#I'm stuffing this in the tags because honestly why not at this point.

[bangtanbeom]

'*•.¸undeniably yours¸.•*' 2

୨♡୧ part one / part two / part three / bonus ୨♡୧

pairing: beomgyu x fem!reader genre: fluff, strangers to friends to...? , college AU, slow burn (trying to). summary: you and beomgyu are partnered for a group project, the connection starts off as simple friendship. but as you share quiet moments, unspoken glances, and moments of vulnerability, the lines between friendship and something more begin to blur. w/c: ~3.7k warning: not entirely proofread, fluff (might be cringe), an attempt at humor. a/n: sorry for the late post! i've been busy and wasn't at home BUT i wasn't expecting the positive responses when i posted p1, you making my heart flutter. thankyouthankyouthankyou :)) . +honestly, im not completely satisfied with this one, maybe bc i put some texting in the story, which i try to avoid(reminds me of my old ff when i was 14) ٩(ఠ益ఠ)۶ anyways i hope you'll enjoy this one! yayaayya <3 taglist: for the cuties who wanted to be tagged in the next part! @thearcherbeomgyu | @jellyyjn

a crisp breeze swept through the campus, tugging at the hem of your coat and sending golden leaves spinning across the pavement.

"hold this," beomgyu said, already stuffing a warm can of coffee into your hands before you could protest.

"i didn't ask for this." you said, staring down at the can with confusion.

"don't be ungrateful," he replied, smug. "it's a token of affection."

you blinked. "a what now?"

"affection. like... friendship love," he added quickly, with a dramatic jazz hand gesture and a smile. "the platonic kind."

you narrowed your eyes. "you just wanted an excuse to buy two and not look like you were holding two cans of coffee for yourself."

he gasped. "how dare you accuse me of such intentions!"

"you literally have another one in your pocket." you said, nodding your head to the can that was slightly sticking out of his pocket.

"that's my emergency coffee."

you chuckled as he pulled the second can out and held it with both hands like it was sacred.

he grinned. "i'm just saying, if the world ends in the next hour, at least we'll be caffeinated and cozy together under a pile of dead leaves."

"romantic," you deadpanned.

"right?" he said, a voice light but his gaze lingered before he looked away, brushing it off with a loud slurp.

you were half-wiping down a table when the bell above the cafe door jingled.

beomgyu walked in like he owned the place, wearing the most ridiculous mustard-colored scarf wrapped five times around his neck.

though, you admitted to yourself. he did look a little cute, maybe a little bit.

you squinted. "you're a walking autumn leaf."

"and proud," he said, flinging the end of his scarf behind him dramatically. "i come bearing good news and your usual banana latte.”

"you bought them from us," you pointed out.

"it's the delivery that matters," he said, placing the paper bag on the counter. "and i added cinnamon—because i'm thoughtful and mysterious like that."

you gave him a look. "you mean you paid for the extra topping?"

"that too."

he perched on a stool near the counter, kicking his feet childishly. "when do you get off?"

"why?"

"no reason. just thinking about waiting nearby until then so we can walk together."

"you're like a clingy child." you said as you shook your head, chuckling softly.

soobin looked up from his spot on the couch, one eyebrow raised as the front door clicked open. beomgyu slipped in, trying—and failed—to be quiet as he kicked his shoes off with more force than necessary.

"you're home early," soobin said, glancing at the clock. "only eleven this time. is the world ending?"

beomgyu scoffed, shrugging out of his coat. "it's cold. i have nerve endings. let me live."

soobin smirked. "that's not why you're home early. you usually don't even bother showing up 'til two these days."

beomgyu paused mid-step, then wandered over and flopped onto the armchair, head tilted back dramatically.

"caught in the act," he muttered.

soobin set his phone down. "so... who is it?"

beomgyu blinked. "huh?"

"whoever you've been hanging out with. you disappear after class, you smell like cafe pastries half the time, and some days you don't even sleep at home." soobin leaned back, arms crossed. "i don't care if you're dating or not. i just want to know who's stealing you from me."

beomgyu made a sound between a laugh and a groan, dragging a pillow onto his lap. "we're not dating."

"that didn't answer the question."

he fiddled with the pillow's corner. "it's no one. just—someone i've been spending time with. she's cool, can be funny, mostly calls me out on my shit."

soobin gave him a look. "so... you like her?"

beomgyu didn't answer right away. he just stared up at the ceiling like it would give him the answers.

"i don't know," he finally said, a voice lower now. "it's not like that. it's just... easy. being around her. like i can breathe a little slower, say weird things and not feel dumb."

soobin nodded slowly, letting the silence settle between them.

"okay," he said. "that sounds dangerously like a crush."

beomgyu groaned again, muffling it into the pillow. "it's not. or maybe it is. but it's not that kind of crush."

"what kind of crush is it, then?" soobin asked, amused.

"i don't know... the kind where i get her drinks or sweets without asking because i know she likes it, but i also feel like if i go any further, i'd ruin it."

"ah. the classic self-sabotaging emotional repression kind."

beomgyu narrowed his eyes. "what—? you've been reading psychology blogs again."

soobin just shrugged with a grin. "just don't wait too long and regret it later."

beomgyu was quiet at that.

soobin didn't press.

the hum of the radiator filled the room, steady and warm.

"did she at least like the drink?" soobin asked after a moment.

beomgyu leaned back with a soft smile.

"she said i looked like a walking autumn leaf."

"so... yes?"

"yeah, i think so."

winter came softly, then all at once.

one morning you woke to find the world outside your window dusted in white, the kind of snow that clung to tree branches like powdered sugar.

your phone buzzed.

beomgyu: look outside

you rolled your eyes, already typing.

you: wow. snow. groundbreaking.

three dots appeared, then disappeared.

then appeared again.

beomgyu: meet me in 10 mins. wear something warm.

you frowned.

you: why?

beomgyu: because i said so. and i have hot chocolate.

you hesitated, then sighed, dragging yourself out of bed.

beomgyu was waiting at the park near your apartment, bundled in a thick coat, and that same ridiculous mustard scarf, now half-buried under the layer of snowflakes. he held two steaming cups in his mittened hands.

"you're late," he said, grinning as you trudged toward him.

"you're insane" you shot back, but accepted the cup he shoved into your hands. the warmth seeped through your gloves. "it's freezing. why are we here?"

he nodded toward the empty park bench, already dusted with snow. "first snow of the year. tradition says you have to make a wish."

you blinked. "since when is that a tradition?"

"since right now." he plopped onto the bench, ignoring the way the snow melted against his jeans. "come on," he patted on the bench, beside him. "humor me."

you sat beside him, shoulders brushing. the hot chocolate was too sweet, just the way you liked it.

"did you put extra marshmallows in mine?" you asked.

he sipped his own drink, avoiding your eyes. "maybe."

you nudged him with your elbow. "soft."

"shut up and make your wish."

you laughed, but closed your eyes anyway. the cold bit at your cheeks, the steam from your cup curling into the air.

when you opened them, beomgyu was watching you, his nose pink from the cold, his breath a faint cloud between you.

"did you make one?" you asked.

he held your gaze.

"yeah," he said softly. then, clearing his throat, he stood abruptly, knocking snow from his knees. "alright wish time over. now we have to go build a snowman."

you groaned. "you're impossible."

he tugged you up by the wrist, his grip warm even through layers of fabric.

"and yet, here you are."

the snowman was lopsided.

beomgyu insisted it was artistic. you insisted it looked like it was barely surviving.

he gasped, pressing a hand to his chest. "you're bullying my son."

"your son needs medical attention."

he laughed, bright and loud in the quiet morning, and something in your chest tightened.

the campus was nearly empty, most students already gone for winter break. frost glittered on the edges of the pavement, and you tucked your hands deeper into your coat pockets as you walked toward the library to return a book before leaving town.

you weren't paying attention when you turned around the corner—

"oh!"

—and collided straight into someone's chest.

a pair of hands steadied your shoulders before you could stumble back. "whoa, sorry about that."

you looked up to see a tall boy with soft features and an apologetic smile. when he smiled, his dimples appeared like magic.

"no, my bad," you said quickly, adjusting your bag strap. "i wasn't watching where i was going."

he chuckled, shaking his head. "campus is basically a ghost town now. i didn't expect to run into anyone either." he extended a hand. "soobin."

you introduced yourself, and he nodded politely. "you sticking around for break, or heading out soon?"

"leaving tomorrow actually," you said.

"lucky. i'm stuck here for another day because someone—" he cut himself off, eyes flickering over your shoulder. his lips curled into a smirk. "ah. speaking of."

you turned.

beomgyu was standing frozen a few feet away holding two takeout coffee cups, eyes darting between you and soobin like he'd just walked into an alternate dimension.

"uh," he said intelligently.

soobin raised an eyebrow. "you know each other?"

beomgyu's mouth opened, then closed.

you decided to put him out of his misery. "we have a class together."

"a class?" soobin repeated, voice dripping with skepticism. "right. that explains why you've been—"

"soobin," beomgyu practically lunged forward, shoving one of the coffee cups into soobin's hands. "here. drink this. stop talking."

soobin took the cup, amused. "wow. you remember i like mine with extra sugar. how thoughtful."

beomgyu scowled, his ears turning pink.

you bit back a smile. "you two know each other, i'm guessing?"

"unfortunately," beomgyu muttered.

"we're roommates," soobin supplied cheerfully. "which means i get to hear all about his very important study sessions that somehow always run past midnight."

beomgyu looked like he wanted to melt into the pavement. he shot you a panicked look. "ignore him. he's delusional."

"am i?" soobin sing-songed. "after all those nights you disappeared and came home smelling like sweet pastries and coffee?"

you raised your eyebrows in amusement and decided to twist the knife a little. "oh, really? what else does he say?"

"mostly just grumbling about how someone keeps stealing his hoodies," soobin said thoughtfully. "and something about cinnamon—"

"okay. we're leaving." beomgyu grabbed soobin's arm and started dragging him backward.

soobin let himself be pulled, grinning at you over his shoulder. "nice meeting you! good luck with your class!"

beomgyu shot you a desperate look over his shoulder—half pleading, half mortified—before they disappeared around the corner.

you stood there for a moment, snow dusting your shoulders, before pulling out your phone.

you: so that's your roommate you: should i apologize for the hoodie theft? or are we pretending that never happened

three dots appeared immediately.

beomgyu: i hate you beomgyu: also no beomgyu: keep it beomgyu: it looks better on you anyway

your family's living room was cluttered with leftover wrapping paper and half-empty mugs of cocoa. the tv played a holiday movie no one was watching, and your cousin was snoring softly under a blanket fort of gifts.

your phone lit up.

beomgyu: [photo attached]

you tapped the image—a lopsided snowman in what looked like a tiny backyard, wearing your borrowed frog pajama pants as a scarf. its stick arms were outstretched like it was begging for mercy.

beomgyu: emergency update: my snowman son is in critical condition. he's asking for u.

you pressed your lips together to stifle a laugh. your mom side-eyed you from across the room.

you: that's not a snowman. that's a snow crime you: also why is he wearing my pants.

beomgyu: he's cold. have some empathy beomgyu: also i miss them. they're comfy beomgyu: don't tell soobin i said that. he'll never let me live it down

you stared at the screen. the words "i miss them" echoed through your head, wondering if he meant the pants.

2:37 AM

you were sprawled on your childhood bed, scrolling through your camera roll—a dangerous game. there was a photo from last semester: beomgyu mid-laugh, his hair a mess, holding up a spoon like it was a microphone. you'd taken it during a study session when he'd been telling you about some argument that happened with soobin about some game.

your thumb hovered over the screen. not wanting to admit, you were missing him more than you thought you would.

a new message popped up.

beomgyu: u awake?

your heart did a stupid flip.

you: unfortunately you: why? did your laundry start talking back

beomgyu: no but my ceiling is looking at me funny beomgyu: also i found a choco ring under my couch. ate it. no regrets

you: you're disgusting

beomgyu: ur just jealous u weren't here to fight me for it.

you swallowed. the room felt too quiet.

unconsciously sending the message.

you: yeah. maybe i am

the typing bubbles appeared. disappeared. reappeared.

beomgyu: come back soon

three dots. then— 

beomgyu: my snowman melted and now the frog pants are sad and alone

you pressed your phone to your chest, as if that could smother the warmth spreading under your ribs.

the scent of laundry detergent and winter air filled your childhood bedroom as you folded the last sweater into your suitcase. outside, the morning sun glinted of the melting snow, turning the backyard into a shimmering mess of slush and half-dead grass.

your phone buzzed on the nightstand. again. for what had to be the tenth time that morning.

"you know," came a voice from the doorway, sweet as honey, "if you keep ignoring your packing to text that boy, you're going to forget something important."

you didn't even look up at your sister, sauntering into the room, her slippers scuffing against the hardwood. "i'm not ignoring anything," you muttered, though your fingers were already typing out a reply to beomgyu's latest message—something about his train being delayed.

your sister plopped down on your bed, sending a pair of socks tumbling to the floor.

"mhm," she hummed, plucking your phone from your hands before you could stop her. "and i suppose beomgyu is just... what? your academic advisor? your dentist?"

"give that back!" you lunged for it, but she held it just out of reach, her eyes scanning the screen with growing amusement.

"oh this is precious," she cooed, dodging your grabby hands. "'do you think snowmen have souls?' 'only the ones wearing stolen pajamas,'" she clutched her chest dramatically. "the romance! the poetry!"

you wrestled your phone back, face burning. "we're just friends."

you threw a pillow at her, but she caught it with a laugh, hugging it to her chest. "i'm just saying," she continued, her tone laced with amusement. "for someone who claims to be so annoyed by this boy, you sure do text him an awful lot. first thing in the morning, last thing at night."

"that's not—"

"and let's not forget the hot chocolate incident on christmas eve," she added, eyes twinkling.

you groaned. that had been a mistake—you'd been mid-sip when beomgyu sent a photo of himself attempting to make a snow angel, only to realize too late he'd done it in a mud puddle. the resulting spit-take had earned you endless ridicule from your family.

your sister leaned in, resting her chin on the pillow. "so," she said, her voice dropping to a low whisper, "when do i get to meet this mysterious snowman of yours?"

"you don't," you crumbled, shoving the last of your clothes into the suitcase with more force than necessary.

she sighed dramatically, flopping back onto your bed. "fine, keep your secrets. but just know..." she pointed a finger at you grinning. "i'm rooting for you two. anyone who can make you laugh like that deserves a chance."

you opened your mouth to protest, but the words died in your throat. because the truth was, you'd missed beomgyu's nonsense more than you wanted to admit. missed the way his texts could turn even the most boring day into something brighter.

as you zipped up your suitcase, you caught your sister watching you with a knowing smile. you threw another pillow at her for good measure, but your heart wasn't in it.

the new school year was starting—early march, campus was still shaking off winter's grip—slush piled in the walkways, buzzing with students reuniting after winter break. the air was crisp with lingering winter chill, but the sun was bright.

your eyes were traveling over campus, searching for the one who kept crossing your mind through your winter break. you spotted him from across the courtyard.

or—almost didn't spot him.

because beomgyu—the same idiot who once showed up to an 8 AM lecture wearing two different shoes, with the perpetually messy wolf cut, and constantly flipped his bangs out of his eyes like it was a personal vendetta—was gone.

in his place stood a boy with short hair.

short. hair.

gone were the shaggy layers that used to curtain his forehead. now his dark locks were neatly parted, styled just enough to look intentional but still soft, like he'd run his fingers through it one too many times.

and—oh. you could see his forehead. the sharp line of his brows, the way his eyes seemed brighter without the shadow of his bangs.

your stomach did something stupid. no. nope. absolutely not. this was fine, totally. people got haircuts all the time.

he hadn't noticed you yet. he was too busy wrestling with the vending machine, kicking it lightly while yelling something, unable for you to hear, when his snack got stuck.

some things never change.

you took a step forward. then another.

"need a hand?" you called out.

beomgyu spun around so fast he nearly tripped over his own feet. his eyes—wide, startled, then instantly crinkling with recognition—locked onto yours.

"you," he said, like it was an accusation. like he'd been waiting.

you grinned and crossed your arms. "missed me?"

he scoffed, straightening up. "like a toothache."

good. normal.

