#I’m honestly tired like he didn’t force sand to sleep with him it just happened

[i-see-you-as-a-sunflower]

Me being the only one on team Ray since I’m not treating him like a villain like the rest of the fandom🙃! He’s not the villain y’all trying to making him be like I’m still rooting for sand ray to be end game

[hyunlixsbbygirl]

❥Drama Talk

Only Friends episode 9

✨I am not prepared✨

I like that Top isn’t bombarding Mew with details of the party and is just making sure that he’s okay for now.

Seeing both Sand and Ray look so… hurt and tired is heart wrenching. They both need the comfort of the other but I have a feeling that they won’t let the other in. I love that Ray is admitting that he’s finally understanding his feelings though - he doesn’t specifically say his feelings are for Sand but the way he looks at him just screams it.

This whole “if you want to hit me then do it” is not the vibe. Like I know Sand won’t hit him (push maybe) but we all know Sand is a lover first and a fighter second - only fighting when needed. Ugh, why can’t they just kiss and make up already?

😳Nevermind…

The desperation in this kiss though! They have been CRAVING that connection for awhile, like the way Sand didn’t even hesitate to kiss him back and how they both are just grabbing onto each other as though they are long lost lovers finally reunited - it’s just amazing.

WHY DO YOU ALL JUST GRAB THE DAMN PHONE AND START RECORDING WHENEVER YOU SEE SOMEONE KISSING?!?!?!?!?!

Like bro… I don’t care if you know the person. You just don’t record them for your personal vendetta! Jesus…

Okay, does Boston have like a massive dick or something? Like why are all these guys (who see the red flags clear as day) all end up trying to go back? Boston literally lays it on the damn table that he is not into relationships and only wants one night stands and yet for some reason these guys just decide to ignore the warning sirens going off and fall for him anyway! Like bro HAS to just be like well endowed.

Ooh! Roomie camping trip! Our boys honestly needed this - like they’ve both been through hell and deserve to just rest and relax for once without worrying about anything. Time to really think over their feelings and what they really want since no one seems to actually tell them to do so or even care about their needs. Granted, them being masochists honestly makes so much sense.

Ah. The first mention of this “daddy Dan” person this episode. I genuinely want to know what kind of person he’ll be - similar to Boston in that he just lures people to bed and ditches them or similar to Top in that he was once a play boy but fell for one of his prey?

Hmm… a new boy toy for Mew?

Oop enter Top stage left. Honestly, thank goodness. I feel like Mew would have left with that guy if Top hadn’t been there to step in.

And enter Ray stage left - like what happened to wanting Sand? You said you understood your feelings now and yet you went to Mew knowing that he’s not the person you really want. Like you are more confused than me in math class.

The way Ray looks at Mew is completely different than how he looks at Sand. With Mew it’s just comfortable, it’s like he’s not quite forcing himself to commit to this two year crush but he’s also not fully into it. With Sand, he looks like he just met the one person that could save him for good and is just really into being with Sand in every possible way. I will say that I’m surprised Mew let Ray kiss him without Top being there - like he just seemed so turned off by the idea of them kissing at the party.

I think the reason Ray got so mad about Mew not sleeping with him is because it’s forcing him to see that he’s just a rebound. Mew doesn’t actually love him the way he wants him to - Mew loves him as a friend but nothing more. Ray wanted to believe that this wasn’t the case but Mew is proving it by stopping him from progressing past a short make out session. It’s also forcing Mew to admit to himself that he still wants Top though, even though he wants to forget about Top.

I know it looks like Ray is going to Sand for sex but hear me out… I think Ray was testing Mew, he wanted to see if Mew really loved him or not and he got his answer so now he wants to test Sand and see if Sand truly likes him or not - it’s his way of sorting through his feelings; if Mew rejects him, he can finally move on and be with the person he really wants to be with. If Sand rejects him then he didn’t really like either of them. If Mew had slept with him, he would have stayed with Mew believing he really loves him just like if Sand accepts him, he’ll know that he really wants Sand. Just wait…

HOLD UP….

NICK….

Don’t tease me… didn’t I just say last week that I wanted to at least see Sand and Nick make out? ISTG

I LITERALLY DID! DONT EVEN TELL ME THIS IS HAPPENING!

Okay…

Now that I’ve stopped screaming. I will say that while that kiss was honestly really good, I’m glad they realized that they would never work as boyfriends. I mean Nick and Sand are cute but they just don’t work in that sense. I love that they’re laughing it off while cuddling too, it’s just so wholesome and sincere.

Ray actually drove to Sand…

Does Ray have like a threesome fetish or something 😂 my man has brought this up three times already like boy get out of here! I can’t with you. I will say that Ray cuddling up to Sand like a monkey is adorable though.

Top is incredible - going after Mew’s moms in order to win him back. Honestly, job well done my dude!

WAIT! Sand and Ray have been sleeping together this whole time?! Since when? Like since the first time we saw them or like did they stop and then start up again sometime around when Sand showed Ray that audio clip? Like I need this story!!!

Yes Sand baby! Put up those boundaries! I am so proud of you for speaking your heart and mind and letting Ray know that you aren’t going to be his side piece!

I understand where Ray is coming from though; he likes Sand and wants to be with him but Mew is special and has been for years - letting go of his feelings for him won’t be easy no matter how much Ray wants to let go. I was in that position before and up until about 3 years after he dumped me - I would have gladly ran back to him even though I had feelings for someone else at the time. It’s hard to let go of familiarity in order to have something that brings you true happiness.

YAS TOP! That is how you win someone back! Not with dirty tricks but with showing your true feelings and offering nothing but respect for them until they feel like they can forgive you!

Nick 🤝🏼 Rain “Daddy doesn’t mean father in this case” It means you’re hot and please fuck me

Oh so Boston was there hmm? I think he saw Nick and Dan kissing so he put on a show with another guy just in case Nick saw them. Boston wants Nick to be jealous, he doesn’t know why but he knows he does. My theory is that Boston really loves Nick but refuses to admit it because he’s scared of committing to someone who has the potential to hurt him.

Oh… Nick’s speech to Boston is heartbreaking but like it needed to happen. Nick needed that closure for himself to no longer hurt but you can tell it hurt Boston in a way that he wasn’t expecting. I mean he actually left his hit it and quit it situation to go after Nick. Something about those words got to him. Interesting.

This conversation between Sand and Ray though; you can tell that Ray is asking these questions to see how much Sand cares for him - the more he realizes that Sand really loves him, the more he’s letting go of his feelings for Mew and finally allowing himself to feel the love he has for Sand. Them confessing that they’ve never been like this for anyone though?!?! My heart is racing!

THIS BED SCENE!!

This isn’t just two people having sex - they were making love. They were putting their feelings for each other into that and really giving themselves to each other finally. Those cheek kisses afterwards too though! Like if they don’t become end game I will cry for the rest of my life.

See, Mew isn’t even mad that Ray picked Sand. He even admitted to using Ray to piss off Top. They both saw the signs and still tried to force themselves to be with each other because it made sense at the time. I am glad that they can walk away from this as friends and even joke about it. It shows that their bond as friends was truly strong.

Who is this now?!

Going to Top’s apartment too? Like sir, who is you and why are you hot?

THAT WAS BOEING?!?!?!?!? EXCUSE ME?!?!?!?

Bruh! What was that preview though?! I am not ready for this! Like I’m glad Boston is realizing how much of a shitty person he is but like why is dragging Nick into it?! Also are Top and Mew end game then? So Ray actually goes to rehab for Sand?! I AM SIMPLY NOT READY FOR NEXT WEEK

[wtf-yoongi]

Let me drive. / JJK

pairing | jungkook x reader

summary | road trip + california + your koo 🥺

genre/warnings | fluff + light smut + established relationship + kinda shy/quiet jungkook

words | 3,522

note | okay so i had this idea almost a year ago and wrote around 5 versions of this since then lol i guess the stuff i write is *already* very chill but i have to say this is the chillest

If you could, you’d freeze this moment. This very moment. Right here, right now. Just as the wind blows on your hair, just as everything around you smells like sand and the sea, just as Jungkook’s smooth driving lulls you to sleep.

You look at him then. Focused on the curves of the road, a small crease in between his eyebrows as he is forced to make a particularly sharp turn. You twist again to look outside the half-opened window and all you can see are the waves coming and going, somehow closer when the car shifts — and it calms you even further. 

It’s hard to fight the heaviness of your eyelids, but you’re determined not to miss any second of this. Everything looks perfect, all around you — you can’t take it for granted. You should cherish it, imprint this in your memory, take pictures with Jungkook’s camera now that he’s busy driving and can’t do it himself. It’s within arm’s reach, but you can’t find it in you to grab it.

“You should take a nap,” Jungkook says with an unusual air in his voice. It is deep, but dreamy, and you wonder if you’ve actually fallen asleep. His right hand leaves the steering wheel to lightly touch your thigh. “You didn’t have enough sleep last night.”

“You’ve had just as much as me,” you protest, turning your body to seat properly again and blinking a few times to wake up, eyes opening as wide as possible in between each of them. “Do you think we can stop for a coffee somewhere? I bet you need it too.”

“I’m okay.”

��That’s what you always say.”

You end up convincing Jungkook you should stop somewhere, even if that somewhere is the nearest underwhelming gas station. He takes the opportunity to fill up the tank, later going inside to join you and look for the most appetizing caffeinated drink. It’s not his favorite, and neither is the one in your hands, but it’ll do for now. You take the can out of his long fingers to pay before he has a chance to protest.

“How far away are we now?”

Jungkook’s head tilts as he follows you outside, eyes wrinkling while his brain tries to remember what the GPS said before. “Not much, really. Maybe a little bit over half an hour.”

“Let me drive, then.”

He throws you the keys without thinking twice, but mostly because you know Jungkook wants to take pictures of the road — he’s never been good at hiding things and, with you in particular, there’s no point in trying anymore. He’s been driving since you left this morning and you wonder if you should’ve taken over after Pismo Beach.

Maybe you should have. He looks perfectly content as he sits on the passenger’s side and reaches for the camera not a heartbeat after putting on his seatbelt. That’s when you know you should’ve said something earlier — he’s not going to ask you to drive if he can keep going. It’s the way Jungkook’s mind works: selfless all the time.

That thought melts as soon as you look to your right and he’s pointing the camera at you, bright smile only partially covered by the device in his hands as you hear the shutter. For a second, all you can see is him. Suddenly, all you care about in the world is how you can make that smile last longer.

Is it too greedy to want it forever?

//

The rest of the way to Santa Barbara goes as smoothly as possible. Jungkook is right — it does take a little bit over half an hour to get there and you’re glad it’s early enough for you to explore the city tonight. As you cross what seems to be the main road, filled with life, shops and pretty lights, you and Jungkook make a silent agreement to come back as soon as you drop the bags in the house you’re staying in.

To be honest, Jungkook was excessive when he chose the place. He said he wanted it to be close to the beach, with a pool he could swim in at two in the morning if he wanted to — oh, yes, and private. He repeated that at least three times while you were researching. In the end, the house isn’t as close to the beach as he wished it to be, but he agreed the pool was worth it. 

When you land your eyes on it for the first time, you’re sure Jungkook made the right call.

There’s a host there to welcome you and you follow Mrs. Johnson around as she shows you all the little corners of the house. She is surprised to know only two guests are staying when the house could easily fit six, but nods with a warm smile when you mention the pool situation and the way Jungkook’s eyes lighted up when he saw the pictures. You also can’t miss the way he tries to hide himself behind you when you say that or the hand that travels down to your waist. You couldn’t see him, but you bet a thousand dollars a shy smile is in full display — dimples and all.

It only takes a few minutes for you to drag your bags inside, drink a cup of water and leave again. The house isn’t very far from the main road you’ve seen earlier and a walk after a few hours of sitting inside a car sounded like a great idea. Just before leaving, you playfully pull Jungkook’s bucket hat further down as he sits his sunglasses on the bridge of his nose. Then, again, you wish you could freeze the moment, but only if you could attach an audio file with his giggle and that playful stop it with it.

There’s a comfortable warmth from all around you as you walk. The breeze is hot and, although the temperature is bearable, Jungkook’s hand in yours becomes clammy in under five minutes — not that it is enough reason to let it go, it’s just not the most comfortable and definitely not as pleasant as the feeling of his hands intertwined with yours midwinter.

You can tell Jungkook is excited. His feet are light on the scolding asphalt and he’s paying extra attention to every detail his doe-like eyes are able to reach — almost as if he’s also looking to imprint this moment in his brain. In fact, he could be getting help with that by taking pictures, but decides to leave the camera hanging by its strap on his waist for reasons you don’t quite understand. You also don’t ask, too happy to raise questions about anything.

There’s something about this city that makes you feel welcomed. It’s much like the charming towns you’ve visited along the coast ever since leaving the busy San Francisco a couple of days ago, but there’s something particularly special about it. You were expecting it to be filled with tourists enjoying their summer day, streets buzzing with cars and no available parking spots whatsoever only to be met by a steady rhythm of people walking, chatting and passing you by without a second glance. It’s less busy and more easygoing than you anticipated.

Jungkook also seems to notice that.

“I like it here,” he says, echoing your thoughts with ease. Jungkook’s head turns all around, taking it all in before landing his curious eyes on you. “I think this one is my favorite so far.”

You can’t help the snort that leaves your nose. “You’ve said that for every place we’ve been to.”

“Well, every place has been better than the last. What do you want me to say?”

Just as the words leave his lips, the elegant lamps lining the sidewalk come to life. You notice you’re not the only ones with chins up and surprised eyes — suddenly, you can point to every tourist standing within this block as locals move on with their lives as if nothing happened.

“Honestly, how can this not be my favorite so far?” Jungkook asks rhetorically, finally letting go of your hand to reach for his camera. He turns it on without even looking at the device, snapping picture after picture until he’s satisfied with the framing and lighting. “These lights are so pretty…” He comments as he checks his viewfinder. “Let me take one of you just standing there.”

He takes a few steps back to fit you in frame and you hear the shutter many times before he’s back by your side.

“Why don’t we get something to eat?” He suggests, quick to take your hand again as soon as the camera is back to its original place.

“That’d be nice. Craving anything in particular?”

“Food,” he answers simply and with a smile. “Anything you want.”

You end up inside a diner eight minutes from where you were. The reviews online were great and you can see the place is popular by the amount of people sitting when it’s still so early in the night. The sun hasn’t completely set, but you can already feel the temperature drop a little — not too much, you think, to forgo the pool later.

Jungkook eats like he’s been starving the whole day. One entrée isn’t enough for him, so he orders two and you feel like you should save some room for the burger coming in later. His fingers are greasy from all the fried chicken, so are his lips, and you can’t help but smiling fondly at him when he looks up from the bone he just sucked on. 

Right then, you wonder how in the world you ended up with him on the other side of the planet — the odds were never in your favor, but everything worked out somehow.

Ending up on the other side of the planet was the easy part.

//

The walk back to the house seems longer. Maybe it’s the weight of all the food in your stomach, maybe you’re finally feeling the need to rest after another busy day driving and seeing new places — maybe it’s both. Jungkook seems to feel it too, lazily swaying your connected (thoroughly cleaned) hands, dragging his feet and showing signs of running low on energy. For a moment, you think it’s possible he forgets about the pool and decides to just go to bed.

However tired, his eyes light up when he sees the pool area like it’s the first time and you have to admit it looks incredible. The water is so still it doesn’t look real and small decorative lamps illuminate it all around, creating a peaceful and inviting atmosphere. You can see how spent Jungkook is by the way his shoulders seem to be leaning forward a bit, but, still, he’s taking off his shirt and mumbling something about changing into a different pair of shorts.

Maybe he’s right. A quick dip in the water might just be the thing to relax your body and prepare it for the best sleep of your life.

Jungkook is already in the water when you come back in a bikini — with his back pressed to the pool, head resting on the edge and hair a wet mess. His eyes may be barely open, but he still sees you and raises a lazy hand out of the water to invite you in.

“It’s surprisingly not cold,” he assures you, a comforting smile on his lips. “Also, it’s not as deep, I’m just not really standing properly.”

A giggle leaves your lips as you move to sit on the edge right next to where he is, carefully letting a foot in to surprisingly — as Jungkook said — not immediately remove it because it’s too cold. You just wanted to sit there for a while getting used to the temperature before committing to a full dip, but he’s not having it.

“Come on,” Jungkook whines a little, clinging onto one of your legs. “We don’t have much time before I fall asleep in the water and drown.” He snorts and you can’t help falling for his shy smile. “I want to hold you in the water while we look at the stars together.”

“We can do that tomorrow if you want,” you suggest, trying not to let his words melt you completely while you move to fix a wet strand of hair in front of his eyes. “We’re staying here for one more night.”

However, in true Jungkook fashion, he doesn’t give up. “But I want it right now.”

And, in true you fashion, you give in to him.

//

The next morning, you wake up with a heavy and warm arm on top of your frame. The heat from Jungkook’s body on your back becomes too much as the hours pass and the room gets hit by an increasingly hotter sun. Unfortunately, it seems like your brain can’t get your limbs to move away from him without regaining consciousness.

It’s past 9 in the morning by the time you stretch an arm towards your phone. Groaning, you try reaching out for the air conditioner remote, but it’s maybe an inch too far. Before you can wiggle out of his grasp, though, you hear a low objection, grunt muffled by your own hair and skin.

Softly, you mutter a few words. “Just a second, Guk, I really need to get that.”

Subconsciously or not, Jungkook eases the grip he has around your middle and you’re finally able to hold the remote in your hands, lowering the temperature and increasing the speed. After the few beeps, a minute passes and you’re taking a deep breath, happy to feel the cool air around your limbs. 

“You’re shivering now,” he says, surprising you after a long and comfortable silence. Blindly, he feels around for the white sheets, fixing them on your torso all the way to your chin.

“I’m not shivering,” you assure him, uncovering an arm in a stubborn act. “I have a t-shirt on, it’s fine.”

He hums. “I’ll have you out of that in around thirty minutes. Don’t count on it too much.”

You smile, turning to him, but Jungkook still has his eyes closed. “Doesn’t look like it.”

“I told you: thirty minutes. Don’t rush, we’re on vacation,” he justifies himself, words lazy just like the smirk that appears on his lips. “Let me wake up properly.”

True to his words, you both rest for a little while before Jungkook starts making his move. You would’ve guessed he had fallen back to sleep from how steadily he was breathing just a few seconds ago, but you couldn’t have been more wrong — not when his lips are connected to the column of your throat and you begin to feel the weight of his body on your left side.

Suddenly, your whole world is surrounded by him. All you can feel, see and smell is made of Jungkook, from his hair tickling your face to the firm hand wandering around like it’s discovering your body for the first time. You sigh and moan a little when he marks you particularly hard or when his right hand moves to place your leg around his waist and you just know he’s satisfied. Jungkook lives for that, for knowing he does that to you.

There’s a light and soft laugh coming out of his lips before he turns to the other side of your neck, head stopping midway to plant a chaste and quiet kiss on your lips. 

“Promise me we’ll stay inside the whole day.” He’s just slightly out of breath, a feat that doesn’t go unnoticed by you — not after he’s taken care of your left side like that. He’s always so dedicated. “I really don’t want to get out of the house.”

“If you don’t want to.” The words would be perfectly accompanied by a shrug, but his body weight doesn’t let you. It’s just the right amount of pressure to feel him everywhere and, if you paid enough attention, you’d be able to sense his quick heartbeats too. “Yeah, we can stay in.”

“Good.”

You can see his eyes sparkle before he’s too close to focus, head dipping in to take your lips again. This time, however, the kiss is far from pure, delicately but firmly moving to open up your mouth and work restlessly until you’re completely out of breath.

You don’t know exactly when he starts slowly motioning his hips forward, senses overloaded with him everywhere, but you can feel your whole body respond to it. When you sigh yet again and his name comes out in a whimper, hand gripping his neck like your life depends on it, he knows.

“Let’s get you out of this,” he suggests, now a little bit past slightly out of breath as he proceeds to lift the t-shirt up and up until it’s free and thrown somewhere.

You couldn’t check the time then, but, if you could, you’d notice exactly thirty one minutes have passed.

//

“Have you even applied any sunscreen?” You call out from the inside of the house, holding a simple and delicious cup of cold water in your hands.

When you’re thirsty, everything will taste incredible.

“No!” He simply answers, ridding his hair of the excess water. “I’m only staying for twenty minutes while you shower, no need for sunscreen.”

“Yes need for sunscreen,” you disagree, sipping your water one last time before rummaging through your bag in search of the light blue bottle.

You immediately feel it in your skin as soon as you’re not covered by the roof of the house anymore. It is, after all, almost lunch time and the sun is at its peak — beautiful, majestic and burning hot. It only takes a few steps for you to reach the border of the pool and Jungkook gets the message, slowly walking towards you in the water.

“Dry your face and shoulders, please,” you demand at once, throwing him a small towel that was hanging around one of the lounge chairs. Luckily, he’s quick enough to catch it before it falls into the pool.

Still, Jungkook complains quietly. “It’s just twenty minutes, it’s really not a big deal.”

“It’s not a big deal until your cheeks are completely red,” you argue, squeezing a bit of the product on your fingers and soon applying it to his forehead and down his blushed nose. “Look, it’s already rosy from the walk we took. You should’ve asked for the sunscreen earlier.”

“Okay, okay,” he begrudgingly agrees just as he closes his eyes, your hands running close to the eyebrows. “You know what? We should’ve booked this place for one more day.”

“You think so?” You ask, finally bringing your hands back and closing the lid of the sunscreen bottle. “Don’t dip your head in the water for at least a few minutes, please,” you warn.

“Yeah. I mean, we’ve been to LA before, we know how it is. I think I like it here more,” Jungkook explains, swimming backwards towards the middle of the pool. “We’re staying in a hotel for two days before going back home. A hotel doesn’t have this.”

“The hotel has a pool.”

Jungkook rolls his eyes playfully. “You know what I mean. We can’t have this in a hotel.”

“We can just rest for two days,” you suggest. “Wake up and eat and nap and eat and…”

He laughs and twirls in the water. “I hate to interrupt you, but we’ll be late for checkout if you don’t go shower.”

“Right.”

//

There’s something about being on the road with him that brings you nothing but peace. It must be the perfect combination of clear skies, warm winds, the comfortable silence and the freedom of being on the road. Even with a destination in mind, it doesn’t feel like you need to follow it through. You can go anywhere, do anything, stop the car in the middle of nowhere and stare at the sea for an hour if you want to.

It almost makes you feel nostalgic for something that is happening right now.

The road gets busier and busier the closer you get to the city. Around here, you can see the mansions up in the hills, the exclusive restaurants here and there, and the fancy cars accelerating past the maximum speed displayed on the road signs of Malibu. Still, when you slowly press the brakes to stop on a red light, it feels like you’re in your own little world.

It’s always like this. He’s there and, suddenly, it hits. Everything around you melts, there’s nothing else. Sometimes, when Jungkook’s in the room, it almost looks like he shines — to you, there’s a bright, golden aura surrounding him. It’s warm, inviting and irresistible.

Jungkook doesn’t say anything when he sees the corners of your lips tug up without a reason, deciding to just mirror them. Once again, you find yourself wishing you could freeze this moment — this very moment. Just as his smile reaches his sparkling eyes and an airy laugh escapes his lips.

“Baby, the lights have just turned green.”

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[that-was-anticlimactic]

i’ll leave the pairing and whether it’s platonic or romantic up to you, but 56. “come back soon” please !! :)

"Come back soon" + platonic suki & aang

Suki shuddered, gasping for air as quietly as she could while she stumbled out of her room at Ozai’s beach house on Ember Island.

She crept past Sokka who was slumped on the couch with Zuko beside him—the two such a tangled mess of intertwined limbs that the only reason she could tell what body part belonged to who was because Sokka’s skin was darker. Normally, she would have smiled and chuckled at the sight, but tonight, it only made the sob pulsing at her throat stronger.

Finally, she made it out of the house, nearly collapsing on the porch. Only then did her emotions get the best of her, and she was crying but she wasn’t crying. It was some odd mixture, some strange sound that she couldn’t quite describe. It went on like that until she was hyperventilating, her hands clawing at her chest, pulling away at the fabric. She felt like she was suffocating.

Nights usually weren’t that hard—it was the day when she flashed back the most. Each time the sun's rays shone down on her, when she heard noises in the market, worse yet when she saw people firebending…

Nights were easier, especially when she could relish in the cool air and look at Yue until she was tired. For whatever reason, after Sokka had told her the tragic tale of Yue’s sacrifice, Suki found herself turning to the moon for comfort—even when she was locked away in Boiling Rock and couldn’t see Her.

Tonight, though, something must have happened. She wasn’t quite sure what it was, but she had woken up in a panic, desperate to escape from… well, there wasn’t anywhere to escape from, but she needed to get out of the house immediately.

She’d never been claustrophobic, but it seemed like the walls were closing in on her, coming closer and closer and closer and—

“Suki?”

She flew to her feet faster than she thought possible. Standing in the doorway was Aang, rubbing his eyes… his suspiciously red eyes.

“Hey,” she croaked, brushing herself off if only to do something with hands so they would stop trembling. “Can’t sleep either?”

Aang shrugged, his heel bouncing restlessly against the ground. “Can I… can I join you?”

“Yeah, sure,” she replied. “Let’s sit.” Slowly, she lowered herself to the ground this time so she was sitting on the edge of the porch, her toes brushing against the sand below.

Aang sat beside her, sniffling.

“Everything okay?” she asked after a minute. While Suki didn’t know Aang nearly as well as Katara or Sokka, she knew him well enough to know that this wasn’t normal. The poor boy always wore his heart on his sleeve, so it wasn’t that hard to notice that something was obviously wrong, but this silence and metaphorical stillness surrounding his demeanor was eerie.

Aang blinked, shoving his feet into the sand and flicking it around. “I don’t know.”

“Wanna talk about it?”

“I—I don’t know,” he repeated, narrowing his eyes at the sand and digging his heels into it with more force. “You okay?”

She paused. That wasn’t supposed to happen—she wasn’t prepared for that. Normally, she would’ve brushed it aside—that’s what she was supposed to do, being older than him and all but…

He looked so scared, so exhausted and vulnerable that Suki felt the urge to share, even if it was more watered down than to spare him more grief.

And maybe if she shared with him, he’d feel like he could share with her.

“No,” she chuckled, gripping the edges of the dock so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. “Not really.”

Aang peered at her curiously, tilting his head, as if he were expecting her to lie too. “Oh. What’s… what’s wrong? Is there anything I can do?”

Even when Aang was in the middle of stress and hurt, he still cared for everyone else. It made Suki’s heart break, knowing that the most gentle, caring, compassionate person she’d ever met felt like he had a duty to place everyone else’s happiness above his own.

“Not really, I just… I guess I’ve been having trouble, um…” she trailed off, taking a long, careful breath. “I haven’t been processing my time at, uh, at Boiling Rock well.”

Even saying the name of the place made her shoulders tense and her heart race at a frightening speed.

Simply thinking about the place sent her into an unnatural state of panic. Talking about it was a whole different level of coping that she wasn’t entirely sure she was prepared for.

In the span of five seconds, a myriad of emotions flashed across Aang’s face: confusion, realization, horror, and guilt.

Guilt—it pained Suki in so many ways, seeing Aang’s innocent (and it wasn’t fair that really, they weren’t so innocent anymore, not after all he’s seen) eyes wide and heavy, carrying not only the burden of the world and the burden of a war he had no part in starting, but also the weight of her own personal grief… it wasn’t fair.

(It never was for them, was it?)

Aang cleared his throat uncertainly. “Oh, I didn’t realize… I didn’t really think about how you felt after that… I was so excited that Sokka and Katara got to see their dad that I…”

Suki held back a wince.

It had stung, watching everyone launch themselves at Hakoda instead of her—even at Sokka and Zuko. And she couldn’t be mad, not really. Hakoda was their dad—of course they’d be worried sick about him, knowing he’d been captured and not having a single clue about where she was (aside from vague taunting from Azula).

It was the curse of being a nonbender, the one hardly anyone knew (and that wasn’t fair—not when Sokka and Hakoda were nonbenders too).

(but even that couldn’t push down the jealousy she felt towards Hakoda—he had been there for a day. She had been there for months. It wasn’t a fair comparison, but that didn’t matter when she was left alone with her thoughts.)

“It’s not your fault,” she said, her voice flat but sincere. “You weren’t even there—there was nothing you could’ve done.”

It was true. The life of one measly Kyoshi Warrior wasn’t worth risking for the sake of the entire world. That’s what it’s like, growing up in war, knowing that your life would never be as important or essential as the movement you were fighting for.

She peered at Aang who was scrunching his nose so intensely it had to be painful. If anyone knew that feeling, that feeling of worthlessness but expected usefulness, it was Aang.

“Hey, quite that,” she gently chastised, lightly placing her hand on his knee. “Don’t hurt yourself.”

Aang wordlessly complied, which honestly worried her even more. Yes, she was glad that Aang ceased the physical anguish he was putting himself through by thinking so long and hard about something out of his hands, but she had expected some sort of fight—some protest or joke relating to how he wasn’t actually in pain.

Just resigned obedience.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, simply sitting side by side. Suki watched the night sky, staring at Yue, hoping to forge any kind of connection with her.

“Suki…” Aang finally said, glaring at the sand surrounding his feet. “Have you ever… have you ever thought about what would happen if you took off? Never look back?”

Yes.

She thought about that a lot, what would happen if she just stopped fighting. What would’ve happened if Aang and Sokka and Katara (and Zuko’s men attacking her village) hadn’t convinced her and her girls not to stay neutral in the war. Suki dreamed about being back on Kyoshi Island, swimming when the unagi was away and practicing applying her makeup, stitching the holes they made in their uniforms with the girls.

Life was easier back then.

“Sometimes,” she replied instead, side eyeing him. “Do you?”

“There are… sometimes, I think it’d be easier,” he admitted, voice small. “I’m tired. And I don’t want to fight anymore.”

“You shouldn’t have to.”

He shrugged choppily. “I’m the Avatar,” was all he said.

