#I've heard that saying before about how it's important to be able to laugh at yourself and get back up but man it only hit me just now how | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

kasagia · 7 months ago

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Right Hand V

Pairing: Na-Baron Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen x fem!exBeneGesserit! reader Summary: The Bene Gesserit has something... very interesting to show you—something that only makes you question your situation more. During this time, Feyd is also put to a great test. But how much can your relationship endure before you both come to the conclusion that maybe you're not meant to be together? Warning: 18+; violence; blood; Feyd Rautha; death; fight; brutality; smut; Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen's Masterlist ~•♤♤♤•~ Main Masterlist ~•♤♤♤•~ PART IV ~•♤♤♤•~ PART VI ~•♤♤♤•~

Dreams have a strange power. You can see your future and past in them. You can drift between dreamland and the real world and be semi-aware of your surroundings. You can create a new reality that is more tempting than your real life. Dreams can be either your sweet escape from reality or your dark oppressor.

For you, dreams were reminders of what had been, ghosts of the past, catching you in your most vulnerable state. But this time, you weren't dreaming about your past.

You were in Giedi Prime. You walked through familiar corridors, hiding from the Harkonnens' eyes. It was rare to meet anyone in these corridors. Most of them were dead ends with secret passages that were unknown to most of the inhabitants of Giedi Prime. That's why you were terribly surprised when suddenly someone pulled you by your cloak.

You freeze, startled, and turn slowly to face the small child. The kid looks like Harkonnen's child, but not quite. His skin is creamier than white, and white hair grows on his head in unruly curls. But what you recognised perfectly were the blue, bright irises that only one person could boast on Gieidi Prime.

"Mommy!" A boy around 5 years old runs up to you and hugs your legs as you look at him in shock and confusion. “Dad said he would take us on a trip! To Lankiveil! We will swim in a real lake! Can you imagine that?!” – he asks excitedly and holds out his hands to you. You automatically scoop him up into your arms and place him on your hip, trying to figure out what the hell is happening.

Someone's quick footsteps echo in the corridor. You look past the child and see one of the harpies approaching you. She breathed a sigh of relief and bowed to you when she saw the boy in your arms.

"You can't run away like that, my lord Na-Baron. The baron told us to look after you."

"I didn't run away. I quickly left to find my mom. Dad wanted to speak with her. Besides, it's not my fault that you're so slow." Both you and the woman next to you do everything in your power not to burst out laughing. You smile, burying your face in your "son's" hair. He was so damn similar to his father and you.

The boy jumps out of your arms and grabs your hand. He runs with you through familiar corridors and hidden passages, not caring if you can keep up with him.

This way, you are in the war room in just a few seconds. Feyd stands with his back to you, analysing something on the hologram of the planets in front of him. He doesn't even flinch when the secret passage closes behind you with a bang.

"Dad, I brought mom." Your boy announces proudly, leading you to Feyd. The man turns and runs his hand through your son's hair. The little one smiles, showing a series of night-black teeth... with small cavities. He looked so damn cute. Like a little version of his father...

"Good job, Feydor. At least you are able to find your mother in her shadows. Go, torment your uncle. I've heard that you promised Rabban a great fight after our lessons." Feyd says teasingly, wrapping his arm around your waist. You roll your eyes at his comment about shadows, but you can't help but watch his interactions with your son in fascination.

Feyd was rarely around children; on Giedi Prime, they were quite... not shown much. They were a temporary inconvenience rather than a source of pride, and the noblest and most important of the inhabitants rarely cared for their own descendants. The nannies and servants usually took care of them. That's why you observed with admiration how soft and tender he was towards the boy, who was a living mix of both of you.

"I did! I can't wait to use the voice on him. I love you, dad. I love you, mom." He hugs you and practically runs to the training room, looking forward to training with his uncle.

"Just don't humiliate your uncle too much! And remember to turn on your shield!" Feyd shouts after him, and you feel like crying at the worried and caring look on his face. You've never seen him like this. Well, not when the two of you were in no danger. "In moments like these, I feel sorry for Rabban. He has to face a deadly mix of both of us. Devious beast, just like us. It doesn't matter that Rabban is not using all his strength against him; he would have defeated him anyway with his tactical mind and the tricks he learned from you. I need to start training with him so that he doesn't become too arrogant and self-confident after his numerous victories over Rabban. He must always be alert and ready for his opponent."

Honestly, you're not listening carefully to what he's saying. You are shocked by this new reality in which you find yourself. It was too surreal for you. But you couldn't stop your heart from fluttering as he spoke about his son with such tenderness and pride. Your son.

"What's wrong? You look pale. Are you two alright? You had unusual cravings again, and now you regret what you ate?" The concern in his eyes confuses you even more. He places his hand tenderly on your stomach and watches you carefully, searching for any sign of discomfort as you wonder what the hell happened to make him... like this. It must have been your imagination. This couldn't be any vision of your future, because even in your wildest dreams, you had never imagined it to be so... beautiful. "Y/N? Talk to me, my baroness. Should I call a healer?"

"I'm fine." You reply with a smile, shaking your head and placing your hand on his—the one that was still tenderly caressing your small pregnancy belly.

"You sure?" Your lips hurt from smiling as you try your hardest not to cry in front of him with emotion. So you grab him by the neck and pull him in for a kiss.

He caresses your lips so gently and tangles his hand so carefully in your hair that you feel like you're about to cry from the way this rare, soft side of him makes you feel that he so bravely shows you.

"Yes... we... we are perfect." You whisper, resting your forehead against his, not at all referring to yourself and the child. You close your eyes, letting yourself breathe in his scent as he draws patterns with his finger on your stomach, keeping his arm possessively around you.

You wrap your arms around him tightly and bury your face in his neck, holding him as close as you can. He laughs softly and presses a kiss on your temple.