"your hair," you blurted before you could stop yourself.

his hand flew up self-consciously, ruffling the shorter strands. "oh. yeah. got sick of it."

then, he stepped closer—the haircut was even worse up close. it made his stupid jawline look sharper. "why? do you hate it?"

no. it was the opposite, actually. you hated how much you didn't hate it. how it made him look different, like someone who didn't just accidentally stumbled into your life, but belonged there.

pause.

you shrugged, fighting a smile. "it's... different."

"different bad?"

"different beomgyu."

he blinked. then, slowly his lips curled into that lazy, lopsided grin you'd missed more than you'd ever admit. "well," he said, stepping closer, "i brough you a welcome-back gift."

you eyes his empty hands. "let me guess. another existential snowman?"

"better." he reached into his pocket and pulled out—

a banana milk. slightly dented from the journey, but there.

"in case you forgot the taste, he said, pressing it into your hands. his fingers brushed yours, just for a second. just enough to make your pulse jump.

"it's lukewarm." you deadpanned.

"it's symbolic, and my pockets are warm." he said with a shrug.

you snorted, cracking it open anyway. "symbolic of what?"

he leaned in, grinning. "symbolic of my undying generosity."

the banter was... familiar. safe. you took a long swig of the banana milk.

beomgyu watched you, amused. "so?" he prompted. "do i get a review? on the—"

he gestured vaguely at his head,

"—new me?"

"it's hair. it'll grow back."

"devastating review. zero stars."

"you asked."

he sighed dramatically, but his eyes were laughing. "come on," he said, nudging your shoulder with his. "we're going to be late."

the knock on the apartment door was firmer than intended, and you immediately regretted not just texting beomgyu to meet you outside. but no, you had to return his stupid textbook in person—the one he'd left at your place weeks ago, the one you could've easily slipped into his bag during class.

the door swung open before you could overthink it further.

but it wasn't beomgyu.

soobin stood there, tall and unfairly composed, a low smirk spreading across his face as his eyes flicked from the book in your hands to your slightly startled expression.

"oh," he said, leaning against the doorframe like he'd been waiting for this moment. "you're the infamous hoodie thief."

you blinked. "i—what?"

he didn't answer. instead, he turned his head just slightly and called over his shoulder, voice dripping with amusement, "beomgyu! your crush is here!"

a loud crash sounded from somewhere inside the apartment—a thud, a hissed curse, the frantic scrambling of someone who had definitely just tripped over something.

then, beomgyu appeared, breathless, his hair sticking up in three different directions, his shirt inside-out. his eyes locked onto yours, wide and panicked, before he whipped his head toward soobin.

"i will end you."

soobin didn't budge. "you were literally just complaining that she hadn't texted you back yet," he said, gleeful.

beomgyu's head snapped toward soobin, "i was talking about— uh about something else."

"sure," soobin said, stepping aside, but not without adding. "he was moping, it was pathetic."

beomgyu looked like he was considering murder. "soobin."

his head turned to you. "—uh. hey." he said, his usual lazy grin plastered onto his face as his eyes met yours, yet you could notice his embarrassment through his facade.

soobin, entirely unbothered, leaned toward you and stage-whispered, "he spent twenty minutes trying to pick an outfit before you texted—yet failed."

beomgyu moved faster than you thought possible, lunging forward to hook an arm around soobin's neck, dragging him into a headlock, regardless of their height difference. "i regret ever introducing you to oxygen," he growled, ears noticeably pink—especially after his haircut.

you held out the textbook. beomgyu finally released soobin, who staggered away, cackling. his fingers swiftly touching yours, warm yet rough—from guitar strings.

the contrast sent a stupid traitorous shiver down your spine.

"thanks," beomgyu muttered, tucking the book under his arm. his gaze flicked over your face like he was searching for something.

silence stretched between you, thick and awkward.

soobin cleared his throat. "well, this is painful," he announced. "i'm getting coffee. beomgyu put on a shirt that isn't inside-out."

the door clicked shut behind him, leaving the two of you standing there, the air between you suddenly charged.

beomgyu exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "ignore him," he muttered. "he thinks he's funny."

you swallowed. "is he wrong?"

beomgyu stilled. his eyes met yours, dark and unreadable. "about what?"

"the moping, the outfit dilemma." you said, voice softer than you intended.

a second, just a second.

then beomgyu huffed a laugh, shaking his head, "you're worse than soobin," he said, but there was no bite to it. just something warm, something that curled low into your stomach.

he didn't deny it.

the cafe door jingled as you stepped inside, the familiar scent of espresso and vanilla wrapped around you like a worn-in sweater. you're fifteen minutes late—fashionably, you told yourself, though really, you spent too long staring at your phone, rereading beomgyu's last text.

beomgyu: you better show up. i stole the good table.

since mid winter break, your mind has been occupied—with beomgyu—even if you denied him in your head, he always came back, and on some days he never left.

soobin spotted you first, slouched on a stool at the counter, stirring iced coffee with a warm smile. "took you long enough. beomgyu's been sulking since noon."

your chest fluttered—something so trivial, moved your heart easily—he was sulking. he waited.

—but then you followed soobin's gaze to the corner booth. the one with the chipped table leg and the outlet that only works if you jiggle the cord just right. our usual table.

beomgyu wasn't alone.

୨♡୧ part one / part two / part three / bonus ୨♡୧

© bangtanbeom 2025

[jungkoode]

𝐅𝐔𝐂𝐊 𝐌𝐄 𝐔𝐏 | 09

˗ˏˋ rules ˎˊ˗

"Rules are funny things. You make them thinking they'll keep you safe, keep everything contained. But sometimes the person you're really trying to protect yourself from… is you"

next | index

⋆｡°✩ chapter details ✩°｡⋆

word count: 6.5k

content: candle shop shenanigans, friend group dynamics, rules and boundaries

✧ author's note ✧

OKAY FIRST OF ALL—who absolutely LOVES Yeji? Because ME. The way she clocked Jungkook within seconds and had NO filter??? Like, I'm obsessed. Mans was genuinely SHOCKED that someone told him to sit his ass down. The audacity of this woman to not immediately melt under his smirky, tattooed menace energy?? I respect her so much. A feminist icon, if you will.

And IRYA. Ughhh, my precious girlie. The way she’s just casually vibing with Jungkook? Like?? They are NOTHING alike, and yet she’s over here just mingling with him, being friendly, unbothered, meanwhile Yeji is foaming at the mouth in the background. I love that contrast so much. It’s like, she doesn’t see him as a threat, just another guy in the room, which makes Jungkook (who is used to either being hated or obsessed over) lowkey confused. You can see the gears turning in his head like “Wait. Why aren’t you scared of me. Or pissed at me. Or flirting with me.” HAHAH POOR BOY.

And let’s talk about Jimin, because HELLO, my quiet support KING. He’s not even saying much in this chapter, but he’s there, next to Y/N, just in case. That kind of silent loyalty? The “I know you can handle yourself, but if you need me, I’m already here” type of presence??? I eat that up every time. Their friend group is everything to me.

Speaking of menace behavior—Jungkook. Are we surprised? He’s so unserious about everything. I loved giving him Kuko as a contact name for Y/N because in every fic, it’s always Kook or Kookie or Koo and I just—I wanted something different. Something slightly sharp and weird. Like, why does it sound like a pet name and an insult at the same time 😭😭 It’s PERFECT for their dynamic.

And finally, Y/N. My messy, mouthy, disaster baby. She is THEE representation of someone who’s barely entered adulthood, fresh into uni, kind of immature, kind of figuring it out, but loud as hell about it. Like, I KNOW some of y’all are probably reading this chapter thinking “girl, seriously??” but THAT'S THE POINT. She’s got so much personality, she’s a walking contradiction, she’s flawed, but she’s HER. I love her for it.

I also stuffed this chapter with SO many Easter eggs. Like, the foreshadowing is right there at the end, but I know y’all aren’t catching everything yet. You’ll come back later, reread it, and be like “OH MY GOD, KIKI???” And I’ll just be sitting here like 😌✌️ I love when a plan comes together.

Anyway, here’s Chapter 9, babes. Enjoy the mess. I’m off to go prep for my therapist session because, let’s be real, I probably projected a little too hard in this one LMAO.

⋆｡°✩ read on ✩°｡⋆

ao3

wattpad

You don't know why you agreed to go shopping with Yeji. 

She texted at ass o'clock in the morning about "needing your expert opinion," and honestly? Your sleep-deprived brain just went sure, whatever without processing the implications. You just mentioned having to buy something for Emma — her birthday's in two weeks — and it was downhill from there.

"This place smells like a Pinterest board threw up," Yeji announces as you enter the third candle store of the day. Some fancy boutique with mason jars everywhere and prices that make you want to cry. "Who names a candle Whispers of Moonlight?"

"Someone getting paid way too much," you mutter, checking the price tag. Jesus. "Forty dollars for—is this supposed to smell like grass?"

"Rich people grass." Yeji picks up another one, face scrunching. "Autumn's Last Kiss. What does that even mean? Like, trees making out?"

"Pretty sure it's just pumpkin spice trying to be fancy."

"Capitalism is wild." She moves down the aisle, combat boots squeaking against the polished floor. "Oh shit, look at this one. Midnight Jasmine's Secret Rendezvous. That's not a candle, that's a Mills & Boon novel."

You snort, trailing after her. "Speaking of reading material—"

"We are not starting a book club book chat right now."

"I'm just saying, if you actually showed up to Victorian Lit—"

"And listen to Professor Stevens cream himself over Dickens for two hours? Pass." She picks up another candle, this one in black glass. "Dark Temptation. Bet you five bucks it smells like axe body spray."

She's not wrong. You wrinkle your nose as she waves it under your face. "Why does everything 'dark' and 'masculine' smell like a frat house?"

"Because the straights are not okay." Yeji sets it back, wiping her hands on her jeans like the scent might be contagious. "What did Emma say she likes again?"

"Anything except roses." You pause at a display of seasonal scents. "Her roommate burns those generic rose ones from the dollar store. Pretty sure she's traumatized."

"Valid." Yeji's already moved on to the next shelf, picking up random ones and reading their names in increasingly dramatic voices. "Summer's Sweet Embrace. Woodland Mystery. Oh my god, Bachelor's Button? What the fuck is a bachelor's button?"

"It's a flower," you say, distracted by a actually nice-looking sage and cedar one. Still overpriced, but... "My mom used to grow them."

"Sounds fake, but okay." 

She’s quiet for a second. Then:

"What about this one?" Yeji holds up a purple candle, squinting at the label. "Lavender Dreams. Sounds pretentious as fuck."

"Put that down before you break it," you mutter, scanning the shelves. The prices are criminal. “And aren't you supposed to be in Art History right now?"

"Professor Wang's doing that thing again where he talks about his divorce for two hours." She shrugs, setting the candle back with surprising care. "I've already heard all about Karen three times this semester."

You roll your eyes, picking up a sage-scented one. And no, you're not lingering in the candle section because you love them, okay? Emma likes candles too. It's completely reasonable research for a birthday gift. Nothing to do with how your apartment could use some—

"These are boring anyway," Yeji declares, already moving on. Her attention snaps to something across the street. Barnes & Noble, its windows displaying the latest bestsellers. 

"Wanna check out some books?" she asks, hands stuffed in the pockets of her worn-out grey zip-up. The one she definitely stole from Irya's closet.

"Since when do you read?" You snort, following her out of the candle store. Because you know damn well Yeji's idea of "reading" is skimming SparkNotes twenty minutes before class.

"Woah, judging a book by its cover?" She gestures to her whole aesthetic: combat boots, ripped jeans, that stolen sweater. "Just 'cause I look like this doesn't mean I don't read."

"You told me last week that Romeo and Juliet was, and I quote, 'straight people nonsense.'"

"It is straight people nonsense." She pushes open the bookstore's door, a blast of air conditioning hitting you. "But we need books for the club."

"You mean the chat group you named 'Fuck The Patriarchy Book Club' that's basically just for rambling and complaining?" Like how you ended up here today, victim to Yeji's class-skipping schemes. "That club?"

"Yeah?" She flashes that smile that you’re starting to associate with trouble. "C'mon, I need to check if they have Pride and Prejudice."

You trail after her into Fiction & Literature, past towering shelves and that distinct bookstore smell. "Pride and—hold up. Weren't you just shitting on romance classics?"

"Yeah, and?" She's already scanning the 'A' section with laser focus. "My girl wants to read it, so we're reading it."

"You're buying it because Irya mentioned it once in the group chat."

"And?" Yeji doesn't even pretend to deny it, moving purposefully through the aisles. "My girlfriend has taste. Unlike some people who waste their time reading..." she picks up a random book, "The Art of Corporate Finance."

"That's not even—"

"Found it!" She pulls out a leather-bound edition, definitely not the cheapest version available. "Look at this fancy shit. Irya's gonna love it."

You're about to point out how whipped she is when something catches your eye. A "Now Hiring" sign at the front counter, clean white letters against dark wood. Huh. You've been meaning to look for a job, something to get you out of the apartment more. And to help your finances. too. God knows you’d rather avoid having to ask mom and daddy for more money. 

"Earth to Y/N?" Yeji waves a hand in front of your face. "You good?"

"Yeah, just..." You gesture vaguely at the sign. 

Working at a bookstore wouldn't be the worst thing. Plus, employee discount.

"Oh shit, you should totally apply." She examines the sign with newfound interest. "Then you can hook me up with discounts on all the books Irya wants."

"I haven't even—"

"Excuse me?" she calls to a passing employee, ignoring your attempt to shut her up. "My friend here wants to apply for the job opening."

You're going to kill her. Slowly. With one of these hardcover books.

But the employee's already turning around—young guy, probably another student, name tag reading 'Mark'—and you can't exactly bolt without looking insane. Perfect. Just perfect.

"Oh, yeah?" Mark brightens. "We're actually pretty desperate for people who can work weekday afternoons. You have any retail experience?"

"I—"

"She's great with books," Yeji cuts in, because apparently she's your agent now. "Like, literally will fight someone over their trash literary takes. You should hear her rant about Hemingway."

You shoot her a death glare, but... well, she's not wrong about Hemingway.

"That's actually perfect," Mark says. "We get a lot of students asking for recommendations. Here—" He heads to the counter, returning with an application form. "You can fill this out now if you want. Manager's still here."

And somehow, because the universe hates you, you end up at one of the reading tables, filling out your work history while Yeji "helps" by suggesting you list your special skills as "roasting bad authors" and "setting pretentious men straight about their Joyce opinions."

Your phone buzzes. Group chat.

6B Hell

Yoongs 🎧: 𝙲𝚊𝚗 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚋𝚞𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚜𝚞𝚕𝚎𝚜? 𝚆𝚎’𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚝

+1 (917) XXX-XXXX: 𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚛𝚗

+1 (917) XXX-XXXX: 𝚙𝚊𝚢𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚔

Yoongs 🎧: 𝙸 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞

Yoongs 🎧: 𝚆𝚎’𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝟷𝟻𝚝𝚑

Yoongs 🎧: 𝙹𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚌𝚞𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐

+1 (917) XXX-XXXX: 𝚝𝚑𝚡 𝚖𝚊𝚗

You're about to reply that you'll grab some later when another message pops up.

+1 (917) XXX-XXXX: 𝚙𝚑𝚘𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚡 𝚞𝚛 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝? 𝚞 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖

What the actual fuck?

You: 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜?

+1 (917) XXX-XXXX: 𝚞𝚛 𝚏𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚛𝚘𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚘𝚏𝚌 

+1 (917) XXX-XXXX: 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚝 𝚘𝚗𝚎 

You let out a disbelieving sound. Yeji, who's been "helping" by pointing out every minor spelling mistake in your application, peers over your shoulder.

"What's up?"

"My roommate being a jerk as usual." You know for a fact Jungkook's probably sprawled on the couch right now, doing fuck-all except maybe killing brain cells on his PlayStation. But sure, you should get the coffee.