“Do you ever wish you weren’t?” Now it was Suki’s turn to ask the question that couldn’t really be answered. She had a feeling she knew what he wanted to say, even without seeing the confliction flash across his face and the way he licked his lips.

“Sometimes,” he eventually said, repeating Suki’s ambiguous answer from minutes earlier.

“I can’t even imagine what being the Avatar is like,” Suki stated, and tentatively, she reached her hand out and gently grabbed ahold of Aang’s nearest one.

She held on loosely enough to allow him to pull away if he wanted, but it seemed like he clung desperately to the contact.

Aang’s hands were soft, which didn’t really surprise her since he was an airbender at heart and all, but she could feel small patches of calluses around his palms. His fingers were long and lean, probably longer than hers.

She tightened her grip and Aang gave her a little squeeze in response.

“I like having you around,” he spoke up after a minute or two of silence. “You’re really nice to everyone, even Zuko and he burned your village down. You’re really strong. I’m glad Sokka was able to find you.”

I am too, she thought.

Then, his words hit her: “you’re really strong”. It was obvious with the way he said it that he didn’t mean her physical strength—that was always her highest praise from everyone back home, even when she got out and travelled a bit more. It was always “you’re really strong for a girl” or “wow, you’re really strong”. Always her physical strength. She knew she was strong, she worked hard to get to where she is, but that isn’t what Aang meant, she could tell.

“Not really,” she confessed quietly. “Sometimes I see Zuko with his arm around Sokka and I just see red and want to get him as far away from Sokka as I can. Or I’ll see him spar with Toph and he’ll bend fire and I want to grab my fan and pin him to a tree. Whenever I’m around him, I smell my village burning to the ground. Whenever he bends, I see…” Suki trailed off, shuddering and using her free hand to swipe at the invisible tears filling her eyes. “I see the sun and it’s burning me and it’s grabbing me and it’s—”

Aang squeezed her hand, and the touch was enough to bring her back to the present away from the boiling island that haunted her—following her around as a ghost, always over her shoulder, always plaguing the back of her mind.

“It’s not Zuko.”

“You don’t have to forgive him yet,” Aang told her. “Forgiveness takes awhile sometimes.”

“I want to forgive him,” she said truthfully. “But I’m not sure if I can forgive his people. Or his sister. Especially not his sister. He is nice, infuriatingly nice. It feels like he shouldn’t be. That’s all I’ve ever known—the firebenders will burn you, the Fire Nation will take everything from you. Maybe he did once. But he isn’t anymore. I just don’t know how to change—if I want to change.”

Aang groaned, leaning forward so that his head was almost pressed against his knees (he still held Suki’s hand). “I wish it all made sense.”

“You can say that again.”

“No, Suki. I don’t want to fight the Fire Nation. Does that make me a bad person?” Aang’s voice broke, but he too did not cry.

Oh.

When Suki peered down at him, he looked so young—he was so young—and to think the entire world expected a twelve year old kid to willingly kill maybe thousands of people (or, thousands more. Sokka told her about what happened at the North Pole. Neither he nor Katara had the heart to tell Aang how many fatalities there were then) and then sit down and fix everything while also being the last Air Nomad alive was… well, when she put it like that, it was disgusting.

“I don’t think it does,” she said, and Aang lifted his head, his big grey eyes staring at his in something akin to disbelief. “You’re a kid.”

“I’m the Avatar—”

“You’re a kid, Aang.”

He shut his mouth, eyebrows scrunched while he pondered what she said. “Am I really?”

Those three words broke her. The helplessness, the exhaustion, the resignation Suki heard made her want to hide him away from the world, wrap him up in an embrace so big that he would be sheltered and protected.

“I think you are. Do you?”

“I don’t know. I want to be. I thought I was.”

He stopped, but Suki nodded at him to continue, if he wanted to.

So, he took a deep breath and continued: “Growing up, the Fire Nation was full of friends and familiar faces. Then, they all became blank. Then Zuko joined us and we danced and he became just as familiar as Kuzon once was. I went to school and saw the kids and they don’t know that they’re wrong. And now we’re here and we walk through town and everyone hates me—they hate the Avatar—but they smile at me when I pass and when I wave to them, they wave back. I don’t know what to do.”

“Well,” Suki began, “this sucks. And here I thought life wasn’t supposed to be this complicated until we were older.” Because she was still processing everything Aang had said and it’s so much and she didn’t know how he did this every day. She didn’t know what else to say, there was nothing that she could say to make things better.

Aang chuckled, it wasn’t as full of life as it usually was, but it was still something.

“Thank you for listening, Suki,” he told her, looking at her earnestly. “I know you don’t think you’re that strong, but you’re the strongest person I know.”

Suki snorted. Opening her mouth to disagree, but he beat her to it.

“No! You are! You’ve been through a lot of really bad things. You were in one of the worst places a person could possibly be, and even though sometimes you can’t look at Zuko without seeing the guy who ordered the destruction of your village or the prison guards that hurt you, but you never hurt him. You still talk to him and eat with him and… I don’t know. It makes me think that maybe something good can come out of all of this.”

I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry.

Suki sucked in a breath. “Well, if you really think that—”

“I do!”

She smiled. “Well, then I need you to know that you’re the strongest person I know. I haven’t been around that much, but Sokka tells me stories. He’s told me about how you always make friends with your enemies, or you try to. About how you believed in Toph when no one else did. How you risked the Avatar State for Katara… I don’t know anyone else who could ever do what you do. I’m proud of you.”

That did it.

Aang burst into tears, hunching over as his body wracked with sobs.

Suki didn’t let go of his hand, but she used her unoccupied one to pull Aang into the hug that she longed to give him, holding him tightly and securely.

His free arm found its way around her back, and suddenly Suki felt a couple of tears escape her too. She was never a loud crier, something she was thankful for, but she didn’t pull away when one of the few that fell hit Aang’s skin and for once, she wasn’t scared that he’d notice or hear.

The two of them sat there for what felt like hours, his head buried in her neck and her cheek resting on the top of his head. They clung to each other, wordless and messy and vulnerable and real.

They held each other until Aang’s sobs died down, his voice rough and cracked.

“Thank you,” he croaked.

“Thank you,” she replied.

Then, Aang coughed, a harsh and angry sound.

As much as she didn’t want to, Suki let go of Aang (and his hand) and stood up. “I’m going to get you some water,” she told him before he could worry that he did something wrong. “You sound like you need it.”

Even still, as she started to walk away, Aang’s eyes widened and reached out, grasping her wrist so tightly that his nails were digging into her skin. “Suki…” he began, voice cracking. “I—“ he cut himself off, lips quivering.

Gently, Suki pried his hand off of her. “I’m not leaving, okay?” she whispered, and she meant it.

She felt Aang nod against her chest and she pulled away.

“Come back soon.” He spoke delicately, carefully, but that didn’t prevent the grief from seeping through his words.

Suki bent over enough to give Aang a quick kiss on the top of his head, before crouching so she was at eye level. “I always will.”

When Zuko woke up the next morning, he walked outside to meditate and found Aang and Suki coiled together on the porch, her hand draped protectively over his chest and his hand intertwined with hers.

He woke Sokka up, and the two sat with them, waiting for them to wake up.

----------

petition to let friends platonically kiss each other’s heads for comfort 2k21

but uhhh if you know me, you know i love the suki and aang friendship potential. so, may i present some platonic suki and aang:)

wow this got so long and so angsty i am so sorry haha!

also sorry it took so long, i uhhh got really busy and didn't have reliable service for a couple weeks! i am working on all of the other prompts as well!

101 ways to say i love you prompts

[just-dreaming-marvel]

Love Is Not Forced ~ The Heir

MASTERLIST

The following is a one shot for my series, Love Is Not Forced.

Word Count: 2,950ish

Summary: King Steven and Queen Y/N of Brooklyn are expecting a child.

Warnings: human birth (not too graphic)

It came by surprise, completely out of the blue. Y/N shot up out of bed, not really caring for her sleeping husband next to her, and rushed into the washroom. Finding the nearest bowl, she emptied the contents of her stomach into it. As she heaved over the bowl, she heard the sound of her husbands footsteps coming up from behind her.

“Darling?” Steven’s sleepy voice called out. He came to the doorway, in nothing but pants. “Oh, my darling.” He quickly knelt behind his wife, pulling her air away from her face. 

“I’m sorry,” Y/N panted. “I didn’t mean to wake you…”

“You know I can’t sleep without you anymore, Y/N. I would have woken up no matter what.” Steven turned and grabbed a cloth from the counter. “Here.” He dabbed her mouth with the cloth. 

“Thank you, Steven.” Y/N leaned back into Steven.

“How are you feeling? Should I send for a doctor?”

“No, I’m fine… I think that I must have eaten something bad at dinner last night…

“I’ll make sure the food gets looked at in the morning.” Y/N nodded, sighing as she rested further against her husband. “Let’s get you back to bed.” 

Steven picked Y/N up, carrying her back to bed. He carefully laid her down, pulling the covers up before getting in beside her. He brought her close to his chest, holding her there.

“I love you,” Steven whispered, kissing her forehead.

Y/N pressed a kiss to his chest as she curled up against him. “I love you too.”

Y/N was too tired to get up in the morning, which worried Steven. Still needing to go and do his Kingly duties, he promised to check on his Queen every hour. Which he did. The first few hours, he found Y/N sound asleep in their bed. Just after lunch, he found her emptying her stomach once again.

“Oh, sweetheart,” he rushed to help her. “I think I should call upon a doctor.”

Y/N nodded, keeping her eyes closed ash she leaned into Steven. He picked her up and quickly set her back on the bed before calling for a doctor. A few minutes later, Dr. Strange and his wife, Christine, were in the Royals chambers.

“I’m going to need you to leave, Your Majesty,” Dr. Strange said.

“No…” Y/N quietly said, reaching her hand out for her husband to take. Steven quickly took it, bring it to his lips for a kiss. “Steven… I’m scared…”

“I know, my darling,” Steven said. “I know.” He turned to face the doctor, still holding his wife’s hand. “Can you not just do the check up while I am in the room?”

“It is not protocol,” Dr. Strange told the King, shaking his head.

“Stupid protocol,” Steven muttered, kissing Y/N’s hand again. “I’m sorry, my darling. I promise that I’ll be right outside the door. Okay?”

“Okay,” she whispered, nodding.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Steven kissed her lips before taking his leave, shutting the door behind him. Dr. Strange and Christine quickly got to work, already thinking they knew what was happening. The King paced outside the room, extremely worried for his wife’s health. It took him by surprise and how quickly Dr. Strange came out in the hall to talk to him.

“Is she going to be okay?” Steven asked.

“The Queen is going to be fine,” Dr. Strange smiled. “She’ll need to take it easy and rest, for the next few months, but she will be fine.”

“The next few months? Are you… Are you telling me—“

“Congratulations, Your Majesty, the Queen is pregnant.”

A giant grin grew on Steven’s face before he rushed back into his room. His wife was sitting up, smiling at the door, already waiting for him to rush through. Before anything could be said, Steven rushed over and smashed his lips to Y/N’s. She giggled as she happily kissed him back.

“You’re pregnant,” Steven grinned upon breaking the kiss.

“I am,” she smiled back. Gently, Y/N took her husbands hands and set them on her stomach. “We’re going to have a baby.”

The nausea didn’t seem to be disappearing after another month. Y/N had been ordered to stay in their wing of the castle, which upset her. She just longed to go to the beach. Steven tried his best to console his wife, but nothing worked. 

The couple kept the pregnancy hush, hush, until just after month three. After that, a big announcement was made, causing all the kingdoms to celebrate. Every kingdom sent gifts, for the baby and the mother. But nothing made Y/N happy. She was beyond ecstatic to be growing Steven’s child in her, but all she wanted to do was put her feet in the water. Y/N spent most of her days, caressing her growing belly and staring at the sea outside her window.

Steven found her like this one night, he hadn’t seen her all day due to meetings he’d been swamped in and he felt bad. He leaned against the doorway, waiting her hum and stare out the window. 

“Okay, that’s enough of that,” Steven stated, coming into the room. 

“What are you talking about Steven?” Y/N turned to face the King.

“I’m talking about your moping around. We’ve got to do something about it.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll try to do better I just want— what are you doing?” Steven grabbed her hand and pulled her up from her chair.

“I know that the doctor said to rest and take it easy. But I honestly don’t see the harm of taking a quick trip down to the beach. This moping around isn’t good for you. And if it isn’t good for you, it definitely isn’t good for the baby.”

Y/N smiled as Steven led her down to the beach. She couldn’t help the giggle that bubbled out of her once her feet hit the sand. It had felt like a life time ago since the last time she’d been down here, and it was too long. Steven grinned as he watched his wife almost instantly relax just by her feet touching the sand. He led her take the led, following her down to the water. Y/N stopped so that the waves would just barely brush over her toes. Steven stood behind her, arms wrapped around her and hands resting on her growing bump.

“Thank you,” Y/N said softly. “I needed this.”

Steven kissed the side other head. “Anything to make you happy,” he replied. “I can’t stand to see you moping around. It hurts me.”

“I’m sorry. It’s just been hard. They treat me like I can’t do anything, even for myself. Natasha and Wanda are both constantly by my side, waiting for something to happen.”

“They’re just doing their jobs, and they care about you. They want you and the baby safe.”

“And I understand that. It’s just, them waiting around for something to go wrong, makes me think something will go wrong. It’s stressing me out.”

“I’m sorry, my darling. Have you told them this?”

“No…”

“That’s okay. I’ll talk to them in the morning for you.”

“Thank you… I love you.”

“I love you more.”

The rest of the pregnancy went pretty smooth. Wanda and Nat still stuck to Y/N’s side, but they did allow her some breathing room. The doctor’s saw a positive difference in Y/N’s and Steven’s late night adventure, so they actually encouraged more of it. Just during the day. Steven then arranged for him and Y/N to have lunch on the beach every day.

Y/N was waiting for Steven on the beach for lunch. She was lounging in her chair, hand caressing her belly. Doctor Strange had told her earlier that day, that the baby would be coming in a few weeks. With every passing day, she grew more excited and more anxious. But what kept her calm was the fact that Steven would be at her side through it all. Well, not through everything. The doctors were refusing to let him into the birth, but Steven promised that he’d be outside the room the whole time.

“My darling,” Steven smiled, coming up to his wife. “You look as radiant as ever.”

Y/N stood up to meet her husband, greeting him with a kiss. “And you, Your Majesty, are too blind to see.” Y/N went to sit back down when a pain shot up her and liquid started running down her legs. “Aaah!” She leaned forward, on hand on her stomach and the other trying to study herself using the table.

“What’s wrong?” Steven quickly said, hovering in front of her. 

“I think…” Y/N began panting. “I think the baby’s coming…” She looked at Steven, who looked as scared as she felt. “The baby’s coming.”

“The baby’s coming,” Steven repeated. He was frozen in his spot until Y/N cried out in pain again. That snapped him out of his thoughts, and rushed him into action. “Bucky, get Dr. Strange! Nat and Wanda, get everything she’ll need and meet me in our room!” Steven swept Y/N off her feet and into his arms. “I’ve got you, my darling,” his voice was softer now, for her. “I’ve got you.”

“It hurts, Steven,” Y/N groaned.

“I know, I know.”

He rushed her up to their room, laying her on their bed. Luckily, Dr. Strange, his wife, Wanda, and Nat weren’t too far behind.

“It’s time for you to go, Your Majesty,” Dr. Strange said as Christine and Nat began to get Y/N out of the clothes she was in.

“No!” Y/N shouted, grabbing Steven’s hand. “Please don’t leave…”

“I’ll be right outside, my darling.” Steven held a kiss to her knuckles. It was killing him to have to leave her, especially with the amount of pain she was in. “I’m so sorry. But you can do this. You’re so strong.” He gave her hand one last kiss before Bucky ushered him out the door.

Steven couldn’t help but nervously pace as his wife’s screams got louder and more frequent.

“I can’t do this, Bucky,” Steven said. “I can’t stand out here while my wife is in there trying to bring my child into the world! While she does all the hard work, I’m just suppose to wait out her patiently! Why?! Why is that—“

“STEVEN!” Y/N screamed.

That was the last straw for the King. He burst through the doors and past everyone until he saw his wife. She was clearly still in an extreme amount of pain. Sweat was making her skin glisten in the light. Steven hurried onto the bed. He grabbed her hand as he moved behind her and settle her in between his legs.

“Your Majesty,” Dr. Strange started sternly, “I can not—“

“Doctor,” the room froze at the King’s tone, “if you try to remove me from my wife’s side again, I can promise that you won’t live to see tomorrow. Am I understood?”

“Yes,” the doctor answered, getting back to work.

“I’m so sorry, my darling,” Steven’s voice became softer. “I should have never left you.”

“It’s okay…” Y/N panted. “You’re… here now…ugh!” She groaned in pain.

“It’s time to push, Your Majesty,” Doctor Strange ordered. “Oh 3. 1, 2, 3!”

Y/N grunted and moaned as she tried to push. Steven held her up, allowing her to squeeze both of his hands. She panted heavily as she stopped pushing and leaned back against Steven.

“That was so amazing,” Steven whispered in her ear. “You’re so amazing, my darling. You’re doing so good.”

“Again, Your Majesty,” the doctor ordered.

Y/N nodded before pushing again, this time harder. She wanted this over. She wanted the pain to stop and the baby to be here. When she fell back against Steven this time, she thought she could never be more exhausted then she was at that very moment.

“Just a few more, Your Majesty,” Strange urged.

“No…” Y/N shook her head. “No more… I can’t…”

“Yes, you can,” Steven comforted. “You are the strongest woman I know, doing the hardest thing I have ever witnessed. You can do this.”

“I hate you.”

Steven chuckled. “Then channel that. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Y/N sat back up and pushed harder, screaming louder than she had before.

“Stop! Stop!” The doctor yelled. Y/N fell back against her husband once again.

“What is it, Strange?” Steven asked, concerned.

“AAH!” Y/N screamed out. “Something’s wrong! Steven… something’s wrong…”

“The baby is stuck,” Strange stated. “I’m going to have to help the baby out. Natasha and Wanda, hold the Queen’s legs in place. King Steven, hold your wife and keep her comfort, this is going to be painful.”

Everyone quickly did what they were instructed to. Strange waited until Steven started whispering comforts into Y/N’s ear before he began. Y/N screamed as Strange’s hand entered her body and began to move the baby.

“Stop! Stop!” She screamed.

“It will be over soon,” Steven promised. “He’s just trying to help you and the baby.”

Tears pricked Steven’s eyes as his wife continued to scream in pain. He had always longed for a child, but this was putting him over the edge. His wife should never have to go through this much pain to grant his wish.

“And there,” Strange said, “I’m done. Now, just one final push, Your Majesty.”

“No…” Y/N mumbled, clearly exhausted. “I’m too tired… No more… It’s too much.”

“My darling, you have come too far and endured too much to give up now,” Steven said. “One more push and then you may rest.”

“Will you stay with me?”

“Always.” He kissed her cheek before helping her sit up. “Now, push.”

Y/N used the rest of her energy to push that baby out. She collapsed back into her husband one final time upon hearing a baby’s cry. Steven let the tears fall as a smile graced his face. Dr. Strange lifted the baby up for the royals to see. 

“Congratulations, Your Majesties,” Strange said. “You have an heir.”

“It’s a boy,” Steven grinned. “Did you hear that, darling? You did it, we have a boy.” But Y/N didn’t answer. Steven’s head snapped down to look at his wife. “Y/N?” Her face was growing increasingly pale as Steven moved Y/N so that he was cradling her. “Darling?” He cupped her cheeks, able to tell that her breathing was slowly.

Dr. Strange handed the baby over to one of the women for cleaning while he rushed up to the Queen’s side. “Your Majesty, I know what you said but you have to leave now,” Dr. Strange ordered.

“No! I’m not leaving my wife. Y/N? Come on sweetheart.”

“Captain Barnes!” Bucky came rushing in. “Take the King and the child out of here now.”

Bucky’s eyes widened at the sight before him. He quickly sprang into action. “Steven,” he came up grabbing the King’s arms. “Come on. We have to let Strange do his job.”

“No!” Steven cried as Strange and Bucky separated the couple. “No! Y/N!”

Bucky guided Steven out of the room and into the nursery, where Natasha and Wanda were cleaning up and feeding the new prince. Bucky helped Steven into a chair, trying to console the crying King.

“I can’t lose her, Buck!” Steven cried. “I wanted a child, but not at the cost of losing her!”

“You won’t lose her, punk,” Bucky said, trying to sound positive. “Y/N’s stronger than all of us. She just needs some rest.”

“Steve,” Natasha called, walking over with the baby in her arms. “Why don’t you hold him?”

“No,” Steven shook his head. “I can’t—“

“Hold him,” she said more forcefully. 

Steven gave a small nod before Natasha carefully set his son in his arms. He cried as he held the child close to him. The child that clearly had his eyes, but everything else was all Y/N.

Hours had passed, and there was still no news on the Queen. Steven was now refusing to let his son out of his arms, fearing that his child might be all he would have left of his beautiful wife. 

“Your Majesty,” Strange called for the King’s attention, which he got quickly.

“Is she— is she—,” Steven stuttered.

“She’s alive.” Steven let out a strangled cry. “Very much exhausted. But alive. She’s asking for you and your son.”

“Thank you so much, Strange.”

Steven left quickly with his child in his arms. Upon arriving in his room, it was clear they had cleaned up the bed and his wife. Y/N was laying down, looking at Steven. She had a tired smile on her face.

“Come here,” she quietly beckoned. 

Steven rushed over, sitting besides her. “I was so scared,” his voice trembled. “I thought— I thought I… I almost lost you…”

“Never… how is he?”

“Perfect.” Steven moved to make sure Y/N could see her son. “You did it.”

“Have you named him?”

“I couldn’t think of naming him without you.”

“Well… any ideas?”

“I don’t want to name if after me.”

“And I don’t want to name if after my Father. His head’s already too big for his crown.”

“What about we name if after T’Challa? He did help us get together and marry us.”

“The first time.”

“Yes, the first time.”

“Well, he doesn’t look like a T’Challa. So how about Tallen?”

“Tallen?” Steven stared at his son’s face for a moment. “It’s perfect.”

LOVE ME

Tag List:

@dreamilyunaffectedwreck (won’t link)

@freya-xo​​  

@laic2299​ (won’t link)

@kissesofdeadforme​​

@paintballkid711

@cherthegoddess​​

@frozenhuntress67

@hadesnewpersephone​

@pukklv​​

@marinettepotterandplagg​​

@learning-howto-be-myselfx3​​​

@kaithezaftig​​

@booknerd-3000​​​

@jasbins​​​

@the-writers-reader​​

@paintmekala​​

@imdreamingaboutwhitechristmas​​​

@supernaturallover2002​

[bratkook]

clairvoyant. (m) part ten.

 masterlist

pairing: jungkook x reader , taehyung x reader word count: 21.3k genre: smut, angst, fluff warnings: mentions of violence (jungkook gets decked), a series of very unfortunate events happen to jungkook i’m sorry lol, its cute at the end tho, penetrative sex, nothing too crazy  author’s note: hi i know this is like very overdue...but the writers block was gnarly with this chapter. nonetheless it’s here!! i’m gonna go bury my head under sand now that this is finished bc i can’t believe i actually finished this story...anyways i hope you enjoyed it, pls let me know what you think of the series! byeee ily

“Hey,” Jimin snaps his fingers in front of Jungkook’s face, only making the boys nose crinkle up but otherwise not stirring him from his slumber. Hazy dreams consisting of the potential child that could have been, wrapped up in a white blanket, cloud his mind too much to hear Jimin’s attempt to wake up.

“Wakey wakey.” He pats your cheeks this time, his fingers pressing into your face and squishing your cheeks until your lips are puckered out. On the flip side you’re too tired out to dream, your mind playing a nice little montage of pure white noise, showcasing that your brain was currently out of service.

To be fair, Jimin had given the two of you more than enough time to wake up on your own terms but he had been sitting in his own home bored beyond belief while you two snoozed away and honestly, neither of you looked comfortable.

Jungkook was slouched into the couch, his butt near the edge while his head hung forward, you were contorted into a pretzel with your limbs sprawled in unnatural positions. Your head still lay resting on Jungkook’s lap, your neck tilting up at an angle that bordered on painful but your face looked at ease while Jimin squished it.

His fingers move from squishing your cheeks to pinching your nose because desperate times called for desperate measures.

He counts slowly and before he gets to nine, you let out a strangled gasp, your eyes shooting open as you aggressively swat in front of you, smacking Jimin’s hands off of your face as your lungs search for oxygen.

You’re half asleep still, not entirely sure what happened so when Jimin stares at you innocently, a fake look of concern on his face, you don’t catch on to his bullshit when he asks whats wrong.

“Jimin?” You mumble out, rubbing at your eyes weakly as you push yourself up into a sitting position. The muscles in your neck ache considering you had slept half lifted up on Jungkook’s thighs. Your hand digs into the still sleeping boy as you push up, more specifically his crotch, the pressure causing him to groan before his own eyes are fluttering open.

“What’s going on?” He rasps out, his face screwed up while he tries to blink the sleep away, the throbbing pain in his crotch being momentarily forgotten.

“Wow, so weird that you two woke up at the same time. An absolute mystery.” Jimin shrugs, an unconvincing smile on his plump lips, the piercing you gave him months ago glimmering at the action. “But now that you’re up, anyone want breakfast?”

As you slowly come to, the dull ache in your head reminds you of the bottle of wine you and Jungkook downed last night, and with that comes the feeling of relief once more.

Jungkook on the other hand had focused his blurry sight on the last remaining test still on the coffee table. The two of you had celebrated last night but there was still the slim, slim, chance that those two tests were duds. Jungkook liked to think he had some good karma saved up but the chain of events of the last few weeks had proven him otherwise. Now he was partially convinced that someone of a higher power had it out for him, but he would pray to whoever would listen to give him another stroke of luck with this.

He raises one weak hand, finger pointing at the cardboard box in a way that resembles a horror movie and when you and Jimin follow the line and you sigh as you realize it was in fact a horror movie, “Right, fuck. It’s fine, it’ll be fine.”

When your eyes look to Jimin, a look in them making it clear that he had to say some comforting words right now, and he can only muster up a pathetic, “Right.”

Jungkook chuckles under his breath when you scoff, reaching out with his hand to rest on your shoulder to comfort you, “Yeah it’ll be fine, do you uh–“ he pauses slightly, not wanting to push his luck once more, “do you want me to go with you again?”

Jimin is merely an observer, his butt rested on his coffee table as his eyes flicker back and forth between you two, acting like shy teenagers as if Jungkook hadn’t blown his load in you, resulting in the pregnancy test drama of last night. 

Cute.

“No, I think i’ll be fine alone this time.” You turn to fully face him for the first time this morning and when you smile at him Jungkook smiles back. His eyes are puffy and his hair is ruffled up on one side and completely flat on the other, in return, you still have traces on your face of whatever makeup you hadn’t cried off, your hair tangled together at the side of your head. The two of you look like absolute messes but theres a small glow of happiness around the two of you.

“Im thinking eggs & bacon, do we agree?” Jimin speaks up, breaking the small staring match you two had going. He would’ve let you continue, really he loved watching the lovey dovey heart eyes or whatever, but his stomach was growling and the way you two are acting along with that has the tiniest twinge of nausea curling in his gut.

“Do you have hash browns?”

Jimin can only scoff, pulling out his phone to add as much hash browns as Jungkook’s heart desired, “Baby, its uber eats I can get you all the hash browns you want.” He reaches out and pats his cheek gently, “Don’t you worry.”

When Jungkook places a hand over his chest in dramatics, you reach over and grab the remaining test, wanting to leave the bromance swirling in the air. As your hands curl around the cardboard the initial nerves and pure panic you felt last night was missing, you had been reassured twice that you weren’t and you were blocking out the fact that todays test could be different.

You weren’t going to be a mother. Jungkook wasn’t going to be a father.

As you walk over to the bathroom Jimin watches you from the corner of his eyes as he fills out the order on his phone, he knew your breakfast favorites so he didn’t have the need to ask you.

The second he deems you far away enough his eyes look up at Jungkook and the boy looks nervous, his teeth nibbling on his bottom lip as his eyes bounce from staring at Jimin’s phone to the now closed bathroom door. It’s evident that Jungkook is no longer nervous about the idea of you being with child, no his nerves were on royally fucking this up a second time, because thats apparently what he did best.

Jungkook jumps slightly when Jimin places his hand on his bouncing knee, a reassuring smile on his face as he stares at him, “Relax Thumper, just don’t be an idiot and you’ll be fine.”

The look Jungkook throws his way has Jimin laughing, don’t be an idiot right like he had done such a good job before.

“Right, sorry. Just–“ he sighs and completes the order on the phone, “be honest with her man. I know you mean well but don’t be naive enough to think all you need to do is bat your eyes at her and she’s yours.”

In theory, Jungkook knows this, he knows that just because you two had cleared the air last night didn’t necessarily mean everything was golden now. He wanted to properly make amends, properly confess to the way he was feeling after having it bottled down and shoved so far down his throat he was surprised he could even speak. But he didn’t really want to do it over breakfast while Jimin watched the entire exchange go down like his favorite movie.

When you exit the bathroom with a giant smile at being confirmed once again that you were not pregnant, he can’t even get himself to match your cheers of glee as you clap, Jimin standing up and joining in on your frolicking, the two of you twirling around like school children playing games.

The only thing on Jungkook’s mind is last night, how thanks to the wine you were so quick to deny being with Taehyung even though it was half true, telling him he’s on thin ice but somewhat forgiven. He’s absolutely stumped on what is and what isn’t okay in terms of acting.

But the more he thinks of it the more he feels queasy, so he forces the thought away, focusing instead on the breakfast placed in front of him by Jimin, hoping the hash browns he had asked for were enough to settle his nerves.

You take note of Jungkook’s behavior, how he’s quiet as he pushes his food around with his fork, lost in his mind while you and Jimin joked around sat at his dining table. His ears only tune in near the end once Jimin states he has to leave.

“Wait why?” Jungkook mumbles out, pushing his half finished breakfast away from him as he stares at Jimin, already stood up and tossing the containers away.

