#I’ve converted another one boys

[mushramoo]

Following you for your incredible William Afton take :)

thank you I’m here all night, the only bottom William Afton truther out here, I gotta be

[starlightkun]

❥・word count: 17.2k ❥・warnings: cursing, suggestive but no smut (i think that tag is on all my sungchan fics at this point), also i do talk about biting him probably too much, there’s one scene where i have to refer to distance and i use miles im sorry it’s the filthy american in me (convert to km if you must but it’s really not that important) ❥・genre: meet-ugly (like a meet-cute but bad), strangers to lovers, fluff and more fluff good god, forced proximity trope (long car trip, friend group vacation in a cabin, etc.) ❥・author’s note: send help the sungchan brainrot is terminal

“I just don’t trust people that are that hot—Sorry.”

“Are you going to the cabin next week?” Karina asked you, refilling her drink as the two of you chatted in the kitchen of Donghyuck and Mark’s place. The former was throwing a “small get-together” tonight for his birthday, which was already shaping up to be more like the parties you’d attended in undergrad. He’d also invited a hopefully actually small number of your closer friends to spend two weeks in his family’s cabin starting the following Friday.

“Yeah, I’ll be there,” you nodded, opening the fridge to nose around in there for something to mix with your alcohol.

“Do you know who all he invited?”

“I think the usual, right?” You had secured some cranberry juice and seltzer, and brought them back out triumphantly. “Didn’t he text the details to everyone in a group chat? Check who’s in it.”

“Let me see…” She muttered, scrolling through her phone. “You, me, Hyuck, Mark, Ning, Jeno, Jaemin, Shotaro, Anton…”

“Unless it’s a mansion in the woods, it sounds like half of us will be sleeping on the floor,” you scoffed.

“There’s one person in here that I don’t have saved.” She frowned. “Do you?”

You looked at it on your own phone. “There’s two people I don’t have saved. One of them must be Anton, I just met him the other day when Taro brought him around to… whatever, I don’t even remember now.”

“I don’t have the 512 number.”

You saved the other unknown number as Anton. “I don’t have the 512 number either.”

Karina giggled. “Mysterious.”

“Probably another guy Hyuck and Mark met playing pickup.” You shrugged, following her back out to the living room. “I feel like that’s how they meet all their new friends these days.”

“Rina! Y/N!” Ningning suddenly appeared in front of the two of you, grabbing your other friend’s wrist. “Come dance with me!”

Karina looked over at you. “Y/N?”

“Just topped up.” You lifted your drink. “Maybe later. Have fun, guys.”

As they disappeared into the middle of the room, you drifted off to the side, finding a wall to lean against. You took slow sips of your drink, eyes passing over the crowd. You didn’t mind standing by yourself until either your friends were done dancing and found you again, or you spotted someone you’d rather talk to before then.

“Y/N!” Your voice was called from behind you, and you turned around to greet the birthday boy with a wide smile.

“Hyuck!” You went to hug him. “I feel like I haven’t seen you all night!”

“Because you’ve been hiding in the kitchen,” he teased. “I think this is the first time I’ve actually seen you out here.”

You rolled your eyes as you drew back from the hug. “Whatever, I’m here now. Are you having a good birthday?”

“Great!” He beamed. It was then that you noticed he had someone with him, a tall guy hovering awkwardly behind him. Donghyuck went to introduce him, “This is Sungchan, by the way. He also lives in the complex; Mark and I met him playing pickup.”

Of course.

“Sungchan, this is my friend Y/N,” Hyuck then gestured to you.

You nodded to him politely. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too,” he smiled back, a bright, heart-stopping smile. You held onto your drink a little tighter, with both hands.

“Hey! Renjun!” Donghyuck suddenly yelled out. “No killing people on the premises! Choke Jisung outside!”

He took off into the crowd, leaving you with his new friend.

“Anyway, it was nice to meet you, Jungchan, but I’ve got to find my friends.” You slipped away before he could say anything else.

Karina and Ningning were still dancing, and while you briefly debated joining them, you decided against it, heading back to your safe haven instead: the kitchen. It was blissfully empty when you got in there, and you started picking at the bowls of snacks mindlessly.

“That was incredible.” Someone snickered, startling you into dropping a chip onto the floor.

You picked it up, glowering at the newcomer as you went to go throw away the ruined chip into the garbage can. “What are you talking about, Anton?”

“His name is Sungchan, by the way.” He was still laughing, hopping up onto the counter by the bowls of snacks. “Not Jungchan. I happened to have been lucky enough to have overheard that.”

“Oops.” You said flatly, well aware that you didn’t sound very sorry.

“But I’m totally going to use that.”

“You know him from pickup basketball too, I presume?”

“Yup.” He tossed a cheeseball up and caught it in his mouth. “He’s not very good at shooting, but he’s tall, so he’s alright at guarding.”

“Good for him. Or not, I don’t know.”

“So let’s say, hypothetically, I was eavesdropping on the entire conversation—”

“Hypothetically.”

“Of course.” He grinned. “He said like two words to you, and they were barely even hello. Why did you run away like that?”

You sighed, topping off your drink again. After taking a sip, musing over how best to phrase it, you finally decided on, “I just don’t trust people that are that hot—Sorry.”

Anton cocked his head curiously at you. “Who hurt you?”

“Nobody, god.” You rolled your eyes. “You’re so fucking dramatic and for what?”

“Fun and profit, mostly.”

“You hurt Sungchan’s feelings,” Donghyuck declared, blotting out the sun above you.

You closed your book on your thumb to deal with this. You had been reclining on a chair at your apartment complex’s pool reading in peace when your friend appeared out of nowhere. Outside the pool fence you could see his roommate, and two more of your mutual friends, Jaemin and Jeno. Jeno had a basketball under his arm, which made sense, the courts were right next to the pool, they were probably already heading there when they saw you and decided to detour over here to… interrogate you? Harass you?

“Who? What? When?” You squinted up at Donghyuck in confusion.

“My friend. Last night.”

“The tall one? How? Because I didn’t want to talk about the weather or whatever with him?”

“Apologize,” he demanded, crossing his arms. “And get his name right this time. It’s Sungchan. Not Jungchan.”

You scoffed, sitting up straighter in your chair. “This is exactly what I was telling Anton last night, you know. I don’t trust people that are that hot because even if they don’t do anything to abuse their hotness directly, or on purpose, other people will just do things for them anyway.”

“He’s the nicest person I know. Hotness be damned. Apologize.”

“No.”

“Really? This is the moral hill that you’re willing to die on?”

“Yup.”

“You’re a true martyr, Y/N,” Hyuck said sarcastically. “The Second Coming herself.”

“The nicest person you know? Really?” You questioned doubtfully.

“Really. And you were mean to him,” Donghyuck confirmed.

“Including Shotaro?”

“Including Taro.”

“Mark?”

“Mark’s my best friend. Doesn’t mean he’s the nicest person I know,” he retorted.

“Jeno?”

“Literally saw him steal candy from a baby yesterday.”

You blinked. “Wait, seriously?”

“Jisung. Same thing.”

“I’m not apologizing to your friend,” you declared, opening your book again.

“This is the stupidest line you’ve drawn in the sand yet.”

“I’m not going out and bullying him! All I said was that I don’t trust hot people!”

“Flaw in your logic: You’re friends with me,” he pointed out smugly.

“Think on that one again, Hyuck,” you replied snidely, looking down at your book as if you were trying to get back to reading.

“Rude.” He looked back at the other three guys waiting for him, apparently getting an idea. “What about Jeno? He’s like, ridiculously good-looking.”

“I like him just fine. I just don’t trust him, or what people will do for him because he’s stupidly attractive,” you argued.

“It sounds exhausting to be you,” he huffed, turning on his heel and leaving the pool deck.

Later that afternoon, you pulled yourself up out of the pool, heading back towards your chair. Grabbing your towel, you wrapped it around yourself to start drying off before heading back to your apartment. You saw someone walking towards you out of the corner of your eye as you were digging through your bag for your phone.

“Hi.” It was Donghyuck’s tall friend from last night, in workout gear rather than swim trunks. Obviously not here to use the pool.

“Hi.” You wiped a drop of water off your phone screen that had fallen from your nose onto it.

“Do you have a second?”

“Sure.”

He scratched the back of his neck as he focused an apologetic smile on you. “Did I do something or say something? At Donghyuck’s place? Because I’m really—”

“No.”

“—sorry if I did—Wait what?” The smile dropped from his face.

“You didn’t do anything or say anything. You were perfectly nice,” you answered honestly.

“Then it really was what you told Anton?” He asked in disbelief.

Of course, Anton must have told him what you said.

“Look, Sungchan, I’m sorry, I just don’t trust really attractive guys right off the bat.”

“I haven’t done anything to earn your distrust other than—”

“—other than being hot, yeah.” You shrugged. “Even if you really are nice, intentionally or not, people treat you differently just by virtue of you being stupidly hot. Gets in your head, whether you think it has or not.”

“You don’t know me.”

“Not at all.”

“How are you any different then?”

“Different than who?”

“You say that people treat me differently because I’m, in your words, ‘stupidly hot.’” He put the phrase air quotes. “That’s exactly what you’re doing right now.”

“How am I treating you different by not immediately falling at your feet? I don’t do that for average looking guys either.”

“That’s not what I’m asking you to do.”

“Was I rude to you last night? Bitchy? Outright mean or nasty?” You ticked the adjectives off on your fingers. “No, the most you can accuse me of was being a bit curt. And getting your name wrong, that really was my bad.”

He was quiet for a moment, and you took the opportunity to slip your sandals back on and shoulder your tote bag.

“Look, you’re not entitled to my time, attention, or to me,” you told him firmly.

“I didn’t say I was,” he said immediately, his brow furrowing.

“You’ve taken it as a personal affront that I didn’t want to idly chitchat with you last night.”

“I’m just… confused,” Sungchan sighed.

“You’re nice to look at, I’m sure you’re not a complete dud to talk to, it’s probably not torture to make small talk with you at a party. So people do,” you tried to walk him through it. “But it’s not mean for someone to not want to talk to you.”

He was silent again, that same pensive, troubled look on his face, and you found yourself in better spirits than you had been last night.

“This was fun. I would say we should do it again, but I’m afraid I would make you cry and then Hyuck would be really mad at me.” You chuckled, grabbing your keys from your bag. “So, goodbye, Sungchan.”

You were relaxed on your couch that night with a tub of ice cream when a violent banging came at your front door. Pausing the movie you were watching, you rushed to answer it, thinking that it must be the police, or some other kind of emergency. Instead, it was Donghyuck and Mark. You looked at Donghyuck incredulously, the one who had been doing the knocking.

“What is your fucking problem?” He said in lieu of a greeting, throwing his hands up in the air in disbelief.

“What did I do now? Allegedly?” You matched his tone, watching as he started pacing your entryway.

“You know what you did.” Mark was calmer, reminding you of a disappointed parent as he looked at you, his hands on his hips.

“You broke him!” Donghyuck declared.

“Who—Oh, Sungchan?” You finally connected the dots.

“Who else’s soul have you ripped out of their chest and stomped on today?”

“He sought me out,” you defended yourself, crossing your arms.

“And you couldn’t have been a human being and talked to him?”

“We talked. From what you’re saying, it sounds like he didn’t like what I had to say.”

“He’s catatonic!”

“You’re being dramatic.”

“Only slightly. But he’s not well.”

You scoffed, “If one conversation with me is enough to make him spiral, sounds like he had some other stuff going on before I opened my mouth.”

“So you refuse to take responsibility? For any of this?” Donghyuck regarded you wide, crazed eyes, looking like he was at the end of his rope.

“You’re asking me to what? Fix him?” You snorted in disbelief. “I don’t Mommy grown men, sorry.”

“You are infuriating.” He pointed at you accusatorily. “The party I could’ve let slide—”

“No you couldn’t have, you found me literally the next day demanding that I apologize for not wanting to talk to him,” you spat back.

“Not for that! I’m not going to hold a gun to your head and force you to make small talk with him,” he groaned. “I meant the stuff you were telling Anton, in the kitchen. He heard you.”

“All I said was that I don’t trust people that are that hot. Nothing to have a goddamn mental breakdown over!”

“And he wouldn’t have, if you had just, I don’t know, apologized for the misunderstanding and moved on! But no, you have to take everything to this moral extreme! Honestly, I’m finding it hard to remember what’s even likeable about you in the first place right now,” Donghyuck ranted, running his hands through his hair.

“Hyuck, that was a bit far,” Mark finally spoke up again, stepping forward.

“You really want to die on this hill, Y/N?” Donghyuck just went around his roommate, looking you in the eye. “Then fine. Don’t bother coming on the trip.”

“Hyuck, man, come on—” Mark called after him, but Donghyuck had already stormed out of your apartment.

You watched the empty doorway after him, chest heaving as all the words you’d exchanged finally caught up to you. Looking to your friend that you had been left with, you asked quietly, “Do you think I'm in the wrong, Mark?”

He tilted his head back and forth regretfully. “I think… you’re being a bit abrasive.”

“You agree with Hyuck,” you deadpanned.

“Not entirely. I don’t think he should’ve been throwing Sungchan at you so hard. He should’ve known you weren’t going to take it well, which is probably why he did it in such a weird way.”

“What?”

“He was trying to set you up with Sungchan. But knowing how… you… are, he thought he had to do it with some uh, ‘finesse.’” Mark shrugged one shoulder. “Sungchan wasn’t all that hurt after the party, really. A bit bummed that you brushed him off, sure, but he would’ve bounced back. He’s hard to knock down, literally and metaphorically. Hyuck demanded that you go ‘apologize’ to him so that you’d talk to him again. Same thing with Sungchan talking to you at the pool today, Hyuck told him to.”

“Does Sungchan know that Hyuck’s been trying to set us up this whole time?”

“I’m pretty sure.”

“So to him, this has been Hyuck setting him up with, apparently, the biggest bitch he knows,” you winced. No wonder he was so confused earlier.

“I mean…” Mark trailed off sheepishly. “He should’ve told you.”

“And I should’ve been fucking normal,” you groaned, rubbing your face.

“An argument can be made for that, yes.”

“What apartment is Sungchan in?”

According to Mark, Sungchan went on a jog every morning at 8:00, and was usually back by 10:00, so you made sure to knock on his front door at 10:15, just in case.

Sungchan opened the door, wiping sweat from his face with a towel as he spoke, “Anton, I thought we agreed on eleven…”

He trailed off when he opened his eyes and saw who was actually on his doorstep.

“Hi, Sungchan,” you greeted him.

“Oh. Hi, Y/N.” He dropped his hand from his face. In the background, you could hear music playing, and smell food being cooked.

“Uhm, are you busy? I can leave, sorry—”

“No, no, it’s fine.” He stepped back, opening the door wider and gesturing you in. You stepped into his apartment with a polite, grateful nod. It looked like he had been in the middle of making breakfast, a blender out on his counter, various fruits on a cutting board, and ingredients sizzling in a pan. He went to pause the music on his phone, and stirred the food that was in the pan. He pointed to one of the stools that was at the bar attached to the kitchen counter. “Do you want to sit?”

“No, thanks,” you shook your head. Shouldn’t take that long. “I just wanted to apologize. I was abrasive, and shouldn’t have been using you to try to draw some moral line in the sand as part of an argument with my friend.”

Sungchan nodded. “Thanks. You did have a point, about the party. I wasn’t used to people not wanting to talk to me, it was a weird experience. But you’re right, I wasn’t entitled to your time.” He went back to the cutting board, chopping up a banana and depositing it into the blender. “Besides, I’m sure you have guys come up to you all the time and you just want to be left alone. No worries.”

You tilted your head curiously. “Why do you say that?”

“People treat you different when you’re stupidly hot, right?” He shrugged, scooping some blueberries into the blender next.

“I wasn’t talking about myself…”

Sungchan just grinned and shrugged again. “So I guess I’ll see you at Hyuck’s family cabin then?”

“No. I was uninvited,” you informed him quietly.

“What? Why?”

“Because of how… poorly I handled this.”

Sungchan’s eyes widened with horror. “What? That’s crazy. I didn’t ask him—”

“Don’t worry, I totally get why he did it. His choice was between the nicest guy he knows—” you pointed to Sungchan, “—and the biggest bitch he knows—” you then pointed to yourself, “—who is a compulsive vibe-harsher. I’d pick you too.”

“Don’t tell me he called you—”

“My words,” you assured him.

“I’ll talk to him. No way you should be uninvited over a misunderstanding like this.” He flashed you an easy-going smile. “I mean, we’ve already worked it out. No hard feelings, right?”

“Right,” you agreed, offering a small smile back. “But really, Sungchan, you don’t have to. He’ll think I just apologized to you to get invited back on the trip.”

“Did you?”

“No.”

“Then there we go,” he said as if it were already decided. “I’ll talk to him.”

[hyuck: you’re un-uninvited]

[hyuck: sungchan will pick you up at 2:00 on friday]

[you: why is he picking me up???]

[hyuck: you’re the only two who need to leave late on friday. the rest of us are heading up in the morning]

[you: i have my own car??]

[hyuck: you’ve got a shitty sedan with 200,000 miles on it that can barely make it over a speed bump. you’re not making it up a mountain]

[hyuck: consider this your exposure therapy]

Sure enough, Friday at 2:00 p.m., there was a knock at your front door, Sungchan on the other side.

“Hey,” you greeted him, stepping back to grab your small rolling suitcase. “You really didn’t have to come get me, I could’ve met you down at your car.”

“I don’t mind. You need any help with your bags?” He offered, watching you also shoulder a duffel bag as you tried to wedge your memory foam pillow under your other arm.

“Where’s your stuff?” You questioned, noticing his empty hands.

“I already packed it in the car.” He reached for your suitcase, and you willingly let him take it. He held another hand out, and you gave him your duffel bag as well. Without even asking, he picked up the tote that was at your feet, too, leaving you with just your pillow and phone. “You got everything?”

You looked around your apartment, thinking hard. “Mmm… I’m pretty sure.”

“Phone, wallet, keys, charger?”

“Check.”

“Pajamas, toothbrush, toothpaste, other toiletries?”

“Check.”

“Let’s do it,” he grinned, leading the way to the front door.

[sungchan: picked y/n up! gonna get some gas on our way out of town if anybody has last minute snack requests. eta 5:00 pm!]

[jeno: 👍]

As some of the others’ snack orders came pouring in, you got one text separately.

[hyuck: be. nice.]

After filling up and triple-checking to make sure you had bought everyone’s food, you and Sungchan were back in his car, a modest-size SUV. He plugged his phone in to charge, then handed it to you.

“Here, you navigate.” The directions to the cabin were already pulled up and started.

“Uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” You tried to give it back. “I yap and nap.”

“It’s like five turns total for three hours.” He refused to take it back, starting the car and peeling off. “You can be passenger princess all you want. I even know the first two to get onto the highway on my own. Just need the exit number, the road name, and the house number.”

“Oh god, okay…” You sank down into the passenger seat, clutching his phone with two hands.

“Are you really that nice?” You asked once you had been on the highway for a while. Sungchan and you had been taking turns on aux—right now he had something playing—and there was a comfortable lull in conversation, but you couldn’t help the question that had been nagging at the back of your mind the entire time.

“There is no way for me to answer that and not sound like a dick,” he pointed out. “Either I say no, despite knowing that our mutual friends have apparently hyped up how nice I am to you, in which case it just looks like I’m acting humble. Dick move. Or I say yes, which would make me look like I’m full of myself. Dick move again.”

You looked over at him, feeling the smirk tug at your lips. “You’re fun.”

“Thanks?”

“So if you don’t think you’re that nice, how would you describe yourself?”

“What is this? Speed dating?” He snorted.

“You want to talk about something else? Pick a better topic yourself,” you retorted. “We’re stuck in here for like two more hours.”

“That’s not what I meant,” he quickly went to smooth the conversation over, his tone turning pleasant again. “I just meant… I don’t know how accurate a self-assessment like that would be. Wouldn’t you be biased about yourself? Positive or negative?”

“That’s the fun of it. Even if a person doesn’t describe themselves accurately, understanding how they see themselves can help you understand them a lot better.”

“How would you describe yourself then?”

“I asked you first.” You pointed out. It felt like it had been a long time since you checked the navigation, so you clicked Sungchan’s phone back on to see how much longer you had to go until your exit.

“Fine.” He hummed as he thought. “I like to think I’m… dependable. And a good friend. And patient—”

“That was our exit,” you said abruptly, staring at the constantly refreshing rerouting screen in front of you.

“What?”

“Well, fifty miles ago was our exit…” You winced, watching ‘288’ pass you by. Yours had been 238, apparently. You should’ve known that.

“We missed our exit?” Sungchan clarified.

“Fifty miles back, yeah.”

“And you just decided to tell me?”

“I just noticed! I thought it was 288!” You tried to defend yourself. “I told you not to make me navigate!”

He held a hand out towards you. “Give me the phone.”

“It’s rerouting, I’ll pay attention—”

“Y/N, give me the fucking phone.” His tone was low, with no room for arguing.

You meekly set it in his hand, dropping both your hands in your lap after. He cursed under his breath as he jerked the wheel over, cutting across three lanes of traffic—no turn signal—to narrowly make the next exit. Car horns followed his maneuver, but he ignored them.

“I’m sorry…” You muttered, unable to take the suffocating silence anymore. It was either apologize or tuck and roll, which was honestly still an option at this point.

“Text everyone, let them know we’ll be late,” Sungchan demanded, knuckles red and white around the wheel.

“Okay.” You scrambled to pull out your own phone. “What time should I tell them?”

“Eight.”

You gaped. “Three hours?!”

“Yes, Y/N, we’re on the other side of the fucking mountain now!” He finally snapped and raised his voice, and your eyes went wide. “We can’t just drive through it to get there!”

You took a deep breath, holding his eye contact for a tense, strangling moment before you looked down at your phone to draft your text.

[you: hey guys! uhm, due to an unfortunate series of events, sungchan and i will be a bit late! new eta 8pm]

[anton: did y’all crash or smth wtf]

Again, a separate text from Donghyuck.

[hyuck: i said be nice not fuck him nasty in the backseat for three hours what is wrong with you]

[you: shut UP]

Back in your vacation group chat, you figured you owed everyone an explanation that alleviated Sungchan of any blame.

[you: completely my fault! i’m apparently the worst navigator ever and we missed our exit :/ ]

[rina: damn y/n maintaining the stereotype that women are bad drivers even when backseat driving]

[ningning: the patriarchy thanks u for ur service queen 🫡]

[jeno: i hate when you guys start joking like this, wtf are we supposed to say without looking like assholes]

[hyuck: pour one out for y/n, it must be so hard holding open the gender pay gap like the doors of a subway car all by herself too]

[mark: bro 😭😭😭]

[you: i wish all of you a very fall down the mountain and die <3]

And one more private text from Donghyuck.

[hyuck: okay that’s how i know you didn’t get dicked down]

[hyuck: damn, you really are bad at reading directions huh]

[you: IM BLOCKING YOU]

Sungchan cleared his throat, and you slowly lowered your phone to look over at him again. He smoothly took a curve on the backroad that you were now on, one lane in each direction, that cut between the mountains with trees jutting up on either side of you.