You: 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚢 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚒’𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚝 𝚘𝚗𝚎

You: 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚗𝚘, 𝚒’𝚖 𝚋𝚞𝚜𝚢

+1 (917) XXX-XXXX: 𝚊𝚠 𝚍𝚘𝚗𝚝 𝚋𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚗𝚒𝚡

+1 (917) XXX-XXXX: 𝚞𝚛 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚢 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 

Yoongs 🎧: 𝙲𝚊𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚠𝚘 𝚗𝚘𝚝?

+1 (917) XXX-XXXX: 𝚙𝚕𝚞𝚜 𝚠𝚎 𝚋𝚘𝚝𝚑 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚞 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚒𝚖 𝚑𝚘𝚝 

+1 (917) XXX-XXXX: 𝚘𝚛 𝚍𝚒𝚍 𝚞 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚊𝚝 𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚜𝚎? 

Your fingers freeze over the keyboard. That asshole.

You: 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗? 

You: 𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎

+1 (917) XXX-XXXX: 𝚞𝚛 𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚘𝚏 𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚊𝚕 𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚙𝚑𝚘𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚡 

+1 (917) XXX-XXXX: 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚠𝚊𝚢. 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚞𝚛 𝚊𝚕𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚢 𝚘𝚞𝚝…

You: 𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚍𝚊𝚖𝚗 𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚢 

You: 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝, 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚘 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚞𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚎?

Yoongs 🎧: 𝚈/𝙽.

Something about Yoongi’s message makes you pause. That's... weird. But before you can think about it:

+1 (917) XXX-XXXX: 𝚒𝚖 𝚋𝚞𝚜𝚢

+1 (917) XXX-XXXX: 𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚘 :)

+1 (917) XXX-XXXX: 𝚐𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚢𝚊 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠?

"I'm assuming he means video games," Yeji says, still reading. "Not the fun kind of grinding."

You elbow her in the ribs.

You: 𝚔 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚏𝚞𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝

You: 𝚒𝚖 𝚋𝚞𝚜𝚢 𝚝𝚘𝚘

You: 𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚍𝚞𝚕𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚘

+1 (917) XXX-XXXX: 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚋𝚞𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚌𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚎? :)

Yoongs 🎧: 𝙹𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚍𝚛𝚘𝚙 𝚒𝚝, 𝚋𝚘𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 

Yoongs 🎧: 𝙸’𝚕𝚕 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚕𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚗𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚔

+1 (917) XXX-XXXX: 𝚗𝚊𝚑 𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚌𝚘𝚘𝚕 

+1 (917) XXX-XXXX: 𝚙𝚑𝚘𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚡 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 

+1 (917) XXX-XXXX: 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚗𝚒𝚡? ;) 

+1 (917) XXX-XXXX: 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚟𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚊 𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚜? 

+1 (917) XXX-XXXX: 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚞𝚛 𝚊𝚕𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚢 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 :)

You're going to murder him. You're actually going to commit homicide, and Yoongi's going to have to find a new roommate, and you know what? He'll probably thank you.

You: 𝚛𝚘𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚕

You: :)

"So," Yeji says as you aggressively save his number under 'Kuko🖕🏻', "this is fun."

"I hate him so much."

"Uh-huh." She glances at your phone, where he's still sending coffee emoji spam. "You know what this means though, right?"

"That I need better roommates?"

"That you're definitely getting this job." She taps the half-completed application. "Can't spend all your time at the apartment if you're working retail hours."

She... might have a point.

Kuko🖕🏻: 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚍𝚘 

Kuko🖕🏻: 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚟𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚜 𝚞 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚋𝚞𝚢 

Yoongs 🎧: 𝙸’𝚖 𝚖𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚝 

Yoongs 🎧: 𝚈/𝙽, 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛. 𝚆𝚎,𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛.

Your phone buzzes again, but this time it's the other group chat. Thank fuck.

Fuck The Patriarchy Book Club 📚

Irya 🌸: 𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚛 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚜?

Irya 🌸: 𝚓𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚏𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚌𝚊𝚖𝚙𝚞𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚍𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚎𝚒𝚛𝚍 𝚔𝚎𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗

Jin ☕️: 𝙲𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝.

Jin ☕️: 𝙳𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚜𝚑𝚒��𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚌𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚒𝚜.

Jin ☕️: 𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝟻𝟶𝚔𝚐 𝚘𝚏 𝚌𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚜 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝟻.

Jin ☕️: 𝙶𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚒𝚐𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚎.

Your phone keeps vibrating with notifications from the other chat. You peek at it. 

Kuko🖕🏻: ☕️

Kuko🖕🏻: ☕️

Kuko🖕🏻: ☕️

Kuko🖕🏻: ☕️

Kuko🖕🏻: ☕️

Kuko🖕🏻: ☕️

Kuko🖕🏻: ☕️

Kuko🖕🏻: ☕️

Jesus fucking Christ.

Yeji 🖤: 𝚙𝚒𝚣𝚣𝚊 𝚊𝚝 𝚢/𝚗’𝚜?

Yeji 🖤: 𝚠𝚎 𝚐𝚘𝚝𝚝𝚊 𝚖𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚞𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚛𝚘𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚎 

Your head snaps up. "Excuse me?"

"What?" Yeji doesn't even look guilty. "You keep complaining about him, might as well know what we’re working with here."

You: 𝚋𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘 𝚟𝚘𝚕𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚢 𝚊𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝

You: 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝙺𝙽𝙾𝚆 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗

Irya 🌸: 𝚘𝚘𝚑 𝚢𝚎𝚜!! 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚘𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚘𝚝 𝚛𝚘𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗??

Irya 🌸: 𝚒 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗 

Irya 🌸: 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚓𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚗 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎?

You let out a loud sigh, now considering Irya’s question. Because part of you thinks about bringing unwanted guests to the apartment, about how that could disturb the peace, especially for Yoongi.

But also? Also, Jungkook brought his friends last time. No warning, no group chat message to let you know you’d meeting random dudes in your pokemon PJs.

So he can suck it, honestly. 

You: 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚎

You: 𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚘

Jin ☕️: 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝙹𝚘𝚎’𝚜.

Jin ☕️: 𝙽𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚗𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚎.

Jin ☕️: 𝙰𝚕𝚜𝚘, 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚘𝚏 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚐𝚎𝚍𝚕𝚢 𝚑𝚘𝚝 𝚛𝚘𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚘𝚛 𝚒𝚝 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚗.

Another cascade of coffee emojis floods your notifications. You switch back to the apartment chat.

Kuko🖕🏻: ☕️

Kuko🖕🏻: ☕️

Kuko🖕🏻: ☕️

Kuko🖕🏻: 𝚙𝚑𝚘𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚡𝚡𝚡𝚡𝚡

Kuko🖕🏻: ☕️

Kuko🖕🏻: ☕️

Kuko🖕🏻: 𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚒𝚐𝚗𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛

Kuko🖕🏻: ☕️

Kuko🖕🏻: ☕️

Kuko🖕🏻: 𝚒𝚖 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚐𝚘𝚗𝚗𝚊 𝚍𝚒𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚎

Kuko🖕🏻: ☕️

Kuko🖕🏻: ☕️

Kuko🖕🏻: 𝚖𝚢 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚒𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝟿𝟶% 𝚌𝚊𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚎

Kuko🖕🏻: ☕️

Kuko🖕🏻: ☕️

You hit mute so fast you nearly crack your screen.

You: 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚑 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚙𝚒𝚣𝚣𝚊 𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚎

You: 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚈𝙾𝚄’𝚁𝙴 𝚋𝚞𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚢𝚎𝚓𝚒

Yeji 🖤: 𝚕𝚖𝚊𝚘 𝚗𝚘

Yeji 🖤: 𝚒 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝟻𝟶 𝚋𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚢 𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔

Yeji 🖤: 𝚒𝚖 𝙱𝚁𝙾𝙺𝙴 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚔𝚎

Irya 🌸: 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔? 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚎? 👀 

Irya 🌸: 𝚍𝚒𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚋𝚞𝚢 𝚖𝚎 𝚊 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔?!?!?! 💘

Jin ☕️: 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐.

Jin ☕️: 𝙸’𝚖 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚎 𝚌𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚒𝚜.

Yeji 🖤: 𝚜𝚑𝚞𝚝 𝚞𝚙 𝚌𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚎 𝚋𝚘𝚢

Yeji 🖤: 𝚐𝚘 𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚣𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚜

"So," Yeji says, watching you aggressively fill out the availability section of your application. "Should we warn your roommate about pizza night or...?"

You think about the endless coffee emojis. About how he's probably still spamming them, the notifications piling up in your muted chat.

"Nope."

She grins. "Chaos it is."

You make it to your apartment after what feels like the longest trek ever, juggling the coffee capsules bag and your dignity. And no, you didn't buy them because of him, okay? You bought them because Yoongi deserves his caffeine fix. Yoongi, who actually helped you carry boxes up flights of stairs when you moved in. Yoongi, who warns you when the hot water's acting up. Yoongi, who—unlike some people—doesn't blast music at 3AM.

"Still can't believe you actually bought them," Yeji says for the fifth time, trailing behind you up the stairs. "Like, you're really just gonna enable his bratty ass?"

"They're not for him." You dig through your bag for your keys. "I got the regular ones for Yoongi. The vanilla ones are mine."

"Uh-huh." She's got that look again. "And you got the vanilla ones because...?"

"Because I like vanilla coffee." Your keys jangle aggressively as you search. "Not everything is about him."

"I offered to spike them," she reminds everyone, way too loudly for a hallway. "Could've made it look factory-sealed and everything."

Jimin looks slightly concerned. "Do I want to know why you know how to do that?"

"Probably not," Irya says cheerfully. "But that's why I love her."

You finally locate your keys, jamming them into the lock. It sticks—because of course it does, these old-ass doors—and you have to do that weird wiggle thing to get it open. "The last thing I need is a lawsuit for attempted murder by coffee."

"It wouldn't kill him," Yeji argues. "Just, you know. Mild poisoning. Character building."

"Pretty sure that's still illegal," Jimin says.

"Only if you get caught."

The door finally gives, swinging open to reveal... nobody. The living room's empty, thank fuck. No sign of Yoongi or—more importantly—no sign of him. Maybe they're both out. Maybe you'll actually get through this pizza night without any—

"Yo, this is actually nice," Yeji says, already making herself at home on the couch. "When you said 'bros' cave' I was expecting, like, beer pong tables and stolen street signs."

"Those are in Jungkook's room," you mutter, dropping the coffee bag on the kitchen counter. Not that you've seen his room. You haven't. Obviously.

Irya's examining the vinyl collection by the TV. "These are good albums. Your roommates have taste."

"Those are Yoongi's." Probably. You're like 90% sure they're Yoongi's. You've never actually asked.

"The place is surprisingly clean," Jimin notes, still hovering politely by the door. "Need help with anything?"

"Nah, just—" You pause as something orange streaks past. "Oh, shit, wait—Griffin, no—"

Too late. Your cat roommate's already winding between Jimin's legs, purring like the attention whore he is.

"You have a cat?" Irya drops to her knees immediately. "Oh my god, he's gorgeous."

"He's not mine." You dump your bag on the counter. "He's Jungkook's emotional support menace."

"Like owner, like cat," Yeji says, watching Griffin charm his way into Jimin's arms.

"True." You roll your eyes. "Demanding, dramatic, and constantly in the way."

Griffin headbutts Jimin's shin, purring louder.

"Should I..." He looks uncertain. "Is this okay?"

"Yeah, he does that." You start unpacking the coffee capsules. “He's harmless. Just attention-starved and thinks he owns the place."

"Again," Yeji says, "like owner, like cat."

"Pretty much.”

"At least the cat's cute." She stretches out on the couch, combat boots definitely leaving marks. "Makes up for the personality."

"Tragic how the genes weren't distributed evenly," you mutter, strategizing about how to arrange the coffee capsules in the cabinet. Normal ones for Yoongi, vanilla ones hidden in the back where grabby hands can't reach them.

Irya's still on the floor with Griffin, who's now rolled onto his back. "I don't know, he seems sweet."

"The cat? Yeah." You slam the cabinet open. "The owner? Walking nightmare."

"Speaking of nightmares." Jimin's still by the door, ever polite. "Should we maybe warn him we're having pizza here? Since it's his apartment too..."

You think about the forty-seven coffee emojis still sitting in your muted notifications.

"Nope."

"Absolutely not," Yeji agrees. "He can deal with it like she dealt with having his dudebro friends over last week."

Irya looks up from scratching Griffin's belly. "Oh yeah, didn't you say you ran into them in your—what was it?"

"Pokemon pajamas," you groan. "Look, they were clean, okay? And it was like, Saturday morning. Who has people over at Saturday morning?"

"Douchebags," Yeji supplies helpfully. 

You're about to agree when you hear it. A door opening down the hall. Footsteps.

Of-fucking-course.

"You bought the coffee, phoenix?"

The drawl comes from behind you, and you briefly consider whether jail time for murder would really be that bad. Jungkook's leaning against his doorframe in—are those fucking Sonic pajama pants?—looking like he just rolled out of bed. At 7PM. Because of course he did.

"Nice little reunion you got going on here, by the way." 

He yawns, running a hand through his messy hair as he saunters into the kitchen. Like this is totally fine. Like having your friends over without warning isn't exactly what he did last week with Hoseok and Taehyung—who, by the way, apparently has keys to your fucking apartment. 

You pointedly ignore him, which would work better if he wasn't literally heading straight for you. He reaches around you to rummage through the shopping bags, and you slap his hands away. 

“Get out of my stuff."

"Oh," he pulls out the vanilla capsules before you can stop him, "you actually got me the vanilla ones?"

"They're not for you." You snatch them back. "Get your hands off them."

He grabs for them again. "Pretty sure you bought them because—"

"I bought them for me." You yank them away, but he's already going for the other bag. "Oh my god, can you not—"

"So this is the pain in the ass?" Yeji's voice drips with disdain from the couch. 

Jungkook quirks an eyebrow, still trying to get his hands on your shopping. "Who's Cruella de Vil over there?"

You elbow him away from the bags. "None of your—"

"Another candle?" He snatches it up, holding it over his head where you can't reach. Dick. "Seriously? After last time?"

"If you'd stop making everything smell like balls and nachos—" You jump for it, but he just stretches higher, "—I wouldn't have to buy them, Rogue."

"I don't smell like—"

"Wait," Irya interrupts, and you catch her hiding a smile behind her hand. "Phoenix?"

"Rogue?" Jimin adds quietly from his corner, looking between you back and forth.

Jungkook's smirk widens as he finally lets you grab the candle back. "Oh, she hasn't told you that story?"

"We are not discussing this again." You shove the candle in its bag. "Ever."

"Why not? It's hilarious." He's fully grinning now, leaning his hip against the counter like he owns it. "Haven't told them about how you almost set the place on fire your first week here?"

"BECAUSE YOU ENTERED THE HOUSE LIKE A FUCKING—" Your hand's fisted in his t-shirt before you can stop yourself, and he's snickering, the absolute dick. "Like a complete psychopath," you finish through gritted teeth.

"The lock sticks!" He's still laughing. "I told you, it's an old door—"

"You didn't have to shoulder it open like the SWAT team!"

"You dropped a lit match!"

"Because you scared the shit out of me!" 

"Ugh," Yeji groans. "Is he always like this?"

"Worse," you mutter, finally releasing his shirt. "Usually he's too busy being edgy in his room with his electric guitar."

Irya's definitely smirking now. Jimin looks like he wants to disappear into the wall.

"Whatever, phoenix." He makes another grab for the vanilla capsules. "Rising from the ashes of your attempted arson."

"That's not—" You smack his hand away. "That's not why you started calling me that and you know it."

"Pretty sure it is."

"Pretty sure you're full of shit."

Griffin chooses this moment to abandon Irya and wind between Jungkook's legs, the little traitor. Jungkook immediately scoops him up, and you pretend not to notice how the cat starts purring instantly.

"See?" He scratches under Griffin's chin. "G knows I'm right."

"G's a whore for attention." You start shoving the shopping bags away. "He'd side with Satan if Satan had treats."

"So that's why he likes you."

"You calling me Satan now? Wasn't it phoenix? Pick your poison, dumbass."

"Nah." He's still petting Griffin, who's practically melting in his arms. "Just saying you're both dramatic as fuck."

"Says the guy who kicked down a door over a—"

"The lock was stuck!"

"Yeah? Like your head up your ass?"

“Do you two always do this?” Irya prompts. 

"No," you mutter, yanking the coffee bag away as he tries to sneak another grab at it. "When he's not gaming like a twelve-year-old, he's—stop touching my stuff!"