“Damage control, my parents are pretty pissed we ditched their event so I need to go make amends before they cut me off.” He mimics a scissor cutting motion with his fingers, trying to make light of the situation but you can only cringe at his words, covering your face with your palms as you remember the slight scene you had caused.

You had surely did it now, crying in the hallway of some fancy event and only solidifying the hatred you knew his mom had for you.

“Im sorry.” You mumble behind your hands, dragging them down your face as you frown.

Jimin waves you off with a roll of his eyes, slipping on his leather jacket and pulling out his phone, “Don’t be, it’ll be fine. You guys can stay here if you want to.”

You sigh and begin cleaning up your mess as well, “No, I think I’ve used up my allotted time for refuge for the entire week.” The slight guilt you felt from last night not allowing you to overstay your welcome even though you knew that there was no such thing with him but Jimin had done enough for you already, you couldn’t hide in his apartment all day.

“Yeah, I should probably go too.” Jungkook speaks up, if you were leaving he wanted to go with you, desperately wanting some alone time when neither of you were inebriated to properly talk.

As you say your goodbyes and order the uber Jungkook’s nerves take over once more, standing in relative silence on the sidewalk as you wait for the car. He can see the way you stare at him in curiosity, your hands clasped in front of you as you wonder what was clouding his mind so much to turn him into this.

It only gets worse when you get into the car, and once he sees the campus approaching in the distance he feels that same anxiety seize his throat, wrapping around his tongue and weighing it down. His window of opportunity was minimizing, slowly slipping out of his grasp because he was too tongue tied, too nervous to say the wrong thing again.

It’s not until you two step out and onto the pathway leading towards the center of campus that he forces his mouth to start moving, “Wait–“ he practically chokes out, his tongue remembering how to form words after being held captive by his nerves.

He doesn’t even notice he had reached out and grabbed onto your shoulder in an attempt to stop you from walking away after saying goodbye. A curious smile is on your lips as you stare at his hand and follow it up to his face, the typical Jungkook look on it that softens you up.

When you raise your brow up in question he forces himself to sputter out the rest of his sentence, “Do you maybe want a coffee, you know, for old times sake?”

He finally feels his body relax when the smile doesn’t leave your face, a tiny nod of your head easing his nerves further, “Sure, I promise not to toss it this time.”

Jungkook matches your smile, “Deal.”

He shoves his hands into his jean pockets, inching away from you backwards towards the cafe, a tiny grin on his face as he motions you over with a flick of his head. He continues to step away, his strides getting wider when you start to follow him, a teasing lift of his lips that only increases when he speeds up, a laugh spilling out of him when he sees you run after him to catch up.

Your arm hooks around his when you reach him, a similar laugh leaving you when he knocks his hip in to yours, the two of you walking in calm silence up the path. Its still relatively early in the day, and considering it’s a Sunday the majority of students are still in bed nursing hangovers from the night before so everything around you seems untouched. The colored leaves on the floor laying in piles along the stoned path, the occasional squirrel shooting past in a haste to get to the next tree, not at all what you’re used to seeing on campus.

Its such a stark contrast from the chaotic events of last night, the both of you getting a chance to actually breathe, the small sense of normalcy returning and you didn’t realize how much you missed it until this moment, how much you missed just being around Jungkook in a casual setting.

Unfortunately that tiny taste of serenity doesn’t last for long, the minute the two of you step into the cafe, your arm still locked around Jungkook’s, you feel his body tense up instantly. His eyes lock onto Jisoo’s as she’s stood behind the counter, her lips pulled together tightly as she tries her best to keep a neutral face for the sake of her job, but when she sees the way your arm is holding onto his she can’t control the way her brows pinch on her forehead.

“Oh man.” Jungkook groans, stepping further into the building and you have enough sense to unhook your arm to prevent the situation from taking a turn for the worst.

“Hi, welcome to Java Brew, what can I get you.” She speaks through gritted teeth, a forced smile on her face as she glances at Jungkook before looking directly at you. She looks like she wants to combust, maybe have the floor swallow her whole while taking one of you with her.

Neither of you were on her good side, with Jungkook rejecting her advances and you verbally coming to his rescue and calling her out in this exact shop, it’s not a shock when the same coworker as last time swoops in as he senses the tension and tells her to go to the back.

When she enters the employee back room, slamming the door and having it echo in the empty cafe the other worker sends you an apologetic look, “Sorry, she’s not having a good day. What can I get you?”

Jungkook feels his body relax now that there wasn’t a stare down happening, being able to list out both of your orders and paying with ease, the two of you slowly making your way to the furthest booth from the counter, wanting to remain hidden if Jisoo came back out.

By the time your drinks are brought to you Jungkook has built up enough courage to do what he wanted to do. His hands cup his drink cautiously, his lips rolling together as he watches you take a small sip of your own. It was now or never and realistically the worst that could happen was flat out rejection and he was willing to accept that, especially after everything that had transpired.

“Hey Y/N,” he softly speaks out, “look I know we barely got on okay terms last night but I need to be honest with you.”

Your eyebrows raise slightly at his words, setting your cup back down as you stare at him inquisitively, “Oh, honesty? Thats a big change from before, sure Jungkook.”

He knows your words are teasing, especially with the way you grin at him, a roll of his eyes being sent your way as his mind tries to wrap around the words he wants to say.

“I’m just going to go ahead and say everything I wanted to say that one morning.” His voice is stern, not towards you, almost to himself in an attempt to prevent him from chickening out.

“Okay.” Is your only response, taking another sip of your drink as he lets out a tiny breath of air.

“Okay.” He repeats, pursing his lips, “First off, I want to thank you, for being a good friend to me even when I clearly didn’t deserve it, for going out of your way and offering to help my inexperienced ass out.”

As much as you want to chime in with a teasing joke you swallow it down, seeing just how much he was struggling to find the right words.

“It probably doesn’t seem like much to you because thats just the kind of person you are so maybe you don’t notice it, but you’ve helped me bring out a side of myself that I’ve always wanted to show.”

He takes a second to breathe, sneaking a small glance at you and seeing a tiny smile on your face as you wait patiently, “I know I have moments where I’m still stuck in my shell but more often than not the moments I have where I feel like the person I want to be, its when I’m around you. And after everything that happened I’m so–“

The word dies on the way out when he watches as your eyes narrow at him and he already knows why, the apology hanging off his tongue being the culprit, something you told him you didn’t want to hear. So Jungkook shoves it back, stomping it down his throat with cleated shoes to prevent it from ever coming back up.

With a slight clear of his throat he continues like it never happened, “I don’t want to lie to myself or you anymore, the crush I have on you is still here, growing even and I’ve been wanting to ask you this for weeks now. If you think you feel anything for me, even the slightest bit, can I please take you out on a date. A proper one.”

Its starts as a flutter in your gut, the sensation spreading until the warmth in your cheeks gives away to how you’re feeling. Jungkook’s confession made you feel the way you thought it would, the nervous glint in his eyes but determination set in his tone had words of acceptance itching to fall from your tongue.

Thats when the flashes of Taehyung’s words ring in your ear, talk of going on dates and figuring out feelings echoing inside your mind. Jungkook can see your inner turmoil, your eyebrows creasing your forehead, your lips pursed in a way that shows him you’re holding back and he knows rejections coming. He can just feel it in his bones, a sad smile on his face as he just waits for you to say it.

“Oh Jungkook,” you sigh almost solemnly, a slight frown tugging down your lips as you stare at him, “had you told me this the morning of I would’ve said yes, instantly. I know I’m not officially with Taehyung but we’re kind of in the middle of figuring it out and I don’t think it’d be fair for anyones feelings if I try to juggle the both of you.”

It was the truth, as much as you knew where your feelings lied with both of them, you owed it to Taehyung to be honest with him, especially after everything he had done to try to prove his feelings. Although the two of you were navigating this rather blindly, jumping ship just because Jungkook had decided to finally own up to his emotions seemed too impulsive even for you, no matter how much you wanted to.

Jungkook understood, you didn’t owe him anything, but at least now he had that weight lifted off of his shoulders. Being able to speak his truth without letting other people’s off handed comments influence him made a small sense of pride bloom inside of him.

This wouldn’t stop Jungkook from nurturing the seed of a crush he had, now blossomed into the prettiest petals, it didn’t matter how much space it took in his chest. If and when things with you and Taehyung moved forward or fizzled out he’d like to think that you and him would remain okay regardless. That was good enough for him.

So as he walks you back to your dorm he doesn’t feel the sting of rejection he anticipated, being able to joke and talk to you like he used to, no longer worried about looking into your eyes because he knew the fire you had in them from before was long gone. He lets himself smile along to the way you laugh at a stupid joke he had told, his eyes crinkling up as he sees how your head drops forward as your laughter fills the air.

It was the obvious heart eyes he was currently sporting that allowed any onlookers to know just how he felt, and unfortunately for Jungkook one of those onlookers just so happens to be Kim Taehyung.

That streak of bad luck Jungkook thought was cleared after this morning seems to make a u-turn and head right back his way, full speed, with no intention of breaking.

Whoever must be in charge of Jungkook’s timeline of events must be cackling from up above when they see Taehyung glance up from his phone by chance. He was currently perched on one of the benches outside of your dorms, nerves causing him to overthink everything as he scrolled through his phone. 

You hadn’t responded to any of his texts last night, and neither had Jimin, so he had assumed the worst. He found himself stalking your socials and his friends’, checked the morning news for anything and then forced himself to calm down because the rational side of his brain told him that odds were you were drunk off your ass and asleep at Jimin’s.

The very last thing he expected to see was you walking up to your building, a giddy smile on your face, with Jungkook right beside you and those dumb heart eyes on his.

Taehyung is somewhat regretting not having gone up to your room to wait if you’d show up because the minute he sees Jungkook he’s seeing red. It’s almost a blessing that you or Jungkook don’t see the way he stands up from the bench and swoops in, firmly pressing his hands against Jungkook’s chest and shoving him a little harder than he might have intended.

Jungkook goes from looking at you to the world spinning around until his back collides with the floor in a nasty thud, the air leaving his lungs in a whoosh, the burning feeling of being winded only leaving him more confused as he lays on the floor.

“Oh my god!” Your voice sounds warped from the way his blood pounds in his ears, your head whipping to the side when you see the way Jungkook gets tackled in a blur.

Taehyung says nothing as he hops onto the boy with a grunt, straddling his chest and swinging once, his fist colliding with Jungkook’s jaw, his knuckles swiping his nose, leaving a burning trail in its wake. Instantly Jungkook knows it broke skin, with the coppery taste of blood filling his mouth and the warmth of it dripping down his nose it’s not hard to tell.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay the fuck away?” Is all Taehyung snarls out, no longer fighting, one punch was enough to get his point across. Instead he just rests his weight on Jungkook’s stomach, his jean clad knees digging into the concrete. 

The anger he feels slowly starts to fizzle out until his tunnel vision widens and he realizes Jungkook is merely laying underneath him without saying a word, a dazed look on his face from just having been pummeled into the ground.

“Are you kidding me?” You shout out, your brows pinched together as you move to stand behind him, scooping your hands under his arms and hauling his body off the freshman with all your strength.

Taehyung doesn’t resist, letting you stand him up and away while Jungkook groans on the floor, having to shake his head slightly to try to see straight.

He hadn’t even realized who had been the attacker until Taehyung spoke, this just confirmed that Jungkook would have definitely not been able to stand his ground against him if he was actually getting jumped. Jungkook might have the up on him in terms of muscle and strength but where Taehyung lacked in muscle he made up is quickness, along with pure determination and rage on his side, and that always won.

“Fuck..” Jungkook wipes at his face, effectively smearing the blood around and making it worse, he pulls his fingers away from his face and see the mess on them. At least this time the shirt he was wearing was black.

“Taehyung,” you snap, twirling him around in your grasp and having to cup his face to get him to stare at you since he kept glaring at Jungkook, “what the hell was that for?”

His eyes immediately soften when he stares at you, even though you look absolutely livid his heart still melts at the way your nose scrunched up as you glared at him, anger swirling around in your eyes.

“Honestly, just had to get that out of my system.” He shrugs like its no big deal and has the audacity to try to go in for a kiss as if he hadn’t just plowed Jungkook down like a wrestling match. His eyes open up once his lips meet air when you dodge it and he frowns, “What?”

When you say nothing he sighs in defeat, eyes moving back over to Jungkook when the boy groans to life and starts to haul himself up, his hand coming to cradle his jaw, turning his head to spit out the blood in his mouth in a grimace.

“Fair, I think I’ve had that coming.” Jungkook speaks with a wince when his fingers touch his nose, thankful that his track record hadn’t resulted in it breaking, yet.

Taehyung motions out with his arm to prove his point and you sigh when you look back at him, seeing the innocent look on his face, “Is he bothering you?”

“Bothering me? What?”

“Yeah,” he leans in closer as Jungkook finally stands up, “I mean, why else is he with you...” he trails off, curiously turning his head to stare at Jungkook. The younger boy was a shit liar and pretender, all it took was one sharp stare for the guilt to be written all over his face. Taehyung could see that Jungkook had done something, what it was though he had yet to find out.

As much as you didn’t want to tell Taehyung about last night you felt like you owed him that much since you were loosely dating. However, you really didn’t want to tell him out in public after he had knocked Jungkook onto his ass once already.

“Its a long story, I’ll tell you inside.”

Taehyung wasn’t this alpha male that wanted to have a claim over you, he had just set Jungkook straight for the disrespect, but the slight guilt was growing inside of him when he sees the defeated look on the younger boy’s face. He was unaware that you and him had talked it out briefly so when he saw him strutting up with you after he had told him to stay away it seemed like he was pushing his luck. As he looks around and sees the tiny crowd that had gathered to watch what they thought would be a beat down he realizes he might have crossed a line.

Jungkook was currently using Jimin’s borrowed shirt to wipe the blood off his face, his arm waving you off when he saw the look of concern on it, “Really, I’m fine. I don’t blame him.”

“I’m sorry Kook.” You weakly respond, stepping towards him to make sure he was okay but he stops you, a shake of his head as he looks at Taehyung again. The last thing he needed was Taehyung swinging a second time because you had checked up on him.

When he wipes at his nose once more he hisses when he feels the burn of whatever skin had broken open, “Don’t worry about it, I’ll see you in class.” He doesn’t wait for a response, feeling a tiny bit of embarrassment at just being pummeled in front of you after you had a decent night, all things considered, and a pretty nice morning. Somehow the morning after never seemed to work in his favor.

You watch as Jungkook’s silhouette gets smaller in the distance, Taehyung finally relaxing when he can no longer see him, turning to you and taking the lead to walk into your dorm.

He wraps his arms around you, resting his chin on your head as you shuffle inside, his arms squeezing you until you’re laughing instead of trying to push him away, succeeding in momentarily distracting you of the small beating he had done. Joy just gives you a wave as you two walk on by, your arms digging into Taehyung’s side to get him to release you since his hold had become crushing.

Tae just laughs when you shove him away forcefully, his back hitting the side of the elevator as you gasp for air dramatically, “Jesus, you trying to strangle me?”

“Aren’t you into that?”

You scoff and press the elevator button for the second floor, “Usually not like that.”

He steps towards you again with a goofy smile, his large palm spreading open as he guides it to your throat like he knew you liked, “Oh, baby don’t worry I know how to do that.” He gingerly wraps it around you, pressing into your skin with a smirk on his face when your mouth drops open slightly in shock at the audacity he had.

He steps closer to you, his hand still on your throat as he looks down at you. But as he leans down, just about to press his lips to yours its never comes, your hand pulls his palm away from your neck as you step further away from him, “You think I’m gonna kiss you after that?” You question, your eyes narrowing at him and he gulps, not knowing if you were being serious or not but the elevator dings, the door sliding open.

“C’mon.” You shrug, stepping out of the elevator and waving him towards you. His long strides match yours, grabbing your hand and tugging you along in an attempt to lighten the mood. Success ringing in his head once more when he hears you giggling softly as you stumble behind him, but he only tugs you faster until you’re forced to keep up. It’s a playful race to your room, just for the sake of making a challenge out of it but Taehyung’s legs are too long and you’re barely able to keep up with his pace as he drags you along chaotically.

“You’re like fucking bambi.” Taehyung laughs out as you collide with his back when he reaches your door and stops abruptly.

“Dude, you’re hauling my ass around.” You swat at him before pulling out your room key, he takes it from your hand and slides it into the compartment until your door clicks open.

He’s expecting to walk in and see your room mate knocked out on her side but its spotless, her sheets neatly folded and the ever present sticky note pressed against your desk, announcing that she’d be gone most of the day cramming with her study group. You could picture Wendy now, a big gulp size of coffee in front of her and her jumbo framed glasses sitting on her face as she scrambles through her notes.

“So,” you start, facing Taehyung as he makes himself beyond comfortable on your bed, “you want to go ahead and tell me why the hell you decided to tackle Jungkook down like a wrestling match?”

Taehyung scoffs in disbelief, “You wanna tell me why you guys were chillin together all buddy buddy when you were icing him out just yesterday?”

“Not really.” You mutter out under your breath, setting your bag on top of your desk and slipping out of your shoes. You knew you had to tell him though, if things seriously progressed with Taehyung you’d feel guilty having never told him what transpired in the early stages of this.

“Does this require me tackling him down again?” He implores, a stupid grin on his face.

“No, definitely not. Please don’t ever do that again, need I remind you you’re not exactly on the administrations good graces, if you get caught fighting you’ll be kicked out Taehyung.”

He waves you off without a care, if Taehyung was kicked out it would be a blessing in disguise.

“I won’t, now can you tell me whats up? You look like you wanna barf.”

A laugh reaches his ears as you shuffle onto the bed with him, choosing to face him fully as you sat with your back towards the end of your bed.

“You should’ve seen me last night.”

His eyes widen up, a smile accompanying it, “Oh my god, did you and Jimin get shit faced? Did you finally destroy the stupid ice sculpture they always have?” Taehyung’s mind is already going into overdrive as he tries to mentally calculate the amount of money in damages you and Jimin could have theoretically caused but then he pauses. 

How did Jungkook fit into this?

“I wish we got shit faced.” Your voice lowers in tone, your fingers deciding to pluck at the exposed thread on your comforter, “We kind of had to leave early because I was having a panic attack.”

Taehyung just tilts his head in curiosity, choosing to remain silent because he still didn’t know how Jungkook came into the picture, how you having a panic attack at Jimin’s parents event resulted in you and Jungkook getting coffee this morning. It all seemed like a riddle and Taehyung really didn’t want to have to guess his was through it.

“I kind of thought I was pregnant last night.”

“What? Why didn’t you tell me anything, should I go get a test?” The look on your face shuts him up entirely once more, the realization hitting him at once when he understands. It all makes sense now, Jungkook slotting into the missing piece, “Oh...it was?”

“Jungkook’s yeah.”

Its quiet for a moment, Taehyung briefly wondering if you were in fact pregnant with his room mates child and thats why you two had decided to make amends. His gaze lands on your stomach, wishing he could see through the fabric of your shirt.

“Are you?”

Your eyes practically bulge out when you look up at him, “No! No, I’m not.”

Taehyung joins in on your nervous laughter, finally feeling like he could breathe,  “Poor kid,” he jokes, his hand running through his hair as he laughs, “I bet he was in a hurry to tell you it wasn’t his or something huh?”

A frown replaces the smile on your lips and Taehyung catches it right away, the scrunch in your brows as you almost look offended by his comment, “No actually. He was very supportive, he was ready to replan his entire life and let me have the baby if thats what I wanted.”

Taehyung hadn’t been expecting that, he hadn’t thought the boy who had pretended you two weren’t friends anymore would be ready to become a dad after one night together. Hell Taehyung hadn’t been ready to become a dad the last time you had a pregnancy scare, he wasn’t sure he ever would be ready.

“Are you guys relieved then or?” He couldn’t gauge the tone, usually one would be ecstatic over not being pregnant but you just seemed nonchalant about it all. You sat on your bed like you had so much more you had to say and it makes him a little nervous.

“Of course we are, I’m not ready to be a mom just yet and Jungkook, as supportive as he was, isn’t ready for a kid either. We weren’t even talking before last night so can you imagine?” You try to tease but the tone drops too much for him to play along because he knows what he has to do.

Taehyung just studies your face for a minute, the way you’re refusing to look into his eyes as you talk to him. He knows more went on between you and Jungkook, a pregnancy scare was not the sole reason you two were walking back to campus with the biggest smiles on your faces.

He knew of Jungkook’s crush on you and it seemed like you knew now too, the guilty expression on his face couldn’t be hidden even behind the small trails of blood and it spelled it out for him.

“Can I ask you something?” Taehyung whispers out, waiting until you finally look into his eyes and nod before speaking again, “If Jungkook hadn’t done what he did after Halloween, would this,” he motions between you two, “be a thing?”

“Thats not fair to ask.” You defend, a blank look on your face.

“Yes it is Y/N.”

“No it’s not Taehyung, if that wouldn’t have happened with Jungkook you wouldn’t have confessed and you know that.”

He sighs, sitting up higher on your bed and reaching for your hands gently, “But would you have wanted me to? I remember the night of the party after it all happened Y/N, the way you were acting wasn’t just because Jungkook stopped being a friend.”

“Its–“

“No, it’s fine Y/N. I know you’ve liked Jungkook for a while now, you can admit it. Please admit it, because acting like you don’t isn’t helping anyone.” He pauses to take a breath, his fingers still rubbing your knuckles in his grasp, “But as much as it hurts to know, I need you to tell me if you’re only pursuing things with me just because of what Jungkook did.”

It feels like theres a lump in your throat that you can’t swallow, and as much as you don’t want to cry again you can feel the slight sting in your eyes. “I like you Taehyung.”

He laughs, a gentle laugh that lets you know he isn’t upset, “I know you do babe, but do you like me as Taehyung your potential boyfriend or Taehyung your good friend.”

He can see the gears churning in your head, your eyes focused on his fingers instead of his face again, “Do you like me as much as you like Jungkook.” Is the final blow he gives, the way your face falls is answer enough for him but he needs to hear you say it for his own sanity.

“Taehyung.” You breathe out, finally looking into his eyes with a defeated expression.

“It’s okay if you don’t know.” He lets go of your hands now, “but I think you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t try to find out.”

He moves to get up from your bed and you reach for him when he finally stands, your hand wrapping around his arm and keeping him next to your bed, the earlier conversation with Jungkook coming back, “That’s not fair to you.”

Taehyung shrugs solemnly, “It’s not fair to you if I expect you to be with me regardless of how you might feel for someone else. I’ll always be here and you know that.”

“I love you Taehyung.” You mumble out with a small frown, your heart only twisting more when he laughs as if he’s not hurt.

He knows when you say you love him it’s not in the way he wants it to be, you love him as a friend, you love the Taehyung that would go out with you until 3am, the Taehyung that forces you to blow up prints of his ass. Not as the Taehyung who wanted to introduce you to his parents, who wanted to have you be his phone background. But he could live with that.

“I love you too Y/N.” He leans down to press a kiss against your forehead, giving you a final smile before pulling away from your grasp and leaving the room. It’s not until the door shuts behind him that he feels his resolve cracking, the small smile he had forced onto his face falling off. This was definitely not the way he thought the morning would go. He felt a little naive in thinking he could ease you into feeling the same way he did, especially when he already knew how you felt about Jungkook.

Maybe that was why he had been so hell bent on making sure Jungkook knew to stay away from you, knowing how easy it would be for him to win you over if he had to chance to talk to you. Taehyung and your relationship seemed doomed to fail from the beginning and it stung a little more when he realized that he was the only person who hadn’t seen it coming.

The buzzing from your back pocket makes you jump, the nerves you currently have only aiding in your heart pumping erratically. You set the coffee down on the bench beside you as you pull out your phone.

Jimin 7:56am : Don’t pussy out.

You glare at the phone, wishing he could see your face through the device. Don’t pussy out? Really. Thats sound advice but what else could you expect from Park Jimin.

The phone gets shoved back into your pocket as you grab the coffee once more and continue walking to your morning class. You had a plan set, Jungkook was always early to this lecture but you hoped the seat beside him was still open, at least for today.

It had been a few days since the pregnancy scare but it feels like it happened so long ago, the roller coaster of emotions that coursed through you during that night and the morning after had been such an over load for you. Jungkook and you hadn’t spoken in between it all, he said he’d see you in class so thats what you were going to do.

When you enter your building the chatter of students roaming around before their class fills the space. A familiar set of eyes spots you when you enter, a smile lifting his lips when he looks down at his own hands and spots the same coffee you most likely carry as well. He’s a good distance away from you, having chosen to sit at a table in the main room of the building instead of inside the classroom but now that he’s spotted you he gets up as well.

Once you enter your class you see that Jungkook isn’t here but his usual desk mate is, she’s sitting in her spot with her notebook spread out as she scribbles on it. Your plan had met a tiny hitch in the road but its surely something a charming smile could fix. She only looks up when you’re stood directly in front of her, a subtle clear of your throat getting her attention.

“Hi.” You grin in the friendliest way you can muster, “I know we’ve never spoken but do you mind if we switch seats for the day?”

Her eyebrow cocks up, a little confused by your odd request, “Oh uh, sure?”

“Great! Thank you, I sit up there.” You point with your pinky towards the top, right beside Jackson who’s currently staring at you like you’ve grown a third head, “He’s single and flirty so have fun.”

A blush tints her cheeks as she packs up her stuff with a bit of excitement at sitting next to another cute boy and when Jackson sees her making her way up the steps he can’t find it in himself to be upset because the girls cute too, shooting you a sly thumbs up as he fixes his hair up.

“Thats not your seat.”

The voice startles you, nearly dropping the drinks as you try to sit down in your new seat. Jungkook chuckles at your flustered state, setting his drinks down onto his own desk before sliding into his seat.

“I know it’s not, I can move if you want.” You tease, your eyes widening when they land on the identical cups of coffee he also has. Looks like the two of you had the same plan.

“Please don’t.” Jungkook slides into his own seat, sheepishly smiling when he stares at your drinks as well. “Am I being bold by assuming one of those is for me?”

“No,” you laugh, your fingers toying with the lid of your cup, “I think we both had the same idea tho.”

He just smiles widely as he hands your coffee over, “Fine by me, I drink two cups in the morning anyways.”

The both of you swap drinks, ending up with two of the same on your desks but the action makes you feel somewhat giddy inside, hiding your smile behind your cup as you take a sip.

“Why are you sitting here though, really?” He asks softly as he sips his coffee, his wide eyes glancing around the room and seeing the students slowly start to fill it up.

“Just wanted to sit next to you today, can we talk after class? I have something I need to tell you.”

That instantly makes Jungkook nervous, his stomach turning and making him stop drinking his coffee. There was something you needed to tell him...that could go in so many different directions.

You take note of his anxious face and try not to laugh as you drink your coffee, “Nothing bad I swear.”

“Okay,” he hesitates, biting around his straw, “sure.”

Jungkook can honestly say anything said during the entire lecture went in one ear and out the other. His brain was too busy exploring the different scenarios regarding why you wanted to talk after class. A million and one different options came to mind but he couldn’t find himself thinking any of them would be good for him.

Maybe you were going to tell him you two couldn’t be friends anymore after Taehyung had slammed him into the concrete. Or maybe the realization that you two almost had a baby had sunk in and when the smoke cleared you came to terms with the fact that Jungkook was a horrible potential partner and friend so you would be kicking him to the curb.

“Jungkook?”

His eyes are glazed over as he stares at the floor, his lips pursed in thought while his mind ran like a tiny hamster on a wheel.

“Jungkook.” You try again, reaching out and patting his cheek with your palm, smiling when his eyes blink back to the present. “You were up in the clouds.”

His eyes stare at you for a moment before roaming the room, only a handful of students remain packing up their belongings while Jungkook, who normally bolts out, stays seated for the first time in forever.

“Sorry.” He mumbles with a grin, finally coming into motion and stuffing his notebook into his bag. “Where did you wanna go?”

You patiently wait for him, your hip resting on the side of his desk, “We can go to that crepe place you showed me near campus?”

His face brightens up at the mention of it, standing up with a smile as he hooks his backpack over his shoulders, “Okay! C’mon.”

In a turn of events it’s now you who’s full of nerves as you and Jungkook walk off campus, fiddling with your hands in front of you while you made small talk, the tiny nervous habits he had picked up on coming out to play but he doesn’t comment on it.

He forces himself to not overthink anything again, not allowing his self sabotaging comments to derail anything, for all he knew you wanted to talk about possibly having secret santa since Christmas would be approaching soon.

Even as the two of you step into the crepe shop, placing your orders and taking a seat at a small table in a corner he doesn’t speak first, he just sits there with a small smile as he watches the way you scrape the polish off your fingernails. 

“I’m really sorry about Taehyung,” Is what you blurt out, his smile falling from his face as he remembers being body slammed onto the ground with passing students watching in shock. Those were excellent first words for diving into this conversation.

“Please-” he chokes, thankful that your food gets brought out at that moment, “please don’t mention it. I’m okay, see, no bruises.” He motions to his face with a forced smile, eventually melting into a real one once more when he sees the way you start to giggle.

“Okay, sorry. I’ll pretend it never happened then?” Your pitch raises at the end and he nods in agreement. Pretending it never happened was fantastic, maybe it would help him forget as well.

“So was that why you asked to hang out?”

“No.”

Jungkook just blinks at you, slow and practiced, his mind displaying an error screen because he was at a loss. His mouth opens and closes once and you pity him, knowing he really doesn’t know how to respond to your vague answer.

“Is this about secret santa then?”

That has you at a loss too, your head tilting at him, “What?”

“Nothing.” He deflects, cutting up his banana and nutella crepe and stuffing it into his mouth just as quickly. It makes you laugh, your nerves momentarily fizzling out until it falls silent once more, the sound of his munching filling the empty space.

“Remember that conversation we had at the cafe before, you know.” You wave off, seeing him lick his lips and nod in confirmation, he definitely remembered that. Spilling his emotions out to you and getting a reality check in the form of rejection in return.

“Yeah,” he breathes out, pursing his lips as he stares at your untouched strawberry covered crepe, “sorry if it made you uncomfortable.”

