#I wasn’t offended I found it more funny than anything

[peapod20001]

*me writing Jr as a menace to his family and causing problems yet he still loves people and is still lived by people*

Me: “but is this even an accurate depiction? Can this feasibly happen in life?”

*my lil sister, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that yes, it can happen*

[an-idyllic-novelist]

Lucifer Morningstar with Violet Evergarden!reader scenario in honor of Valentine’s Day

warning: aged up!reader [middle to late twenties], language, ooc, one-sided!Alastor x reader, possible spoilers from the first season of the 2024 show.

Hey guys, welcome to another Hazbin Hotel collaboration with @vikkirosko, starring Charlie's own goofy, duck-obsessed father, the King of Hell! Special thanks to @ladydoe8, and @illuminaresblog for their feedback so that I could write this fic in a timely manner before things got busy in the real world for me!

Just so everyone knows, the outfit depicted here is Jean’s ceremonial outfit from the game Genshin Impact, idea was courtesy of @illuminaresblog.

So with that being said, sit back, relax, and let's see what our short king is up to ~!

Reblog to support content creators! ❤️

Lucifer is someone who believes in second chances now. 

Charlie had made something that had been impossible for the last ten thousand years possible, and he wanted to support her in any way he could. Thanks to him being an amazing, resourceful father they were able to rebuild the hotel in less than four months, and Alastor didn’t show up until they were finished. Ha! Take that, asshole! 

But what has made him the happiest he has felt in a long time is the opportunity to be close to his daughter again. He was not going to ruin it by being a coward and not speak to her unless it was convenient for him. She is more precious than anything or anyone in Hell. 

Don’t get him wrong, he is very happy that his little devil found someone that made her happy, but it was kinda awkward to see them being….intimate. That’s at least one other valid reason why he’s been coming to the greenhouse more often than isolating himself away in his living space of the hotel. It wasn’t healthy, and he couldn’t keep hiding himself from Hell forever after fighting Adam in the war. And why the greenhouse instead of the lobby bar, the rooftop balcony, or the parlor? Well, you were there. The hotel’s stoic groundskeeper, and one of the people who had been supportive of Charlie’s dream when he wasn’t around. 

You always knew the right words to say to her without sounding like a jerk. 

You would help out with creating group exercises, though some of your ideas were a little extreme.

 If someone needed some assistance with work around the hotel, you were there in the blink of an eye ready to help. 

You had fought against the exorcists to protect everyone, even at the cost of losing your prosthetic arms.  

You were a lot of things that he wasn’t. And he was a tiny bit jealous about it, even when you had never intended to make him, the King of Hell, jealous. That job was exclusively reserved for the Radio Demon. 

 He did think you would look a lot cuter if you smiled more often, and he has said this to you one afternoon as he sat on a wooden bench, watching you carefully remove the weeds from the flower beds. In that moment he thought he had fucked up. The words that spilled out of his mouth had pissed you off so much that you were quiet and did not even look at him over your shoulder. He felt his apple red cheeks burn with embarrassment as he stammered out an apology, trying to make amends when your calm voice broke through the awkward silence. 

You weren’t bothered by what he said. He was stating a fact that you’ve heard many times when you were alive. You explained to him that it was…difficult to express yourself for a long time. And in Hell, you couldn’t wear your emotions on your sleeve. It made you a target. To demonstrate your point, you slapped your cheeks and pulled the corners of your mouth upwards to create a smile, albeit a forced one. 

Lucifer had a good laugh that day, and the frazzled thoughts that ran rampant in his mind came to halt. You were a funny sinner. And definitely strange, but hey, so is he! Kind of. Okay, he definitely is, but who isn’t a little odd down here?

When he realized that you weren’t easily offended like the others, conversations between the two of you had gotten…well, better. He would ask you questions about the stuff you grew, and you answered without hesitation. When you asked him about his rubber ducky creations, he babbled about his latest one and you would give him an idea on how to improve. “Perhaps instead of spitting out fire and water after the back flip, what if you did flower petals instead?” You said to him one afternoon as you hoisted a heavy pot up from the shelf, carefully placing it down on the workbench. “You can use the ones I remove when I prune the roses, if you’d like. All I ask is to not take too many of them. I am using them in an experiment to make soaps for the rooms so that Charlie doesn’t spend too much money on acquiring cleaning items.”

Lucifer immediately took you up on the offer, smiling so widely that it almost hurt his face before hurrying back to his workshop. In a matter of hours, he was cradling a brand new ducky that did release blood-red petals and golden sparkles! The ingenious part of it all is that, instead of doing a backflip, all someone needed to do was push its chest and poof, magic! It was amazing, the audience loved it and he actually liked it too!

 Lilith used to pitch ideas on his creations…at least…until she left. He still missed her. She’s Charlie’s mother, and not even he knew where she was or what she has been doing for the past seven years. He could only hope that wherever she is….she is happy.  

Instead of throwing this little gem with the rest of the ones he’d been working on since moving into the hotel, he gave this little ducky to you. A token of his gratitude, their friendship, whatever you thought the gift was! He just wanted to thank you for giving him that spark of creativity he had been looking for. 

To this day, it sat on the corner of your workbench, glowing under the red light streaming through the stained glass windows and in pristine condition. It was obvious that you treasured his little creation and it made his heart flutter in a way it hadn’t in a very long time. Before he realized it, his conversations with you shifted to memories of the past. 

He would regale the tales of Creation, how he’d tease his fellow angels and outwit them with harmless little pranks or showered their meeting assemblies with sparkles and ideas that…that they rejected in favor of order and obedience. It still hurt, that no matter how much he wanted to shower humanity with goodness and free will, it seemed like bad things had happened ever since he gave Eve the Fruit of Knowledge. 

You told him about the Great War  and how you served as a soldier in the Leidenschaftlich Army under Major Gilbert Bougainvillea. You could not remember your age, but everyone assumed you had been ten after being enlisted. You were fourteen when the war ended, and the Major had died saving your life. You never understand what his final words meant, I love you, until you yourself had perished. Not from old age or disease or famine, as most humans were known to succumb to back then. You had died protecting your friends, the people you had come to know in your line of work as an Automemory Doll, from being blown to smithereens by an anti-peace faction. Although the war had been over, men like General Merkulov could not comprehend a world without war. When the assassination attempt on the envoy failed, the bridge had been rigged to explode. Together with Benedict, you were able to remove the bombs…but when the last one you removed, the one that took great effort to remove…you lost your remaining arm, then your balance, careening off the train and into the dark waters below. That was the thing you remembered before waking up down here. 

There were days when you wondered how everyone else was doing, if Cattleya and the Lieutenant were all right, if there were still Automemory Dolls helping others with writing letters when the clients themselves were not able to read, write, or had trouble putting the words on the page. But who knew much time had passed since then? All you could hope…is that they were still able to live long, happy lives and not mourn for your death.

Because in the end, you finally understood the Major’s last words. And you would no longer need to follow orders to live. 

It made Lucifer a little sad when you finished your tale, it sort of made him wonder how you ended up down here when technically sacrificing yourself to save others should have gotten you into Heaven. You thought about that as well, drawing to the conclusion that even if you had died valiantly, it did not change the fact that you had killed many men in the war. Perhaps the blood on your hands will always be there, and you would have to live with that knowledge for eternity. Or maybe…no one really knows how to get into Heaven, as Charlie had informed everyone before, after the disastrous meeting with the Seraphim. Either way, if you were given the choice of being redeemed and going to Heaven, or remaining down here with everyone, you would choose to be here, in the Hazbin Hotel. 

Just because there is such a thing as Paradise, that didn’t mean you could not find your own. And you had found Paradise, here, with everyone. The sinners who are your family. 

Your words left him speechless. He had given humans free will, and all he had seen was the bad, never the good. But to hear your story, and how you are truly happy in a place surrounded by brimstone and the streets crawling with psychopaths, made him realize that you had used his gift as it was intended to be used. To have passion, to find love in one another than wholly dedicating your everything to the Big G. 

This revelation might have been when he was starting to realize that he was starting to see you as more than a friend or someone who believed in Charlie's dream. He followed you around like a little duckling around the hotel, occasionally leaving small gifts at your door and mentally panicking if you’d like it or not, and using his magic to help with your work in the greenhouse. Moreover…he trusted you. He had never shared any of his stories with Charlie about Heaven because he didn’t want her to be crushed like he had been. Now? Well, his little girl is thriving. Which brought Lucifer back to reality when he realized that in less than a week is his daughter’s birthday and he had no idea what to get her for a gift. The last time he had gotten her anything was when she went through her rebellious phase, and all she wanted to do was stay in her room and listen to heavy metal music all day. 

He immediately went to the greenhouse, bursting through the double doors and calling out to you in a panic. Ironically he found you in the apple orchard, standing on a ladder. You were picking the ones that were ready to be eaten and placing them in a wicker basket on the ground. When you saw him, you carefully climbed down the ladder and asked him if everything was all right. No, it wasn’t okay! He was not okay! 

He explained his dilemma to you in a rush, the words tumbling from his mouth like a tidal wave until he felt your gloved hand on his shoulder. You looked at him long and hard, leading him to the bench to sit before pouring him a glass of lemonade from a thermos. You offered it to him, and half of your sandwich. You were starting to eat more food at regular intervals and taking breaks instead of working until your task was done. You were trying to take better care of yourself; if not as part of your redemption, then at least to not worry Niffty or Charlie. 

He did take the lemonade, but gave you back the sandwich, scolding you needed to eat properly if you were continuing to skip meals periodically. You had the grace to look ashamed, carefully placing it back in the tin lunch box. You promised him that you would eat after you heard him out. 

You listened to him carefully before offering your help. If purchasing a gift for Charlie is hard for him because he is still getting to know her…then you can help him create a special letter for a special occasion. After all, you were an Automemory Doll. It was your job to write the words to connect people, to bring them closure and be remembered. Lucifer blinked in surprise, asking if it was really all right to ask you to do something that…might still bring back painful memories of your past. 

You shook your head. “If it were as painful as you believed it might be, then I would not have said something. Besides,” Your mouth curved upwards into a small smile. “Charlie deserved nothing but the best for her special day, right?”

It took all of Lucifer’s self control to not hug you right then and there. He could still make things work between him and Charlie, he can still be a good father!

Once you had eaten your lunch as you had promised, you asked him to meet you on the rooftop  in an hour. You needed to wrap everything up here in the greenhouse, eat, and grab your Remington typewriter. Charlie was still trying to figure out what to do with the space, but right now there was a table with some chairs up there. It was a good setting to write a letter without anyone overhearing the two of you. 

Lucifer wanted to start working on the gift right away, but he knew that you disliked leaving your work unfinished. So he left the greenhouse, letting you finish up. When it got closer to the time to meet up, he whipped some of your favorite tea and snacks with a flick of his wrist. Remedial creation for him! 

Once everything was set up and you had removed your gloves, the two of you got to work. 

He didn’t think writing a letter would be so difficult because he wanted to pour so much of his feelings into a single page. He was sorry that he missed her other birthdays, how he didn’t step up to be a father after Lilith left because he had been just as upset as her but didn’t have the courage to move forward, and how he wanted to make up for it all. How proud he is to have her as his daughter. 

At one point, he realized that he was staring at your skeletal fingers and how they were fluttering from one key to another before he forced himself to look at you when you asked him a question. He didn’t have time to look at your shiny hands, he had a job to do! 

Between your respectful schedules and small breaks in between, the letter was finished in a week. It was several pages long, folded neatly in a creme-colored letter with a red wax seal once he wrote his name at the bottom of the last page. He thanked you profusely for helping him, promising you anything in his power in exchange, you just had to name it. But you shook your head, saying that knowing his words in the letter will reach Charlie is more than enough. You were simply doing your job as an Automemory Doll. 

And by God you did. 

When Charlie read his letter, his gift to her on the morning of her birthday after presenting a plate full of her favorite caramel apple pancakes with maple syrup, bacon, and coffee in the kitchen, she cried. She cried and hugged him tightly, thanking him for this wonderful letter and how all she ever wanted was for him to understand her, to support her. He felt tears well up behind his eyes as he returned the embrace. It was already looking like it would be a good day. 

Later that day, the hotel staff arranged a small party for his little princess in the Ruby Ballroom. Food, drinks, music, even a small mountain of gifts. Vaggie was of course the brains behind it all, wanting Charlie to have a special day too. Everything was perfect. 

At least, until he saw you dancing with Alastor. You had changed out of your gardening clothes - a white long sleeved shirt and a green skirt with your hair pulled back in a loose ponytail - to one of your newer outfits. Or at least another one besides the white dress with the Prussian blue jacket you always wear. You actually looked more like a knight in this one than an Automemory Doll. Not that he was complaining. 

A sleeveless black buttoned up shirt under a white vest with a long turquoise tailcoat attached to it, a pair of black sleeves that covered your arms and hands, with a short blue and gold cloak attached to a white collar. The emerald brooch glowed under the ballroom’s lights. White tights embroidered with a gold-diamond dot pattern covered your legs, alongside a matching pair of knee-high boots and white gauntlets. 

In summary, you looked gorgeous and entirely out of place as you struggled to keep up with Alastor on the dance floor during the foxtrot. Polar opposites, oil and water, a pairing that doesn’t go well together. 

So being the badass fallen angel that he is, he tapped Alastor on the shoulder and asked if he could have a dance with you. The jazz music screeched to a halt  as the son of a bitch he turned to him, ears pinned against his head and eye twitching. He’s mad. Good. 

“Well, well, this is a surprise~! To think that His Majesty would want to dance when he’s so much shorter than our dear groundskeeper! What a delightful disaster~! But,” Lucifer saw Alastor’s grip on your hands tighten, causing a fleeting expression of discomfort to wash over your face. “We are not done dancing. Yet.” 

Lucifer felt his anger rise. “Listen here, you fucking prick -”

“Oh Al, there you are~!” Charlie suddenly appeared, smiling and oblivious to what was going on at the moment before she gently tugged the Radio Demon away from the dance floor. “There’s something I need to show you~!” 

Alastor did not want to be separated from you, and while he did want to keep dancing, Lucifer knew this asshole valued his pride and reputation above all else. He wouldn’t dare act of character unless it benefitted him in some way. He then turned to you, who looked more than a little relieved to not be near Alastor and…your face was red? 

He frowned. “Are you okay?”

You nodded. “Y-Yes. I’m…fine.” That caught his attention. You never stuttered. But with how you were smiling at him shyly…it wasn’t hard to let him have hope. To believe that his feelings towards you were actually reciprocated. He smiled at the thought, stretching his hand out towards you. 

“Care to dance?”

Taglist: @alastor-simp @alastorsgoldie @food-theorys-blog @nunezs-stuff @lbcreations-blog @imperfectbloodmoon @crystalrose36 @nixie-writes @isuckatwritingsobenice @tired-of-life-86 @frompeach @trecllllllll @lanxianschoenheit @22carolina08 @witch-of-writing-desk @mary-v193 @chewbrry @mmelionsblog @ladymothbeth @the-cat-queen-peasants @anielly-2010 @victheauthor @alyriaschoenheit @blumin8 @akemika75 @f4turemom @kameyo-kumo @aloenemonabee27 @doc-tooth @theuknowntravel3r @angelltheninth @solandis-does-stuff @navierkalani @deathmetalunicorn1 @star-fawn21 @sleepy-hutao @gamerxpfighter @no1sillybilly @frenchtoastmafia @candyladycry @bladeismine @bones4thecats

[pelova4president]

Why so shy?

Jessie Fleming x Reader

summary~ Crushing on someone was a whole lot to deal with, especially when your crush is your teammate and your other teammates are all on it.

You grew up supporting the red side of London. Your father and his father had supporter Arsenal so it was logical for you to be a gooner at heart too. That was until you got scouted by Chelsea.

You didn’t really have to hide that you were an Arsenal fan, you just didn’t bring it up, ever. Your dad and grandpa had already found a solution, supporting Arsenal’s mens team and Chelsea’s women’s. It wasn’t ideal, you knew that but they’ll support you everywhere you’d go.

And even though they did support you in a blue kit, they’d never wear a blue shirt themselves. Whenever they would go and watch your Chelsea games they were dressed in a neutral shirt, your England shirt.

When you got into the blue academy you were a bit shy. You weren’t scared or anything, it was just all new, you didn’t know anyone and well, kids are scary.

But there was Aggie. A blue through and through. She was extroverted, funny and outgoing. Aggie helped you get into the Chelsea spirits and loved to tease you.

Aggie was meant to be Chelsea’s stargirl, you weren’t but somehow you became one alongside your best friend. You were the young blues, the future lays in your hands.

A few months in Beever-Jones found out you were a die hard Arsenal fan and couldn’t stop pestering you about it. You begged her to keep it under wraps, nobody needed to know you pleaded. She wasn’t really about to let it go until you threatened to call her by her real name, Agnes.

So the both of you kept your mouths shut. A good deal for the both of you.

Aggie made her debut when she was just eighteen years old. You were sat in the stands but you might’ve been more nervous and excited for her than she was herself. Aggie kept her cool, she always did but you were stressing away. Your nails had been bitten away by the moment she got subbed in.

After the final whistle had been blown you ran towards her, a bright smile appearing on her face. “You did it Beever!” you cheered jumping into her open arms.

“You’re acting like i scored the winning goal in the Champions League mousey.” Aggie laughed.

“Well, i feel like you just did.” you reacted offended.

Jessie had been part of the senior squad before Aggie and you even got to train with the first team. You were a fan of the midfielder, even thought you would never confess it. You weren’t only a fan of her game but also her beauty. She is very pretty.

Aggie fit right in. She walked into the training ground with you behind her and made some small talk. Erin, Niamh and Aggie seemed like the best of friends. You were used to be by her side at all times and especially now it didn’t help she wasn’t.

Jessie walked over towards you and introduced herself. “Hi i’m Jessie.” she smiled. Jessie Fleming was talking to you and you might melt away.