“I’m sorry, Y/N,” Sungchan breathed out, readjusting in his seat. “For yelling at you just now. That’s not… like me.”

“Because you’re so nice?” You couldn’t bite your tongue quick enough, still put off from the spat you’d just had.

“I… guess so,” he sighed. “I don’t know. I don’t know where that came from, honest. I’m really sorry.”

“I told you I shouldn’t navigate.”

“Yeah, I know that now.”

“I’m really, really sorry for missing the exit. I should’ve been paying attention better,” you shouldered the blame that was yours.

“238 and 288 look almost the same. Easy mistake.”

“That added three hours to our drive,” you sighed, leaning your seat back.

“It’s done, no use pointing fingers at each other anymore,” Sungchan shook his head, tapping his thumbs on the steering wheel. “Or yourself.”

“Do you even have enough gas for another three hours? We’re not going to get stuck out here, are we?”

“I’ll stop at the next station I see.”

“How far is the next station?” You mumbled, pulling up your phone to search it up on your own. “Fifty-two miles. How much gas do we have?”

“A hundred miles on the range. See? We’re fine.” Sungchan’s smile dropped off his face right after he said that. “Huh…”

“What?” You sat up as he reached over to put the hazards on and pulled the car off onto the shoulder. “What’s going on?”

“Low tire pressure light,” he frowned. “I checked my tires before I grabbed you from your place. Give me a sec.”

He left the car running as he hopped out, and you watched as he walked around the car, squatting down to inspect each of the tires. Finally, he walked up to your window. You rolled it down to talk to him.

“Back right tire has a nail in it. Slow leak,” he explained. “I’ve got to change it.”

“Aren’t you not supposed to drive spares in certain conditions?” You asked as he reached through the open window to unlock and open the door. “Like on a mountain road or whatever?”

With the door open, he rolled the window back up and reached past you to turn the car off, taking the key out of the ignition. “The road’s paved, it’s not like it’s gravel or anything. I’ll have to drive careful and drive slow on the spare, but it’s either that or we’re stranded out here.”

You eyed the sun that was already descending behind the mountains. “Right. Spare it is.”

“Need you to hold the flashlight if you don’t mind.” He opened the glove box in front of you, rooting around and grabbing a flashlight the length of your forearm.

You accepted it from him. “Got it.”

Sungchan took the tools out of the trunk, as well as the spare tire. He first lifted the car up with the jack, and you became acutely aware of how abandoned the road that you were on really was as not a single other car passed by the entire time. Sungchan stood back up once the car was up to peel off his flannel, tossing it into the trunk with the rest of the tools and the spare waiting to be used.

“Y/N.”

“Huh?” You looked down at where he had gotten back on the ground.

“I need to see the lug nuts, not my arms.”

“Sorry.” You shuffled behind him to be able to point the beam directly on the tire instead of where it had drifted to his mostly bare arms under his t-shirt.

“Much better. Thanks.”

You watched as his hands skillfully unscrewed the lug nuts from the tire with the wrench, holding the first two behind him. “Hold these for me?”

“Oh, sure.” You held your hand out for him to drop them into your palm.

Once you had all five in hand, Sungchan pulled the flat off the car and swapped it out for the spare. You tried not to listen to the darkened forest behind you.

“Lug nuts?” He held his hand up from where he was laying on the ground. You deposited a couple back into his hand for him to screw on at a time.

As he alternated between tightening the nuts and lowering the car down off the jack, you dutifully kept the flashlight pointed on the area he was working on. Finally, the car was back on the ground, and he took the jack out from under it. He rolled the old tire around until he could point out the head of a nail embedded in the tread.

“There’s the little fucker.” Sungchan clicked his tongue before he heaved the tire up into the back. He put away all the tools too, then wiped away beads of sweat that had gathered under his bangs with the hem of his shirt.

He grabbed his flannel, tossing it over his shoulder before he shut the hatch on the trunk. He then turned to you with a bright smile and held his hand up for a high-five. “Alright!”

You high-fived him back mindlessly, pointing the flashlight at your feet now. “I didn’t do anything…”

“What are you talking about? I would’ve been fumbling around in the dark without you.” He nodded his head towards the front of the car. “Come on, we’re going to be late as is. We need to find that gas station. Hopefully they’re open late.”

“Hopefully…”

[you: NEW new eta idfk]

[you: we got a flat and need to fill up again]

[you: we might die out here. if this is my last message, just know that i still wish you all a very fall down the mountain and die <3]

[rina: aw ily2 pookie <33]

[you: sungchan probably says hi or smth]

Hyuck texted you individually again.

[hyuck: oh i know that car smells RANK 🫵🫵🫵]

[you: bitch this tire is as flat as YOUR ASS]

[hyuck: so it’s caked up??? my point is made 😌]

[you: delusion]

“The stars are really pretty out here,” Sungchan’s voice took you away from your phone.

He wasn’t driving as fast as before on account of the spare, making your trip even longer. You looked out the windshield in front of you, at a small patch of sky that you could see peeking out in between the mountains and trees. It was hundreds, if not thousands of stars, infinitely more than you could ever hope to see on a perfectly clear night in the city.

“Wow.” You leaned your arms and head forward on the dash to see it better. “That’s crazy…”

“I bet we’ll see even more once we get to the cabin.”

“If we don’t die out here first,” you half-joked. “How much gas do we have?”

“Sixty miles. And the station should be another ten.”

“Online didn’t have any hours for it…” You muttered. “And this is kind of rural…”

“Which means the owner might live on the property, or they have someone work a night shift for weary travelers just like us.”

“Weary travelers?” You repeated with amusement. “You make it sound like we’re going on some long journey and are seeking lodging at an inn.”

“Some of that’s true.”

“Yeah, yeah. And I won’t knock the weary part either.” You laid back in your seat again, letting out a yawn.

“Take a nap,” Sungchan encouraged you. “We’ll still have a while to drive after refilling, especially since we’re driving slow with the spare.”

“I would, but if the station is open, I gotta pee…” You whispered. “And it’s only like ten miles.”

“Then take a nap after.”

Finally, there was a building in the distance, and miraculously, when Sungchan pulled up to the lone gas pump, the lights inside were even on.

“Sungchan?” You walked around to where he was filling up the car.

“Yeah?” He looked over at you from where he had been watching the numbers on the meter go up.

“Uhm, can you go in with me? Into the store?” You asked almost sheepishly. “I just—”

“Of course.” He agreed with no hesitation, nodding towards the building for you to lead the way. The gas continued pumping on its own as he walked away, and you grabbed his arm as you approached the front door. He didn’t say anything as he opened the door for the two of you.

The attendant behind the counter didn’t even look up from his phone at the two of you as you entered. There was exactly one bathroom at the very back of the small convenience store, and Sungchan walked you back through the cramped aisles of snacks. When you were done, he was waiting just outside the door where you’d left him.

“Good?” He asked quietly, offering you the same arm that you’d taken in the parking lot.

You took it gladly. “Good.”

Sungchan gave the store employee a nod of acknowledgement as the two of you left, and the man once again didn’t even look up at you. Back at the car, the gas had clicked off on its own, and Sungchan replaced the pump. He walked you to the passenger side, opening your door and ushering you in, closing it firmly behind you before getting in on his side and locking it behind him.

“Good?” He asked you again.

“Good,” you confirmed, and he started the car up.

Back on the road, the darkness all around you, steady rumble of the pavement under you, and music Sungchan had playing at a low volume was slowly lulling you back towards sleep again. You let out a rather obvious, violent yawn, not even having enough in you to slap your hand over your mouth all that quick.

“Go to sleep, Y/N,” Sungchan said again.

“But you’ve got to drive more,” you argued. “Who’s going to keep you awake?”

“I’ve got it, promise.” He then chuckled to himself. “You’ve yapped, now it’s time to nap.”

“Mm, alright.” You curled up in your reclined seat as best you could, letting your eyes flutter shut. “Wake me up if you need entertainment to stay awake. Love a good car sing-along…”

Your eyes and limbs still felt heavy and sluggish with sleep when you woke up later that night, and you pulled your blanket tighter to you as you tried to settle back in. You took a deep breath in through your nose, and then immediately remembered that you did not go to sleep with a blanket on you, and that this definitely was not yours that was on you right now. You felt at the material bunched in your hand again and recognized it as an article of clothing of some sort, not a blanket. Slowly opening one eye, you saw that it was a big hoodie, the arms wrapped around your shoulders so it didn’t fall off.

You shifted in your seat again, sitting up a little more as you looked at the hoodie that was draped over you a little closer.

“Hey, are you waking up?” Sungchan asked quietly from beside you.

You looked over at him, squinting. “Mm… mhm.”

“Good, we’re almost there. I’d say ten minutes,” he informed you.

“What… time is it?”

“A little after nine.”

“Ugh…” You dropped your head back against the seat. “Feels like two in the morning.”

“I know what you mean,” he chuckled. “I’m going to be ready to sleep as soon as we get there too.”

“Yeah, but you were like driving and changing tires and stuff. I was... whatever the opposite of a passenger princess is, the whole time. A passenger nuisance.”

“You held the flashlight. That was a very important job.”

“I’m going to pretend like that didn’t feel patronizing and say thanks.”

“We both had a long night, Y/N. Being tired is warranted, for everyone involved.”

“Thanks, Sungchan.”

“You’re welcome.”

“No, not just for that.” You were interrupted by another yawn as you went to put the back of your seat upright again. “For… driving me, and apologizing for snapping at me earlier, and changing the tire, and walking me to the bathroom, and for the hoodie. You’re…”

“Nice?” He seemed to be bracing himself for the word.

“A good guy.”

“Oh.”

You didn’t say anything else, readjusting his hoodie on you as he continued driving. Finally, he pulled off the road into a driveway, and a cabin came into view. All the lights were on, and he stopped behind a few other cars that you recognized: Mark’s, Jaemin’s, and Karina’s.

The two of you had just started taking your stuff out of the trunk when some of your friends met you outside.

“You survived!” Jaemin cheered.

“Barely,” you groaned, reaching for your pillow.

“What happened to your tire, dude?” Mark asked Sungchan.

“Got a nail in it somewhere,” he explained, taking his phone out to shine the flashlight on it. As they looked it over and talked about the car, the others grabbed both yours and Sungchan’s stuff to take into the cabin.

“So, before you guys got a flat, how exactly did you manage to read the map on your phone so wrong you added three hours to the drive?” Jeno questioned you, your duffel bag slung over his shoulder.

“Our exit was 238, I misread it, thought it was 288,” you explained with a sigh. “We ended up on the wrong side of the mountain and had to go back around.”

“Damn, it’s a good thing you were with Sungchan when you did that,” Anton laughed, dragging Sungchan’s suitcase in. “Anybody else probably would’ve lost their shit on you.”

“He did.”

Everyone who was within earshot turned to look at you.

“What?” Anton blinked.

“I mean, he didn’t like, go crazy or anything, but he was angry.”

“We’re talking about the same guy, right? Jung Sungchan, right over there?” Hyuck pointed to where Sungchan and Mark were still chatting by the cars further down the driveway. “He got like, actually mad at you?”

“Uh-huh,” you confirmed. “Raised his voice, yelled, whatever word you want to use. Cursed, too.”

“I’ve never even seen him get like, frustrated…” Shotaro whistled.

Hyuck looked between you and Sungchan in disbelief. “What the hell?”

“He apologized,” you added what felt like a pretty important detail.

“I’m sure he did,” Anton snorted, opening the front door. “I’m kind of surprised he’s not still like, begging for your forgiveness.”

“He apologized for getting upset, I apologized for missing the exit, we moved on.” You shrugged, stepping into the cabin. “And the sky didn’t fall.”

“Yet.” Hyuck scoffed. “Who knows, hell might freeze over before we wake up.”

“Speaking of, where exactly are we all sleeping?”

The next morning, you slipped out of the king size bed that you, Karina, and Ningning were all sharing and treaded down the darkened hallway as quietly as possible. The sun hadn’t risen yet, and you winced when a floorboard creaked underfoot as you passed behind the pull-out couch that Shotaro and Anton had crashed on.

There was already light pouring out of the kitchen when you got there, and a tall figure was standing in front of the stove, a tea kettle on one of the old coil burners. Sungchan was illuminated by the stove light, and turned around when he heard the shuffling of your socks across the tile. It looked like he had already showered and gotten dressed, his hair a little damp as it hung in his eyes, and he was in a fresh t-shirt, shorts, and pair of sneakers.

“You’re up early,” he commented, keeping his voice low to not disturb the others in the next room.

“You too,” you replied just as softly.

The kettle began whistling just then, and he immediately flipped open the spout to stop the noise, taking it off the stove. He opened a nearby cabinet to grab a mug.

“Tea?” He offered. “I’m not a big coffee guy…”

“Sure,” you accepted, and he took a second mug down. “What kind?”

Sungchan went to a different cabinet to get a box of tea sachets. “Green.”

He dropped a tea bag into each mug, then poured the boiling water over them. He handed you your mug before leaning against a spot by the sink.

“Thanks.” You wrapped your hands contentedly around the warm drink.

You lifted your bag up and down by the string, letting it steep as your eyes blinked open and closed, your mind still coming to in the early morning hours. Outside the cabin, you could hear birds singing as the forest woke up too, and you smiled to yourself at the thought.

“So, uh—” Sungchan cleared his throat awkwardly. “What’s the difference between a nice guy and a good guy?”

You opened your eyes, lifting your head to look up at him, slightly amused. You hoped this hadn’t kept him up last night. “A nice guy wouldn’t have yelled at me in the first place.”

“Oh.” He looked a bit ashamed, and also like he might try to apologize again.

“But that also would’ve made no opportunity for you to apologize,” you continued. “A nice guy is just nice. A good guy can admit when he’s wrong, because he actually is wrong sometimes. But he fixes it after.”

“Huh…” Sungchan took another sip of his tea. “Are you a philosophy student or something? Gender studies?”

“No.” You laughed. “Just a compulsive vibe-harsher, like I said.”

“I don’t know how being smart harshes the vibe.”

“I… find it hard to take things at face value. I always have to evaluate them through some lens. It’s tough for me to live in the moment, I guess. Doesn’t always make me the most fun at parties.”

“You can’t be that much of a bummer, they keep inviting you places.” He had finished his tea, and turned around to wash out the mug before setting it aside to dry. “I’ve got to go, I found a place that’ll look at my tire. I called and they’re open on Saturdays.”

“I’ll go with you,” you offered. “If you want some company…”

“It’s on the other side of the mountain,” he informed you. “It’ll be an all-day thing, you should hang out here with everyone. I think Hyuck said they were going to take the boat out.”

“But then you’ll be all alone and bored in the car all day.” You tilted your head. “If you just don’t want me to come, tell me. I’ll be okay.”

“No, Y/N, I’d appreciate the company, but are you sure you want to be stuck in the car with me all day again?”

“Just don’t make me navigate and we’ll be good.”

“Never again,” he smiled. “You’ll be there purely for entertainment.”

“Great, let me get changed.”

“Aw, I thought the jammies were cute,” Sungchan snickered, and for the first time that morning you processed what you were wearing.

A pair of Sanrio character-patterned sleep shorts that were originally from a pajama set (the matching button-up top had long disappeared), well-loved, and a big t-shirt that your dad had gotten from his work when you were high school, worn in with a couple holes in one of the sleeves and another low on the bottom hem—not in any scandalous areas, hence why you hadn’t retired it yet, but definitely not your finest attire.

“Shut up!” You hissed, putting your mug down on the counter to cross your arms over your chest. “I’m changing!”

[sungchan: going to get my tire fixed, y/n’s with me. car shop is on the other side of the mountain so we’ll be back late afternoon-ish]

[jeno: 👍]

“I wasn’t kidding, the pajamas were cute,” Sungchan chuckled as he pulled away from the cabin.

The backroads looked much more welcoming and pleasant in the daytime, all tall, green trees and beautiful mountain landscapes.

“Yeah, sure,” you snorted, taking over the aux first.

“Is my hoodie over there by the way?” He questioned, pointing to the passenger seat floor. “It wasn’t in my stuff yesterday, I thought it might’ve ended up on the floor or something.”

“Oh, sorry, I accidentally took it in with me,” you informed him, remembering when you had finally gotten settled into your room late last night and realized you’d brought the article of clothing in with you in the midst of the hecticness. “I’ll give it back to you when we get back to the cabin after this.”

“Don’t worry about it, just wondering where it went.” He waved you off nonchalantly, eyes focused on the road as he navigated a curve.

But you weren’t going to let him chalant around that so easily. “And what does that mean, Sungchan?”

“I like that hoodie and didn’t want to have lost it on a mountain in the middle of nowhere?”

“So, if I were to give it back to you and start borrowing, oh, I don’t know, Jeno’s hoodie…?”

“That’d be weird, because you have a perfectly good one,” he replied simply.

“Mhm…”

“And clearly, I’m trying to establish my dominance over the other males and stake my unofficial claim over you by having you wear my clothes,” he looked over at you, voice dripping with sarcasm.

You held his eye contact for a moment before you both burst out laughing. “What?!”

“Sorry, I tried my hand at harshing the vibe like you,” his eyes crinkled as he laughed. “Just sounded like a fucking weirdo, huh?”

“A bit, yeah.” You wheezed as you tried to catch your breath. “You also can’t sound that sarcastic when you do it. People have to believe that you believe what you’re saying.”

“I didn’t though. I mean, not completely. I think.”

“Either commit to the bit or don’t.”

He frowned thoughtfully. “But… wouldn’t that have made you feel weird? What I just said?”

“Oh yeah, I don’t buy into all that alpha male social hierarchy bullshit. It’s based off one study on a pack of wolves that’s been debunked multiple times.” You shook your head. “But the second part wasn’t an incorrect analysis of flirting and dating dynamics.”

“Damn, you’re good at that,” he chuckled fondly.

“I didn’t know that Donghyuck was setting us up, by the way,” you felt the need to clarify in that moment. “Not until… right before I apologized?”

“I kind of worked that out eventually,” he sighed. “He should’ve told you, by the way.”

“Yeah, then maybe I would’ve been fucking normal.”

“Probably not.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“I mean, it was unfair to you to have been in the dark like that.”

“That’s… generous. Here I thought it was unfair to you to have been subjected to me like that.”

“I was a bit confused as to why Donghyuck told me he had the perfect person for me and then every time I talked to you, you either ran away or seemed to hate me for no good reason,” he admitted.

“I truly wonder what his thought process was…” You mused. “He meets you playing pickup basketball, you turn out to be nicest guy he’s ever met, and his first thought is to introduce you to me? Weird.”

“Why is that weird?” Sungchan tilted his head. “I think you’re cool.”

“I mean, I’m not nice. Or, it’s definitely not one of my defining characteristics. Wouldn’t you want to set up your two nicest single friends with each other?”

“They might get bored of each other,” he muttered.

You looked at him curiously. “Do you think you’re boring, Sungchan?”

He shrugged. “Isn’t that what people say? ‘Oh he’s… a nice guy.’ When they can’t think of anything else about you because you’re boring.”

“I’ve had plenty of fun with you,” you assured him. “Including being stuck in a car with you for six hours and getting a flat tire.”

“I haven’t exactly been my usual self with you…” He confessed quietly.

“Oh?”

“I don’t get upset with people, or tease them like this, or say weird stuff to try to harsh the vibe on purpose.”

You couldn’t help but let out a peal of laughter. “Maybe you are usually pretty boring, then.”

“I think… because you’ve already seen me get mad, and we got past that, I feel like I can try out being things other than nice with you?” He seemed to have been picking his words very carefully. “Does that make sense?”

“Yeah, Sungchan, it makes sense,” you affirmed. “Are you seriously saying you don’t joke around with the others?”

“I joke around, but I’m not really like… sarcastic, I guess. I don’t want to say something and hurt someone’s feelings either because they didn’t get that it was a joke, or even if they did, because it went too far.”

“That’s fair, but… you have to trust people.”

“Coming from the woman who said she doesn’t trust hot people?” He questioned pointedly.

“Okay, fair,” you chuckled. “But hear me out.”

“Go for it.”

“If your friend said or did something that hurt your feelings, and you didn’t tell them that directly, would you expect them to know?”

He seemed to think about this for a moment, then shook his head. “No, they can’t read my mind. I would need to tell them so we can talk about it.”

“Then why do you have higher standards for yourself as a friend than you have for your friends?”

Sungchan’s mouth dropped open, then closed, then opened again, then closed once more as he frowned deeply, his brows knitting together.

You continued, “You have to trust your friends to tell you when they’re hurt by something you say or do. If you spend your whole life assuming what your friends’ feelings are instead actually letting them tell you, you’re just forcing your own expectations onto them without their input. And it’s also not fair to you to constantly be living your life trying to minimize all these perceived slights against people. Not to mention—sometimes someone’s feelings can get hurt and you didn’t really do anything wrong.”

He laughed nervously. “Not philosophy or gender studies grad student; I think I’m going to skip right over psychology and just go straight for all-knowing deity that can see straight into my soul?”

“Been thinking about updating my LinkedIn to Professional Yapper, but I think I like that better,” you grinned, handing his phone back over to him. “Your turn on the aux.”

“It’s fixable,” the tire shop owner confirmed. “Should take an hour or so. It’s just me and my son and we have a couple customers ahead of you. You and your girlfriend are welcome to wait here, or, you know, it’s lunchtime, there’s a restaurant that’s a five-minute walk down the road.”

He pointed in presumably the general direction of it.

“Right, uhm, here’s my number, in case we’re not here when it’s done.” Sungchan wrote his number down on a notepad on the front desk in the small tire shop.

The older man pulled the paper towards him, flashing the both of you a smile. “If you go to lunch, tell Mrs. Han I sent you.”

“Thank you.” He nodded to the man before you both stepped away from the counter, and the owner walked into the back where the cars were.

You looked up at Sungchan questioningly. “I could do lunch. Are you hungry?”

“Sure,” he agreed. “Beats sitting here for an hour. After sitting in the car for two days straight, I’d like to walk for a bit.”

There was of course no sidewalk, so the two of you had to walk on the shoulder of the road, the odd vehicle zipping by every so often and kicking up your hair. Sungchan kept himself between you and the road, meaning that you were on the grassier part of the shoulder, but you didn’t mind, taking the opportunity to look for wildflowers by your feet.

“Did we really look like a couple?” You asked, stopping to bend over and pick a yellow wildflower, then continued your walk.

“We were a man and woman alone in the middle of nowhere with car trouble,” Sungchan pointed out. “I don’t think the first assumption would be that we met a week ago.”

“Hm, fair.”

“He probably sees a lot of couples coming out here for romantic getaways breaking down or getting flats or whatever.”

“Sounds like the beginning of a horror movie…” You picked a stalk of small white flowers. “Or the first five minutes of a crime procedural.”

Sungchan grabbed a purple flower and held it out to you. “Truly a miracle that we survived.”

“Are you a mechanic or something?”