“Jungkook, no, it didn’t. I just-” you wipe your sweaty palms on your thighs, begging your courage to not slip between your clammy fingers, “I was wondering if I could...maybe change my answer.”

The beeping computer noises in his brain quiet at that, his lips pushing out further in confusion, not wanting the excitement of the possibility that you might change your answer from a no into a yes to take over his rational thinking.

“But I thought you said no because of Taehyung?”

The slight sting of remembering Taehyung’s sad face flashes through your mind and you fidget in your seat uncomfortably.

“I did, but Taehyung and I had a conversation about all of it and we ended things.”

Jungkook frowns at that, not feeling the happiness he thought he would. He hoped it wasn’t because Taehyung had given him a gnarly right hook, he didn’t want that altercation to be what came between the two of you, “Wait, why?”

It was time for you to be honest, Jungkook had given that to you and considering these feelings had been clouding your mind ever since October, you owed it to yourself to finally admit to still having them. “Because I realized that I really like you Jungkook, a lot.”

He sets his fork down, letting the words process and fully sink in. The first inkling of happiness starts to creep up his spine, he feels a little bad that you and Taehyung ended things, especially because of him, but he can’t deny his feelings. 

The nerves you felt start to dissipate when you see his lips stretch into a smile, his wide eyes almost sparkling as he stares at you with hints of excitement that match the way you feel inside.

“Really?” He almost whispers, leaning forward in his chair as if you two are sharing a forbidden secret.

A grin is sent his way as you mimic his actions, leaning over in your own seat to meet him halfway, “Yes really, so is that offer for a date still on the table?”

“Of course it is.”

You sit straight in your seat again, finally cutting in to your food now that you didn’t feel like puking out of nerves. Jungkook feels like things were going in his favor once more, maybe his good karma just took a while to kick in, the string of unfortunate events just being hurdles to test his patience. 

“So, secret santa huh?”

He hums as he chews his food, wagging his fork at you as he swallows, “Don’t tell me you guys don’t do it?”

You stab through a strawberry as you think it over, you had actually never participated in secret santa before but it did seem like a fun exchange, “Can’t say we have, theres a first time for everything though.”

Jungkook wonders if your friend group would be civil with him if things with you progressed, sure Jimin seemed to be on okay terms with him but then again if Taehyung had plowed him down and Yoongi had sat him down for a talking, how the rest of them would act was currently a big mystery. Maybe Jungkook would have some ass kissing to do, but for now he found it was best to focus on ensuring your future date went exactly the way he wanted it to.

“I’m gonna need a detailed list of your favorite foods.”

That makes you laugh before you bring your food to your mouth, “Really, why?”

He just shrugs, “Because I want it to be perfect.”

Wendy sighs as she’s stood in front of you, her fingers gripping your jaw as she forces you to stop fidgeting in your chair.

“Can you stop!” She snaps, giving up on trying to apply your eyeliner. The last thing she needed was the right side to end up looking like a tribute to her emo days, raccoon eyes and all.

“Sorry, it tickles.”

She snorts at that, knowing that wasn’t the only reason you were wiggling around like a toddler. “Oh really, thats the only reason why?”

Your eyes flutter open at her teasing tone, knowing better than to open them all the way because if you transfer your eyeliner onto your lid you know Wendy will smack you.

“Yes you whore, why else.”

She blows you a kiss at the endearing nickname, motioning for you to shut your eyes again to finish up the eyeliner. Wendy waits until she flicks the wing, biting down on her lip as she forces herself not to say what she wants to say until the chance of ruining your makeup is in the clear.

You feel her fanning your face, your brows pinching together as she remains quiet for another moment.

“Because you’re nervous, you’ve had it bad for the greek god for a long time okay don’t front.” Her tone is confident and it makes you scrunch your face up.

“What is with you and comparing these guys to Jesus and greek gods, they really don’t need their egos inflated Wendy.”

Her laughs fills the room as she moves on to coating a pair of false lashes with glue, resting her butt on the edge of your desk as she waits for it to get tacky. “Oh hush, you know I’ll never say it to their faces.” She gives the lashes a blow, curving them in her grasp to help them shape to your lid easier, “Either way stop changing the subject, you’re way more nervous about this date than you were for your date with McDreamy.”

You couldn’t deny that, the jitters running through your body, your mind running through how the night would play out, the slight tingle in your lips when you wondered if Jungkook would be the type to kiss you good bye when the date was finished. Those were all the things that were missing last time.

“You seem to be rooting for this despite you claiming he was a pig last time Wendy.” You bite back, being defensive was your coping mechanism.

She hums as she starts to apply your left eyelash, securing the inner corner and pushing them up so they wouldn’t droop over your eye once fully dry.

“I may have spoken prematurely, you only give me rundowns when shit get catastrophic okay.”

That much was true, even though you two were room mates and friends underneath it all, you rarely told her every single detail of your life. She was always busy with course work and you didn’t want to swamp her further with every minuscule thing. Which lead to you dumping everything on to her when it became too much.

So, after things with Taehyung fizzled out you came to her and laid it all out once more. Her and Jimin had been the ones to push you towards accepting Jungkook’s offer for a date after you had already declined.

“Either way, you’re deflecting. Just admit you’re nervous because you want this to work out.”

You remain silent as she applies your other lash, rolling your lips together and not opening your eye until she deems it safe to do so. When your eyes flutter open and meet hers you see the smug look she has on her face, she could read you like a book.

“Okay fine, I want this to work out so badly. But realistically, I don’t think there’s anything that can happen that can make me not enjoy this date.”

“Really, nothing?”

Your mind sorts through every possible scenario that could make this date a disaster and comes up blank, “Well, unless he calls me some other girl’s name-”

“Please,” Wendy laughs out, “the boy probably has a notebook page filled up with just your name. Oh my god, he probably writes Jeon Y/N and circles hearts all around it!”

“Stop!” You swat at her arm with a playful scowl on your face, “Don’t poke fun at him.”

That image was swirling through your head now, picturing Jungkook hunched over his desk during class or in the middle of studying and instead of taking notes he’d be scribbling your name into the corner of the paper. It makes a stupid smile spread across your face and Wendy chuckles when she sees it.

“You’re such a simp.”

“Okay, give me that.” You snatch the brush from her hands, going to apply your own makeup since she seemed determined to make you more flustered than you were. There was about twenty minutes left until you were set to meet up with Jungkook and if you kept getting distracted you’d end up running late and thats the last thing you wanted to do.

She raises her hands up in defense and lets you do your thing, choosing to approach your closet instead to help you pick out a shirt for tonight. You were hell bent on wearing the black high waisted jeans you had on because they made your ass look good and also hit your ankles just right so you could wear the cute chunky black heels you had just bought. Wendy pulls out a few shirts and holds them up beside you as you apply your bronzer, weighing out the options in front of her.

“Whats the vibe for today? Super classy or classy with a dash of slutty?”

You hum in thought, setting the bronzer down and moving on to the finishing touches, “Classy with a dash of slutty never fails...”

She agrees wholeheartedly, hanging up the second option and handing you the first one as you give your makeup a final check. When you grab the shirt from her an approving nod is sent her way, the black lace corset top was right on the edge of classy and slutty, perfect.

Even as you slip on the black wool coat, something you absolutely needed to ward off the cold December air, the jittery feeling inside of you doesn’t lessen. In fact it increases, more so when your phone vibrates with a text from the man of the hour.

Jungkook 8:27pm : I’m ready whenever you are (:

“Do you know where you’re going?” Wendy asks as she plops back down onto her bed, her hands crossed on her lap with a tiny smile on her face, pretty proud of her makeup skills.

“Not the exact place, I’m pretty sure it’s a Japanese restaurant because I’ve been bombarding him with sushi places.” You smile to yourself when you scroll through your thread with Jungkook, seeing the countless screenshots of restaurants in the area, surely he was overwhelmed by how many different places you had sent him but you wanted to give him options while still allowing yourself to be surprised.

Y/N 8:28pm : I’ll be down in like 2 minutes!

You pocket your phone again, analyzing your full outfit in the mirror and ruffling your hair as a final check. Wiping your palms onto your jeans you take a brief moment to think about how nervous Jungkook was, remembering the way he had acted before his date with Jisoo, how he had been so unsure of absolutely everything including his outfit. He had needed your guidance to calm down, needed your opinion on which shirt to wear, had he asked someone else for guidance tonight?

“Everything’s gonna be fine okay? By the way, do you need me to vacate the room for the night?” Wendy questions from her spot on the bed, her eyebrows wiggling at you through the mirror.

“No,” you laugh, with the fear of the pregnancy scare still fresh in your system you highly doubt the two of you will be in a rush to repeat the actions of that night, “you’re safe in this room.”

Wendy doesn’t fully believe you but she doesn’t argue, just agrees and gives you a quick hug before waving you out of the room with a massive smile, hoping just as much as you were that tonight went well.

Right as you exit your building you spot Jungkook, he’s sat on one of the benches by the front door, his hands folded over his knees as he stares off towards the middle of the quad. He only looks your way when he hears the soft clacking of your heels on the concrete and when he takes you in he feels his heart skip a beat.

He stands up from the bench in a swift motion, his dark hair fluffing on top of his head from his haste action. For a moment he says nothing, his eyes fully giving you a once over and admiring how beautiful you look, its only once he meets your eyes that his slight slack jawed expression turns into a sweet smile.

“Wow, you look beautiful.” He breathes out, his hands reaching for yours and bringing you in for a hug. His arms wrap around you easily, pulling you into his chest and giving you a squeeze that invades all your senses, warmth spreading throughout you when you feel surrounded in Jungkook.

“Thank you.” You mumble out, your own hand placed on his back, your fingers rubbing the material of his coat. As they trail up towards his shoulders they catch on something and you pull back slightly, your hands turning his body around without a warning, a small noise of question leaving Jungkook.

“Kookie, your coats on inside out.”

His eyes widen at that, craning his head around to see what you meant, “What, really?”

“Yeah,” you laugh out, your finger flicking the white tag by the collar as you bit your lip, trying not to laugh more when he whirls around as if he’ll get a better glimpse at it that way, “here take it off.”

He stops his moving instantly, standing still with slightly red cheeks as you help slide the black coat off of him. When his eyes catch on to the tag he feels more embarrassment fill his system, his first date jitters being the sole reason for the slight wardrobe mistake.

You found it endearing though, picturing him in such a haste to get out and meet you that he didn’t get a proper look at his coat, shoving his arms through it without a care just as he exited his room.

“There, all better.” You ease his arms back into the jacket, your hands adjusting the collar of it, leaving them placed on his shoulders as you stare up at him. Your close proximity has Jungkook gulping, his eyes flicking down onto your lips, desperately fighting the urge to kiss you. He wanted to do this right, do it respectfully, no matter how badly he wanted to plant one on your nude colored lips.

“Thanks,” he whispers out, his breath hitching in his throat when you lean up and press a soft kiss to the side of his cheek, the gentle smack of your lips on his skin only flusters him further, “we should get going to make the reservations.”

“Okay, let’s go.” You pull away with a satisfied smile, absolutely loving the effect you had on him, the shy Jungkook that had taken your heart captive being shown once more.

The cold air keeps you walking close to him, needing the extra body warmth to stop the chill from creeping into your bones. Because of this, every step you took left fluttering touches on your hand as his grazed it. Jungkook keeps his gaze forward, his lips pressed together lightly as he contemplated what to do. His fingers twitched at his side, slowly spreading apart until the courage grew inside of him and he was reaching out to clasp your hand with his.

His large palm envelopes yours easily, dwarfing it in comparison and it leaves you feeling secure. He notices the extra pep in your step, the soft swinging of your intertwined hands and he sneaks a glance over at you, a smile spreading across his face when he notices the giddy expression on yours.

Neither of you mention it, you just enjoy the innocent sensation of feeling connected as you walked together, nearing the awaiting car Jungkook had gone ahead and ordered.

Everything was going just the way he wanted it, the antsy feeling he had the day before that prevented him from getting a good nights sleep, the frantic texting between him and Eunwoo as he asked for help on his choice of restaurant had left him so anxious.

But all of it was worth it, especially when he sees the way your face absolutely lights up once the uber approaches the restaurant of the night. You had snuck it in between the large batch of others, having never been there before but heard so much about it, you were secretly hoping Jungkook had looked into it a little deeper.

“You got reservations for Urasawa?” You finally speak up, your head leaning towards Jungkook as you duck to look at the bright sign.

Jungkook feels a little proud to have caused the marvel in your voice as your wide eyes peer up at the building, bouncing over to him and showing the elation you had when he nods at you.

Once again, everything was going just the way he wanted it to.

The pair of you enter the restaurant with excitement evident in your faces, you take a moment to admire the dim interior while Jungkook approaches the host’s booth.

“Welcome, do you have a reservation?” The brunette woman questions, a smile on her lips as she taps onto the ipad in front of her.

“Yes, it should be under Jungkook for 9 o’clock.”

Its at that very moment that everything starts to slowly go downhill, the mirage of perfection fading out, the light trickling of the sand that wasn’t noticeable before becomes increasingly hard to ignore when it seems as if the floor continues to sink underneath him.

The final avalanche that buries him under comes in the form of a sympathetic smile from the hostess as she scrolls up and down on the reservations list, Jungkook’s name coming up short.

“Sorry sir, there’s nothing here for the name you provided. Is it under another name perhaps?” She tries to find a solution for him, seeing the growing desperation in his eyes as he turns his head over to look at you, seeing you blissfully unaware as you continue to eye the decor around the waiting area.

“Uh, n-no, it has to be under Jungkook.” His brows pinch onto his forehead as his fingers begin to nervously fidget on top of the counter. “Can you check again?” He pleads.

The hostess, which he learns is named Tera thanks to her name tag, nods immediately, going back onto the ipad and typing his name once more. Just like before it pulls up nothing so she goes as far as typing it in every form she possibly could, hoping a typo was the reason behind this reservation being lost.

“I’m sorry–“ she starts, her own hands becoming clammy as she realizes she’d have to be the bearer of bad news and ruin whatever date plans Jungkook currently had. She flicks over to tomorrows date and checks there, her eyes widening when she spots Jungkook’s name in the 9 o’clock spot he had mentioned. It seems as if whoever had booked the reservation for him had officially fucked up and slotted him in for the wrong date.

“Oh, I found it.” She cringes more when Jungkook looks relieved, maybe she shouldn’t have said it in that tone. “But it’s booked for tomorrow.”

He’s about ready to slam his head down onto the wooden counter attached to the booth, a concussion would be a hell of a lot better than wherever the hell this situation would take him. How could it possibly be booked for tomorrow, when he had called and made the reservation he had repeated the date and time about fifteen times, going as far as spelling out his name to avoid any possible confusions.

This was just concrete evidence that someone of a higher power really did have it out for him.

Tera must sense the complete despair Jungkook was currently going through, if the blank look on his face as he tried not to let out a scream didn’t spell it out, the way he tenses up when you finally approach him does. When you wrap your arm around him and gently nudge his side, asking if there was a hold up because the restaurant looked fairly busy, Tera decides to try to throw Jungkook a rope to prevent him from sinking further into the sand.

Jungkook is at a loss, not knowing how to break the news that the reservations you two had been excited for had been booked incorrectly and you’d have to settle going to Mcdonalds instead. So much for a perfect first date.

After frantically scrolling through the current customers seated she manages to find one table that just cleared up, it’s meant to be used by another customer in half and hour but by then she’ll be off the clock and they’ll just have to wait. She didn’t get paid enough for this.

“Perfect, if you could just follow me, I’ll lead you to your table.” She speaks up as if she hadn’t just told Jungkook his reservation was fucked.

Jungkook looks utterly confused as he stares at the hostess, seeing the way she’s trying her best to communicate through her eyes so you wouldn’t know what was going on. Unfortunately Jungkook is not fluent in telepathy but he knows enough to understand that she had just done him a solid, absolutely saving his ass from further embarrassment and giving him another shot at redemption.

He mutters out a thank you and follows behind her, subtly wiping the sweat that had accumulated on his forehead from the stress, finally getting a second to admire the interior much like you had earlier and he’s pretty glad he had chosen this restaurant.

Once Tera shows you both to your table, placing the menus in front of each seat she retreats back to her booth with another thankful glance from Jungkook. He pulls out your chair and scoots you in to your seat before sliding into his own with a grin.

“Can I be honest?” Jungkook asks with a sheepish smile as he toys with the edges of the menu.

“Sure.”

His eyes roam the selection of options, placing the menu back down to stare at you across from him, “I’ve never had sushi.”

Your curious stare turns into one of disbelief as you set your own menu down, leaning towards him slightly, “Jungkook we’re at a sushi restaurant.”

He simply shrugs his shoulders, “Well this is the best place to try it then huh?”

Well, you guess he’s not wrong. You dive in head first as you start to explain every item on the menu to the best of your abilities, questioning him on his likes and dislikes to be able to advise him on what he’d most likely enjoy eating.

Jungkook just sits there with a goofy smile, nodding along as you point to each item, his eyes switching over from your own eyes and then your lips, tracing the way they move as you talk.

He honestly wouldn’t mind it if he ended up totally hating sushi, he just wanted to make you happy and to properly spend time with you on a date that he had probably thought about way too many times. In the end, he lets you take the reins as you decide on one of the assorted plates, letting him get a taste of a few different options and if he liked any in particular you could just order more of it.

“I hope you like it.” You breathe out once the waiter leaves with your order, your fingers playing with edge of the table.

“I will, I eat almost anything.” That much was true, Jungkook wasn’t a picky eater by any means. He enjoyed seafood and judging the few plates that have gone by your table he can’t imagine he won’t enjoy it.

“So, how are things are your job?” He asks after taking a sip of his water, he had missed hearing about the random things you and Yoongi got into at work. Most of the time it was mindless editing on the computer, the occasional drama happening with entitled customers, but he lived for hearing about the days you assisted on shoots. The way your face lit up as you talked about your passion made him want to listen to you talk all day.

“Pretty good, one of our usual photographers who rents the space actually asked me to assist her on a location in a few weeks.” Your smile says it all, finally catching the eye of someone who’s work you actually admired, it helped ease the thought of you being a nobody after you graduated.

“Holy shit thats great, does she do the same style you’re into?” Something about the genuine excitement laced in Jungkook’s tone has you sitting in your seat a little higher, unloading every tidbit of information about the photographer you had.

Jungkook lets you rant, watching the way you move your hands around as you talk, his questions only fueling your fire of talking about your career finally blossoming. It flows from one topic to the next, mentions of Jimin and Yoongi being brought into the mix, the two of you avoiding talking about Taehyung and Jungkook’s dumb friends, until the topic switches once more when Jungkook mentions his workplace.

“Wait, since when do you have a job?” You ask just as your food gets brought out, an assortment of rolls laid on for you to choose from and you hold in a cheer when you see how delicious they all look.

Jungkook eyes them curiously, seeing the array of different colors, your question leaving his mind when he spots one with a black and yellow coloring. You watch the way he visually picks a roll and smile to yourself as you pick up your chopstick and grab onto the sushi roll of choice, bringing it up to his mouth, “It has shrimp tempura, avocado and cucumber.”

It takes no convincing for him to open his mouth for the train of food, chewing the roll and savoring the flavor as you analyze his reaction, hoping he enjoys it. Jungkook presses his lips together after he swallows, a thoughtful look on his face as he looks up for a moment, “I think I’m a sushi fan now.” He laughs out, smiling wider at the look of relief on your face.

“Try out the others too, this is my favorite.” You plop another roll onto the single dish in front of him, hoping he’d also enjoy the spicy tuna roll as well.

Jungkook pops it into his mouth with no hesitation, enjoying the slight heat this one had compared to the previous one. You eat the same roll as well, the two of you smiling at each other as you chewed, no longer anxious on if Jungkook would have to settle with eating teriyaki chicken if the sushi was a fail.

“Oh, I got a job last month–“ he finally answers when he swallows, “nothing fancy, I just work part-time at a clothing store not too far from campus.”

“Any reason why you chose to get a job now?”

He hesitates as he reaches for another roll of sushi, his chopsticks pausing in the air for a moment, “I just needed a reason to not be in my dorm.”

That didn’t need any further explaining, after knowing the atmosphere Taehyung had created in their shared dorm plus the rundown Yoongi had given you on Jungkook and his friends, it wasn’t a surprise that he was scrambling for a reason to not be in his room at all. Choosing to focus on his new job, doing all of his school work in the library instead of his dorm, and only retreating into his room to sleep, had become his new routine.

“Well, do you like it?” You try to deter the conversation away from bringing up the past string of unfortunate events.

“It pays good and we rarely get asshole customers so it’s alright. Either way it’s only temporary until I land an internship or something.” You gasp when you realize that meant Jungkook had finally decided on his major. He breaks out into a smile when he explains he decided on computer science, eager to get his general education over with so he could dive into the best parts of his major.

Now its your turn to fire off the questions, dying to see Jungkook as excited as you were when you talked about your job and it works, the two of you finishing up your assorted plate and ordering more of your favorites while Jungkook gushes about a start-up company he had shown interest in. Wanting to get a one up and already contacting them for a potential internship for the following year.

“Why are you in ceramics and creative writing if you always knew you wanted to get into software development?”

Jungkook can only grin at you as he picks at the extra rolls on the table, his stomach nearing on being full but he just can’t seem to get enough.

“I needed extra units and I actually really enjoy ceramics, plus creative writing could come in handy with the story aspect of things if I decide to branch into video game development.”

You set your chopsticks down, not being able to eat any more or your pants would surely pop open, Jungkook on the other hand finishes off the remaining rolls with a smile on his face, completely satisfied with his choice.

“I still have the ceramic mug you made me by the way.” You admit, your lips curling up as you recall the jumbo mug Jungkook had so kindly hand crafted just for you. It was currently sitting on the edge of your desk, exactly where you always put it after you had your morning cup on the days you didn’t have early morning classes.

“Really?” He wonders, a slight burst of something he can’t pinpoint going off inside of him. He finally sets his own chopsticks down after obliterating the food, stacking up the empty plates in the center of the table.

“Of course Kook, although i’m really glad you made it as big as I asked you, I think it’s contributing to my coffee addiction because now I feel like the cup isn’t big enough.”

He quickly tells you he’ll make you an even bigger one, smiling when you start to laugh over the mental image in your head. Really how much bigger could it be before the cup resembled an actual pot.

As the waiter swings by to clear off the plates Jungkook shyly orders mochi ice cream for the two of you to share, definitely not something you’d ever dream of declining so you settled further into the seat as the two of you continuing mindlessly chatting.

It’s not until motion coming from your left grabs your attention, successfully losing your train of thought when your eyes land on someone you thought you’d never see again. He’s being brought to his table, right next to yours and Jungkook’s, with a pretty blonde as his date. You hold no special feelings for this person, just a mindless hookup that happened before summer ended, but just knowing they were seated right there while you were on a date with Jungkook made you uneasy.

Jungkook catches onto your change, how you started to subtly tilt your head away from your left, framing your hand by your face to prevent someone from spotting you. If it wasn’t for the small gasp of realization he hears, followed by a semi obnoxious whisper of your name, Jungkook would’ve asked you what was wrong.

Instead his own head follows the sound of the voice, landing a mere 6 feet away from the table, the boy seated almost parallel to Jungkook but his attention was clearly on you and not his date.

“Y/N!” The stranger tries once more when you squeeze your eyes shut and try to pretend you couldn’t hear him. He was on a date for fucks sake, why the hell was he calling out your name like you were old friends, you two had barely even talked after you hooked up.

Jungkook continues to watch in slight concern because you really didn’t look like you wanted to speak to him, even his own date looked slightly embarrassed, reaching her hand out to try to shush him in the rather quiet restaurant but whoever this was seemed very persistent.

“Uh Y/N, who is that?” He asks through his teeth, trying his best to be discreet to not grab his attention further.

“It’s no one.” You say with a slight clear of your throat, clear code for I’ll tell you afterwards so Jungkook nods in understanding.

Clearly the stranger didn’t think he was no one, because he had turned towards theatrics, extending his arm out to wave at you in such a chaotic motion you can’t stop yourself from finally whipping your head towards him and giving him a glare. 

Because of that you spot the exact moment his hand rams into the passing waiter who’s holding a tray of drinks, watching in almost slow motion as they topple over on the tray and the mixture of sake and soda spills directly onto Jungkook’s front.

Jungkook’s reaction is instant once he feels the cold liquid trailing down his skin, pushing back from the table in shock, the slight screech of the legs against the wooden floor catching the attention of the surrounding people.

“Oh my god I’m so sorry!” The waiter apologizes, frantically reaching into his apron for spare napkins as Jungkook stands up, the front of his light colored shirt being absolutely ruined, the strong smell of alcohol sticking to the fabric.

Jungkook can only sigh as he drops his head back, eyes looking up at the ceiling, practically piercing through it as he attempts to glare at the sky. Really?

“It’s okay.” Jungkook reassures the waiter, he knew it wasn’t his fault, so he gives him a soft smile as he take his own napkin off the table and tries his best to dab at the liquid soaking into his shirt.

The more guests grow curious the bigger the scene gets, eventually grabbing the attention of the manager as he makes his way towards the two of you trying to clean up the mess.

Try as you might the murky looking stain wouldn’t be going away with just your napkin but Jungkook still appreciates your effort, letting you pull at his shirt as you tried your best.

“Folks, I am so sorry about this!” The manager speaks up from behind you, nearly startling you as you set the soiled napkin down onto the table.

The poor waiter had already scrambled to the back, most likely worried he’d be getting fired so Jungkook feels inclined to clear his name, “It’s fine, it wasn’t the waiter’s fault–“

“Yeah, it was totally my mistake!” The same boy from before chooses now to speak up after having caused this mess and seeing the way he’s still comfortably sat in his seat is what makes you snap.

“Jesus Jaehyun take a fucking hint!” You hiss out, not missing the way his eyes widen at your tone. He takes that hint loud and clear, turning to fully face his now very uninterested date with his eyes not daring to look over at you again.

“Listen your meal is on the house.” The manager continues, choosing to ignore your little outburst that honestly has Jungkook wanting to laugh.

“Really you don’t have to do that.”

“No we insist, please don’t worry about it.”

You and Jungkook share a look before nodding because sure, who didn’t enjoy free food. With you now seemingly satisfied the manager makes his exit right as your mochi ice cream gets brought out.

By now Jungkook can say he has lost the craving for sweets, his cheeks burning in embarrassment at the lingering eyes who are no doubt talking about him under their breath. He really wanted to leave now and you catch on to that as quickly as it comes.

“You wanna go?” You ask softly, reaching for his hand as you stay stood beside him.

“Yeah.” He mumbles out, still choosing to slide out his wallet to at least leave a tip for your server.

“Okay, let’s go.” You tug him along after he leaves some cash on the table, watching as you give a final glare at the stranger dubbed Jaehyun.

Jungkook wonders if first dates always went this bad, his date with Jisoo failed to have any bumps in the road this extreme. Maybe it was the universe’s way of testing him, your relationship already had a handful of bumps so whats a few more to solidify that you both felt a certain way for each other despite the bad karma that seemed to follow Jungkook.

And as you two exit the restaurant Jungkook doesn’t know if he wants to laugh or cry when he sees, or more so feels, that its pouring outside. Neither of you are prepared, the forecast of the day never mentioning the possibility of rain at all.

“Oh my god.” You laugh out, ducking your head and practically running down the sidewalk as you yank Jungkook behind you, not stopping until you’re stood under a small area where the roof of the building hung over the sidewalk.

“At least now the wet stain will blend in with the rest of your shirt.” You joke and Jungkook smiles once more, bringing his free hand up to ruffle his now damp hair.

“Silver linings I guess.”

You slide your phone out and order an uber for the two if you, ignoring Jungkook’s voice of protest at you having done that. He had paid for the last uber and even though dinner was technically free he had also provided the tip, so it only felt right to spot the uber back.

Jungkook doesn’t start to feel a little defeated until you’re both stood there waiting for the car, his eyes are focused on the sidewalk, the splatters of rain being the next thing in line to put a hitch in the night. He had planned on going for a walk not too far from here, having seen a park that had sculptures that lit up once the sun went down. In his mind that would be the perfect place for the two of you to come down from the food you had eaten and Jungkook could get an idea on where your feelings stood.

That same defeated feeling lingers as you two exit the uber but Jungkook really tries to not let it put a damper on his mood when the night had been nice overall. You didn’t seem to be upset about anything, a giant smile on your face as you and Jungkook sprint towards your building to seek shelter from the bullets of rain. He had taken off his black coat and held it over the two of you as a makeshift umbrella, having to wring the coat out once you entered the dorm building.

“I thought monsoon season ended months ago.” You laugh out breathlessly, tucking your damp hair behind your ears and resting against the plain wall behind you.

“I’m telling you, i’ve got bad karma.” He grumbles as she shakes his coat off, walking towards you with a wry smile on his face.

You pout when you notice his expression, reaching for his hands once more and leading him towards the elevator, “Jungkook no you don’t–“

“Yes I do.” He playfully whines, resting his forehead on the cold elevator wall, feeling the rumble against his head as he makes a childish noise.

“Jungkook!” You laugh, pulling him away from the wall to face you as you cup his cheeks in your hands, “No you don’t, look I had a good time tonight.”

“You did?” He mumbles out, his cheeks still being pushed in your hold and puckering out his lips slightly.

“Yeah Jungkook, I did. I would’ve had a good time even if we would’ve stayed in my room doing nothing. I like spending time with you.” It was an honest confession, it didn’t matter where Jungkook had decided to take you for your first date you knew from the start that you’d have a good time.

But you knew Jungkook had wanted this date to go a certain way, from the way he emphasized how perfect he wanted it to be, so you let him playfully mope about it as you lead him towards your room.

When your door clicks open Wendy scrambles up from her laying position on the bed, her headphones hanging around her neck loosely as she yanks them off, “So, how was the date with the greek go–“ she freezes when she sees the state you’re both in as you walk inside, your hair is sitting in wet clumps on your head, your clothing looking damp but not as wet as Jungkook’s considering he had a massive stain of a questionable substance on his shirt.