“Hey- hi i’m mouse, well you know, it’s not my real name but they call me mousey- well you can call me whatever..” you mumbled the last part. God you made a fool of yourself.

Jessie laughed at your rambling and placed her hand on your shoulder. “I know your name mousey.” she smiled.

Jessie Fleming knew your name, your year was made.

“I know who you are too.” you said. Okay that sounded creepy, like stalker creepy. “I- i didn’t mean it like that, not in a weird creepy way. I just know who you are, ‘cus we both play for Chelsea you know?” you tried to recover.

The Canadian only laughed harder at that. “I know what you mean mousey.” she grinned.

And before you could make an even bigger fool of yourself you were stolen away by Aggie. “What were you just doing mouse?” she asked with fake curiosity.

“I was talking to Jessie and i don’t know, it went wrong i think?” you sighed, disappointment shown on your face. You had one job, act normal.

“Yeah well i definitely saw that. Maybe someone’s got a little crush huh?” Aggie winked.

“Ag- Aggie, i don’t have a fucking crush on my teammate.” your brows furrowed.

Your bestfriend backed off. “Okay okay whatever you say mousey.” she shrugged.

Two months in it only got worse. Aggie had forced you to go out with the girls, ‘‘cus that’s what winning teams do’. You never really were a party animal and still aren’t but you’d try your best.

Millie Bright had taken it upon herself to get you a little looser and by that she meant drunk. You were drunk after only a few drinks. You might’ve been embarrassed at how fast you got drunk if you weren’t wasted already.

Getting up from your seat at the bar you made your way to the dance floor, where most of your teammates were located. Aggie was cheering you on as you walked towards her with an excessive swing in your hips.

“Look out everyone, drunk mousey is on the dance floor!” she warned the girls.

Jessie looked up from where she was sat to take a look herself. You were doing all kinds of dances and somehow your very stiff robot was your best.

“What is she doing?” the Canadian asked her Swedish goalkeeper.

Zećira shrugged. “I don’t know, i think she’s trying to dance?” she laughed.

Jessie hummed to herself. She hadn’t seen you like this, ever. The midfielder hadn’t expected you to be such a party animal. You were really shy whenever you talked to her and she never really saw you as an extroverted type.

Jessie had her eyes fixated on you and when an unknown girl came walking towards you her eyebrows furrowed. The girl slipped behind you and began to dance with you. It disturbed her. Why was that girl touching you and why weren’t you telling her off.

“Didn’t know she was such a party girl..” Jessie scoffed.

The goalkeeper looked up from her phone and took a look at you on the dance floor and back at a slightly angry Jessie. “You jealous Fleming?” Zećira asked with a smug grin on her face.

“I’m not jealous, that girl just shouldn’t be touching her. Plus we’ve got training tomorrow.” Jessie answered, her eyes still on you.

The girl behind you was getting more handsy by the second and Jessie wasn’t having it. “And so what if i am?” the older girl grumbled under her breath.

“Then you should do something about it don’t you think grumpy?” Zećira told her.

Jessie took her advice and speed walked towards the heated dance floor. She was pushing through some of her teammates and finally made it towards you.. and that girl.

“She’s not really interested.” Jessie deadpanned.

The girl looked towards you but you just stood still, your cheeks getting even redder than they were before. Jessie was staring her down and she eventually left.

“I think you’re done for tonight mousey. I’ll get you home.” the brunette told you.

It wasn’t like you could argue with her, especially not in your state. You were way too scared to let any words out, in fear that you would say something embarrassing. Nodding your head she escorted you through the crowd and into her car.

“You’re gonna sit there while i’ll say goodbye to everyone.” she ordered you, pointing to her passenger seat. You looked at her with glossy eyes.

“Got it? Don’t do anything stupid please.” you nodded your head and she walked back to the bar.

You weren’t planning on doing anything stupid. It was just that her car horn looked so cool. You couldn’t just sit there and wait until she was back without pushing that button. So you got into her car seat and pushed the button.

You just didn’t expect her to be back so soon. Jessie opened the car door and looked at you. “What did i say mousey!” she grumbled.

“I’m sorry Jessie, i didn’t mean to it just looked so fun.” you pouted at her. She couldn’t be that mad at you right?

Jessie started the car and drove to her apartment. “Where are you taking me to Jessie?” you asked, your eyelids getting heavy.

“I’m driving us to my apartment so i can look after you. Hopefully you won’t do anything stupid this time.” she whispered the last part.

“Jessie jessie you are just like a little bear sometimes. You’re very sweet and soft an- I really like teddy bears so i really like you.” you rambled.

Jessie was intrigued. “Oh yeah? Tell me more, why do you like me mousey?” she asked curiously.

“You’re so nice to me and when you came up to me you were so sexy. You’re so beautiful and stunning and fit.” Jessie was enjoying this way too much. A smirk was appearing on her freckled face.

Jessie parked her black Mercedes. “Hmm, you’re cute.” she hummed.

“You really think so Jessiebear?” you mumbled.

“I really think so mousey.” Jessie said softly before carrying you inside.

[scoonsalicious]

1.2 Bucky

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader

Summary: Lily McIntire, trainer for new SHIELD recruits at the Avengers Tower, has been in love with her best friend, Bucky Barnes, from the moment she met him. She's been content with her role of the #1 girl in Bucky's life, even if it means she has to sabotage a romantic relationship or two. It'll be worth it when he realizes that they're meant for each other, right? There's just one small problem: Lily McIntire never expected Bucky Barnes to fall for You.

Warnings: (For this part only; see Story Masterlist for general Warnings) Language, mentions of alcohol consumption, some mild derogatory language against women, by women.

Word Count: 960

Previously On...: Natasha Romanoff invited you out to meet her single Avenger teammates. There's only one she warned you to stay away from...

A/N: For Bucky and Lily's POV sections, Major is referred to by name, and without use of you/your. It just made my life easier, lol.

NOTE! The tag list is a fickle bitch, so I'm not really going to be dealing with it anymore. If you want to be notified when new story parts drop, please follow @scoonsaliciousupdates

Thank you to all those who have been reading; if you like what you've read, likes, comments, and reblogs give me life, and I truly appreciate them, and you!

He clocked her the minute she walked through the door of the bar. How could he not? She was stunning, what with the way she carried herself as she moved through the room, the way her hips swayed as she walked. Bucky liked to think of himself as a gentleman, but just the sight of the unknown woman in front of him was inspiring decidedly ungentlemanly thoughts. 

He couldn’t believe his luck when she walked right up to Natasha, giving her a hug and joining her and Wanda at their table. His mind had been running, trying to come up with an excuse to approach her; he couldn’t believe he’d ended up with such an easy in. 

“Remember how we talked about staring, Tin Man?” Sam said, coming up alongside Bucky and noticing his distraction. “How some girls might find it downright creepy?”

Bucky ignored his friend’s jab at his expense. “Who’s that?” he asked, jutting his chin toward where the woman sat with his teammates.

Sam cocked his head, considering the girl who had captured his friend’s attention. “I think that’s Nat’s friend… (Y/N)--something. Nat said she might be joining us. Heard the girl was pretty, but damn!”

Bucky turned to look at his friend. “What do you mean, you ‘heard she was pretty’?” 

Sam shrugged. “Nothing. Just that Nat said she was inviting her pretty, single friend out with us tonight and maybe those of us without girlfriends might want to consider putting a little extra care into our appearance.”

Bucky glanced around at his friends– they did seem a bit more put together than usual, even Parker. But then he frowned. “How come Nat didn’t say anything about her to me?” He couldn’t help but feel slightly offended at being left out. Did Natasha not think he was good enough for her friend?

“Come on, man,” Sam said good naturedly, slapping Bucky on the back. “You may not have a girlfriend, but you sure as shit ain’t single!” 

Sam started laughing, but Bucky wasn’t sure he understood the joke. That happened a lot, unfortunately. There was so much about this time he just didn’t get, and he often found himself too embarrassed to ask for clarification. 

“What’s so funny, boys?” Bucky felt a small arm slink itself around his waist, and Lily was pressing herself into his side. He smiled down at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and squeezing her gently. He was never too embarrassed to ask Lily to explain the crazy ways of this modern world to him; she always approached his time-dysphoria, as they’d come to call it, with compassion and understanding. He was infinitely grateful to have her as a friend. One of his best.

“Exhibit A,” Sam said pointedly to Bucky. He turned to Lily. “Buck’s just curious about Nat’s new friend,” Sam said, a sly grin taking over his features. “What do you think, Lil? She’s hot, right?”

Bucky felt Lily stiffen beside him. “She’s alright, I guess,” Lily said after a minute of looking the woman over. “If you’re into that basic, skanky look.”

Bucky watched as Nat’s friend took off her leather jacket and draped it behind her chair. God, the skin of her back and shoulders looked so soft, he caught himself wondering what it would be like to run his fingers across it. “I think she’s gorgeous,” he found himself saying.

Lily looked up at him in surprise. “Really, Jamie? I have to admit, I’m surprised. I thought you had more refined taste than that.” She gave him a disgusted look before disengaging herself from his hold and walked back toward the pool table to line up her next shot.

“Yeah, Jamie,” Sam mocked once Lily had moved beyond earshot. “How dare you find the attractive girl attractive, you asshole!”

“Knock it off, Sam,” Bucky said, trying to ascertain why Lily would seem to have a problem with the way the woman looked. He thought she looked amazing. Easily one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen, in this, or any of his decades.

Sam chortled. “Man, you hate being called ‘Jamie.’ Why haven’t you asked her to knock it the fuck off by now?”

Bucky shrugged, putting thoughts of Lily’s words aside as he glanced at the woman sitting with Nat and Wanda again. “I dunno; she likes it, and it’s been four years already. Feels kinda weird correcting her on it, now.”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Yeah, cause God forbid your friends actually call you what you want to be called.”

When he didn’t respond right away, Sam looked over and caught Bucky staring at you. “Hello,” he said, waving a hand in front of Bucky’s face. “Earth to Barnes? You okay over there?”

“Yeah,” said Bucky, blushing at being called out. “It’s just… she’s really pretty, you know?”

Sam sighed. “Alright. Now, I was gonna make my own play, but seeing as it’s been a dog’s age since you got any action, I’m gonna be a good friend and be your wingman on this one.”

Bucky smiled and turned back to the high top, delighted to see the woman looking back at him, this time, the sweetest smile playing across her lips. “Thanks, Sam,” he said. 

Sam gently nudged him with his elbow. “Don’t mention it, pal. You know I can never say ‘no’ to a charity case.”

“Guys,” Lily called over to the two of them. “We’re starting a new game, come on.”

Bucky looked back, giving the pretty girl one more glance. Were her lips as kissable as they looked? He wondered. Get it together, Barnes, he chastised himself. You’re 106-years old, not a fucking teenager. 

But damn if she wasn’t making him feel like one tonight.

<- Previous Part / Next Part ->

[taexual]

sleepwalking ● 6 | jjk

pairing: jungkook x fem!reader

summary: due to unfortunate circumstances, you ended up managing your ex-boyfriend’s band. you thought you’ve both made peace with it, but suddenly he’s very eager to prove to you that first love never dies.

genre: rockstar!jungkook / exes to lovers

warnings: explicit language, mutual pining, SLOW BURN, mentions of smoking and other questionable decisions

words: 9.8k (🤐)

read from the beginning ○ masterlist

chapter 6 ► the fighting that i keep inviting could lead me to my grave

Two 4 AM trains in the span of 48 hours were more than you or Jungkook could handle, so both of you slept through nearly the entire nine-hour ride from Paris to Berlin. You only woke up for the transfer in Mannheim, but barely—hunger carried you both to the train station where you could buy warm pastries before going back to sleep.

By the time the two of you rejoined the band, you felt exhausted and disoriented. Although you didn’t regret the detour to Paris, you still struggled to imagine how Jungkook was going to manage to perform a show in Berlin tonight. You hoped the exhaustion from the trip would numb him down to just the right level of insanity that he’d be able to pull it off.

In any case, you sent him to get some sleep for a few hours before Rated Riot’s soundcheck, while you went to check up on the crew that you’d left unsupervised while you were in Paris.

Unsurprisingly, everything was under control: Seokjin kept a tight grip on the stage management crew—you probably wouldn’t have believed it if you hadn’t seen it time and time again, but someone who joked around at every chance he got still managed to have one of the strongest work ethics on tour—and Namjoon had kept the remaining members of Rated Riot busy.

If you hadn’t been exhausted to the point of confusion, you might have felt offended about how little you were needed here.

Half an hour later, Luna found you stumbling back into the tour bus.

“How was the wedding?” she asked straight away.

She wasn’t the type to conceal her eagerness when she was particularly curious about something—it was not even the wedding in this case, but your confrontation with Jungkook—but she still made sure to help you climb up the bus steps before you tumbled backwards and broke your neck.

You were far too tired to understand the expectations that hid behind her question, however, as you mumbled dejectedly, “I caught the bouquet.”

“You—” she began to say and then burst into laughter so unexpectedly that the roadie, who’d been unloading the stage equipment outside the bus, flinched in surprise. “You caught the bouquet! Of course, you caught the fucking bouquet.”

You wondered if you were too out of it to understand why this was so funny to her that she couldn’t stop laughing the entire ride to the venue, but you lacked the energy to ask.

“There was no ex,” you said as you glided towards your bunk while your amused friend stood back, covering up the sharp angles on your way with her hand. “Sid was just being an idiot. If I see him—well, I probably won’t do anything because I don’t know what the laws for assault are in Germany—are we in Germany? I’m so tired.”

Noticing your haphazard stream of thoughts, Luna pulled herself together and stopped laughing—but only for a short while—as she helped you reach your bunk.

“We are in Germany,” she confirmed. “Although I’m not sure where you are. How about you take a quick nap while the band does their soundcheck?”

“No, no. I have things to do now that I’m back. To make up for leaving.”

“Things are fine,” she assured you. You knew she was right, but your guilt was persistent. “Nothing fell apart while you were gone. The guys took care of themselves just fine. You’ve raised them well.”

You acknowledged the joke with a small, tired smile. That was good enough for Luna, who was starting to get worried your condition would require medical attention, considering how adamantly you were resisting her attempts to sit you down in your bunk—despite looking like you may fall asleep standing up.

“Are you sure?” you asked again.

“I am,” she said. “Sleep, okay? We’ll be fine.”

Somewhere deep in your exhausted subconsciousness, you realised how unprofessional it would be to take a nap while the band you managed went to the soundcheck on their own. But your eyes were closing without your say so, and you hardly could have helped anyone in a state like this anyway.

When you woke up several hours later, Rated Riot were doing their Meet & Greet according to schedule, and you felt much better—or, at least, good enough to return to your regular duties. You grabbed a Snickers bar from the mini-fridge, and then went out of the bus and into the venue.

As it turned out, it was only the stage management crew and the producers who had kept things in control; they were the ones who hadn’t noticed your absence. Unfortunately, everyone else had.

Luna was kind when she told you that nothing fell apart while you were gone.

Some things wobbled, and there were several rushed phone calls you had to make to fix it—namely, to make up for one of the interviews that Rated Riot missed because they were doing another interview, which wasn’t initially scheduled— but you were grateful for all of it. The sudden rush of adrenaline completely woke you up.

Meanwhile, Jungkook was doing jumping jacks in the changing room to keep himself awake after he managed to survive the Meet & Greet. It wasn’t terrible—it was, actually, very inspiring as these events tended to be—but he couldn’t stop apologising to the fans for his incessant yawning. It just wasn’t right. He was better than that—the fans deserved his complete presence.

The other Rated Riot members were getting snacks at the buffet on the first floor; they planned to go exploring Berlin for an hour or two before the show. Aware of that, Sid, Jude, and Minjun found their way into the changing room.

Their arrival stopped Jungkook’s exercise before they even announced their entrance. For a minute, the four of them regarded each other in complete silence.

Even Jude was quiet this time. As it turned out, his earlier sneezing was a lesser-known withdrawal symptom that one night out in the city seemed to fix—at least that’s what he informed everyone in the group chat. Jungkook wanted to know nothing about it; he rarely drew lines with his friends, but he drew one here. His preferred method of intoxication had always been alcohol and cigarettes, he never needed more thrills.

“Well!” Jungkook finally exclaimed. “If it isn’t my four-thousand dollars.”

Even if his friends hadn’t seen you two leave together the other day, everyone travelling with Rated Riot was aware that the manager of the band was going to be gone for a day, because she was taking a trip to Paris with Jungkook.

Sid mumbled something incoherent while Jude shook his head, and Minjun just stood there, hands in his pockets. He was the one who spoke up first, glancing between the three other boys.

“It seems like he won fair and square,” he said to Sid and Jude, both of whom appeared to be looking for loopholes. “I see no appeals.”

“That’s right,” Jungkook declared. “I did win fair. Even though some of you tried to play dirty.”

He only glanced at Sid as he said this—the insinuation obvious enough—but his friend reacted like he’d been shot.

“I didn’t even say anything to her!” he defended. Jungkook couldn’t help a knowing grin—he hadn’t even said anything about Sid talking to you. Irritably, Sid continued, “and how did you even win, exactly? We bet on a date, not a—whatever the fuck you two did.”

“We went on a date,” Jungkook said again, taking pride in his calm tone and the way it seemed to cause steam to come out of Sid’s ears. “To a wedding. Do I get an extra $500 for how romantic that is?”

Really, he didn’t care about the extra money. He cared about Sid’s reaction—and it was satisfying. The older boy rolled his eyes and kept toying with his hands: crossing, then uncrossing them, stuffing them in his pockets, then resting them on the back of a chair in front of him.

Finally, he said, “you went as friends.”

“She was my date,” Jungkook reiterated. “That’s how weddings work. You don’t bring friends, you bring dates.”

“That’s not—” Jude tried to interject, but Sid extended a dangerous hand and cut him off with this gesture alone.

“Did you kiss her at the end of this date?” he asked, the last word sounding more like a synonym for a massacre than a romantic night out on his lips.