“Why? Because I know how to change a tire?”

You shrugged. “It’s a guess. You guessed that I was a philosophy student because I like to yap.”

“Not a mechanic.”

“You going to make me keep guessing?”

“I’ve guessed what you do three times now and you’ve yet to tell me.” He elbowed you. “I think you can handle a little more suspense about me.”

You swatted his arm away. “I don’t know if all-knowing deity should really count…”

“I was being so serious, hand on my heart.” He laid his hand over his chest dramatically.

“Well, I know it’s not pro basketball player,” you hummed teasingly. “Anton says you suck.”

“My three-pointer could use some work…”

“Pretty much our whole complex is grad students or young professionals... Are you in school?”

“You haven’t given me any hints.”

“You haven’t asked for any.”

He watched you step a little further from the road to get a pink flower from a patch before rejoining him. “I’ll answer if you answer.”

“A bargain?” You grinned, taking your gaze off the blue flowers that you had been eyeing up ahead of you and turning it up to Sungchan next to you. “I’ll take it. You first.”

“I’m a student. Your turn.”

“Both,” you answered. “I take night classes.”

“I have to guess two things for you?”

“What do we win if we guess right, anyway?” You asked.

“Y/N...” Sungchan stared you down at you avoiding his question.

“Fine, if you can guess one, I’ll tell you the other,” you acquiesced. “So what’s the prize?”

“Winning isn’t enough?” He questioned.

“You’re the one who turned it into a game.”

“Pretty sure you’re the one who did that, but okay,” he teased back. “I don’t know, what do you think it should it be? You suggested a prize.”

You hummed, stepping away from the road to reach for a bright blue flower, having to lean over to one side as the ground sloped down steeply in this area. A few pieces of gravel under your feet tumbled downhill, and Sungchan grabbed your forearm that was close to him to balance you as you picked the flower. Still hunched over, using your new stability with his hold on you to stretch your arm even further out towards a pretty orange one, you suggested, “Winner picks our first date when we get back home?”

“Date?” He echoed, his grip slipping on you for a moment.

You yelped as you nearly lost your balance, and Sungchan barely caught you from tumbling down the hillside, jerking you back towards him. You landed on your ass at his feet, huffing as you looked up at him.

“Sorry,” he said sheepishly, moving to offer you a hand up.

You took it, standing back up and brushing yourself off. Picking the orange wildflower first, you then threatened, “If you push me down this mountain for real, I’m taking you with me.”

“Yeah, that’s deserved,” he chuckled. “I was just, uhm, surprised.”

“Donghyuck tried to set us up—failed stupendously, which I mean, it’s Hyuck, what’s new?—but we’ve been flirting, I have your hoodie, unless something goes terribly wrong in the next two weeks, that would be the next step, right?” You pointed out. “I wasn’t planning on overanalyzing this but…”

Sungchan let out a round of giggles, his whole face scrunching up as he laughed. “Oh… you don’t know how relieved I am right now to hear you overanalyze that for me.”

“What…?”

“No offense, but it’s a bit hard to tell when you’re analyzing and when you’re flirting,” he admitted, still looking at you with a wide, fond grin. “I mean, this all literally started with you calling me stupidly hot and that somehow being a bad thing.���

You pursed your lips ruefully. “I can see how that might’ve been confusing…”

“No, it’s great,” he chuckled. “You’re great.”

Finally sitting in a booth in the small roadside restaurant, which only had a handful of other customers, the two of you had put in your orders with Mrs. Han and were sipping on your drinks as you went back to your guessing game from the walk.

“We have to guess before we get back to the cabin,” you determined, folding your hands in front of you. “Other people there know us. They might say something.”

Sungchan nodded from across the table. “Good point. Time limit, I like it.”

“Business major. MBA,” you started immediately.

“What? No,” he snorted incredulously.

“It’s basically Undeclared for people who don’t want to disappoint their parents, I had to guess it, sorry.”

“Literature, writing, MFA, something in there?”

“No, and that was like two guesses, so I get two this time.” You clicked your tongue. “Master’s in education, focus in coaching pedagogy.”

“That was one?”

“Yeah.”

“No.”

“Okay, my second: International Relations.”

“No.” He cracked his knuckles. “I’m switching gears, because you seem to know a lot of degrees off the top of your head. You work in the Registrar’s Office?”

“No.”

“Damn! Wait, no, you’re an academic advisor?”

“Nope.”

“Graduate advisor.”

“No, and that was three in a row, Sungchan,” you pointed out humorously.

“I know. Alright, your three?”

“Can I ask a question to narrow it down instead?”

He squinted suspiciously. “What kind of question?”

“To help me narrow the field down. I won’t ask you to tell me the field, they’ll still be yes or no questions.”

“Yes, only if I can ask you the same.”

“It’d only be fair,” you confirmed. “STEM?”

“No.”

“Oh thank God,” you let out a groan of relief.

He laughed. “What’s wrong with people in STEM fields?”

“Listen, love a woman in STEM,” you defended yourself. “Men in STEM… they’re… how do I put this nicely? Insufferable know-it-alls?”

“That’s putting it nicely?”

“Yup.” You took a sip of your drink. “Don’t tell me it’s Finance either…”

“No.”

“Okay, I have one more…” You tapped your finger to your chin. “Is it a Fine Art?”

“No.” Sungchan looked down at the small bunch of flowers that you had set aside on the table. “What are you going to do with those?”

You shrugged. “I don’t know. Look at them for a while. Take pretty pictures for my Instagram. Toss them eventually, I guess. They’re not gonna live forever.”

Selecting one of the little pink flowers, you reached across the table to tuck it behind Sungchan’s ear. “There.”

He touched the flower, a similar shade of pink dusting his cheeks. “Thanks.”

“Your turn to guess.”

“STEM?”

“Math is my worst enemy, numbers were invented to harm me personally,” you retorted. “No.”

“I should’ve known,” he teased.

Mrs. Han brought your food out then, and you both thanked her before she bustled off to take care of a family that had just walked in. There was a pause in your conversation as you started eating. The food was delicious, and as you took another sip to wash it down, you looked out the window next to your table.

“The view is just crazy here,” you gushed, taking in the mountainside dotted with more colorful patches of wildflowers. You patted your pocket for your phone, then frowned when you couldn’t find it. “Where’s my—”

Wordlessly, Sungchan picked it up from the tabletop and held it out to you. You smiled at him. “Oh, thanks! Didn’t even see it.”

After taking a few pictures, you set your phone back down and returned to your guessing game. “Law?”

He shook his head, still chewing, and wiped his face before speaking with a clear mouth. “Nope. Are your job and what you’re studying related at all?”

“Yes.”

“Huh. I don’t think that actually helped me at all.”

“Education?”

“Mm, yes to the field, but I will make you narrow it down further,” Sungchan acquiesced.

You beamed at having finally gotten closer. “So I was on the right track with my second guess!”

“Are you doing a Fine Art?”

“No. Master’s in Early Childhood Education?”

He let out a soft chuckle as he sat back in the booth, holding his hands up in surrender. “You win.”

“Yes!” You cheered quietly, pumping a fist victoriously at eye level. “I was going to start at Early Childhood and keep going up in age bracket until I got a yes.”

“So?” He prompted you. “What do you do?”

“Right now, I’m a primary school teacher and I tutor on the side for some extra cash.” You watched his eyes grow wide as you revealed this. “And I’m taking a mix of night classes and online classes to get my degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.”

“And that’s a…?”

“Doctorate.”

“Wow…” He breathed out. “Donghyuck really didn’t tell me anything about you before dragging me over to you at his party but uh—”

“Maybe he figured he’s got one friend who is a teacher and one who wants to be a teacher, might as well?” You suggested with humor in your tone, reaching for your glass.

“Yeah, maybe,” he laughed, his eyes sparkling as he kept looking at you.

When you and Sungchan finally got back to the cabin, you found it entirely devoid of your other friends.

“No welcoming party this time?” You scoffed, gesturing to the empty living room. “Now I’m thinking we should just keep the free fudge Mrs. Han gave us all to ourselves.”

“Hyuck did say they were going to take the boat out,” Sungchan reminded you, placing the bag containing said free fudge onto the kitchen counter. “And there’s no way the two of us could eat all that by ourselves before they got back.”

You made a small ‘hmph’ sound, moving to the large sliding glass door in the living room that afforded a view of the lake. The sun glistened off the water, and from here you couldn’t even see the next closest neighbor.

“Do you want to go down to the dock?” Sungchan suggested, joining you by the door. “They took the boat, but that doesn’t mean we’re stuck inside.”

“So,” Sungchan followed you down the pathway from the back porch down to the dock. “Once you have your degree, do you still want to be a teacher?”

“Yeah, my kids are why I’m getting it in the first place,” you explained, carefully picking your way down the steep decline. “I want to be able to advocate on behalf of them better, and understand what’s going on when the people who aren’t teachers are making decisions that affect us.”

“What year do you teach?”

“I provide supplemental curricula for all ages. Reading and writing mostly.” You peeked back at him over your shoulder. “Do you have an age you want to teach?”

A giddy smile tugged at his lips. “Little ones. Preschool. They’re so… Everything’s new to them. It’s so much fun seeing the world like that.”

“Yeah, it is.” You could feel that you were smiling too, turning your eyes back down to watch your step.

Soon, you were down on the dock, laid out on your towel as you enjoyed a puddle of sunlight, listening to the sounds of Sungchan splashing around in the water in front of you.

“You’re going to get skin cancer like that.”

Propping yourself up on one elbow, you looked over your sunglasses at where Sungchan had climbed back up the ladder and was sitting on the edge of the dock, pushing his wet hair out of his face. Like you’d said before, stupidly attractive.

“You literally helped me apply my sunscreen,” you drawled pointedly, recalling when he’d so coyly offered to help you get your back. Pushing your sunglasses back into place, you laid down again. “If I do, it’s your fault.”

You could hear him stand up and walk towards you. “I’ve never understood laying in the sun like that. Don’t you get all sweaty?”

“Haven’t you heard? I’m cold-blooded,” you replied humorously.

“Well, do you think you can survive one swim, or will your blood turn sludge in your veins as soon as you touch water?”

You snickered, finally sitting up. “Fine, fine, I’ll get in.”

Sungchan watched you get to your feet, then offered his hand out. You eyed it suspiciously.

“I’m getting in,” you promised, pointing to the ladder.

He offered his hand more insistently. “It’s not that bad. Jump in with me.”

You sighed, grabbing his hand. “Fine.”

Stepping up the edge of the dock with him, he swung your clasped hands in time as he counted, “One, two—”

“Three!” You finished, pulling him forward with you.

He rushed to bring his other hand up to plug his nose as you careened the both of you off the dock and into the lake. The water surged up around you, cool but not cold, not too warm to be gross, just refreshing enough. You squeezed your eyes shut as you went under, and let go of Sungchan’s hand so you could paddle back up to the surface. Wiping the water from your eyes, you laughed as he immediately pointed an accusatory finger at you.

“Dragging your heels only to pull me off!” He was grinning too.

“I’m sorry, did I see you plugging your nose?” You teased back. “At your big age?”

“I’m not getting a brain-eating amoeba, thank you,” he retorted. “You were asleep, but there was this billboard we passed on our way here warning people about it.”

“But do you know how to blow nose bubbles, Sungchan?”

“Well, no.”

“Okay, mini-swim lesson,” you declared, waving him closer. “Come on, I used to teach water safety to little kids. If I can teach a two-year-old to stop snorting water, I believe in you.”

“You taught swim lessons?”

“Yeah, it was my first job, in high school.” You locked back into instructing. “You can blow your nose, right?”

He looked at you blankly. “Yes.”

“Hey, some people have body awareness issues, it’s always better to ask.” You held your hands up defensively. “So, same mechanics, air goes out into the water, keep your mouth closed, and don’t inhale through your nose right after while it’s still underwater.”

You did a small demonstration for him, only submerging from your chin to your nose, letting out a slow stream of bubbles. Bringing your face back up, you added, “And try not to exhale all at once.”

Sungchan mirrored your actions, lowering his face until his nose was underwater, slowly exhaling. He uncertainly lifted his head again after, eyes on you.

You smiled and clapped your hands. “Yay! There we go!”

“That was... weirdly easy.” He immediately did it again.

“Now you just have to think about doing it all the time, until you don’t have to think about doing it.” You rolled over onto your back, relaxing as you floated. “Then you’ll never have to worry about plugging your nose again.”

“If you used to be a swim instructor, why didn’t you want to swim?” Sungchan followed after you curiously as you drifted away.

“Because then I do stuff like give grown men lessons on how to blow nose bubbles.”

“That was helpful.”

“And—” You popped up to tread water again, facing Sungchan. “I kind of hate lakes. And oceans. Anything that I can’t see the bottom in, and where stuff lives. Like fish, or brain-eating amoebas. I like my pools.”

His face fell. “Oh, well we can get out—”

“I said kind of,” you cut him off. “I don’t mind, because you wanted to swim, and I’m having fun with you.”

“But—”

“Sungchan.” You held his gaze steadily, keeping your voice calm, inquisitive even. “Have you ever done something you don’t really care for, because your friends or family wanted to?”

“Well, yeah.”

“They’re worth it?”

“Of course.”

You tilted your head with a knowing smile. “So are you.”

His face flushed with what you knew wasn’t the heat of the sun. “Oh...”

The sound of a boat motor in the distance caught your attention. Coming around a bend in the trees was, in fact, a boat, and while you couldn’t make out any individual faces at this distance, the fact that it was headed right towards you, and several of the figures were jumping and waving at you, you could guess that it held all your friends.

“Well, there’s everyone,” you laughed, heading back towards the dock.

Some days later, you were contentedly relaxed in a hammock that had been suspended between two trees in the spacious backyard of the cabin, humming along to a song playing from Ningning’s phone as you half-listened to whatever juicy piece of gossip that the other two were divulging. A cool night breeze passed over your bare arms and legs, pricking up goosebumps in its wake, and you shivered.

“I’m going to grab a sweater or something,” you declared, getting down from the hammock. Picking up your empty drink can from the table nearby, you added, “Not to mention, I’m out of seltzer.”

“Can you see if we have any more chocolate-covered pretzels?” Karina requested.

“Sure.” You grabbed some of the other trash to take in with you.

You passed by the guys playing video games in the living room as you headed for the kitchen, tossing the garbage out first. After throwing on a hoodie from your room, you went back into the living room, fully intending on checking the kitchen for Karina’s snack. Instead, you were met by a desperate, raucous chorus of yells of your name.

“Hm?” You looked up at the guys questioningly, stopping in your tracks.

Mark waved you over fervently. “Come here! We need an even number.”

“What are you guys playing?” You took a hesitant step closer, eyes scrutinizing the game menu.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s a button masher, super easy,” Shotaro reassured you, grabbing your arm and pulling you into the living room. “Sungchan’s not even half-bad at it.”

“Yeah, you can uh, you can even be on Sungchan’s team,” Hyuck said, exchanging a mischievous grin with a couple of your other friends.

“Okay,” you shrugged, plopping down into the space that Sungchan had made for you between him and the arm of the couch. A controller was pushed into your hand. Karina’s pretzels could wait.

“This moves your character around, this one is to jump, this one is to attack, this one is to shield,” Sungchan quietly explained the controls to you as the others started assigning teams, hands hovering over yours on the controller. “There’s some other special moves, but those are the basics. Just uh, stay away from Hyuck.”

You nodded. “Got it.”

“Nice hoodie by the way,” he added, much softer.

“Thanks...” You murmured back, well aware that you were wearing his from the car.

“Alright!” Jaemin announced loudly. “Let’s do it!”

Now, you didn’t exactly consider yourself a gamer. In fact, you spent most of the time either running away from the other guys, or at one point, accidentally falling off the level and losing a life all on your own. You couldn’t even tell if you were even really helping Sungchan at all. But it was fun, and you were kind of maybe starting to get a hang of the controls by the end of the round. To your surprise, the two characters that popped up as winners, however, were yours and Sungchan’s.

“We won?” You questioned, looking at Sungchan in surprise.

“Looks like we did,” he confirmed, smiling down at the controller in his hand.

“Hell yeah!” You held a hand up for him to high five.

“Sungchan, what the hell?” Shotaro smacked his arm from his other side.

“Since when have you been good at video games?” Jaemin interjected from the other couch.

“Have you been sucking on purpose this whole time and just decided to reveal that you were good now?” Mark questioned accusatorily.

“Yeah, we were joking when we said he was only half-bad at this game, he’s actually ass at it,” Anton clarified to you, making you roll your eyes at their apparent plan to give you the worst player.

“Sorry Y/N, he’s on my team next,” Hyuck declared, bringing up the character selections and switching Sungchan’s team color to match his own.

“Hey, change that back,” Sungchan said, his voice level but firm.

Hyuck actually stopped in his tracks, looking back at Sungchan with wide eyes. He held his hands up in surrender.

Sungchan switched his team color back to match yours with no interference from the others. You lightly bumped your leg against his as the room chatter started back up. He bumped your leg back.

The next day, everyone went out on a hike. There was a slightly overgrown trail that went around the mountainside, taking lazy twists and turns through the trees. Said greenery provided you with plenty of shade, and concealed the lake below from you so well it almost felt like you had transported elsewhere. The trail was narrow, however, only fitting three people comfortably at its widest points, but usually only two, so your group was spread out thin along it.

Jaemin and Hyuck were up front, arguing about… something that you couldn’t parse out from your place all the way at the back. Turning to Sungchan beside you, you took your water bottle out of the side pocket of the backpack he was wearing. Somehow he had been burdened with most of the group’s supplies, and while you weren’t exactly doing any sort of survivalist stuff out here, you didn’t see why everyone couldn’t at least carry their own water bottles.

Taking a swig from your bottle, you kept it in your hand as you pointed at him accusingly, “You didn’t suddenly get good at that game out of nowhere last night, Sungchan.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Ah, I mean…”

“Were you sucking on purpose so nobody’s feelings got hurt?”

“I didn’t suck. I was just sort of… okay.” He tried to explain. “I don’t know if it was on purpose, I guess I just didn’t care if everyone knew that I was the best? I’m just not super competitive, really.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Hyuck speechless like that before either.” You laughed at the memory. “You don’t ever stand up for yourself with them like that, do you?”

“It’s not like they bully me or anything…”

“You just go with the flow?”

“Yeah, exactly,” he seemed to relax again at your words.

“I had fun playing on your team last night,” you said, taking another sip. “Win or lose. I’m glad you didn’t go with the flow that time.”

“Hey, hold still?” Sungchan requested, reaching a hand out towards your face.

You froze warily. “What is it? A bug?”

“No, no,” he reassured you, brushing your hair back from one side of your head, then the other. “Did you leave the cabin with only one earring in?”

“Shit, no!” Your hands flew up to clutch at your lobes, immediately feeling that one of them was empty. You looked down at the ground around your feet, despite the sinking feeling in your stomach that it was useless. There was nothing around you but dirt and grass. “Damn it!”

Sungchan made an effort to look under him as well, but came up empty-handed too. “I don’t see anything…”

“Well, damn,” you sighed, dropping your hands back down to your sides. “Could’ve been worse, I guess. Could’ve been my grandmother’s pearls or something instead of a pair of earrings I stole from my freshman roommate.”

“Seriously?” He laughed as you continued down the trail.

“It was an accident! Mostly…” You explained. “We borrowed each other’s stuff all the time, and when we moved out at the end of the year, the earrings ended up in my stuff. I told her I had them and she said I could keep them. Apparently they always made her ears itch anyway.”

“Sucks you lost one, though. I thought the little hearts were really cute.”

“Just like you thought my raggedy old t-shirt was cute?” You snorted.

“Exactly.”

“Why do you get shotgun, Y/N?” Anton complained from the backseat, his voice loud to be heard over the wind.

“Because it’s my car,” Sungchan retorted, his thumb tapping out a rhythm on the steering wheel. “And I said so.”

You couldn’t help but snicker at the image of poor Anton and his lanky limbs squished into the middle seat between Shotaro and Mark. “You could’ve stayed at the cabin, Anton.”

“I was bored.” He crossed his arms. “And I thought Sungchan would’ve at least been sympathetic to his fellow long-legged brethren.”

“But the baby always gets the middle seat.” You turned around to pinch his cheek.

“I am not—”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Sungchan sighed, looking out the window. “With the way you’re whining right now.”

Anton’s jaw dropped as the other three of you broke into howling laughter.

Soon enough, you arrived at your destination, a natural park with a huge cave system. The main attraction, however, was that one section of the tunnels was so dark that you couldn’t even see your own hand in front of your face.

A small family, and field trip for what looked like a summer camp had arrived just before you all, and were put in the same tour group as your friends. You watched from afar with amusement as the counselors put the children into buddy pairs before the tour guide officially began the tour.

“Hey, don’t you teach, Y/N?” Shotaro asked curiously as your own group took up the rear of the tour, nodding towards all the kids.

“Yeah, I do,” you answered, the air immediately becoming cooler as you stepped into the caves. “Primary school.”

“Jungchan over here wants to be a teacher too!” Anton informed you cheerily, slapping Sungchan on the shoulder, the sound cracking through the entire cave loudly.

Several heads turned around to look at the source of the noise, and you all looked around at the walls of the cave innocently until they turned forward again. The cave was getting darker and darker, the lights strung up by the park employees getting fewer and further between. Your eyes continued to adjust to the changing light, but your surroundings were becoming less made up of clear objects with definable features and more the vague outline of shapes.

“Oh, really?” You asked mildly, barely concealing the humor in your tone.

“Early childhood education,” he replied calmly, hand sneaking up to pinch your side.

It took everything in you not to squeal as you squirmed away from his hand, elbowing his arm. You could hear the light puffs of his silent laughter next to you. Right as you had lifted your own hand up to retaliate, the tour group came to a stop, everything was pitch black around you, and Sungchan’s hand caught yours, lacing your fingers together. There were no lights in here, and the children’s excited chatter rose as the counselors spoke back to them to confirm that they were still there as well. You held your free hand up in front of your face, and the only way you knew it was there was because you could feel that it was. The only thing your eyes saw was darkness.

“That’s freaky,” Shotaro commented from somewhere behind you.

“What the hell, man?” Mark was somewhere to your other side. “Dude, I can’t see my hand! Just like it said online!”

“Oh! There you are, Shotaro!” Anton breathed out a sigh of relief.

“Yeah, I didn’t disappear in the five seconds since we walked in here,” Shotaro grunted. “Did you have to practically climb on top of me to confirm that?”

You reached out tentatively towards Sungchan, your hand eventually bumping into his chest. “Ah, found you.”

“Found me,” he echoed quietly.

The tour guide started ushering everyone out of the sector, and as the light started entering your vision again, your fingers unwound from Sungchan’s. The counselor’s voices floated back to you as they took a headcount of all their kids, who were still dutifully holding onto their assigned buddies.