"There you are... I almost forgot how sweetly clingy you are while carrying my heir under your heart. We should've tried for a sister for our Kwisatz Haderach a long time ago." He murmurs against your skin and lazily plays with your hair, massaging your head. "Are you sure you are feeling good? You have been very quiet. Usually, you would throw all sorts of insults and banter at me. It's not too late for you to swallow your pride and admit that you want to give birth on Arrakis or anywhere other than on this polluted planet. Damn what those old hags think of you; it won't make you any less of a Harkonnen."

Your heart swells with every word he says. It takes a lot of strength on your part not to cry in his arms and to keep your voice from shaking as you try to form a coherent sentence.

"I... just promise me you will never let me go." You ask him, not daring to even look at him because you're afraid you'll cry the moment his eyes meet yours.

"You stuck with us, my baroness. Nothing can separate us." He promises it to you, pressing a kiss to the top of your head and tightening his hold on you. You felt safe. Warm. Loved.

"Good." You mumble, snuggling into him even more. You act as if this is really happening, like this is really supposed to be your life and future.

You have come to the conclusion that it is impossible and unrealistic for Feyd to change like this. The Harkonnens were not soft; they did not lead a tender family life and cared for their wives if they did take one. But in the end, it's your dream. So you sink into his arms, enjoying the sweet words he whispers in your ear and the way he strokes your hair.

Feyd had never been in such a hurry to get to his chambers. His heart was beating fast, and adrenaline was pumping through his veins as he thought about what had happened in those few hours. The baron is missing. He was kidnapped or killed by the Fremen. Feyd was to take his place until they found his uncle's body or the council officially declared him dead.

And Feyd had his suspicions about who could have contributed to the sudden disappearance of his beloved uncle. You couldn't have given him a better birthday present. In fact, you could, and he was practically running back to his chambers to pick it up.

He enters the chambers and immediately senses that it is too quiet there. He tries to dispel any suspicions and enters his bedroom, only to find the bed empty.

“Y/N?” He calls out, knocking on the table a few times to make his presence known. He peeks into the bathroom, slightly hoping that maybe you're waiting for him in the hot bath to tease him even more, but you weren't there either.

He frowns. He wonders if this isn't one of your games. Isn't that what you wanted—to play cat and mouse with him, to give him an exciting chase before he wins and can finally ravage you—but he quickly dismisses that (charming) idea. You were as desperate as he was. You wouldn't leave this room unless it was urgent. At least he hoped so.

He clenches his fists as he steps out into the main room of his chambers. The idea crosses his mind that maybe this time you actually ran away from him. He wouldn't be surprised. Maybe you finally snapped; maybe he scared you too much; maybe he went a step too far today by injecting you with truth serum and torturing your former lover/friend.

After all, you didn't say you loved him. You also didn't say that you despised him or that you wanted him to leave you. You could have escaped from him when the perfect opportunity presented itself…

"My lord, Na-Baron?" The frightened tone of one of the guards' voices brings Feyd out of his thoughts. He realises that he has gone out into the hall and is standing in the doorway, staring blankly at his two men. He clears his throat and turns his cold, calculating gaze on one of them.

"Have you seen my right hand?" They both shake their heads, not daring to look at him.

"No one left or entered these chambers except you, my na-baron." His madness grows as he unintentionally compares them to you. You always had the courage to face his anger and look at him, proudly bearing his burning gaze.

If you really run away from him... he will unleash hundreds of hounds, bring you back to him at all costs, and make sure you never leave his side again. He won't give a fuck if that's what you want. He gave you countless opportunities to leave him and end things between you two in a civilised way without brutality or bloodshed, but you didn't want it. The only thing stopping you two from being together were your stupid prejudices and fear. He planned to get rid of them completely once he got his hands on you again.

"Bring her to me." He growls at them, turning to go back to his chambers.

"But my lord..." Before the soldier can finish his sentence, Feyd reaches for his blade and cuts his throat with one skillful move. It eases the tension in his muscles a little, but the moment the man falls dead to the floor in front of him, his mood sours again. Because he remembers how, in moments like these, you often gave him a disapproving look and cleaned up the mess he made.

He growls at the other soldier, who is shaking with fear, to clean up and closes the door behind him with a loud bang. He had to find you. You got too deep under his skin for him to just forget about you. First, he had to determine whether you disappeared alone or whether someone had helped you. And God save him who dared to steal his baroness from under his nose.

He carefully examines his chambers, slowly exploring every corner. He frowns when he sees a familiar, polished dagger in his weapon collection. He picks it up and looks at it carefully. It was your blade. The one you had attached to your thigh. You had never left it—not since you got it from him for your birthday.

"Na-baron. You wanted to see me." You say, walking onto the balcony of his chambers. Feyd doesn't turn towards you. He stares at Giedi Prime spread out below him, the city completely shrouded in darkness. Only the few white stars that managed to penetrate the polluted atmosphere illuminated the planet with a pale glow. You quickly catch the hint and stand next to him, also looking at the buildings.

"I hate it here." He confesses to you without knowing why. "My home planet had seas, lakes, wild landscapes, and tundra that no one dared to tame. And here everything is so..."

"Controlled. Polluted. Defiled. Exploited. No room for anything... wild or natural." You finish for him. He nods, agreeing with your words.

It's been two years since you served him. And he had to admit that he didn't have such a good man on whom he could always count. You were extraordinary. Loyal, faithful, brave, honourable, and cunning. Feyd wanted to liberate you. Not many could live up to his expectations, but you seemed to know exactly what he wanted and needed after just one look. It aroused in him... strange feelings. Disturbing. But he didn't think about it when he was around you.