“What happened?” She slowly asks, her eyes glued to Jungkook’s shirt and he feels himself bringing his arms up to shield it from view and Wendy averts her gaze to look at you instead.

“Just some rain.” You shrug as you take off your coat and hang it from the back of your chair, Jungkook takes a moment to stare at your exposed back, not realizing how revealing your shirt was since you’d kept your coat on the entire night.

“Yeah but his shirt.” Wendy tries again and when Jungkook makes a small noise of despair from the back of his throat she stops talking, pressing her lips together to stop from laughing.

“I got caught in the crossfire between some drinks.” Jungkook finally mumbles out, stuffing his hands into his cold and damp jeans with a slight grimace when he remembers the feeling of it all.

Wendy’s mouth drops open slightly in confusion, turning to you again for further explanation, “Well drinks and Jaehyun.”

At that she hums, having heard about Jaehyun considering he was the last random person you had casually slept with his name was on a list of fallen soldiers. She wanted more details, craved them, but she also knew it would be best not to ask right now. Plus with the solemn look on Jungkook’s face she kind of wants to give the two of you space to talk if you need to. “Oh wow, okay well I’m gonna head down to the student lobby and grab some snacks. You guys want something?”

You give her a pointed look, especially when she starts to gather her laptop up, clearly showing she would be gone for a while, “Wendy you don’t have to leave.”

“I’m not leaving, I’m going to get snacks.” She corrects you with a scoff, shoving her feet into her fluffy slippers as she approaches the door. She gives you and Jungkook a quick wave before she dips out in a hurry, no doubt going next door to hang out with Yeri.

“Okay so who was Jaehyun?” Jungkook finally asks as you take his wet coat from him as well, hanging it off the corner of the room divider you have propped open beside the wall. Your back is turned to him so you miss the teasing smile on his face, your tiny outburst at the restaurant had been kind of hot but Jungkook would keep that to himself for right now.

As you think of Jaehyun and the stupid scene he had cause it makes a soft groan leave you. You ebb the annoyance away when you sort through your closet to try to get Jungkook something to wear so he could get out of his sticky shirt, settling on an oversized university shirt you sometimes wore to bed.

“He’s some guy I slept with a while ago, it happened once, we never spoke again so I don’t know why he was so insistent on talking to me.” You really didn’t want to give him more details than that so you’re thankful when he doesn’t ask anymore questions about him. Leave it to the higher ups to plant Jaehyun at the same restaurant as you two, the perfect plan set in motion to lead to the chain of events resulting in Jungkook’s now ruined shirt.

He lets out a soft sigh as he starts to unbutton his shirt, his eyes focused on his fingers and missing the way you try and fail to look away from his exposed chest. “This is the bad karma I was telling you about.” He pouts as he slides off the stained shirt, grabbing the cotton tee from your hands and slipping it on quickly.

“Jungkook, you don’t have bad karma.”

“Yes I do, look I didn’t say anything but they fucked up the reservations today, we were this close,” he pinches his fingers for added effect, “to having to eat at Mcdonalds.”

That finally earns a laugh from you as you step out of your heels, “Wait really?”

“Yes!” He shouts with a laugh, his eyebrow cocking up when you offer him some black sweats, he highly doubts they’ll fit so he declines them.

You shrug and decide to slip them on yourself, along with a comfy shirt, sliding behind the room divider since you were currently braless. “Okay to be fair–“ you peak your head back out as you shimmy into the sweats, “I really wouldn’t have minded that, Mcdonald’s fries paired up with a soft serve would slap.”

Jungkook flops halfway onto your bed, his feet planted on the floor as his upper body splayed out. As much as he agreed with that, and now sort of craved it, he didn’t want that to be the route this date took.

“Why do you think you have bad karma?” You ask once you step out from behind the divider, looking cozy as you sit onto the bed next to him, your hands reaching out to trace on his arm closest to you.

“Because of the dumb shit I did I mean, first the pregnancy scare–“

“Okay but it was negative.” You chime in and he mulls it over before nodding. Alright, that one cancelled out like pemdas.

“Then it was running into Jisoo at the cafe, getting a light beat down from Taehyung, our reservations getting booked wrong, getting a sick mixture of sake and soda spilled all over me, not getting to eat that mochi ice cream!” He adds on with more emphasis, “And then we leave and it’s pouring so I couldn’t take you to the next part of the date.”

At that you pause, your head tilting as you stare down at his flustered face. He gives you a side glance when he notices your silence, seeing the way your lips slowly curve up, “Wait, there was supposed to be more?”

“Yeah,” Jungkook breathes out, he wanted to continue being honest with you and his feelings, not letting his nerves and doubt weigh his tongue down like it always did, “I was gonna take you to this park near by, they have these really pretty sculptures that light up scattered all around. I thought it would be a nice place to just walk around and talk, and if things went well I was gonna ask–“ he pauses to take a breath, the words jamming in his throat as he forces his eyes shut for a brief moment.

“If you wanted to be my girlfriend.” He finally gets out, his eyes fluttering open and looking over at you, seeing you already looking at him with the softest gleam in your eyes.

The simple question has you smiling like a giddy school girl, finding out your crush liked you as much as you liked them, the fuzzy sensation in your chest spreading the longer you stared at him. Jungkook on the other hand only feels his nerves flip in his stomach the longer you don’t say anything, his eyes widening up in worry at your prolonged silence.

“Yeah Jungkook, I wanna be your girlfriend.” You shyly respond, biting your lip when you see a smile replace his worried expression, his lips spreading out and revealing his teeth.

“Really?”

“Yes.” You laugh as he sits back up, his face now level with yours as he looks at you, and he can’t stop himself from planting one on you now, desperately wanting to feel your lips on his. His hands cup your face with a sense confidence you hadn’t experienced from him, guiding you towards him before he meets you halfway and presses his lips against yours.

His lips feel soft as they slot between yours, your eyes falling closed as your own hands come up and rest on top of his. The nerves Jungkook felt earlier fizzle away as you press harder against his lips, starting a gentle rhythm as your lips move together in a slow dance that he had grown to miss since the last time you kissed him.

The soft huffs of his breath escaping his nose as he kisses you fan across your cheek, a smile spreading across your face and making it difficult to properly kiss him back the way you wanted so you pull away with a light smack. Your teeth gently press down onto your lip as you smile at him, your noses still nudged against each other. His own eyes are still shut, being too scared to open them up and reveal he was actually dreaming, he had spent too many nights stuck in his dreams that all consisted of you.

They don’t crack open until you press another soft kiss against his lips, your hands moving away from his and going to cup his own face, your thumb softly caressing the skin of his cheek.

“I’d really like to go to that park you mentioned though.” You whisper out, not wanting to speak any louder and break the soft atmosphere created.

Jungkook kisses you once, twice, three more times before nodding, “I’ll take you, I promise.” He knew you’d love it there, maybe it’d be a good place for you to take picture of, find inspiration if you were in search of it. Whatever it may be Jungkook knew it’d make you smile and awe and he wants to give that to you.

“You wanna stay here for a while?” You ask as he leans a little further back so he can stare at you without going cross-eyed. Jungkook nods instantly, wanting to spend as much time with you, his girlfriend, as he possibly could.

He had another hour or so before they did rounds for the weekend and all you wanted to do was snuggle on your bed, maybe watch a movie– “Lets order delivery for some Mcdonald’s dessert?” He reads your mind, a playful smile on his face, he really had a sweet tooth and being robbed the enjoyment of eating that mochi ice cream still stung.

“Jungkook, you absolute mind reader, yes we can.” He manages to sneak another kiss from you before you stand up to grab your laptop, ready to search for something the two of you can watch while Jungkook places the order, grinning when you crane your head over the device to ensure he had gotten the mcflurry you wanted.

Maybe first dates didn’t need to be perfect if they were with someone you were meant to be with.

“So are ya’ll like doing it.” Hoseok questions, an innocent look on his face as he takes a sip of his water. You were currently gathered outside of a giant warehouse that Taehyung had demanded you meet him at. His birthday was nearing and all he had asked was for a friendly game of paintball. There was absolutely nothing friendly about paintball, you could already picture the baseball sized bruises that would litter your body but if thats what he wanted then so be it.

“Doing it?” You question right back, your eyes narrowing at him as he nods, looking at you before turning his head to look at Jungkook who was currently talking to Jimin while Chaeyoung and Wendy laughed at something.

“He’s my boyfriend, so yeah.” 

“Oh, so it’s official. You know, sex hits a little different when there’s a title on it.” He teases, a playful smile on his face when he sees the way your cheeks puff out when you scrunch your face up in slight embarrassment.  Hoseok knew you and Jungkook were officially together, your whole group knew, Taehyung included, he just enjoyed getting under your skin like an annoying brother would.

“Shut up.” You laugh out, swatting at his stomach with the back of your hand. He dodges your attack with ease, hopping to the side with a cackle that grabs the other’s attention.

All of you had come in groups in separate cars, Jimin, Chaeyoung, Jungkook, you and Wendy coming together in Jimin’s car; Namjoon, Hoseok, and Yoongi had come together and gave one of Chaeyoung’s friends, Chungha, a ride as well. You were all just waiting on Jin, Arang and the man of the hour, Taehyung.

“Where are they?” Yoongi huffs out as he leans against the metal benches set up outside the warehouse, his foot kicking up some of the rocks that littered the floor.

“Taehyung probably had some trouble with his hair, fifty bucks says Jin is currently lecturing him in the car.” Namjoon adds, laughing when everyone agrees with no hesitation.

Jungkook slowly creeps his way over to you, slithering his arm around your shoulders and tugging you into his side with a grin on his face. He leans down and presses a kiss to the top of your head, you can sense his uneasiness, having felt it the second you brought up the events Taehyung had planned and extended the invite to Jungkook. 

“You okay?” You ask softly, not wanting to grab everyone’s attention again as they all began their own conversations.

Jungkook just gives you a squeeze at the question, “Yeah, just a little nervous about being here with everyone you know.”

That was understandable, after everything went down it was only normal that all of your friends got the low down of what happened between you and Jungkook. Your friendship was very tight knit so it made sense that they all took your side and distanced themselves from Jungkook instantly. So far none of them had been malicious or cold towards him, greeting him as if nothing had happened, because if you told them everything was okay then everything was okay.

The main person Jungkook was uneasy around was Taehyung, and with good reason. The two of you hadn’t spoken at all since things ended, he had asked you for a bit of distance which you completely understood. So when he had texted you with the invitation for today, with an okay to bring Jungkook along, you had been a little surprised, not being able to decline because you knew it was for his birthday.

But Jungkook still couldn’t help but feel like he shouldn’t be here, add some guns to the mix and he can’t stop thinking he’d have a massive fucking target on his back the second he entered the paintball field.

Taehyung did in fact have a plan, nothing as aggressive as Jungkook was currently picturing, but it was sort of the reason he was running a little late. He had practiced the simple words he wanted to say in front of the mirror in the boys bathroom over and over, gaining himself some odd stares as he did so, before he knew it the time had flown by and he was scurrying out of the bathroom like it was on fire.

Seokjin was currently scolding him about being timely like Namjoon had joked, Arang sat in the passengers side trying really hard not to laugh whenever she saw the faces Taehyung made through the mirror. This felt like being stuck in the car with your parents after you got a bad grade in school, “Alright, I get it. I’m sorry, but can you blame me.”

Silence fell over the car at that, Jin taking a moment to think it over before shaking his head, no he couldn’t blame him. Taehyung had told him that he wanted to speak to Jungkook before bullets went flying. He knew deep down that you and him were going to be okay, he just needed time to get over his feelings for you, his main concern was clearing the air with his room mate, not wanting any awkwardness lingering.

When the sound of Jin’s tires rolling onto the tarmac creep up all of you turn your heads to look at it, the boys throwing their arms up in relief because finally! Now that they knew he was here everyone slowly starts to make their way inside the building, ready to sign whatever waivers and other paperwork was needed before they all got torn up by the paintballs.

Taehyung gets out of the car when he notices you and Jungkook trailing behind, wanting to get your attention, specifically Jungkook’s, before he was around everyone else, “Wait, Jungkook!” He shouts out, succeeding in having the both of you stop in your path, turning to face him with your brows raised.

Jungkook doesn’t think he heard him right until he waves him over. He feels like his feet are cemented into the floor, needing you to give him a gentle push before he jumps into action and slowly walks his way, a little unsure of himself. Seokjin was still outside so you felt secure that if a fight broke out, he could separate them, but hopefully that wouldn’t happen.

“Happy early birthday.” Jungkook starts first, cringing slightly at his words until he sees the way Taehyung smiles, something he hadn’t seen directed towards him in weeks.

“Thanks man, look I just wanted to say sorry-”

“No, you don’t have to.” Jungkook tries to wave him off because in his head everything was absolutely justified.

“Yes I do Jungkook, look we both fucked up okay but I took it a little too far. I never should’ve put my hands on you, or threatened you the way I did when the situation had nothing to do with me.” He knew he did it because he was protective of you but he had enough sense to know that maybe he could’ve let you handle it the way you wanted to without getting involved himself. All it caused was an uncomfortable atmosphere in their room when it used to be easy going, the two of them getting along pretty well despite their differences in personality.

“I still think it was well deserved but I appreciate the apology. I know it might not mean much, and I hope this doesn’t rub you the wrong way, but I promise I’ll never hurt Y/N again.” Jungkook means it, the way you had stared at him with so much hate in your eyes was forever burned into his mind, seeing you cry because of something he did or rather didn’t do wasn’t something he ever wanted to be the cause of again.

That makes Taehyung smile, the hollow feeling in his chest still being felt but all he wanted was your happiness. Beneath it all you and Taehyung were close friends and just because things weren’t meant to be between the two of you didn’t mean he didn’t wish for you to find it with someone else. If that person happened to be Jungkook then that was okay with him.

“Treat her right for her own sake, not to save your ass from getting plowed down again.” He teases, throwing a soft punch onto Jungkook’s shoulder.

The younger boy chuckles as he clutches his arm, “I will, by the way, was inviting me your ploy to shoot me with no consequences?”

Taehyung lets out his classic laugh as he makes his way into the building, Jungkook following him closely and watching as he shakes his head, “Hell no man, I need you on my team.”

“Fuck Jungkook.” You mewl out, your hands tangling into his hair and yanking him towards you for a kiss, your tongues gliding together messily, letting Jungkook swallow your moans down as he rolled his hips into you.

He knew he had to be quick but he wanted to relish in being inside of you, always loving being in this position with you, it didn’t matter how often of an occurrence it was now. Seeing you with your hair splayed out and messy, your lips swollen from his kisses and bites, the soft moans of his name filling the room as he fucked you, it would never get old.

The way your pussy pulses around his length has him gasping out, his fingers curling around his bed sheets as he rocks harder into you, your heels digging into his butt to urge him closer. Your hands release his hair and trail down his back, your nails digging into his skin and he hisses. Having discovered that Jungkook had a light kink for pain you lived for it, subtle scrapes of your nails,  harsh bites to his skin, pinching his nipples, it was all stuff Jungkook never knew he would be into until he got with you.

“You always feel so good.” He grunts out, his eyes squeezing shut when you clamp down on him on purpose, smiling when he lets out a guttural moan. “Ah, shit, do you want me to cum before you.” He snaps playfully, seeing the way you pout and shake your head.

“No, please make me cum.” You plead, a soft pout on your lips as you lift your hips up to match his motions, keening when his dick expertly hits your g-spot. Jungkook had more than enough time to get acquainted with your body during winter break, the two of you choosing to remain on campus and getting as much time alone together as you wanted since both Wendy and Taehyung had gone to visit family.

“Fuck, when you ask like that I can never say no.” He mutters out, his hips pulling back before snapping forward once more. The sound of your skin connecting from the force of his thrusts fill the empty dorm room and Jungkook knows he found the pace to get you quivering underneath him once your back arches up, your pebbled nipples grazing his chest as you moan out his name. He doesn’t think he’s ever heard his name sound so pretty.

The coil inside you tightens up as his pelvis continues to grind against your clit with every roll of his hips, your desperate cries raising in pitch and Jungkook smiles when he realizes he’s got you right where he wants you.

“Nngh, right there Kook–shit.” You gasp out when he chooses to bring one hand down between you, the pad of his thumb rubbing tight circles onto your aching clit. Your jaw drops open as your climax creeps up on you, only needing a few more flicks of his thumb until you’re unraveling below him.

Jungkook groans when your orgasm crashes over you, your walls pulsing around him as you gasp and moan his name out, your fingers digging into his skin further as you throw your head back into his sheets. He leans forward and latches his mouth onto your neck, suckling on the skin below your ear as he fucks you through your orgasm.

“Oh god,” you groan out when he leans back onto his knees, his large palms gripping onto your hips and fucking you with more force. His eyes are glued to the way your tits bounce, moving up to stare at the fucked out look on your face as you start to come down from your climax, “love your cock.”

You’re slurring your words now and he chuckles at the effect he has on you, shutting his eyes as he feels his own orgasm creeping up on him. It’s not until the constant buzzing of your phone beside your head starts that his eyes open up. Your hand swats the bed as you reach for it, quickly seeing that Jimin had texted you a handful of times and was now calling you, you were late.

“Fuck, Kookie you gotta cum.” You sigh out, tightening your sensitive walls around him, making him gasp and almost double over.

“I know, fuck. Almost there.” He groans, quickening up his pace when he feels the pleasure about to send him over the edge. His grip on your hips tightens up, his fingers digging into your skin as his thrusts become sloppier, losing the grace they had when he had made you see stars. No, now he was desperate, whines of your name leaving the back of his throat and his eyes fluttering shut as he finally spills into the condom.

He hunches over your body as he shallowly ruts his hips, milking his orgasm until he was absolutely spent. The two of you lay panting on his bed sheets, a sheen of sweat on your skin and dopey smiles on your faces.

Jungkook sighs as he pulls out of you, his eyes glancing at the condom covering his cock, he’d be damned if the two of you ever got a pregnancy scare again during college.

Your snort and nudge his hips with your knees when you notice what he’s looking at, “You love condoms huh.” You tease, laughing harder when he nods with a giddy smile.

“You’re gonna have to sign a contract if you want me to fuck you raw.” He jokes, slipping the condom off and tossing it into his bin by his bed. He grabs a towel from his desk before approaching you once more, helping clean you up before cleaning himself.

“I’ll do it, don’t temp me.”

He shoots you a playful glare as he slides into his boxers, he knew you would, “Stop trying to corrupt me.”

“Mm, you like it.”

He doesn’t deny it, a blush coloring his cheeks as he watches you get dressed in a hurry. You fight back a smile at his silence, choosing not to tease him further because you were really late.

“Okay we really gotta go.” You speak out, grabbing your phone and shooting Jimin a quick text saying you were on your way, all he sends back is the middle finger emoji and you scoff.

Jungkook reaches for your camera that was propped on his desk, double checking the memory card and battery before handing it to you. You don’t bother checking your appearance, trusting Jungkook’s thumbs up of approval before you both bolt out of his room.

The herd of students gets more dense the closer you get to the main quad, having to weave between everyone as you approached the area your friends wanted to meet up at. They’re all huddled near a corner outside of the literature building, looking totally inconspicuous, none of them noticing you or Jungkook approaching until you’re tapping Jimin on the shoulder.

He whirls around because he knows it’s you, the glare in his face softening up when he takes note of your hair, “Nice sex hair.”

“Fuck off.” You swat his hand away from your tangled locks, hastily pulling it away from your face and trying ti rake through it. “Also why the fuck is your hair blue now.”

He rolls his eyes like it’s obvious, motioning over to Taehyung who now also had blue hair, “It’s so they don’t tell us apart.”

“Wait, us? You’re doing this bullshit too?”

Taehyung lets out a laugh at that, nodding his head proudly at having roped Jimin into his antics, “I bet him the new iPhone if I could outrun him.”

Namjoon snorts, his fingers pinching his nose because Jimin is absolutely getting scammed and you knew this too, hell everyone knew it even Jungkook judging by the laugh he holds back.

“And what does Jimin get if he wins?” You ask, your hands coming to cross over your chest as you give Taehyung a pointed stare.

“The pride of having beat me?” Taehyung attempts, his pitch rising up as his face screws together at his plan being revealed.

“Tae you’re an ass.” You laugh out when Jimin finally gasps at the obvious betrayal. Admittedly the distance you had given him, along with the time apart during winter break had been good for your friendship. The two of you were now back to acting like you used to, no longer wary of any lingering feelings.

“Plus, did you two forget that Jimin has tattoos on his arm?” Yoongi drawls out, his head tilted as he stares at the exposed ink on Jimin’s skin. If they were going to go streaking again and had gone to the lengths of matching their hair color all it took was someone recognizing Jimin’s art work to snitch on him.

“We’re not amateurs.” Taehyung scoffs, yanking up the fabric of his hoodie sleeve and revealing the horribly fake tattoos on his own arm.

All of you choke down laughter at the chicken scratch on his skin, they were totally fucked.

“Right, my mistake.” Yoongi chuckles under his breath, “Here are the masks, good luck you idiots.”

Jin and Arang make their retreat with Yoongi, wanting to get a decent view since they had missed the time Taehyung did this last semester.

“We’re doing this for you Yoongi, it’s your last semester with us!” Tae shouts out.

The older boy turns around with an exasperated look on his face, “I don’t need to see your bare ass to celebrate my last semester Taehyung, don’t rope me into this!”

Hoseok sighs as he shakes Jimin’s shoulder, “I hope you can run man, Taehyung’s kind of a seasoned pro so best of luck to you.” Its not reassuring at all, Jimin feels like he got blindsided with this. Sure Taehyung had brought the idea up when he was a little drunk so maybe he had agreed too easily but now that he was sober he wasn’t sure why he had said yes.

“You wanna join us Kook?” Taehyung speaks up once more, beginning to hop in place as the nerves kicked in, wanting to get nice and limber to outrun Jimin and the security that would no doubt get unleashed on them.

“Yeah, no thanks.” Jungkook laughs, stuffing his hands into his jeans and looking at the two blue haired idiots. There was no way in hell he’d be joining them.

“C’mon, think of it as initiation into the group.” Taehyung winces out in pain when Namjoon smacks the back of his head.

“He’s already in the group asshat.” He mutters out and Hoseok nods along, giving him a shrug when Taehyung looks for back up. Instead he grumbles out in agreement.

“Whatever, just make sure you get all our good parts Y/N.” He points his finger at you and slides out of his hoodie, the less clothes he had on from the start the better. Namjoon holds onto it for him, beginning to walk away towards Yoongi with Hoseok by his side.

“Will do, is this gonna get blown up into a canvas too?” You question, hoping the answer would be no but you knew Taehyung too well, his head nodding along instantly and Jimin joins in. Of course.

You give them both a salute, Jungkook jokingly wishing them good luck as you leave them behind to go join your group in their spot. It was the start of the spring semester now, the mandatory rally being held to welcome the students back from break with news on exciting events happening in the coming months. The perfect time for Taehyung and Jimin to do what they wanted to do, a bigger audience than last time ready to witness it first hand.

The soft music playing through the speakers gets cut off abruptly as the two smurfs jump on stage, their black masks covering them from the nose down and judging by some screams of glee you realize that some of the freshman recognize the situation from last year.

“This is gonna be good.” Hoseok laughs out, hiding his smile behind his hands as Jimin snatches the mic off the stand.

“Welcome to the new semester!” He shouts out, slightly muffled by the fabric but his words get their point across.

Taehyung reaches forward and yanks the mic from his grasp, the rustling being heard as he places it directly on his mouth through the mask, “I see some familiar faces, here’s the rundown–“ he starts, turning around to double check his surroundings and when he spots the same principle huffing and puffing her way over, already knowing what was next, he continues, “you guys gotta help us get away, do what you gotta do.”

“Are you gonna help us?” Jimin asks as he leans towards the mic in Taehyung’s hand, laughing when the whole crowd screams yes in unison. That satisfies them both, the mic dropping between them and landing with a thud, the feedback ringing through for a moment and thats when they both strip out of their clothes.

When poor principle Kang sees the nudity she lets out a shriek, pointing towards the boys and sending off the guards in a wave of deja vu. Jimin screams as he yanks his clothes off, taking off the stage while Taehyung nearly trips while yanking off his sweats.

He grunts when he takes off after Jimin, the entire crowd whistling and yelling at their bare bodies. Your eyes are glued to your viewfinder once more, holding in your laughter to keep it steady as you followed their path.

Jimin still has the lead, weaving between students with grace as he looks behind him, shooting you a peace sign when he spots your camera. When he bolts passed you, you make sure to focus on his back side, snapping a few photos of the winner of this streaking race to later blow up.

The entire crowd gasps and you whirl back around, a laugh finally leaving you when you spot the security man that took a tumble trying to literally tackle Taehyung down. The shout that leaves Taehyung makes your whole group laugh, he doesn’t look as carefree as the first time, not trying to pose and dance with students. No, he had a brush with near-death at almost being caught so his main concern was getting the fuck out of there.

“Holy shit!” Namjoon laughs even louder when two other guards close in on him.

“He’s gonna get caught.” Seokjin groans, already imagining the hell Tae’s gonna face with administration.

But then a group of students slip in between them, causing the guards to ram into them and leaving Taehyung with enough of a gap to escape. His eyes spot your camera and he blows a kiss towards it, smacking his ass as you take a photo before being lost in between the cars. God they were idiots, but they were your friends and you love them.

“That was...amazing.” Hoseok whispers, starting a slow clap that begins to grow with everyone attending.

You’re still recording the whole thing, panning your camera around to get everyone’s reactions before it’s suddenly stopping, your nose bumping into the side of your device.

“Ow.” You wince, pulling back and gasping when you see Jungkook had his palm wrapped around the lens that was just about to pop him in the face like before.

“Listen, you won me over the first time you did that you don’t have to do it again.” He teases, smiling when you lean up to kiss him in apology.

“I’m sorry.” You laugh, letting the camera fall against your chest when he releases his grip on it.

“Is this where you tell me you hope I have a good first year in college?” His eyebrow cocks up, remembering your chosen words from the first time you had met.

You shake your head as you recall them as well, still somewhat thankful your camera had decked Jungkook’s face.

“No, this is where I tell you I love you.”

His smile matches yours now, his hand coming up to cup your cheek and bring you in for another kiss, “I love you too.”

[nevertheless-moving]

Star Wars Time Travel AU #27 - Part 2.5

Suicidal Misunderstanding AU

I’m cleaning this up for AO3 and included a ‘missing scene’ that I was too impatient to finish writing before, for anyone who would like. It chronologically fits in between parts Two and Three. 

As soon as he turned the bend, Obi-Wan staggered to a halt, clinging to a wall sconce for support.

“Do you need me to carry you?” Anakin teased.

Obi-Wan thought for a moment. “Actually, that sounds quite lovely.”

“I- wait, really?”

“You did offer. It’s been years since I had anyone care enough to carry me when I’m struggling, and I can’t imagine anyone will ever care enough to carry me again. So. Yes. That sounds nice. But if you’re planning on, I don’t know, dissolving into a pile of sand, or melting into a pool of lava, then I’d just as soon walk.” Obi-Wan smiled weakly at Anakin’s wide-eyed shock.

“Walking it iii-” Obi-Wan had scarcely turned away when Anakin scooped him up defiantly and began marching quickstep to their quarters.

“I’ve carried you before.” Anakin said stiffly. “On Aargonar, remember?

“Aargonar…force, that was the back in the first year of the war, wasn’t it? I can’t say I remember you- or I suppose Anakin- ugh- can I just call you Anakin?”

“...Yes master, you can call me Anakin.”

“I don’t remember you carrying me on Aargonar, but so much has happened since then. I suppose the memory might have been buried.” Obi-Wan mused.

“You were unconscious for most of it.”

“Ah. That would do it.”

“And it wasn’t that long ago.”

“No.” Obi-Wan replied quietly. “I suppose it wasn’t.”

“Obi-Wan- what did you mean before…about…you know.”

Obi-Wan blinked, staring up into Anakin’s (thankfully) blue eyes. “What do you mean what did I mean?”

Anakin made a low frustrated noise, then ducked down a side passageway at the sound of footsteps.

“Where are you taking me?” Obi-Wan asked curiously.

“To our quarters- I’m just taking a roundabout way. I assumed you wouldn’t want anyone to see me carrying you, but correct me if I’m wrong, Master.”

“Oh. That’s- I guess I wouldn’t? It’s a bit of an odd situation but I suppose depending on who we ran into… yes I could see that being awkward.” Anakin’s former Master sighed heavily.

“Obi-Wan, what did you mean that you didn’t have anyone who cared about you enough to carry you?” Anakin asked in a rush of words, attempt to frame the question casually failing before it had begun.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes. “That’s not a very nice question,” he choked out. “I thought you were being nice.”

“I am being nice!” Anakin replied quickly, biting back panic. “I’m carrying you! I- I care about you! Obviously!”

Obi-Wan made a soft, sad noise.

Anakin stopped in place, voice growing suspicious and angry. “I swear to the force if this was some sort of attempt to trick me into admitting attachments- you- I- I’m going to drop you on this rock floor and-“

“You hate me!”

The words burst painfully out of Obi-Wan, cutting them both to the quick.

“I- what. Obi-Wan, I- how can you think that.” Anakin said numbly, confused and a little horrified.

“You told me! You yelled it at me.”

Anakin stared down slack-jawed at his Master, who he had never seen look so upset, his tired eyes scrunched shut. Anakin's hands clenched convulsively around one of the few people he genuinely loved. He leaned against a wall, his mind racing backwards furiously.

He had been…13? 13 and a half? Obi-Wan had been furiously lecturing him over- something. Something that really wasn’t his fault. He couldn’t even remember. A broken practice droid? A fight with Ferus? And he had yelled…a lot of things. Just trying to shatter his Master’s stupid neutral expression. And…he had succeeded. For a moment, Obi-Wan looked…really upset. Then Anakin ran off, feeling guilty. They didn’t talk for the day. Then they just sort of- moved on. Like they always did when they fought. Like they always did when one of them hurt the other. He had thought Obi-Wan had been upset by Anakin bringing up Qui-Gon, but for him to still remember all this years later…

“I- I didn’t mean it” Anakin whispered. “I- Obi-Wan, look at me, please.”