Soft footsteps at the top of the stairs caught your attention, and you looked up from your laptop at the tall figure hovering there awkwardly. You offered Sungchan a soft smile, waving him into the small attic loft space. There wasn’t much up here except the couch that you were on, a narrow table, and a dartboard. The ceiling was so low that Sungchan had to hunch just the slightest to avoid knocking his forehead into the wooden crossbeams.

“Hey.” You pushed yourself up into a proper sitting position on the couch, your computer moving from your stomach to your lap.

“Why aren’t you out with everyone else?” He sat down in the space that you had freed up. The others had all gathered outside around the firepit to roast marshmallows and drink, but you had other things to tend to.

You nodded to the device. “Ah, I had some grading to do.”

“I thought you were on summer break.”

“Tutoring.” You set the laptop aside on the coffee table, even as your eyes caught on the screen fondly. “One of my students, I mean, she doesn’t need it for her grades. But she just loves writing, so her mom pays for sessions like private workshops. I’m working on her newest story right now.”

“How is it?”

“She’s so creative!” You couldn’t help but laugh. “It amazes me every time. She hasn’t quite figured out resolutions yet, still rushes through them once she’s decided she’s done with the exciting part. But she’s gotten a lot better with dialogue. She used to not write it at all, just tell you what characters said, never putting anything in quotes, you know?”

“It’s typed?” He questioned, looking at the word document on your screen.

“Yeah, she has coordination issues, pencils kind of slow her down,” you explained. “She’s working on it in her occupational therapy. But that’s not what this is for. This is to let her be creative. If I forced her to use a pencil, she’d have to stop writing because her hands were done before her brain was done.”

“That... sounds frustrating for her.”

“There’s other options now. I mean, when’s the last time you actually used a pencil in your everyday life?”

He seemed to think about this for a moment. “...Good point.”

There was a pause as Sungchan just kept looking at you, the moment feeling much like when you were in the restaurant, his dark brown eyes sparkling even in the dim lighting you had now.

“Did you miss me, Sungchan?” You eyed him teasingly.

“Well, yeah,” he agreed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “And I wanted to make sure you were alright.”

“What did you tell everyone else you were doing when you came looking for me?”

“I didn’t make an announcement or anything.”

“Yeah?” You sat up closer to him, then did a double-take as you noticed a hole in his earlobe. “Hey, I never noticed you had your ears pierced.”

“Only one.” He turned his head to show you the other, unadulterated lobe. “Probably why you didn’t notice, you’ve always been on my other side in the car.”

An idea immediately came to your mind, and you stood up from the couch. “Wait here.”

Traversing through the house, you came back up the stairs with your prize clutched triumphantly in the palm of your hand. You held your closed fist out towards him indicatively. “Here.”

He held his hand out, letting you drop the single red heart stud into it. His eyes widened as he turned it over with a fingertip. “You’re…”

“I washed it, don’t worry.”

Sungchan promptly put the stud in, securing it with the backing and looking up at you again with a delighted, amazed smile.

“Cute,” you commented, tracing the shell of his ear with a fingertip.

“And what does this mean, Y/N?” He asked slyly.

“What am I going to do with only one earring?” You replied with feigned innocence. “And, I was kind of hoping you’d need help putting it on, since there’s no mirrors in here...”

He leaned back against the couch. “And how exactly would you have helped me put it on?”

“Well, I can’t really see from here, so, I would’ve had to get closer—” You stepped forward, putting your hands on his shoulders as you lowered yourself onto his lap. You kept your focus on his face the whole time, watching for any hesitation, any uncertainty, any indication that you should stop. His eyes watched you with rapt attention, big and brown and awe-filled.

“Good?” You asked quietly, your voice barely above a hum.

He swallowed, his throat bobbing up and down, and your eyes followed the movement, before he answered, “Good.”

“Then I would’ve put the earring in—” You once again outlined the outer shell of his ear, continuing down the line of his jaw. “And probably said something about the adorable little freckle you have on the bridge of your nose that I kind of want to bite.”

You tapped said freckle, high up on his nose, nearly between his brows, and his face split into a grin as he laughed breathily.

“Bite?” He repeated, clearly amused at the idea.

“Mhm.” You nodded, looping your arms around his neck. “You’ve got a very biteable nose, I’m afraid.”

“Oh, the whole nose is biteable, not just the freckle,” he chuckled, settling his hands on your hips.

“Well, more than just the nose.”

“Y/N.”

“Mm?”

“Can I kiss you?”

You gasped in feigned shock. “Before our first date?”

“Do I need to ask your hand in marriage first?” He was so close that your noses almost touched now, his question mingling with your answer that came soon after.

“No,” you snickered, letting him seal his lips over yours in the next moment.

“You mauled him.”

Turning around from where you were eating a bowl of cereal, you raised an eyebrow at Hyuck. “Good morning to you too, Hyuck. And nice bedhead.”

He didn’t fix his hair that was sticking up in all directions, coming around to flop into the seat across the table from you. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

“I don’t know who or what you’re talking about?” You snorted. Pushing the box towards him, you offered, “Cereal?”

“Care to tell me why Sungchan is covered in hickies and bite marks?”

“Care to tell me how you know that?”

“He sleeps shirtless, don’t try to avoid.”

“Why do you think it was me?”

“He disappeared from the bonfire last night and didn’t return, you didn’t show up at all, he appears the next morning coincidentally looking like he’s been someone’s chew toy. You’re... you.”

You cocked your head at him curiously. “Weren’t you trying to set us up?”

“I was. I still am, kind of,” he sighed. “Like I said, Sungchan’s the nicest guy I know. Don’t... chew him up and spit him out, please.”

“I’m touched you think so highly of me, truly.”

“That didn’t come out right,” he groaned, rubbing his face with two hands. “I meant... Make sure you two are on the same page about what you’re doing and what you want.”

“We are, Hyuck,” you told him quietly.

Hyuck peeked at you over his hands, and based on the crinkles that formed around his eyes, you could perfectly imagine the mischievous grin that was hidden. “So it was you, then?”

Footsteps entered the kitchen then, followed by Sungchan’s voice, deeper with the early hours of the morning, “Oh, morning, Y/N, Hyuck.”

He stopped next to your seat at the end of the table, seeming uncertain of just how close to be to you. He was wearing a longsleeve, which didn’t help much with the few marks on his neck and under his jaw. The red heart stud was still in his ear, which made your chest squeeze and your whole body thrum with happiness.

“Morning, Sungchan,” you said brightly, gesturing to the cereal box. “Cereal? Hyuck didn’t want any.”

“Oh, sure.”

“Sit, I’ll get your bowl.” You stood up, gently pushing him towards the table as you walked by him towards the cabinets.

“Gross, could you not do that in front of me?” Donghyuck made an exaggerated gagging sound.

“Do what?” Sungchan squinted at him in confusion at the same time that you scoffed, “Nobody’s holding you here at gunpoint. Go back to sleep.”

“Maybe I will.” He made a grand display of pushing his chair back and standing up.

“You’ve never been a morning person.” You shook your head at him. “See you in a few hours.”

As he shuffled back out of the kitchen, you returned to your mission of fetching a bowl and the milk, bringing them back to the table for Sungchan. He’d taken the seat next to yours, and you happily plopped back down beside him.

“Thanks,” he murmured, beginning to fix a bowl of cereal for himself.

“Good one sleeping shirtless, by the way. Hyuck had absolutely no questions,” you teased, finger poking one of the hickies facing you.

Sungchan gave you a pointed stare, but made no move to knock your hand away. “Oh and who couldn’t keep her teeth to herself?”

“I told you: You’re biteable.”

He reached up to grab your hand and removed it from where you'd still been messing with the marks you’d left on his throat. Instead of just pushing it away, he brought your joined hands down to rest on his leg. After a beat, he looked up at you, uncertainty in his gaze, as if he were about to belatedly ask permission.

You laced your fingers together, scooting your chair closer to his before picking up your spoon with your free hand.

As the anchor was dropped into the water, there was an excited buzz about the boat, everyone getting ready to get in the water. Hyuck had stopped the boat by a rope swing that was set up in a tree on one of the steep edges of where the mountain met the lake. A few inflatables were tied to the boat so they wouldn’t drift away, and of course, a couple coolers with plenty of drinks were on deck.

“Y/N, can you help me with my sunscreen?” Ningning requested, holding the bottle out to you.

“Ning, I told you to apply it at the cabin,” you sighed, accepting the sunscreen nevertheless as she took her coverup off.

“It’s not my fault we’re currently sharing one bathroom with like five other people!” She pointed out. “I didn’t have time.”

Sudden wolf whistles and dramatic yells from the back of the boat made you snap your head over, anger flooding your body immediately. But you realized that none of them were aimed at you and Ningning. Instead, the guys seemed to all be taunting Sungchan, who had just taken his shirt off, revealing the full extent of the love bites scattered on his skin.

“Dude, did you get mauled by a bear or something?” Mark laughed.

“Or fall down the mountain?” Anton’s eyes were wide as he went to poke one on Sungchan’s shoulder.

Sungchan slapped his hand away. “Personal space?”

“Fall down the mountain after getting mauled by a bear?” Jaemin proposed helpfully, moving behind him as if inspecting a product that he was purchasing at a store. “We got claw marks, guys!”

They all let out teasing cheers, and you could see that Sungchan’s ears were bright red. You shook your head to yourself, going back to helping Ningning with her sunscreen.

She craned her neck to be able to look at you over her shoulder. “Nice one, Y/N.”

“Who, me?” You blinked at her innocently.

“You left that poor boy to deal with those menaces by himself.”

You’d finished up with her sunscreen, handing her the bottle. “One sec.”

Walking over to where the guys were still razzing Sungchan, who now looked prematurely sunburned, you held a hand up to shade your eyes, squinting as you looked off towards the rope swing.

“I bet Shotaro could make it there first,” you commented casually.

“What?!” They all looked over at you, dumbfounded.

“No way!” Anton argued. “I literally used to be a swimmer.”

“But if you’re talking endurance—” Jeno tried to vouch for himself.

“All your big muscles just make you sink, dude,” Hyuck snorted. “You’ve got no buoyancy.”

As they kept squabbling, you were still eyeing the rope swing. “Yeah, but, Taro’s like, halfway there already.”

Their heads whipped around to see that Shotaro had, in fact, been lazily paddling towards the swing all the while they were teasing Sungchan. The guys all rushed to toss off whatever shirts, shoes, hats, or sunglasses they didn’t want to get wet, practically shoving each other in their haste to get in the water and race towards the rope swing. The boat swayed a little with their movements, and you grabbed Sungchan’s arm for stability, the only one of them who hadn’t taken your bait.

Shotaro turned around when he heard all the splashes behind him, confusion turning to momentary panic as they all rushed at him.

“Hurry up! You’re going to lose your head start!” Sungchan yelled out to him.

“What?!” He began backstroking faster. “I didn’t know this was a race!”

Karina was already in one of the inflatables off the back of the boat, and Ningning gracefully dove off the back platform to join in her one of the other ones.

Looking back up at Sungchan, you couldn’t help but burst into laughter at how perfectly that had worked. He was laughing too, one of his hands dropping to your waist to pull you closer to him.

“Thanks for the save there,” he chuckled, thumb sneaking under the shirt you were wearing to rub circles into the bare skin above your swimsuit bottoms. “Did you put sunscreen on?”

“Back at the cabin,” you confirmed. “Hate to disappoint.”

“You could’ve lied and said no.”

“I am nothing if not an honest and pure soul,” you put a hand over your heart as your words were laced with sarcasm.

Sungchan snickered at this, his smile so bright you could forget about the sun, leaning in even closer to him.

“Sungchan.”

“Mhm?” He looked down at you, tilting his head inquisitively.

“Can I kiss you?”

“In front of everyone?” He gasped, still teasing.

“That’s a little bit the point.” You couldn’t take your eyes off him—so gorgeous it really was unfair. “And also, I really want to kiss you right now.”

“What a coincidence—I want to kiss you too.”

You grabbed the back of his neck, pulling his lips down to yours. He immediately responded in turn, his other hand that wasn’t on your hip going to cup your cheek. The sounds of various taunts, cheers, and whistles all faded out behind the roaring in your ears.

It was your last night in the cabin, and you were of course celebrating with one last bonfire. Your group of friends were spread out between the firepit, the hammock, and the other lounge furniture on the spacious deck. You and Sungchan were tucked onto a small loveseat by the table of food, idly chatting as you sipped your drink and he nibbled off the snack offerings in front of you.

The sliding glass door opened behind you, one of your friends walking out from inside the cabin. Glancing up, you saw that it was Mark, his eyes down on his phone screen as he shut the door behind him.

“Those little rolls from Mrs. Han’s restaurant were really good,” Sungchan sighed happily, hand on his stomach.

“There’s still one more,” you pointed out. “Take it.”

He looked uncertain for a moment, but you nudged him with your foot insistently.

“Everybody’s already had one. Go ahead.”

Sungchan had just reached forward towards the last roll as Mark walked by, eyes on his phone as he swiped it from the plate. The man next to you just sighed dejectedly, sitting back in his seat.

“Hey, Sungchan was going to eat that,” you called after Mark loudly. Not too rude, just making him aware as he clearly hadn’t been paying attention.

Mark turned around, looking at you two, then down at the roll in his hand in confusion. He offered it back out to Sungchan. “Oh, sorry man, I didn’t realize—”

Sungchan waved him off. “It’s okay, you can have—”

You stood up, walked over, and snatched it out of Mark’s hand. “Thanks, bye.”

Mark paused, as if he were thinking about saying something else, but opted not to, walking over to sit with Jeno and Hyuck by the fire.

You sat back down next to Sungchan and placed it in his hand. “Here.”

“Thanks, Y/N,” Sungchan was clearly fighting a smile as he looked down at his feet. He tore the roll in half, offering one half out to you.

You took it gratefully, tapping your half against his in a little cheers before you both simultaneously stuffed the whole thing into your mouths in one go. Looking at him with his puffed-out cheeks, knowing that yours definitely looked exactly the same made you burst out laughing, and your hand flew up to cover your mouth and keep any crumbs in. Sungchan was clearly struggling to not spit out his half-chewed food as he started laughing too, turning away from you and slapping his leg.

When you had finally chewed and swallowed the bread without choking, and composed yourself again, you turned back to Sungchan, still well aware of the faint, smitten smile on your lips. He was already facing you, watching you with a fond sparkle in his eyes. He reached out, brushing a couple crumbs from the side of your mouth with his thumb.

“Oh, thanks.” You habitually wiped the other side of your mouth just in case.

“I’m curious…” He said quietly, grabbing one of your hands to gently play with your fingers. “Have you picked out what we’re doing for our first date yet?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“I don’t want to spoil anything.” You then added a teasing, “Plus, we have to get home first. Who knows, your car might get another flat on the way back and then we’ll get stranded out here and die.”

He burst into soft chuckles. “Since you won’t be navigating, I think we’ll make it back just fine.”

“I like those odds,” you beamed.

“Me too.” He pressed a kiss to your cheek, then murmured by your ear, “I like our odds a lot, I think.”

The next day found you in the passenger seat of Sungchan’s car, wearing his hoodie and humming along to whatever he was playing over the speakers. The car had a full tank of gas, four inflated tires, and the maps app was not in your hands.

“You know, I get it now,” Sungchan spoke into the peaceful quiet abruptly.

You lolled your head over to look at him questioningly. “Get what?”

“Why you were suspicious of me at first.”

“You finally realized how stupidly hot you are?” You snorted, reaching over to pinch his cheek.

“I’m thinking I should’ve been more suspicious of you, actually.” He pinched your cheek right back, and you smacked his hand away. He just laughed, grabbing your hand and entwining your fingers over the console.

“Why’s that?”

“We haven’t even been on our first date and I feel like I’ve gone head over heels right down the mountainside.”

You groaned and shook your head. “I was suspicious of you for the wrong reason. You’re not a player or anything, you’re actually too sweet for my own good.”

“Your own good?”

“Yeah, you keep saying shit like that and I’m going to do something crazy like say ‘I love you’ on our first date.”

He laughed, squeezing your hand. “Challenge accepted.”

⤷ masterlist

[issysh3ll]

Sure ☆ Chris Sturniolo

Summary: After going days without hearing from Chris, you're unsure about his feelings Warnings: Angst, crying, fluff, making up This is based on one of my daily drabbles. I'm going through them and slowly converting them all to proper fics & blurbs

It's been a long week.

Hours of silence had turned into days. The usual animated conversation in your text thread was replaced with the sound of crickets. Four days you went without a single message from your boyfriend.

Now, sitting anxiously beside him on his bed, you prepare to confront him. Really it's not like Chris to disappear like this. Before you became official you spent every spare moment talking on the phone, on messages, on FaceTime. But it's been one month since he asked you to be his girlfriend and everyday the number of responses from him has dwindled. Until this week when it finally hit zero.

The edge of his bed feels cold and empty, unlike it's usual warm and inviting coziness. It feels like rejection. The rejection you much expect to receive very soon. But you can't keep pretending that nothing is happening. Sure, the first few weeks it was fine for you to carry the conversation. But for this long? It's exhausting. Last night after another full day of no contact, you finally decided that if he's going to leave, you need to hear him say it. No matter how much that hurts.

Sucking in a deep breath, and without turning your head to look at the boy sitting beside you, you finally speak.

“Lately you feel… unsure.” The last word tumbles off your tongue with a shaky breath. Your gaze flicks across the floor, the walls, down to your hands balled tightly in your lap, looking anywhere except your boyfriend’s face.

A heavy silence fills the room and your chest tightens, that sense of relief that usually follows after expressing your feelings doesn’t come. Tears sting at your eyes, threatening to spill over but you won't let them, not now. Choking back the pricking feeling of doom, you let out another shaky breath and wait.

The longer you wait for Chris to respond, to say anything, the more your mind spirals. Even in person he can't respond. The one person who always has words, always knows how to make you smile is just sitting there in silence. It's eery, and it's not right. This isn't how you're supposed to feel.

Just as the tight lump in your chest begins to rise to your throat, Chris’s finger hooks under your chin pulling your gaze up to meet his. You expect to find frustration, exhaustion, annoyance, but as your eyes finally shift up to his, the spiralling thoughts hit a wall.

Crying. He’s crying.

His normally cheerful blue eyes are downcast, looking almost ashamed. The red rim under his lashes and the wet stream dripping down his cheek looks so out of place. Shock stills the growing doom in your chest, and you wait again as he draws in a broken breath.

“Baby, I’m not— I-I-I’m not unsure. I am so sure about you I just…” his voice breaks as he tries to stifle the small cries cracking through. “…I’m scared. I’ve never… never felt like this, this much.”

“This much?” you question, that haunting feeling slowly beginning to drain out of your chest, being replaced with hope.

“So much.” Chris nods.

Masterlist

[djarins-cyare]

WIP Weekend

In my last WIP post, I mentioned I was 18k words into my Secret Relationship fic for the Roll-A-Trope Writing Challenge, and it had turned into something much longer than I intended. Sooo, yeah, um… it’s now reached ~40k words!

I’d planned to start posting it next weekend, but my firm got audited so I lost a couple of weeks due to working overtime, and I still have three chapters left to write. So I think it’s gonna be a Christmas release now. Sorry for the wait.

But over the last few weeks, I’ve been tagged in WIP posts by @burntheedges, @papurgaatika, @almostfoxglove, @djarinmuse, and @the-mandawhor1an (thank you, my lovelies! 💚), and with my excuses comes another snippet to tide you over until I can release it…

Please check out my last two WIP posts for additional snippets from earlier in the fic, here and here.

I’m switching it up and giving you one from Din’s POV today; the context is that she’s trying to convince him to come to a show the following night (despite Uncle Karga’s vehement disapproval of them being anywhere near each other)…

Her focus drops to her efforts on his dick as she skilfully adjusts her angle without missing a stroke, but he nudges her chin with his thumb. “Look at me, senaar’ika,” he commands through heavy breaths. When he has her attention again, he breathes, “Tion’jor neliser ni nevore gar?” Her eyes shimmer like starlight whenever he speaks Mando’a to her – like she loves to hear it, even though she doesn’t understand it. It’s why he persists in speaking to her in an almost dead language. Now, though, she answers him as if she knows exactly what he just asked. “Please come, Mando.” She could be talking about right now or tomorrow night, but they’re both foregone conclusions. “Yes, fuck,” he gasps, his mouth spilling his agreement about ten seconds before his cock is due to spill his seed. The heat gathering low in his belly flares lower to engulf his balls, and the inferno of his orgasm brightens as it builds. She stokes him for all he’s worth, soft hand on silken skin, eyes still sparkling like the fuse that sizzles inside him… …and it magnifies and spreads, so fiercely thrilling that the alley falls away, and it’s just him and his senaar’ika and the silent symphony of pleasure she’s conducting… …but in an instant, a door swishes, a footstep sounds, and Din is tearing her hand from his pants, drawing his blaster and moving his body to shield hers. The adrenaline from his impending climax converts into combat readiness, but the low growl that erupts through his vocoder is equal parts anger and anguish. “You two out here?” Yerma’s rich and golden tones dissolve his tension, leaving him with the sullen agony of an orgasm snatched away. The ache in his balls, the sting in his pride, and the regret in his heart all battle for top ranking in his pantheon of displeasure. “What’s up?” his alleyway companion asks with enviable poise, stepping past him and around the stack of crates to stop Yerma from coming any closer. He takes the cue to hastily rearrange his underwear and zip up his pants, his erection deflating rapidly alongside his hope. This was a bad idea. As if to illustrate his thought, the Twi’lek states six concerning words. “Your uncle’s in the cafe, sweetie.”

Poor Din! 😬

Tion’jor neliser ni nevore gar? – Why can’t I say no to you?

If you don’t already know what his name for her (senaar’ika) means, I won’t spoil it because it’s vaguely plot-relevant.

If you’re interested in being tagged when I release this, please raise your hand or let me know in whatever way you prefer to communicate. You can also join my tag list if you like.

In the interests of making new friends and being sociable, I thought I should make an effort to tag more widely in WIP posts. I know that since I only write for Din and not all of you are particularly Din girlies (gn), some of you may not be interested in my fics, but I read other Pedro boy fics sometimes (Joel, mostly), and if I’ve tagged you below, it means I think you’re a fantastic writer 💚

No pressure to do a WIP post, or if you’d like to but don’t have anything to share or you’ve already posted this week, feel free to hold onto this tag for whenever’s convenient (that’s what I do 😆) or share something non-WIP related.

@ace-turned-confused @ak-vintage @alltheirdamn @alltheotps @almostempty

@alwaysmicado @ameerawrites @arcanefox207 @aurorawritestoescape @avastrasposts

@baronessvonglitter @beardedjoel @beefrobeefcal @bitchesuntitled @bluestar22x

@cas-readsandwrites @chiriwritesstuff @chronically-ghosted @clawdee @covetyou

@din-cognito @draculasfavoritewife @firstofficerwiggles @guiltyasdave @hapan-in-exile

@itsokbbygrl @javierpena-inatacvest @jeewrites @jennaispunk @joelstummy

@justagalwhowrites @luxurychristmaspudding @mermaidgirl30 @milla-frenchy @moeswriting

@mothandpidgeon @mrsmando @murder-wife @novemberrain-writes @orcasoul

@ozarkthedog @pedgito @pedrospatch @perotovar @quinnnfabrgay-writes

@sawymredfox @schnarfer @soft-persephone @sweetpascal @thischarmingmandalorian

I’m also tagging my regular tag list since this is a snippet of an upcoming fic and a posting schedule update. Thank you all for your support 💚

@chiyo13 @harriedandharassed @leithatnight @lilac-boo @lucienofthelakes

@pigeonmama @punkygreeny @syd-djarin @wrathkitty

[islandofsages]

Hey ! Can I ask for the Diasomnia boys reacting to a male!Ignihyde!reader who join the gargoyle club (idk if it's name) ?