He preferred to admire your… difference. The hair that flowed slightly in the wind, the way your eyebrows knitted together in anger when someone questioned your position as his right-hand man, the way you walked, the way you could disappear into the shadows, the cunning and strength of your mind. You were an extraordinary woman. He started to appreciate you for the time you spent planning together. Nightly conversations about the nobility of Giedi Prime, your battle plans, and court intrigues became… something other than work for him. He was starting to like being close to you.

And at night, when he was with his concubines... he found himself imagining you in their place. And how much he wanted you... so much so lately that every little thing you did was the hottest, erotic act for him, even the way you moaned in appreciation when you ate good food. He was fucked up. Like a teenager in love.

But he didn't love you. He could not. His uncle had told him many times that the Harkonnens knew no love or affection. He just had to wait until this desire passed or find another right hand and make you his concubine, which was a much more difficult task. There were many pussies and holes he could have used, but you were the only one who seemed to have a mind even remotely like his. He couldn't afford to lose such a good strategist and soldier.

"Do you need anything, Na-Baron?" Your gentle question brings him out of his thoughts. He nods and goes to his chambers. He returns quickly with a black box in his hands. He hands it to you, carefully watching your reaction.

"Happy birthday, little witch." He says, not hiding a small smirk when he sees your shock. He managed to surprise you so rarely that he treated every such moment with reverence, as if it were the most important moment of his life. Pathetic. What power you had over him…

"How did you..."

"I have my ways too. Open it." He interrupts you, excited by your reaction to his gift. He puts his hands behind his back, feeling his fingers tremble slightly as they begin to sweat. He ignores it, completely focused on you as you gently untie the white bow and open the box. You hold your breath, staring at the dagger in awe. "Steel from my home planet. Don't stab yourself with it by accident. When it pierces someone's body, a piece of the blade dissolves under the heat of the attacker's blood. A small dose of this metal in the human body causes, in the worst case, a moribund state and death. We call it the shadow killer because death occurs hours after the attack unless an antidote is administered."

"I... I don't know what to say." You whisper, taking out the blade and running your fingertips over it. He looks at you with pride. He made it all by himself. For you. A detail he would take with him to his grave rather than admit to anyone.

"You can thank me. Didn't the Bene Gesserit teach you this?" He asks teasingly, making you roll your eyes at him. However, you give him such a beautiful smile that his black, rotten heart beats faster, letting him know about you for the first time in years.

"Thank you, Feyd." He melts when you say his name. You used it so infrequently that he had every little moment seared into his memory when you let your professionalism slip through and did it. And he loved the way his name sounded on your lips. He couldn't help but imagine what it would sound like when you shouted it, under much more pleasant circumstances.

"You know, we Harkonnens kiss each other on the lips as an expression of gratitude." He says this as your eyes move back to the dagger. He sees you freeze at the memory of it. You blush slightly, but enough for Feyd to notice the slight change. And he absolutely loves seeing you blushing and confused.

"I'm not a Harkonnen." You respond with a cheeky smile, and he shakes his head in amusement.

"But you are on our planet. I guess you should follow our rules and customs, right? Besides, in a few years, you'll be considered one of us."

"If I survive."

"I think you have a good chance." He smiles at your banter. The pride in his chest grows even more when, instead of looking at his black teeth in horror, you giggle, unfazed. You were so different…

However, he freezes when you take a step towards him. You cup his cheeks in your hands and pull him in for a kiss. He almost moans into your mouth like a total slut. It takes all of his willpower not to kiss you back, not to pull you closer, and not to actually taste your lips. But he can't. He won't show that he is that weak for you. So he keeps this fake kiss very professional. He is digging his nails into his palms until they bleed, as he is too afraid that he will accidentally reach for your body and pull you closer to him.

You pull away from him as suddenly as you place your lips on him. And he's both shocked and angry that your lips left his so quickly. His eyes wander to your lips as you lick them. Feyd curses himself for how badly he wants that pink tongue of yours to wrap around his own... or the hardening manhood in his pants.

"Thank you, Na-Baron Feyd Rautha." You whisper and head towards the exit, leaving him there, completely horny and wanting more of you—your touch, your kisses, your lips, your taste, your everything. He feels himself blushing at the thought of what he wants to do to you.

"Your welcome, my little witch." He mumbles as you disappear back into your shadows. He puts his bloody fingertips on his lips, tasting his blood. He closes his eyes, imagining how sweet you must taste...

Yeah... Feyd couldn't love you. A lie he had told himself since that night every time he felt his heart pound in his chest whenever he saw you.

"Brother… I mean... my Baron…" Rabban's voice reaches him vaguely as he continues to recall that day. Now he knew the taste of your lips... and your more intimate parts. And damn him if he doesn't put his fingers and tongue on you again.

"What?" He growls at him furiously, unsheathing his dagger and attaching yours to his body. The blade of the dagger was a bit uneven. And soft in his hands. It must have been used recently. And from the dried blood on the handle, he guessed that someone had clumsily tried to clean it. Someone took you from him.

He returns to the bedroom and grabs your shawl from the floor. He puts it to his nose and inhales your scent. He calms down a little—not enough for his fury to disappear, but enough to start thinking logically.

He was going to turn Arrakis into a living hell.

"The council has met. All high families. They are waiting for you."

Feyd would ignore it and go straight to find you, but your disgruntled face appears before his eyes. He would know that you would advise him to go to the council and present himself as best as possible—show his strength. He sighed, wrapping your shawl around his wrist as he made a decision.

"I see. Let's go." He announces this as he leaves the room and doesn't wait for Rabban to follow him. His brother runs after him, cursing under his breath as he tries to keep up with his fast pace. Feyd had a plan in his head and a clear goal. He'll have you in his arms at the end of the day, or he'll burn this damn planet down looking for you.

"And your witch?" Feyd suddenly stops. He turns his head slowly and looks at his brother, narrowing his eyes at him.

He shakes his head, knowing full well that you would castrate his brother before allowing him and his men to take you away. Rabban was too stupid for that and too afraid of him. If Feyd had to bet on who did it, he would choose the Bene Gesserit or Atreides with his Fremen.