Jungkook frowned at him. “How is that relevant to the bet?”

“It’s the most important part. That’s the one thing that separates your—your outing from actual dates.”

Jungkook swallowed and looked at his other friends. Jude seemed distracted, not paying much attention to the conversation at all, while Minjun just appeared uncomfortable like he had the first time he found out about the bet. Neither of them jumped to his side or even offered a sympathetic nod.

“That wasn’t what we talked about when we agreed to the bet,” Jungkook said. His voice lacked certainty and Sid picked up on it immediately.

“That’s literally how dates go,” he said and broke off into a leisurely stroll around the changing room. His previous resentment had long but faded as he explained, “you spend time together, you talk, whatever—then you kiss.”

“Sid, my man,” Minjun waited until Sid stopped walking, then patted him on the back, mocking comfort. “This reasoning is not on your side at all.”

“Yeah,” Jude agreed, snorting. “By this logic, you’ve never been on a single date in your whole life.”

Sid pushed his tongue into his cheek in annoyance, and even Jungkook grinned as the two boys high-fived over Sid’s head.

“It was a date,” Jungkook repeated once more. “Stop looking for ways out of it and go get my money.”

Jude pushed his hand into his back pocket where he kept his wallet—this didn’t seem to faze him much; for someone who had an abundance of it, this was just money—but Sid extended his hand again, signalling for him to stop. Clearly, it wasn’t just money for him. It was a matter of pride.

“Dude, you have got to stop doing that,” Jude said as Sid’s arm smacked him on the chest. “I’m not a fucking dog.”

Ignoring him, Sid narrowed his eyes at Jungkook. “You went to that wedding as friends and you know it.”

“Actually, thanks to you, I barely went to that wedding at all,” Jungkook shot back. He took one step closer to Sid with each sentence that followed, “but I did. And I took her as my date. Just like I said I would. So, pay up.”

By the time he finished speaking, he was right in front of him—and, therefore, had the best seats in the house to witness Sid actually hesitate, likely for the first time in his life.

Still, Sid clicked his tongue and said, “I don’t think so.”

Throwing his head back with a groan, Jungkook placed his hands on his hips.

“Sounds like you’re too idiotic to admit you lost,” he said. “Now what?”

He’d meant the question for the rest of his friends, but it was Sid who needed less than two seconds to offer a solution.

“We’ll use a referee,” he said, turning around. “Minjun?”

Clearly not having expected to be assigned this role, Minjun opened his mouth in surprise, then closed it again.

“What—why do I have to referee?” he asked after a moment. “I wasn’t even there when you made the bet.”

“That’s exactly why,” Sid said. “Jungkook, Jude and I are involved. You’re the only one who can be impartial.”

Jungkook didn’t protest; he didn’t see the point. Minjun was more level-headed than Sid, so he liked those odds. Not to mention, he’d always had a different friendship with Minjun, one that actually felt like a friendship. So, he only shrugged when Minjun glanced at him as if asking if he agreed with this.

Noticing this, Sid wondered, for a split-second, if Minjun really could be as impartial as he thought he’d be (and he’d thought that, of course, Minjun would swing more in his direction—all of Sid’s friends did, that’s why they were his friends).

“Fine,” Minjun decided, making his way to the middle of the changing room. “Sit down. Tell us about the date.”

All three of them obediently relocated to the couch. Jungkook had to sit on the armrest because Sid and Jude took up the entirety of the loveseat with their exceptional talent at manspreading.

“What else do you want me to say?” he asked. “I already told you everything.”

“That was barely anything,” Sid protested next to him.

Jungkook was about to argue back, but Minjun spoke first, “Sid’s right. I need to know more details so I can make an informed decision.”

Jungkook didn’t know if that was fair—he’d taken you out on a date, he’d won—and he didn’t want to share anything else with them. This seemed like Sid’s way to rile him up even more, and the rest of his friends played along with it.

“We went to a wedding,” he said.

“You already said that,” Minjun pointed out.

“Okay,” Jungkook clenched his jaw. Then added, “we took a train to get there.”

“Fuck’s sake,” Jude was the one who got annoyed first as he groaned and locked his hands behind his head. “If that’s all you did, you definitely didn’t go to that wedding as dates. You barely went as friends, my man.”

Offended, Jungkook shuffled in his seat, trying to throw one leg over the other, but nearly losing his balance on the armrest as he did. He settled back into his previous stoic position.

“That’s—that’s not all we did,” he said awkwardly.

“Okay, so what else?” Minjun encouraged. “Did you talk?”

“No, we mimed to make it more fun,” he deadpanned. “Of course, we fucking talked. We talked the whole time on the train.”

Ignoring his wit, Minjun gave a thoughtful nod. “Okay. So, that’s what? Fifteen hours of non-stop talking? That’s a point for Jungkook.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Sid immediately perked up, leaning forward with so much force that he nearly knocked Jungkook off the armrest. “But how do we know he’s not lying to us?”

Jungkook thought he might start throwing things. He wasn’t sure how he felt about whatever this was, but it sure reminded him of an interrogation, and he couldn’t help feeling defensive—to the point of physical violence if that’s what it took. But Minjun took his role as a referee very seriously.

“Because I have to pry information about this date out of him,” he said. Sid leaned back in his seat, smacking his lips in resignation. Minjun added, this time throwing a warning look at Jungkook, “and because if he says something I have a hard time believing, I’ll go straight to the other source.”

Jungkook widened his eyes, near-frantic. “You can’t ask her. She’ll kick me out of the band. She’ll never fucking speak to me again!”

Unsure which consequence Jungkook was more afraid of, Minjun nodded and said, gentler now, “then don’t lie.”

“I haven’t lied once,” he argued, picking up a decorative pillow off the floor—it must have fallen there when the two boys sat down on the couch—and tossing it at Sid, who caught it before it hit his face. “Your distrustful ass needs to shut up and quit whining. You fucking lost.”

“I didn’t fucking—”

“Focus,” Minjun said firmly—like a teacher, trying to discipline unruly kindergartners. “Jungkook. What did you talk about? How many mentions of your feelings for each other?”

Jungkook closed his eyes at the question, pushing his chin forward, an expression of blatant disbelief on his face.

“How many mentions of—what the fuck?” he spoke, unable to repeat the question without scoffing. He opened his eyes to look at each one of his friends. “Have any of you ever been on a real date?”

“I’d be on one right now if we weren’t holding court about a fucking bet,” Jude mumbled, his stare vacant as he clearly shifted in and out of focus on this conversation.

“I take it no mentions, then,” Minjun concluded.

“Of course, no mentions,” Jungkook groaned, throwing his hands in the air. “Who the fuck—”

“1-1,” Minjun declared, cutting him off. Cursing under his breath at the ridiculous, almost unrealistic turn that this bet had taken, Jungkook pushed himself deeper into the armrest, his side purposefully digging into Sid’s. Minjun asked, “how much time did you spend together—just the two of you—excluding the time on the train?”

“Wh—okay,” the vocalist inhaled, figuring he’d have to actually answer this one or else his friend would vote in Sid’s favour again. “We took a cab to the wedding. And walked around the Champs-Elysées.”

“Good, good,” Minjun nodded. “Was there any sort of—"

“Wait,” Jungkook stopped him, “don’t I get a point for that?”

“For what?” Sid interjected. “Walking down the street with her?”

“It wasn’t a fucking—”

“You get half a point,” Minjun said. “Now was there any sort of physical touching? Any hugs? Embraces?”

Again, Jungkook was forced to give his friends questioning looks. He felt incredulous—not just because it was starting to seem likely that he’d lose the bet, but also because they were forcing him to share the parts of his life that he’d never shared with anyone other than you before.

“You’re exploiting the shit out of me right now,” he said.

Minjun groaned and proceeded to curse as he spun around his axis, finally losing patience—not with Jungkook per se. He was just tired of being the middleman in a very stupid, childish game.

“We’re literally trying to find out if you were on a date or not,” he said louder. “Why is it so hard for you to just answer the questions and get this over with?”

“Because it’s my fucking business!” Jungkook snapped, jumping to his feet. “We never agreed that I’d have to share any details about the date. Just the fact that there even was a date was supposed to be enough.”

“But we don’t know if there was a date,” Sid argued—in every way that Jungkook appeared agitated right now, Sid came off as victorious. He knew this wasn’t looking good for Jungkook. “That’s the whole point.”

“Why the fuck would I take her to Paris,” he demanded, aware that he was yelling now, “if not for a fucking date?!”

“Because you’re in love with her,” Sid shot back. The relative calmness of his voice in comparison to his only pissed Jungkook off more.

Both of them were standing now, but Sid, who was only taller by a few centimetres, somehow always had the upper hand—not just in this conversation, but in their friendship, too.

In barely fifteen minutes, the tables had turned completely, and Jungkook was the one losing control of himself.

“That has nothing to do with—oh my God,” he covered his face with his hands and turned his back to his friends, giving up. “Okay. Fine. I can’t do this shit.”

“So, you admit defeat?” Sid asked—Jungkook could hear the grin on his friend’s face without looking at him.

“I admit nothing,” he grumbled.

“If you can’t prove it was a date, you lose.”

Turning around to look at him, Jungkook shrugged with exaggerated intensity as he asked through a humourless laugh, “how would I prove it? Everything I say sounds like a joke to you three.”

“I wasn’t laughing,” Jude spoke up suddenly—another return to the home planet—and then mumbled, “you’re not very funny.”

“I wasn’t trying to be—” Jungkook stopped and inhaled sharply. He’d grown tired of playing this courtroom drama with the three of them. “Alright. I need to get ready for the show.”

All three of his friends understood the subtle indication that Jungkook was kicking them out of the changing room—Minjun turned towards the door and Jude stood up from the couch. But Sid stood still.

“The keys,” he said.

Jungkook frowned. “What?”

“Hand over the keys.”

Clenching his jaw, Jungkook kept eye contact with him for a minute before saying firmly, “I’m not handing you anything.”

“You lost the bet,” Sid said—his voice gaining a dangerous edge now that Jungkook wasn’t complying. “The Katana is mine.”

Jungkook pursed his lips as he continued to stare defiantly into his friend’s eyes.

“If I can’t prove it was a date,” he said, “then you can’t prove it wasn’t.”

The two of them watched each other for another minute until Sid licked his lips and nodded, signalling that—for once—he agreed to disagree.

“Alright,” he said, looking around the room. Jungkook did not feel relief. He felt tension. “I see how it is. How about we adjust the conditions of the bet, then?”

Even though he was sure he didn’t want to know, Jungkook still asked, “what does that mean?”

“If you manage to get back together with her,” Sid proposed, “we’ll all pay you $5000 each.”

Just as Jungkook lifted his eyebrows, Minjun furrowed his, declaring right away, “don’t include me in your shit.”

“Fine,” Sid agreed. Then clarified to Jungkook, “Jude and I will pay you $5000 each.”

It took Jude a moment to react, and he, too, tried to back out of this. “I don’t think I—”

“You were in the original bet,” Sid said, shooting a warning look his way, “you can’t get out now.”

Jude wasn’t very pleased with having to go through this again—even if the first bet didn’t, technically, cost him anything. He relented, though, because he always did, “fine, you bitch.”

Sid looked back at Jungkook, waiting for his response.

Aware of the predicament that he’d found himself in—or, rather, that Sid had manipulated him in—Jungkook crossed his arms on his chest and took his time before speaking up.

“And if I disagree?” he asked.

“Well, you have two options here,” Sid said, “either you give the keys to me because you lost the previous bet, or you hand the keys over to Minjun, our impartial referee, while I wait for you to lose this updated bet.”

Minjun rolled his eyes again, annoyed that he still couldn’t escape being involved in Sid’s game.

Jungkook, on the other hand, needed another minute. He’d definitely prefer to give Minjun the keys—just because he knew Minjun might give them back to him.

“So, just to be clear,” Jungkook started slowly, “you’re saying that if I get back together with her, I’m keeping the Katana and getting 10K?”

“Yes,” Sid confirmed. “And if you don’t, the bike’s ours. We’ll find good use for it. How does that sound?”

Like signing your soul over for the devil, that’s how it sounded.

Jungkook shook his head. A date was a date, he thought you would find a way to let that slide if you accidentally found out. But his relationship with you wasn’t for sale.

“I don’t think so,” he said.

Sid took it well, merely shrugging as he extended his hand, palm up. “Well, then hand over the keys.”

Agitated again, Jungkook smacked his palm against Sid’s. “Get out of here. I’m not fucking—”

“You lost the bet,” Sid repeated, enunciating each word so loudly, it cut Jungkook off. “The Katana is fucking mine, I’m just generous enough to give you another chance to win it back.”

“It’s not fucking yours.”

“He’s right,” Jude spoke up again—very unhappy that he was only remembered when the topic turned to him paying. “It’s technically ours.”

“It’s mine,” Jungkook said, taking a moment to look at both, Sid and Jude, as he repeated, “I didn’t lose.”

“Then you have no choice,” Sid concluded. “The bet is ongoing.”

“How is it ongoing?” he argued. “It’s one thing to go on a date—”

“Which you didn’t,” Sid interjected.

“—which I did,” Jungkook countered, his eyes burning with a flame so angry, it was almost a miracle Sid didn’t immediately catch fire. “But you’re suggesting a completely different thing now. Starting a relationship is not the same. Especially if it’s a relationship with someone you already dated before.”

“I know,” Sid said, seemingly unbothered. Jungkook wondered why, because his friend didn’t look pleased, either. He didn’t look like he’d tricked him, like he knew he’d win for sure.

Clearly then, Sid had to think that the odds of winning this bet were, more or less, equal for both of them. That had to mean that a part of him believed that Jungkook could really get back together with you.

Consequently, Jungkook realised that Sid wasn’t, really, suggesting anything at all. He was simply telling him that this was how it was going to be from now on.

“I can’t do that just randomly,” he said. “I can’t just approach her and ask her this. It’s—”

“Two weeks,” Sid said. “That enough for you?”

Jungkook swallowed.

Even though he wanted this, he knew that attempting to get back together with you now could jeopardize everything that you’ve done in the past two years as Rated Riot’s manager. Jungkook didn’t think he wanted to burn down the same bridges that the two of you had built back from the ground up.

That being said, there was a glimmer of hope—very obscure, barely there, not even visible, really, just faintly humming somewhere about his chest—that you would get back together, and his reward wouldn’t just be $10 000.

It’d also be a future with you; the very same one that he could sense in Paris.

He knew he didn’t need a bet to bring this future to the present. If anything, the bet might hinder the progress of your relationship. But if there was a possibility that he’d get everything: you, his bike, and the defeat of Sid; if there was a possibility that, for once, the idiot would lose and all of his shit-talking would come back to make him miserable… Jungkook was on the edge of considering it.

Smirking as the younger boy bit his lip in anxious contemplation, Sid looked at the other two guys in the room and announced cheerfully, “you’re actually doubting this!”

“I’m not doubting the time frame,” Jungkook said. “I’m doubting if you’ll keep your end of the deal since you’re very much fucking me over right now.”

Sid rolled his eyes.

“We can write the conditions down and have Minjun stamp it if that makes you feel better,” he said.

Minjun—the designated lawyer, apparently—groaned, but did not audibly object. This wasn’t a conversation involving him—it barely involved Jude, who was, technically, part of the bet—so he stood back and watched the face-off on the sidelines.

“Stamp it with what?” Jungkook asked, finding this excessive. “Our blood?”

“Anything that makes you feel better.”

Jungkook brought his tongue over his teeth as he thought this over.

He couldn’t do this.

But how could he not? If he gave his bike up now, if he dropped out of the bet, Sid would be free to find you and tell you about it—acting like he didn’t mean it. Like he was just showing off the bike that Jungkook gave him, and the bet simply came up. And then, not only would Jungkook lose his Katana, but he’d definitely lose you, too.

No, he had to be the one who told you about this in hopes that, once your initial anger faded, you would cooperate with him. Not for the Katana, but to make Sid fail. And maybe that could be what brought you together, what made you stay together even after the bet ended.

It’s the only way he could win.

Sighing, he asked. “What are the conditions?”

“First of all,” Sid started—glancing at Minjun who pulled his phone out to write it down. iPhones seemed more formal than bar napkins and Jungkook bit his lip, realising this was serious as Sid dictated the rules, “you both have to be aware that you’re back together.”

“That’s already a given.”

“Not with you it isn’t, you sneaky shit,” Sid disagreed, the seemingly innocent smile on his face concealing his anger about not having gotten his way with the first bet.

“Fine,” Jungkook agreed and immediately offered his own condition, “then you can’t talk to her about the bet or attempt to ruin this for me. Just sit back and wait until it’s over.”

Sid considered this. “Alright. But you can’t tell her anything, either. If I find out that the two of you plotted against me, the deal’s off and the bike is mine.”

Jungkook was the one who needed a minute this time.

Obviously, Sid had single-handedly ruined a plan that, Jungkook now realised, wasn’t very well-developed to begin with. But Sid’s satisfied mug pushed him to clench his jaw and agree anyway.

“Fine,” he settled. “I won’t tell her anything.”

It could still be okay, he hoped. He would just have to find a different way.

Perhaps, he thought suddenly, he could drag this out long enough that Sid would forget about it. Even two weeks could be plenty if enough happened to distract him—or if Jungkook stopped talking about it altogether.

Both boys looked over at Minjun, who typed for two more seconds, then looked up at each of them and nodded.

“The keys,” Sid reminded Jungkook.

Groaning, he pulled them out and passed them over to Minjun who had the decency to look apologetic as he took them from him.

“So,” Sid continued then, grinning mischievously as he extended his hand. “Do we shake on it?”

Jungkook knew he had a big head when it came to talking about this, but he also knew that actually making this happen would be a true challenge. He wasn’t sure if he could do this. He was sure he didn’t want to do this.

But if he succeeded—fuck—he’d get you back. There was hardly anything else in this world he would still want. Maybe a nice meal every now and then, but he’d make do with dry ramen noodles until the end of his days if he had to.