Like, the reader is really just interest in the gargoyles, and isn't scare of Malleus (or anyone, really. Man is too tired for being scare.)

Ignore it if you don't want to write it.

Have a good day/night ! And happy new year too.

characters: diasomnia boys x male ignihyde reader

tags: platonic, canon compliant, fluff, imagines + scenario format; mentions of malleus in literally everything, lilia being a dad

warnings: none

author's notes: reader is so idgaf energy i love it. also i just remembered the small font feature exists LMAO do tell me if it's too small, i'll change it back to the original size!! if not, i'll change my previous posts to the smaller font. also you have a good day/night too anon ! and happy new year :D

Malleus Draconia

Oh? You want to join the Gargoyle Studies Club? You’re being serious? Oh!

Words cannot describe how happy he is about a fellow gargoyle appreciator though his expression doesn’t really show that

And to think you see him as just another dude… such honor was bestowed upon him…!

He’ll excitedly bring you to every gargoyle he’s found on campus and infodump about them - and you’d write them down somewhere if you’re in the mood

Sometimes you’d find new gargoyles and bring him to them and you start to do likewise

Even outside of club activities you two geek out about gargoyles at times which has earned you two the title of nerds

“Have I told you about the time I’ve met talking gargoyles? I never thought I would see such a day…”

Gargoyles aside, he has times where he confides his personal daily life in you and in turn, he’ll ask you what’s it like being in Ignihyde, etc

After being around each other so much, it feels weird when you guys aren’t together - some people would ask where Malleus is whenever you’re on your own, and vice versa

People found it weird how close an Ignihyde student is to someone from a different dorm too and you’re not sure if you should be flattered or not

But in a sense, Malleus really is your other nerdy half.

Sebek Zigvolt

You?????? Join the club where Malleus is president and is the only member of?????????

“WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU’RE WORTHY OF JOINING SUCH A CLUB?”

Well, for one, the fact that you’re unfazed by his constant yelling and therefore probably too tired to be fazed by anything, consequently making you the perfect companion to Malleus because you wouldn’t react inappropriately to Malleus’ conduct

And that you actually are interested in gargoyles. That too. You tell all this to him

He clutches his head with one hand, debating your logic. You don’t know how and why but he accepts your argument

That doesn’t stop him from monitoring you two’s activities from afar but, again, you couldn’t care less. A sixteen year old’s fanatics is just part of the growing process

Outside of club activities, he interrogates you on what you’ve discussed with Malleus and you just tell him the truth: gargoyles

At some point, he gets so engrossed in your infodump about gargoyles his eyes shine with a new light

Of course, he mentions something about Malleus obviously liking something so interesting and befitting of his status - but he also thanks you for enlightening him on the topic and that he’ll go to you for more information if need be

You’ve converted him. You sometimes see him clutching a book about gargoyles around the school. It’s filled with notes sticking out of the pages. And a portion of that sometimes he’ll run to you to confirm about a fact or two

Maybe it’s safe to say you two are kind of friends now.

Silver

He doesn’t think too much of it other than being glad that Malleus finally has a fellow gargoyle fan he can geek out with

He’d see you and Malleus chatting it up around campus and he can’t stop the tender smile on his face from making an appearance

Sometimes he himself will try to strike up a conversation with you and gargoyle geek aside, he finds that you’re just a pleasant person to talk to and be around

He admits he’s not too close with any of the folks from Ignihyde aside for the Shroud brothers but you brush him off by saying that nobody is really

He also admires how you don’t really let anything get to you. Again, you shrug it off by half-joking that you’re too tired to be scared by anything at this point

He somewhat empathizes with you on that point, grieving over his narcoleptic tendencies with a heavy sigh

You try your best to cheer him up or if you have experience with such things, you give him advice on how to manage it

You then jest that he can tag along with you and Malleus’ club activities whenever he’s free if he wants. The more, the merrier, right?

He ponders it for a minute and nods. You didn’t think he’d actually accept the offer

“I don’t see a reason to refuse. Sebek and I have accompanied Malleus on his trips before. I’m sure this time around will be more fun with you here.”

And so you all do. You all have a royal time together - and the joy on Silver’s face is especially princely.

Lilia Vanrouge

He sheds (crocodile) tears at the thought of Malleus finally having an additional member in his one-man club more friends

Since you’re chill about it, he is too! As long as you get along with Malleus, everything will be fine and dandy

If anything, he’s a bit impressed by how it takes more than the average amount to gain a reaction out of you 

…and a bit concerned. Are you sure you’re getting enough nutrients? His paternal instincts kick in when you tell him you’re too tired to have a reaction to anything

He knows that Ignihyde students are mostly shut-ins but he still advises you and makes sure you get a balanced diet

It’s like he’s adopted yet another son

“Oh, (Y/N), you really ought to take care of yourself more.”

You grow a bit annoyed at him sometimes but you know his intentions are good so you don’t protest

You do feel very loved though. You didn’t expect this much from just joining a club for a topic you’re genuinely interested in

But you have to admit it is kind of hard to come by people who aren’t intimidated by the Malleus Draconia, even if you don’t see it as anything special

What’s special, though, is the affection Lilia holds for you.

[cumironi]

YUMMMMM.ᐟ

suguru geto. your older stepbrother who turns your life upside down when the second he returns to your hometown, living near you again after all these years living in Tokyo. You used to have a crush on him when you were little. His tall figure, jet-black long hair, sharp purple eyes, muscle, and everything, he's perfect. When you hit puberty you sometimes wonder how it feels like to get fucked by him, and the day you turn 25, the wish suddenly comes true.

beware. OOC!Suguru Geto, stepbrother!Suguru, hair-pulling, anal, aged up Suguru, name-calling, dirty talk, suggestive convertation.

⠀⠀ ⠀My social life has taken a beating since my stepbrother, Suguru Geto, returned to town. Sure, when I was sixteen and he was nineteen and just heading off to college, it was totally cool to hang with him. Not that we had much in common, but still. Now, inching close to 25, it’s not nearly as fun anymore. After graduation, he moved off to Tokyo, while I stuck around Kyoto. And so, we haven’t exactly spent a lot of time together…for quite a while. But now, he’s back. For good, he says.

⠀⠀ ⠀And he’s totally cramping my style.

⠀⠀ ⠀Oh, don’t get me wrong. Suguru is one fine ass boy, no doubt. He’s big, over six feet tall, and built like a tank...all muscle, without an ounce of fat on him. Add in the pretty boy's smile, pale skin, shining bright purple eyes… and he’s the boy next door that my friends drool over whenever he interrupts our girls’ night out. Sadly, he’s also a stepbrother who doesn’t want his stepsister getting it on with anyone. Ever.

⠀⠀ ⠀He’s never said the words, but he seems to make damn sure he stands close to me in the clubs, hovering over me, watching me like a hawk. While my girls are off getting their freak on, I’m chatting it up with Suguru.

⠀⠀ ⠀Much like tonight.

⠀⠀ ⠀It’s my 25th birthday. Yup. Big. Two. Five.

⠀⠀ ⠀Maki and Nobara are on the dance floor, their boyfriends grinding against their asses while they move to the beat. And damn, their men are fine, all muscles and covered in smooth skin.

⠀⠀ ⠀That is what I need.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Y/n? Are you listening to me?”

⠀⠀ ⠀Suguru’s lips brush my ear and I fight against the shiver that races down my spine. I turn to him with a wide smile, bite back my irritation. He’s sweet. A very, very sweet temptation. I could gladly gorge myself on his brand of sugar, with hopefully, a hint of spice. And I don’t want a damn bit of nice. I turn my head to the side and yell so he can hear me. “Of course I’m listening. You were just saying that you were gonna get me another margarita.”

⠀⠀ ⠀I press a smacking kiss to his cheek, leaving a nice smear of lipstick behind. When I pull back to smile at him, he just rolls his eyes and screams back to me. “Last one.” I nod. Always the ever-dutiful, little stepsister. “I mean it!” He points a finger at me, scowl in place.

⠀⠀ ⠀Later, I’ll blame it on the alcohol. Now, I blame it on his hotness. I lean forward and swallow his finger, run my tongue along the digit suckle it, and slide along the length until he slips free of my mouth. I nip the tip, scrape my teeth over the pad, and then give it a chaste kiss before I lean back. “Thank you, Suguru.”

⠀⠀ ⠀He looks shell-shocked, eyes wide, mouth opening and closing like a fish. An adorable, totally fuckable, boy fish. He gives himself a full body shake and then rises from his stool, looking at me like I’ve got two fucking heads.

⠀⠀ ⠀I don’t.

⠀⠀ ⠀But he does.

⠀⠀ ⠀One upper and one lower… Yum. Lower.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Y/n!” A hand slaps my bare shoulder and I turn to find Maki and Nobara standing nearby, both wearing their “I’m totally about to ditch you so I can get freaky with my man” smiles. “Bitch” Straight up. “Both of y’all are bitch.”

⠀⠀ ⠀Maki leans forward first, pulling me into a hug. “Suguru can take you home, right?” I release her with a roll of my eyes and give Nobara a quick kiss on the cheek. “Yes, Suguru can take me home. Did I mention y’all were a bitch?”

⠀⠀ ⠀“You’re just a jealous bitch.”

⠀⠀ ⠀I raise my eyebrows. “And?”

⠀⠀ ⠀It’s the same old thing. They go home with their men and I go home with...no one. Except Suguru. Who I can’t have. I wave the two couples off and watch out for my brother, his ass weaving through the crowd toward me, my drink in his hand. Damn, we’d look so gorgeous together. I smile to myself only thinking about it.

⠀⠀ ⠀He slides onto the stool and sets my drink before me. The lovely, green light blinds me, I wrap my hand around the cool, sweating glass and bring it to my lips. Focusing on Suguru, I lap at the stand and, run my tongue along the rim a moment before I take a sip of the tart beverage. His attention’s all over me, eating me up with his eyes, mouth slightly parted, and staring at me like he’s a starving man…and I’m having dinner.

⠀⠀ ⠀Yum.

⠀⠀ ⠀Placing my drink on the table, I lean forward and brace myself with a hand on his thigh, squeeze the muscle that flexes beneath my palm before venturing farther north, then brush against his groin with my fingertips. “Y/n…” I hear the warning in his voice and I don’t care. I’ve wanted him for far too long. Worst-case scenario? He gets pissed, and stops tagging the fuck along. Score for me! ‘Cause that means he can’t rain on my “please dear God let me get laid” parade any longer. A large hand encircles my wrist, keeps me from moving. I stick out my lower lip and pout. “Suguru…”

⠀⠀ ⠀“You’re drunk.”

⠀⠀ ⠀I roll my eyes. “No, I’m not. I’m horny, I’ve been attracted to you for forever, and I want to get fucked for my birthday.” I yank free of his hold and snag my purse from the tabletop before sliding from the stool. A quick tug on my tight miniskirt puts things back where they belong, and then I focus again on my stepbrother. “Since it’s obvious you’re not up,” I flick a glance at his groin to make sure he gets the innuendo, “for the challenge, I’ll go home and take care of things myself. Or grab a man on my way out the door.” I step close to him. “Maybe this boy is too intimidated to give a sista a good time. Maybe there’s someone here who can give me what I need.”

⠀⠀ ⠀I spin on my heel and weave my way toward the door, surveying my options. Oh, I get plenty of looks. With my smooth skin, beautiful feature, and a curvaceous body to boot, I’m a catch for any man. I’ve got great tits, and also a big booty that men love to grab onto when they fuck me from behind.

⠀⠀ ⠀Hell, as horny as I am right now, I’d take just about any man who knows what to do with his cock—no matter how old or who he was. Then, I see a man that just may do, and drag one of my fingernails along his arm as I pass, give him a wink that has him turning toward me and stepping in my direction. Only to be brought up short by Suguru.

⠀⠀ ⠀Mother. Fucker.

⠀⠀ ⠀Okay, he’s not really. But I wouldn’t terribly mind him being a sister fucker right about now. I don’t hear what he says, but the guy I’d set my sights on returns to his friends while Suguru continues to come after me. I roll my eyes and get back on my way. In a handful of steps, I’m out of the stifling, cloying air of the club and into the cool night.

⠀⠀ ⠀A body presses into me from behind, a large erection grinding into my ass, and the scent I’d recognize anywhere surrounds me. “You’re a cock-tease, Y/n.” Hands appear on my hips, flex, and then tighten their grip while he rubs his dick along my crack. “Teasers get punished, even if she happens to be my sister. You’ve pushed me too far—and now you’re going to get what you’re asking for.” Suguru nuzzles my neck, teeth scrape my skin, and then his lips nibble my earlobe. “You ready for that? Ready for your brother to fill your pussy with his big cock? Pull your hair? Spank this beautiful, ass for being a bad girl?”

⠀⠀ ⠀I’m aching and hot and wet as fuck. Like cream will be sliding down my thighs at any moment wet. My nipples had hardened with the cool air, but now they’re rock-fucking-hard for an entirely different reason. I don’t want to answer him, afraid of him turning away, but I can’t keep quiet. “Yes.” I moan when one hand snakes around me, then slide down my stomach to rest right above my needy mound. “Fuck me. Yes, I’m ready.”

⠀⠀ ⠀“Oh, baby, I will.” He releases me for a split second and snags my hand, twines my fingers with his, and tugs me into the parking lot. “But no bitching when I mess up your hair.” My hair. Lord, how many arguments have we gotten into over my hair. He’s fascinated with all the different looks I’ve had over the years, getting it done just about every weekend. And he always has to play with it.

⠀⠀ ⠀No one touches a woman’s hair. We spend way too much time and money for someone to just fuck it up. At the car, I finally answer him, hand on his crotch, stroking his bulge. “Oh, Suguru, you fuck me right, and you can do anything you want.” I nibble his lower lip and then slide into his SUV, leaving him there to glare at me for a moment while he adjusts his hard cock. Then, he moves around the vehicle to settle behind the steering wheel.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Not another word, Y/n.”

⠀⠀ ⠀With a lick of my lips, I eye his cock, but remain quiet throughout the drive. Suguru navigates the streets of downtown Kyoto with ease, and it’s not long before we’re pulling up in front of his house, a sprawling, ranch-style home with more space than he could ever need. I wait while he climbs from the SUV and comes around to hold the door open for me. I keep my mouth shut, smile in place as I follow him up the walk. I watch the shift of his ass in his slacks and I just want to taste it, sink my teeth in, and take a bite out of his cute little butt.

⠀⠀ ⠀Yeah, I’ve got a bit of an ass fetish.

⠀⠀ ⠀Actually, I think it’s more of a “Suguru” fetish.

⠀⠀ ⠀A quick walk up the path and we’re inside within moments, the interior wrapping us in darkness. Then, Suguru’s wrapping me in him. The door closes with a soft click, and just like that, my back’s slammed against the solid wood surface, while my brother presses against me from the front. Before I can blink, he has my wrists pinned above my head, leaving me at his mercy.

⠀⠀ ⠀Fuck, I like being at his mercy.

⠀⠀ ⠀His face is right there, less than an inch from mine, lips merely a stretch away…and I ache to kiss him. Suguru flexes his hips, his cock growing harder with each passing second it’s pushed against me. I wiggle in response, pussy needy and hurting, begging to be filled. I know my panties are soaked, and soon, the cream will be coating my upper thighs, the thong not much protection against my arousal.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Suguru…” I want him. Damn, I want this man. Want him to fuck me, make me come, make me scream his name while he pulls my hair and pounds his big dick into me. My pussy, my ass, my mouth. His cock. Never had an older boy, but damn, it just adds a bit more of the forbidden to this, this thing between sister and brother. Then there’s the fact that my brother has me pinned…

⠀⠀ ⠀I’m hot, horny, needy and so fucking ready to come.

⠀⠀ ⠀He moans and closes the distance left between us, lips on mine, tongue delving into my mouth and sweeping through, tasting me like I’m tasting him. A hint of scotch explodes over my taste buds as I stroke and tease him, search out his natural flavor while I suck on his tongue, all the while showing him just how well I can treat him.

⠀⠀ ⠀Suguru rocks his hips against me, and I bring my leg up to go around his waist, dig my heel into his ass, open my thighs to him so he can rub precisely where I ache. He transfers his hold on my wrists to one hand, and then he’s gripping my knee, holding me in place, thick cock teasing my pussy.

⠀⠀ ⠀He breaks the kiss for a moment. “Wrap your legs around me.”

⠀⠀ ⠀“Oh, Suguru.” I do as he asks, ankles locked around his waist to hold them in place, then he releases my arms and knee to grip my ass with his large hands. “That’s it baby.” I’m being held up by his hands cupping my butt cheeks and the door against my back, with his bulge giving me the friction I need. My pussy’s clenching on air, my slutty cunt’s looking to be filled, more than ready for his big dick. Each flex of his hips sends another frisson of arousal down my spine. “Suguru. So good.”

⠀⠀ ⠀He kneads my ass, fingers flexing and squeezing. I want him in me, coming and making me come, filling me up with his hot load. “Like that? Like your brother rubbing your pussy with his dick? You always used to tease me, Y/n. Talk about how boys don’t know how to fuck a woman. You want it, don’t you? Want this fat cock.”

⠀⠀ ⠀“Yes, Suguru, I do. Please…” He presses harder and I gasp, roll my head against the cold surface of the door, so eager to get fucked by my brother. “Come on, sis. Let me give you what you need.” All at once, the security of the door leaves me and I’m clinging to Suguru like a scared child, arms around his shoulders and a scream in my throat. “I got you, Y/n. Not going to let anything happen to you.”

⠀⠀ ⠀I know what I am, and thin isn’t it. I’m thick. Real thick in a lot of places, and definitely not light. But Suguru’s carrying me like I weigh nothing. Feeling a little more secure, I turn my attention to keeping his motor running, licking and nibbling his neck, kissing just below his ear, and reveling in the moans that I get in return.

⠀⠀ ⠀Before I know it, I’m flying through the air, landing on his big bed with a bounce, a laugh on my lips, my need for him to fill me still unwavering. I’m staring at him, his broad shoulders, heaving chest, the huge bulge in his pants. I want it. Want to taste him. To suck him. “Next time, baby. You touch me and I’ll explode. I just want to eat that chocolate pussy until you scream, and then fuck you dry.”

⠀⠀ ⠀“Fuck, Suguru…” I whimper, squirming, rubbing my thighs together to try and alleviate some of the ache. He tears his shirt off, showing me all of his muscles, his six-pack abs, and those cute little lines at his hips. Now there, I wanna lick. Love those. Wanna nibble and see if they’re as big a turn-on for him as they are for me.

⠀⠀ ⠀His pants are next, practically torn from his body. Big bro’s gone commando, showing me his large, cock in an instant. Damn the boy’s hung. Long and thick and all for me. The head’s an angry red, like it’s dying to slam into me. Fuck yeah.

⠀⠀ ⠀I open my legs, tiny skirt sliding to my waist with ease while I show him my G-string clad pussy. I take one hand and slide a finger along the wet fabric, shudder at the pleasure that shoots through me. “What’re you waiting for then? Come eat my pussy.” Suguru kneels on the bed and moves between my legs, stroking that big dick while he watches me rub myself. “Fuck yeah, look at how wet you are. All that cream for me, baby? Are you wet for me?”

⠀⠀ ⠀He brushes my hand aside, mimics my moves, and touches me like I’ve wanted to be touched for so long. I lean back on my elbows and, drop my head back, fully enjoying his caresses and moaning each time he skims my clit. “Yes, all for you. Yours.” I’m panting, but I whimper when he pulls his hand away, then gasp when my G-string suddenly disappears with a quick tug on the fabric, leaving my cunt exposed to the cool air.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Look at all that cream.” He smiles at me before he shifts his position, bends down, and rubs his rough cheek against my inner thigh. “Smells so good. So hot for me. You want me to lick this pussy, Y/n? Want your brother to make you scream?”

⠀⠀ ⠀His heated breath fans over my wet lower lips. “Please… Eat me, Suguru. Then I want that fat cock to fuck me.” I watch while he slips his tongue out and laps at my slit, tip skating over my needy flesh, a moan forming deep in my chest.

⠀⠀ ⠀“You taste so sweet, baby.”

⠀⠀ ⠀He dives back in, separates my nether lips, fingers holding me open while he licks me from entrance to clit and back again. He circles my opening, teasing those sensitive nerves, leaving me panting. Suguru travels up to my exposed button, flick, flick, flicking the nub, shots of pleasure zipping through me, lightning singeing each of my nerve endings as my muscles spasm in response.

⠀⠀ ⠀I try to hold back, but I can’t. I drop my weight to the mattress and fist his hair, flex my fingers and dig my nails into his scalp. “Fuck yes, give it to me.” He moans against my heat and a finger slides into my pussy, stroking my walls a few times before he fills me with two. “That’s it. Fuck me with your fingers. Make me come.”

⠀⠀ ⠀Suguru sucks on my clit, digits stroking in time with the movements of his mouth, the squishing sounds of him moving in and out of me mingling nicely with my harsh breathing. He strokes that neglected place inside me, rubbing against my G-spot with every thrust and retreat. I move one of my hands from his head and tug my top aside to reveal my breasts. I pinch my chocolate brown nipple and pull on the hard nub. I rock my hips, move with him, whisper and whimper while he works over my spasming pussy.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Yes…there…please…lick that pussy.” He moans, sucks harder, shoves three fingers into my cunt, and a pinch of pain joins my pleasure. Ecstasy’s gathering, slithering through me, connecting all of the nerves in my body and forcing my muscles to twitch. My orgasm’s inching closer, growing bigger and bigger, gathering speed and intensity with each passing second.

⠀⠀ ⠀“That cunt taste good? You like licking your sister’s pussy?” Fuck. That nasty talk sends a tremor of pleasure down my spine, forcing my back to arch, a scream from my throat. This is my brother, Suguru… My new lover.

⠀⠀ ⠀He pulls his mouth away, but replaces his tongue with the thumb of his other hand, presses and circles my throbbing clit while he keeps pumping his digits in and out of me. “Come on my hand, baby. You taste so fucking good. Bet you’ll feel better when you let go. Come on my hand and I’ll give you my fat cock.”

⠀⠀ ⠀“Yes, yes, yes…”

⠀⠀ ⠀I’m so close, so damned close. It’s right there, within reach, and I want it more than my next breath. I release his hair completely and pinch the nipple on my other breast, add more pain to the pleasure.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Do it, Y/n. Gimme your cum.”