"She won't be there. Order our men to close the airspace and monitor movements in the desert. Tell them to keep an eye on the Reverend Mothers and the Bene Gesserit. If they object to or question my decision, order to tell them that the baron is only trying to keep them safe. They are to report their every move to me. Once you've done that, join the meeting."

"Me?" He asks in shock, following obediently after him.

"You are my brother. We have to show that we are strong and that there are no divisions between us. Especially after my uncle is dead. They may think we are weak targets and want to get rid of us, just like we did with the Atreides. We must assert our dominance."

Rabban nods, looking at him warily. Feyd doesn't care what he looks like. They took you away from him. He'll do anything to get you back. It doesn't matter if he makes you seem mad or a worse psychopath than he already is.

Why does he need a reputation as a bloodthirsty beast if someone dared to get their hands on what's his anyway? People sentenced themselves to death and then dared to say that he was unpredictable. Pathetic idiots. He hoped you were giving them hell. His heart ached uncomfortably at the thought of someone hurting you while he had to deal with the nobility.

"Let's be honest. Baron Vladimir is dead. Paul Atreides is still at large, probably planning our murder, and the Fremen are rampaging in the desert, worshipping the false prophet. What are you going to do about it, Baron Feyd Rautha?" Feyd clenched his fists under the table. He slowly stopped being surprised that his uncle had become such a man.

After talking to the emperor for a moment, he felt like cutting out his tongue and gouging out the eyes of other high families staring at him. As if his role was to play their hero...

"We have already taken the first measures. It only takes a few bombs to extinguish the spirit of these desert rats. As for Paul Atreides... my people are looking for him. And my right hand went missing the night my uncle died. We suspect this is a related case. I'm going to head out into the desert and join the search. Of course, leaving members of high families in the care of my brother and some of our people. No one will leave Arrakis until the traitors are killed."

His calm, unruffled demeanour, and silent threat caused a slight stir in the room. Feyd suppressed a smirk. He loved controlling the crowd this way. However, he knew that impressing the emperor would be more difficult. Words were not enough to prove that the Harkonnens were a force they should be afraid of. And so far, his brother and uncle have only brought humiliation to their family. He had to fix it. Only with you by his side. That's why he had to leave this pointless meeting as soon as possible and start taking some action. His weapon craved blood.

"It wouldn't be the first time a concubine had gone missing." Princess Irulan comments. Feyd shifts his gaze to her, analysing her carefully. She was paler than usual, her posture more indifferent, as if she were trying hard to hide her true emotions behind her mask. Feyd made a note to look at her more closely.

"Probably not, Princess Irulan. However, in light of recent events—the Atreides attack, the death of my dear uncle, and the increased activity of the Fremen—I am certain that this is not a mere disappearance. This is a deliberate action. Attack on noble houses. Attack on the Harkonnens. And maybe I wouldn't be so concerned about my right hand being missing if it weren't for the baby." After his words, silence fell in the room. Feyd delights in the shocked look from the princess and the nobles in the room.

"The baby?"

"My heir she carries." Feyd nods, repeating his words to the emperor.

Feyd could barely contain his smirk, knowing full well how much you would like to see the faces of representatives of great houses now. To say they were shocked was an understatement. But what else was he supposed to say? That he goes looking for you with a thousand of his troops because he loves you and simply can't lose you? Only the thought of losing his heir was... a good reason to search all of Arrakis and close the airspace—any possibility of leaving the planet.

Because who would stop Harkonnen from desperately searching for the woman who carries his heir? Even a fool wouldn't dare. And if the Bene Gesserit were behind your kidnapping, they wouldn't dare do anything to you either after hearing that... surprising information. After all, they needed his offspring for their plans. Why would they destroy one? Feyd just hoped to get to you first before anyone discovered that you weren't pregnant at all.

"You horny dog! Why didn't you say anything?" Rabban pats him on the back, laughing hoarsely. It breaks the awkward silence in the room. But still, everyone's eyes are on him.

"We preferred to wait with any celebration until we were sure that the baby was growing healthily. After all, this could be our Kwisatz Hederach. Of course, now the safe return of my fiancée with our child is much more important. Therefore, I hope that the Emperor will consent to whatever… measures I intend to take in this matter. Whoever dared to raise a hand against the Harkonnens will pay the weight of their crimes in blood." Feyd continues his lies, knowing full well that you will kick his ass when you find out he called you his fiancée in front of great houses.

"But… I talked to the Baron…"

"My uncle... has not been in good health for a long time. May he rest in peace. Whatever arrangement he made with you, the emperor, during my reign it must be discussed again. Unfortunately, he will not rise from the grave and give us all the details."

"Of course… Baron Feyd-Rautha." The Emperor nods at him. Feyd takes the opportunity and decides to leave the room while he can. He nods to his brother, who turns out to be intelligent enough to understand the message and stands up as well.

"Excellent. If you don't mind, we'll leave now."

He doesn't wait for an answer. He just goes out, with Rabban close behind him. He orders him to prepare the army for the march and place spies around the fortress. They split up halfway to Feyd's rooms. He goes to prepare for his departure, hoping that Rabban will cope with the tasks he has entrusted to him. He missed you. He knew he wouldn't have to worry about anything if you were by his side.

He sighs as he enters his chambers. He stops in his tracks, seeing Princess Irulan next to his collection of weapons. He closes the door behind him with a bang, announcing his presence. The woman trembles and turns towards him.

"Baron."

"Princess." He responds coldly, looking at her carefully. He didn't say anything more. He wanted her to explain her sudden presence in his chambers. He notices, however, that his new title sounds nasty coming from her mouth, no matter how seductively she tries to say it. He imagines you whispering it in his ear as you ride him on his new throne on Giedi Prime...