Fuck.

He liked his odds; the date at Kihyun’s wedding went well, after all. But Jungkook could also recall—very vividly—you telling him that you didn’t believe in second chances. Not to mention, you’d been very explicit when you’d asked him not to lie to you again.

Fuck.

“You’re sure taking your sweet time,” Sid teased, his hand still hanging in the air. “Not so sure of yourself anymore?”

It had to get worse before it got better, Jungkook told himself.

He had to agree to this, first of all, to find a way out. Then, he had to win to turn this bet into a distant memory with minimal consequences, to make it almost like it never even happened before—without you knowing, without him losing his bike, without Sid fucking winning.

And, most importantly, through this, he had to find his way back to you.

“Oh, I’m sure,” he lied—he did it well and he could tell, based on the way Sid narrowed his eyes when Jungkook’s palm touched his. “You’re fucking pitiful. But I’m still going to win this.”

Jungkook was worried he’d have a hard time performing after agreeing to the bet, but the concert in Berlin, surprisingly, worked as a distraction.

He sensed the irony: once, he’d used the bet to distract him from the anxiety of the tour. Now he had to perform in order to distract himself from the bet.

Still, once the show finished, Minjun saw the vacancy behind Jungkook’s eyes, and it unsettled him. Wanting to take his friend’s mind off this, he suggested getting drinks once the bus arrived in Copenhagen.

Jungkook took that to assume it’d only be the two of them going out, leaving Sid and Jude to occupy themselves with something else, and he didn’t mind that at all.

But this was where unforeseen circumstances altered their plans.

While the band was having after-show drinks backstage in Berlin, the crew dismantled the stage set: several bars of batten were dropped, causing minor injuries for the staff members in charge of the deconstruction. They didn’t need medical attention, thankfully, but the equipment had been broken—decorative light fixtures with Rated Riot’s logo that were supported on the battens had shattered and the metal pipe constructions had come apart.

You were informed that it would take approximately two hours to salvage what was fixable and load the equipment back onto the buses before you could leave for Copenhagen. Naturally, you were concerned about the state of the staff—if they could even drive after this—but they assured you they were fine. Still, you insisted they rested after having reassembled the equipment and assessed the damage.

Finally, everyone settled on leaving Berlin at five or six in the morning—that gave you, at least, five more hours in the city.

While this might turn out to be a logistical challenge for you and the rest of the roadies, it was an opportunity for Minjun, who immediately pulled Jungkook outside, already looking up the closest bars.

“No time like the present,” he’d said after Jungkook questioned what happened to getting drinks in Denmark. “We grab something here, get some sleep, and then grab something else once we arrive.”

Most unfortunately, Sid and Jude also saw this as an opportunity to get drunk, and did not hesitate to invite themselves to join the other two boys.

Technically, Jungkook and Minjun didn’t even realise that they weren’t the only ones entering the bar until Sid ordered them to get a table while he and Jude went to get drinks.

They were always the ones who picked the drinks for the night, and, for the first time in his life, Jungkook felt a little concerned—Sid and Jude always, without a fail, chose the drinks with the highest alcohol concentration.

“Why do you care?” Minjun asked as the two of them settled in the booth of the bar. “You’ve only passed out drunk, maybe, three times in your whole life.”

“I haven’t slept properly in two days,” Jungkook said. “So the fourth time might be tonight. And if that happens—”

“Don’t worry. I’ll personally carry you home,” Minjun replied. “I’m not getting your girl involved.”

“What girl?” Sid asked, returning with a tray. The question was unnecessary, really; he was already grinning anyway. “Last time I checked, she wanted nothing to do with you and only went to Paris with you out of—”

“One more word about it,” Jungkook said, “and I’m leaving you stranded in Germany.”

“Sensitive,” Sid commented and sat down next to him while Jude climbed into the booth next to Minjun. “Alright. Let’s get you loosened up, you’re awfully uptight.”

Minjun noticed that whatever Jungkook prepared to respond with wasn’t going to be pretty. He wanted to avoid confrontation and pushed the highball glass towards him.

While Jungkook drank, Minjun made sure to shift the topic: staying close enough to the bet so that Sid would remain entertained, but making sure to drift away from you, so Jungkook wouldn’t be triggered, either.

“How’s the engine on your Katana?” he asked. “All good?”

The question seemed innocent enough, but Jungkook saw through this plan as he swallowed his drink. He gave his friend a look—Minjun wasn’t sure if it was grateful or just confused—as he put his glass down and wiped his mouth with the back of his palm.

“It’s fine,” he said. “The oil’s leaking, though. I still don’t know why.”

“The gasket has worn out, probably,” Jude offered right away. If he didn’t have a trust fund bigger than ideas what to do with it, he might have genuinely considered becoming a mechanic.

“It couldn’t have,” Jungkook said. “I just changed it.”

“Did you change all the plugs, too?” Sid asked. He could tell from the look in Jungkook’s eyes as he took another sip instead of answering that he hadn’t. “You don’t know how to take care of it properly. I told you that you should have let me look at it. It’s why I’m going to be—”

“You break everything you touch,” Jude accused before Sid could elaborate further. “Let me take a look at it when we get back.”

Jungkook’s three friends – although significantly wealthier than he was – had always had a soft spot for anything that had wheels. It started out with tuning their bikes when they were fifteen and turned into purchasing their own vehicles when they got older: which meant Sid, Jude, and Minjun getting their first cars at seventeen, and Jungkook purchasing his Katana as soon as he made enough money for it. Minjun had known this when he asked the question that started the conversation.

And so, for the next hour and a half, the four of them immersed themselves in a discussion about Jungkook’s Katana, Sid’s vast collection of chevies (nevermind that he’d inherited the first Chevrolet from his grandfather, and the rest were gifted to him by his parents), and Jude’s latest hobby: restoring his 2002 Nissan Skyline after he’d wrecked it drag-racing.

“See, I knew no one should let you drive,” Sid said—he’d already had five drinks at that point and was, therefore, rocking gently in his seat.

“You’re one to fucking talk” Jude heated up, equally as drunk. “You can’t tell the wheel from your ass.”

Jungkook snickered as he sipped his drink.

Minjun took over the argument, “you’re both shit, actually. As far as I remember, Jungkook and I won most of our races. But I was driving in all of them, of course.”

Here, Jungkook raised his head, his eyebrows furrowed in offence.

“Not true,” he said indignantly. “I was driving at least once when we won.”

Minjun gave him a look. “You crashed into a wall that time.”

“We still won, though.”

“Because Sid dented someone’s fence and lost a tire a minute before you!”

“Still,” Jungkook said with a pout that he was not aware of. Then, he added a very important, “I’m not that bad of a driver.”

There was irony in Minjun’s laugh as he shook his head and began to list off the consequences of their win, “both of us had whiplash. The car was totalled. Your girlfriend nearly left you.”

Jungkook put his glass down with more force than intended—any mention of you sent a signal into his subconsciousness, as it seemed. “Okay, that’s—that’s a different thing.”

“How is that a different thing?” Minjun did not relent. “You’d even named the car after her.”

“Are you implying I crashed it because I’d named it after her?”

“I’m saying if you can’t drive a car you named after your girl, then how can you—”

“You know what?” Sid cut in, growing bored. He pulled his phone out and nearly dropped it as he smacked his elbow into the edge of the table. Hissing in pain, he lifted his phone off the settee and clutched his arm, “fucking shit. God. We need a new race to settle it. You and Minjun wouldn’t be on the same team for once. You think we could rent out cars here?”

He was already browsing on his phone when Minjun snorted. “Definitely not at four in the morning.”

“We could do it tomorrow,” Jude suggested. Sid nodded right away. Jude pointed his glass at his friend’s phone and said, “look up rental places in Denmark.”

If Jungkook wasn’t so tired—and the two Manhattans he’d consumed didn’t help, either—he would have been surprised that Jude knew his European countries well enough to recognize Copenhagen as the capital of Denmark. Instead, he pulled his own phone out of his pocket.

“Actually,” he said then. “Maybe we should go. The bar closes soon, and we have to get back to the bus.”

Sid lifted his eyebrows and looked at his friends for support—Jude was already gathering his belongings, and Minjun was already halfway out of the booth, too.

“Wow,” Sid said, despite being the only one who had a problem with Jungkook’s statement. “What’d she do to you? You’re no fun.”

“I agree with him,” Minjun cut in before Jungkook could say—or throw, as he clutched his empty glass—anything else. “We should go.”

Rolling his eyes and grunting about how boring everyone had gotten in Europe, Sid pushed past them to exit the booth and headed to the bathroom before they left. Minjun made him swear not to drink anything else on his way back, and the rest of the boys went outside to wait.

Meanwhile, you had been busy helping the roadies out—before they politely escorted you outside, claiming that they were stressed out by the endless phone calls you were getting from the label after they heard of the problems with the stage set—so you hadn’t seen Jungkook leave with his friends.

But Maggie—friend, tour photographer, social drinker with an alcohol tolerance that could have knocked Jungkook out—had spotted them. And it gave her a wonderful idea the second she saw you lingering by the exit of the venue.

“Since we’re stuck in Berlin,” she had announced to you, “let’s do something with it.”

It had sounded like a suggestion only for a second—immediately after she said it, she grabbed your hand and pulled you after herself to find Luna. It wouldn’t have been a proper night out if the three of you weren’t together.

Not many bars were still open at nearly four in the morning, but Maggie seemed to have a radar—the three of you were in a booth at the very back of some half-deserted pub before the remaining 20% of your phone battery could run out.

“I don’t think I should have left, to be honest,” you said, your hand hesitating around the cocktail glass that Maggie had ordered for you as soon as you walked inside. “We were having kind of a crisis back there.”

“You weren’t doing anything,” Maggie replied. She was sitting next to you and leaned over to pat your back in a comforting manner as she admitted, “I overheard Otto call Seokjin to come pick you up and get you out of there.”

Otto was one of the roadies and Seokjin’s right hand backstage. You didn’t know he initiated your removal from the venue, and you didn’t particularly like being excluded when you thought you could have been helpful. Clearly, the stage management team thought otherwise.

“I’m with Maggie,” Luna said; she knew you’d expect her to back you up, so she spoke before you could. “If something happens, you can still go back. A few drinks won’t hurt.”

“Yeah, and besides,” Maggie raised her glass, “if the boys get to drink, we should, too.”

The two girls laughed at this, clinking their glasses—it seemed like an appropriate toast—but you needed another minute in your managerial role before you could fully detach yourself.

“What do you mean?” you asked. “Who’s drinking?”

You directed your attention at Luna—your gaze inquiring about her boyfriend’s whereabouts—and she swallowed her drink before speaking. “I don’t know. Taehyung is asleep on the bus.”

“It’s Jungkook,” Maggie answered you. “I saw him leave with his friends.”

You closed your eyes, realising that you should have expected this.

Everything seemed to have been decided for you – you weren’t required back at the venue and you couldn’t, exactly, stumble around the streets of Berlin in search of Jungkook and his friends, either.

If anything, you were required here as your friends watched you expectantly.

They were right, really. A few drinks weren’t going to be a problem if you’d get a call (that is, if your phone wouldn’t die until then). And you were tired, anyway—to the point where sleep evaded you sometimes, just because you craved it so much. Alcohol might even help in this case.

However, as soon as you finally tasted the cocktail in your glass, you heard someone clear their throat behind you. You glanced at your friends first—they were either lifting their eyebrows (in Maggie’s case) or rolling their eyes (in Luna’s)—then you swallowed and turned around.

“What a coincidence!” Sid exclaimed when your eyes met.

A part of you—a dark impulse that you didn’t try particularly hard to control—wanted to toss your remaining drink right at him; like holy water at a possessed child. Begone, demon.

Before you could react, however, Jungkook rushed into the bar from outside. You merely had enough time to grasp what was happening—the bar that Maggie had picked happened to be the same one that Jungkook and his friends had been drinking in—before Jungkook pulled on Sid’s shoulder, forcefully dragging him away from you.

“He was just leaving,” he said briskly.

Sid tried to resist, but Jungkook had more strength—and far more determination. “I wasn’t. I’m actually—”

“He’s leaving,” Jungkook repeated with a strictness in his voice that you weren’t sure you’d heard before.

“What are you even doing here?” Sid whined at his friend as he was tossed to a side that was furthest away from you. “I thought you were waiting outside.”

“You took too long,” Jungkook mumbled. “Go.”

Sid groaned, but allowed the younger boy to literally drag him away. Once Minjun was close enough, he took over and grabbed the side of Sid’s jacket, pushing him through the door of the bar.

Jungkook looked back at you and gave you a small nod—as though encouraging you to stay with your friends instead of going after him to check up on him. You nodded back, thus allowing him to walk outside after Sid.

Jungkook was fuming.

Things had been going well tonight; he’d actually had a nice night with his friends and even forgot that these were the same people who pushed him into this bet.

But then he was forced to watch—in horror—as Sid approached you back at the bar, and he remembered everything.

So, while Sid pushed Minjun off of himself, Jungkook snarled, “I thought it was clear that you can’t fucking talk to her.”

Sid only shrugged and pulled out a cigarette from a pack inside his jacket pocket. “I just went over to say hi.”

“Don’t.”

Sid rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t going to mention the bet,” he spoke and offered cigarettes to Jude and Minjun first, then to Jungkook. All three of them took one each. Sid lit his up and continued, “you can’t forbid me from talking to her altogether.”

“Actually, I can,” Jungkook replied, still irritated that he hadn’t been there—once again—to stop Sid from approaching you. “And that’s exactly what I’m doing now.”

Despite the argument, Jungkook took Sid’s lighter when he offered it to him. In doing so, he realised that the paradox of this situation summarised their friendship fairly well. It had always been like this between him and Sid: constantly bantering and arguing, but staying friends, nevertheless.

“Why?” Sid asked with a grin, perpetually amused by Jungkook’s protectiveness. He blew smoke out and asked, “scared I’ll steal her from you?”

Jude and Minjun snorted in unison. The mocking sound took Sid’s attention off Jungkook as he glowered at them.

“You’re drunker than I thought,” Minjun commented, bolder than Jude was under Sid’s glare.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Sid challenged. “You all know I’m one of a fucking kind.”

Now Jude and Minjun were nearly howling with laughter, and even Jungkook couldn’t resist smirking. Meanwhile, Sid’s frown deepened. He liked to tease others; he didn’t like to be teased—never mind that he was setting himself up for mockery.

“You’re not shit,” Jude retorted, too drunk to come up with a wittier comeback. “She would never go for you.”

“No, he had a point,” Jungkook said. “She’s never hated anyone for as long as I’ve known her. Except for him.” He turned to Sid with a derisive grin. “So, you really are one of a kind.”

“Oh, I see,” Sid laughed humourlessly. He took another drag and then said to Jungkook—not even blinking as he watched him, “tonight was fun. But it’s going to get even better once you lose the bet.”

Jungkook remained apathetic as he removed the cigarette from his lips. “I won’t.”

“You will,” Sid insisted. His intense staring was an intimidation tactic that Jungkook had already grown accustomed to. He did not twitch or back away when Sid leaned in closer. “And you know why? Because you’re in love with her.”

This time, he wasn’t going to argue otherwise. Sid had used this as a weapon, he meant to ridicule him with it. But Jungkook—in this tipsy and tired state—realised that his self-esteem didn’t depend on whether his friends thought he still loved you or not.

Before, he had been eager to show them that he didn’t care about you—he thought that was the only way he could prove that his friends weren’t significantly better than him just because they weren’t in love with anyone.

Now he was going to show them that he did care about you, and caring still didn’t make him inferior.

“This might be disappointing to you,” Jungkook retorted, “but I can be in love with her and still make you lose.”

“See,” Sid said, grinning because this confession was precisely what he was coaxing out of Jungkook. And it was precisely the reason why Sid thought Jungkook would never win against him—be it a bet, or just in life in general. “But I don’t think you can.”

“Sit back and watch me, then,” Jungkook replied, blowing smoke out in Sid’s face. He pulled back immediately and the dissatisfied frown on his face was, simply put, beautiful.

Back inside, the girls chose to avoid discussing what had just happened with you. They had their reasons for changing the topic, too: Maggie had a policy against all boys who dared to interrupt your girls’ night, and Luna simply knew that if you continued to talk about this, you’d be more tempted to go out and check if Jungkook wasn’t getting into trouble.

But not even ten minutes later—just when you’d finished your second glass—Jungkook himself unexpectedly returned to the bar. You’d noticed him from across the room, and the second your eyes met, he made a beeline for you.

“Sorry about that before,” he said to everyone at your table, nodding apologetically at Luna and Maggie. “I, um, wanted to let you know that I’m going to be heading back. The bus is about to leave, right?”

Still surprised by his sudden reappearance, you were slow to pick your phone up. The battery had finally given in; you couldn’t tell what time it was. Both girls noticed this and were about to pull their own electronics out, but Jungkook reacted first.

“It’s four-thirty,” he said helpfully. “The bar is closing soon.”

“Oh.” You nodded. “Yeah. The bus is leaving in an hour, probably. Where’s the rest of your posse?”

“They already left,” he said without a further comment. Instead, he asked, “actually, can I talk to you for a second before I go?”

You looked back at your friends—both of them gave you permissive nods with grins that might’ve made the Cheshire Cat run away in shame.

“Sure,” you told Jungkook and turned your head away from your friends as if you could pretend you hadn’t seen their teasing smiles—that only made them giggle more.

The two of you walked towards the nearly empty bar—reasonable people were asleep this early in the morning—which wasn’t very far from your booth, but you figured the music played loud enough to drown your conversation out.

“So, um,” Jungkook began slowly—awkwardly—as he leaned his elbow against the bar top. “How are you feeling after the trip and… everything?”

There was something endearing about the uncertainty with which he’d asked you this. Pursing your lips lightly to hide your smile, you said, “it should be me asking you that.”

“It’s not. I’m the one asking,” he said so matter-of-factly that your smile only widened. He added, “I’m fine anyway.”