⠀⠀ ⠀“Fuckfuckfuck...”

⠀⠀ ⠀It’s on me now, filling me and sending me flying high, fireworks forming behind my eyelids while I scream Suguru’s name and come all of his fingers like he asked. I can’t breathe. Can’t think. I’m a ball of pure pleasure and I love every second of it, the bliss my brother has given me pours through my veins, sending me higher and higher with each thrust of his hand.

⠀⠀ ⠀Trembling, breathing heavy and urging him on, I gasp when he crawls up me, thrusts that thick dick into my sopping wet pussy, stretching me even more.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Suguru!”

⠀⠀ ⠀“Fuck yeah. Take your brother’s cock.” He pulls out and slams in again, jarring us both, sending the bed banging against the wall. “Take it all.” I arch and flex against him, meet his thrusts, wrap my arms around him and pull him closer to me. His dick hits even more of those hidden places in my cunt, the head of his prick stroking and teasing me.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Give it to me. Want it all.”

⠀⠀ ⠀He growls and pushes all the way into me, holds his hips against mine and grinds, tiny circles that press his pubic bone against my sensitive clit. “You’re such a dirty little slut. Getting fucked by your brother. Taking this cock.”

⠀⠀ ⠀“More!” I plant my heels on the mattress, try to buck and force him to move.

⠀⠀ ⠀He keeps up the small movements. “Beg me.”

⠀⠀ ⠀“Please. Please, Suguru, fuck me. Give me your big dick. Fuck me hard. Make me scream.” I’m breathless, needy and wanting and ready to do just about anything he asks. Suguru withdraws and then shoves forward again, my tits bouncing with the thrust, bed banging as a scream of pleasure gathers in my throat.

⠀⠀ ⠀It’s so good. My cunt’s still spasming and squeezing his cock with every entrance. Again and again he pushes into my tight, wet heat. I scratch his back, dig in my nails, love the way pleasure and pain dance across his features. He’s loving this as much as I am…and I revel in the fact I’m able to give this to him.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Harder. More.” I’m demanding, but I don’t care. I want this. Want him so badly.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Fucking slut, aren’t you?”

⠀⠀ ⠀“For you.” Only for him. Yeah, I’ve had plenty of sex, but I’ve never been this hot or this needy. “That’s right. This is my pussy.” He withdraws and shoves forward, pistoning like a fucking jackhammer.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Mine, mine, mine…”

⠀⠀ ⠀“Yes!”

⠀⠀ ⠀He’s pounding me hard. And the rhythmic slam, slam, slam of the bed makes me happy he lives in a house and not in an apartment. I meet each thrust, our skin slapping together, bodies colliding as pleasure rises with each passing moment. I’m so close to coming, shattering around him. My pussy’s milking him, orgasm approaching once again.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Gonna come, Suguru. Come on your dick.”

⠀⠀ ⠀“Do it. Come on, baby. Give it to your brother like the slut you are.”

⠀⠀ ⠀Fuckfuckfuck…

⠀⠀ ⠀‘Cause it’s there, pouring through me and slamming headlong into my pussy. I tighten my hold, back arched and yelling, but I’m not too sure what—‘cause the pleasure is simply…overwhelming. I’m sobbing, clawing, pulling him closer, but he keeps up his bruising thrusts, keeps drawing out the ecstasy…on and on and on. Dear god, help me.

⠀⠀ ⠀He growls and yanks my arms from around him, flips me over, and then fills me once again. I’m on my hands and knees before him, Suguru holding my hips with a bruising grip, yanking me back and forth over his dick. The slapping sounds from our bodies colliding echoes in the room, while his balls hitting my clit with each of his thrusts sends me flying high once again. It’s so good. So hot. So fucking unbelievable. One of his hands moves to my shoulder as the other grips and fists my hair.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Fuck yeah, Suguru. Give it to me hard.”

⠀⠀ ⠀Then it begins in earnest. Suguru yanks me against each of his thrusts, the sting of him tugging my hair working through me and joining in on the pleasure. My pussy’s creaming while more and more of my arousal slides down my thighs, coating the two of us. Sweat covers my back with Suguru’s mingling with mine. I love being this close to him. I’ve waited so fucking long for this.

⠀⠀ ⠀He keeps up the pace. More, I want so much more…

⠀⠀ ⠀I palm one of my breasts, tug on my nipple, moan and groan while he works me over, takes pleasure from my body, gives back just as much. “Like that? Take my fat dick, Y/n.” He’s breathing heavy, panting.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Such a sweet pussy.”

⠀⠀ ⠀“Yes…” I hiss, his grip tightening.

⠀⠀ ⠀“You’re gonna come one more time. One more, baby. And then I’m gonna fuck this sweet ass of yours.” My pussy tightens, anxious and ready. “Anyone taken your ass, baby? Fucked this dark hole? It wants me, wants me to shove my dick in there.”

⠀⠀ ⠀“No, no one.”

⠀⠀ ⠀He releases my hair, grabs one cheek, his thumb sliding along the crease. “Gonna take your cherry then, baby.”

⠀⠀ ⠀“Yes…” I want it, want my brother to take it. This is the hottest fuck I’ve ever had. It’s hard and rough and he’s my brother with a cock that doesn’t seem to quit. The hand on my ass moves to between my thighs, finds my throbbing clit, and he rubs the nub, quick and dirty like his fucking.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Fuck…yeah…gonna…” ‘Cause I am. I’m gonna come all over his cock, squeeze and milk him while pleasure takes over every inch of me. I scream and yell, claw the sheets while my veins spark and burn, fire dancing along every single nerve in my body. Muscles spasm and tighten, toes curl in my shoes. Hell no. I’m not letting this boy go anytime soon. Not if he fucks me this good. And I come again, third time’s the charm, absolute bliss exploding in each and every one of my cells while he keeps it up, continues to give me pleasure while wave after wave of ecstasy takes me higher.

⠀⠀ ⠀Fuck, it’s so good, so hot…scorching me from the inside out and back again.

⠀⠀ ⠀This time, Suguru lets me calm a little before he pulls out, hands on my ass, separating the cheeks and exposing me fully. I’ve never trusted anyone enough to let them in the “back door,” but this is Suguru…and I know he’d never do anything to hurt me.

⠀⠀ ⠀His fingers play over my aroused flesh, dip to my pussy, and then ghost over my asshole, teasing me, and I shiver at the contact, the strange sensation I feel. “Shh…nice and easy, baby. Reach into that drawer over there and grab the lube.” With a stretch, I do as he asks, snag the bottle of clear liquid, and then hold it out for him. I get a wink from Suguru before I turn back around, lower my chest to the mattress and just relax, take what he’s about to give me.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Such a pretty little asshole.” A cool finger teases the entrance and another shudder overtakes me. “It’s just begging for my cock, baby.” Then, that finger slides in easy, not a hint of pain, and the first stirrings of pleasure start throbbing in time with my heart.

⠀⠀ ⠀I moan and push back against the intrusion. It’s strange, but so good.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Want more, Y/n?”

⠀⠀ ⠀“Please…” I whimper. He gives me what I beg for, eases another finger into my asshole, and still, no pain—just unimaginable pleasure. He thrusts in and out of me, fingers scissoring and stretching my virgin hole, prepping me to take that fat cock of his. “Suguru…” I whine, ready for more.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Such a needy slut.” He doesn’t sound too upset by the idea, and gives me another finger. This time, I feel the pinch of pain and I gasp, then my body stills for a moment. “Easy, baby. Breathe through it. It’s gonna feel so good, just give it a minute.” He strokes my back, hand sliding along my spine while he gently slides in and out of my asshole, getting me ready to get fucked back there.

⠀⠀ ⠀And he’s right. I am needy. In moments, I’m panting again, just waiting for him to plow into me with his dick. “Suguru, give it to me. Fuck me. Fill me with your cum already.”

⠀⠀ ⠀“What a naughty girl.”

⠀⠀ ⠀Hearing the laugh in his voice, I look over my shoulder. “Only for you.” He just barks out another laugh, and then those sweet fingers disappear, only to be replaced with the head of his cock kissing my asshole. “Nice and easy, Y/n. Push out a little while I push in. Then, I promise you’re going to feel so good, baby.”

⠀⠀ ⠀I force myself to relax, put my trust in Suguru and do as he asks. Inch by stretching inch, I accept his dick, body parting for him, his cock stroking unknown nerves and pleasure points. He feeds me his prick. And as seconds slip away, before I know it, he’s thrusting into my asshole, spearing me with his hard shaft.

⠀⠀ ⠀Losing track of time, I refocus as his hips rest against mine, balls brushing my pussy. Suguru strokes my back, fingers dancing over my skin, touching and caressing me so tenderly. He teases my ass, fingers playing along my hole where he’s penetrating me.

⠀⠀ ⠀“You should see this. So sweet, so pretty. Your asshole’s just sucking me in and keeping me hot.” He pulls out a little and then eases back into me, yanking a gasp and moan from deep in my chest. “That’s it, baby, nice and easy.”

⠀⠀ ⠀He does it again, retreat and advance, breaks me apart. I’m so full, I think I’m gonna burst, blow up and burn in a fire that’s threatening to consume me.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Fuck, Suguru.”

⠀⠀ ⠀“Like that?” I can hear the smile in his voice.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Hell yeah. Do me harder, please..”

⠀⠀ ⠀“Shit, baby.” He groans, but listens, pulls out and pushes in with more force, gives and takes with increased passion. “Sweetest, tight little ass.”

⠀⠀ ⠀“Pound me with that big dick, brother. Show me what a good fuck you are.”

⠀⠀ ⠀“Such a slut.” There’s still no malice, just arousal tingeing his voice, and he gives me what I long for. It’s like the chains he’s had on himself melt away. Suguru withdraws and then shoves forward, hard enough for the bed to pick up its banging, his balls smacking my pussy and sending light tingles along my spine. The scent of our sex surrounds us, the musk filling the air, permeating our pores.

⠀⠀ ⠀On and on he goes, in and out, in and out, slap, slap, slap…

⠀⠀ ⠀I never knew. Never knew that anal sex could feel so good, so right, and make me come. It’s right there, close enough to reach out and grab. I’m full and stuffed and stretched, the pinch melding with the pleasure until I’m a glowing balloon of ecstasy, growing larger with every passing second. My breathing’s labored, even harder than before. I’m exhausted, fucked-tired, and just ready to come so I can pass the fuck out. Suguru can keep going for all I care, but I just need to rest for a minute.

⠀⠀ ⠀“You gonna come, baby? Your ass is begging for it, milking my dick.”

⠀⠀ ⠀“Mmm-hmm…” I can’t really talk. I can mumble a little, though. ‘Cause I want it, want him to paint me from the inside out. He slaps my ass, waking me up in an instant, sending a lightning bolt of pleasure through me. “Fuck me.”

⠀⠀ ⠀“That’s what I’m doing, baby.” He spanks me again, harder this time, the burn shoving my orgasm closer.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Suguru!”

⠀⠀ ⠀“Oh, yeah, you like that.” I can feel his smug attitude radiating from behind me, and he deserves every bit of those feelings because he’s right.

⠀⠀ ⠀Actually, he’s wrong. I don’t just like it—I fucking love it.

⠀⠀ ⠀Another smack, another jolt. Again and again, in time with his strokes, shoving in and yanking out of my asshole while he spanks my cheeks. I feel the heat and pain mingling in the pleasure his fucking’s creating, rolling together and creating a wave of undeniable ecstasy. It’s growing and growing larger by the second until I’m filled with it. Every nook and cranny inside my body is consumed by the sensation he’s creating.

⠀⠀ ⠀He fucks me harder, deeper, banging into me, our breathing growing heavier, mixing with the sounds of our bodies meeting and the bed hitting the wall with each of his powerful thrusts.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Come in me, Suguru. Do it. Fill me with your cum.” I moan and groan, gasp when he hits me once again. Shit. Right there, oh, yeah…that sends me over the edge, sends me flying high and screaming his name while my pussy and ass clamp down, milk and spasm. God, what I wouldn’t give to have my pussy filled at the same time. “Yes, god, yes…”

⠀⠀ ⠀“Fuck, Y/n. Baby…”

⠀⠀ ⠀He’s jerking against me, fingers digging into my hips, probably leaving bruises behind, but I don’t mind. His cock’s growing thicker inside me, jerking, and then the splash of his hot cum is hitting my inner walls, spurting inside me. He rocks with me, our bodies moving as one while more and more of his seed comes out of his dick and into me.

⠀⠀ ⠀Slowly, by moments, we calm, our breathing returning to normal, and then Suguru slumps to the side, bringing me with him, his cock still sheathed in my ass. He kisses the back of my neck, so tender and sweet. “Oh, baby. That was…”

⠀⠀ ⠀“Mmm-hmm.” I wiggle against him, his dick slowly softening inside me. I can still feel the stretch and heat of him, his cum dribbling from my hole.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Stay here, baby.” He eases from my back passage and I whimper, reach back for him, but he’s already gone. I watch while he pads naked to the bathroom and returns moments later with two washcloths. He reaches for me, but I hold out my hand. “Stop it. Let me take care of you.”

⠀⠀ ⠀He presses a quick kiss on my shoulder and nudges my hand away, taking care of cleaning me up, wiping away the evidence of his pleasure. Then, after he’s done with me, he does the same to himself.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Pain in my ass, Suguru,” I grumble, not really meaning it, but it’s what we do. We argue about how annoying we are to each other.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Only if you ask nicely,” he replies.

⠀⠀ ⠀I snort.

⠀⠀ ⠀“You were begging, and not too long ago.” He snuggles behind me, his cock nestling along the crack of my ass, arms draped over me. “I believe it was something along the lines of ‘give me your big dick. Fuck me hard. Make me scream.’ But I could be wrong.” I look over my shoulder and stick my tongue out at him. “You’re a asshole.” He raises a single brow. “That’s what you’ve got? ‘You’re a asshole?’”

⠀⠀ ⠀I narrow my eyes and glare at him.

⠀⠀ ⠀“It’s okay, baby, I’ll take that. I’ll also take you.”

⠀⠀ ⠀“What’re you talking about?”

⠀⠀ ⠀He scrapes his teeth along my shoulder, nibbles my skin. “I’m keeping you.”

⠀⠀ ⠀“You can’t keep me! I’m my own wo—”

⠀⠀ ⠀He silences me with a kiss. And it’s almost enough to make me lose my “mad.” Almost. “Hush. You are your own woman, but now, you’re also mine. Don’t worry. You can still hang out with your bitch. You just won’t be picking up men anymore. I’m your man now.”

⠀⠀ ⠀“What?” My mouth opens wide in surprise. “You did not just call my friends bitch!” I get another kiss, but this time, while he shifts me to my back and thrusts into my pussy again. His cock’s hard and thick, filling me, a shot of ecstasy spreading from my pussy.

⠀⠀ ⠀“I did. And I am your man.” He withdraws and eases forward, nice and gentle. “No one else is fucking this pussy. I’ve ruined you, haven’t I? Say it.” He pulls out, pushes back in. “Say it, baby.” He nibbles my lower lip, rains kisses along my jaw and tugs on my earlobe with his teeth. “Say it,” he whispers, licking the shell of my ear.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Fuck, Suguru. You’re my man.”

⠀⠀ ⠀“Your brother.”

⠀⠀ ⠀God, this is so slow and sweet… Feels so damn good I’m gonna come again. Come all over his cock. “My brother.”

⠀⠀ ⠀“Such a hot woman. My little sis. And I’m your brother.”

⠀⠀ ⠀He thrusts home, grinds his hips against me, rubbing my clit just right and yanking a scream from me. “My brother!”

⠀⠀ ⠀I throw my head back, arching and yelling, pleasure bursting through me as I find my release once again. It’s not as strong as before, but deeper, more meaningful. ‘Cause it’s my man, my big bro doing this for me, and not some quick fuck I’ve picked up. “That’s it, baby. Gonna come in this sweet pussy.” He’s breathing heavy again, increasing his pace a little, thrusting harder.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Come in my cunt, Suguru. Fill me up. Give it to me.” I claw his back, run my nails along his spine and dig my heels into his ass checks, pull him into me with more force.

⠀⠀ ⠀“Fuck. Baby…” Then he’s there, coming in me, dick swelling, jerking inside my heat, and spurt after spurt of his cum fills my pussy. He jerks—once, twice, three times before he slumps over me, body shaking, tremors traveling through him with every breath.

⠀⠀ ⠀I stroke his back, soothe him while he catches his breath.

⠀⠀ ⠀He really is a good man. And as long as he fucks me like this every day, I figure I can handle having him as mine.

⠀⠀ ⠀Happy Birthday to me.

[catboybiologist]

The WOKE TRANSGENDER MOB is taking yet another FEMBOY ICON

Fucking bullshit. Fucking BULLSHIT. The woke mob is now saying that beloved femboy icon, CatboyBiologist, is trans and will be medically transitioning. First brisket and now this? Why doesn’t everything conform to the image that I formed in my head for my own benefit? This is forced diversity at its finest.

Look at these absolutely deranged quotes that they’ve CLEARLY forced him to say:

“I didn’t like being masculine from the onset of puberty, and being a ‘femboy’ was a valuable part of figuring out what exactly I wanted to do with that feeling. I’ve been figuring things out for a while, and I currently have appointments lined up to start HRT by the end of this month (August 2023).”

Have they no limits? Have they no shame? CLEARLY this is a fake flag by the sjw communist animal farm 1984 alphabet soup mafia elites to trans the gender of the most cisgender person in existence. It’s abundantly clear that once you represent your gender expression in a particular way, it is completely static and never changes. Exploration is strictly off limits. You’re only a real transgender if your mother gives birth in the endocrinologists office and you get your HRT prescription at 23 seconds old, otherwise you’re a filthy AGP cuck.

As we all know, femboys exist so that I can jack off to men and claim “it’s still straight if it’s femboys bro”, allowing me to ignore my deeply repressed bisexuality. If no femboy is safe from the transing of the genders, then how will I be able to have an outlet for my attraction to men? Finding community and healthily expressing it in a way that doesn’t involve me fetishizing gender nonconformity and unhealthily bottling up my queerness? Fucking disgusting.

We all know that there’s absolutely no precedent for using gender nonconforming cultural trends to explore ones identity before transitioning. That’s why every drag queen has always been a 100% cis man and none have ever pursued transition ever.

Clearly the goal here is to erase feminine men and convert boys into the alphabet mafia. As a someone who regularly jacks off to femboys, I have personally appointed myself as the authority on all things related to gender nonconformity, and I refuse to bow down to the wokeness that is queer people who actually go outside. As this authority, I know from my depths of experience mindlessly scrolling through anime femboys online that femboys are a completely different thing than the lgbtqiaabcdefg rabble, and that they’re based whereas real gay people and gender nonconforming people are cringe. Absolutely no overlap exists between trans people and the gender nonconforming cis people whatsoever. With this authority and knowledge, I have pledged to personally divide and destroy any semblance of queer unity present in the online microcosms I find myself in. And because of this, I have to speak out against this trans agenda.

BULLSHIT I say. They’re transing the genders of the femboys and I won’t stand for it.

[racefortheironthrone]

The Unwanted Guest and Grand Lysis

As part of my ongoing obsession with a certain transcendental plural entity, I re-read "The Unwanted Guest" with an eye towards what was Palamedes thinking about Grand Lysis and the nature of spirit magic shortly before the transmutation.

While a lot of the discourse on TUG has focused on the permeability of the soul (for good reason), I found myself on this re-read focusing on a different bit of Sextus' Poirot reveal:

PALAMEDES It’s all so messy … so much messier than we ever imagined. I’ve been in Camilla’s body for months now, and I’ve started remembering things I never saw. This is the real truth of Lyctorhood, Ianthe—it’s not some bloodless swapping-out of batteries. It’s grafting; transplantation. When you absorbed Naberius Tern’s soul, you didn’t swallow a diamond. (emphasis mine)

When I initially wrote my essay about Grand Lysis and Paul, I had thought of the Sixth's version of the Eightfold Word as a megatheorem that was enacted in the very moment as we saw it in Nona. That's certainly how it appeared at the time, but this paragraph above strongly suggests that the process we see later with Paul on the Ninth was in a certain sense already underway throughout their time on New Rho.

This certainly explains why Palamedes was so confident in his psychic duel that he had out-thought Ianthe about something so core to her core area of expertise: the nature of the soul. Because contrary to Ianthe's arrogant presumption that only she had "eaten ice cream," Palamedes and Camilla had been experiencing transplantation-leading-to-lysis for months and had been thinking really hard about what it all meant about the soul and the nature of Lyctorhood.

Moreover, one of the things I absolutely love about TUG is the way it completely recontextualizes and makes us rethink one of my favorite passages from Nona:

They dashed toward the abandoned body of Ianthe Naberius—an abandoned body that was now propped up on its elbows, staring out with pale, distrustful eyes, an expression on its face of commingled hate and despair. “So there was another way, Sextus, after all,” the body murmured. The figure crouched down and extended their arm. “I know how hard it is for you to kick against the goad,” said the new person. “But there are more worlds than this. Come with us. We are the love that is perfected by death—but even death will be no more; death can also die. There’s still time, Ianthe. Time for you, and for Naberius Tern.” The abandoned body stared at what had once been Camilla’s hand, at what once had been Camilla’s face, then at the hand again. After which it said brightly— “I bet you say that to all the boys.”

As I said in my original essay, one of the things I originally thought was so funny about this sequence is the idea that Ianthe would ever have contemplated the idea of Grand Lysis with Babs. But now that we know what passed between Ianthe and Palamedes during their psychic duel, it explains exactly why Ianthe is consumed by "commingled hate and despair," because she's just had a core element of her worldview, her ambitions, and her sense of herself comprehensively debunked and sees the proof of it standing before her.

And it also throws in a different light Paul's offer to Ianthe, which is rendered far more sympathetic and compassionate than before. They’re not just trying to convert Ianthe to their way of thinking, they’re recognizing that lysis is actively happening to Ianthe regardless of her will. Unwantedly, the inviolability of Ianthe's personhood has been compromised because she never stopped to count the cost of ascension, and thus Ianthe Tridentarius no longer exists - she is Ianthe Naberius (not Tern) now. Better to fully embrace the comingling of "proteins and lipids and molecules" and become something new and whole, rather than poison yourself with resentment and denial for a myriad.

And thus the tragedy that Ianthe refuses Paul's good news.