"I thought you were leaving." He returns to the present moment, making sure he remembers to fulfil this fantasy once you both get back from this damn planet.

"I needed to change first." He replies and clears his throat, suggesting that she should leave. Unfortunately, she either doesn't want to or doesn't understand his hint and stays where she is, watching him carefully.

He feels like he's playing chess. One wrong move, and he loses a pawn. He hated this game until you started playing with him in the evenings, when you exchanged gossip from the court and your own comments. He doesn't remember how many times you fell asleep and he carried you to his bed. His harpies hated these evenings, and he too hated them at the beginning. Over time, he was just waiting for that moment when he was able to watch you snuggle into his pillow, sleeping peacefully.

"I… that's good. I was hoping to talk to you before you left."

"Talk then." He says this and starts taking off his clothes. He notices her blush and the way she looks away. But there's nothing sweet or funny about this gesture, unlike the way you do it. He changes into his usual tactical battle armour as fast as he can, still thinking about the way you used to even shout at him when he was going fully naked around you.

"I was shocked by this news. About the baby. And your fiancée."

"Why?"

"Well, you know very well, my lord, that the Bene Gesserit has planned to unite our families. This shouldn't have happened." He furrows his hairless eyebrows, feeling the anger start to boil within him again. How dare she tell him what he should do? Who should get pregnant, and who should not? He didn't care what the Bene Gesserit wanted. Feyd wanted you, and you probably wanted him. That was all that mattered.

"Would you rather be at my fiancée's place? Would you rather carry my baby instead of her?" He asks dangerously, approaching her slowly. Before she can react, he lunges forward and almost crushes her neck in his grip when he prevents her from using the voice. "You are trembling with fear, princess. It is pathetic that the Bene Gesserit even thought we could connect in any way. Even if we got married, I wouldn't lay a finger on you. At best, I would kill you right after I consolidated my power as emperor. Now that we both know where we stand... Tell me, where is my little witch?"

"The Reverend Mother sent her to Paul Atreides' hideout." She answers him obediently. Feyd smirks sadistically and maliciously as her eyes widen in shock when she realises he has used the voice on her. "How?" She managed to ask before Feyd tightened his grip on her throat again, giving her a bored look.

"With one of your witches by my side, do you think I won't do anything to learn your tricks? I'm not an idiot to let an opportunity like this pass me by. You think that I didn't also see you wince with every move at the meeting? This must have happened right after my fiancée stabbed you when you kidnapped her, right? The poison took effect, didn't it? Are you feeling weak? Do you feel how you slowly lose your vitality with each breath? It will get even worse. Maybe my fiancée will have the mercy to give you the antidote, but I have no intention of doing so. Now listen to me carefully. You won't say or write even a word to inform anyone about what happened. You will lock yourself in your room and endure the effects of the poison without complaining to anyone that something is wrong with you. Get out of my sight before I finish my beloved's work."

He throws her away like a rag doll, feeling defiled just by touching her neck. The only reason he kept her alive was because she was the emperor's daughter, and he couldn't afford to get rid of her YET. She runs away from him as soon as his grip on her neck is gone.

He smiles mockingly and leaves his chambers as well. Now that he knew you would be in the desert, he was going to dig up those damn sand folds and kill all the Fremen and Bene Gesserit who had a hand in your kidnapping.

And once you are by his side again, he will give you the heads of the princess, Corrino's Reverend Mother, and Atreides on a golden platter—an engagement present worthy of a real baroness. Well, he'll have to convince you to marry him first. He sighs, realising how much work is still ahead of him.

You wake up feeling numb. Entirely. There's a gag in your mouth, your hands are tied behind your back, and your ankles are cuffed together, completely preventing you from moving.

You look around your surroundings, realising that you are in one of the Fremen hideouts. A small room carved into the sandy rock resembles a prison cell. You gasp as you try to get off the floor. With a groan, you lean against the cold wall behind you as you somehow manage to sit up. You wonder how the hell you ended up here. And how can you escape when you are completely incapacitated?

Suddenly, the door to the room opens, and Corrino's Reverend Mother enters. You look at the woman with a calculating gaze, showing no emotion other than disgust.

"Y/N Y/L/N. We thought you were dead."

You roll your eyes at her. The old hag knew perfectly well that you had a gag. The fact that she expected any response from you was ridiculous.

"You betrayed your sisters. We should have killed you the moment you were recognised by one of us. You're lucky we're still keeping you alive."

You would snort if you didn't have a gag in your mouth. The Bene Gesserit knew no mercy; if they kept you alive, it was because they still needed you in their plans. After all, you were the strongest of them, which might not be visible now, but it was the truth. They didn't train you all your life and shape you into their ideal form of some sick Holly Mother, just to throw you away now.

You are tensing as the old woman walks up to you and painfully grabs your jaw. You glare at her furiously with your own, not showing an ounce of fear or remorse. What you wouldn't give to have at least a butter knife with you…

"Do you think you are smart, child? That you managed to escape fate? Not at all. Our visions may have been blurry, but now we see everything. Paul Atreides sees everything. After his plan succeeds, he becomes emperor, and you will become his concubine and the mother of the Kwisatz Hederach. Until then, we will keep you under control."

"Who allowed you to come in here?" A cold, commanding voice echoes throughout the small cell. The Reverend Mother steps away from you as if she's been burned by him, giving you the opportunity to look at Paul Atreides as she steps inside. You shiver as his cold gaze falls on you, but you show them nothing but disgust and anger. If you're going to die, at least you will make sure that before you do that, you'll be remembered by them as one big pain in the ass.

"I..."

"Silience!" Atreides yells at her as she feebly tries to explain herself to him. You frown, wondering how the hell he gained such power over the Bene Gesserit. "Leave us alone."