“I’m okay, too,” you said. “Tired to the point of taking a nap right on this bar, but other than that, I’m fine.”

He glanced at the bar after you’d mentioned it—as if assessing if it’d be a comfortable enough place to sleep on.

“Will you, um—will you be okay going back?” he asked then.

Your smile was plain and obvious now; hiding it required too much effort. Maybe the drinks Maggie got you were laced with something.

“It should be me asking you that, too,” you said.

“I’ll be perfect,” he replied, waving his hand around dismissively. “But I can, uh, stay back,” he looked at your friends over his shoulder—you noticed them both turn away, having been caught staring. “But I don’t want to interrupt.”

“Oh, yeah, no,” you agreed, your eyes still locked on the girls. “Maggie has a strict no-boys rule.”

You weren’t sure if she heard you or if her sudden snickering was unrelated to your comment.

“Oh?” this seemed to pique his interest. “Are you going to get in trouble now?”

“Probably,” you said casually enough. Trouble with Maggie usually meant more drinks, so you weren’t particularly worried. “She might already have a penalty for me.”

Despite you making it sound like this wasn’t the first time a boy interrupted your girls’ night to talk to you, Jungkook felt himself smile—he was the boy you’d broken Maggie’s rule for tonight.

“Because of me?” he still asked, a noticeable sense of entitlement behind his words.

“Don’t get excited.”

He snorted. “What’s the penalty? I’ll do it for you.”

“I’ll do it myself,” you said with a sigh as you extended your hands and laid your head on the bartop. “But some other night. I’m shutting down now.” You noticed the flash of concern in his eyes after you’d said that and added, “I’ll be fine. We’ll be heading back soon anyway. Get back to your friends.”

Your last sentence made him pause.

“That’s—” he stopped for another moment to mentally rewind through all the years that he’s known you. “That’s probably the first time you said that.”

You shrugged, having just enough energy to tease, “I trust Minjun.”

“Minju—but not me?” he questioned, offended.

“I’m working on it.”

“Well, how do I speed that up, then?”

“You can’t.”

He watched you for a minute, analysing your face for a possible option. He offered, “another trip to Paris?”

You knew he was joking, but you still grunted in refusal—that only made his teasing smirk widen.

“That’ll do the opposite,” you said. “I’m not going off-tour again. Look what happened tonight.”

You weren’t completely serious, but you couldn’t help but still feel uncomfortable that you had the leisure to travel Europe and drink with your friends, while the rest of the staff had to struggle with a stage set that was, apparently, falling apart.

Jungkook wasn’t sure if you genuinely blamed yourself or if this was just an illustrative exaggeration—your tired face was hard to read.

“Our trip to Paris is unrelated to what happened with the stage tonight,” he assured you in any case.

“Related or not,” you said and yawned mid-word, “now I can’t get proper sleep.”

His reaction was immediate—with one hand on your palm that you’d rested on the bar top, and another one on your waist, he encouraged, “come on, then. I’ll take you back to the bus. Let’s sleep.”

You were tempted—not just because his touch was warm and soft, but also because the thought of sleep seemed so satisfying right now that even the music in the bar faded into the background.

Still, you resisted, “the girls—”

“We’re fine!” Luna hollered; her glass raised. She was already tipsy and, obviously, had been waiting for an opening to give you permission to leave. “Maggie and I are going to stay back a while.”

You lifted your head to look at your friends again and caught them both smirking at you. They had seemingly overheard the entirety of your conversation, never mind the music.

“The bar closes in half an hour,” you reminded them with a frown. Jungkook’s hands were still on you—more supportive than before as soon as he felt the gentle sway of your tired body.

“We’ll find a way to keep ourselves busy until it’s time to leave,” Maggie added—which surprised you. Normally, it was the three of you against anyone who dared to interrupt your night. “You two can go ahead.”

You turned to Jungkook, who nodded at the door and seemed to make this decision for you. You really needed that today and you were quite unashamed about it; if anything, you appreciated everyone else deciding what you’d do for once.

You stood up properly and took a step away from him—he had to let go and did so reluctantly—to pick up your phone and your handbag from the booth. Your friends watched you, beaming, and you caught yourself before you began to smile, too.

Then, you allowed Jungkook to take you back to the bus.

It wasn’t a long walk, but you felt too drained to even take your shoes off when you got back. Plugging your phone in to charge, you laid down on your bunk, still in your clothes, and looked over at Jungkook.

Stubbornly, he refused to go to sleep until he was sure you were settled, so he was leaning against the partition wall between the opposite row of bunks.

“I’m still waiting until my phone will charge some,” you said, trying to make him reconsider. You paused to yawn again, then explained, “so I can check on the rest of our staff.”

“I’ll wait with you, then,” he said.

“No,” your firm voice got him to stop unexpectedly—he was already approaching you. “You hadn’t gotten any sleep, either. And you performed a whole gig tonight. Go to sleep.”

He resumed his journey and took a seat next to you on your bunk. “I’ll wait.”

You rolled over on your back to look at him. “You literally don’t have to do that.”

“And I’ll do it anyway.”

You exhaled, far too tired to argue about this. Your eyes could barely stay open enough to make sure he really was sitting on your bunk, and you hadn’t just dreamt him—the possibility wasn’t far-fetched, after all. It’s happened before.

“You shouldn’t,” you said softly, your eyes fluttering shut.

“I’m an adult, right? You said so,” he reminded you. You were worried that your words at the wedding would come back to bite you. “So, I can stay up waiting with you if I want.”

You sighed in response, your mind refusing to think of any more arguments or questions about why he found it necessary to bother waiting with you.

Satisfied, Jungkook scooted deeper into your bunk and crossed his legs, getting more comfortable.

He did as he’d promised—waited with you until your phone charged enough to make a phone call. Then he brought you water, because you called Seokjin and couldn’t say a word, your throat too dry to speak.

And then, half an hour later, when you were already asleep and he was sure you wouldn’t remember, he pulled your duvet over your body—so you wouldn’t get cold—and pressed a soft, tentative kiss to your forehead—so he wouldn’t, either.

chapter title credits: palaye royale, “toxic in you”

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[bwabys-scenarios]

Chubby!Reader taking phantom troupe+Illumi and Kurapika shopping with her

characters: chrollo, feitan, uvogin, Shalnark, Phinks, Machi, Pakunoda, Shizuku, Nobunaga, Illumi, Kurapika

warning: slightly suggestive in Pakunoda’s and Kurapika’s

A/N: me on my way to single handedly provide for my chubby hxh fans… this is super self indulgent hope y’all like it!!

Chrollo

-offended on your behalf because of how limiting the clothing options are

-y’all go to like 5 different stores before finding somewhere that sells your size

-“oh! I must be lucky because I thought we’d at least need to go to 3 more before I found my size :3”

-you’re just happy you found a dress and top that looked nice

-he just looks at you like 👁️👁️ “sweetheart… this is not okay.”

-“chrollo this is the first time in 3 years I found clothing in store, usually I have to shop online.”

-will take you to get custom made clothing, nothing is too good for you!!

-honestly he’s pretty appalled by the lack of clothing available for you. you shouldn’t have to get custom made clothing to have something fit you right :(

-also gets you custom made lingerie but cough cough don’t question it

Feitan

-he was watching you shop online and groan because the dress you really wanted was sold out in your size

-“just go to store.”

-“they don’t carry my size in store.”

“… what.”

-this man is itty bitty he has no idea about your struggles 😭😭 he’ll accompany you on your next shopping outing to… observe

-please take him to torrid it would be so funny

-“… they expect young woman to wear this?”

-he holds up an ugly Disney shirt that’s super unflattering. he’s not the best with fashion but even he knows that it’s ugly as hell

-“YEAHH I used to shop here all the time because it’s one of the only shops that has my size in store.”

-you find a dress that looks relatively nice while feitan browses the lingerie LOL… he’s stealing you something, it might not be the clothes you wanted but that black lingerie set speaks to him…

-now if he’s out on a mission he’ll stop by stores and steal you some nicer clothes, you deserve it! (He’s such a cutie patootie UGHH)

Uvogin

-no he absolutely understands your struggles

-he’s fucking huge it’s hard to find clothes in his size too

-tbh he’ll just suggest you make your own clothes or get them custom made, but if you really want him to go shopping with you he will

-literally shocked with the lack of feminine clothing for big women

-he can at least find SOME things his size, and he’s obviously bigger than you

-but you can’t find a single thing

-calls Shalnark to ask him to track down some local shops that carry your size

-will carry all of your bags for you!!(hubby material)

Shalnark

-he just doesn’t believe you until you show him

-he mostly shops online too so will suggest you keep doing the same, but you wanna go shopping with your boyfriend!!

-he has no problem accompanying you, but is doubtful you won’t find ANYTHING

-that is until after you’ve visited the 7th clothing department and there wasn’t a single clothing item in your size! And it isn’t like you weren’t looking hard enough, he looked up the inventory of each store and there was nothing!

-apologizes for not believing you by buying you some boba or pastries

-also the type to get you custom made clothing, tho it will be sorted more to his tastes than yours(the skirts are all way to short and the tops dip a bit too low)

-doesn’t understand why they can’t just sell your size. wouldn’t they make more money that way?

Phinks

-already knows your woes of not being able to find cute clothes in your size

-goes shopping with you literally whenever you want and won’t stop until you find at least SOMETHING(he’s whipped for you)

-got really sad when he found matching couple pajamas and they didn’t have your size(he’s killing someone over this)

-so cute, gets excited with you when you find something you like

-also carries bags

-takes you somewhere nice after. it’s stressful trying on clothes all day, especially when none of them fit!

-Phinks is soft for his lover agenda RAHHH

Machi

-offers to make clothes for you

-probably the second most understanding. she’s seen women’s clothing sections, although she can’t really relate to not finding her size

-will actually hurt anyone that is rude to you while shopping

-likes to help you in the changing room, saying she doesn’t want you to slip(it’s an excuse to feel you up but she’s a lil tsundere so she’ll never admit it)

-if you can’t find anything, she’ll buy you some accessories or stuffed animals, literally will NOT let you pay

-extra sweet on you when you get home, reassuring you that she loves you and that your clothing doesn’t matter to her(she’s trying her best give her a lil kiss for her efforts)

Pakunoda

-as a big chested woman, she can relate a bit! she doesn’t struggle to find clothes as much as you do though

-researches which stores carry your size so you don’t have to go in just to be disappointed

-also will get you custom made clothing, but let’s you choose what you want. she thinks your fashion style is cute!

-gets you custom made matching outfits

-also helps you in the changing room but isn’t hiding her wandering gaze at ALL

-after a fun day of shopping you two cuddle in bed and watch whatever you want!

Nobunaga

-another person that doesn’t really believe you, but because he sees you as a cute lil thing

-will call you silly for thinking they don’t carry your size! your his sweet little girlfriend, why wouldn’t they?

-in for the shock of his life

-literally gets on his hands and knees to apologize

-it’s been like 3 hours and the only thing you’ve found was a hello kitty tshirt that was a little tight on you, but you refused to go home with nothing!!!

-feels bad, will treat you to a nice dinner

Shizuku

-just says to wear her clothes

-“… Shizuku, sweetheart, we aren’t the same size.”

-stares at you for a minute

-keeps staring

-grabs your hand and runs to go shopping with you

-keeps getting lost while you’re in the changing room

-you end up having to have her sit in the changing room with you while you change(she does not mind in the slightest 👁️)

-cannot comprehend why you can’t find clothes in your size

-love her so much but she’s actually the worst to shop with. You spend more time trying to find her than look for clothes

Illumi

-you don’t really have to worry about finding clothes in your size because he has everything made for you, but if you just want to go shopping for the experience he won’t deny you

-cue him contacting the ceo of the clothing store and demanding they start selling your size after you don’t find anything

-hates seeing your sad face, probably won’t take you shopping again unless he’s researched and made sure the place you picked carries your size :(

-so sweet to you, gets you ice cream and buys you jewelry and stuffed animals to make you feel better

-when you get home there’s a rack of clothing Taylor made for you waiting in your shared room

Kurapika

-he needed to go shopping for some clothing too, so he accompanies you

-gets a little embarrassed shopping in the women’s section because people always mistake him for a girl himself

-gets pretty pissed off when an employee rudely says they don’t carry your size

-“Kurapika it’s fine, let’s go somewhere else.”

-will hold your hand protectively as you go from place to place

-when you find a few things, he’s happy for you!

-is a little glad that people thinks he’s a woman because that means he can slip into the changing room with you 👀

-perv!kurapika strikes again

-makes sure you leave the store feeling VERY happy ;)

[fireinmoonshot]

How would Bradley react to Hangman unknowingly hitting on his wife at the Hard Deck?

In Jake’s defence, he’d never met you before.

He wasn’t that close with Bradley Bradshaw that he’d know who his wife was. They were both in different squadrons, both located in different states on different sides of the country. He’d never have run into her at the grocery store, around the base or on the street. So, how was he even meant to know who she was?

That was why he’d happily flirted with you when he saw you at the bar. And, to further his defence, you were by yourself, no Bradley Bradshaw in sight. He was perfectly within his rights to flirt with a pretty woman.

Leaning up against the bar, a cocky smile on his face and a beer in one hand, he was in his element talking to you, throwing out a few flirty comments here and there. The only thing that was annoying him was that you weren’t flirting back. You seemed amused, if anything, and that only spurred Jake on more.

“So,” he said after taking a swig of his beer. “What brings you here tonight?”

Jake had expected one of a few simple replies. I’m just here with my friends. I’m here because it was recommended by some people while I’m travelling. I’m here because I heard about the hot aviators that frequented this bar. He hoped to hear the last one.

Instead, he heard a voice from behind him.

“She’s here because she’s my wife, Hangman.”

Jake shut his eyes and let out a long breath. The voice was unmistakably that of Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw. Of course he would end up accidentally flirting with Rooster’s wife.

“In my defence–” He started, raising a hand.

“Quit while you’re ahead, Hangman,” Bradley said, stepping around him to stand beside you. He weaved an arm around your waist and tugged you gently into his side. “He bothering you, angel?”

You shook your head. “No, he’s fine. I found it kinda funny, actually.”

Bradley smiled at you and then looked back over at Hangman, who was trying his best not to look as flustered as he was actually feeling. Not that he was embarrassed – Jake Seresin was the type of man to own any situation he ended up in. But now that he looked at your hand and saw the wedding ring on it, he wondered how he’d missed it in the first place.

“Funny?” Jake asked.

“Mmhmm,” you nodded. “Seeing as I knew who you were, but you didn’t know me. I’ve heard a lot about you, actually.” You extended a hand to Jake and introduced yourself. “Pleasure to meet you.”

With a slight grimace, Jake shook your hand. “Jake Seresin. Call me Hangman.”

Bradley scoffed. “She won’t be calling you anything.”

The comment offended Jake, but he was quick to not let it show on his face. Even though it was very clear to him now that you and Bradley were happily married, he wasn’t going to let him leave without a similarly offensive comment directed at him.

“If you ever get bored of him, let me know, angel,” he said to you, purposely using the nickname that he’d heard Bradley call you, just as Bradley started to move the two of you away from Jake and away from the conversation. “I’m a lot more fun than him.”

Bradley narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to respond, but you placed your hand on his chest and stopped him from replying with that one simple action. Instead, you turned back to face Jake, a smile on your lips.

“I have plenty of fun with Bradley, thanks,” you said. “And I’m not your angel. I’m his.”

There was no use for Bradley to try and hide the proud smile on his face as he looked back at Jake, looking a little surprised at the fact that you had been the one to respond to him. 

He leant down and pressed a kiss to the top of your head as the two of you walked away from Jake, his arm still wrapped around you. “That’s my girl.”

[dlysthings]

Little crush pt.4

pt.1 , pt.2 , pt.3

AN:So here is a part 4, I raelly hope you guys like it. If someone wants to be added to the taglist, please comment so. And let me know how you want this to continue.

PLEASELEVE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISM!!

One hour after coming home from school, you heard the doorbell ring. Going in the hallway of your house, you made your way to the front door. In the kitchen, your mother looked at you with a little knowing smile. She saw your confused look and just smile even wider. Deciding to ignore it you just went on your way.

Next to the door your cat, Monti, stopped and rubbed herself at your calf muscles. She was a big cat, black covering her from head to toe. Only one spot was white just under her nose, making her look undeniably cute. Her piercing blue eyes reminded you of the boy in front of your house.

Outside of your house Daryl was standing in front of the front door, anxiously biting his lip. He rang the doorbell, but you weren’t coming. Maybe she forgot about ya? Yea, she was just messing with ya yesterday and you just fell for it like the dumbass ya are.

Just as he was thinking that and ready to turn around and go back, the front door opened. You stood there, with a warm smile adoring your beautiful face. Moving aside from the entrance of your house you made a mock butler stance, inviting him in.

“Hi Daryl! Please, come inside. I was waiting for you.”

 Little surprised at your words, Daryl moved inside, only mumbling something resembling a “thank you”. The inside the house was just how he imagined it. A big living room with a couch and a coffee table in the middle of the room. On top of it were scattered magazines and books. He could see another door, assuming it was the kitchen. Everything here reminded him how different your life was from his. Going into your house made him feel like he was entering another dimension.

From the door, he assumed was the kitchen, came out a woman. Probably ya mom, he thought. The woman smiled brightly at him and then he saw the resemblance. The smile that he loved about you was the same one as your mothers. And the shape of your lips he found himself staring at on more than one occasion was also the same. You turned to your mom and introduced him. “Mom, this is Daryl. We are going upstairs to study.”

She just looked him up and down and continued smiling, but with something different behind her smile this time. “So this is the boy you talk about, huh?” She asked with a sparkle of mischief in her eyes. At her words your cheeks started to feel like someone lit them on fire. And it seemed like Daryl had the same reaction. Looking at you, with wide eyes and pink cheeks he looked like a deer in headlights. His whole body rigid at the thought of you talking to your mother about him.