"Just checking what flavor you got," he says innocently, which might work better if he wasn't actively trying to steal the vanilla capsules. "Since you bought them for me and all—"

"I will actually murder you."

"With what? Another candle?"

"Keep talking and find out."

"Children," Yeji interrupts, looking physically pained. "Can we not?"

But Jungkook's already reaching for the bag again, and you swat his hand away. "I swear to god—"

"What? I'm just being neighborly—"

"You're being a pain in the ass—"

"Aw, you noticed?"

"Hard not to when you're—" You break off as he successfully snags a vanilla capsule. "Give that back."

"Make me."

"What are you, five?"

"Says the one hoarding coffee—"

"It's my coffee—"

"Pretty sure you bought it with daddy's credit card—"

The words hit like a slap and before you can think better of it, you snarl, "Fuck you."

Your eyes widen the second it leaves your mouth because you know that look on his face, that slight quirk of his lips, the way he's already—

You slam your hand over his mouth so fast you practically punch him, fingers digging into his jaw. He makes a muffled sound of protest, but you can feel him grinning under your palm, the absolute dick.

"Don't," you hiss. "Don't you fucking dare."

He raises his eyebrows like who, me? but you can feel him trying not to laugh.

"Okay!" Jimin claps his hands together, looking slightly alarmed. "So, pizza? Anyone want to look at the menu?”

“Oooh, that sounds promising.” Jungkook says, yanking your hand away. 

"Can't you leave?" You eye him. "Go jack yourself off while you look in the mirror or something. Maybe play your fucking guitar."

"Huhhh?" He's already propping his elbows on the back of the sofa, leaning over the narrow table that ‘separates’ the kitchen from the living room. "I want pizza too. Plus, your friends look nice." His smile is all teeth. "I'm sure they don't mind."

Jimin materializes next to you in the kitchen like some kind of conflict-sensing angel, pretending to be interested in the coffee maker. You know he's checking if you're okay, which would be sweet if you weren't currently fantasizing about drowning Jungkook in vanilla coffee.

"I mind," Yeji announces flatly.

"No problem!" Irya chirps at the same time.

Yeji shoots her girlfriend an exasperated look, but Irya just settles more comfortably against her side. You're going to kill both of them.

"Who's the pink pony over here?" Jungkook nods at Irya, and you see Yeji's arm tighten around her shoulders, hackles practically visible.

"Touch her and die."

"Aww, babe." Irya pats Yeji's thigh. "I'm Irya, and this little black cat over here is my girlfriend Yeji." She points across the room. "That's Jimin."

Jungkook glances back at where you're now aggressively reorganizing coffee capsules, Jimin hovering uncertainly beside you. There's something in his expression you don't like, mouth opening to say god knows what—

"And the third roommate?" Yeji cuts in.

You're about to answer but Jungkook beats you to it. "Yoongi's not here."

"Working late," you add, just to be contrary. "You know, like an actual adult with a job?"

"Unlike some people," Yeji mutters.

You snort at her commentary, and you tune out Jungkook’s comeback. Instead your eyes flicker to Jimin, who’s scrolling through his phone, probably looking at pizza options, when—

"Yo Jim, come here." Jungkook waves him over. "Let me look at the menu."

You grab Jimin's arm before he can move, linking it with yours. "I'm choosing first, wait your damn turn."

Jungkook rises from the sofa with a click of his tongue. "Come on, I just wanna—"

"Did she fucking stutter?" Yeji snaps, and Jungkook actually blinks, like he's not used to being shut down that fast.

You turn back to Jimin's phone with maybe a bit too much satisfaction. "Okay, so what are we thinking?"

"They have this new quattro formaggi that's supposed to be good." Jimin tilts the screen so you can see better. "Or the classic margherita—"

"Boring," you mutter, scrolling past. "Oh, what about the spicy one? With the—"

"The calabrese?" He zooms in on the description. "Spicy salami, fresh basil..."

"That looks good." You're actually getting hungry now. "Maybe we could—"

A shadow falls over the phone as Jungkook appears in front of you like some kind of pizza-seeking missile. He peers over both your lowered heads, close enough that you can feel the heat from his chest, and you resist the urge to elbow him in the ribs.

"Have you two decided?" His breath hits your ear. "Because I—"

You're about to grab a fistful of his hair and yank him back to a respectable distance when he snatches Jimin's phone right out of his hands.

"What the fuck—" You start to reach for him, but Jimin catches your wrist.

"It's okay," he says quietly. "Don't worry about it."

Jungkook's already scrolling, completely unbothered. "Yo, what do you two want?" He nods at the couch without looking up.

"Hawaiian for me," Irya pipes up cheerfully. "Yeji wants the diavola, extra spicy."

Yeji just grumbles something that sounds suspiciously like "men" and turns on the TV.

"Cool, cool." Jungkook's still scrolling. "Phoenix, you getting the calabrese?"

"None of your business."

"Just trying to make sure we don't order the same thing." He glances up with that insufferable smirk. "Unless you want to share?"

"I'd rather eat glass."

"Okay, so that's a no on sharing." He's still scrolling through Jimin's phone like he owns it. "I'm thinking meat lovers."

"Of course you are."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That you're basic as fuck."

"Says the one getting—" he squints at the screen "—spicy calabrese, like some—"

"Can you two shut up for five minutes?" Yeji snaps from the couch. "Some of us are trying to hear the TV."

"My bad," Jungkook says, not sounding sorry at all. He hands Jimin's phone back—finally—and stretches. "Alright, four pizzas ordered. Now we wait."

You watch him sprawl onto the armchair—the one he keeps arguing it’s his (it’s not?)—like he belongs there, and something about it sets your teeth on edge. The casual way he's inserted himself into your evening, how he's somehow charmed Irya into actual conversation, how he keeps looking at you when he thinks you're not paying attention.

"Whatever, man." You push away from the counter, desperate to get away from his presence for at least two minutes. "I'm gonna get into my PJs, I'll be back."

You head down the hall, your skin prickling like he's watching you go. Which he's not. Obviously. You're just on edge because he's being more insufferable than usual, getting all cozy with your friends like he has any right to—

"Yo, phoenix, wait." Jungkook's voice stops you. "Remember that thing with the landlord? The, uh, maintenance form?"

"What maintenance form?"

"You mentioned to Yoongi about the lock sticking, right?" He's already moving towards you with that easy confidence that makes you want to punch him. "Super's been bitching about proper documentation. Needs your signature since it's your door."

He keeps talking as he approaches, something about liability and repair schedules, and it sounds legitimate enough that you almost miss how he's gradually crowding your space. Almost miss how each step brings him closer until—

He reaches past you, hand brushing your hip as he turns the handle. The door barely has time to click shut before Jungkook’s on you, his whole body crowding into yours, ushering you backward so fast you stumble. Almost fall.

“Jesus—”

Your balance tips, but before you can catch yourself, his hands are already on you—grabbing, steadying, possessive. A solid chest against yours, broad palms locking around your wrists before you can shove him away.

He grins down at you, smirky, flushed, pupils blown. That lazy, cocky amusement dripping from his expression like he planned this. Like he knows exactly what he’s doing.

“Relax, Phoenix.” His grip tightens, pulling your wrists just slightly apart. “You’re fine.”

And then his mouth crashes onto yours.

Hard. Messy. Zero warning, zero hesitation. Just heat and teeth and tongue, urgent like he needs to shut you up.

You match him instantly, kissing back just as fiercely, nails curling into his shirt, yanking him closer. His hair is soft under your fingers, thick and dangerous, and you tug—just the way he likes it. Just the way that always makes him groan, makes him grab.

Which he does. Both hands drop to your ass, full palms, fingers digging in like he can’t help himself. A rough squeeze that pulls a breathy sound from your throat before you can stop it.

He chuckles, low and wrecked against your lips, hips rolling slow and deliberate against yours. 

“Fuck—” Another squeeze, his voice dropping. “You get all mouthy with me, and then you act surprised when you turn me on?”

Your stomach flips.

His mouth is still moving against yours, sharp and demanding, and fuck—you’re dizzy, heat curling low and deep.

You don’t realize he’s backing you up until your spine collides with the wardrobe.

You wince. “God, fuck—”

Jungkook barely lets you finish before his teeth graze your jaw, lips dragging lower—

No.

You shove at his chest, breath coming fast. “What is your problem?”

His smirk is instant, panting slightly, lips wrecked. The fucking look in his eyes—smoky, half-lidded, shamelessly pleased with himself.

“Mm?” He tilts his head, like he didn’t just grope the hell out of you. “What?”

“You can’t—” A sharp inhale. You straighten your shirt, glare sharp enough to cut. “My friends are here.”

He blinks. Shrugs. "So?"    

"So," you bite out, "we are not doing this."    

Jungkook just looks at you, like you’re speaking a foreign language. "Doing what?"    

"Don't." You level him with a flat stare.    

His head tilts, gaze dragging over you, slow and deliberate. "I just wanted to talk."    

"Talk," you repeat, incredulous.    

"Yeah." He plants a hand on the wardrobe beside your head. Not caging you in—just existing in your space, like he belongs there. "Privately."    

Jesus fuck.    

"Nope." You press your palms to his chest, feeling the heat of his skin through cotton. "Not happening."    

"Phoenix." His voice dips, lazy and smooth, like he’s humoring you. "I'll be quick."    

A disbelieving scoff. "Absolutely the fuck not."    

He laughs, quiet and amused, like this is funny to him.    

Of course it is. Of course it is.    

You shove at his chest again. "They don’t know about this, and they’re not going to know about this."    

His brows pull together, expression open, genuinely confused. "Why?"    

Oh, you could kill him.    

"Because," you grind out, "I don't need them speculating."    

"Speculating about what?"    

"About us, dumbass!"    

The words land—and then he snorts. He just, snorts. Like you just told him a funny joke he lowkey doesn’t want to laugh at. 

"Oh, fuck off," you snap.    

His grin lingers. "Nix. We fuck. That’s it. No one’s gonna think we’re picking out wedding invitations."    

You glare. "You're missing the point."    

"I really don't think I am."    

"Rogue." You exhale sharply. "I don’t want them in my business, okay?"    

He watches you for a beat, head tilted like he’s reading between the lines.    

Then he nods. Simple. Easy. "Okay."    

You blink. "Okay?"    

"Yeah?" He shrugs. "You don’t want them to know, they won’t know. It’s not that deep."    

Right. Not that deep.    

It shouldn’t be a relief—he’s only agreeing because he doesn’t care—but your shoulders still drop a fraction.    

"Good," you say.    

He hums, gaze flicking over your face, considering. "I mean, it’s not like you gotta tell them I’m your boyfriend or something. Just that we fuck sometimes. What’s wrong with that?"    

You scoff. "Everything is wrong with that, Jungkook."    

He raises an eyebrow. "Like what?"    

Like—god, where do you start?    

Like the fact that this is supposed to be contained, something that stays locked in this apartment and nowhere else. Like the fact that you need to be in control of it because if you’re not, it means it’s spiraling, and spiraling is—    

Not an option.    

He hums, considering. The vibration shivers over your skin. "Interesting."

The fuck does that mean?

You glare at him. "What?"

"Nothing." But there's a glint in his eye you don't like. Knowing. Assessing. "Just seems like you're overthinking it."

"I'm not—"

"Ashamed?" His head tilts. "Embarrassed?"

Heat crawls up your neck. "Fuck you."

"I mean." A slow drag of his gaze, head to toe and back again. "If you insist..."

Oh my god. 

Your foot connects with his shin. Hard. He grunts, flinching back. Good.

"Touch me again," you growl, "and you lose your dick."

 He holds up his hands. The picture of innocence. "Message received."

"Is it?" You cross your arms. Narrow your eyes. "Because it seems like you're having trouble understanding basic fucking boundaries."

"Nah, I get it." But there's a wicked glint in his eye, and oh, that can't be good. "No telling your friends about all the filthy things we do."

"There is no we.” You jab a finger at his chest. "No us."

A slow nod. "Right."

"I mean it, Rogue." You hold his gaze, unflinching. "This?" A sharp gesture between your bodies. "Doesn't leave this apartment."

"Mm." His tongue swipes over his bottom lip. Deliberate. Obscene. "So I shouldn't mention how you like it when I—"

Your hand clamps over his mouth, muffling his words. "Finish that sentence and die."

He grins against your palm, wholly unrepentant. Bastard.

You drop your hand. Take a step back. "I'm serious, Ry."

"Oh, I know." But there's a curl to his lips you don't trust. Not one bit.

"Do you?" You cross your arms. "Because it sounds like you're angling for a free pass to run your mouth."

"Nah." He mirrors your posture, arms folding over his chest. “Just getting a feel for the rules."

Right. Sure. "The rules are simple." You hold up a finger. "Rule one: no one knows we're fucking."

A nod. "Easy enough."

"Rule two," you continue, "if anyone asks, we're just roommates."

"Uh-huh." His tongue presses against the inside of his cheek. Considering. "That all?"

Wariness prickles up your spine. "Why?"

A shrug. Too casual. "No reason."

Bullshit.

You shake your head. "Just—forget it. Are we done here?"    

Jungkook watches you for another long second.  

Then he nods. "Yeah, we're done."  

He turns, already reaching for the doorknob, when—  

"Oh." A pause. Like he just remembered something. "And just so we're clear—this isn’t exclusive, right?"  

You blink. "What?"  

He glances back, expression easy. Casual. "Like, I can fuck other people. That cool with you?"  

A laugh bursts out of you. Short. Sharp. "Why the fuck would I care?"  

His mouth twitches. "Dunno. Just making sure."  

"Well, consider it confirmed." You fold your arms. "Do whatever the fuck you want, just—"  

He lifts his brows. "Just?"  

"Don’t give me an STD." You level him with a flat look. 

He snorts. "Noted." A beat. Then, amused— "You want test results?"  

"Oh, fuck off, Rogue."  

"Just offering, Phoenix." His smirk lingers for half a second before his expression smooths out. "So, rule number three, then."

You narrow your eyes. "Rule what?"

"Rules." He gestures between you. "One: no one knows. Two: if they ask, we're just roommates." A pause. "Three: no feelings."

Something in his voice shifts, something light but pointed, like he's not saying it just for your benefit.

You scoff. "Yeah, no shit."

He nods once, satisfied. "Cool."

And then he's gone, door clicking shut behind him like the whole thing never happened.

The air in the room is suddenly too thick.  

You exhale sharply, back hitting the wardrobe, and press your palms over your face.  

God damn him.  

Not just for being an insufferable pain in your ass, but for being right. Because logically, there's no reason to keep this a secret—he's not your boyfriend, he's just your roommate who happens to fuck you sometimes. It's not a big deal. It's not anything.

But something in you rebels at the thought of anyone knowing. Of having to explain yourself, to justify your choices. You've had enough of that to last a lifetime, enough of measuring every decision against someone else's expectations. Enough of being told what you should want, what you should do, who you should be.

This thing with Jungkook? It's yours. Messy and stupid and probably a horrible idea, but it's yours. The one thing in your life that nobody gets to have an opinion about, that nobody gets to control but you. 

And maybe that's fucked up. Maybe normal people don't feel this desperate need to keep parts of themselves hidden, to maintain this iron grip on every aspect of their lives. Maybe they don't lie awake at night planning escape routes from their own decisions.

But you've never been very good at normal, have you?

You straighten, smooth your shirt, school your face into something neutral.  

Then you open the door, step back into the living room, and pretend like your world isn’t tilting.

next | index

⋆｡°✩ taglist ✩°｡⋆

@cannotalwaysbenight @livingformintyoongi @itstoastsworld @jimineepaboya @somehowukook @stuti2904 @chloepiccoliniii @kimnamjoonmiddletoe

© jungkoode 2025 no reposts, translations, or adaptations

[cryptidcorners]

Hello again! I have yet another request to ask of my favorite Mike writer, if you are in want of something to make. How about Abby’s babysitter girl and her are playing/reenacting Abby’s favorite fairy tale, then Mike steps in just in time and Abby demands he come over to play Prince Charming. Humiliating Mike, amusing the babysitter, and then also stirring up romantic feelings all the while. Thanks so much!