The woman nods obediently and leaves, closing the bars to your cell behind her. You shift your gaze to Atreides, examining him carefully. He was… more portly than you remembered him last time. He became stronger, tougher, and visibly hardened by the sands of Arrakis, since his posture was stiff as armour. You catch yourself thinking that if he stood in the arena in Giedi Prime, he would still lose to your na-baron.

"I am not here to hurt you, Y/N." Atreides says, walking over to you. He crouches down so that you are both at the same height. You look closely at the features of his face, analysing them carefully, trying to read what's behind the strange behaviour of the mysterious Fremen's prophet. "We both have our roles to play here. Something that is above us. I learned a lot about you.I know about your service to the Harkonnens, what you endured as a Bene Gesserit, and every darkest part of your past. And I know you are a wise and very strong woman. You probably understand why all this is so important and why we must fulfil the prophecy and take our places in this story." He says, removing your gag. You clear your throat as he finishes his speech, and, trying to hide your concern, you growl, your voice so hoarse and dripping with madness that Feyd would surely be proud of you:

"You are a mad freak. Feyd will kill you as soon as he finds you. And hell knows, he will come for me. It will be pure joy to fight him for the privilege of being the one who impales your head." Atreides gives you a small smile. He shakes his head, amused by what you're saying. He stands up, helping you to stand on your two feet as well, placing his hands on your waist respectfully, and touching you as little as necessary.

"Come with me. Let me show you something." He says this in an extremely calm voice as he removes the chain from around your ankles. You briefly consider kicking him and trying to escape, but you realise there's not much you can do with your hands tied. You are also still weak—too weak to maintain control over someone else for long with the voice. "Do not be afraid. I told you. I have no reason to hurt you." He encourages, concluding that your hesitation is out of fear and not a desire to attack him.

"I lived for years among the Harkonnens. I'm not afraid of anything except myself."

He gives you an ironic smirk, as if he were convinced that he was an evil worse than the Harkonnens. You don't care about his poor attempts to intimidate you. You weren't some desert rat to be terrified of a man with nice curls and eyes.

You walk through a series of corridors, and of course he leads you, holding your arm tightly and making sure you don't do anything stupid on this little trip around his kingdom. It brings you great satisfaction. Your reputation had obviously taken its toll if he continued to be vigilant around you while you were still half sedated and tied up without any weapons.

You smile sadistically at the Fremen you pass. They look away from you, too afraid to meet your gaze. You were known among them as the Na-Baron's bloodthirsty right-hand, whose cruelty rivalled that of many Harkonnens.

You and Atreides go deeper down. You slowly start to feel dizzy from the number of corridors, corners, and stairs he tells you to take, but eventually you reach a more spacious room. You sigh, feeling the humid air—a sweet change from the dry Arrakis wind. Atreides takes the torch and leads you deeper into the room. You gasp as you see a large pool full of water.

"The Fremen treat water as something sacred. They collect it from the bodies of their people; the water of the more deserving people goes to such pools."

"This is a waste. And stupid, considering that they are dying from a lack of water while having pools of it safely hidden from the Harkonnens." You notice, staring at the pool of water. You tense as you feel Paul's searching gaze on you. You turn your head and give him an intimidating look. He doesn't even flinch. He is unfazed as he continues to analyse you—something you don't like at all. You wish Feyd was here. He would gouge Atreides' eyes out the first time his gaze lingered on you for a second too long.

"Possible. But it's not the first time we waste something in the name of faith, right?"

"Faith befuddles and stupefies. Same as prophecies. We are responsible for our own fate. It doesn't matter what some crazy old man wrote in the books a hundred years ago, probably under the influence of drugs or other alcohol. No one influences our future except ourselves."

His silence at your words worries you. You turn your head to look at him. A small smirk spreads across his face—a sign that your words didn't outrage him as much as they were supposed to. He nods, agreeing with your words, and you realise what he really means. The son of a bitch was testing you. Logical, considering that he was the one who started the cult of him. He thought like you. He did not believe in any Kwisatz Hederach, and even if he did, he considered himself one. He just needed you to keep the propaganda and people's faith in him.

He wanted to show that he had tamed the Harkonnen's witch.

Atreides walks over to you and carefully places a hand on your shoulder, directing you to a different side of the room. You pass by a pool of water. In the centre, there is a large stone bowl on a platform.

"The Reverend Mothers call it the mirror of wisdom. It shows us our future if we continue on the path we are currently on. Look. See what awaits you with your crazy beast by your side."

"It's very brave of you to think that I'm not one." He chuckled at your words. He lets go of you and takes two steps back, keeping his amused, curious gaze on you.

"The Harkonnens are different from us. You may think you are one of them, that you have absorbed their ways and behaviours, but the truth is that you are not one of them at all. You may have adapted to survive among them, but can you look me in the eyes and tell me you don't long for something more... normal?"

"Normality is for the weak." You reply, huffing furiously. "Apart from that, my life has always been different from normal. This is my normality, Atreides."

"Even the bravest warrior needs a break, a moment of respite. Look. Aren't you curious?"

You were very damn curious. Especially after that strange dream/vision you had. So, without saying a word, you approach the bowl of water. You take a breath and dive your head into it, letting the images flood your mind.

This time you are not on Giedi Prime, and you are not a participant in the events. From a distance, you watch the older version of yourself adjust the crown on her head. Empress's crown.

You see yourself flinching in the mirror as the door to your chamber bursts open. Feyd, dressed as an emperor, walks in furiously, heading straight for you. He pushes the large mirror, smashing it against the wall with a roar.

However, you don't care about his sudden attack and watch him, unfazed, as he gasps with rage.

"Is something wrong, honey?" You ask in an almost too-sweet tone, mocking him.

"Do you have the nerve to ask me that? Why don't you tell me where my concubine is instead? Where did you send her? You gave the corpses to the harpies to eat? If any harm has come to her, I will make you eat all three of them before I tear out your cunning heart from your chest, witch."