And you weren’t doing any better. You have never said anything about him to your mother. Just asking her if a boy can come over to study with you. But maybe she picked up on the look in your eyes when you spoke about him. Or the way your face seemed to brighten just a little bit when you were thinking of him. Either way she wasn’t helping you, but apparently she didn’t seem to notice and continued with embarrassing you.

“Well now I see why you like him.” She said with a wink and continued in a pretend stern voice. “But I still want that door to be open, no funny business going around.”

At that you just groaned (maybe not the most ladylike thing to do, but you couldn’t help it). “Please stop with that.” You said, face now bright red as a tomato. Your mother just looked at you offended and spoke again. “I’m just saying, honey. It’s important. I think Daryl here can agree, right” She looked at him expectantly. “Yes Ma’am, of course” That was the only thing he could muster with how flustered he was. But it seems was enough for your mom.

“Good then. I will bring you guys some snacks in a minute. Daryl, what would you want to drink? We have Cola, Sprite and water.” She asked. “Water is fine.” He answered and looked at you. You gave him a smile and moved towards a set of stairs. “Okay then. I will bring it up in a minute.” Your mother quipped and disappeared in the kitchen again. He turned towards you and followed you up the staircase, probably leading to your room.

At the second floor you lead the way to your bedroom. Daryl noticed, while following you, that the walls were full of photos in frames. Looking a little bit more closely, he saw most of them were family ones. Stoping to look at one, he saw you, your mom and another girl, maybe a bit younger than you. Behind all of you was standing a man, probably your dad.

In the photo You looked more like a little girl, than the lady you were now. Wearing a cute Mini Maus dress without sleeves and holding a cone of ice cream in one hand. The other hand was holding onto the man’s pinkie. The man, probably your dad, Had the exact same hair color and eyes as you. For sure your dad.

The girl next to you, probably your sister, looked like a miniature version of you. She was even wearing the same outfit. He has never seen you with a girl like that around you, so she probably was your little sister.

The only way Daryl could describe the people in this photo was one happy family. The bright smiles on your faces were looking honest, not forced. That reminded him of the only family picture he has ever taken. He was maybe 6 or 7 when his mom, who was alive at the time, had gotten the idea to gather him, his older brother, wo just got out of juvie and was sporting a black eye from a beating their father gave him, his mom (visibly drunk) and lastly him.

 He had a big bruise on his cheekbone and eye from the same beating Merle had one. When their dad got bored with assaulting just his older brother, he turned to Daryl for some new fun. With the whole “family” gathered in front of the fireplace in the house they were renting at the time, they took the first and last family picture the Dixons.

“That was 7 years ago. We went on a holiday at my grandparents’ house for the whole summer. It’s probably the best time I’ve had with them.” Your voice brought him back in reality. He realized he has been staring at this photo for a couple of minutes. “Ya look real happy with yur family.” He managed to say, barely able to hide the note of jealousy in his tone. He wished he could say the same for himself.

“Yeah, I love them to death. What about your family? You had a brother, right? Merle?” you said. He glanced at you, not expecting you to know about his brother. But then he remembered how much problems he has caused. Yeah, that’s why you knew about him. And then he felt like all the air from his lungs was punched out and he wished the ground could open and swallow him whole. You asked about his family. There was no way to answer that honestly so he just opted to stare at his shoes. The embarrassment he felt about his life being so miserable was so much, he felt a lump form in his throat.

Noticing his change of mood, you quickly changed the subject. “Uh, so here is my room.” You motioned to the only open door in the corridor. “Make yourself comfortable.” You said while going inside. Following you, Daryl observed you room. There was a big bed next to one of the walls. On top of it were laying at least a dozen decorative pillows, each colorful, contrasting with the otherwise all white bed. On the opposite end of the room was a desk cluttered with things, he wasn’t able to see in detail.

In his mind you room, for sure, was gonna be all cleaned up and perfect. But in reality it turned out you were actually more of a messy person. For some reason that made him smile. It was nice to see you weren’t some kind of perfect robot. Your walls were full of posters of bands and TV shows. It made your room look cozy. He sat on the bed and looked around for you.

You were with your back to him going to fetch your notes to use to study. Finally finding them, you sat next to him. Maybe a bit more closely than with another guy, but he didn’t seem to mind. “I have some notes here we can use. Do you have anything?” You asked. He only nodded and reached into the bag he came with. Maybe you imagined it, but there was a slight tint of pink on his cheeks.

One thing you concluded about him was that he was extremely shy. Almost never looking you straight in the eye and always blushing. Rarely speaking and almost always nodding. Actually you found it cute. The way his cheeks seemed to color a slight pink and it would spread to his ears.

In reality he was like that only with you. He could be very loud if he wanted to, but your company always made him nervous, not wanting to embarrass himself and say something wrong. Right when you were going thru his notes and he was thru yours, your mom came into the room.

