so NOPE. No more photos with the mortal around!!

Aside from that, he couldn't say the mortal was all bad or anything…They were pretty friendly, despite their general look and feel. 

Though, personally, he thought they wore far too much black... Even in the Devildom, there's normally a pop of color, you know? Was that just the Hades dress code?

And you want to know the weirdest thing? Despite everything about them screaming "Doom and Gloom," they're straaaangely popular among the RAD dating scene…

Like. Not as some heartthrob, "Love'em and Leave'em"-type, but he's found that there's a LOT of his demonic classmates who think they're cute or have a crush on them in some way…

Naturally, he can see the appeal of the mysterious, moody demigod with a dark, troubled past. It's just the demigod in question is completely oblivious to it! 🤷‍♀️

He tried to give them dating tips or play matchmaker from time to time but eventually gave up when it was clear they weren't interested. Alas, students of RAD, this is one forbidden fruit that refuses to be shared…! Such a tragedy… 😔

Beelzebub

They remind him of Belphie… like. A lot.

The similarities were obvious. They had a similar feel, made similar jokes, and even the same somewhat dreary attitude about them...

If he were being honest, at the beginning there were times when he'd open up to them a lot more than he intended because he'd forget that he wasn't actually talking to Belphie…

Thankfully, he knew better than to try and treat them like his replacement or anything. They were two different people after all. But it didn't stop him from feeling extra protective around them for a while.

Besides, there was ONE thing that set them leagues apart from Belphie and that was the fact they were a shit cook. Not quite as bad as Solomon but uh… Actually no, that's a closer call than it has any right to be...

Apparently, Hades kids don't need to eat as much and when you hang out with shades and skeletons for most of your life, you don’t really worry about making food that's any better than… "Well, technically it's edible." 🤷‍♀️

Their food won't kill a person like Solomon's, but you WILL start seeing stuff you probably shouldn't. He tried their "soup" once and swore he saw the ghost of his mother… and he doesn't even have a mother!!!

He swears that if he ever sees the MC and Solomon working together in the same kitchen he's skipping town… Whatever culinary abomination the two of them could create would probably gain sentience and eat HIM instead. He's always figured he'd go out with Death by Food, but not like that!! 😫

Belphegor

Ever meet someone who’s like looking in a mirror? Yeah, he’s getting those vibes…

He never expected the "human" to be so similar to him, it was kind of uncanny.

Upon first laying eyes on each other there was a pause… then a squint… and then… a nod.

Honestly, their combined dry wit, dark humor, and pessimistic outlook played off of each other surprisingly well. Too well for him to hate, really.

Not that it mattered because they didn’t believe him for a second when he tried to trick them (they had dealt with loads of lying monsters before). He hated to admit it, but they had a good head on their shoulders and knew better than to trust a locked up demon…

And yet, they seemed to stick around with him anyway. Because of the good conversation or just empathizing with his loneliness was anyone's guess. 🤷‍♀️

Sometimes they'd come up and sit outside the door in comfortable silence… Or they'd talk about whatever:

MC: *sitting out by the attic with their back against the door* So what happens to demons when they die…?

Belphie: *laying on the floor on the other side, staring at the ceiling* Depends on the kind. If I die, I'll just reform later.

MC: Like a reincarnation?

Belphie: Eh. *shrugs* Maybe. Haven't died yet.

MC: You could die in there, you know.

Belphie: *throws a side glare* Well thanks for bringing that up…

MC: *shrugs* What? It's true. But don't worry, I won't let you. *small-ish smile*

Belphie: *stares at them wide-eyed and pink-cheeked before turning on his side quickly* Ugh… whatever…

They did their word, somehow. They eventually got the door open and let him out, but by that time the anger was gone and he was just happy to finally talk to them face-to-face...

And good thing too, because apparently it's not smart to fight a death-child in what is essentially their element - as he saw when they summoned an army of skeletons to kick Levi's ass when he cheated them in Devil Cart...

He would not have lasted in that fight... Dodged a bullet there. 