"You'd have to touch me first. And we both know that lately you're more afraid of laying a finger on me than of our son dethroning you. Which is very surprising, by the way. Has that concubine of yours brainwashed you so much?" You see yourself smiling mockingly as you watch his anger grow with every word you say.

"Don't talk about her like that. Unlike you, she's not a cold, uncaring, selfish bitch."

"Of course not. A smart woman wouldn't willingly sleep with you." This completely breaks the remnants of his composure. He walks over to the older version of you and wraps his hand around her neck, pressing her against the wall.

But he doesn't do it the same way he does with you. It's not a gentle neck hold, a warning, or anything sexual—something that would turn you both on. He just cuts you off, choking you, watching with sick satisfaction as you squirm, trying to get out of his grasp.

"What's stopping me from ending your miserable life? You have already given me a son; your usefulness has long passed, and yet I still let you breathe the same air as me." He says this, tightening his grip on your neck. You gasp as he pushes you away.

From the way you fall to the floor and choke for air, you assume that the older version of you was only seconds away from suffocating. But you don't surrender to him; you don't give him any satisfaction in trying to intimidate you. You start laughing derisively, shaking your head in amusement as you slowly get up from the floor.

"Aw... you couldn't kill me. You're like a dog. You bark and do little. You love me too much to kill me, don't you remember? How did you beg me all those years ago for a piece of my feelings? Who said I love you first? Who was begging on his knees for my hand? Who wanted to have a child? You. You are just a desperate little boy looking for love and affection. You probably even liked the fact that I'm jealous of you and kill your lover? Unfortunately, I don't give a shit who you fuck. I didn't steal your whore, so get out and don't waste my time, husband." You mock him, waiting expectantly for his next move.

He stares at you with pure hatred and resentment. You feel the tension in the room begin to build; the immense anger and disgust between the two of you are palpable. You have no fucking idea how you came to be so hostile towards each other, but... you can't say you're surprised. Because if you were already imagining a future with Feyd... this was the scenario that came to your mind most often.

The two of you were too broken to trust each other and entrust each other with the remnants of the heart that beat and remained within you.

Feyd looks like he wants to say something. But he gives up and instead just leaves the room, slamming the door behind him.

You swallow, observing your pathetic fate. The empress locked in a golden palace. At eternal war with everyone. Lonely. Your heart aches at the thought of this being your fate. This is what you were running from. Before relegating you solely to the vessel she was to carry and give to the world, Kwisatz Hederach, Because what would be the use of you then? You would be rejected and alone. Waiting to die. However, you didn't expect your end to look like THIS.

A figure emerges from the darkness of the room through a hidden passage—a man who is a copy of you and Feyd. You see a similarity in him, in your movements, in your creeping through the shadows. He approaches you from behind, holding a dagger similar to the one Feyd gave you on your birthday. You don't react when you feel steel around your neck, as if you had long ago come to terms with how you would die—and by whose hands.

"You were right, mother… I was destined to achieve much more."

And with that, he cuts your throat. Crimson blood runs down your dress, almost invisible against the black material. You die quickly. Quietly. Like a rat...

"Have you seen something interesting?" Atreides' voice reaches you as you step away from the bowl after the vision ends. You sigh heavily, breathing heavily. Drops of water roll down your face and soak into your linen shirt.

"Screw you." You snap at him, trying to wipe your face on the frame. He tears off a piece of his shavl and walks over to you. He wipes the water from your face and hair, not caring about the scowl you throw at him in warning.

"I told you. The future with Harkonnen cannot end well. But if you stay with me, I promise nothing will happen to you. You can be more free with me than you ever could with him."

And you're tempted as hell to accept his offer. You can't say you're not interested at all, that what you saw hasn't made you question your choices... but you've been a Harkonnen for so many years. Could you really forget all this so easily? Forget about Feyd? Maybe in that stupid Bene Gesserit's bowl you saw your tragic end at his side... but did it really have to end like this? You could avoid all this. Take a risk to gain something much better...

"So this is your offer? Freedom and security for lending my uterus for 9 months?" You ask him, wanting to know exactly what options and choices you have.

"In very simple terms, yes." He nods, still staring at you. You find this very irritating of him; you were usually the one who pierced other people with your gaze. Not the other way around.

"What for? You're telling these fools that you're their saviour and the messiah. Kwisatz Hederach, ahead of his time. Why do you need me?"

"I need the support of the Reverend Mothers of other families. I may have... your powers and be the strongest of them all, but I've learned that if you can gain someone's support in a peaceful way, it's better to try it before reaching for a weapon."

Atreides stared at you like you were a puzzle to solve. You didn't like the hidden arrogance in his eyes—the belief that he was truly capable of discovering all your secrets.

Maybe he knew your past, and maybe he saw visions of the future, possible scenarios of what might have happened after his decisions, but the present was yours. And only yours. You will be more than happy to show him that no one could tear out all your fangs and claws.

"Feyd will kill you sooner and bind me with tighter chains than you did, than he ever allowed such a turn of events." You say confidently, convinced that he won't just leave you. In this situation, it's a huge relief for you... but in your head, you can still see his sadistic smirk as he choked you against the wall.

"Not if I kill him." You tense up at his words, and your heart starts to beat faster as you process his words. You would never think that Feyd Rautha could ever die—not by another person's hand, of course. And certainly not Atreides.

He fought too well, was too intelligent and cunning to fail in battle, and yet... you couldn't deny that that one simple sentence Paul said with such confidence didn't send a cold shiver of fear down your spine or that you felt no threat.

"Have you ever seen him in the arena? Or how does he fight? You may have become stronger thanks to your time on Arrakis, but he was trained from childhood to be a small, psychopathic killer and ruthless warrior. You don't stand a chance, Atreides. You won't last a minute fighting him."