“Here is your water Daryl and I will leave these here.” Your mother said as she put down a tray with a glass of water and a plate of cookies. “If you guys need anything just holler, I will be down.” Your mother said while going back down. “Sure mom!” You managed to shout just as you heard her go down the stairs.

``````````````````````

The next couple of hours came and went, almost unnoticed. You were quizzing Daryl on his notes and found out he was pretty good ab this. He seemed to remember information pretty fast. And it turned out he just needed some time in order to loosen up around you. He was still shy and blushing every time you said something about how good he was doing or how smart he was.

In reality Daryl couldn’t believe he wasn’t dreaming. Every time he did something good or answered your questions correctly, you praised him. For him that was unusual. He didn’t really see why you were doing it. It wasn’t like he was doing something impressive, but you made sure to tell him how smart he was.

He never knew he craved you praises as much as he did. But the moment you said for the first time how good he was doing, he was like a puppy, being given a treat and became a blushing mess. By the time you were ready with everything for the test the sun had gone down and Daryl needed to get going. He didn’t want to bother you anymore with his barely string-together sentences.

Actually you quite enjoyed his company. When you were sending him out the door and saying goodbye he turned around and scratched his neck. “I really liked that, ya know. Ya really helped me.” He said a bit bashfully. “Maybe, um, maybe we could, ya know, do this again, sometimes.” He said with a small smile. In response you smiled back and kissed his cheek. When you pulled away and saw his face he was red as a tomato. “I would love to.” You said and with that he turned around and you shut the door.

Taglist:@marvelcasey05

[idontplaytrack]

hi!! could i request a fluffy rosa diaz x reader fic where reader works as a detective at the precinct and rosa kind of has a soft spot for her (more like a crush on her), so when rosa gets sick like in that one episode reader finally convinces rosa to admit she doesn’t feel good and takes her home and takes care of her? tysm!!

Hermosa

- Rosa Diaz x detective fem! reader -

Warnings: coarse language, fluff, implied smut at the end

Thank you for your request! :)

You clocked in at exactly nine o’clock that morning. Right on time, you looked at the desk opposite of yours and it was empty. “Amy, has Rosa come in yet?”

“Oh. No.” Amy’s eyes widen briefly, shocked.

“Oh, wow. Rosa’s not here yet? Doesn’t she stay like really near here?” Jake remarked.

“Yes she does.” Gina chimed in, “Her apartment is the closest to the precinct.”

“Is she not coming to work today?” Amy asks you.

“If I knew that, I wouldn’t have asked you.”

“Right.” Amy smiled sheepishly, focusing back on her work.

“She hasn’t texted you or anything?” Jake carries on the conversation with you while you got settled.

“No, I just thought she was already here-” Before you could say anything else, hurried footsteps interrupted your train of thought. Your eyes followed the sound, which turned out to be Rosa who’d just arrived.

“Holy shit, girl.” Gina broke the silence as the rest of the squad watched her, bewildered, “You look like hell.” Rosa scowled, sitting down in her chair.

You’d been glaring at her since the moment she sat down across from you. Rosa shot you a look meaning for you to drop it and leave her alone. That was the end of that conversation for a bit. Meanwhile, she was sniffly and sneezed a handful of times. Not to mention she looks pale as a sheet. She somehow made it to lunch before you got so annoyed that you pulled her aside, “Will you just admit you’re sick and let me take you home?”

“y/n, I’m fine. Diaz’s don’t get sick.”

“Oh, yeah? What are you then? Just trying a new makeup look for Halloween?” You huffed.

Rosa chuckles. “What’s so funny?” You ask, almost offended.

“Ha ha.” She responded, “You’re not scary.”

“Rosa!” You nearly rolled your eyes, “You’re sick, please just let me take you home so you can rest? The last thing I want is you passing out on the gross precinct floors.”

“Wait a minute-” Rosa got all serious for a second, “You said ‘please’?”

“What?” You asked, puzzled.

“You asked if you could please take me home.” She pointed out.

“So?”

“So, okay.” She shrugged, “Whatever.”

“Okay?” You repeated, not expecting her to agree.

“Rosa’s going home?” Jake gasps, “Oh, she so likes you.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Rosa complains, tossing an eraser at him.

“I’ve been watching you two, Diaz.” Gina added on, “Very flirty~”

You tried to hide a blush that very clearly still showed. “You two would be great together.” Charles chimed in, “So great.”

“Also, that height difference is mwah- perfect.” Gina wasn’t done.

“I agree.” Amy shrugged, “Rosa’s always had like a soft spot for you. From the day you started, even.”

“Wow, you guys are suddenly experts, huh?” Rosa scoffed, “Let’s go, y/n. Ignore them- they’re a bunch of kids.”

————

As Rosa laid on her couch, you were at the stove cooking her some soup. “Hey.”

“Yeah?” You glanced at her over your shoulder.

“Do you buy what they say?”

“What do you mean?” You asked nervously.

“Do you think they’re right? That I’ve had a crush on you since you joined our squad?”

You stayed quiet for a minute, stirring the soup. “Um…you’re not gonna beat me up depending on my answer, are you?”

“What?” Rosa guffaws, and ended up coughing. “No, that’s crazy.”

“Well, if I’m being honest. I hope they are, because literally- god, this is going to sound so stupid.”

“Oh, just say it.” Rosa insisted, grabbing a tissue to blow her nose.

“Over time, I’ve found myself liking you as more than a friend. But- despite all the time we spend together while on the job, I realise I still don’t really know you. But I mean, the squad thinks we’re best friends. And I’d like to think that we’re close because you haven’t threatened to chop me up yet and compared to how you are with the rest of them, don’t you see a difference? I mean, do you?” You panicked at the end.

Now Rosa was stunned into silence. That was a first. “Honestly…I didn’t even realise what I was doing. It just naturally happened over time- Holt kept partnering us up and little by little, we got closer.” She began, “I guess…I didn’t dare to take a bigger step to actually flirt with you because I get so nervous, I suck at it. And- I didn’t know if you were attached or not so I didn’t want to weird you out either.”

She’s never one to talk about her feelings- she says it makes her want to throw up. But she actually opened up and talked to you. You were shocked, then you were somewhat…honoured. Maybe also a little smug that you managed to get that out of her.

You turned the stove off, grabbing a bowl and a spoon. “I’m not seeing anyone and I’ve never had a boyfriend or a girlfriend before.” You admit, she walks over to the kitchen- to you, and wrapped her arms around you from behind. “You’re the first person that I’ve fallen for so quickly and so hard, it feels terrifying, but also equally exciting. But I just- I really didn’t know and didn’t want to say anything because I was afraid of the outcome.” You managed to say before her grip around you tightened fully, and she’d rested her chin on your shoulder.

“Will you be my girlfriend?” She asked softly as she watched you ladle a scoop of the chicken noodle soup into the bowl. You would’ve dropped the damn ladle if you weren’t so aware that she had her arms around you.

“Will I be your girlfriend?” You repeated her question in disbelief, “Oh, my God. Yes, Rosa.”

She chuckles into your ear, sending a chill down your spine and made you squirm, “I won’t kiss you because I don’t want you to get sick, but once I’m better, you’re about to get pampered, hermosa.” You asked her to let go of you so you could take the bowl over to the table, and she does.

“Eat with me.”

“Yeah, I will. Just gonna set this down for you first.” You told her.

Rosa tells you to return to the precinct after lunch, but you said no. “Holt let me. Besides, he says if they needed me, I’ll get a call. I don’t think he was expecting me to go back today, anyway.”

Rosa smirked, “What do you mean, y/n?”

“What I mean, is that he seems to know about your little crush on me.”

“No he doesn’t.”

You snorted, “Please- he so does. Yesterday, I was out with him for a case. He asked me directly if I liked you and if I’d noticed that you’ve been extra nice to me. Also, it was very funny to see that look on his face when I dragged you into his office so he could see how pale you were.”

“Hilarious.” Rosa agreed, “Thanks- for making me the soup and making me come home.”

“No problem.” You smiled, eating a spoonful of the food.

“Look, this soup is great, but why couldn’t we get pizza?”

“That dairy’s just gonna make you more congested.” You pointed out. “Like I would care.”

“You might not, but I do. I’m the one that’s taking care of you and having to deal with your whining.”

“My whining?” She gasps dramatically, “God, y/n. I think that’d be you. We made out at the New Year’s party and you were whiny freaking mess.”

You blushed thinking about the memories of that night. “Speechless?” She teased, “What do you say you get us dinner tonight and I’ll give you a little thank-you? I might be sick and can’t kiss you, but there’s a lot I can do with just my hands.”

“I’ll think about it.” You shrug, a smirk creeping onto your face.

[vampirehoon]

focused on you - jake sim ˚✧ 0.8k

you never had any plans to get caught up in school romance and definitely steered clear of any boys who seemed like trouble. until, you met the sweetest boy in a chemistry lab. he had you fooled he was in your class until the teacher came over and broke up the conversation you and him were having and kindly asked him to get back to where he was supposed to be.

“you sure because..” he tried to laugh it off but the glare that the teacher was giving him made it clear he wasn’t amusing anyone - except you when he turned to look at you and you were holding back from laughing.

he knew you were a keeper.

he promised to see you around school before he left the class for good and that’s when you learned how popular he was. catching him in the hall was difficult at first because you weren’t sure he’d remember you or want to talk to you outside of class, but he wanted more than anything to talk to you.

you were blinded and he was too, it was so easy to talk to him and smile along with him. even though you were kinda of an outcast, he never treated you differently.

the moment you knew you wanted to date him was when you made your way into the cafeteria, trying to locate a friend of yours to eat with.

the lunchroom was pretty crowded, so it’s hard to pin point a single person in the chaos but you feel across brown puppy dog eyes that were looking straight at you. they, of course, belong to jake and he smiled at you. a wide smile complimented his shinning eyes.

still from that far, it sent butterflies down your spine. he had a couple friends with him who were actively trying to talk to him but it seemed you were his main focus. you tried to read his lips as he smiled and excused himself from his team.

jake, the captain of the basketball team, was coming your way and you couldn’t help but feel your cheeks burn.

you were supposed to eat lunch with a friend but why couldn’t you get your mind and focus of him. as he got closer, your heart beat grew louder.

jake looked proud to stand before you. beaming as he looked down at you. your cheeks were rosy pink and you hoped he didn’t notice that or the pounding of your heart.

you were in awe for a moment.

his laugh takes you out of the trance.

“do i usually make you this flustered?” his smile was pure enjoyment, he found it cute that you seemed shy.

you defend yourself but it comes off as if your offended.

“i am not flustered.”

“oh yeah?” he said as he got closer to you. he was dangerously close.

“then why are these cheeks of yours bright pink.” he moves his hand to try and pinch your cheeks but you slap his hand back.

“can i ask you a question?” you try to change the subject.

he hums, anticipating what you’ll ask.

you take a deep breath, still a little anxious about you and him talking this publicly.

“why did you come over to me?”

the question wasn’t in anyway funny but jake broke out into a chuckle, his cheeks looked like they hurt. you furrowed your eyebrows, demanding him to take this seriously.

you waited patiently as he calmed himself.

this is when you knew you clearly had him around your fingers.

“you underestimate the power you have over me.”

you looked at him and he met your curious eyes. he explained a bit further, slowly taking your hands from your side and holding them in his hands.

“i want to be with you.” “during lunch and if you’re up to it-“ before he could continue what he was going to propose, you gave him a kiss of the cheek (maybe having to tip toe to do it).

jake looked breathless, looking at you like a deer in head lights.

“yes.” you simply stated. “i would love to be your girlfriend.”

jake took your waist from pure excitement but made sure it was okay to do so.

“is this alright?”

“are you my boyfriend?”

“am i?” he’s really like a dog, so pure.

you giggle, nodding your head at this adorable boy.

“i sure hope so if you’re holding my waist.” this boost of confidence rushed over you when it registered in your brain you were dating the basketball boy jake.

“then i am.” he took you into a hug and mumbled “i am” again into your shoulder. it didn’t matter who could be witnessing, all that matter is that could hug him forever and be the luckiest girl.

𓉸ྀི ©vampirehoon

[merci-bitch]

I need some headcanons with Olivia Benson 🤧

hi, been a while haha. Got lots of these I’m trying to work through, thank you all for being patient <3

It’s a bit long, whoops

gotta love Livy love

- Alright so

- You two weren’t meant to be a thing

- But as Noah says, “Fate!”

- He’s you biggest supporter

- You arrived a few months before Amanda, so you worked with the team when Elliot and Olivia were still partners

- Back then everything was alright and Olivia found you sweet

- After Elliot left and Amanda arrived, she despised you, like she despised Amanda

- Both you and Amanda kinda bonded over it

- You felt very out of place but Amanda kept you grounded and you grew close

- It wasn’t until much later Olivia started changing, becoming nicer towards you and Amanda, silently apologising for her behaviour

- You were there through everything like everyone else

- The WL time and when she found Noah

- Always offered to help her with Noah, and she was always grateful for it

- You two grew close over time and felt safe with each other

- The team is your family

- You two weren’t planned or even suspected to become a thing

- It happened after she and Tucker broke up

- You were with her one evening and it just happened

- A kiss

- The rest is history

- Noah is the one who convinced his mum to let you move in with them

- “Sleepovers every night!”

- She couldn’t possibly say no to his puppy eyes

- Or yours for that matter

- Olivia absolutely loves that you and Noah get along so well

- Before you moved in when you came over, you seemed far more interested in Noah than her

- She loved it

- Noah is a big part of her and his opinions matter as much as her own

- Time pass by and now you’ve been together more than two years

- Olivia is now captain

- And boy oh boy

- Olivia is a gentle lover

- The best of the best

- She’s got trauma and a lot of things going on

- But she’s so grateful to have someone who doesn’t question her feelings

- Someone who treats her like a normal person

- You were one of the only people to treat her normally after WL

- Not as someone who’s broken

- She’s comfortable and safe with you and for her that means everything

- She trusts you

- Which is a huge deal for her

- Specially after Elliot

- She’s the big spoon

- Even though sometimes she just wants to be held close

- Loves late nights with you

- And Noah of course

- Her beautiful boy

- He’s growing so fast

- Almost makes her cry

- Noah knows the story of when you first got to SVU, but he gets just as offended when you tell him how his mother suddenly stopped being nice

- How she despised you and auntie Amanda

-“Mom!”

- And as much as Liv scolds you for telling him the story over and over again, she sends you sneaked winks

- Small touches here and there

- Enough to keep you grounded

- No PDA

- But if it’s a late night, or empty office, she won’t say no for a quick kiss

- The slight panic in her whenever you’re hunting down suspects and she hears a gunshot and can’t see you anywhere

- You once got shot and Liv nearly killed you herself in worry

- You tried to make a joke out of it as you lay on the ground with her hands pressed against your wound

-“I’ve fallen for you, Benson”

- She hates your jokes

- Noah finds them funny, and apparently that’s the only thing that matters

- You and Noah always make little surprises for her

- On Christmas, Mother’s day and her birthday

- Flowers, cakes, drawings, anything

- It’s the cutest thing ever

- You really turned her life upside down, but for the better

- Liv Love Laugh

[dreaaspeaks]

Georg angst! Anything I just love angst 😭

time away

georg listing x reader

Summary: georg is away on tour for the first time and you can’t help but feel uneasy

(A/N sorry this took so long! I hope this being a pretty long one makes up for it!)

You were happy at first, happy for him, happy for the band but, as time went on with days turning into weeks and weeks turning into months, the Europe tour started to seem more like a curse than a blessing. Sure, you were excited for Georg, after all, all those years of practice and dedication to the band had finally payed off but when his texts got less frequent and rumours of rendezvous followed the band every city they went, your mind couldn’t help but go into overdrive.

As invasive thoughts of gossip magazine headlines flooded your brain every day with every passing interview they did, you couldn’t help but ask Georg about at least one rumour. After all it was just to ease your thoughts, it wasn’t that you didn’t trust him, it was just the result of time spent apart and stupid jokes Tom would make during interviews about bringing girls to the hotel for the other guys.

The noise from an interview Tokio Hotel was doing on TV was helping to drown out your thoughts and seeing Georg, even if it was just through a screen did calm you, but it wasn’t enough. The 20 over unread texts from last week that he hadn’t even opened was just staring at you every time you stared at your phone, almost as if it was taunting you.

Your finger was hovering over the keypad as you contemplated on actually questioning his faithfulness. Would he be offended that you didn’t trust him? Would you regret asking him and find out something you definitely were not emotionally prepared to handle? Every thought, no matter rational of not ran through your head at light speed, until one question the interviewer had asked, sparked your interest, making your mind go blank for the first time in days.

“so do any of you happen to have girlfriends?”

That should be easy to answer, the band hadn’t gotten a question like that before considering it was their first major tour and nation wide interest for them only sparked this year.

Tom gave a short but snarky response with Bill bashfully shaking his head…as it came to Georg’s turn to answer, the immediate ‘yes’ was nowhere to be found, instead it was slight hesitation, and an awkward smile before he said, “no, not at the moment”

No? No? Than what the fuck were you?

Even the look of the other members face had slight surprise in them, Bill’s eyes had gone a little wider while Gustav’s eyebrows scrunched slightly, not enough to alarm the audience or an interviewer but for you, you knew that Georg’s answer of ‘no’ was not even expected from the other members.

Before, you were hesitant, almost ashamed that you would question your boyfriend’s integrity like that, that you would think so lowly of him, but now…now it was like your thumbs had a mind of their own.

Text after text, question after question, it was like a wave of anger and disbelief had washed through you and poured out into the possibly 30 over text messages you sent in under two minutes. As the anger bubbled over, you couldn’t really find anymore words to express the disappointment and confusion that you felt aside from throwing your phone on the floor and taking in a deep breath.

The deep breath was meant to calm you, help you get back on track, maybe even clear your thoughts but instead, when you exhaled, the breath was shaky, your throat felt like it was burning and closing up all at once as your vision went blurry, tears welling up in your eyes as you curled into the corner of the couch, burying your head between your knees

How could he? Georg…

Your Georg, your funny, sweet, truthful to a fault, cheesy boyfriend who asked you out by telling you a pun. Him? He did such a thing?He told millions that he was single, possibly knowing you would watch this interview, that was a level of arrogance and disrespect that you never thought he could ever even fathom, let alone do.

As hours passed and your makeup stained tears cleaned off by your sympathetic mother, you heard your phone ring, getting a call from Georg for the first time in weeks.

A part of you wanted to rush out of bed and pick up immediately, just to hear his voice, his excuses, maybe even his assurances but you just couldn’t bring yourself to hear him out. There was something so cruel about ignoring your presence in his life on national television, his words and comfort that he mumbled into your ear before he left now seeming empty and hollow.

The calls never stopped for two hours, two full hours of Herculean control needed to ignore every ring that pierced your ears, letting out a sigh of relief when it finally stopped.

You just wanted to sleep and forget, forget any of this happened, forget about him. His words replayed in your mind like a broken record that plagued your brain, how could you be so stupid? let him in and actually believed that he would stay completely faithful during tour…so so naive.

As you fell into a dreamless sleep you were woken up in the afternoon by a knock on your door.

“Go away mom I don’t feel like getting out of bed yet!” Wanting only to be left alone with your thoughts.

“There’s someone here for you and before you say anything just go downstairs!” You knew better than to talk back when your mom got stern, grumbling as you opened your door weakly and ran your fingers through your hair as you walked down the stairs expecting a relative or one of your friends to be there to cheer you up, only to come face to face with him.

“I-I thought that you were in-” Before you could say anything else, Georg pulled you into a tight hug, burying his face in your hair. You desperately tried to pull away, wanting nothing more than to yell and scold him, instead, you melted into the hug, realising that all those months of waiting and separation was finally over, he was here, with you, in your house and hugging you like his life depended on it.

It felt like muscle memory, all of him felt like muscle memory. The generic shampoo smell of his long hair that matched the scent of his skin from the 2 in 1 wash you hated him for using, the small moles on his neck that you tried one time to force into a constellation, his callused thumb rubbing the back of you neck as he hugged you, the soft kisses he liked to plant on your head and temple after fights, it was all so familiar yet with everything you remembered, it no longer made you feel sweeter, instead a bitter aftertaste was all that lingered.

“How could you? I don’t care that you flew back if all you’re going to give me is a hug and a few kisses.” You mumbled, your voice shaky as you met his eyes, urgh those bright green eyes that were usually filled with love and warmth now showing only regret and desperation.

“I’m so so sorry I fucked up and fucked up bad…I don’t expect you to forgive me right away okay? I really don’t, i-it was so stupid, I only said it because management told me t-to a-and i-i had no choice i’m sorry.” Georg huffed, he rarely cried, fuck he never cried, even if he was upset of hurt he just gave silent treatment or would give hints but never had you ever seen tears well in his eyes, even if it was just making his eyes glassy and not spilling out, this was huge.

Sincere.

You gulped and rested your head in his chest, “It’s more than that Georg, you hadn’t answered your phone in days! I could only hear your voice through interviews and the radio…”

Just remembering that feeling of separation was enough for your heart to ache again. “When you said that on live television…like, fuck that felt so humiliating!” Your voice raising slightly, slapping his arm, not too harshly but enough for it to sting, calming down slightly at the feeling of his finger running through your hair, getting the knots out gently.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to miss them, it’s just that management has us playing so many shows and going on so many stations every day, I barely got five hours of sleep last night, if we aren’t in public we’re practicing and making new music and the record label is such a fucking dick the deadline is in eight months and I don’t know how we can-” Before Georg could continue his heated rambling, you caressed his arm gently and pecked his cheek. He was overwhelmed, far too drained and tired from everything the band had been going through and in usual Georg fashion, he had kept it to himself.

You’re hand rubbed his shoulder gently, looking up at him with sympathetic eyes, “How overworked have you been?” Noticing the under eye bags that had formed on his otherwise youthful looking skin.

“You should see Bill, he’s too tired for anything anymore.” Georg mumbled, a slight smile on his face as he noticed your softened demeanour.

You sighed, seeing his disheveled hair, wrinkled shirt and dark eye bags. What was he being put through? What was the band being put through?

All that anger that had pent up in you, had disappeared with his explanation, now feeling nothing but sympathy and worry as the more you noticed, the more your anger started to be directed at the people who were overworking the four boys. His fingers were bandaged from playing so often, he had broken out on her forehead and his usual bright smile after getting your forgiveness was tainted with drowsiness.

“How long are you back for?” You asked softly, running your fingers through his disheveled hair, usually he would’ve straightened it but instead, his curls rested on his shoulders as his chin rested on your head.

You heard him sigh and kiss your head, “Until tomorrow morning, why?”

“Let’s take a nap okay? I can tell you haven’t been sleeping well” You mumbled into his chest before pulling him upstairs to your room, hearing him throw himself into your comfy bed when you turned to close the door. When you turned back, you couldn’t help but smile fondly at the sight of Georg laying down , snuggling up to your floral duvet, opening his arms and gesturing for you to lay on his chest.

How could you say no?

As you laid on his chest, feeling his strong arms wrap around your body, his fingers softly caressing your hips and back as you played with his hair, you heard Georg speak up, “About the management wanting me to say I’m single thing…I’ll talk to them about it okay? I promise I will”

You sighed and cupped his cheek, kissing his nose softly, “Thank you but let’s just not think about it right now okay? I haven’t seen you in months, I just want to spend some time with you like before.”

Georg chuckled softly and patted your hips, placing soft kisses on your neck and mumbled against your skin, “We’re 18 and we have a before already…yeah, yeah you’re right, let’s just forget about it right now.”

You could almost see the wheels in his brain turning making you playfully roll your eyes and kiss his forehead, “Stop it, I mean it. I want you to sleep, rest, take a break okay? I’m not going anywhere.”

“I’m not going anywhere either”

[tamibae]