Obi-Wan stared up, slightly wet eyes wrinkled fearfully.

“Master…I was angry. I didn’t mean it. I could never mean it. You’re- you’re too important. I’m sorry. Of course I care about you. You’re- You’re my,” Anakin hesitated, not wanting to go too far, even now. “You’re my best friend.”

“You’re my best friend, too.” Obi-Wan said, smiling sadly. “I’m sorry I never told you that but- you’re my best friend in the whole galaxy. Even if you hate me.”

“I don’t hate you.” Anakin repeated helplessly. “I didn’t mean it.”

Obi-Wan sighed. “You should probably keep walking. I feel a little dizzy and your metal arm actually makes this a bit uncomfortable.”

Anakin continued forward. “Is there…anything else you’re sorry you never told me?” He asked hesitantly, a bit scared but not really willing to let this opportunity simply slide by.

“Oh, so many things,” Obi-Wan groaned. “I suppose I should say them now, shouldn’t I?”

“If you want.” Anakin answered nervously.

“Well for a start, I’m sorry about giving you that dreadful old-fashioned haircut right before the parade on Naboo. It really wasn’t strictly necessary, but you seemed so excited at looking like a ‘real’ jedi padawan…”

Anakin snorted. “I made that haircut look good, come on. If nothing else, our lineage is single-handedly responsible for bringing it back in style, and I for one, am proud of that.”

Obi-Wan laughed.

“I always knew about you and Padme.”

Anakin stumbled but quickly resumed his stride.

“You- you do?” Anakin stuttered.

“Well not everything, but for Kriffs sake you practically made out right next to me on Genosis. And you’re not the most subtle, in general.”

“Why didn’t you ever say anything.”

“I suppose I was hoping you’d come to me first. Maybe I was a little scared if I confronted the situation, you’d leave the order, leave me. I don’t know.” Obi-Wan rubbed his eyes. “It hardly matters.”

“And you’re not mad? About…attachment and ‘carousing’ and…stuff?”

“I’m not exactly a shining role model for attachment. And ‘stuff’ isn’t actually against the Jedi code. Though for force sake I suppose I should have sat you down and done a refresher ‘safe sex’ talk, honestly Anakin.”

The young knight blushed crimson and Obi-Wan grinned. “See? That right there. I can’t believe I pointlessly missed out on so many teasing opportunities. I- nothing I say about it really matters but... I know I fretted over you… I think, ultimately, I just wanted you to be happy. I never knew how to say that and it all just feels so stupid now.”

Anakin smiled, almost overwhelmed with relief and amazed joy, but Obi-Wan… looked upset. Really upset.

Anakin cleared his throat. “We’re at our quarters.”

“Oh!” Obi-Wan squirmed out of his padawan’s arms, gently touching the nameplate. “It looks just like I remembered.”

He rushed inside and turned in a slow circle. “Oh. Oh my.” His eyes were brimming with tears. “I really missed this place.”

“…I’m going to take a blood sample now, ok Master? It’s probably fine but- just in case. We can deal with things after you get some sleep.”

Anakin hustled his very distractible best friend (in the whole galaxy!) through drinking water and getting ready for bed.

“Anakin-” Obi-Wan called out as he turned to leave.

“Yes, Master?”

“One more thing before I go to sleep-”

Obi-Wan pulled the very vivid hallucination in for a warm hug. “I’m sorry I didn’t hug you more. There were times I wanted to so badly- you were so small. But Qui-Gon only ever hugged me if I was about to die, but maybe that’s just because I can’t imagine Dooku every hugging him, and maybe its Yoda’s fault for being so unattached. Anyway. I regret not doing it more. Just for no reason. Maybe its silly, but the more time I've been spending by myself, the more I've thought about it.”

Anakin fisted his hands into Obi-Wan’s robes, feeling- safe. Like a little kid again, before he realized his Mom couldn’t really protect him. Or before Obi-Wan seemed to drift away.

They stood there for a long while, Anakin at a loss for words.

“I miss you.” Obi-Wan whispered.

Anakin just squeezed harder, trying to put all his feelings into a form his surrogate father and best friend might be willing to accept.

‘Next’ (Part Three)

[quickspinner]

He Didn’t Have Time (I’ll Never Not Know You)

Luka’s running on empty, and a flat tire just might be the thing that breaks him--until a pretty stranger steps in to give him a hand. 

Inspired by the song She Didn’t Have Time by Terri Clark. Single parent AU, angst with a happy ending.

“Hey,” Luka grinned as he got out of his car. “Need any help?”

“Nope,” she said shortly, plopping her bag in the trunk of her own car. “Just one more bag by the door.”

“Let me just go put my stuff down,” he told her, pausing to kiss her cheek, but she bent over to adjust something in the trunk, and he missed. “I’ll grab it for you and come see you off.” 

Luka went inside and put his work bag and guitar down in their small bedroom, hurrying quickly back out so that he could say goodbye. He thought he’d made it home early enough, but obviously she was anxious to get going. He couldn’t blame her, really, it was a good opportunity for her and she must be excited to go, even though it meant leaving them for a while. 

Luka paused as he passed through the kitchen, and frowned. He picked up the ring laying on the kitchen table, the tiny little diamond he’d struggled to buy for her, because even though nothing happened the way they intended, she deserved at least that much. Then he ran out the front door. 

The bag on the doorstep was gone, and she was about to get in the car. She ignored him when he called her name, ignored him right up until she opened the car door and he slammed his hand into it, slamming it shut again. “What the hell does this mean?” he demanded, holding up the ring. “You were going to leave and not come back, just like that?”

She looked at him impassively, a dead look in her eyes that froze his gut worse than anything else. He raised a hand to cup her cheek, but she pushed it away. “Luka, you know none of this was what I wanted.” 

“I know,” Luka sighed. “But...we’re making it work. It’s hard but it’s worth it. At least I think so.”

“Well, I don’t,” she muttered, and he stared at her. “I’m sick of debating which gigs I’m allowed to take, and where I’m allowed to go and for how long. I’m tired of being here. I want to chase my dreams the way they were supposed to be.”

“You mean, without us,” Luka bit out, anger growing. 

She shrugged, looking somewhere over his left shoulder instead of meeting his eyes. 

“You’re better off without me. I’m not ready to get married. I never wanted a baby. I shouldn’t have let you talk me into keeping it.” 

“Talk you into—I thought we agreed—”

“Well, we didn’t,” she broke in, frustration showing in her voice and her face. “You were just so excited, and I loved you, so I thought maybe it would be okay, but it’s not okay, Luka. I’m just—I’m not what you need me to be. I’m not a mother. I never wanted to be.” She took a shaky breath. “And I don’t love you anymore. I’m leaving, and you can’t stop me.”  

Luka swallowed, and stepped back. 

“Okay then. If that’s really how you feel, then. Just go.” 

Face stone, he watched her get in the car. He stood there in the driveway with her ring in his fist, until she was out of sight. 

She never looked back.

Slowly he turned around and went back into the tiny, cramped rental house. He dropped the ring back on the table as he passed.

Luka opened the door that he had meticulously oiled and sanded until it no longer creaked and no longer stuck, peaked in at the little figure curled up in the crib, and sighed. “Guess it’s just you and me now, baby girl.” He started to step back and close the door, but reversed his step instead, coming into the tiny room and closing the door behind him. He sat down in the rocking chair they’d picked up off a curb somewhere, and put his chin on his fist, and watched his little girl sleep as he tried to come up with some kind of a plan for the coming days. He didn’t have time to think about where it had all gone wrong, he told himself. He had a lot to figure out.

***

Luka was having one of those days. One of those days that where you knew from the get go that it was going to suck. The kind of day that, in the last three years and change as a single parent, he’d learned you just had to endure until it was over. Felicity, normally a cheerful, easygoing child, had been in one of those inexplicable sulks that children occasionally get that morning, and had protested everything, from Luka’s choice of breakfast offerings to the school clothes she herself had picked out the day before, and Luka, holding on to his temper by his teeth, had barely managed to get her ready and out of the door in time to rush her into her kindergarten classroom mere seconds before the bell. The teacher had shot him a sympathetic look as she took charge of his little chaos demon and Luka slumped his way back to the car for work, only to get a text that they weren’t going to need him today just as he pulled into the parking lot.

It had only gone downhill from there, so why shouldn’t his sister decide to call and tell him all the ways he was living his life wrong while he was busy pushing a rattling cart full of groceries across a busy parking lot. He was forced to stop short as someone popped out from between two cars in front of him, and then swerve to avoid a chunk of missing pavement, and he almost missed what Juleka was fussing about. “Sorry, say that again?”

“Are you sure?” Juleka repeated. “Because I could pick her up from school and take her over to t-ball if you just want to get some time to yourself for a little bit.” 

“No, Jules, I got it,” he sighed, and he could practically hear Juleka frown.

“Luka, you’re running yourself ragged,” she scolded. “Speaking of which, why aren’t you at work?”

“They didn’t need me today,” Luka sighed.

Juleka paused. “Is that going to be a problem?”

“Not if it’s just today,” Luka replied as evenly as he could. “I’ve put in a good amount of hours this month, we’re fine.” 

“Okay. You know I’m here if you need—”

“Yeah, but I don’t,” Luka replied shortly.

“Anyway,” Juleka said, “I’m just saying, you don’t have to do everything yourself. You know Rose and I don’t mind helping out. I can pick her up today. You sound exhausted, Luka. You’re not a bad dad if you let someone else help out once in a while.”

“I know that,” Luka protested. “I just like to be there.”

“It’s little league t-ball, Luka, not the Olympics. You don’t have to be there for every single practice. You need a break every once in a while. Go sit in a park and play your guitar. I know you haven’t been to a gig in weeks but—”

“I left the band.” 

Juleka paused. “What?” 

“I just—I couldn’t keep bringing them down, Jules. I’m skipping out of rehearsals all the time, it’s not fair to them. I really appreciate you getting me the in, I do, but I just—it’s just not a good time yet.”

“Luka,” Juleka said flatly, and he winced and braced himself for the lecture, biting his lip hard. “I got you into that band so that you would get out of the house every once in a while. Look, I know you love Felicity, and I know you feel guilty for what happened even though it wasn’t your fault and blah blah blah but. This isn’t healthy. You can’t make Felicity your whole life.”

“Are you finished?” Luka said harshly, cramming the phone between his neck and his shoulder as he fished out his car keys from his back pocket. 

“I’m barely getting started,” Juleka said hotly, and Luka sighed.

“Well, save it. I don’t have time for going out, I don’t have time to give a band the attention it deserves, and I don’t have time for this conversation again when—” He stopped short, the cart rattling at the abrupt jerk. 

“What happened?” Juleka asked, and Luka sighed again.

“Nothing,” he muttered. “Never mind. You know what, yeah, go ahead and pick Liss up for me and take her to t-ball practice, please. I gotta go. I’ll text you if I’m not going to be there in time to meet you at practice.”

Luka hung up the phone, and cursed, resisting the urge to throw it at something. He crouched down by the rear tire, like looking at it closer would reveal that it wasn’t actually flat. Because losing his mind would honestly be better than this. 

“No,” Luka muttered, leaning his forehead against the car. “No, no, no, I do not need this right now.” 

It was just...too much. Just one reminder too many of how his life had gone completely off the rails.  

He took a deep breath, telling himself he was a grown man and couldn’t be crying in a parking lot while Felicity’s ice cream melted, and he needed to just suck it up, get up, and fix the tire, and he supposed it was a good thing Juleka had called to nag him because he clearly wasn’t going to be able to pick Felicty up on time because of this stupid, fucking tire, and he didn’t have time— 

“Excuse me?” 

Luka jerked back and looked up. There was a petite woman with black hair and sunglasses with metallic pink rims standing next to him, leaning down slightly. 

“Can I give you a hand?” she asked, and Luka’s mouth dropped open a little and he blanked completely. That was...not the question he’d been expecting. He felt like he was choking on the reflexive oh no, I’m fine he’d been readying. The lady glanced at the tire and then back at him, tilting her head slightly. “You’ll be done faster with an extra set of hands. Um, we should probably move your groceries out of the sun first though...maybe in the shade under that tree?” 

When he didn’t respond, just stared at her, her expression softened a little, and she crouched down next to him, pulling off her sunglasses as she placed a hand on his arm. Luka sucked in a breath as she blinked pretty blue eyes at him, her expression gentle and kind. “I don’t mean to pry,” she said softly. “I know a little bit about what it’s like to be so overwhelmed that every little thing feels like the end of the world. But you don’t have to do everything yourself. Let’s just take it one step at a time, okay? Let’s put your groceries in the shade, and then we’ll see about getting this tire fixed.” 

“But—” Luka blinked and looked down at her clothes. She was wearing a business suit with a skirt and heels, and he suddenly felt self-conscious of his own ripped and faded clothes. He’d stopped caring what he looked like ages ago, not that he’d ever been particularly fashion-conscious, but he felt cheap and ragged next to this perfectly put together, sharp businesswoman. 

Her laugh made him smile in spite of himself, though. “Don’t worry about that. I have some sneakers in my car, that’ll be good enough, and I’m done for the day, so I don’t mind getting a little dirty.” She stood up and walked away, and Luka stared dumbfounded after her, until he realized he was staring right at her very nice legs and turned his face away with a flush. God, what was wrong with him? He stood up and mechanically began moving his groceries from the cart into a pile in the shade of the tree as she’d suggested. 

His benefactor returned after only a moment. She’d taken off her suit jacket and changed her heels for sneakers, and smiled brightly at him as she lifted two bags out of the cart. “My name is Marinette,” she told him, and Luka had to clear his throat and rip his gaze away from her toned arms to answer her.

“Luka,” he said. “Thank you, Marinette. For stopping. I guess I was kind of having a moment there. You really don’t have to stay though if you have somewhere to be. I can handle this myself.” 

She gave him that same kind smile. “I don’t. Nowhere that can’t wait, anyway. Like I said, I know what it’s like, and I wouldn’t be here now if someone hadn’t stepped in when I needed it.” She set the last of his bags in the grass and straightened, hands on her hips. “Now, shall we see what we can do with that tire? Do you have a spare?”

Luka did, and together they got it out and rolled it into place. Marinette sat right down on the pavement despite his protests, holding out her hand for the jack, and Luka could only hand it over and crouch down beside her. 

“Just one of those days, huh?” Marinette gave him a sympathetic look, and Luka chuckled, rubbing his neck. 

“Yeah, you could say that. Though sometimes it seems like every day is one of those days.” 

She smiled at him before turning her attention to the tire. “I know how that is.” 

They chatted as they worked—mostly as Marinette worked, because she seemed determined not to let him do anything. He did reach over to help her when one of the lugnuts didn’t want to budge, and he thought he saw a flicker of admiration in her glance when she watched him. Probably wishful thinking, but it gave him a little glow. It had been a while since he noticed anyone looking at him like that. 

When his car was fixed, the equipment stowed, and what groceries could be salvaged stored inside (Felicity’s ice cream was a loss; Luka would have to make it up to her later), Luka checked the time. If he hurried, he could still make it to part of Liss’s practice, but...Juleka was there, so he had time if he wanted it...

Luka glanced at the little coffee shop next to the grocery store, and then at Marinette. “Can I buy you a cup of coffee? It seems like the least I can do.” 

Marinette looked at the time and seemed to consider for a moment, and then glanced up at him and smiled. “Make it tea and that sounds lovely.”

“Whatever the lady wants,” Luka agreed, gesturing her ahead of him. She gave him a slightly startled look, and then a pleased smile. Luka’s grin widened a little bit as he trailed behind her. She walked with a no-nonsense march, like she was still in heels. He bet she was something, clacking into a conference room like she owned the place. Hell, maybe she did own the place. She hadn’t really told him much about herself. Luka suspected she’d been sticking to light subjects that she thought would cheer him up, and it had worked, but now he was very curious. 

They separated for a moment into their respective restrooms to clean the dirt and grease off their hands, and then met back up at the counter. Marinette ordered tea and Luka coffee, and they found a table near a window. 

“I feel like I owe you a lot more than coffee,” Luka admitted as they sat down.

Marinette shook her head. “You’d have been fine without me.” 

“As far as the tire goes, yeah,” Luka admitted. “But...you were right. I really did need somebody right then, and...you really brightened up my day. So thank you for that, Marinette.” 

Marinette blushed, a pretty pink dusting along the apples of her cheeks, and Luka’s heart stuttered. She was really beautiful, Luka thought wistfully as she smiled up at him. Obviously kind and thoughtful and strong too...He hadn’t been out with anybody in a long time, but maybe...maybe Juleka had a point...

“So,” Marinette said, settling her tea bag in the cup. “Do you have kids?”

Reality kicked Luka in the gut and he swallowed. “Yeah, she’s five,” he managed, hoping his smile didn’t look too fake. What had he been thinking? A classy, driven business lady like Marinette wasn’t going to have any interest in someone like him, who could barely make ends meet and came with...complications. 

“I saw the carseat,” she smiled, and then colored a little, looking down. “Mine’s um...mine’s three. Maybe you can give me some tips. I’m not sure either of us is actually going to make it to five.” Her eyes flicked up to his and then away shyly. “He’s definitely running me ragged.”

“Really?” he echoed, a smile growing slowly on his face. “You don’t look it.”

Marinette wrinkled her nose with a sheepish grin. “He’s been with my parents all week while I’m trying to close a deal at work. Normally I do a lot of my work from home, but I’ve been meeting some people I’m hoping to convince to invest in my business and it was kind of important. It’s been stressful and I miss him, but I haven’t slept this much in years.” She giggled, looking slightly guilty. 

Luka grinned. “Sleep, man, I thought that was just a legend, not something that really happened.” They both laughed, probably a little louder than the joke really warranted. “Well, maybe we could—maybe we could have a play date sometime?” he suggested, face heating. God, he was so bad at this. Play date, God help him. 

Marinette was still smiling, though, maybe even a little more than before. “That sounds like it could be really fun,” she said, toying with the tag of her teabag. 

Luka leaned his elbows on the table and grinned at her. “So...know any good playgrounds? Liss and I are always looking for a good adventure.”

She looked down into her tea, still smiling, and Luka felt a sudden flutter of panic in his stomach and he wondered what he was doing, if he really wanted to put himself through this again. 

Marinette looked up and her eyes met his, sparkling and so, so blue. “I maybe know a few,” she said, and as he stared into those eyes, Luka knew it was too late. 

He left the coffee shop with Marinette’s number in his phone and a date for Saturday. A play date, yeah, but...it was a start.

Fiction Master Post | AO3

[queenk00k]

but what if we were pure gold all along? jj maybank (chapter 3)

Summary: After the assumed death of their best friend, the Pogues are falling apart at the seams. With Pope and Kiara getting closer and JJ left with nowhere to go, he finds himself left to his own devices. Feeling lost and rejected, his luck seems to turn when he meets Scarlett - a Kook who doesn’t treat him like shit and has an affinity for partying. JJ gets sucked into her world as she promises to help him forget.

How much longer can he keep running from his demons? And what happens when he starts sharing a bed with one?

Warnings: graphic depictions of violence, child abuse, angst, sexual content, drug use, underage drinking.

Author’s note: Hi all, this is my multi-chapter fic I’ve been working on. My oneshots & Rafe series have taken off so I thought it was time to share this one too. Let me know what you think!

Word count: 2K

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

the one where JJ throws caution to the wind (but when was he ever cautious anyway?)

JJ has woken up in pretty strange locations before. The porch steps of the Chateau, the hull of the HMS Pogue, the Boneyard. Nothing was stranger than waking up on a couch in a Kook’s bedroom, who he’d really only spoken to twice. The couch was surprisingly soft, and JJ finds that he actually had one of the best sleeps he’s had in, well, he can’t quite remember how long.

That doesn’t erase how completely fucking weird it is that he not only went home with a Kook but spent the whole night there.

JJ sits up and is quietly thankful Scarlett appears to have been awake for a while; she’s dressed and perched on the end of her bed in a similar position to the night before. She’s also biting her fingernails, chipping away the black nail polish with her teeth. This brings JJ some comfort – she’s clearly feeling as unsettled as he is.

He clears his throat and Scarlett turns to look at him, smiling cautiously. “Hey,” she says. “You feeling okay?”

JJ nods and stands up. “Yeah, yeah I’m good thanks.”

“Sleep alright?”

“Mmmhmm.”

An awkward pause.

“Listen,” JJ says as he moves towards the door. “I really appreciate what you did for me and all but I gotta go. Honestly, I don’t understand why you let me stay on your couch-”

Scarlett scoffs. “You really think that low of me? You crashed your motorbike in the middle of the night and looked another blow from death. What was I going to do? Leave you on the side of the road?”

JJ is taken aback; he didn’t expect her to answer like that.

“You’re a Kook, I’m a Pogue…you know how it is.” JJ shrugs.

Scarlett rolls her deep brown eyes. “That shit is so stupid. We’re not all that bad.”

JJ opens his mouth to reply something along the lines of “well, in all of my experiences-” but the sound of tires screeching on gravel outside diverts his attention.

Scarlett’s eyes widen and she grabs JJ’s arm tightly. He clenches his jaw and forces himself not to wince; she grabbed one of his darker bruises. He gently removes his arm from her grip and Scarlett looks at him apologetically.

“Sorry, sorry, it’s just my parents are home. You gotta go, now! Go out the window, quick quick,” Scarlett says as she frantically ushers JJ to the window. JJ’s startled by the sudden change in pace but honestly, he’s pretty thankful for an excuse to get out of there. He’s never felt comfortable around Kooks.

You can hardly blame him.

Scarlett helps JJ push the window up far enough for him to climb through (his arm is feeling pretty busted from the events of the previous night) and he doesn’t hesitate in sticking a leg through to climb out onto the roof.

“Wait, wait,” Scarlett says. “Is that it? You’re just gonna leave?”

JJ looks at her quizzically. “I mean, yeah. What were you hoping for? A goodbye kiss?” He taunts.

Scarlett makes a face at him. JJ can’t tell if it’s disgust or disappointment.

“No. Can I at least give you this?” She reaches into her bedside drawer and pulls out a wad of cash; JJ estimates it to be at least $200.

“And why would you give me that?”

“You seem like you need it,” Scarlett replies, shrugging.

Wrong thing to say.

JJ narrows his eyes and replies, “I’m not your charity case.”

Without giving Scarlett a chance to reply (JJ has an old habit of needing the last word), he scoots out of the window and down the gabled roof of her stupid fucking mansion.

He thinks he’d be content with never seeing her again.

JJ eventually manages to drag himself to his bike and take off towards the Chateau slowly, his bones aching (but not before kicking down the realtor’s sign – if the Camerons have more to worry about then he figured they won’t care if Rose’s frozen smile was kicked in). He’s being more careful on the ride over this time, not willing to repeat the spill from the night before. JJ is lost deep in thought on the way back to the Chateau and before he knows it, he’s riding up the driveway, the bike’s tires kicking up dirt as he skids to a stop.

JJ hates that for a second, he expects John B to emerge on the patio, smiling and holding out a Coors Light, like he’d done so many other times before.

JJ clears his throat and shakes his head, willing the thought of his friend to dissipate. He steps off his bike, wincing, and makes his way up to the house. JJ has every intention of making it all the way inside, but he stops at the steps, lump forming in his throat, and sits down.

Eyes brimming with tears that are close to spilling over, JJ sighs and puts his head in his hands, taking off his cap and throwing it into the dirt.

Where the hell are Pope and Kiara? JJ thinks. It’s been well over a day and a half since he stormed out of the Heyward backyard and gee, fuck him for assuming his friends might come looking for him or something drastic like that.

JJ pulls his outdated iPhone 6 (a hand-me-down from Kiara when hers got updated – pity it didn’t come with her unlimited data plan) with its smashed screen and broken home button.

No texts, no missed calls.

JJ presses the lock-button, so he doesn’t have to look at the Pogues’ smiling faces in his wallpaper, and tries to reason with himself.

Pope told you he was going to be busy with his interview, you shouldn’t be mad at him. That’s fair enough, he warned you.

Nah dude fuck that, he lied to you! He was sneaking off and banging Kiara.

Speaking of Kie, why doesn’t she want to see me? I thought better of her, I thought we were supposed to be best friends.

Her parents have her on lockdown-

When has that stopped her before?

JJ grunts in frustration and picks his hat back up off the ground, jamming it onto his head over his sweaty blonde hair. He clearly wasn’t going to solve anything sitting here.

--

JJ’s new habit seems to be wandering around the island like a lost boy, as he finds himself walking along the beach, kicking up sand with the toes of his work boots.

He’s not sure what his plan is – maybe he’ll run into Kie or Pope or fuck, literally anyone he knows. What JJ does know is that there’s no chance he’ll run into any Kooks on this side of the island, so at least he won’t have to deal with their pompous asses.

Or so he thinks.

JJ makes it halfway down the stretch of beach before he suddenly hears a sweet, but hoarse voice behind him.

“And here I was thinking I’d never see you again.”

JJ whips his head around and fails to suppress his groan at seeing Scarlett in front of him, dressed this time in a red crop-top and cut-off denim shorts. He resists the urge to run his eyes over her – he’s only human after all, and a teenage boy at that.

“Are you stalking me now?” He asks bitterly but makes no attempt to walk away from her.

Scarlett crosses her arms over her chest and narrows her eyes. “You wish, Maybank.”

“What are you doing here then?”

Scarlett sighs and sits down on a sand dune, motioning JJ to sit down next to her. He briefly considers telling her she’s dreaming but hey, once again she’s giving him attention and being nice and honestly that’s all he needs right now. Some company that’s not going to make him feel shittier about his life. So, he relents and sits down beside her in the warm sand.

Scarlett leans back on one elbow and moves her sunglasses to the top of her head as she replies, “less chance of running into Kooks here.”

“But they’re your-

“-my people?” Scarlett scoffs. “Hardly. Only thing I have in common with them is our family money, everything else is completely at odds.”

JJ smiles, the corners of his eyes crinkling. It feels nice.

“I’ve heard this story before,” he says. “I’m not much of a reader but “rich girl who’s actually bad ass” sounds pretty familiar.”

Scarlett waves her hand. “Yeah yeah, it’s all true! I even have a dark back story – I’d make a great main character.”

“Let me guess, you’re adopted, and your real family was murdered by some unknown killer.”

“My younger sister died in a car accident, and I was never the favourite child. My parents shipped me off to boarding school, so they didn’t have to deal with me,” Scarlett replies, looking directly at JJ.

It seems an inappropriate time for him to be distracted by how beautiful Scarlett’s dark brown eyes look in the sun.

And yet.

JJ’s eyes widen. “Wait, you’re serious? Fuuuuck, I am so sorry…I had no idea,” he says, grimacing. He’s annoyed at himself – he was just trying to banter, but it’s all fun and games until someone drops a bomb like that.

Scarlett smiles and touches his arm delicately. JJ first notices how cool her hand is, despite the humid day, and then notices she has a fresh coat of dark red polish on her nails.

He tenses, not used to someone being so blatantly touchy like this, least of all a Kook. Scarlett notices and moves her hand back onto the sand, looking at him like she’s about to ask him what the problem is but clearly decides against it.

“It’s fine, honestly. Happened a long time ago and they leave me to my own devices a lot, which makes it easier to do whatever I want.”

JJ nods in understanding. “I get that.”

There’s a comfortable pause before Scarlett abruptly stands up, dusting the sand off her denim shorts. JJ looks at her questioningly but stands up too.

“Enough of this emotional shit,” Scarlett says. “I wanted to talk to you to a) apologise for my behaviour this morning-”

“-it’s fine-”

“-and b) invite you out tonight.”

“Out?” JJ asks.

Scarlett nods. “I think we’re both in need of some fun and some company. Why don’t you come to mine tonight? My parents are out again, and they’ve got a pretty sweet liquor cabinet.”

JJ can’t believe he’s saying this, but he says, “I’ll think about it.”

Scarlett shrugs. “Close enough. See you tonight, or not,” she says and blows him a kiss before turning and walking away down the beach.

JJ stands there stunned for a moment (definitely because of the sheer absurdity of the situation and not because he checked out her ass as she walked away) and thinks over his options.

He’s not sure he wants to willingly wander back into Kook territory for the second night in a row, never mind go into one of their houses.

Although, he thinks to himself. Where’s the harm in spending time with Scarlett for the time being until Pope and Kie come around? Because they will, right?

Besides, Scarlett’s pretty nice, pretty hot and she’s willing to hang out with him and give him free booze. What could go wrong?

JJ’s made up his mind and, perhaps against his better judgement (which was truly shaky to begin with), he finds himself on the roof of Scarlett’s mansion again that night, tapping on her bedroom window.

He starts to worry he got the wrong room or, even worse, the wrong house, when she doesn’t answer straight away but all of a sudden the curtains are pulled back and Scarlett’s excited face appears on the other side of the glass.

She yanks open the window rather haphazardly (JJ suspects she’s gotten into her parents’ grog early), the cool glow of the moonlight making her teeth an iridescent white as she grins widely up at JJ.

“So glad you could make it, Maybank. Let’s get this party started.”

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[errthel]

I have risen up from the dead for the holidays to give this gift (Route Two : Part 6)

Hey man, wassup, how's life? I dunno what to say, I'm a terrible Santa. I put in more time into this chapter than the other chapters (in the spirit of preholiday break procrastination) so I hope you like this gift. This is derived for the amazing @tri3tri 's SW AU and I just thank her for creating such vivid and lovely AUs which I can immerse myself in, I loved the recent AU, Dead MC, a very nice one indeed. So I guess I will leave now so you can enjoy your reading time in peace ♡♡♡♡♡♡

Lucien’s mind was a maze. Every twist and turn, every dead end taunted him, like a defenseless child taunted by their cruel relatives. His frustration knew no bounds when he failed to exit the maze, but that anger was soon replaced by something far more sinister.