[crystallizsch]

HI okay so about that multifandom post — these are the ones that comes to mind i might post about in the future (with a lot of them having oc x canon stuff as well)

(the headers are my fan ocs btw 💕)

obey me!

i’ll very likely do this tbh

potential crossovers??? seven sins/brothers vs the seven overblotters???

i’ve been thinking about this for a long time actually (for example: obm mc and twst mc switching places)

and if you must know my faves are simeon and mammon >:]

stardew valley

maybe i’ll post about it???

i barely have time to play this game 😭 and when i do, i play it for like a week straight and dont touch it for several months (which is something i do with a lot of the games i play anyway 😔)

maybe potential twst x sdv au

as for the characters i’m into: it’s the alcoholic and the emo boy, if you know you know

IF THEY CAN’T LET ME HAVE ROBIN IM COURTING HER LOSER SON I GUESS

our life: beginning & always

a niche(?) visual novel with a customizable mc

augh i’ll definitely post about it bc i have SUCH a soft spot for it

it’s cheesy to admit but the game got me through some rough times before i landed on twst lmao (and it's literally the ONLY game i did somewhat of a self-insert hgdkfj)

if you’re into slice of life visual novels, PLEASE check this out, it’s free on steam (it has paid dlcs (that i all paid for bc i love the game so much) but the game is still VERY enjoyable without it)

it has so much 2000s-2010s nostalgic vibes, and it doesnt force you to a romance if you don’t want to (at least from what i remember but im pretty confident that’s the case)

and the main “love interest” is the CUTEST OUGH

it’s not really “exciting” per se since it’s a slice of life, BUT BUT—

ONCE I START POSTING ABOUT THIS I WILL CONVERT YOU GUYS MARK MY WORDS

pokemon

HUGE MAYBE THAT I’LL DO STUFF ABOUT POKEMON bc i struggle with animal art ;;;

so probably i’ll just do occasional crossovers/aus with twst

or sharing some trainer/gijinka ocs

misc games/anime/etc.

the arcana (nix hydra): another niche(?) visual novel free on the app store about a magician mc and tarot cards (grossly summarizing it), i’d recommend if you like fantasy/dark themes 🫶 i have a soft spot for it too bc it was one of my first oc x canon i started posting when i was younger <3 (i’d like to consider the art style of this dating sim “unconventionally pretty” like it’s not your usual anime otome game art style. it’s definitely not for everyone but i personally like it)

cult of the lamb: i have a one-off lamb oc but if i do post about this, it’s probably going to be more about gameplay than oc-posting tbh

honkai star rail: i have no ocs in this game but i LOVE playing for the characters/story so it’ll prob be just me reacting to story stuff and agonizing over gacha pulls

+ probably other franchises (like other anime or video games and stuff) i might make fanart of or just talk about

AGAIN TO CLARIFY: i'll still be twst-posting first and foremost because i know it’ll be my main fandom for a LONG while, i really don’t see myself dropping it any time soon!! these other fandoms are just side interests

and considering my track record of ONLY focusing on certain twst characters/ocs, i don't think the fandoms i mentioned here will show very often anyway 😭

[lettersfromaphrodite]

[10.50]

― pairing : Han Jisung x fem! reader ― content warnings : smut, fluff, grease! au - therefore it's the 50's, unprotected sex (wrap it up y’all) ― word count : 3.752 ― notes : my kinks got worse since the last time you saw me

― notes : this fic looks familiar?it is! I’m reposting ALL my works on this brand new blog and therefore please, bear with me! as always, askbox is always open and feedbacks are always welcome 💌

🕺 GREASE! STRAY KIDS SERIES

Chris part one | part two // Changbin // Jisung // Hyunjin // Seungmin // Minho // Felix // Jeongin

Jisung was so rich it was almost unbelievable. His father owned the majority of the shops and diners in the town you lived in, resulting in him living in a huge mansion with a lot of butlers and maids. Jisung also threw the best parties, had a convertible comfortable car and always had the best weed.

At least, this is what your best friend always said; since all you did was steal longing glances at him from afar, hoping that he’d somehow – magically, take the hint.

«You should come to one of his parties sometimes. I could also introduce to the others Stray Kids!» she said, fixing her lipstick. «Who knows, maybe you’ll finally listen to me and become a Pink.»

You giggled, gently nudged your shoulder against hers. «As if!»

«Oh, come on!» she affectionately linked your arms together. «You and me, Pink Ladies! Can you imagine the fun we’d have?»

«Maybe in our next life. There’s no way I’m going back being a Pink.» you sighed, smiling at her as you reminisced your actions of focusing on your cheeseburger. «I’ve tried that, and I definitely didn’t like it.» you mumbled, before taking a big bite on your food. Few years earlier, you have been the Pink Lady of another boy in another group, even before Stray Kids became popular.

Long story short? Many - too many, tears wasted on someone who was definitely not worth it. You friends quickly re-adjusted her position on the red leather couch as you both heard the bells of the Frosty Palace’s entrance door ring loudly.

“Talk about the Devil…” You thought as your friend waved at Stray Kids, which waved back with loud greetings before heading towards their usual sitting spot.

You both finished your dinner quietly; going back talking about school and you could not help but once again steal some quick glances to the boys’ table. Jisung had always caught your attention, but you did not want to fuel the fire in your friend’s soul, otherwise she would never stop rambling about them. Sometimes, your stealth glances at Jisung would be reciprocated, and each time your eyes met, you would quickly advert your gaze with cheeks flaming red.

A soft tap on your shoulder caught your attention, and you turned your head to meet your friend’s knowingly smile, her grin erupting around the straw of her milkshake as she softly nudged your thigh with her knee.

«Become a Pink,» she whispered again «I could set you up with Seungmin, he’s tall and-» her speech was interrupted by a waiter which placed a tall glass of strawberry milkshake right in front of you. Milkshake you definitely did not order, since you already bought yourself to drink earlier.

«I believe there must be a mistake…» you shyly told the waiter «I didn’t order for this.»

The waiter politely smiled at you, before shaking his head «Han paid for you.» you furrowed your brows in confusion while you friend shrieked next to you, quickly grabbing your forearm, and the waiter pointed towards the counter with a nod.

Jisung was staring at you, partially leaning against the counter with a smug smile plastered on his face. You were sure you blushed as soon as your eyes met; main reason why you immediately averted your gaze as quickly as you have been burned by a wild flame.

«She’ll take it. Thank you so much. And also, say thank you to Jisung on her behalf.» your friend quickly answered before you could even process your thoughts and try to answer him that “No, thank you”, and the waiter quickly returned to his ministrations without sparing the both of you another glance.

«Han Jisung offered you a drink.» your friend’s voice was somewhere in between an excited shriek and a whisper-yell, her hand still firmly gripping on your arm.

«It’s… It’s a milkshake.» you clarified, trying to avoid looking in the general direction of the counter, even if you could still feel Jisung’s piercing stare on your skin.

«I don’t think you get the point.» she ignored your answer, «Han Jisung never buys girls anything.»

This random and unusual gesture turned into a definitive habit. Days turned into weeks, Jisung would sometimes offer you to drink, sometimes directly pay for your dinner and leaving you a confused, flustered and blushing mess anytime the cashier would say «Han already paid for you.»

Eventually, both your best friend and the rest of Stray Kids got tired about the two of you silently longing at each other from a safe distance, and you found yourself sitting with them.

Hanging around with them was fun; you had to admit your best friend was right. They all looked so incredibly badass but once you got to know them, you realized that they were also so incredibly dumb and funny. You honestly enjoyed hanging out with them.

You and Jisung got closer, becoming those kind of friends acting shy around each other because they are too dumb to make the first move. Jisung was a total sweetheart, despite his looks, and him being so naturally loud and funny but also a genuine listener made your crush for him steady grow each passing day. Jisung also never stopped treating you, despite you telling that it was okay, you could pay for yourself but he would just smile and shrug it off.

You did not exactly mind that, you found that new routine quite relaxing. The thought of confessing your feelings to Jisung sometimes came to your mind and wandered there for quite few time, but eventually, you settled for not making a fool of yourself, since no matter all the times he referred to you as “the girl I have a crush on”, you still feared rejection.

«You should definitely come to Jisung’s party, tonight.» you friend told you, bursting into your house. «And by “you should”, I mean, “I’m going to dress you up and drag you there, if I have to”»

Something you had witnessed along your long years of friendship was: your friend did not lie. She did not drag you to the party, but she convinced you to. You spent the first part of the night enjoying the chill night breeze while sitting on the couches of the house’s veranda, a blue plastic cup filled with punch and slowly swaying to the rhythm of the slow songs played by Jisung’s jukebox. Someone plopped on the couch right next to you, a familiar and pleasing whiff of cologne invading your senses.

«There you are, angel.» a deep voice said, «I thought you’d never come.» you could feel the fact that Jisung was smiling, even if you weren’t looking at him, yet.

«My friend dragged me here.» you stated, taking a small sip from your drink.

«Oh, so you didn’t come here to see me?» his voice was filled with disappointment, as he playfully lifted his hand on his heart and pretending to be deeply hurt. You deduced to be already intoxicated by the alcohol because you giggled at him, turning around to finally look him in the eyes.

Jisung was handsome, he had always been, but there was something about him being so close to you that made him look even more breath taking. His hair was neatly styled, his black leather jacket draped around his shoulders and the white shirt he was wearing was so dangerously low cut that you could see his sharp collarbones. You were just about to take notice about how his cologne was so good when you snapped out of your small trance to see him looking at you with his stupid smug smirk and a pleased expression.

“I should really learn how to be subtle,” you thought quickly, quietly sipping from your cup to distract yourself – and having an excuse to look away from his enchanting bronze skin.

«I see my crush is required, then.» Jisung reached out to mumble right against your ear, his voice sending a shiver down your spine. Your breath hitched for a moment, and you turned around to look at him, your noses almost touching.

«And in what parallel universe,» you took a small pause, licking your lips and noticing him following the movement of your tongue. «Could Han Jisung have a crush on me?» you held his gaze, somehow hoping for him to close the distance between the two of you.

«This one! Science sure works fast these days.» Jisung answered with a sweet smile, before leaning back and getting up from the couch. You looked at him, hoping that he would not notice how dumbfounded you were by his sudden actions as he stood in front of you, offering you a hand. «Come on,» Jisung nodded towards his entrance door. «Let’s go and have a bit of fun.» with a nod, you smiled, and reached out to take his hand.

You were not new to the world of parties, getting drunk and smoking – after all, you have been a Pink too once, but you never thought you could do it again while actually having fun. Neither you nor Jisung actually got too high or too wasted; you were both slightly tipsy. He would spend the majority of the night with his arm around your hips while you talked with the others – his friends always randomly saying how the two of you would make a cute couple and Jisung immediately shutting them up, or with his hands tightly wrapped around your waist as you danced together.

«Well, angel.» the grip around your waist tightened, as you both slowly swayed to the rhythm of a slow song playing by the jukebox. The room was full of people, naturally drawing your bodies closer to each other. «I would really love to kiss you, right now.» he was speaking right by your ear, so that you could perfectly hear every word he said. You were about to ask him why he didn’t do it, when he chuckled before adding, «But we’re too tipsy, and I want to make this right.» you felt his teeth grazing the lobe of your ear, and you instinctively hugged his body a bit closer.

«Why, Jisung.» you said, mirroring his actions, «Do you plan to see me again?»

Thanks to the loud music making each conversation almost inaudible, you kept sharing this secret conversation while hugging each other close. Jisung’s soft breath against your skin suddenly making your knees weak.

«Of course. I plan to take you on a good amount of dates,» you felt him nod, while his right hand travelled upwards from your waist until it tangled itself into your hair. «And fuck you so deep and slow with your head pressed against the mattress until you’d beg me to ruin you.» You shut your eyes close as he almost moaned in your ear the unexpected last part, trying not to get aroused in a room full of people. «But we’ll have to talk about this another time.» Jisung slightly parted from you, meeting your gaze.

You were about to stand on your tiptoes and capture his lips when your friend tapped your shoulder, reminding you of the curfew you both had. Jisung kissed your cheek – dangerously close to your lips, before saying goodbye to the both of you.

The ride back was full of screams and excited squeals because, of course you told your best friend everything that happened earlier.

«He finally asked you on a date? Jisung?» your friend questioned, before excitedly squealing. «I knew it was just a matter of time!» she kept yelping, focusing on the road but also throwing your arm few soft, delicate punches in a rapid succession.

You ran a hand through your hair, giggling at your friend’s behaviour as small; butterflies hovered around in your stomach.

You hated Han Jisung. Well, it was definitely not true; you hated yourself for spending the entire breakfast daydreaming about him, resulting in you being awfully late for school.

You closed your locker, hastily walking towards your first class. You were alone in the hallways, busy wondering how could you lose time like that, when a hand suddenly reached out and dragged you to the stairs. You were ready to drop you book and kick the person who did it right between his legs when your gaze met Jisung’s apologising eyes.

«Jisung! What got into you?!» you lightly shoved him, your hand on his toned chest; with a scoff, you placed your hand on your heart, in the vain hope for your heartbeat to slow down. The thing was, both because of the scare and Jisung being so close to you, you didn’t think it would happen soon.

The boy adverted his gaze, mumbling a shy «I’m sorry,» before scratching the back of his head and releasing your arm from his strong grip. «The thing is, I really wanted to talk to you.»

“What if he regrets what he did yesterday?” you kept staring at him, silently urging him to go on, and feeling somehow a bit anxious.

«I’m sorry. For yesterday, I mean.» his voice reached your ears and your stomach sank; unable to meet his gaze, you stared at the floor. «The thing is, I might have said something a bit earlier than I planned to.»

“Earlier?” You furrowed your brows to look at him, confused. Jisung sighed, heavily. He looked so frustrated, as if you could not understand some simple and obvious concept, when he went on. «I do honestly mean what I said: I really want to take you on dates. I also really want to fuck you into oblivion but, maybe I might have said it a little bit earlier-»

Now, If someone were ever to tell you  that Han Jisung would stand in front of you, ranting about him giving you the wrong impression, you’d never believe them.

Moreover, most importantly, if someone were to tell you that you would interrupt his stupid rant with a kiss, you’d never believe them. However, there you were, standing on your tiptoes and balancing yourself with a hand on Jisung’s shoulder to softly peck his lips. You giggled at his expression, his eyes wide and his lips in a confused pout, he looked incredibly cute.

«Jisung, trust me, I want the same.» your kind smile was suddenly matched by his, and he leaned down to finally capture your lips in a soft kiss, searching for one another anytime you parted in order to breathe. You didn’t quite realise when those soft nibbles and shy kisses while lovesick grins were plastered on your faces turned into you being pushed against the wall with Jisung’s head buried in your neck and his right arm supporting your left leg around his waist, but the presence of his left hand in front of your mouth in order to muffle your whine as he loudly sucked on your jaw brought you back to the cruel reality.

«Jis-Jisung» you stuttered, whimpers blocking the words from falling from your lips as you’d want to, but his hot mouth on your skin was just so sinful and so perfect, you almost ignored the fact that you could be caught anytime and be in trouble. «Class. We-We’re still at school.» With a groan, Jisung pulled away from your neck, his lips hovering above yours.

«School literally started two days ago, it’s nothing important.» he mumbled, pushing his body on yours. «Let’s skip. Let’s go to my place, angel.» his eyes blown with lust - mirroring yours, and his boner pressed on your inner thigh made you nod at him without thinking further.

Jisung smiled, parting from you. «And then, let’s go on a date.» he took your hand in his as you scoffed, hiding a smile as you nodded once again. You quietly and hurriedly made your way out of the school and into his red, shiny car.

«Is it okay to go to my house?» he looked at you, starting the car.

Since when do you ask to a hook-up?» you raised an eyebrow, provoking him.

«Since you’re not a hook-up, angel.»

As your hand reached out to intertwine with his above the gear change, you felt butterflies in your stomach once again, happy with the feeling that the boy that you have secretly stole glances at for quite few months, admitted to have a crush on you.

«You live in a castle, Jisung. This is not a house.» you looked around in awe at your surroundings, as he quickly leaded you to his bedroom. «Wait, look at this!» you pulled on his hand, forcing him to stop in front of a painting that caught your attention. He sighed - you could even picture him rolling his eyes, and he let go of your hand.

«You can have a detailed tour of my house later, angel.» was all you could hear before, all of a sudden, your perspective of the world turned upside down. Jisung had effortlessly thrown you over his shoulder, and you laughed at his ministrations, softly but repeatedly smacking his butt and repeating a series of «Jisung, let me down!» which you never actually meant in the first place.

He did throw you down, though. On his bed. As you bounced on the fluffy mattress you saw something green fly all around you, some of them even landing on you.

“Money?” you took a green banknote in your hand, while pushing few others away from your stomach.

«Is there some weird kink I need to be aware of?» you propped on your elbows, throwing few banknotes at a smiling Jisung, which was still standing and towering over you.

He laughed, shaking his head. «I needed to buy something, I forgot the cash I needed on the bed.» his knees now were next to your waist, as he sat on your lap, reaching out to put his hands next to your head, caging you as he balanced his weight.

«And now I’m lying on them,» you mumbled as his lips attached once again to your jawline.

«Do you think I care about money having wrinkles?» he mumbled, smirking against your skin as he balanced himself on his left hand while his hand ghosted over your frame, his fingers looping in the belt loops of your jeans.

«What about… Other stains?» you breathed, your left hand scratching his slightly exposed waist.

«Is there some weird kink I need to be aware of?» the breathless chuckle you felt on your skin made you scratch him even harder out of reflex, and you felt pleased with yourself  as he instinctively hissed and grinded against you.

You never had any particular kink - actually, you had, but you had never considered appealing the idea of being fucked on a bed with a big amount of banknotes scattered under your body. Yet, there you were. You both left the foreplay at minimum and now, Jisung was thrusting into you, deep and slow while your head was pressed against the mattress, just as he promised the night before.

You learned pretty quickly that Jisung was loud also in bed, and you absolutely loved it. Hearing his moans mixed with the feeling of his breath hitch against your skin as he kissed your spine, the fact that he couldn’t keep his hands off of you, and his languid thrusts filling you so perfectly was making that marvellous sensation pool into your abdomen. You whimpered as a particular harsh thrust made you grip the blankets next your head even tighter – furtherly wrinkling some banknotes along, and you felt his firm grip on your hips; Jisung repeated the action before staying still inside you for few seconds. And again, and again.

He was purposely keeping his movements slow and teasing, so that you could feel every inch of his pulsing length move out of you, just to shove it right back.

As your moans deliciously filled the room, you gave in, whispering the magic words: «Ruin me, Jisung.» His grip on your waist tightened, as he heard you clench around him with a chocked moan.

«Took you long enough, angel.» he said, with a cocky voice before yanking you upwards by your hair, pulling your back flush against his body. As his thrusts gained speed and intensity, both his hands snaked around your hips: his left one wandered on your chest and pinched your left nipple before firmly gripping your breast in a firm hold, and his right one caressed his way until he pressed his index finger against your clit, trying to match the now messy pace of his thrusts which were making the both of you approach your orgasms.

You turned your head, meeting his lips in a hot, uncoordinated kiss, your right hand locking in his hair with a tight grip and your left hand’s nails sinking into his thigh. Jisung came with a loud moan, his hips stilling deep inside of you and instinctively holding you tighter against his body. He kept moving his hand, so that you’d follow him almost immediately later, the sensation of your orgasm spreading inside your body and relaxing your muscles.

You came back to your senses feeling Jisung’s soft kisses on your shoulders, as he slowly slipped out of you, your mixed releases actually staining few banknotes below you. The both of you plopped on the bed, giggling together as green money floated around you once again – since you both threw yourself back on the bed, and Jisung shifted until he was hugging you into his chest, your head resting below his neck and your fingertips delicately caressing his body.

«How about we go to the drive in?» He said, casually, as he played with a strand of your hair.

«Shouldn’t we go eat something before that? What time is it?» You sighed, closing your eyes as you felt Jisung reach out for his watch on the nightstand.

«10.50» he said, «Let’s sleep a little bit more.» he tried to roll you around, pouting at you.

«30 minutes, then we’ll take a shower and go eat lunch.» you answered dismissively as you let Jisung turn you around, so that now he was the one with his head in the crook of your neck, and you hugged him closer, playing with his hair.

«As you wish, angel.» you felt his soft breath anticipating an open mouthed kiss on your neck, before you both doze off with content smiles.

all works © lettersfromaphrodite

Do not modify, repost, translate or plagiarize my stories. I only publish my works on tumblr & AO3.

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[fullyinconsequential]

Here’s a 3am Steddie rant I think every Steddie lover (and possibly hater) should hear. I have no goal to convert anyone—just to say that the ship did not actually “come from nothing.” Here’s why:

I don’t understand how there wasn’t Steddie foresight in the writer’s room.

So they play it up in season 3 like Steve just can’t get the girl and when he does she’s not the right girl and yada yada yada—cool beans. I love his character arc with Robin, their friendship, her queerness. I love their entire bathroom interaction.

Specifically: “It’s somebody that I didn’t even talk to in school. Maybe cuz Tommy H. would’ve made fun of me, or I wouldn’t be prom king…. First of all, she’s hilarious. So funny. I feel like this summer I have laughed harder than I have laughed in a really long time. And she’s smart—way smarter than me…. She’s honestly unlike anyone I’ve ever met before.”

Traits Robin Also Has that Eddie Shares:

Outcast

Band Kid

The Witty Banter

Eddie’s personality is VERY Robin. Not perfectly so, but maddeningly close.

Another point:

This is just the same person in different gender specific fonts, A.K.A. Steve’s “love interest” versus a guy who called him “big boy” completely unprompted and interrupted a tender moment between him and his “love interest” and complimented him for an entire scene while Steve wore his clothes.

So, really, one of them’s Steve’s love interest and the other is Nancy Wheeler /hj.

I write a lot, and as someone who both writes and consumes an abhorrent amount of media, whoever wrote this down, casted and costumed this way, and allowed for the interactions between Steve and Eddie to be as nuanced as they were (EX: the scene in which Eddie steps forward like he has more to say to Steve before he goes off and kills himself) had to have known what was going to happen. There is simply no way of not seeing it.

And if they didn’t want people shipping Steddie at the scale which they do, here’s what went wrong:

First: defaulting to Steve wanting his ex back is just plain shitty writing. It means you don’t know where to go with the character anymore, and since you’re certain he’s done all the growing he can do, he’s just gonna double back to the conflict he was in in the FIRST SEASON.

Are you serious right now, bro?

Steve’s arc as a character has been absolutely heartwarming to watch. If anything, he’d have been better off given the “I need to figure out how to be happy on my own” narrative. Throwing him back at Nancy is a cop out, a big one.

Second: Eddie. Throwing Eddie in the mix was absolutely a WILD decision, because he looks like Nancy, he banters like Robin, and GENDER IS NO LONGER A PLAUSIBLE REASON FOR AN AUDIENCE TO DENY CHEMISTRY, OR EXPLAIN IT AWAY. Not in the year of our lord 2023, no sir. Not unless you’re going to explicitly state in some way to an audience that these characters are DEFINITIVELY STRAIGHT. And with Eddie, they went as far off that course as possible.

The outcast stuff. The D&D stuff. The hatred of the system. The mysteriously living with his uncle and not his parents. THE HANKERCHIEF IN HIS BACK POCKET.

So essentially, this is what they did:

They took a beloved character, flubbed over his character arc because they weren’t sure what to do with it.

Then, they created a SECOND beloved character, made him likable, lovable, even, and relatable. Then they gave him half and half personality and looks of Steve’s last two love interests. Then they gave us scenes of them together where they showed chemistry, genuineness, and playfulness.