While I was watching the episode where Makoto asks Saiki to help him buy gifts for Teruhashi, I noticed something I had missed before. Saiki not only chose a gift for Teruhashi, he actually bought the mug for her. Which he later exchanged with Makoto’s huge blue one because they were the same price and he had to keep the other one. What’s even more funny is that Teruhashi didn’t even ask for a gift from him or anything, as usual, Saiki literally went out of his way for her and got her a gift. Another thing I found interesting is that when Makoto asked him if he knew what Teruhashi’s favorite animal was and he wasn’t aware of it other than knowing she had a cat, Makoto said he didn’t expect him to know anyways, Saiki said it ticked him off. So, he did take that personally. Even more interesting is that he knows all about Teruhashi’s favorite show, song and even her favorite joke (the mixer episode is everything I say) like how much do you have to be close to someone to know almost everything about them?? And the fact that Saiki was offended by Makoto’s remark about him not knowing what Teruhashi’s favorite animal was???? (Tsundere duh)

[lucienne-my-beloved]

really silly idea: Rose is annoyed at Lucienne for... some unknown reason... and decides to do something a bit petty: turns every book across two entire racks of shelves so the spines face inward, then dreams up a sign that reads 'mystery section, happy hunting'. The really funny part is bc Rose did this with her mind in the Dreaming, her Endless blood means that no matter how many times Lucienne fixes it, it just reverts back to what Rose did- only she, or Dream, can fix it, and *he* thinks it's funny.

Ooh, great prompt! I started it, and I'll give you what I've got, and hopefully I'll finish it one day!

Lucienne huffed impatiently. The books were backwards again. What the fuck was going on? She turned them around again—acknowledging the futility of it didn’t mean she could help her urge to see the library tidy before she left the section. 

“My Lord,” she began the next time Morpheus wandered by her desk in the library, “do you know anything about the new ’mystery section’?” When he looked confused, she clarified. “The section of Agatha Christie’s unpublished novels keep turning around so the edge is facing out. No matter how many times I fix them, the next day they are backwards again.”

“Ah. Yes.”

“That’s all? Just yes? Can you fix it?”

“I can. But I won’t.”

Lucienne was even more confused now.

“You won’t? Have I offended you in some way, my Lord?”

“It is not I whom you have offended, Lucienne.”

“Who is it, then?”

But he just smirked, and wandered off again.

Lucienne put her head in her hands. Apparently, this was going to take some sleuthing.

—

The next time she spotted Matthew flying through, she flagged him down.

“Matthew! Do you have a moment?”

“Sure, Boss lady! What’s up?” He flapped down to perch on a low shelf, incidentally right across from the cantankerous shelf. Well. Not so incidentally, because she spent more time than she ought to standing in front of it and scratching her head (metaphorically, of course). 

“It’s these books. I can’t get them to stay facing forward. Lord Morpheus said that perhaps I have offended someone. Do you know of anyone who would have reason to play a prank on me?”

“A prank on you?! No! Why would someone do that?”

“I don’t know, that’s the problem!” Lucienne wasn’t wailing, she would never raise her voice in the library. That was her story, and she was sticking to it. “If you hear of anything, will you tell me?”

“So, you want me to spy for you as well as Lord Morpheus?” Matthew tilted his head from side to side, fixing her with his beady raven eyes.

“No! That’s not…” Lucienne paused so she wouldn’t dig herself further in. “I don’t want you to spy for me. Just, as a friend, let me know if you come across anything?”

“Sure, sure, I was just teasing you. I’ll let you know if I hear anything. Good luck with that!” As he flew off, Lucienne was almost sure she heard raven laughter.

—

“Mervyn, do you know anyone I might have offended lately? Someone seems to be pulling a prank on me.”

Mervyn paused his installation of a new set of shelves for Tiktok videos and turned to consider her.

“Shit, no, Loosh. You do good work. Only a fool would fuck with you.”  

“Well, that’s reassuring to hear, but doesn’t help me solve the mystery.”

“Huh.” Merv scratched his head (not metaphorically). “Well, I’ll tell you if I see anything suspicious.”

“Thanks, Mervyn.” This was never going to be resolved, Lucienne despaired as Mervyn turned back to his work.

—

The Dreaming didn’t have day and night, necessarily, but Lucienne had found that if she kept track of Hob Gadling’s schedule, she could occasionally take a night off to spend with Gault. This morning, she was lying with her head comfortably on Gault’s shoulder, putting off getting up and facing the mystery in the library for one more day. 

“What’s the matter, love?” Gault suddenly asked.

“What? Why would you say that? Nothing’s wrong.” Lucienne nuzzled her face into Gault’s breast, but it was too obvious that she was avoiding her eyes. Gault tipped her chin up so Lucienne couldn’t avoid her eyes.

“Nonsense. Most mornings you are raring to go back to your precious books, but this morning you keep giving heavy sighs and tucking back into my arm. Tell me what’s wrong, love.”

Lucienne closed her eyes in chagrin. She hadn’t meant to be so obvious.

“You’re right. It’s the books in the Agatha Christie unpublished section. They are facing backwards, and every time I right them, they turn back around again. The only one I can think of who could do that is Lord Morpheus, but he says it isn’t him. He suggested that perhaps I have offended someone, but wouldn’t tell me who.

I can’t figure out who it is, and by this point, I feel like the whole castle is laughing at me.”

“Oh love, I’m sure everyone isn’t laughing at you.” But Gault couldn’t quite hide the twinkle in her eyes and the smirk tucked in the corner or her lips from Lucienne.

“Oh you!” Lucienne laughed and Gault joined her. Truly, laughing about it made the mystery feel so much lighter. Not that Lucienne wasn’t still going to solve it. 

“Oh! Oh, I know! You should ask Unity. She has her pulse on the social situation in the Dreaming.”

“Gault! That’s a great idea!” Now that she had a plan, Lucienne was finally ready to face the day. She reached up to kiss Gault one last time, and then they rolled out of bed in their coordinated morning dance. It was so nice to share space with someone familiar and beloved.

—

“Thank you for inviting me for tea, Lucienne.” Unity settled gracefully into the chair opposite Lucienne’s and took the tea cup Lucienne handed her. 

“Thank you for coming. I admit, I have an ulterior motive for inviting you today.”

[violetspots-2007]

Hey, I had this giant list of Welcome Home as Incorrect quotes (I made it cause I was bored) and thought it would be funny to share some with the internet:

.

Eddie: My hands are cold.

Frank: Here, let me hold them.

Eddie: My lips are cold too.

Frank: *covers Eddie's mouth with their hand*

.

Frank: Julie gets offended by everything.

Julie: What did you say about me?!?

Frank:

Frank: Case in point.

.

Barnaby: I know this isn’t going to end well and I don’t care. So don’t you try and stop me, Wally!

Wally: I wasn’t stopping you. I was asking if you had a spare camera so I can record this.

.

*the Squad at Disneyland, in the teacups*

Frank, Eddie, and Poppy: *spinning a little and talking*

Barnaby, Wally, and Julie: *flying past them, spinning as fast as they can, screaming*

.

Howdy: Wally, you’re such a genius!

Wally: Yes, I know.

.

Wally: We’re having a moment, aren’t we?

Frank: If by 'a moment' you mean me not wanting to strangle you for the first time since we met, then I guess we are.

.

*At a dinner party, the guests converse while the host is away*

Poppy: So how do you know the host?

Julie: They were a former vegan, and they bought milk.

Frank: That B****!

Barnaby: I pulled them over for money laundering.

Sally: I'm chaperoning their dinner party.

Howdy: They stole a baconator!

Frank: That B****!

Poppy: I tanked the store they were managing and they convinced me to quit from one of the only jobs I've ever had. Now I'm living off of unemployment checks and fear!

.

Barnaby: Why do you think I don’t like you? I do. I would kill for you.

Barnaby: Ask me to kill for you.

Eddie: ...First of all, calm down-

.

Julie, hungover: Please tell me I'm imagining that I claimed I was king of the ducks.

Eddie: I would, but then I would be lying to the King of All Ducks.

.

Howdy: Hey Sally, listen, corporate makes us do this every year, but this is just a little manager evaluation form. You just fill it out, let them know how I'm doing, you know?

Sally: Alright! Uh, "Is your manager manipulative?"

Howdy: I'd say "No" to that if I were you.

.

Howdy: Barnaby, I am questioning your sanity...

Frank: I never questioned it, I knew their sanity was missing from the start.

.

Barnaby: *coughs blood*

Wally: Don't die, Barnaby!

Barnaby: Don't tell me what to do!

.

Barnaby: Why did you kidnap Wally!?!?!

Howdy: Ah- um- well- the reason for that is, uhh...

Frank: Sometimes, we must work together towards a common goal.

Barnaby: NOT TO KIDNAP PEOPLE!

.

Frank: Heyyy Eddie, how’s your… drink??

Eddie: What do you mean drink? It’s coffee.

Frank: You sure?? *Looks to coffee maker*

Eddie: *Looks to coffee maker*

*Cement sitting beside the coffee maker*

Eddie:...I’m on my third fucking drink right now, I should be dead.

.

Frank, pointing to the wall: What color is this?

Sally: Gray.

Howdy: Grey.

Frank, turning to Barnaby: Now tell them what color you think it is.

Barnaby: Dark white.

.

Howdy: I just found out from Eddie today that when Barnaby died and the service did the 21-gun salute at their funeral, Julie said, “They should aim at the coffin to be sure.”

.

Barnaby: Sometimes I'll start a sentence and I don't even know where it's going. I just hope I find it along the way.

.

Wally: I am darkness. I am an power. I am your worst nightmare. I could kill a man in more ways than you can imagine. I am the night. I am fury, I am a weapon, I am-

Barnaby: A doll.

Julie: A cinnamon roll.

Eddie: A sweetheart.

Wally:

Wally: ...stop it.

.

Poppy: Frank won’t come out of their room!

Sally: Just tell them I said something.

Poppy: Like what?

Sally: Anything factually incorrect.

Poppy, shrugging: If you say so.

Frank, arriving moments later: Did you just say the sun is a PLANET?

.

Wally: Every zoo is a petting zoo unless you’re a coward.

Barnaby: I’m worried about you.

.

Wally: As your best friend—

Viewer: [Insert Name] is my best friend.

Wally, holding a knife: As your best friend—

.

Julie: Sorry it took so long to bail you out of jail.

Barnaby: No, it was my fault. I shouldn't have used my phone call to prank call the police station.

.

Wally: Hey guys! I drew everyones soul!

Howdy: Why is Julie's a monster?

Julie: Wally, you forgot your's! It's only an empty space!

Wally, proudly: Exactly

.

Wally: Why am I the bad guy?

Frank: I don't know, why am I the pretty one? We all have our thing.

.

Wally: Maybe the real monster was the friends we both literally and figuratively murdered along the way.

.

Hope everyone enjoyed it. Maybe I'll make another one if I'm feeling like it. Like I said, I have a whole list, so I'm sure I'll be set for a little while.

[momentsofhyuka]

make this feel like home

!!! tumblr mobile messed up the formatting of this version for me so please check the final work out HERE !!! ty &lt;3

summary:

Sure you and Yeonjun had always been sort of a package deal. You became friends at a young age, attended all the same schools, and now attended the same college. It had been great coming into college with a best friend already and you easily found a friend group you both got along with.

You never expected said friend group to insinuate that Yeonjun could possibly like you. It just didn’t make sense.

or: your classic oblivious childhood best friends to lovers

genre: childhood friends to lovers, angst with a happy ending, misunderstandings, oblivious, college

warnings: angst, curse words, crying, party setting, drinking, throwing up, misunderstandings

notes: first post kinda nervous … anyways hope at least one person enjoys this !! Let me know what you think <3

———————————————————————

Choi Yeonjun has always reminded you of home. Growing up as neighbors you had become fast friends, something that had never changed. Here you were years later, still best friends with him, as you both attended the latest party on campus.

You were never much of a partier, preferring to hang out with friends somewhere you could actually hold a conversation without screaming. Yeonjun on the other hand had quickly taken to the party scene your first year in college and still liked to go even now in your senior year.

The few parties you went to were after weeks of begging from Yeonjun to go with him. You don’t know why he even bothered to ask you so much, he knew you could never say no to him.

That’s how you found yourself crammed on a shitty couch with some of your friends, waiting for Yeonjun to come back with your drinks, on what could have been a peaceful Friday night spent catching up on your favorite show. You sighed trying to get a little more comfortable on the couch smiling back at Kai’s apologetic grimace.

“I would say i’m surprised you’re here, but Yeonjun has been looking forward to this party for way too long. I knew he’d convince you to come,” started Taehyun motioning towards you. The others murmured their agreements at the statement. Seems like the whole world knew just how wrapped around his finger Yeonjun has you.

“It’s easier to come to these things than to deal with his constant whining,” you attempted to defend yourself, not sure why you suddenly felt a little offended. They hadn’t really said anything that wasn’t true.

Sensing the change in your mood the others tried to steer the conversation away but Soobin didn’t get the hint.

“I mean let’s be honest, if you gave him a firm no he would cancel everything and go spend time with you anyways,” Soobin reasoned in an attempt to even out the statements from earlier.

You laughed, giving a small “Yeah right,” in response and were surprised to be met with dumbfounded stares. Suddenly they were all more engaged in this conversation than before.

“He’s not kidding. Yeonjun would literally do anything you asked it’s kind of funny to watch him following you around like a puppy,” continued Beomgyu, the rest of the guys all nodding in agreement.

“A love sick puppy,” added Kai, giggling into his cup. Taehyun roughly elbowed him hissing what sounded like a “shut up, idiot.”

You simply continued to stare at them in confusion.

Sure you and Yeonjun had always been sort of a package deal. You became friends at a young age, attended all the same schools, and now attended the same college. It had been great coming into college with a best friend already and you easily found a friend group you both got along with.

You never expected said friend group to insinuate that Yeonjun could possibly like you. It just didn’t make sense.

All your life it’s always been you and Yeonjun as the duo, one never really without the other. With this, however, always came the assumption that you had a major crush on Yeonjun or something. Some people had even gone as far as to insinuate that Yeonjun put up with you because he was nice or that he took pity on you. In most peoples heads, it was always you following the bright star that was Yeonjun who was always just slightly out of your orbit.

(Yeonjun and the guys were not big fans of these people, constantly defending you much to your embarassment.)

This is why the guys statements caught you so off guard. In your time as friends you had never heard the opposite. Yeonjun chasing after you? Yeonjun doing whatever you asked? Yeonjun having a crush on you?

It simply wasn’t conceivable. You knew you and Yeonjun were equals in the friendship despite what so many thought but you also knew it was never anything more than friendship.

Settled by this train of thought you decided that they had to be joking or trying to prank you, and gave another awkward laugh. “That’s funny. You always hear people saying I like him not the other way around. Good one guys,” you continued trying to show them that whatever it is they were trying to accomplish was not working.

You watched as they glanced at each other in disbelief. Scanning the room briefly and concluding that Yeonjun was still in the kitchen somewhere, Soobin risked continuing the conversation. “We really aren’t kidding. Look we probably shouldn’t be telling you this but it’s kind of tiring watching you both dance around the obvious feelings there,” he replied, no hint of humor on his face.

You sputtered a bit and tried to defend yourself against these claims. All the times anyone had ever even hinted at you liking Yeonjun had ended with the guys rushing to your defense, yet here they were saying the exact same thing. Not only that, but they were adding a new layer of Yeonjun liking you back.

“C’mon, you’re like one of the most perceptive people I know. I could’ve sworn you knew he liked you and just didn’t know what to do about it. He’s the oblivious one,” Taehyun cut your weak defense off with.

“Yeah, he’s always being dramatic wondering if ‘he’s fated to watch you end up with someone else and be stuck loving you forever’ or some sappy shit like that,” tacked on Beomgyu doing a poor impression of Yeonjuns voice.

“Love?!” you finally got out having been unable to even give a response through your sheer shock.

Beomgyu’s eyes widened in realization of what he said but before anyone could chime in and correct the situation Yeonjun finally came back, drinks in hand.

You felt yourself blushing and mentally cursed the guys for putting any of these thoughts into your head. You had come to terms a long, long time ago that you and Yeonjun would always be best friends. You were okay with that. You beat back any non-platonic feelings that had crept up and eventually got so good at it, that you didn’t even have to worry about liking him.

Because you totally didn’t. No way. Doesn’t matter what the guys say they’re definitely wrong.

Despite this you still found yourself thinking about what they had just said.

Aside from you, they did know Yeonjun best and if there’s something he wasn’t telling you, (like the fact he apparently is harboring a huge crush on you), he would definitely tell one if not all of them. You paused at this thought, suppressing a gasp.

What if they were really telling the truth?

You didn’t have anymore time to linger on this because Yeonjun was suddenly right in front of you, offering you the drink he had made for you (because he had your favorite drink memorized). Totally something best friends do. Right?

To say you were freaking out was an understatement, and you could tell the guys definitely knew by their guilty glances at you.

“Sorry I took so long! I ran into Wooyoung on the way there and we got caught up talking,” Yeonjun announced to the group, unaware of what had just happened.

You gave a weak thanks as you accepted the cup, suddenly hyper aware of all your interactions with him. Not to mention you now felt like you were being watched by the guys.

“So, what did I miss?” questioned Yeonjun causing Kai to give a nervous laugh and Beomgyu to respond with “Nothing!” too quickly.

Way to be subtle.

“Oh so I definitely missed something good. You’ll tell me right?” he teasingly answered, turning to face you with a questioning look. You locked eyes with Taehyun who’s face of horror was likely mirroring your own.

You bravely risked a glance up at Yeonjun noting that he had absolutely no worries that you’d ever not tell him what he missed. He trusted you.

(“He looovess you,” sing-songed your gremlin brain. Didn’t know we were in middle school.)

“Just the guys being stupid like always, nothing actually important,” you finally decided to respond with, surprised at how stable your voice sounded. You had always been comforted by Yeonjuns presence, it’s not very surprising you still would be even when he was currently the root of all your problems.

(“Because you’re in love with him,” that same annoying voice in your head supplied. It sounded suspiciously like Soobin.)

He simply nodded in response giving a small laugh, and you could see the others sighing in relief.

You expected it to be left at that. You would go back to pretending you didn’t like him (because you didn’t !!). You would also now pretend to not know he apparently likes you (because he definitely does not). The guys would grovel for forgiveness from you for the rest of your life. It was a simple plan really. Easy.

Apparently it was not that easy.

“Wait i’m like sooo invested in what you guys were saying,” slurred a voice to your left. The group turned in confusion to the girl standing near the couch, clearly well past her first drink. “So that guy that just came in that’s the one you guys said likes her back, right?,” she continued, pointing shakily at you, unaware of the panicked looks that had now overtaken everyone’s faces.

“So they’re in love and didn’t know or whatever. What happens next? I reallyyy want to know you guys are SO good at telling stories,” she pouted at the group. A stunned silence followed her words. Suddenly she gagged, eyes widening as she rushed over to the bathroom.

There went your plan, destroyed by a case of drinking and eavesdropping.

Frozen in your spot you struggled to figure out what to even do next. Yeonjun wasn’t stupid, there was no saying the girl was too drunk and didn’t know what she was saying, not with everyone’s immediate guilty reactions.

Clearing his throat, he asked, “So, anyone care to tell me what that was all about?” He definitely did not sound happy.

(“He totally sounded embarrassed though,” tried the little voice. Read the room.)

You had never been much of a crier but you suddenly found tears rolling down your face, feeling utterly helpless for once.

You couldn’t believe this is how your friendship with Yeonjun would end.

Suddenly too overwhelmed to continue experiencing this you frantically stood up, desperately wiping your tears away to try and preserve some of your dignity.

“Wait! Where are you going?” Yeonjun called but it was too late you had already taken off, weaving through the crowd to the exit.

You were pretty sure you didn’t have to worry about anyone following you either. Not after that.

You were almost at the door when you felt someone grab your wrist. Stupidly, you let yourself be filled with hope that it was Yeonjun and you had been wrong about him not following you.

It wasn’t. It was the same girl from earlier. She looked worse for wear, having clearly thrown up. “Hey, you have to let me know how that story finishes. I’m rooting for you guys,” she said, not noticing your disheveled state. You laughed weakly and pulled out of her grasp continuing in your earlier path out of here.

You stumbled into the street, jogging in the direction you think your dorm was in. Yeonjun had brought you to the party, and you hadn’t really thought to pay attention to the directions. Tonight wasn’t supposed to end like this.

Suddenly you heard your name being called and looked back to see Yeonjun sprinting towards you. He didn’t look particularly happy or “in love” right now. He honestly looked pretty pissed off.

You guessed this was it. He finally came to his senses after all that and was here to tell you to leave him alone, to forget you were ever friends. You still couldn’t find it in yourself to truly be mad at or blame the guys. They thought they were helping. You could see them running after Yeonjun but while he continued his journey towards you they lingered by the doorway, uneasy looks on their faces.

You hoped he didn’t take this out on them. They were still good friends for him all things considered.

Finally reaching you on the sidewalk, Yeonjun paused to catch his breath and you tried your best to mentally prepare for what he was going to say. Not that you were doing that good of a job, if anything your earlier tears had practically become full on sobs.

“You scared the shit out of me,” started Yeonjun, causing you to look up at him in confusion. “Don’t ever run away like that again please. I know i’m a dancer and all but I am not about to take up running anytime soon,” he wheezed a bit, placing his hand on your shoulder.

You laughed through your tears unsure what you were even supposed to be feeling right now.

“Sorry I was a bit late running after you, I needed to confirm with the guys that I heard that girl right before I made a complete idiot of myself in front of you,” he continued, suddenly seeming more shy and awkward. All you could do was blink up at him.

“I mean I did hear her right according to them. She did say ‘likes her back’ because you like me too right? The guys weren’t messing around with me?” his voice was now shaky and a little desperate as he stared into your glassy eyes.

“What?” was all you could manage in response, not quite sure what exactly was happening right now.

This was apparently not the correct response because it looked like a light suddenly went out in him. His shoulder slumped immediately and he began to backtrack on what he had said.

You cut him off trying to get some clarity on the situation, “Hold on, so you don’t hate me and want to end our friendship right now?”

The look he gave you in response honestly made you feel kind of embarrassed for even asking that.

“What!?! Hate you? I think i’m incapable of hating you. No, I am not about to end our friendship. I’m here wondering if we’ve been in love with each other for our whole lives and have been too stupid and scared to realize or act on it!” he let out, emotions clearly getting to him as his eyes began to water as well.

You gasped and decided to buy time to respond by flinging yourself into his arms. He held you tight immediately, burying his face into your hair. Finally gathering your thoughts, you began to answer him.

“I do love you. I always have. I-I never knew what to do with it, never knew if I could give all that love to you, so I just pretended it wasn’t there. I was happy just to have you in my life I didn’t care how,” you admitted into the safety of his jacket, burning face buried away from his curious eyes.

He pulled back, tilting your chin up, removing you from your hiding spot. He was now crying as well which only served to make you start crying even harder. You were never good at seeing him cry.

“I’m so in love with you it physically hurts. I always thought I would be forever stuck on loving you from a distance but never having you. Now that I know being yours is an option I’m never letting go,” he fiercely responded, shaking you slightly. Cupping his face you let yourself do the one thing you’ve always wanted to. You kissed him.

Cupping his face you let yourself do the one thing you’ve always wanted to. You kissed him. He tasted like home.

Loud cheers suddenly interrupted the moment and you both pulled away startled. The guys were cheering you on. You laughed and buried yourself back into Yeonjuns arms. His embrace felt like home.

Loud cheers interrupted the moment and you both pulled away startled. The guys, who had watched the whole thing unfold, were cheering you on. You laughed burying yourself back into Yeonjuns arms. His embrace felt like home.

Suddenly shy, you buried yourself back into Yeonjuns embrace, laughing.

Loud cheers interrupted the moment and you both pulled away startled. The guys, who had watched the whole thing unfold, were cheering you on. You laughed suddenly shy and buried yourself back in Yeonjuns arms. His embrace felt like home.

Loud cheers interrupted the moment and you both pulled away startled. The guys, who had watched the whole thing unfold, were cheering you on. You laughed suddenly shy, and buried yourself into Yeonjuns arms again. He felt like home.

He held you close. His embrace felt like love and home.

He held you close. His embrace felt like love and home.

Cupping his face you let yourself do the one thing you’ve always wanted to. You kissed him.

Loud cheers interrupted the moment and you both pulled away startled. The guys, who had watched this all unfold, were cheering you on. You laughed, suddenly shy, and buried yourself back into Yeonjuns arms.

Also laughing, he held you tight. His embrace felt like love and home.

Cupping his face and you allowed yourself to do the one thing you’ve always wanted to do. You kissed him.

Also laughing, he held you close. His embrace felt like love and home.

Loud cheers interrupted the moment, startling the both of you. You both pulled away and looked at the source of the noise to find it was none other than the guys who had watched the whole thing unfold. Suddenly shy you buried yourself back into Yeonjuns arms, laughing.

He was laughing too, but he made sure to hold you tight. His embrace feeling like love and home all at once.