[kirishimaswife2819]

Them With a S/o Who Loves and Owns Cats || Bakugou, Kirishima, and Todoroki

Masterlist

Pairings: Katsuki Bakugou x Reader, Eijiro Kirishima x Reader, and Shoto Todoroki x Reader

Summary: Bakugou, Kirishima, and Todoroki with a s/o who absolutely loves cats and owns one (or a few)

Word Count: 800

A/n: Okay, so nobody requested this, and I know I should probably be working on requests because I have like 10 of them, but I used to have a bunch of cats and I don’t anymore (I still visit them, but like, I can’t live with them anymore), and I low key really miss them. So, I decided to write this because I cope with my issues by converting them into fanfiction. Anyway, I hope everybody reading this has a good day/night! :) -Danielle <3

Katsuki Bakugou:

He’s going to think it’s really weird, because every cat he’s ever met has absolutely HATED him

So, he’s wondering why would you love a creature that’s an actual demon

Sometimes you’ll send him photos of you cuddling with your cat, and he’s going to wonder how the cat isn’t scratching your face off at that very moment

The first time he met your cat, you realized why cats hated him

He was so rough when petting it, and he was swearing at it for getting near him

“Katsuki! You can’t be that rough with them! No wonder cats hate you!” 

You ended up giving him a lesson on cats, and how to pet them and make them not hate you

After Katsuki gets your cat to actually like him, they’re pretty much best friends, and Katsuki loves your cat, but denies it every time you ask him if he likes your cat

I feel like Bakugou is a cat and dog person, that’s more of a dog person than a cat person, but still doesn’t mind cats (after he learns how to treat cats of course)

After he learns how to be around cats, he is a cat magnet

Like there has been multiple instances where a cat has followed him home, because he did something simple like lean down and pet it or even just acknowledge its presence

Once you two move in together, he has to get the cat to leave him alone before he comes back home, cause if you open the front door and there’s a stray cat, there’s no way you’re not letting it into your house and Katsuki knows this

Eijiro Kirishima:

Kirishima is very clearly a dog person, mostly because he is literally a golden retriever but in human form

He thinks cats are cool too though, but like Katsuki, all cats seem to hate him

After seeing you and your cat being all cuddly and close with each other, he realizes that the reason cats hate him must have something to do with him

So, he asks you about it, and he reveals that he treats a cat exactly how he would treat a dog

And we all know that you can’t treat a cat like you would treat a dog

So, after you educate Kirishima in how to treat a cat, much like Bakugou, cats start to like him

But not like too much, sure they get along okay, but it’s not like cats absolutely love him, they just don’t hate him

Being the supportive boyfriend he is, he totally doesn’t mind how much you like cats, in fact he encourages it

If he’s scrolling through Instagram or another app, and he sees a cute photo of a cat, he’ll save it and send it to you

You two frequently make visits to the local shelter, where he has to force you to not adopt any of the cats, because they’re way too cute

Once you two move into together, Kirishima agrees that you can have a few cats, but only if he can get a few dogs as well

Shoto Todoroki:

Shoto is a cat person and you cannot convince me otherwise

He just doesn’t get why dogs have to be so happy all the time, like he doesn’t hate them, but he prefers cats because they’re much calmer and easier for him to get along with

Cats absolutely love Shoto, but he somehow doesn’t acknowledge how much they like him

This one time, he was cuddled up with your cat, sitting in your bed, and you were like

“Wow, Sho, you’re really good with cats.”

“I am?” Shoto replied, while your cat was purring, laying on his chest, and rubbing their head up against his neck, while he was petting them

He actually really enjoys cats and considers getting one of his own after he meets yours

Like Kirishima, he frequently will go to the animal shelter with you, so you two can play with the cats and kittens there

If you get a cat with Shoto, I’m sorry, but it’s going to love Shoto more than it loves you

There’s just something about Shoto that naturally attracts cats, probably how calm he is

This one time, he forgot to shut the front door, and you were in the kitchen, chopping up vegetables for dinner

And suddenly a fluffy brown cat jumped on the counter

“Shoto! Come get the cat!”

And since Shoto is a good boyfriend, he comes into the kitchen to get one of your cats from the counter, but he looks at the cat and realizes you two don’t own a cat like that

“Uh, Y/n? This isn’t our cat.”

Anyway, now you two have a brand new cat named Mocha