Then they EXPECTED that we as an audience had enough heteronormativity left as a society to say—oh, those two guys aren’t flirting with each other even a little bit because they’re two guys and obviously that doesn’t happen.

WHEN IN THE SAME SEASON WE WATCHED WILL AND ROBIN GO GAY PANIC AND DESPAIR LIKE?????

Pick a side pick a side, are your characters fucking gay or is your audience fucking blind?

Point being, I have some friends IRL who don’t really get this. They think Steve and Eddie hardly interacted enough for there to be romance at all, but I think it’s less about how much they interacted and more about the (unintentional) set up they were given by the writers.

Steve’s a truly beloved character and I don’t know on ST fan that wants to see him just end up back with Nancy Wheeler like his entire character arc was just to “get the girl” and “have six kids.” Which he already has by the way.

Anyway, that’s just my two cents. I’m not advocating for anyone to ship them, I’m just saying it’s honestly a perfectly logical conclusion to make, especially if you CARE about Steve as a character, you know? We want him to be with someone genuine, someone who challenges him to be better, to be different than he was. Nancy couldn’t handle doing that. Robin could, but they’re platonic af.

So why wouldn’t it be Eddie?

Rest in peace, by the way. You would’ve loved this text post.

[forever1kay]

IF YOU LET ME - A Kei Tsukishima SMAU

a kei tsukishima x black!fem!reader smau

after pining over a certain middle blocker over the phone for a month or so, y/n y/l/n meets kei tsukishima in a way that has him hating her mere existence. weeks later, she’s given the opportunity to redeem herself… will she take her chances?

genre & tropes smau, grumpy x sunshine, (seemingly) unrequited love, not-so meet cute, forced proximity, ambw, fluff, crack, slow burn, etc;

warnings profanity, mentions of nsfw, angst, misunderstandings, remaining friends with an ex, periods, minor secondary character death, breakups, a few shitty characters, etc;

notes so i’m going through yet another haikyuu phase and i’m having mad tsukishima brainrot. so, i took this opportunity to write about him while i don’t have writers block. also, please keep in mind that this is a fic that does involve music. with that being said, please be prepared for a song to be linked in parts of this story. this may not get any likes or reblogs, but i hope that anyone who reads it enjoys!

series tag

# ⤹˚˖♬୭ if you let me

PROFILES:

y/n carried

crazy, sexy, cool (& tsukki)

CHAPTERS:

00. prologue - dear diary, i met a boy today

01. chapter one - a party for some girl who wants to kiss tsukki

02. chapter two - don’t worry, everything will be fine

03. that’s fine, i’ll just die tomorrow

04. avoiding him, avoiding her

05. tickets to my downfall

06.for the sake of work and work only

07. chest pains

08. loverboy

09. this does not mean i like you

10. i don’t hate it when you’re around

11. shut the fuck your mouth

12. i’ve decided to tolerate you

13. DENY DENY DENY

14. back to life, back to reality

15. i have awoken, i have arisen

16. maybe later

17. come outside for a second

18. a little busy

19. medicine

20. just a fling

21. disaster

22. something we should know

23. in the wrong

24. i bet

25. it’s him

26. as it was

27. we don’t see eye to eye

28. i made you a playlist

29. perhaps

30. epilogue - our future

BONUS CHAPTERS:

TBD

current status ongoing (slow updates)

© forever1kay 2023 - please don’t translate, convert, copy, paraphrase, repost, or alter any of my works without my permission.

[ladykissingfish]

*Hidan stands in Tobi’s doorway*

Hidan: Oi, mask-boy … you gotta sec? I wanna talk to you.

Tobi: Hidan-senpai, I swear I did not eat that piece of cake you left on the counter. Although you DID leave it there for a long —

Hidan: This ain’t about me, fucker. It’s about your other Senpai: blondie.

Tobi: D-Deidara? Is something wrong with him? Is he hurt?? *jumps up* I need to —

Hidan: Relax; he’s fine. Well, kind of. *shuts Tobi’s door and sits at the edge of his bed* I don’t know how to say this gay shit without it sounding gay, but … you know the kid is my best friend, right? You know I … I love that annoying bitch, in a not-gay way?

Tobi: I know that, but what’s that got to do with anything?

Hidan: Does that shitty mask make you as blind as red-eyes? You can’t see that Deidara likes ya?! In a gay way?

Tobi:

Tobi: I … I t-think you’re wrong, Hidan-Senpai. Me and Deidara are pals! There’s nothing —

Hidan: I know there ain’t shit going on between ya because both of you are big pussies who can’t just man up and tell each other the truth! Admit it; you’ve been eyeing him since the day Pein made you partners, haven’t ya?

Tobi:

Tobi, slipping into Obito voice: I’ve spent my entire life silently wanting those whom I could not have. What reason do I have to believe that Deidara would be any different? And why do you care, anyway? You hate me!

Hidan: I don’t hate ya, asshole. I mean I’d like ya better if you converted to the way of Jashin but I’ve accepted all of you fuckers are hopeless heathens. And like I said I care about blondie. He’s the whole reason I got up the balls to talk to the old bastard, and it’s why we’re together now. I want the same for him. So .. *voice gets softer* Talk to ‘em. Please.

Tobi: *sighing* And get rejected? You know what, fine. What’s another stab in the heart after a lifetime of pulling knives out of it?

Hidan: *claps him on the back* That’s the spirit, weirdo! *gets up* Lemme know later how it went!

*two weeks later*

Deidara, in Hidan’s room: … and then he kissed me, hm! Hidan it was soooo good, his lips were so soft and his face! His hair! He was so unbelievably handsome!

Hidan: It’s about fuckin’ time, blondie! Hey, maybe now you can go on dates with me and the old man! We —

Kakuzu, coming into the room: Oi, Hidan, get ready; we’re going out to dinner. One of my contacts gave me a two for one dinner coupon for that place we went to a few weeks ago.

Hidan: … the place I got the food poisoning from?! I was on the toilet for three days! I lost eight pounds!

Kakuzu: Oh, don’t be a baby. Just don’t order the fish this time and you’ll be fine. *walks out*

Deidara: 

Deidara: M-maybe we’ll take a raincheck on that double date thing, hm …

[fierceawakening]

That post about “renovation” in Gaza (that is, Israeli forces referring to bombing a Palestinian village as “renovation”) has some things swirling around in my head I’ve been wanting to post about but not sure how to bring up.

So here goes nothing. Can’t leave any hornets nest unswung at, right?

The post brought up some memories of an old friend basically telling me before this war began that i misunderstood this conflict and misunderstood key things about Judaism itself.

That in turn put me in mind of some of the discussions I sometimes see on my dash about Misunderstanding Judaism. I’ve got a few Jewish mutuals so every once in a while Discourse Posts About Judaism show up on my dash and I’m often confused. Part of this is not seeing the full context, I’m sure, but now I’m reconsidering some stuff and it’s uncomfortable and well. Blah. Tired of staying quiet because The Oppressor Must Sit Down And Shut Up.

Which is to say. There are A Lot, or at least fairly recently were a lot, of posts that go around that claim that Christianity is a uniquely toxic religion, and that other religions, of which Judaism is often cited as one, do not have the same level of inherent toxicity.

This is usually said to be because Judaism doesn’t proselytize. If you see yourself as subject to The Law, it’s either because you were raised as one of The People Of The Law or, in rarer cases (though I notice a lot of the “Judaism is inherently less bad than Christianity” people are ex fundie Christian converts which makes me go HMMMMMM), because you decided to devote yourself to it even after people ritually tried to talk you out of it.

As part of that they often explained that words like Orthodox or Conservative are only scary if it’s Christians. The explanation is, from what I remember, that the only difference is how many or how strictly the laws are followed, and so a Conservative or even an Orthodox Jew isn’t fundamentalist, just very observant.

This has always seemed… well not TOTALLY wrong to me, as one of the most passionate disability rights activists I have ever been blessed to know was an Orthodox Jew, and she was very politically in line with the rest of us lefties and absolutely clear with everyone that it was a community she chose to become part of and that better for her did not mean right for everyone.

But I did think and do think that orthodox religiosity that’s *imposed from without* rather than voluntarily taken on by someone who’s fine with others not doing the same lends itself to authoritarian control and harmful communities,so I’d read those posts and go “really?”

One of my special interests is cults (which is why I know so much about true crime—there’s often overlap, as people who are convinced they have The Answer are often willing to disobey the normies’ laws for the greater good only they can see.) So I watch podcasts from people who have left various kinds of high control groups, from polygynous Mormonism to NXIVM and whatever else.

And I’ve watched a couple on people raised in Orthodox Judaism, and man does it look JUST LIKE any other strict religious community that cares more about whether the rules are followed than what the rules are or whether they make sense for the community.

One woman mentioned that there a rule that says that girls can’t be alone with boys after age THREE and said the rationale is because if girls over three (or boys over eight, I guess they’re smarter?) are alone with the opposite sex something will happen between them.

And the woman was just “three? A three year old kid is a temptress? What were the ancient rabbis doing with three year olds if they had to make a rule to stop sex from happening WITH THREE YEAR OLDS?”

And maybe that’s a misunderstanding, maybe the idea was kids playing doctor with each other is also an offense to God and that’s how you prevent it (though another woman mentioned that if you have a bunch of same sex kids alone together and no sex ed, the doctor playing is just homosexual instead), but… made sense to me.

So I dunno. Not proselytizing is good! But any religion can see itself as legalistic, and therefore see nonfollowers as criminally evil, and hate and fear based on that.

I’m very skeptical Christianity is unique in its ability to be misused horribly these days.

[she-karev]

The Night Before (Andrew DeLuca x Alex Karev’s Sister Imagine)

Age Rating: 12+

Chapters: One of Two

Fandom: Grey’s Anatomy

Ship: Andrew DeLuca x Amber Karev (Alex Karev Sister’s)

Canon Episode: Season 17 Episode 6

AN: We're nearing the bad time we all don't want to think about but in this blog your safe cuz DeLuca lives in my mind and in my heart. Stay tuned for the next chapter and the next story that will surely break your hearts but mend them.

Summary: Andrew talks to Amber about them spending the night together needing to know if it was a one-time thing or it could lead to something more.

Words: 1804

April 29th, 2020

Andrew DeLuca is helping Carina set up a bed in the cafeteria that is now being converted into covid overflow. The task is depressing to Andrew and his sister who know it’s a necessity for the public but know it could have been easily avoided if people followed protocols. While he is doing this Andrew told Carina about his night with Amber on her last night of quarantine. He is seeking her advice in Italian, so nobody overhears, and this gets back to Alex, Jo and Jackson who are still on the fence about him and protective of Amber.

“I was gonna take a shower and leave.” Andrew recaps in his native language to his sister who is helping him set up the bed, “I was gonna leave but then she came in and started taking her clothes and…” Andrew sighs in pleasure at the memory from six days ago, “It was like our first night together only better and it makes me wonder if she felt the same too.”

“Did she regret it?” Carina asks in Italian.

“No she didn’t, if anything she was eager for more the morning after.” Andrew sets up the monitor, “But then we left the room. We drove back to our places and I haven’t heard a word from her since. If I didn’t know better, I would think she was getting revenge for when I didn’t answer her calls, but I know despite how she acts she’s not like that.”

Carina tucks the bedsheets in the gurney, “Have you seen her here? Has she been in yet?”

“Yeah, tonight is her first night back and I don’t know if she’s avoiding me or I’m avoiding her.”

“Why would you be avoiding her?” Carina asks, “Do you regret that night?”

“God no that night was…” Andrew tries to find the words, “It was amazing and not just because of the isolation. I really felt like we were finally gonna start over again and she was gonna give me another chance like I’ve been begging her for weeks. I thought we were finally gonna move past that awful stage we were in, but it’s been three days since I’ve heard from her, and I think that’s answer enough. A part of me is avoiding her too because I’m afraid she’s gonna reject me again and I’m gonna have to work extra hard to keep my sanity in check.”

Carina looks at her brother in sympathy knowing he’s still beating himself up, “I’ve apologized, and I’ve tried to see things from her point of view in this. I know if it was her that inherited her mom’s illness, I would be a wreck too and I would be triggered from living with papa.” Carina gets a crinkle in her eyebrow that Andrew knows too well causing him to furrow his eyebrows, “What is it?”

Carina shrugs, “I didn’t say anything.”

“You know that mask covers your mouth and nose but not your eyebrows which I can see crinkling. It’s what you do when you hold back on something for my own sake.” Carina admonishes herself for her tell as her brother persists, “Come on tell me, I’m a big boy I can handle it.”

Carina sighs but relents, “Fine but you asked for it bambino. I know Amber feels like you can relate to what her mother put her through, but the truth is you weren’t exposed to that like she was.”

Andrew narrows his eyes in curiosity as he sets up the IV pole while Carina continues, “Me and mama tried to shield you from papa’s mania and his aggression. Amber’s brothers did the same for her with her mother but unlike you she didn’t have a parent to move her across the world away from that insanity. Me and Amber had to deal with that on a daily basis, me with papa’s mania and her with her mama’s hallucinations.”

Andrew looks remorseful for both Amber and Carina that had to grow up with that, “I don’t want you to feel bad I would rather you not go through what we went through at all but the fact is she has been face to face with that suffering longer than you. And when we left we have learned not to come second to chaos.”

Andrew sighs and understands more, “And I did that to her when I was showing symptoms. So, you’re saying there’s no hope because Amber is determined not to be around someone like her mother again?”

“No, I’m not.” Carina mends before standing six feet away from him, “Listen your words are not enough you need to show her that this is not a checklist and she’s not a reward. She needs to know that your priorities have evolved and that you won’t hurt her or yourself when things don’t go your way. She needs to know that she can trust you again and that you won’t leave her again. If she sees that then maybe she can start to let you in and if not, then you keep prioritizing your mental health without her in your life.”

Andrew sighs and nods knowing his sister is right. If he really wants to start over with Amber, it has to start with him making it clear to her that he’s not gonna hurt her again. He also begins to understand more on why she is so reluctant to trust him again and resolves to finally fix what he broke.

An Hour Later

Amber exits the bathroom in the residents lounge ready to start her night shift when she finds Andrew DeLuca sitting at the table in the empty room clearly waiting for her. She is only mildly surprised as she had to know this was coming sooner or later. After they had sex she has been ignoring his calls and texts wanting some time alone to figure out what it meant to her.

She knows it meant that she was beginning to let him in slowly and seeing the progress that she’s made. But she knows it also meant she could open herself up to pain again. She knows he could slip and lash out at her again and make her go through this heartache that she has worked so hard to overcome. She also knows that not a day has gone by she hasn’t stopped wanting him close to her again like when she was in quarantine.

Amber tries to keep her face neutral as she goes to her cubby to collect her mask and face shield, “What are you doing here?”

“I came to check on you and see how you were doing.” Andrew explains standing up to stand six feet behind Amber who turns to face him after putting her things on, “I know it’s your first day back since quarantine and I wanted to make sure you were still okay. I mean you know how unpredictable this virus is.”

Amber nods, “Yeah, I do. I’ve been good, I’m showing no symptoms so that’s great. I’m staying at a hotel, so I don’t expose my roommates in case I get it again. I’m looking for a new place which is a challenge obviously.”

“Well, there’s no rush.” Andrew tells her, “I mean you don’t want to end up paying three years of your salary on a rundown shack with a goat yoga instructor for a roommate.”

Amber raises an eyebrow, “Goat yoga? That’s a thing?”

Andrew chuckles, “Yeah apparently it’s like regular yoga only you have a baby goat standing on your back, it’s supposed to be relaxing.”

“More like a PETA violation.” Amber retorts with a grin, “I mean yoga is hard enough for me with all of those stretches and I have to have five drinks in me just to tolerate it. No, a goat on my back that poor animal would end up in my slow cooker.”

Andrew laughs at that, “Yeah it would.”

Amber chuckles before grabbing her lab coat, “I gotta go I’m helping with discharges tonight, whether I’ll discharge more body bags than people I’ll let you know.” Amber moves around Andrew to leave the room.

Andrew gathers the courage before speaking up, “Amber wait.”

Amber stops in place and turns to face him, “What is it?”

“…I know your conflicted about what happened between us that night.” Amber inhales with her face contorting in uncomfortableness, “I know this because you haven’t responded to my calls or texts since you checked out.”

“Andrew-”

“Let me finish please.” Andrew pleads and Amber crosses her arms but stands there and listens, “…I know I ruined everything. And I know it isn’t just the mania that’s making it so hard for you to give me another chance. I know it was me leaving that hit the nail on the head. I let my illness hurt you like your mom and Aaron did to you. And I left you like your dad and Alex did too. I hurt you in a way that combined all the ways your family has hurt you and I am sorry.”

Amber looks down at her feet as she hears this apology that squeezes her heart, “I am sorry, and I know it took a lot for you to trust me and I know that trust I earned died in my apartment that night. I know that now. I screwed up and I pushed you away but that’s the old Andrew. The new Andrew is 100 percent transparent; the new Andrew is 100 percent committed to his mental wellbeing and he can prove it to you if you let him.”

“Are you talking in the third person?” Amber asks baffled.

“Yes. Andrew is because Andrew…” Andrew shakes his head continuing his speech in normal terms, “I love you, I’m in love with you, you’re the love of my life.” Amber sighs pressing her lips together at this confession that is pulling her strings.

“I promise you if you give me another chance, I will not waste it.” Andrew swears on the spot, “I will earn back your trust no matter how long it takes me because you are worth every effort. If you take me back, I’m not gonna run away again and I’m not gonna put my mania above our relationship again. I promise you that from now on I will be the person who mends your pain instead of adding it.”

Amber is touched by this promise, but she hides this behind her mask so as not to give Andrew false hope.

“But if you decide not to try to trust me again…” Andrew sighs but continues, “Then I’ll understand.” Amber inhales at this before turning to exit the room leaving Andrew hoping he made an impact on the woman he loves.

Next Chapter Here

[snacho-to-ur-nacho]

“There were gradations of support for or protest against slavery at this early date, and so Burr’s views on slavery are hard to put into a single category. One telling vignette involves Burr’s own slave Carlos, a young boy and his body servant. In a letter to Theodosia in 1781, Burr expressed his disappointment with a friend who mocked the idea that Carlos might learn to play the violin. The “insult,” as he termed it, shocked him. He found it hard to believe that someone he knew so well could be so insensitive and so unenlightened. Burr made sure that his slaves were well educated. He insisted that Tom, another house slave, apply himself diligently to his reading and writing lessons” -Nancy Isenberg “fallen founder the life of Aaron burr”

I never said burr wasn’t a slaveowner I’m not denying that and of course slavery is horrific. However we need to take into account that he treated his household servants much better than people of the time

Hamilton during the election of 1800 was prepared to orchestrate a coup d’état in order to prevent a republican government from winning so his takes on this election cannot really be trusted (AH to John Jay, May 7, 1800), and besides his opinions of burr didn’t hold much importance considering the fact no one was taking him seriously after the pamphlet slandering his own party leader, Adams.

When the tie between burr and Jefferson was discovered Hamilton at first wanted to take advantage of burr in order to promote the federalists, if that doesn’t sound selfish I don’t know what does! “Initially, Hamilton agreed, confiding to Adams’s secretary of the treasury, Oliver Wolcott, that it might prove useful to “lure” Burr into a compromising situation that would ultimately prove difficult for him, that is, to “lay the foundation of dissention between two chiefs.” But for those Federalists who seriously considered putting Burr in the presidential chair, a darker plot emerged: that of converting the imposter president into a puppet prince. Federalists could lose the election and yet be the power behind the throne, taking advantage of the fact that Burr would be a weak leader without popular support.” -Nancy Isenberg “fallen founder the life of Aaron burr��

He endorsed Jefferson only because he saw he couldn’t keep Adams -so the federalists- in power.

I also really don’t understand what you’re referring to when you mention burr was selfish in what he wrote? I’d love it if you could provide some examples.

The reason his other family was secret was because it would’ve been a scandal to expose it. On the other hand the only proof of the emmons family existing is through oral history. I’m not saying she was lying but it needs to be taken into account.

The burr conspiracy on the other hand was just Jefferson acting completely insane and wanting to get burr executed for “treason” having no proof whatsoever on that charge so there’s not even point in bringing it up lmfaoo

I still don’t see how burr was a hypocrite saying one thing and then doing the opposite

I didn’t scan your posts to see what you read it was just the first post that just popped up when I clicked on your blog lol. Also I have read ron chernow’s biogroahy and it was honestly one of the most biased biographies I’ve ever read. His sources are not clearly stated and a lot of the stuff he writes ought to be taken with a grain of salt since they hearsay and random anecdotes.

Y/A fantasy romance books aren’t really my cup of tea so I don’t think I would enjoy it but thanks for the recommendation!

As for burr being a feminist I’m so glad you brought that up!! He was quite literally the most feminist out of all the founding fathers; he ardently defended the right for women to receive an education, evident from the way he treated his daughter, he was an avid supporter of Wollstonecraft, someone men of the time weren’t too fond of, and he supported women’s rights in the way that they are understood today, meaning that women have the same rights as men and not the way people thought of rights for women back then.

hey anon, thanks for the ask, tho it might be better if u want to debate to just reblog the posts so we can keep it to one place, but anyway yea lets get into this

thanks for telling me about that, i didnt know about that letter, and thats really cool of him to have said that, and thats a fair point

as for hamilton in the election, that wasnt selfish, he knew he was a hated public figure, he wanted federalists to stay in the goverment for the sake of their beliefs (anti slavery, less stare power, more financial aid). not getting intp what the other federalists were thinking, alecander himself simply believed in the abolition of slavery and for the national government to be more powerful than the state government, and therefore wanted a federalist. when he saw there were no federalist options, he chose the best of the two which, in his opinion, would benefit america. he believed burr to be dangerous, and therefore picked jefferson. he believed 'Burr lacked the authenticity that hamilton valued in an honest person. He'd rather have a president that says what they think that he disagrees with than someone who he has no idea what they believe because they pretend to agree with everyone.' burr did, undeniably have a tendancy to put up a fake front, to disagree internally but play along and be agreeable, as stated in several books and online databases.

now, the possibility of her lying is close to zero, and the family wad very real, and im not saying burr was wrong for keeping it secret, but he still did have secrets which he kept, and was said to be a quiet wnd mysterious person who stayed silent a lot by multiple historicql wnd modern accounts.

as for the burr conspiracy, he dis talk to some british agents for sure, whether he was planning on carrying it out or not we arent sure. we cant fully say it was just jeffereon being insane, brcause there are traces of information, which while is not proof, still do point to the idea of burr committing treason. yes, its not complete proof, but we cant say it is complete insanity either.

and, the definition of a hypocrite is yo claim or say something and do the opposite, like burr claiming slavery was bad and owning slaves.

and, as for ron chernows biography, check out pages 2234 to 2521. they could not be more clearly stated. and for Infinity alchemist just check it out, trust me, its a great book with a tiny fandom

yea this probably isnt written qell bc its late and im about to sleep but yea u get the point