Crown - Mike Schmidt x F!Reader

Description: Mike is dragged into another one of Abby's plays, being forced to play Prince Charming with you as some warrior princess as the pairing. As Abby's creative tale unfolds, she's completely oblivious to your romantic tension with her older brother.

# requested by @/scribblesandsherlock

Media: FNaF!Movie

Character: Mike Schmidt (+ Abby)

Tags: Babysitter!Reader, Flusteted Mike, Domestic, Fluff, Playing With Abby, Fantasy Themed, Romantic Tension, Slice of Life, Friends to ? ? ?, Some Flirting, Cute Stuff, Feminine Terms used !

No Warnings.

read my TOS + Mike Schmidt Masterlist

"And then—" Abby was holding a cardboard tube colored messily over your head, blessing you with the imaginary title of "Warrior queen of the Rabbit Kingdom." which held a decent ring to it. Trying hard to desperately not break out of character, you giggled and replied as seriously as you could: "Thank you for bestowing this honor on me, Queen Schmidt."

Abby giggled and cleared her throat, shaking in excitement. "Now, I give you the honor of my son. Prince—uhm, Schmidt." She shrugged at you with a smile, then shifted back into her Queen Schmidt personality. "So you can get married and live happily ever after," her eyes wandered around for a toy suitable to fit the role. You gazed around too, "Oh, no. Is your son, perhaps, missing?"

"I hope not." Abby said, "You'll see him." she scavenged around and you sat comfortably. Until you saw Mike walk into the room, fixing the color of his sweater, unknowing of the world he was about to accidentally walk into, "Hey Abs, have you seen my—" Mike halted. "What is happening?"

"Hey, you can be the prince." Abby said, "I think my crown can fix you."

Mike raised his hands defensively, "Oh, no. I'm not good at playing royalty." he shook his head. "Besides, I need to go shopping."

"When will you be back?" You asked in your normal tone of voice.

"Three," he said. "Three-ish?"

"Ah,"

"Mike, please." Abby begs, tugging her sluggish older brother by his sleeve as he stumbles hunched toward to level with her. Mike huffs, "Do I really need to be a prince? Why not a knight, or something cool?" he humors lightly. His eyes wash up at you, and he can't resist giggling at your costume made from scratch. It was impressive what Abby could make with her scrapes of material and tape. "No, she's the the knight." Abby pointed. Amused, you respond, "and a princess."

"And a princess." Abby adds, "And a witch!"

"Oh. So, I don't get any powers?" Mike says dryly, though there's a scrape of playfulness wrapped behind his blunt demeanour. He sat up and shut his eyes promptly for Abby to delicately place a cardboard mock crown on Mike's head. Abby smiled, before replying honestly, "That's because you're lame. Maybe next time you can be a princess, witch and knight."

"Goodie." Mike was obviously trying to drag a laugh out of you with his dramatic tone. You could see his eyes twinkled when it worked. There was a circle of stuffed animals and dolls, all clad in an organic costume made from Abby's workshop of a room.

"Okay, now we have a prince." She discarded the toy in her hand. "Now, you two can get married. And rule The Rabbit Kingdom."

"Married?" Mike knew it was pretend but his face flushed. "I didn't know that,"

"I am a princess, and you're the prince." You explained, almost toying with him. Mike chuckled, covering his face in light embarrassment.

"Yeah, Mike. Catch up." She cleared her throat. Mike was enjoying it much more than he thought he would. Maybe it was the idea of marrying you that sounded appealing, but that was ridiculous. He didn't love you. Did he?

Abby grabbed a floppy cat with buttoned eyes and calico patterns, making a deep voice. "I am the priest, and I say, that—we are gathered here today to see a prince and a princess get married. And, well . . ." She trailed off. "I don't know what a priest says, so. You're married!" She dropped the toy and tube together. Raising her hands out dramatically with a fun smile. "You can kiss now. Like couples do," she snickered.

You and Mike got close, giggling and awkwardly talking over each other as you tried to find a loophole. Mike swore his face was as hot as a furnace, and your stomach was twisted with butterflies caught in a trap. Abby broke the strange mental tango between you two, "You can hug if you want."

"Oh, right." You gazed at Abby, then back at Mike.

"Yeah, we can do that." He said. And so you did. Falling into a tight embrace for a couple seconds. Mike wanted to be longer, but he had errands. Plus, he doubt you'd stay long enough. Abby giggled, "You guys are husband and wife, now! Awesome." she looked around, eyes plotting something. She ran towards her room,"One second, I need to get something! Don't leave, Mike."

Yet, as soon as she disappeared. Mike stood up with a grunt, sighing. With a gentle smile, you gazed up at him. "Going so soon? We just got married."

"Very funny." Mike's cheeks flared as he removed the crown delicately and ran his fingers through his curls. He sighed and grabbed his wallet that was sitting longingly on the tabletop. "Tell her I got kidnapped by some monster or something, I'll think of a way to sneak in."

"Well, you got the right girl." You walked up to him, grabbing the door. "I am a warrior too."

"You're very in character." Mike hummed. "Is this going to be referenced often? Is it gonna be a thing?"

"Maybe, maybe not." You chuckled.

Once Mike had left his house. He felt an intense whirlwind of emotions. Romantic emotions. Loving feelings and sick stomach aches. Mike knew he wasn't a real prince, nor were you the ruler of some Bunny Palace but part of him was thinking of a life like that. Not with royalty or talking animals, but just you two. Married. The thought wasn't too strong, yet. But it kept him smiling when he was shopping. All the way through.

[discoveredreality]

intro post <3

don't mind me editing this like every single day lol

my dm's and askbox is always open if u want to talk <3

anons are welcome too <3

also if u want to make new friends i am right here pls say hi im fucking lonely😭

anyways

BELOVED MOOTS <33333 (everyone is tagging them and this is fun)

this in no particular order just whoever pops up on my dash or smth idk. not every moots just the ones i actually know lol. ok so

@im-ur-sleep-paralysis-demon THEY'RE AMAZING LOVE THEM SM IF U DON'T FUCK OFF BECAUSE OMG KJHLGJKFJHLKYFJHKJGL

@ma-lan13 HELP MY BESTIE IRL GOT TUMBLR OMG OMG. AND SHES ACTUALLY USING IT WTF?????? ANYWAYS SHES THE BEST <333

@bloophasarrived SHE'S THE SWEETEST AND SO WONDERFUL. HER PERSONALITY SPARKLES AND OMG SHE'S SO FUN AHHH

@marylily-my-beloved I LOVE HERRR WE HAVE THE BEST CONVERSATIONS. SO NICE AND EASY TO TALK TO. AND WHY DOES SHE KNOW ME SO WELL <3333

@im-just-here4853 my vent buddy omg we just vent to each other i love her so much idk what i would do without her <33

@im-on-crack-send-help TWINNING IN LITERALLY EVERYTHING. SAME MUSIC TASTE. SAME TASTE IN FOOD. IN DRINKS. IN THE WAY WE THINK. WTF. ANYWAYS SHE'S MY POOKIE I LOVE HER <333

@the-gay-skeleton-in-ur-closet THEY'RE THE BEST OMGGGGG and they're nice and cool and shit <333333 i'm quoting myself it's fine AND LIKE SO NICE AND GOOFY AND EVERYTHING OMG

@cubemagnet somene i met on a random post and now we occasionally team up to correct grammar lol 🤓🤓🤓 anyways she's amazing :D and everything she says is so iconic like isjflsrijglruhglsuglijrsg

@book-girl4eva SHE'S AMAZINGGGGG. IT'S SO EASY TO GOOF AROUND W HER I LOVE IT. SHE ALWAYS SLAYS SO HARD. EVERYTHING ABOUT HER SLAYS. idk if you'll see this but this is for u pookie <3

@mil-pinterest-sss-here-i-am ??? questioning why we're moots. but he's literally so nice. literally will be my therapist and help me w maths because that shit is impossible 😭

@dandelionflowery omg literally so kind and everything all the time. so fun fun reading their fics and doing shit together omg

@sweetwarmcookies16 OMG RIJGDJFGIJFGIF THE BEST I LOVE PLAYING GAMES TOGETHER AND TALKING AND EVERYTHING. ALSO AN AMAZING WRITER

idk brain isnt braining ill add ppl as i go along

moodboards made by my lovely lovely moots <3

so far i only have one here cause i forgot to link the previous ones whoops 😭😭😭

about me

i'm ari. she/her. nicknames welcome. go wild. dude/bro/girl/literally anything is also fine. i use 'lol' and '<3' too much. minor. literally the biggest procrastinator and so disorganised i dare u to find someone worse than me. i'm indian but i live in australia. bengali/north indian idk. band kid :D my pinterest is here. PLEASE DM ME IF U WANT TO. I NEED FRIENDS. IM AWKWARD AND BAD AT MAKING CONVERSATION BUT STILL PLS 😭😭😭

personality/star sign or whatever

according to the mbti test here i am an istp-t. i am also a cancer. i found out my sun, moon and rising signs and the marauders version and i wrote it down and lost it so then i redid it and i lost it again so i can't bother at this point someone help me :(

time zone

Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) i think?? SUCK ON THAT AMERICANS AND WHOEVER ELSE EHHEHEHHEHE ;LSDJFSFJIJFDJF;LJ

my music taste

i love taylor swift, conan gray, olivia rodrigo, sabrina carpenter and honestly a lot of other stuff lol. also love bollywood music.

favourite books and authors

i love reading and i'm usually a really fast reader lol. i love harry potter (fuck jkr tho), kotlc, chetan bhagat books, the inheritance games, agggtm, literally all of karen m. mcmanus's books, the divergent series, pjo and hoo, lorien legacies, the selection, powerless, soc, girl in pieces, dictionary of lost words and bookbinder of jericho, all the books by amish, and a bunch of other books.

dni

idk the usual?? if u think ppl arent valid or you're literally an asshole. honestly you all can go get stuffed. idgaf

tag games and shit

yes you can absolutely tag me. i love tag games and chain asks. sometimes i may not get to doing it but i usually will and it makes me so happy when i'm tagged lol

tags

i don't post that much stuff so i don't really have mulitple tags for my posts. anything or any shitposting or thoughts will be tagged #ari's shit. for asks it's #ari gets an ask?

fandoms!

i'm literally obsessed with drarry but i'm mostly part of the marauders fandom. i'm starting to make my way through all of the marauders fics. i love love love hermitcraft. i'm an ethogirl literally who doesn't love etho?? also really into trafficblr. i literally love six of crows so much like omg. desperately trying to get through the magnus archives im only 8 years late haha i also love kotlc sm. (team foster-keefe forever!) i'm low-key in love with keefe sencen cause omg. aaaand also a bunch of other shit but those are the main ones idk bro

i'm bored and this is too long already might as well add more so here are a bunch of userboxes :D

and that's all not because i have self control but because there is a limit to images per post 😭😭😭 i literally had to delete some of my aesthetic images for this soooo

all the above photos are not mine, i got them off of pintrest.

my profile pic is obviously from the makowka picrew here

the beautiful dividers are linked here. these are by @saradika-graphics she is a literal star these dividers are so good

IK THIS IS WAY TOO FUCKING LONG AND I KEEP ON ADDING SHIT MORE SHIT SO IF U ACTUALLY LIKE READ TO THE BOTTOM THIS HERE IS FOR U LMFAO ILYSM <333333

[bookwyrminspiration]

I'm confused

Why do you hate Watson so much

What did that dog do to you

Let me take you back to the summer of 2023.

It's lovely, peaceful, @camelspit's just started the first best keeper character bracket. We're starting with rounds of five, and June 16th, we've got a rather odd bracket: Alina, Oralie, Ella, Gisela, and Mr. Snuggles.

Roisin asks in the tags for the stuffies not to win, so I go haha, I don't really care about any of these guys except Snuggles. I have my own Mr. Snuggles and a fondness for dragons, so I vote for him. Don't even think of it. I don't even think I reblogged it. Mr. Snuggles wins

He has another round, a 1v1. I vote for him again, don't think much of it. his opponents are piddling. He wins

Then we get to round three. He's against Verdi, and at this point i've gotten attached--I love this lil dragon. But Verdi poses a real threat, because when I vote he's losing. I start campaigning. Cath becomes my enemy. It starts escalating.

But Mr. Snuggles pulls through, victorious. And I have now very publicly pronounced and committed myself to this bit.

We carry him through round 4 and round 5, but then we face round 6: Fitzroy vs Mr. Snuggles. It's cruel, it's twisted, it's exactly what Roisin would do.

BUT! We miraculously manage to tie the round so they both proceed.

Finally, in round 7, the very last round before finals, he loses to Sophie. i'm sad, but honestly the fact he made it to the last four is super impressive and unexpected? i'm proud

You'd think this'd be the end of it.

But Catherine, @everliving-everblaze, started a Best Fitz Duo Poll while the best character poll was running.

And one of the duos is Fitz & Mr. Snuggles.

He sweeps his first round, but that's not noteworthy.

What splintered the fandom was round two: Fitz & Mr. Snuggles vs Fitz & Alvar.

At this point in time Snuggles is still in the best character running, energy is high--I'm committed to this bit. And I don't think he stands a chance, so I don't feel bad pushing for him.

I was wrong.

It escalates.

Fitz and Snuggles stand a real chance of beating Fitz and Alvar, the fucked up sibling duo of the series. The origin of wiityispb. The blueprint.

I start trying to backpedal.

It doesn't work.

They win.

All because I decided in round three of the best character poll to throw myself behind snuggles and work the fandom up. I'm in too deep now; I can't back out--Summer (@when-wax-wings-melt) will never look at me the same. People are outraged.

I've tied myself to this stuffed dragon.

Who knows what could've been, but due to some funky tagging, I don't see the next round and it distributes oddly, and Fitz and Snuggles lose in silence to Fitz and Sophie.

A quiet end. At this point Snuggles is both out of the best character and fitz duo poll. The fandom calms and moves on, but I've set a precedent for myself. I'm The Snuggles Guy

And a few months ago, a year later, Roisin decided to have another best character poll.

To make it more manageable, there's a preliminary round to determine who will be in the poll for real. Roisin, who I can only assume was salty, ensured Snuggles would be out from the get go. It was a remarkably close fight, though. Watson, The Foster Family dog, also lost his poll. But who gives a shit about him

I'm sad, but hey, there's the comeback round! Any characters eliminated have a chance to be voted back into the running if they get enough support--there are 9 spots available.

I reblog asking for support for Mr. Snuggles, and, because I'm not a dog person, I decide to throw in a fuck Watson for fun. Who cares about some random dog we haven't even met in this fantasy series. There's some banter

The comeback round ends. Mr. Snuggles does not make it. Watson does.

I threw everything behind this dragon through two polls, tested the limits of my friendships, tied myself to him soul to soul. He was nearly a finalist, he nearly beat Sophie in the preliminaries.

And he lost to some fucking dog???

Mr. Snuggles didn't even make it to round one?

Unacceptable. Not on my fucking watch.

I will see that dog in the dirt if it's the last thing I do.

Thank you for your time.

[justatalkingface]

WTF happened?!?

Alright, so for context? I took a break at... *checks bookmark* 395. And looking at that chapter really quick, I'm reminded why I stopped reading for all this time!.That's ten chapters behind, for the record, and from what I can tell from my occasional glances at the critical tag? Those ten chapters were... something.

Welp. I read them. And then experienced instant regret.

Let's start with the first big thing: Armor Might. Somehow, looking at Armored Might, my first thought isn't WTF, because I've seen the spoilers, but the way that mask frames his smile reminds me of Redestro? Like, what the hell, he actually looks villainous like this. Still, though, the way powers are supposed to be the students isn't just cringe beyond belief it's... actually really dumb?

Like, step back from the ham handed metaphor for a minute, and look at this as a set of powers that someone decided to put in one suit. Ignoring how they stuffed so much shit into a suit, which even for MHA tech breaks my SOD, much less how this is surviving hits that causally blast through buildings, but it's just... inefficient? Let's ignore such choices as 'talking to animals' and 'powered by sugar', which are clearly relics of a different manga and don't make sense to use at all, but just these powers as a package. Does it make sense to put something like, 'make acid' with super strength'? Or 'sound waves'? Etc, etc? Wouldn't you want things that synergize together, so the suit is... I don't know, sturdier, or more effective, rather than having to build in a bunch of random devices just to do a reference? That explains why half of them aren't even same powers, it's just pointlessly pasting the names on things built to counter literally this situation, a reverting AFO, even though they had no possible way to know it would happen. Like a Uravity 'thruster'. Which has fuck all to do with canceling gravity.