The numbing sear on his body felt as if his body was suffocated when he slept. His appendages were like cooked pasta, limp and unruly. Breaths that were like that of an athlete who had run a marathon filled the room at lightning speed. The degradation of his vision forced the boy to squint but even that proved to be ineffective when blobs of different colors was all that filled his vision. Lucien could no longer feel the beat of his heart, his lungs wouldn’t budge and supply him with air. He felt his eyelids droop lower and lower in an agonizingly slow pace until they finally reached their destination. The room fell into a hushed silence, like the prior noise never happened, it was peaceful like a field of flowers on a cliff.

~

For her, time wasn’t a constriction, she had lived long enough to no longer fear the obnoxious concept of time. She lives alongside time. She is time. As long as time exists, she will live and be indifferent to time. Her hourglass will forever be reversed again and again when the sand trickled to the bottom.

But her long life no longer gave her any thrill, she lives in a kingdom where war no longer ensues in its borders and she has been reduced to a routine of nothingness. Until the woman with flowing (h/c) hair and blazing (e/c) eyes came years ago. The woman who was her granddaughter-in-law was an untameable dog who very much was the one who her dear grandson loved with all his heart. 

The sour taste in her mouth left her itching to tame the woman until she was the perfect lover for her grandson.

The sour taste in her mouth was satiated when the woman was on her knees along with her daughters, her confidence was cracking.

She was almost perfect.

Maleficent looked back to those recent memories and scoffed, what was she thinking? (MC) hadn’t changed even with a decade of taming, she truly was an untamable dog. She  sat on a chair that was as black as the abyss of space. In her unlit room, she was like a viper ready to strike at anything that disturbed her.

Her peace however is disrupted by a wave of magic. Her eyes quickly focused on the magic and tried to discern what kind of magic dared to make its way into the Valley of Thorns. Once she figured out what magic it was, her cackling reached the throne room as her bright green flames engulfed her room. She called in a meeting with all the high ranking nobles of The Valley of Thorns.

~

Her room was as gloomy as it was large, floor to ceiling window panes let in as much natural light as the rainy day allowed. She sighed, he was having another tantrum from their one-sided conversation in the morning. 

Her black dress was almost as beautiful as the woman who wore it. The dress was a two piece dress consisting of a bodice and a skirt. The woman's bodice was luxurious, even if it was done in a black fabric, delicate embroidery in black thread was littered across the bodice, while her two layered scalloped bertha collar was created with a sheer black fabric. A large skirt supported by a steel crinoline accentuated her waist as the corset helped to hold up her large skirt. She also wore a black veil, as if she was mourning for someone.

“Mother, long time no see.” Sherry’s somewhat cheery voice announced her presence

“How are you Sherry?” hearing her mother’s question brought the teenager joy as she happily sat on the sofa and talked about how she was feeling

“Hello Mother.” a stoic voice called out to the woman as she walked into the room

Sherry’s green eyes flicked over to Renata who seemed like she walked to the depths of hell and back.

“Yo Renata! You look like you're about to drop.”

“I do very much feel like that.” Renata sighs as she plops herself down to the sofa next to Sherry

“When you’re tired, sleep my dear.” 

“Mhm”

“Renata, did you?” (M/c) asked the black haired teen who nodded in agreement

“Mhm, I already did.” Renata said, referring to a magic spell which allows nobody to eavesdrop on their conversations

“I can feel that something will happen.” 

Sherry and Renata looked at their mother with confused looks, “What will happen?” Sherry said breaking the confusion

“Lucien is here in Twisted Wonderland.” 

“You’re joking!” Renata said looking at her

“The kid’s finally here huh.”

“We still aren’t ready.”

“Don’t worry, where do you think we live? Even if the Valley of Thorns continues to invade countries near it, this kingdom will always be isolated.” 

But her statement was disputed with the wave of magic that engulfed the room and brought the three ladies to panic. The magic was like a hurricane that knocked the breath out of their lungs and gave them excruciating pain by doing so.

“This magic! How is it so strong!” Sherry said trying to breath 

“No way. This is a finishing stage of transformation magic!” Renata said making (M/c) look at the window with surprised eyes

“Lucien…”

~

His face was like an unkempt garden and cottage, bellflowers and catmint littered the ground, sullen from the cold atmosphere. The yellow straw of the cottage roof looked disheveled as if it barely survived a violent snowstorm. That was the appearance of Briar Rome as he sat on the intolerably cold and hard stool that seemed jutt into his tailbone. His purple eyes that seemed to always give the person staring into them the warm feeling of spring, instead looked dejected, regretful, downcast, miserable, and just plain sad. Briar’s wheat colored hair was like sad damp straw, a victim of the recent and sudden storm that glazed Royal Sword Academy for a few hours. 

His pale hands held a hand larger than his own, the nails were a menacing black that glossed under the light of the infirmary. His eyes trailed up to the person’s pale face, the person had (h/c) hair that was like the clouds in the great big sky and his horns were two skyscrapers that disrupted the beautiful view. His silk-like fringe was brushed to the side to reveal a threatening yet alluring pattern of black scales that started in between his forehead and hairline. The ornate design strangely complemented the boy. He looked at the white robe his friend wore and grimaced, he should have known that he was sick or hurting earlier, when he heard that Lucien was the one who had unconsciously casted the tragic storm while also suffering from his transformation, he felt like a thousand needles had pricked him at the same time.

A light groan felt like the bang of a sudden firework to Briar, it felt like seeing the light at the end of a dark and long tunnel. His breath hitched as if his mind stopped working for a moment and he stood up and shouted for a nurse when he finally had a grasp on what was happening. Like swifts, a pair of nurses entered the room, one ushering Briar out, to his dismay, while the other tended to the now semi-conscious Lucien. 

~

The room was like Antarctica to (M/c), frigid and deathly silent. Her eyes trailed to the imposing figure that sat upon a throne of thorns. Like a paperweight weighing down everyone with a rule of silence, Maleficent observed the court, everybody was here, save for the Crown Prince, he wasn't necessary.

She sat on a throne on the right of her husband while Bellatrix sat beside Maleficent on her left. Her children were separated from their mother as they sat on their respective chairs as the High Court Magician and Supreme General.

"I hope I wasn't the only one who felt it, I'd be disappointed if I was." she haughtily said looking at the court of high ranking nobles

Words of confirmation echoed in the large hall and Maleficent steadily raised her staff and pointed to Renata.

"High Court Magician, elaborate further." 

Renata stood up and explained, "The magic that came across the Valley of Thorns is quite unique." 

Some chatter was heard among the nobles, they weren't really surprised, if anything, they probably weren't listening. Why should they listen to a half-human princess? It was probably through pure luck that she was able to get that position, probably by asking the vile queen.

Renata silently clenched her teeth and sucked it in and continued, "The magic is transforming magic, more specifically, dark fae transformation magic."

Gasps were heard in the court while a noble stood up to object the sayings of the High Court Magician.

"Your Highnesses! How can we be so sure about what she says!"

Renata looked at the man and clicked her tongue, Muave Heighgroove. What a joke, she sat down, deeming it unnecessary to stand up 

"What do you mean?" Malleus said in a hoarse voice 

"Your Highness! We don't know for sure if she is lying."

"Faes can't lie." Malleus says passively 

The fact that the king didn't respond aggressively blew Muave up like a puffer fish with pride. 

"Well, with the princesses being half-"

His claim was cut short by Maleficent who just laughed, no cackled, like a dying goat. She was beyond amused. Maleficent looked Muave straight in the eyes.

"That girl is plenty capable in discerning what magic it was. Honestly, I wonder how you all are part of the royal court."

Clean and swift.

Renata stood up and displayed her utmost gratitude and explained the magic even more.

"The circumstances are very unique when we consider this case, in case you happened to forget, transformation potions and anything regarding transformation is illegal in most kingdoms unless it is their Unique Magic, not in the Valley of Thorns though. But even then, transformation magic, especially for a dark fae transformation, is still hard to obtain here as it's distribution is under the jurisdiction of the Former Queen. So Your Highness, were you the one who gave some without the court's knowledge."

Renata was as cruel as she was realistic, her eyes were gleaming as they stared at the great-grandmother's dragon eyes. She was only stating facts and asking the correct questions to the correct people. A perfect smile was displayed on her face, whether or not the smile had other motives was unknown.

"I see, no I didn't."

"Thank you for answering Your Highness. To be honest that was just a formality, I can say with the nature of the magic, the transformation wasn't necessarily done by a spell or a potion."

"Was it a Unique Magic?" Bellatrix said looking at the magician

"Not necessarily, you can say it was a late metamorphosis. Even so, the nature of this transformation is very unique, it may take months of research before a solid reason is formulated. Of course that's if I don't go there myself."

"!!!" Malleus looked at his daughter, her black hair was perfectly sculpted showing off her scaly pattern on her forehead

"The magic came from the north-west, very likely from the Royal Sword Academy region. So My King, My Queen, allow me to go."

"I will have to decline this request, Head Court Magician." Malleus said exasperated while (M/c) looked at Renata, her dark veil shadowing her features

"I will give my permission." 

Malleus shot a look at (M/c), who only scoffed and said, "It will be beneficial to the Valley of Thorns, if we nurture the transformed, they can do our bidding as a payback for teaching them how to control their powers as a dark fae."

"How will you know that they will be beneficial."

His only answer was a chuckle.

[litwitlady]

Love Out Loud, The Finale

Pales in comparison to the first part, I’m sure. But we can’t win every battle. Sequel to this hot, horny mess from yesterday.

Michael drops the food in Alex’s lap. ‘Arturo and Rosa say hello.’ He grabs his stool from the other table and brings it back to sit across from Alex. A healthy, mature distance. But still close enough to see ink smudged across his cheek. Michael’s fingers twitch. And so, it begins again.

For a while, they eat in amicable silence. Michael doesn’t allow himself to look across the table. He focuses on his cheeseburger and fries. Not looking up. Not even once. He considers what he’s going to say when the talk finally happens. They’ve tried talking before, of course, but it has always ended in yelling or fucking. That thought leads him to images of Alex stripped naked across the very table he’s trying to eat off of and, well, he chokes on a fry.

‘You okay?’ Michael finally dares a glance across the table. Alex is doing Alex things like sucking on his straw, which is not at all the sexiest thing Michael’s ever seen. He coughs some more.

‘I’m fine. Fine. Excellent. The thing is, Alex, you’re very distracting.’ Michael takes several gulps of soda.

Alex looks at him, clearly frustrated. ‘I told you I’d go home. I don’t want to be a distraction. Maybe this was a bad idea. You clearly don’t want me here.’

Michael takes several more gulps of soda. ‘I meant, sexually. You are sexually distracting.’ He looks at the floor. Maybe a wormhole will suddenly appear to save him.

No such luck.

‘Sexually?’ Michael risks a peek. Alex’s eyes are wide, his mouth open in surprise. He’s so fucking hot. Michael shuts his eyes and thinks of Wyatt Long, cold showers, dead puppies. Whatever it takes. When Michael reopens his eyes, Alex is smirking at him. He calmly eats another fry and licks the salt off his fingers slowly. Using that perfect wet, pink tongue he knows so well. Michael prays for death.

And then Alex laughs. Like really laughs – full-bodied, head thrown back, tears in his eyes. The greatest sound on Earth. Michael doesn’t care if it’s at his expense. He’d literally do anything to hear that sound for the rest of his life.

‘I love you.’ Alex’s laughter dies. Michael wonders who said that out loud. Several long beats pass and then heart break.

‘No, Michael. You haven’t loved me in a long, long time.’ A sadness has etched itself across Alex’s face.

Michael hates it; hates that it’s all his fault. He gets up and drags his stool around to sit next to Alex. Right back where he started, where he belongs. He grabs Alex’s hand. ‘I have loved you every single day for the past 11 years. I loved you yesterday. I love you today. And I will love you tomorrow.’

He watches as Alex angrily palms away tears from his eyes. ‘Then why did you spend an entire year rejecting me at every turn? Why did you date my best friend? Why did you walk out when I was so very fucking obviously singing you a goddamn love song?’

Michael watches Alex put space between them. Watches him walk away, back turned, shoulders heaving. Watches his fists clench and unclench. Watches the way his heart breaks.

In the past, one of them would have left now. Probably Alex. But Michael would be lying if he said he hadn’t done his fair share of leaving. Sometimes space is important – to calm down volatile situations, to come back with cooler heads. The problem was, though, that they both walked away and buried whatever pain they were feeling deep down in a pit of shame and trauma. Their hearts calloused; their defenses fortified.

But not this time.

Michael moves towards Alex, lines himself up against his back. He reaches out with his hands and lightly grips his hips, feels Alex flinch at first – so he stops, waits. Feels him relax and then continues wrapping his arms around his waist, pulling Alex flush against him. Michael buries his nose in Alex’s hair, just behind his ear, and inhales. ‘I’m so sorry, Alex. I was scared. I was tired. I was broken. And there was all that stuff between our families. Generations of hate and torture. I didn’t want to face any of it. Wanted to bury my head in the sand and just breath easy for a while. I thought dating Maria would fix me. Instead, I hurt you. I hurt Maria. But mostly, I hurt myself.’

Alex turns to face him. Michael doesn’t remove his arms, tugs him closer so their hearts can beat against each other’s chests. Alex returns the hug and they stand like that for a minute, maybe hours, possibly forever.

Eventually, Alex pulls back. ‘I’m sorry, too. For every time I looked away. For every time I left. For never asking what you needed, what you wanted. For never asking for what I needed, what I wanted. I love you, Michael. You are what I need, what I want. What do you want?’

Michael answers immediately. ‘Honestly, Alex, I desperately want to fuck you.’

And just like that, Alex is laughing again. Even harder than last time. Michael watches with dopey heart-eyes but does not intend to back down. ‘I mean, listen. Sure, sure. I want you, need you, too. Blah, blah, blah. But I have been forced to sit next to your pretty ass in this confined space for a week now and if you don’t suck my cock sometime soon, I will self-destruct.’

Alex smiles at him affectionately and moves past him to start collecting his things. ‘You do remember Forrest exists, right?’

‘You said y’all were just casual. Doesn’t that imply not exclusive? Open to sex with other people? Let me be the other people, Alex.’ Michael tries to wrangle Alex’s bag away from him, but Alex has been to war and shit, so he wins. He tries another tactic. ‘I love you, remember?’ It’s a desperate low. He hopes it works.

‘I love you, too. But I really like Forrest and even if we’re not exclusive that doesn’t mean I’m comfortable sleeping around with my ex while he’s back at my house watching Netflix.’ Alex throws his bag across his shoulder.

‘I don’t want to be your ex anymore.’ Michael continues to pout. Alex is unmoved.

‘I don’t want you to be my ex anymore, either. Listen, Forrest is moving to Austin next month. I’m going to see this thing through with him. You’ve got a lot on your plate right now with Mr. Jones, anyway. We will reconvene in a few weeks.’

He moves to leave, but Michael grabs his hand and pulls him back. ‘Reconvene? You sound like an Air Force Captain.’ Alex gives him an exasperated eyebrow quirk. ‘And so, when we reconvene, I can come home? For good this time?’

Alex’s face goes soft. He leans over and kisses Michael gently on the forehead. ‘And then you can come home. For good this time.’

And that’s all Michael has ever wanted.

[phenomenal1500]

The Blood In My Veins | Black Sails

Chapter 37: The Living Dead | Part 1

For Chapter 36: Change Of Mind click here.

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

In the distance I could hear Teach ask Charles what was wrong with me, with Charles reacting that I was stressed, tired and in pain. Nothing more, nothing less. Laughing to myself I kept my gaze onto the horizon not paying attention to them both anymore.

~~~

"Hey." I heard the broad man in the distance narrowing the gap between us. "You're doing okay?"

I decided to not pay attention to Charles now standing next to me and still glanced at the blue, calm ocean. I didn't answer him and let myself silently drown in my thoughts.

"I know you have troubles with understanding the change of mind, but that doesn't mean I'm turning into something I wasn't before. I respect Teach, but little one, I would never want to turn into his kind of behaviour or into him at all." He whispered and felt his piercing gaze on me. "I know how you feel about Nassau and this situation and I'm sorry...." I could hear him sigh in regret. "But Naida be honest, it wasn't just the reason I changed my mind that made you mad and you know that too. I know you better. If you're angry you'll only show it like this when it's too much and it's bottled up." I turned my head around to watch Charles as he took a step closer to hold my waist while I was sitting on the railing. I first wanted to push him away, but another part of me actually needed the comfort.

"I'm tired and...." I sighed under my breath. "I figured my body isn't capable of doing things I did before and that kinda frustrates me. I just want to spend more time with you and forget everything."

"M-huh."

He stepped closer, sliding his arms around me and hugged me from behind. I honestly had never thought he would do this in the public's eyes, but I think he couldn't care less at the moment as well. I slowly laid my head back and leaned against his shoulder as we watched the sun rise together. His way of thinking and my way of thinking was different, but I could respect that and embrace it as long as he could do the same and stay himself. Still staring at the sun, I suddenly felt Charles leaving short and small kisses in my neck and I chuckled softly while I felt his arms tighten around me.

"I talked to Teach." He spoke to me in a hushed tone.

"So what did he say?"

"After today we'll arrive at Ocracoke." I slightly turned my head around, well, as far as I could. as my eyes grew bigger. It was delightful to hear I finally didn't have to feel sick every time I tried to lay down and it meant Charles and I could sleep in one bed.

"Thank god."

"You should thank me for suggesting to take a faster route instead."

"Who said you're not a god? You're shaped like one after all."

"I could tell you the same." We both bursted into laughter as Charles helped me off of the railing and back onto the upper deck and in the distance I could see Teach smile at Charles who was busy laughing and tickling my body which I hated. I couldn't control my laughing and tried my best to push Charles away so he would stop. Sadly, I ended up with Charles winning and pulling me against him while I had my palms flat on his chest, us both smiling to each other while sharing a kiss.

~~~

Ocracoke

~~~

Sitting down onto the hot sand, sharpening my swords as I watched over the beach, I watched the waves crash against the small cliffs, foam forming afterwards. Men were for fun challenging and fighting each other while other men were messing around with the whores on the beautiful island.

Teach had left with another brown haired woman, it seemed like they already knew each other, and Charles was on the other side of the beach, sitting before a tent on a barrel while eyeing everything that happened, keeping me in his sight as well. I waved at him and he smiled back, his face expression immediately changing as he noticed Reuben walking his way. The red haired man tried to explain something while Charles in the meantime made his way to me.

"What's wrong?" I stood up, rubbing the sand from my pants.

"Flint." He walked past me like it was nothing and I quickly followed his footsteps to the waterline.

"Charles? Explanation?"

"He's alive."

I froze, standing still onto the unsteady and hot sand which made my boots warm up from the outside in as I tilted my head. I couldn't believe Flint had survived Hornigold, but Charles wouldn't lie about it. With every man on the coast we surveyed the sloop that arrived onto the shore of Ocracoke.

The first man who hopped out of it was Flint who helped the rest with the other two sloops to come  ashore before Flint and his men stepped our way.

"Jesus." The old man spoke before eyeing the alive man again. I was positioned slightly behind Charles and in my mind I started to cheer up horribly. "Welcome to Ocracoke."

~~~

"Nearly dismasted in a storm.... a storm you chased after. Nearly starved to death in the doldrums. Nearly executed by them." Teach looked at the men sitting behind Flint and stared back at him. "Either you are unkillable, friend, or way overdue."

"One way or another, I am here, and there is much to discuss about all our futures." Flint reacted annoyed, but secretly tired towards the older man on the other side of the table. I had taken my distance between them and sat around a fire with Charles' men. I was more comfortable with them. The men first had to get used to me being around their Captain, but eventually everyone started to adapt to the idea and even started to bring up conversations with me.

Either way I was lucky that they weren't that far away from the conversation so I could eavesdrop Flint and Teach with ease.

"What kind of future do you propose that to be?"

"I intend to gather forces and move to reclaim Nassau. The conquest is always weakest when the conqueror allows himself to believe that it is done. For Nassau, that point is now. Now, England may hold the island, but it still needs supplies brought in. It is still dependent upon trade. We will make that impossible for him." I didn't know Flint had these kind of manners while talking against another pirate, but he still seemed to have a little piece of his past in the way he behaved towards other people. "We will harass his ships. We will plunder his supplies. We will force him to bleed capital and support and the goodwill of the men surrounding him until he is weak enough to challenge directly. Until we can bring the fleet to bear and retake the bay." He explained while still keeping eye contact with Teach.

"You know, when I called Nassau home-...." I could feel an old habit of Teach coming up and already prepared for a new long story. "Most of the men on this beach weren't even men. I sailed with Ben Hornigold. I sailed with Sam Bellamy. I sailed with Henry Avery. Feuded with them, stole with them, questioned their motives, but we all knew what we were. Then a man arrives who would explain to us what we've been doing was wrong all those years, what Nassau ought to be, what he could make it if we would all just follow his lead. And here you are again asking to do the same."

"You let go before it's time." Flint had a hateful tone behind his voice and he shook his head.

[obxwritings]

☆ drinking alone ☆

requested by @13reasonswhystan : Hey can you please do a Topper from Outer Banks imagine where y/n is a pouge and she is the badass of the group and she doesn’t really like to show her emotions she had a crush on jj but sees the way he looks at kiea so one night she is at the beach alone drinking and topper happens to be there too and they talk about their heartbreak they end up sleeping together and slowly start liking each other. (topper x reader)

word count: 1,986 (damn okay) 

warnings: underage drinking, swearing, mentions of heartbreak/insecurities about relationships, very slight alluding to sex at the very end

note: sorry this is so long lmao but I really like how this turned out! I hope you enjoy! let me know how it is :) thank you for requesting by the way! sorry it took so long! also, this is just my take on topper. I watched the show a while ago so if this is very uncharacteristic from his character, lmao it’s called fanfiction for a reason, but I did try to stick to what I remembered from his character from the show. 

masterlist of other works :) 

This was a terrible idea. You know that, hell, anybody would tell you that you were being immature about the situation, but you could care less. You were having a shitty day and the only thing you wanted to do was get drunk to forget about it. However, your house was not the place for your pity party. The beach, on the other hand, was. It was late enough that no one would be there, and you could have it all to yourself. The walk to the beach wasn’t too far and after finding the perfect spot on the beach and plopping down on the sand, you decided to break out the beer you had stashed in your backpack. 

Taking in the sounds of the waves crashing on the shore while sipping your drink, you couldn’t help but recall what led you here in the first place. 

. . .

Earlier that day, the pogues were all out on the boat and enjoying the summer sun before they had to return to school soon. Nothing was special about it. John B and Sarah were giving each other heart eyes while everyone else was mocking them. It started with Pope making a quiet remark that didn’t go unnoticed by you, JJ, and Kie. From then till the end of the boat ride the four of you kept laughing at everyone’s jokes, only making John B and Sarah more confused. That’s not what set you off, though. 

What made you so frustrated that all you wanted to do was scream or cry or drink was the fact that all day you had been trying to get JJ’s attention, and he was giving you absolutely nothing. You cracked jokes in attempts to make him laugh, wore a swimsuit that made you feel confident, and shared your last joint with him and all of it was still nothing compared to the looks and smiles he gave Kie any time she did, well, anything. You couldn’t blame him though; Kie was an amazing person through and through. You just wished someone would look at you like that one day.

. . .

Trying to forget the memory, you took another swig of the cheap beer you brought. Realizing you were almost done with it, you grabbed your bag and started to pull out another one when you heard some movement. With some panic setting in, you clutched your unopened beer can and got ready to throw it just in case anything came out and attacked you. 

“Woah it’s just me.” said the voice. Recognizing the voice, you lowered the beer can and shook your head. 

“What do you want, Topper?” you didn’t mean to sound so stuck up, but you couldn’t help it. Old habits die hard. 

“Just came out here to clear my head. What about you? Were you waiting to throw that beer can at someone specific or…?” Topper joked while sitting down next to you. 

Contemplating whether or not to tell him the truth, you let out a tired sigh. You honestly are still a little wary of kooks, but after hearing what Topper did for John B (and also just needing someone to finally vent to) you decided to throw caution to the wind and just spill all your thoughts (the alcohol definitely was encouraging you too). 

“Honestly, I had a crap-tastic day and just wanted to drink the day away, so you can either join me or just leave.” It was harsh, but you couldn’t care less. You were tired of holding everything in; you were bound to break at some point. 

Topper looked at you and gave you a soft smirk, “well, better hand me a drink then. Seems like you have a lot to say.” 

You were shocked but gave him a beer nonetheless. He was going to need it if he was going to listen to you rant. 

“So tell me y/n, what’s got you so worked up? I’ve never seen you like this. I mean, not that I normally hang out with you, you know, because we aren’t really friends. You just always seem so confident and tough. It’s kind of weird to see you like this, showing emotions and all.”

“Gee, thanks, Topper.” You rolled your eyes. He did have a point though; you were always making witty comebacks or trying to one-up everyone in dares. You hated showing your true emotions because you didn’t want anyone to think you were weak. Right now, however, you knew that instead of the confident person everyone saw, Topper was seeing the opposite. It was a look he knew all too well himself. 

You were on the brink of breaking down, yet you were forcing yourself not to. Your eyes were glossy, and you were seconds away from letting a tear slip. Your normal, collected self was slowly breaking down, and you didn’t know what to do. 

So you decided to just let it all out. 

“I just wish I was enough sometimes. It’s hard to see the person you care about clearly not feel the same way. And like, I want him to be happy, so if he’s happy with her then I should be okay with that, right? I guess, I don’t know, I just wish he was happy with me.” you couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down your face at this point, so you just let it happen. Not wanting to look at Topper, you began to pick at the random frays on your shorts while waiting for a snarky response from the kook himself. 

You never got one. 

Instead, Topper took a sip of his beer and calmly said “It’s the fucking worst feeling ever. I’m sorry.” 

Your eyes shot up and gave Topper and look of pure shock. You studied his face, looking for any signs of teasing and waiting for him to break and just laugh at you. But he didn’t. His face had nothing but a slight frown and a distant look in his eye. You didn’t know why he wasn’t taking the opportunity to make fun of you, but you were secretly thankful for it. Someone finally understood what you were going through. 

Deciding to just go along with whatever was happening right now, you wiped your tears and scoffed quietly, “tell me about it.” 

“I kind of just did, no?” 

“Oh my god,” you shoved him lightly while letting out a little laugh, “there’s the snarky Topper I know and hate.” 

“Oh shut up. At least I got you to smile. I don’t know how much of ‘sappy y/n’ I could handle.” Topper joked. 

“Whatever, Topper.” You rolled your eyes. You looked back at Topper, and while he looked content while starring out to the ocean, you could tell there was more to be said. 

“You can talk about it if you want. Yo don’t have to if you don’t want to. Talk about the dilemma you’re also having. I know I ju-”

“Thanks,” Topper cut you off mid ramble, but you didn’t mind. From the look on his face, you knew he just wanted someone to talk to and listen to his issues as much as you did. 

“Sarah and I broke up a while ago, as you and just about everyone in this damn town knows, but it really hurt. I loved her, at least I think I did, but after hearing about how happy John B made her, I knew I couldn’t do much about it. I lost her, if I even had her to begin with, and it broke my heart. It broke me. But like you said, I wanted her to be happy and she’s happy with him, so I should be happy right?” Topper looked at you with a sad gaze and, despite your past with everything that had happened this past summer, you couldn’t help but pull him into a hug. You knew what he was feeling all too well. 

“It fucking sucks, doesn’t it?” 

“Yeah it fucking does.” Topper chuckled slightly as he pulled away from you. He couldn’t help but smile. He finally told someone how he felt, and it felt amazing to not be the only one going through this. 

“Look at us,” you said after starting your second can of beer, “who would’ve thought that we of all people would be here and crying about our feelings.” 

“I mean, you’re the only one who’s cried so…” Topper joked, earning him the middle finger from you, “but it feels nice to finally let it out.”

Not really knowing what to say, you just nodded in agreement and kept sipping your drink. It didn’t take too long for the alcohol in both you and Topper to kick in. Soon enough, the two of you were filling the awkward silence with jokes, laughs, and stories that you thought would only stay between your respective friend groups. 

. . .

However, the drinks might have been a little too strong because soon enough you’re flirting shamelessly with Topper. You don’t think he minded though because he was doing the exact same thing. 

It didn’t help that the small amount of light coming from the rising sun was making Topper glow, accentuating his facial features and making his eyes sparkle. You had a few thoughts running through your head such as what time is it? Have we really been out here for that long? What would happen if I kissed him right now? 

You didn’t have too much time to think about any of them because soon enough Topper stopped his joke mid-sentence and said, “What’s on your mind, beautiful?” 

So he clearly noticed you weren’t paying attention. But at that moment you didn’t really care. With alcohol still coursing through you, along with the compliment from Topper, you couldn’t help yourself. You threw your arms around Topper’s neck and pulled him in for a kiss. Without hesitating, he kissed you back. You couldn’t help but smile into the kiss after that. However, Topper didn’t seem too comfortable with your current position beside him, so he carefully lifted and placed you on his lap. 

“Well that was a nice surprise.” Topper smiled. 

Blushing and slightly embarrassed by your sudden outburst of affection, you just hid your face in the crook of his shoulder. “Stoppp.” you mumbled into his shoulder, “I don’t know what happened okay? You just looked so hot and then you complimented me, and I don’t know, I guess I just wanted to kiss you.” 

“Hey, I wasn’t complaining. In fact,” Topper lifted your head to allow you to look up at him, giving you a soft smile, “I wouldn’t mind you doing that more often.” 

Looking out at the rest of the beach, you saw people getting ready for an early morning surf. “Well, if you want to go somewhere else my parents are out of town for the rest of the weekend. We could always go to my house. It’s not too far from here.” 

Topper nodded and helped you stand up, but you couldn’t really walk due to how much you had drunk. Seeing this, Topper offered to give you a piggyback ride. You couldn’t help but let out a laugh. The two of you probably looked crazy to anyone just passing by. But you didn’t care; you were happy and that’s all that mattered. 

While leaving the beach, Topper could help but smile and ask “so, you really think I’m hot?”

. . .

When you woke up in your bed later that day, you saw an arm securely wrapped around your waist. You looked over to see Topper still sleeping, letting out small snores every now and then, and couldn't help but smile as snippets from last night replayed in your head. You were so glad that you finally let your walls down. You didn't know what would happen between the two of you, but you did know two things: you didn't regret a thing from the previous night and you secretly hoped Topper felt the same way.

note: I hope you enjoyed (if you made it this far lmao)! as always, my requests are open! I hope you are staying safe and healthy! also, you can always message me :) i love talking to people! 