Seriously. Cellophane and Blackwhip are literally the same damn thing, as in, literally they're the same tentacles. He's 'using' 'different powers' to retract them. And the sugar power is a... rocket kick? I. Can we just admit this doesn't actually have the entire class in it and move on?

Also, the fact that AFO is apparently super predictable and apparently has never adjusted his tactics once since beating Nana? Bitch please. He's been leading you by the nose since day one, and the only reason you ever beat him is because you out-powered him because you're bullshit and he's nerfed.

As a side note, AFO isn't controlling his reversion. He's not 'choosing' to rewind faster to heal himself, it's just happening, and Eri's Quirk just doesn't give a shit about anything, the acid would just be gone. Eri's Quirk has literally never given a shit about anything, ever, including but not limited to it's target, the person using, or the laws of nature because it's not a healing Quirk, its reversing fucking time.

Honestly, reading this, I'm not even angry about how bad the writing is anymore, I'm just cringing. Both All Might and All For One sound like complete morons, the fight is stupid, it's just.... this is just pathetic and it hurts to read.

I. Is AFO the shining baby. I pretty sure a bunch of people made jokes about the baby coming up but. Is AFO the shining baby?

Why is Stain even here? Why is the suit talking?! Like, they didn't even do anything, it didn't even buy any time, it just dragged out the chapter so we could another cliffhanger!

...Finally. Finally, Momo gets a fucking gun. I guess at this point Hori thought it couldn't harm anything to let her actually be competent, and it looks like a copy of Bakugou's new gear because of course it is, but I don't care just let me have this.

What the fuck is even the point of AFO's mouth ripping open? Like, what is the in-setting reason his cheeks tore apart?

Bakugou: fucking dies.

Bakugou: gets his heart patched together with jeans and a prayer soap bubble.

Bakugou: is instantly jumping into high intensity combat.

Yeah, that makes sense.

Are we really bring back the 'wishing energy' bullshit? Are we bringing back wishing energy and Bakugou is using it?

And now we have Nighteye. Nighteye.

...

You know what? I'm angry again.

Holy fuck. I read the posts, but I didn't believe they were real. Bakugou restarted his own heart. Like. What even is his Quirk, at this point. Like, what is it actually supposed to be, Favoritism Sweat?

All Might, solemnly: Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight.

Me, vomiting:

God, I pity whoever eventually has to voice act that and say that line at all seriously.

And, to the surprise of absolutely no one except the people who actually thought Bakugou died and were angry about it, Bakugou gets his heart impaled and came out the other end with a power up.

Let me sum up my thoughts on that with one simple sentence: The Lion, The Witch, and The Plot Armor of This Bitch.

Here's my impression ten chapters later, after a month or two without reading: I... I did not miss this story.

[freakvampire]

Out of curiosity why does working at build a bear make you miserable? QwQ I would have thought that would be one of the few semi-happy retail jobs in the world ;;;_;;;

so i hate my fuckin job and i have a lot to say!

short answer: it's very social and i am not a social person. it's standard retail, and i am visibly trans, so i get misgendered a LOT. it's VERY corporate and i hate the predatory nature of capitalism. just not a good job for me.

long answer below the cut

it's very, very forward-facing and very, very corporate. we're pushed to reach a store sales goal every day, as well as personal goals for getting people's emails for our Bonus Club (they send you emails and there's a 10 dollar birthday reward + a point system) and selling half-off gift cards (with every purchase you can get a 10 dollar gift card for 5 dollars). as far as i know, there's not a punishment for not reaching a goal besides, like, the social shame of everyone else knowing you didn't hit the goal but idgaf and i don't think my coworkers particularly do either. the only reason i do well for the email collection is because i don't give them a choice, i tell them they're going to type in their email and by then it's too late.

we have to, in my opinion, harass customers. at no point should a customer be wandering aimlessly. we're supposed to greet them, personalize their visit, play to what the kid wants while obeying their parents, upsell outfits, upsell accessories, upsell sounds, scents, and a vibrating heart. we're selling an experience (customers are called Guests in all of our literature), and they want us to be like fuckin Disney World. in training i was taught that there's never any excuse for a bear to go home bare (except, yknow, shirts are 6 dollars and pants are 5 dollars and shoes are 7.50 and i make 14/hr. an hour of work does not pay for a full outfit).

i am not particularly fond of children. i don't really like to spend time with them, i am incredibly anxious and i do not want to teach kids the wrong things. got the job for the 30% discount and hoping i'd be able to work the register most of the time, honestly. the kids are actually the best part of my job. today i had a four or five year old girl ask a million questions about how we stuff the bear, how the machine works, how long i've been working, and she talked my ear off about the vacation they were on. she was my nicest customer today. my very first customer of the day misgendered me the entire interaction.

once a mom was gendering me incorrectly at check out (mind you, my name tag says he/him/his and i was rocking muttonchops and mustache) and her son, probably 5 or 6, was baffled. he kept looking at me in confusion whenever his mom implied i was a girl. like, kid, i'm just as confused, i get it. finally he goes, "that's a boy," and looks right at me. his mom, purposefully ignoring him, went "yeah, that's right, buddy, your frog is a boy". this woman was more willing to gender a stuffed animal masculinely than me, the guy with facial hair.

so, yeah, it would be just fine if i was a cis man that loved convincing people to spend money on material possessions by being outgoing and charming. fortunately for me and unfortunately for BABW, i'm a weird transgender faggot that doesn't give a shit

[compassmili]

💯🤒 for john,,, and also anyone else you wish ^_^

💯 HUNDRED POINTS SYMBOL — share three random facts about your oc that others may not know.

UM. HELP. I DON'T KNOW I JOHN POST SO MUCH IT'S MY FOURTH MOST USED TUMBLR TAG. In her source novel she graduated from an Ivy League, I believe specifically Harvard? Her source novel is also often cited as having "predicted" the sinking of the Titanic (Nearly identical ship names, wrecking after collision with an iceberg in the Atlantic in April, not enough lifeboats, even down to the boat sizes- The fictional Titan being 800ft long and the Titanic being 882ft). Though obviously that's false :sob: Morgan Robertson, the author, was just a sailor himself for years so of course had an understanding of the waters. What else. I made her birthday October 18th because that's my birthday (And the publishing date of the first edition of Moby Dick which is why I chose it. Heart emoji.)

🤒 FACE WITH THERMOMETER — does your oc get sick easily?

Not at all her immune system is crazy. Didn't get sick for like 20 years got sepsis once and hasn't been sick since. Like all the good luck caught up and she got 20 years worth of sickness at once. And now it repeats. So John watch out in your 60s. "How did she survive having sepsis" Dyke powers.

Wife said to do it for Turtle Dove as well <3

💯 HUNDRED POINTS SYMBOL — share three random facts about your oc that others may not know.

Turtle Dove initially drew more inspo from a sys member than her source itself. That's still primarily the case, though Turtle Dove's evolved beyond "Avelot's Sinner insert" into an actual OC. (<- Same goes for Gaia). Reap has one of my favorite designs also... She has a slight association with knighthood due to the sys member reap was initially just the insert of highly valuing and having an interest in it, viewing itself as a knight so far as to essentially have her gender be "knight". It's why I gave Turtle Dove a Zwei West ID despite fucking hating the Zwei and everything they are. But honestly I think I'll probably scrap it because even with the knight thing I'm not having my damn OC be a cop. Okay 4th one for fun reaps stuffed animal is named Mr. Mew :]

🤒 FACE WITH THERMOMETER — does your oc get sick easily?

Not really, I think. Noise is kinda hollow so I think even if she got sick she would not realize it because she's so detached :sob:

[brokubroo]

more bokuroo fic recs by your friendly neighborhood bokuroo shipper

i'm back and i have more fic recommendations! here are a handful of bokuroo fics that i think some of you might enjoy, so let's get into it!:

please make sure to mind any ratings and tags associated with the fics that might not be listed here! they're suggestions so you can make informed decisions on your comfortability, so please keep tags and age ratings in mind!

☆ this is how it starts (this is what it means) by eurydicees

Kuroo isn’t quite sure how he got here.  Here, being: stuffed in the backseat of Iwaizumi's car, listening to a combination of Suga’s music and Asahi’s nervous rambling that makes Kuroo want to claw his ears out, skipping out on his chemistry lab, and on a four hour drive to an MSBY Black Jackals game, getting ready to break his own heart. He just knows that, probably, it started with Bokuto.

rated: t (13+)

word count: 14k

tropes: friends to lovers, road trip, post-canon

why i'm recommending it: this is one of those cornerstone fics i just can't get out of my head. not only does it take place from kuroo's point of view as he navigates the nervousness of confessing to bokuto, but it's just so heartwarming and fulfilling in the end. if you haven't already, i definitely recommend putting this on your read-immediately-because-it's-bokuroo-being-bokuroo list!

☆ Belonging by notallballs

"Okay, look," Kuroo said, releasing him and rubbing at his temples wearily. "You wanna come share my bed? You don't have to sleep, but just lie down for a few hours, that cool?" Bokuto made a face. "Your room is so quiet."  "I'll put some music on." Bokuto said nothing. "Kou. That okay? Will you try?" "...Yeah, okay." Bokuto's been having trouble sleeping, but when Kuroo invites him to share his bed, the careful balance of their friendship tips over.

rated: e (18+)

word count: 2k

tropes: friends to lovers, friends with benefits, roommates, sharing a bed, background college au

why i'm recommending it: it's sweet and simple! a common factor that many bokuroo enjoyers like myself love is the roommates trope (aka, THEY WERE ROOMMATES!) and it all comes around to a spicy but also comforting fic where they share a bed...and then they share a bed. what more could you want from a one-shot? bonus: kuroo calls bokuto "kou" and bokuto sleepily calls kuroo "k'ro" in this fic. how cute is that?!

☆ Fly Me To The Moon by Tearsaresalty

Kuroo might have fallen for the silver-haired singer of the jazz café he goes to study. No wait -- he's actually very much in love; he just doesn't realize it at first.

rated: g (everyone) word count: 5k tropes: coffee shop setting, college au, first date, fluff why i'm recommending it: first of all, musician!bokuto and pharmacy student!kuroo is the combination no one thought they needed but definitely deserved. it's cute, lighthearted, features a lineup of seijou characters working in a coffee shop, a well-made chemistry joke, and fluff! it's an all-around enjoyable fic if you want to read about kuroo and bokuto falling in love at first sight.

☆ Betting on Emotions by holdontoyourhulahoops

Kuroo agrees to pretend to be Bokuto's boyfriend for a few weeks so they can win a bet. It shouldn't be that big of a deal, if only his annoying feelings would stop getting in the way.

rated: t (13+) word count: 10k tropes: friends to lovers, fake dating, pining, canon compliant why i'm recommending it: bokuroo and fake dating basically go hand-in-hand when it comes to common tropes with this ship, and honestly? it totally works for them! this is a really nice fic that features some of the best tropes with canon compliant bokuroo: friends to lovers (of course), fake dating (who doesn't love a good pretend boyfriend situation?), pining (majorly), and some good ol' cute moments! it's a pretty enjoyable, down-to-earth fic that i think is worth a read.

☆ #KurooStealsPants2K20 by kuidore

Kuroo was a good person. He was a good person, and he didn't deserve this. He could almost hear Kenma’s disbelieving scoff, and he resisted the urge to mentally tell his best friend to shut his damn mouth (as if it would actually do anything). He didn’t need imaginary Kenma’s judgment at the moment. He’d deal with enough of that from real Kenma later. "I need to borrow your pants." AKA Kuroo needs pants for a lab, Bokuto has the best (or worst) timing, and Kuroo can't catch a fucking break.

rated: e (18+)

word count: 89k

tropes: strangers to friends to lovers, different first meeting, college au, mutual pining, slow burn/build

why i'm recommending it: you might be thinking to yourself, wow, there's been a lot of pining and college fics, i wonder if this one will be different. well, i have good news and more good news: this fic has all of that and more! because, really, how can those things be overused when it comes to bokuroo? not only is this fic longer and more of a slow burn than most other fics i've recommended, but it's full of group chat funnies, angsty moments, and so much more! it's a really fun read, even if you think you're over the college au with mutual pining and friends to lovers, because this one starts out with kuroo stealing bokuto's pants...cue a knowing smirking face here. (there's also a wonderful meet-the-parents one-shot sequel that's also a funny and great follow-up!)

anddd that's a wrap! i hope some of you all were able to find something new to read for bokuroo and have a wonderful lovely amazing bokuroo day!

[ladytanithia]

Writing WIP Wednesday (10/4 good buddy)

I wasn't going to share this week, because I feel like people are tired of Miranja - and me. But I can't help myself. I just hope that @thequeenofthewinter will forgive me for this snippet. This is a different Ulfric in a different reality. ;-) And yes, @dirty-bosmer, there's your favorite line again, haha!

Just got home from work and haven't checked my notifications yet, so I don't know who, if anyone, has tagged me yet. I'm just tagging everyone. :-D

@guarmommy @gwilin-stay-winnin @mareenavee @skyrim-forever @thana-topsy @thechaosdragoness

For Chapter 19 of The Best-Laid Plans Oft Go Awry

When Miranja entered the Palace of the Kings, Ulfric and Galmar were heading into the war room. She followed, waiting for a break in their conversation so she could address Ulfric. To her surprise, he spoke to her first this time, a brief but unmistakable glint of lust in his eyes. “If it isn’t my ‘friend’ from Helgen again. You just can’t stay away from here, can you?” His curious gaze traveled down her body and back up again, surely wondering what she was wearing beneath her long wool cloak. “So, have you finally decided to join me in the fight against the Imperial dogs who nearly put you to death?”

“I’ve come hoping to join you, yes, but not in the war.” Miranja swallowed, feeling a little ridiculous now that she was here facing him. Hopefully, the worst he’d do was tell her no and laugh her out of the place.

Ulfric became irritated. “If you’re not for me, you’re against me. What are you talking about?”

Miranja glanced self-consciously at Galmar. “Could I maybe talk to you in private, please?”

Ulfric, too, glanced at Galmar for a moment, then turned back to her with a puzzled, expectant look. “Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of Galmar.”

Oh, that wasn’t what she wanted. For a moment, she considered just leaving. Maybe she could try again some other time, when he and Galmar were not together. But when had she ever seen them apart? And she was wearing her most attractive dress and a little makeup… She gathered her courage, took a deep breath, and forged ahead, removing her cloak as she spoke, revealing her tavern dress and a large portion of her rosy flesh.

“I’m just going to come right out and say it. I’m sure you have dozens of women who throw themselves at you already, but I just want to tell you that I find you outrageously attractive and I’d just like to sleep with you if you’ll have me. Selfish, yes. But there has to be a little pleasure to break up the monotony of misery and death.”

Ulfric looked surprised and actually laughed, and she prepared to be ordered out.

“You’re absolutely right.” Ulfric smiled, and Miranja was gratified to see that lustful twinkle back in his eyes. “You have more stones than Galmar over there. And you’re a lot better looking, too.”

Galmar grumbled and voiced his misgivings. “Ulfric, this Imperial harlot may be a spy, sent to get close to you to assassinate you. Don’t let your little head think for your big one.”

Ulfric had started reaching out to touch Miranja’s hair, but he stopped at Galmar’s words and dropped his arm. “Would you like to search her first, Galmar?”

“She’s the Dragonborn,” Galmar pointed out. “She doesn’t need a weapon to kill you. You, of all people, should recognize that.”

“Ah, Galmar,” Ulfric sighed. “That is why you are my right-hand man. I bow to your counsel. But there is more than one way to have a woman. Bind her and gag her.”

Miranja had figured that going alone and without armor would make her appear less threatening, but she obviously hadn’t thought this through as well as she should have. She honestly had no intention of assassinating Ulfric – yet – but of course, they wouldn’t know that. And she’d left Erik back at the Candlehearth to wait for her, so she was on her own here.

Ulfric stepped close and held the back of her head while stuffing his handkerchief into her mouth with his other hand. Galmar roughly grabbed her arms, and a Stormcloak commander she hadn’t even noticed was in the room tied her wrists snugly with a sturdy leather strap and a clever knot. Having her arms tied behind her back forced her chest out, and Ulfric’s eyes shifted downward, but he continued to hold her still while Galmar went on to secure the handkerchief in her mouth with another leather strap stretched across her mouth and tied behind her head. He wasn’t at all careful about it; her hair was caught uncomfortably in the knot and pulled when she moved.

Now Ulfric took hold of the lock of hair he’d been reaching for, lifting it to his nostrils and smelling the lavender she always used. He leaned in closer and nuzzled her ear, sucking on the flesh of her neck. Her heartbeat quickened at his closeness, his warmth, his lips on her skin, the scent of him, masculine but not sweaty or rank.

“I prefer my women to be blonde Nords, but you’re still a comely lass,” he murmured throatily, pulling her against him so that she could feel his erection. “And just the very idea of the future High King and the Dragonborn… mmm… This will be a very pleasant diversion, even if the bards can never compose a song about it.”

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

ALRIGHT ARE YOU READY FOR THE RESULTS????

The lie is: "TSP used to be called The Rainbow Tunnel."

Which means only two got it right and I know that one of them is @gracehosborn who technically cheated cause she knew it already. Congrats to the other one.

The truth is, The Secret Portal has ALWAYS had that title.

Need proof? Look no further than the first answer choice: my draft from fourth grade:

Real name redacted.

TSP was very loosely inspired by the Rainbow Magic fairies series. See, when I was writing the above project, I wanted to write a story about fairies, but because I Was Ten And Too Old For Fairies, I decided to make it about People With Powers. I'd role played a game based on Rainbow Magic a while back with stuffed animals finding out they were fairies (not really a plot point in Rainbow Magic, but my fairy obsession was based on that series - hence LOOSELY inspired).

Lexi, who went by her full name Alexia in this draft, had the surname Redinés. I guess I chose that because she wore red?

This first draft also featured an old married couple named Lizzy and Ted, who were renamed Liz and Charles in the second draft I wrote over a year later. I cut them in Draft Three when I deemed them unnecessary and focused on their grandkids, Carla and George.

The metal detector was the MacGuffin of the first, second, and third drafts of TSP because the titular portal was metal, therefore the only way to find it was via metal detector. Apparently. I got rid of it in 2017 with the start of Draft Four. I don't know why I kept it that long.

Speaking of 2017, that's when I decided to make TSP start in 2024. See, Lexi was a very blatant self-insert at the time, so I made her have my birthday. Part of TSP from Drafts 2-4 was it took place on Lexi's birthday. For convenience, I wanted this to be a Friday, and 2024 was the next time that date would fall on a Friday. Except it wasn't because it fell on a Friday in 2019, but I also was trying to be realistic and was confident I'd easily get it published by 2024 since I'd still be in high school 2019. Well uh... Yeah 2024 will be closer but I doubt it's the year TSP will be published.

I did get weird in my sophomore year of high school and decided that TSP would definitely work as one giant book. Previously I'd planned for six books, but then ambitiously decided to combine them into one. Projected word count would've been like 400K? What was I thinking???? I changed it back to six books (though now it's five).

I also decided that year to kill all of my characters except Ash. I thought this was a brilliant idea until I realized it wasn't. I slowly started bringing people back. (Some still die)

This was also the year a dear friend of mine who beta read that year nicknamed it "Teaspoon" because of the initials TSP. Until I stopped hanging out with him due to unavoidable circumstances (pandemic), I did get into the habit of referring to it as Teaspoon. I've fallen out of habit but I still tag my content on this blog related to it as teaspoon in case someone else wants to refer to it as that.

My character Liam was once named Seamus, technically. In Draft Four his name was Seamus Callaghan, but it never worked for me. I changed his surname to Beaumont, but it still didn't work so I made it Liam which is much better IMO and actually weirdly helped me write his character better because he had a different vibe. (Also he's trans and I couldn't imagine someone naming themselves Seamus...any trans guys named Seamus I'm sorry but it didn't work for him.)

And finally, telepathy and empathy were separate powers in Draft Four because I'm an idiot honestly. I made the magic system at age barely 15 and wasn't thinking. Cryokinesis was also separate from hydrokinesis too.

Hope this was fun and interesting! I certainly had fun!

Quiz for my WIP!!!

The following are all true behind the scenes facts of my WIP The Secret Portal... except one

Please vote no matter how little TSP knowledge you have and please reblog. This will be so fun

[acedormouse]

okay okay so I got tagged by @fizzycherrycola @the-magpie-that-stands-high and @kitaychan (I think that was everyone???) like I feel so bad for not posting a lot of writing lately so please take this little snippet of something I've been working on for an ask

Alfred begrudgingly accepted the pat on his shoulder and watched his father make his way to the front of the room, holding back an eye-roll. It was best to leave the subject be though he knew Arthur was going to want to bring this up again; this wasn’t even accounting for Matthew who had been constantly eyeing him from across the table. Alfred figured the last time either of them had seen him break out in a cold sweat was back in the second World War from some nasty disease or infection. No, the Spanish Flu was the worst either had probably seen him this century.

Fuck he wished it was as simple as that.

Having the shits or the Black Plague would make him feel less of an ass than he did right now.

By the time lunch was called, he was cold and shaking, stomach raw. He paced the hallway for even just stopping for a second would make him feel even more ill. More attention was drawn his way but it seemed that Matt didn’t have the same balls he did over the phone to approach him and upright ask him what his deal was. 

His cravings were getting painful. 

The sandwich and chips he was offered were devoured in less than a minute and he snacked on whatever tray of British pastries came his way.

His stomach felt empty even as he lost track of how many ladyfingers and tarts he had stuffed in his gullet. 

The most he was grateful for was Gabriel slipping him his flask of red port without question, which warmed him a bit and took some of the edge off. It didn’t help with the aches in his muscles but he was grateful nonetheless. In theory, he could have rushed back to his hotel room to take what he needed but he feared that would only get more people asking questions. He didn’t know why he cared. Most everyone at this meeting was part of the old world and cocaine amongst various other drugs had been in all their systems at one point. Fuck and it wasn’t like they thought Matthew or he were innocent children regarding those things.

There was still another half of a meeting to go.

Words kept pouring from everyone’s mouth, pointless and slow. 

Just make your damn point and sit back down.

Everyone was muffled like someone had put a pillow over Alfred’s ears but he knew the problem was everyone having a rough time projecting their voice.

Matthew was horrendous. His moose dragging, slow ass was like sandpaper on Alfred’s nerves. His points didn’t make sense, weren’t aligning with what he swore they had discussed and agreed upon months past, and Jesus fucking Christ Matthew spoke as slow as molasses and soft as down feathers. 

He took a sip of water.

He scratched behind his ear.

He crossed his legs.

He chewed the tip of his pen.

He uncrossed his legs.

He stood and suddenly all eyes in the room were on him. 

Matthew was staring at him with a stupid expression. Those droopy eyes that too much resembled his own were looking at him with false concern- like this wasn’t his fault in the first place. Yell at him over the phone, rush him here and make him forget to take his medication to keep his body and mind in check.

Matthew’s fault this meeting couldn’t end. 

Matthew’s fault that he was on edge back in the late ‘50′s for going behind his back to protect Arthur’s stupid pride.

Matthew’s fault that his home burned.

Matthew’s fault for not fighting with him against their dear father.

His stomach twisted, the sweat on the bridge of his nose making his glasses slip away from his eyes.

His accusations meant nothing. He’d done far more wrong to his brother than he had ever done to him.

I always feel like I add a little too much and I'm honestly unsure who to tag because I feel like I'm so behind and everyone has already been tagged ;-; Please partake if you wish, I love reading upcoming stories!

[otakween]

Digimon Adventure (Manga) - Vol. 2

Not gonna lie, this has been kinda a boring read. It actually might of been better if I waited awhile to read it and the first Digimon season wasn't so fresh in my mind. Can't help but compare the two and see this as a downgrade. Ah well, least it's short.

Ch. 8

-This jumped from Infinity Mountain and fighting Leomon/Ogremon to the haunted mansion bit so quickly. It's a pretty common issue with these anime adaptations that they just want to hit the major story beats and they don't let the characters breathe. I'm not saying the characters were super well rounded in the show either, but if I didn't have that background knowledge I probably wouldn't be able to tell you a thing about these kids.

-To this day Ogremon's design really bugs me. Just destined to have his mouth hanging open forever...

Ch. 9

-I had conflated the haunted mansion and haunted church episodes in my mind. Very similar plot lines. I think it was more noticeable here because they smooshed them back-to-back.

-Apparently Bakemon can combine to form "Lord Bakemon," but it's not a digivolution, it's just like a technique that requires multiple digimon I guess. (Hey, I wonder if the use that concept in the video games...?)

-Impressed that they didn't try to localize the Buddhist sutras. I thought Bakemon's "that sounds vaguely anti-evil" and Sora's "what if he's not Buddhist?" lines were funny

Ch. 10

-I feel like the art was really good in this chapter for some reason. Maybe the artist is just particularly good at drawing Izzy/Mimi?

-Pretty sure no one in real life has exclaimed "prodigious" ever. (Does it count as 90s slang if it was only used in fiction?)

-Patamon suggests TK sing to the crying baby digimon and he immediately jumps to NSYNC lol (well, it does have the word "baby" in it...). Wonder what he sang in the Chinese version...

Ch. 11

-Huh, they stuffed a lot into this one. We got the Elecmon chapter in Primary Village, but then we got the battle with Leomon which transitioned into the whole digi-destined backstory thing. Again, no info is really lost with this pacing, it just feels rushed.

-Never noticed how frog-like Elecmon is until now, especially with how his eyes are drawn.

-Very confused by Leomon in this chapter. They note that he grew huge, which makes me think that he digivolved (maybe into Panjamon?) but they just keep on calling him Leomon. Digimon have never been shown to canonically grow in size outside of digivolving (except for weight in the video games) so yeah...-shrug-

Ch. 12

-The end of the Devimon arc and the introduction of Angemon. I really wish the kids had a breather between Devimon's defeat and Gennai showing up and telling them about the tags and crests. It really makes for an anti-climax when they're like "Devimon was nothing compared to the next guy!" immediately after the battle.

-Why isn't Angemon resurrected in Primary Village again...? I guess it's different when there's a tamer around.

Ch. 13

-Lol I'm now remembering how lame a plot point the tags were. The crests are all meaningful and allow for great single-character focused episodes, but the tags are just like "oop, found em." Also, I guess they're all the same? Pretty pointless. They honestly coulda found the crests already inside the tags and it wouldn't have made a difference.

Ch. 14

-Okay, so I said that the crests were better than the tags, but Taichi's crest moment is actually also pretty lame. I guess he was ~courageous~ for saving Tokomon, but he does stuff like that every episode and it didn't feel particularly special/memorable.

-I wouldn't go as far to say that Etemon's grown on me, but I don't really hate him anymore. I tolerate him lol. At least he's got more of a personality than most of the other villains.

[lostplay]

Game 39: Kingdom Hearts 3

I don't think I'm trending new ground here when I say Kingdom Hearts 3 is a disappointment. The sequel just promised so much about itself that it honestly had no hope of pleasing everybody. What I didn't think would happen however is how much the game spreads itself thin to make it feel like there is a bunch of things to do. There is a ton of great things to say about Kingdom Hearts 3, but there is a lot here that makes it feel a bit rushed when it comes down to it.

What I can absolutely praise Kingdom Hearts 3 for is the sheer amount of content we got for it. KH3 contains game & watch style mini-games, a full on cooking mini game, a bubble bobble type puzzle game, photo mode, and an entirely revamped gummi ship mode that let's you explore full maps. Throughout playing KH3 I consistently thought about how neat the whole thing was. Nearly every little thing here is thought through to the point that little details kinda just add an extra charm to how well they are crafted. I genuinely can't express how floored I was when I found out how many mini games the Game & Watch like titles had. Like honestly, I'm sure people would buy little handheld titles like this in real life. The fact that the gummi ship mode is like it's own little arcade shooter also really helped break up the pacing by giving a somewhat challenging and neat mode to play with when we just want to explore. The photo mode even adds a much needed collection element with the hidden mickey's being scattered throughout the worlds. Honestly as much as I hate the brainwashing technique; gamifying it was the way to go. Add that together with a bunch of different mini games in game, and you really start to see that what KH3 did was pay attention to everything, but the main game.

Games being easy shouldn't be seen as a problem, and I would rather encourage it over making something super hard. Providing a challenge is always a unique issue to any given game because each gameplay style is just different, from both players and games alike. So what did KH3 do? Why it made it have so many extra flashy super moves, power ups, summons, and tag team attacks that the only issue is picking the next attack. Really I can't express how easy this game is without mentioning the ride summons. I love the ride summons, I think they are super stylish and a fun thing to do as a sort of mini-game. Sadly though, KH3 doesn't really limit how often you can use them, and constantly feeds you the attacks roughly one minute in any given battle. That is, of course, if you aren't also given a team attack or transformation gauge, and even then it's all in all likely you have all three up to pick from. The game literally feeds you so much "super meter" attacks that I honestly forgot I had additional summons and magic to use. Kingdom Hearts has never been a super nuanced combat system, even at it's peak with KH2, largely the majority of the attack strings are just pressing X at certain times. Here though? You just get over stuffed with options that your brain and battles can't actually engage with combat unless it's something as long as a boss fight. Even then, the problem just becomes using these super moves on the bosses till they die; it truly feels like KH3 just doesn't trust the player enough to give them a proper challenge. Perhaps what is most maddening about this though is just the fact the combat is actually good? Something that returned, and what I love about Dream Drop Distance is the movement options. You are able to dash, jump, and even ride rails like you were in the previous game straight from the start. While you don't have full access to everything right away; you are given enough to ensure you can work toward more movement options later on. This combined with combat has always made Kingdom Hearts far more engaging to me as it gives it a lot more style compared to the previous two entries where combat just feels far too slow and stiff. Being able to block and dodge immediately is a standard, and the fact the previous two main games hide that away always hurt it's combat. As previously addressed though, any combat you do get into is often over before you know, overloaded with some super moves, or can just be walked passed. The only time it actually feels you are playing the game really is during mini-games or boss battles, and it really is a shame because I honestly do see the combat here be on par with what we got with Dream Drop Distance, although far more busted.

One thing KH3 solidly did right tho is the Disney worlds. While some have far more to do in others, or at least feel constructed better story wise, each one has plenty of weight to them. I don't think every world out there is particularly amazing, but compared to the worlds of the past, it feels like it's an actual place. Like Tangled's world for instance. While I can tell there is quite a bit of context taken out, largely the game provided enough there that made me absolutely engrossed with the world and characters. I felt like we were on a proper journey to deliver Rapunzel to the Corona kingdom, and it hit enough emotional beats to feel invested. Even places like the Big Hero 6 World where it kinda feels slapped on story wise still has an incredibly large city to explore. Nothing feels like it was left out, or repeated when it comes to the gameplay of these worlds, and it's something I'm finally happy to see come to fruition. Unfortunately, there is nothing to help save the story of Kingdom Hearts. While I know some like to argue that you just need to pay attention, or that the Disney worlds are the less interesting part; Kingdom Hearts 3 most boring bits are the continuing story. Like I have played through all the kingdom hearts games that are needed to be played through with the exception of the mobile game, and I can tell you that the only extra Kingdom Hearts game you need to play is Birth By Sleep. Without knowing the context of why Aqua is in the darkness helps a lot when the game finally decides to have a plot, it still doesn't save the rest of the story. Constantly they interject these Disney worlds with a random black cloak members, but in the end the only real take away is that sometimes characters outside of Sora will interact and it's nice. The rest of the time though? It's like they pop up and say "the plot is going to happen Sora BOOO" then screw off. Even the "final payoff" of getting these battles together is just Sora taking everyone's victories away. There is absolutely no fanfare for other characters in a way that matters, and honestly it's perhaps the biggest downer when it comes to Kingdom Hearts 3. Long way to say it, but Kingdom Hearts 3 is just a game that shoved itself with so many things that it legitimately forgot to be a proper conclusion to it's own story. Even with all the other games under my belt it's still a hapless mess, and one that even gets in it's own way when it's trying to be fun. Still to say I didn't enjoy it is a lie. This is legit one of my favorite Kingdom Hearts game because it just has so many neat things to it. I kinda respect a lot of aspects to it because a lot of the things they have been working on, or that they introduce, work so well. I just implore anyone wanting to play the game to not do so for the story or challenge, but because you can explore. Just don't look for any real substance here, it's just an average game with a very stylish way of failing to met expectations.