[btsslowburnfic]

Chthonic Love Chapter 10

Series Summary: A Greek Mythology AU featuring Yoongi/Suga as Hades and reader as Persephone. Olympian ruler Namjoon has delivered you, Persephone, as a gift for his brother, lord of Death, Yoongi

Chapter Summary: Beach Fluff

Previous Chapter here 

Yoongi sat looking at the letter. He leaned back in his seat, running both hands through his black hair. He cleared his throat for no particular reason. He had no idea what had gotten into Penthos lately. The demigod had been working for him for centuries and had never given him so much trouble before. He had always been dutiful and quiet. 

Yoongi abruptly got up and paced. He needed to physically distance himself from the missive. It was tempting to open it. Hell, it was tempting to burn it up and say he never got it. He had considered it for a few seconds but he realized you would never forgive him and he wasn’t willing to risk that. Even if giving you the letter meant you would be leaving. He looked out the window to the Desert of Sorrow. Aptly named. He felt a twinge in his chest as he thought about the last time the two of you had walked down to the beach together. 

He turned back to the office. He decided he should go and check on you since you were likely still recovering. He placed the letter carefully in his desk drawer and headed back to the main part of the castle. The hallways were silent now. Half the castle had probably heard him screaming earlier. He glanced in the Great Hall as he made his way to the Quicksilver room. It was empty. Good. He thought.

All the evidence of the earlier incident was gone. The vines had shriveled up quickly and Yoongi ordered the staff to clean them up and dispose of them. He knocked gently on your door, uncertain if you had woken up or not.

You were sitting on one of the benches when you heard the knock. “Come in,” you lazily yelled. 

You were surprised to see Yoongi poke his head into the room. “Oh good, you’re awake.” he said and gave a small smile.

“For a few hours. How are you feeling?” 

“I feel better than I have in years. You even fixed the permanent crick in my shoulder,” he commented. “May I come in?”

You smiled, “Uh, it’s your castle.”

“Yes but it’s your room.” He paused, giving you a look that you couldn’t quite identify. He swiped across his lips with his tongue, “How are you feeling?”

You took a deep breath out, “Honestly I’m still exhausted. Gods are apparently much harder to heal than animals and plants. Or even humans.” 

“Sorry again about all that.” he looked off to the side.

You looked back out through your window. “What time is it?”

“Morning. I missed last night’s reaping so it’s bound to be a big one today.” He tugged at his shirt sleeves.

“Oh.” You got up, suddenly remembering,  “Well then you probably need your shoes.” You had discovered Yoongi’s footwear after Lethe left this morning. It made you laugh and also feel butterflies in your stomach as you remembered part of the night before.  You picked them up and walked over to Yoongi.

“Thanks. Do you ever wear shoes?” he asked, looking down at your bare feet with concern.

You shrugged. “Feral.”

He laughed. “Obsidian is colder than the forest floor. Let me know if you need a pair.”

“But then I can’t feel the sand in my toes. I can’t imagine not being able to feel the desert or the beach.” 

‘Speaking of. I need to head out to the reaping.” he responded as he bent over to put his shoes on.  “Do you feel up to going?”

You bit your lip. You were still so tired. But you really liked the beach, and Holly, and walking with Yoongi. Without thinking you said, “Sure. I mean, if it’s safe to leave my room now.”

Yoongi froze for a moment. “Why wouldn’t it be safe to leave your room?”

You hadn’t thought much about it, walking over to the wardrobe to grab your new cloak. “You know because of what happened earlier.”

Yoongi blinked a few times, his mind not quite understanding. What part of his palace did you think was unsafe? Namjoon? Him?

You walked back over. “This cloak is so nice Yoongi. Thank you. And make sure to thank Arachne for me.”

“Are you afraid of Namoon?” he asked. The question surprised you, seeming to come from nowhere.

You scoffed, “No. Next time he shows up, let me have a piece of him. Why are you asking me that?”  You looked up at him,confused. 

“You said it wasn’t safe to leave your room and I’m wondering why.” he said, his face suddenly so serious. You felt him reach out and gently grab your forearm. “I want you to always feel safe when you’re with me.” His cheeks grew slightly pink and he coughed a bit, “I mean when you’re here. In the palace. In the underworld.” He clarified unnecessarily.

You stood there for a moment. You didn’t want to get anybody into trouble so you thought for a moment on how to carefully choose your words. “I heard there was talk of treason. That I tried to…” you couldn’t even finish your sentence and you looked down. You feel Yoongi’s hand gently touch your chin, tilting your head up. 

“I know you didn’t mean to hurt me. And let me assure you: you are safe here.” He was staring straight into your eyes, holding your chin in place. “If anyone or anything makes you feel otherwise, you tell me. Yeah?”

You nodded your head.

“Good, let’s get going.” 

You walked down the hallway as you wrapped your new cloak around you. So soft. The castle was always quiet, but at this time of morning, it was completely silent. It occurred to Yoongi that he had forgotten to tell you about the letter’s arrival. He had meant to but then he got distracted by the shoes and by you saying you were afraid. He resolved to tell you before the two of you returned from the reaping. 

When the two of you reached the end of the stone bridge, Yoongi slipped off his shoes. You looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. 

“I’m sad to say I’ve never felt the sand between my toes and it has come highly recommended.”  He said as he smiled and offered you his arm. You smiled and took it.

It occurred to you that he was being very cute today.  “Really? You’ve been here forever and you’ve never felt the sand under your feet?” The two of you started to walk over the dunes, the black sand caressing both of your bare feet.

“Nope.”

“Ok, well surely you’ve gone swimming in the Stygian Sea?”

“I can’t swim.” 

“Whaaaaat? The Lord of the Underworld can’t swim?” You were shocked.

He laughed and poked his tongue against the side of his mouth, a habit you had noticed when he was slightly embarrassed. “No. Why do you think Jin has the power over the Ocean and not me?” 

“Huh,” you commented. “I’m just surprised is all.” You realized that Yoongi was practically dragging you across the Desert. The sand provided so much resistance against your feet, it was exhausting. You were much more tired than you realized. If he did notice, he was kind enough not to say anything.

The two of you arrived on the beach a few moments later.  You gently unwrapped yourself from his side.  He raised his hands, shining the light against the horizon and a whole host of ships burst forth. Yoongi groaned. So many ships. Missing a reaping always meant extra work.

“Oh wow. You weren’t kidding.” you said as you observed dozens of ships crossing the sea. You sighed and turned towards him. “I’m going to stay here today if that’s alright.”

“Of course, I’ll come get you when I’m done.” He pulled his sleeves down over his palms and walked towards the estuary.

You approached the sea, letting the water lap against your ankles. It had been an eventful couple of days. You realized you had lost track of how long you had been here. The wind blew your hair back and you wrapped the cloak around your arms tighter. You peered across the horizon and wondered how far it was back to the mortal realm. 

You slowly backed out of the water and plopped your body down on the sand, reaching your arms behind you and stretching. You played with burying your feet, uncovering them, and reburying them. You were still so tired, you realized. You put the hood of your cloak up and laid all the way down, staring up at the greenish-gray sky. 

As expected, the reaping took forever. Each ship had to pass individually down the Estuary and each ship had to be checked through the gate. Yoongi puffed out his cheeks. At least he didn’t have any runners today. He had already fed and petted Holly and began to return to the beach. He looked at the shore and didn’t see you at first. As he got closer, he still didn’t see you and he began to feel his heart race. He thought it would be safe for you on the shore. Most of the Chthonic Beasts didn’t dare cross the mountains. He began to walk faster. He still didn’t see you so he began an all out sprint along the shore. What if you had decided to leave? He finally saw you, laying in the black cloak, on the black sand, blending in perfectly and apparently fast asleep. 

He exhaled, relieved. He hunched over with his hands on his thighs, panting. I guess she was still really tired he thought and sat down next to you. It occurred to him that he had never done this before. Just sat on the beach, looking at the sea. He always walked down, concluded his reaping, and went back to the castle. The Stygian Sea was actually quite pretty now that he stopped and looked at it while sitting on the shore. 

He looked over at you. There was really no reason to wake you, he thought. It's not like the two of you had anywhere to be. He started humming to himself and writing words in the sand. 

You blinked your eyes open. You heard Yoongi's deep voice next to you. He must have noticed you woke up because he abruptly stopped humming. 

"Keep going,” you whined and you heard him laugh. A low, rumbling sound that made you feel warm and buzzy inside. He did not indulge your request. You turned your head and looked at him. “I feel like all I do here is sleep." You remarked as you sat up halfway, elbows propped behind you. 

"That's fine. Think of this as the vacation to the Underworld you never planned on having." 

"I guess." You forced yourself to sit up the rest of the way. "I'll have to create a travel brochure for you." You shook the sand off your hood and lowered it. 

"Hey let's not get carried away. I like it nice and quiet here." He quickly looked away from you, and brought his hand to the back of his neck. "I need to tell you something. I meant to tell you when I first saw you this morning but I forgot." 

You felt a pang of nervousness, "OK. Well just tell me so I don't start freaking out about it." 

"You got a letter last night. Penthos gave it to me this morning and it's in my office.” He sat and waited for you to react, half expecting you to bolt up and take off running to open it.

“Oh. That was faster than I expected.” You said, making no effort to take off running toward the palace. “Did you open it?”

Yoongi sat there surprised that nothing changed in your demeanor despite hearing this news. “No. It’s addressed to you.” He said simply.

You sat there for a minute appreciating how respectful he was of your space. Your room. Your letters. Even though he was the Lord of this realm, he always made sure to try and make you feel comfortable here. And you did. You felt more comfortable here than you ever did at your brother’s court. Hoseok was always up in your shit. He’d read your letters, stomp into your room at all hours whenever he capriciously decided it was time for a chat. The palace was always full of gossips and his “fans.” 

“Thanks. I guess we’ll have to open it when we get back.” You said, looking over at him. He had an expression on his face you couldn’t quite place. A little bit sad, which you had realized was normal for Yoongi and something else you couldn’t quite name. “Are you ok?”

Yoongi blinked a few times while staring at you. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had asked him that question. Or if anyone ever had. Truthfully, he was a mess on the inside. He was worried about what the letter said, he was worried about how Penthos had acted earlier, he was sad about how things would be after you left, he was still anxious about Namjoon’s appearance yesterday. 

“It must be hard being in charge of everything,” you said, breaking up the silence. “All of the other Olympians have other Gods and demigods around them all the time. Do you ever get lonely down here?” 

Yoongi abruptly looked away. You didn’t think he was going to answer your question. Which was fine. You had surmised he wasn’t the most in touch with his feelings. You reached over ever so quietly and put your hand on top of his, wrapping it around. You looked back at the Sea. 

Suddenly Yoongi felt like it was 500 degrees outside and that there was a drum in his chest. He looked down at where you were tentatively holding his hand. He shook his bangs out of his face and cleared his throat. “Yes.” He coughed. “Not since you’ve been here though.” He felt you lightly squeeze his hand. 

 You turned and looked at him, “Good.” You smiled. “I like it here.” 

Yoongi felt his heart beating in his ears. He wasn’t used to all these feelings he was having. He almost started to ask you how long you would stay when he felt you let go of his hand. You stretched your arms up over your head. “Alright, let’s go see what that idiot has to say for himself.” you said as you stood up.

Yoongi got up as well, feeling nauseous at the thought of you reading the letter. Hey, it’s ok. She said she likes it here. She’s not in a hurry. He tried to reassure himself.

You looked behind you to see Yoongi standing on the beach, clearly having an internal struggle of some sort. You walked back over and took his hand. “What's your review of the sand between your toes?” You asked him as you started to lead the two of you back towards the dunes.

He smirked. “I think I’ll stick with shoes. The thought of having to shake all this sand off has me rethinking my choices.” 

“Oh please, this sand is so smooth it comes right off,” you retorted. 

“I’ll defer to your expertise but we’ll see when we get home.” Yoongi caught himself and even just yesterday he would have stopped and corrected himself, calling it “the palace” and overthinking it.  He stiffened slightly, waiting to see if you would say anything about it. 

“I’m telling you, it will fall right off.” You continued the conversation like nothing had happened. Yoongi was able to breathe normally again. You felt your cheeks grow warm though when he said “home.” Yes. You felt more at home here in a week you had been here than you ever had anywhere else. You wondered if he had even noticed. NEXT CHAPTER

[babyshawwn]

“I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.”  | line blurb

Shawn’s already sat on the swing at the neighbourhood playground a few blocks from his parents’ house. It’s around two in the morning, you’re a little drunk and it’s rather chilly. 

You haven’t seen each other for a week and though you haven’t talked to one another either, you know this is the place to find him. Your relationship hasn’t been the best, you both know it, but it’s too hard to talk about it. 

All you ever do is bicker about stupid little things, argue about stuff that doesn’t matter and sleep with your back towards each other. You’re still sharing a bed, but Shawn feels like a stranger to you.

“Hey.” You mutter when you drop down on the swing next to him. 

“Hey.” He replies. “How did you know I was here?” 

There’s no anger in his voice, but you can tell he’s just as tired as you are. Constantly arguing with each other is exhausting. 

“You’re always here when things are rough.” You shrug your shoulders, eyes darting around the empty playground. “Where have you been staying?” You ask him, locking your hands around the chain. 

“At Brian’s.” 

Shawn leans backwards on the swing, shutting his eyes shortly while taking a breath. You can tell his body is vibrating with emotions he can’t really control. 

You don’t blame him, you had to down a couple of beers to take your mind off things. 

Neither of you speak, but you feel the bitter tension hanging in the air. You don’t want to talk because you don’t want to fight all over again. Your feet are circling the ground, pushing around the sand framing the swing-set underneath. 

There’s a bundle of knots in your stomach and it’s beginning to give you a stomach ache. You haven’t slept much lately and you barely touch any food, you feel besides yourself. 

“How did we end up here?” Shawn breaks the silence and looks to the side to find your eyes. You can tell he’s been crying, they are red and expanded. 

“I don’t even know.” You sigh, your throat tightening as you speak. “I think we forgot to love each other at some point.” 

“Yeah, maybe.” Shawn says, shaking his head at this mess. “I don’t want to feel like this. Have all this hatred against you. I don’t like it.” 

When you look toward him again, you see the pain in his eyes and it makes you sick. 

You love Shawn, you have since you were teenagers. But to be honest, you fell out of love a while ago but continued to live in denial. You never did stop caring about him and you know you still love him, but it’s different. It feels different. It’s not the same kind of love that used to be. 

There are no butterflies and a spark, no ground shaking under your feet when he looks at you or the feeling of home when you’re close to him. 

“I don’t like it either.” You say as tears begin to fall from your sore eyes. “It’s always been you and me.” 

“And now we can barely be in the same room without arguing.” Shawn mutters and you feel the pain in your chest because you know he’s right. You force some air into your lungs, ignoring the growing pain in your chest. 

“We aren’t even friends anymore.” You blur, slightly suffocating on your cries. In all honestly, that makes you the saddest. 

You can live with going to bed separately, not having the same intimacy and love between you and the feelings fading out. 

But you cannot cope with the fact, that Shawn is no longer the person you go to. 

You have known him since you were little and he’s always been your person. You tell him your secrets and your fears, you share your happiness and worries with him. 

But you have hurt each other too much, lost too much trust in one another for things to ever be the same. He’s no longer yours, he’s just him and you are just you. 

“I don’t want us to not talk to each other.” Shawn stutter, shaking his head in frustration. “But when we talk it…” 

“Doesn’t turn out that well?” You interrupt him and manage to force a small smile from his lips. It’s the first time in weeks it’s been sincere. 

“We really fucked this up, didn’t we?” He asks you, swallowing the lump in his throat.

“We really did.” 

“Because we’re idiots.” 

“Complete idiots.” You agree with a soft laughter. It hurts to laugh but it makes your heart feel better. 

You sit in silence for a moment, allowing the night air to cool your bodies. Shawn pushes his hand through his curls, taking a breath to calm himself down. 

You sit here and you realise that it’s finally done. You can let go of all the anger and the hurt, it doesn’t have to haunt you much longer. You don’t have to fight one another any, it doesn’t have to be so complicated and way too hard. 

“Do you think we’ll ever find our way back to each other?” You ask him, eyes gazing across the empty and familiar playground. 

You used to come here with Shawn when you were younger, late at night during the summer vacation to sit on the swings, get tipsy on a bottle of cheap wine and talk about whatever was on your mind. 

“I’m not sure.” He replies honestly, shrugging his shoulders. You nod at his words, because you’re not certain either. 

At the moment, it doesn’t feel like it. 

Your tongue slips between your lips as the wind blows a tot of hair into your eyes. You tighten your hands around the chain on the swing, using your feet to move back and forth a little. 

“I’m sorry about the things I said.” Shawn suddenly mumbles. “The night I left. I didn’t mean them.” 

“I said things too.” You tell him. “And I didn’t mean them either.” Shawn sends you a small smile, he’s sad it’s comes to this. 

Even sadder that he said terrible things he knew would hurt you and that he said them to hurt you. Though he said them in the heat of the moment, he knew they were wrong to say. 

“I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.” He stutters and you nod in agreement. There’s a frown between his brows as he forces a breath into his aching lungs. 

“Instead of saying goodbye we ended up making things harder on each other.” You complete his thoughts when he can’t, dragging your feet across the ground. 

“Yeah. We should have ended it while we were still on good terms.” Shawn whispers, the words cut deep when they leave his mouth. “Maybe we could have been friends, then.” 

“I would have liked that.” You smile at him. 

But it’s too late now and you both know it. You crossed the line and you ruined whatever relation that still existed between you. 

“So what happens now?” Shawn asks you, looking to the side to find your eyes. You can see the regret in his eyes, it makes you feel sick. You send him a sad smile, tears reaching the surface in the matter of seconds. 

“We say goodbye and we finally let go.” You tell him as tears begins to slip down his cheeks. 

“I’m not sure I know how to do that.” Shawn cries, his voice shaking through the words. 

You feel a heavy pressure on your chest as Shawn’s silent sobs echoes in your ears. He’s all over the place and seem unsteady. You can’t help but think that it’s only a matter of time before he falls apart. 

“We’ll figure it out, learn to live with it.” You comfort him, shutting your eyes to prevent the tears from appearing. 

“Do you think we’ll ever be okay again?” 

“With time.” You promise him, but you’re not quite sure. 

You can’t look at him properly, your eyes automatically flicker after a few seconds. It’s too much for your heart to see him as upset as he is, you cannot bear it. 

Shawn lets go of the chain and reaches out for your hand. He need reassurance that everything will be okay in the end and you don’t blame him. You don’t know how to be without each other, you’ve always been a package deal, always had each other to count on. 

First as friends and then as lovers. It’s scary and it frightens you. 

You take his hand in yours and you give him a soft embrace. His fingers are stone cold, it makes a shiver run down your spine when your thumb strokes his knuckles. He’s bawling next to you, crying his eyes out and it hurts deep into your bones. 

He sinks together as the tears continue to slide down his face. You can’t hold yours back either and you cry silently next to him while holding his hand. 

“We’re going to be okay.” You whisper, interlacing your fingers with his. “It’s going to be okay at some point.” 

Shawn looks to the side to catch your eyes and you feel your heart drop to your gut. The expression on his face makes your stomach turn and forces the nausea to spreads. 

“Maybe one day we will get back to being friends.” 

“Maybe.” You answer but Shawn knows you’re lying. 

Maybe your life after Shawn will never really be the same and maybe you will never really feel okay again. You don’t know for sure, but it doesn’t feel like it’s going to get any better. 

Even with time. 

[noperopesaredope]

TSYHitD Chapter 11: Part 1

Hi, so, I haven’y finished the 11th chapter of my main fic yet, and it’s been a couple of months. I’m getting there, but I also have some other stuff and am both passionate and not passionate about it. So, I decided to put the first part of it on here, since I’ve got a lot of it (and yet so little) of it done. Here’s the first 10 chapters of the fic in case you want to read them: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29912421/chapters/73620945

[This chapter starts earlier than last chapter, just after the first automaton attack, then it continues to follow the rest of the episode. I didn’t plan this correctly, but it works. This is gonna be a big boy.]

[Excluding Varian’s POV, everyone’s POV in this chapter is gonna be in third person because I’m just tired and this is a long chapter. I just started writing in third person and couldn’t stop, so now everyone is gonna be in third person. Except for Varian. For stylistic reasons.]

[Rated C for cursing]

(Sidenote, I forgot that Varian isn’t here right now and comes in literally right after where this drops off. Sorry. I’ll add more later. At some point)

But anyways, I present part 1 of chapter 11 of my fic, The Sounds You Hear in the Dark!:

~Rapunzel’s POV~

Rapunzel felt a bit shell shocked. She had just been attacked by a giant robot. Scratch that, she had just been attacked by an AUTOMATON. And there was only one other person in all of Corona who had ever seen one. And that person was one emotionally unstable, possibly delusional genius engineer who hated her and was on the run from the law. This realization slowly came to Rapunzel as she stared at the machine down below.

It was...a lot to think about. It felt like she hadn’t slept in days, ever since she had that dream, the dream that changed everything. Conflicting thoughts and feelings ran through her head like flies feasting upon a dead rat. A gruesome description indeed, but an accurate one, since she felt a bit like a dead rat. On the one hand, Rapunzel felt incredibly guilty about Varian, and was more than a little worried about him. But on the other hand, he had just attacked her, and knowing him and their last conversation, he was planning something. No matter how much she loathed the idea, Rapunzel needed to tell her dad. She just hoped it wouldn’t go as badly as all the other times.

-----

Rapunzel slammed open the doors to the throne room and marched inside, halting the conversation in its tracks. A bit of a demanding way to grab everyone’s attention, but it was necessary. Rapunzel’s father stood up, probably a bit annoyed, if not offended, but Rapunzel honestly didn’t care. She was going to be heard, no matter what it took.

“We already know Varian was behind the attack,” Rapunzel announced, “the real question is, what was he trying to achieve, and more importantly, what is he planning to do next?” A look of frustration crossed her father’s face before disappearing, replaced with a more stern look that was ready to scold her or talk down to her, a look she was getting really tired of. She already had to deal with this far too much when it came to Gothel, and even that didn’t feel quite as demeaning (at least, not in the moment) as this did.

“That boy is dangerous, and I assure you he will pay dearly,” Rapunzel’s father said in an almost ominous manner. Oh no, it was gonna be one of THOSE arguments again. Rapunzel had to hold herself back from facepalming or even shouting, knowing fully well that that wouldn’t help her. “Listen, Dad, last time I saw him, Varian was paranoid and angry at us, and this attack is proof that he is willing to act on those feelings. And speaking of which, we never got to talk about him being paranoid. He mentioned some pretty interesting things to me, some stuff about your whole ‘keeping big secrets’ thing and the fact that you may have put him under house arrest for literally no reason. What might that have been about?”

The king paused for a moment, seemingly processing what she just said. “So he did. Well, I will admit that we were somewhat aware he was a potential threat early on, so we may have...neutralized it.” Rapunzel was stunned. A smoke bomb in their psychic battle of wills, catching her completely off guard. She honestly had no clue how to respond or what to say. She never really dealt with these kinds of plot twists all that well, especially ones with such horrifying implications.

“I will admit, you’re right about one thing,” her father sighed. Rapunzel felt a flicker of hope well up inside her and she calmed down slightly. “That boy is willing to act on his paranoia and anger. But that is why I believe him to be so dangerous to you,” he began, and Rapunzel suddenly felt that little flicker of hope get buried in metaphorical sand. “That is why I must do this. I officially declare that as long as Varian remains a threat, you are to remain locked in your room.” WHAT THE FU-

(I know Raps is legally not allowed to curse, but this is an AU in which she knows a few, she just doesn’t really use them)

-----

~Eugene’s POV~

‘Well that could have gone a heck of a lot better,’ Eugene thought before turning to his royal majesty to give him a stern talking to. Unlike Rapunzel, Eugene had a fantastic skill called ‘being willing to tell someone what’s what’, and oh boy was he ready to use it.

“How is this any different than what Gothel did?! Honestly! How is it any different?! Explain to me! Because I’m really not understanding why you would LOCK HER IN A TOWER WHILE KNOWING WHAT SHE’S GONE THROUGH!” Eugene shouted. “I know this may be hard to understand, but you must realize that I had no choice,” the king tried to explain. “Wha- Of course you had a choice! You’re the king! You can’t just keep her up there!”

Regret flashed across the king’s face before his expression hardened. “I must do whatever it takes to keep Rapunzel safe from harm!” Eugene turned away for a moment in frustration, before announcing “you know, this is probably the most harmful, dangerous thing anyone has ever done to her, and you’re the one who’s inflicting that harm.” Then he walked away, leaving the king to reflect on everything.

~Queen Arianna’s POV~

Queen Arianna was conflicted. She loved her husband, but sometimes he could be a bit...frustrating, and unimaginably stubborn. It was also unfortunate that their daughter just so happened to have a bit of a stubborn streak as well. So here she was, trying to mediate between two people who were both technically right in their reasoning, but largely unwilling to listen, both stuck in their ways, their own heads. 

It was hard, trying to be the referee, as when it came to family arguments, if both sides were trying to win rather than come to a middle ground, both would lose. And in this case, both sides were very much trying to win. At least Arianna was an experienced diplomate, though it was annoying that she needed to use her skills on her own family.

First she would need to confront her husband, the harder task. He would require a gentle approach, possibly a bit of buttering to get him to focus on her, before she could carefully slip in the topic. Arianna knew him well enough to know that he would jump right into an explanation the moment she would bring it up, so she would have to listen to him talk for a bit and wear himself out. Then she could come in with her defense, get him to consider Rapunzel’s feelings on the matter and how it will affect her in the long run. Maybe convince him to have another talk with his daughter, listen to her and how she feels?

It would be a tricky thing, getting Fredrick out of his own head, but Arianna could try.

Arianna stepped into their shared bedroom, her husband standing by the window, looking outside with a sad expression. She closed the door behind her, the light sound of the shut declaring her presence, causing Fredrick to turn to her. “My love,” he greeted, smiling slightly. “Hello dear,” Arianna replied lovingly, waiting for a beat just in case Fredrick gave her a good opportunity to start the talk in a way that would go at least somewhat according to plan. “How are you feeling?” he asked. Jackpot! Arianna’s brain did a fistpump, but she externally maintained her composure. 

“A little tired. A lot has been happening the past few days,” she said as she sat down in one of their chairs, Fredrick walking over to sit next to her, “and the recent attack hasn’t really helped matters.” Putting it on a bit thick, aren’t you Ari? She suddenly wished she had done that a bit better, but it was a little too late for that. She would just have to work around any potential fretting that might come her way.

“I’m sorry. However, you need not worry. The boy will be brought to justice,” Fredrick assured her. Ah. That wasn’t a good sign. She’d have to deal with that later. But for now, she’d have to just press down her dread and push on. Arianna nodded her head and tried her best to look relieved in a way that would make it look like she was trying to hide her relief. She looked back at her husband and became a bit more serious.

“I heard what happened earlier with Rapunzel.” Set the bait. Fredrick sighed. “I just want to protect her. But she never listens to me! She doesn’t understand that everything I do is to keep her safe! I just...don’t want to lose her again.” So that’s what this was all about. Arianna watched sadly as she saw hurt and regret flash across Fredrick’s eyes. She was forced to pause for a moment, desperately trying to push down her own painful memories of nightmare filled nights, sobbing herself to sleep, wishing on thousands of stars for her little girl to come home, the sounds of a baby screaming and crying filling her ears…

Still, a memory managed to escape; about a month after Rapunzel was taken, Arianna privately bought herself a little baby doll. A bit childish, sure, but she couldn’t help herself. The day she got it, she wrapped it up in a little blanket (a gift from the baby shower) and just...held it for a while, walking around what was going to be her little girl’s room. Arianna couldn’t help but hum to her little doll, and eventually, she found herself crying. She broke down at the time, and had to take a rest afterwards. Those little moments used to happen on occasion. Arianna felt her eyes getting wet just thinking about it.

She quickly wiped her eyes, and took her husband’s hand. “We missed a lot, didn’t we?” she said, sniffling for a second and looking down at her lap. “She grew up without us. But that’s the thing, isn’t it? She’s all grown up.” Arianna forced herself to take a deep breath in. “She’s turning nineteen today. She’s an adult now. And we need to learn how to accept that. We can’t always protect her. She already knows how to take care of herself. Besides, Rapunzel’s been through a lot and had her wings clipped enough times to be able to tell the difference between protection and captivity. We’re not the only ones with baggage. Her’s just so happens to go against ours. We need to time about her pain. Because if we start treating her like how she’s been treated for the first eighteen years of her life, no matter the reason, she’ll start to see us the same way she remembers Gothel.”

Arianna finally turned back to her husband, who looked at her with a...conflicted expression. “I don’t want her to see us that way. Please just talk to her. And this time, just listen. Don’t think up a response while she talks, don’t interrupt, none of that. Just listen to what she’s saying.” Arianna stood up, squeezed his hand, and walked out to give him a while to think about it. That conversation hadn’t gone exactly according to plan, but it achieved its purpose.

-----

Now she just needed to deal with the other side of the argument. Rapunzel was a bit easier to talk to than Fredrick. She was also stubborn, but was good at listening to any third parties when approached by someone who wasn’t siding with the opposition. If you approached her right, she would immediately take time to listen and pay attention. Rapunzel would probably go right into explaining her frustration and vent for a bit, but immediately listen when her mother began an explanation.

The nice part was that though Rapunzel inherited a bit of her father’s stubbornness, she also inherited her mother’s diplomacy and ability to pick up on others’ behaviors and emotions. Or maybe it was because she had the misfortune to be raised by a narcissist her entire life. Maybe that’s where she got so many of her more seemingly positive traits.

It was sad, how badly the kidnapper had damaged their minds, even in death controlling their actions and thoughts. But they could be brave. They could move forward. They could be a happier family than they’d ever been.