[t0wnspersonb]

Just wanted to let you know your writing is AMAZING. dunno if you take requests or not but if you do I'd love one of protective kuroo, kind of like the akaashi fic you did! I know you just did a kuroo one (which was also amazing, I loved it) but I'm a kuroo girl so i can't get enough haha

Thank you so much for the kind words! I am taking requests on top of the other stuff I’m writing:) everyone is low key a Kuroo girl and if someone disagrees with that they can fight me lmao just kidding! But here you go! I hope you enjoy the story:)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You hummed softly to yourself as you watched your legs swing back and forth, the bench you were sitting on kept your feet off the ground.

 You looked around and sighed softly, Kuroo was running late. 

 It had been a long time since you guys had gone on a date, he was busy preparing for the Spring Tournament, and you were busy with your extra college prep courses.

 So when he had suggested going to the amusement park that recently opened up, you definitely couldn’t refuse. 

 You were waiting in front of the entrance for Kuroo to arrive, considering he was the one who had bought the tickets.

 “Y/n!” you heard the familiar voice of your boyfriend call out. You looked up to see him waving an arm in the air, smiling at you. Behind him you saw Kenma grumbling to himself as he stuffed his hands further into the hoodie he was wearing.

 Your lips twitched in amusement. That was probably why he was late.

 “Hi Kenma!” you said brightly once they reached you, wrapping the second year in a tight hug.

 “Hi Y/n.” he mumbled quietly, softly returning the hug. 

 “Oi! Why does Kenma get a hug before your boyfriend?” Kuroo grumbled, an annoyed expression taking over his features.

 “Because Kenma wasn’t the one who was late.” you retorted, sticking out your tongue. 

 He huffed angrily and reached a hand out to grab you away from the setter, only for you to slap his hand away, continuing to cling to the pudding haired male.

 “Damn you Kenma!” 

 “Be quiet Kuroo.” Kenma sighed. “I didn’t even want to go. You dragged me out of the house.”

 “That’s because if I didn’t you’d be stuck inside all day playing video games. It’s good to have fun once in a while.” Kuroo stated simply, finally pulling you away from his teammate and into his arms.

 “Playing video games is fun Kuroo.” Kenma shot back, taking out his phone. “Besides, isn’t this supposed to be a date? Why would you have me tag along? You and Y/n haven’t spent much time together recently.” he glanced up looking between the two of you.

 You had forgotten about your annoyance towards Kuroo for being late now that you were wrapped up in his arms. Right now you were incredibly content as you leaned against his tall form.

 “It’ll be fun Kenma! I haven’t seen you much either. Let’s go enjoy the park together!” You said happily.

 You had known the two boys since you were in middle school, and quite frankly once you had started dating Kuroo you kind of expected Kenma to be there half the time. They were a package deal, and you honestly didn’t mind, sometimes preferring the quiet second year’s presence more than your boyfriend’s.

 Kenma sighed in defeat and trailed after you guys as you made the way to the counter to hand in your tickets.

 Once you guys were actually inside the park Kenma seemed to have perked up just a bit.

 You talked animatedly towards Kuroo about what you wanted to do for the day. Your hands intertwined together as you spoke.

 You hadn’t noticed the soft gaze that came over the tall third year. Kuroo couldn’t help but to stare at you. It had definitely been too long since the last time you guys got to be together. He missed you terribly. He missed the ridiculous facial expressions that came over your face when you were talking, he missed the way you pouted whenever he teased you, he missed the way you would play with your long hair whenever you were nervous. 

 Fuck, he just missed you entirely. He felt guilty about how busy he was with the volleyball club, feeling like he was being a terrible boyfriend for neglecting you for so long.

 But you understood completely, you knew how important volleyball was to him and you just wanted to be able to give him unconditional love and support. 

 Plus, those extra courses were brutal. While you loved spending time with Kuroo, you also knew how incredibly distracting he was during homework. So you were grateful for the time apart to get everything done.

 “Do you guys want food?” Kuroo asked, staring at the food stalls. You guys had finished riding the thrill rides, and playing most of the game stalls at the park. 

 You were having a wonderful time, and there were those rare moments where you saw Kenma smiling to himself, he had the most fun playing the stall games, and he was actually pretty good at it. He had won the majority of the prices that were now in your grasp. Much to Kuroo’s distaste. 

 But Kuroo had won you a black cat plushy. Despite the frustration he felt at only being able to win you the small stuffed animal, the look on your face was worth it. 

 He had never seen anything more beautiful; the way your eyes lit up and the wide smile that stretched across your face. It was definitely worth it. Especially when you declared that the cat’s name was going to be Tetsu. 

 While Kuroo went off to go get food, you and Kenma found a place to sit. “You’re really good at those shooting games Kenma.” You stated, sitting across from the quiet male.

 He looked up at you from his phone and smiled slightly. “It’s not that hard, it’s just like some of the video games I play.”

 “I suck at video games.” you sighed, frowning slightly. “Tetsuro always makes fun of me because of it.”

 “I know.”

 “Don’t be mean.” you pouted. Kenma laughed slightly at your expression before closing his phone and standing up. 

“I’m going to the restroom real quick, are you going to be okay by yourself?” Kenma asked.

 You waved him off as you settled down into your seat. You would be fine, this was an amusement park afterall. Nothing bad ever happened at these kinds of places right?

 You were wrong.

 You were definitely wrong about that statement. 

 It had only been a couple of minutes of being alone before an arm draped over your shoulders. 

 You stiffened and looked to see a guy around your age sitting next to you. His friend sitting  across from you.

 “What’s a cute girl like you sitting all alone for? Did your boyfriend leave you?” he teased. 

 You frowned, shifting your body away from the male. “No. He went to go get us food.” 

 “Where? I don’t see him.” his friend said looking around halfheartedly. “Why don’t you come hang out with us?”

 You glanced around to see that people weren’t paying attention to the uncomfortable situation you were in. 

 And Kuroo and Kenma were still gone…

 “No thanks. I suggest you leave before my boyfriend gets here.” you said dryly, crossing your arms over your chest. A hard expression covering your face.

 “Oh come on, don’t be like that.” the one that was sitting next to you cooed, shifting closer to you and grabbing your chin. “We can show you a real good time…”

 You flinched away from his touch, fear and annoyance overtaking your body. 

 While you didn’t tolerate being talked to this way, it was still incredibly scary considering that you were outmatched right now.

You ignored the feeling of dread sinking deep within your stomach and was about to start telling off the two males when a tray full of food was slammed down in front of you, causing you to jump in fright.

 “What the fuck do you think you’re doing to my girlfriend?” 

 You had never seen Kuroo so pissed before. His cat-like eyes were piercing as they glared down at the unwelcomed males. His expression was dark and angry. 

 It was a frightening image to behold.

 Behind the angry and towering male was Kenma. His eyes watching the two males with a calculating expression before flickering over to you, walking from around Kuroo he stood next to you, carefully pressing his hand against your elbow and tugging you gently away from the table. 

 Kuroo’s eyes briefly moved to yours checking to make sure you were okay and not hurt before moving back to the males that were beginning to look frightened.

 Kuroo’s confrontation finally brought other eyes to your area, the people around you looking on which made the harassers even more nervous.

 “Do you two losers usually go around touching girls that don’t want to be touched?” Kuroo asked coldly, this caused an eruption of whispers to take place around you guys, older adults getting ready to step into the situation.

 “How about I show you guys a good time…” he said darkly, cracking the knuckles of his right hand.

 You have never seen boys run away as fast as they just did. 

 You released the breath you had apparently been holding during that encounter. You watched Kuroo’s expression go from dark and cold to loving and worried as he turned his attention to you.

 “You okay doll?” he asked gently cupping your face. 

 You nodded softly. “Y-Yeah. Let’s eat. I don’t want this to ruin our day.” you smiled slightly.

Kuroo stared at you for a moment before nodding slowly. He shared a pointed look with Kenma but didn’t press the matter further.

 You were definitely not okay.

 **********

 All too soon the day had ended. You and Kuroo found yourselves outside of your house.

 “Do you want to come in? My parents won’t be home until later tonight.” you said quietly.

 “Oya? Are you trying to seduce me Y/n-chan?” Kuroo smirked leaning down towards you.

 You flushed brightly, slapping his chest. “Shut up Tetsuro. Do you want to come in or not?”

 He laughed loudly at your embarrassed face. “Fine. Fine.”

 You rolled your eyes as you guys stepped into your house. It wasn’t the first time Kuroo had been to your home, he immediately made himself comfortable as he went upstairs to your bedroom.

 “I feel gross. Will you be fine out here if I go shower?” you asked, setting down the prizes you had gotten at the park.

 Kuroo dismissed you as he picked up one of your comics you had laying around, making himself comfortable on top of your bed. You rolled your eyes as you left to the bathroom after grabbing a change of clothes.

 Kuroo felt his phone buzz in his pocket. 

 Don’t leave Y/n alone tonight. She definitely wasn’t okay after what had happened. Kenma texted.

 Kuroo frowned and glanced towards the closed bedroom door, he knew that you weren’t okay. If he was being honest, the rest of the day he was waiting for you to break down crying.

 Kuroo knew that you were a strong person, that was one of the many things he loved about you. But a situation like that, would leave anyone frightened. He noticed that too, the way you would jump slightly at his sudden touch, and the way that you would glance around worriedly.

 Of course he wasn’t going to leave you alone tonight. Before that had happened he had planned on coming over anyway, he wanted to spend as much time with you as possible, and considering that tomorrow was the weekend, he thought it was the perfect time. 

 Kuroo didn’t notice you walk in until you plopped yourself on the bed, drying your damp hair.

 He smirked slightly as he took in your clothes, your soft legs were exposed due to the shorts you opted to wear to bed, and his familiar volleyball shirt hung down your body.

 “Did you steal that?” he teased, setting down the comic book. “I was wondering where that shirt went.”

 “Nooo…” you said, averting your eyes. “You left it here.”

 “Lying doesn’t suit your sweet face doll,” Kuroo drawled out, sitting up from the many pillows on your bed and clasping warm fingers around your wrist. “Who knew that my girlfriend was a thief.” he smirked and yanked you into his lap.

 You fell into him with a loud ‘oomph,’ your face squishing against his hard chest, and then you melted against him.

 Sighing softly to yourself, you shifted against him comfortably, straddling his hips as you wrapped your arms around his muscular shoulders, your head laying against his chest.

 Kuroo’s hands rested on your upper thighs carefully, thumbs rubbing gentle circles into the skin.

 You both were quiet for a moment, just appreciating the comfort and warmth of being in each other’s arms.

 “You know, you don’t have to act tough around me right?” he said suddenly. “I know what happened earlier freaked you out.”

You stiffened and relaxed against his chest. Kuroo just knew you too well.

 “Yeah.” you said quietly. “I just didn’t want you to worry… and I didn’t want to ruin the day…”

 You remembered the way that guy had touched you so casually, and despite the shower you had taken, and the way you had all but scrubbed your skin raw, you still felt gross.

 Kuroo sighed, pushing you back slightly so he could stare at your face. “I already know that you’re a crybaby. Kenma does too. You’re forgetting that we’ve known each other since we were kids.” he said bluntly.

 You huffed angrily at his statement and whacked his chest with your palm, causing a wide smirk to appear on his face. “I’m not a crybaby!”

 “If you’re not feeling okay, it’s okay to tell us,” he finished, ignoring you completely. “It’s okay to tell me, because I’m always going to take care of you. Yeah?”

 The sincerity in his voice and the gentle expression on his handsome face caused you to blush. Your eyes moved away from his and settled on staring at his chin as you tried to get your racing heart under control.

 Your fingers played with his hair at the nape of his neck. The way you felt about Kuroo was indescribable, the admiration and adoration you had for the third year volleyball captain was too much. It felt like your heart was about to explode from how much you just loved him.

 “Thank you Tetsuro.” You said finally meeting his gaze. “I love you a lot.” you confessed.

 He smiled gently at you, pressing a warm kiss to your forehead. “I love you too.”

 It was quiet for a moment as you rested your head against his shoulder, breathing in his familiar scent.

 “If you want to thank me properly, you should take off your shirt. Well actually it’s my shirt.”

 ....

 “Shut up Tetsuro or I’ll tell Kenma."

[leclerqued]

Thank you so much @heureux4430 for the tag! It's always cute to do these games <3

1. Why did you choose your url?

I've changed it fairly recently and I picked this name because it's a phrase Max Verstappen & his friends say a lot while gaming, and since I'm a bit of a nerd and I'm considerably in the bin most of the time, it stuck with me. It took a lot of time for me to decide to change my name bc I don't want to change too frequently but I've had the previous one for...years

2. Any side blogs?

None at all! I've always used 1 blog for everything so you'll find a lot of stuff in here non-relating to F1.

3. How long have you been on tumblr?

10 years in October :)

4. Do you have a queue tag?

I had once, I don't even remember how I used to tag it but no, I don't usually queue posts.

5. Why did you start your blog in the first place?

Well, that's a good question. I guess I just liked the fact that you could do literally anything on Tumblr, your blog can look however you like, there were GIFs of stuff I like so yeah... mostly that I liked having a space to call mine. My blog says a lot about me, in the end.

6. Why did you choose your icon/pfp?

I like Pierre and I like to imagine him in a Ferrari <3 the red looks good on him! I'm thinking about changing it tho.

7. Why did you choose your header?

I like that specific Maxierre hug <3 i'm probably changing that too soon. Probs stuffing a cool Charles Leclerc's pic in there.

8. What’s your post with the most notes?

According to "Tumblr Wrapped" I have 495 notes in a post in which Charles basically whines in Italian because he's the only driver who's driven the 1951 Ferrari car to get second place instead of first. (x)

9. How many mutuals do you have?

I have no clue, but I hope it's a lot because I love the people I follow and I want them to like me back 🥺

10. How many followers do you have?

535 but I've had this blog for 10 years so Idk how many blogs are still active xD also the count is probably going to go down after Sunday's race, no matter the outcome

11. How many people do you follow?

About 3.7k blogs. Again, I've not made a proper cleanup in 10 years xD

12. Have you ever made a shit post?

WDYM my posts are always shitty! JK no I don't usually do that :/

13. How often do you use tumblr?

Veeeery often. But I've taken breaks during the years. It's always good to come back when I have a new hyperfixation and I want a lot of content <3

14. Did you ever have a fight/argument with another blog once?

Yes, I pointed out to a blog that they were being (shamelessly) hateful towards a driver while preaching "no hate" towards their fave. I've been mocked publicly because of it but heh. Shit happens. I don't care much about. Also I've argued with someone else, not directly on Tumblr tho. They were being racist and then proceeded to obliterate me from existence so it's okay, I don't have to deal with them any more! Yay! <3

15. How do you feel about “you need to reblog this” posts?

I think it depends on the post. If I deem it important (e.g. human rights) I usually reblog them.

16. Do you like tag games?

A lot <3 so please tag mooore <3

17. Do you like ask games?

I do but nobody asks me shit çç

18. Which of your moots do you think is tumblr famous?

I think lots of them are! And I'm proud they still follow me after seeing the shit I post <3

19. Do you have a crush on a mutual?

Well. Yes

I'm tagging: @brattydrivers @wepickedthisgame @mickdidthat @footyleclerc @tricciardo @cowboyricciardo @nandolorris4 @socialite-xo @pursuingsunshine @mish-tique @thetwelfthcrow @thatsapodium @formulino27 @stan-a-hoe @cloudiness @the-bees-are-our-future @sebaston-vettel and honestly whoever sees this and wants to play because I can't tag you all gdkfgjdfgd<3