"Maybe not in an equal fight. But by trick? More than one great king fell under the intrigue of a lesser man."

"Are you talking about your father or maybe even your mother?" You ask mockingly, making his jaw tense and his hands clench into fists. You are very pleased with yourself that you finally managed to hit his sweet spot. Feyd would be proud of you.

"I'm talking about what will happen. Feyd Rautha will die. From my hands." The more he talks about it, the more your anger grows. However, you decide to stay calm and continue the little exchange between the two of you, trying to get something useful from him.

"Are you that sure about your visions? You don't hesitate for a moment, Atreides? It must be so boring knowing what's going to happen. Never having any element of surprise…"

"There are no more certain and clear visions than mine. Maybe you should also start believing in them?"

"Not as long as I have my brain." And my own visions. You add it in your mind, thinking about what you had dreamed about before you woke up in this hole.

"The rumors about you don't lie… Harkonnen's witch." He hums as he walks over to you. His hand reaches up to your cheek, using the pad of his thumb to gently wipe your cheek clean of the drop of water still left on it.

You shiver, staring into his eyes. His touch burns, but not in a nice, familiar way. And when you realise that the reason you're not attracted to him is because he doesn't have the familiar ice-blue irises, pale skin, and bald head, it scares you more than Atreides' sudden proximity to you.

"I'm glad I didn't disappoint you, Atreides." You whisper, moving away from him. You quickly lean in, wanting to bite, or preferably bite off, his finger that was caressing your skin, but he withdraws his hand and takes a step away from you. He laughs at your feeble attempt to harm him.

He opens his mouth to say something, but then the ground around you starts shaking. The sand rock crumbles, causing some of it to fall from the ceiling onto the ground. Atreides looks at you suspiciously.

"Didn't you see it in your visions? Maybe there's a sandworm crawling through your halls?" You ask mockingly, shrugging your shoulders.

"Stay here." He commands you using the voice. He doesn't spare you a second glance, simply heading for the exit. You look at him in disbelief and quickly follow him. The last thing you want is to get buried in one of these rats' corridors because one of them summoned a sandworm in the wrong way.

"I could be of much more use to you there than here." You say, as you are catching up with him, desperately trying to convince him.

"Not if these are Harkonnens!" He replies without looking back and slamming the door shut. You kick them in rage, looking around angrily at the large hall where he left you.

"That's the point…" You sigh, fed up with it all. You walk around the room, trying to find a way out, but even when you manage to find the side passages, you can't take a step beyond the threshold. You are forced to stay inside. "Fucking Atreides."

Instead of wandering aimlessly around the room, you decide to try and break the shackles that bind your hands. You try to smash them against the stalagmite, only to hit harder as the metal cuts into your wrists. After a while, when you have released all your anger, you somehow manage to free your hands. You rub your wrists, letting your blood soak into the sleeve of your linen shirt. You close your eyes and listen to the quiet sound of the water and the footsteps you hear from the upper floors. Something is happening...

Frustrated, you wander over to the pool filled with water. You crouch on the edge and dip your toes in the water. You watch the drops fall, wondering how many people have already given their lives. How many died at the hands of the Harkonnens? You wonder whether your water and blood will also join the ranks of their victims. It seems surreal to you now that Feyd could ever kill you or your own son... but how were you supposed to know what your future was supposed to be? Were you supposed to trust some strange visions or yourself?

While playing with water, you freeze when you suddenly see someone leaning over you. Before you can turn around, a hand covers your mouth, and another wraps around your waist, lifting you up. You scream and kick, trying to get out of someone's tight grip, but your attempts to break free are futile. You freeze when you hear a familiar, raspy voice whisper in your ear.

"Don't worry, it's me. It's just me. Shhh… You're safe. It's me." You relax a little in his arms. You reach your hand up to his and remove it from your mouth. He loosens his grip enough for you to turn in his arms.

"Feyd." You sigh when you see his face. You throw your arms around him and nuzzle your face into his neck. You rest your chin on his shoulder and breathe in his scent as you hold onto him tightly.

You hear him breathe a sigh of relief as well. He places a kiss on the top of your head and hugs you tighter. After a moment, he pulls away from you—not too far away, only a bit—so he can look at your face and see if you have any injuries.

"You're getting out of here. Our men are hidden in every corridor of this hole. Take a few of them and go to the exit. They will take you to the ship. Wait for me there." He gently cups your cheeks in his hands and forces you to look into his eyes. Your heart beats faster as you recognise that concerned look in his eyes from your dream, mixed with anger. "Y/N. I mean it. I know you want to fight; you're brave and a great warrior, but do it for me and just go to that damn ship."

"No. Wait, listen to me. I have to tell you something..."

"You'll tell me you love me later, now you have to get out of here, so I can destroy this place." He interrupts you, gently pushing you towards the exit. You feel anger and frustration building within you as yet another person tries to control you and tell you what to do. No matter how sweet and protective Feyd is acting now, you are fed up with constantly obeying everyone around you.

"Stop!" You shout at him, making him stop in his tracks in shock. Under any other circumstances, you would laugh at the surprised look he gives you, but not now. "Do you trust me?" You ask, looking at him expectantly. You know you're asking a lot of him right now, but if you're going to change your future, you have to act now. And fast. Very fast.

"Y/N this isn't the best…"

"Do you trust me?!" You interrupt him, raising your voice. He must see the desperation and seriousness in your eyes because you see him swallow, considering the question you've asked him. You unconsciously hold your breath, waiting for him to respond.

You both know this isn't an ordinary question. It means something more. Admitting something you both had been avoiding since the first day your blades met in a little skirmish that earned you his sympathy. He had long admired you for your mind, intelligence, ingenuity, cunning, and natural charm. But could he trust you completely?

"I… I do. If I trust anyone, it's you. Only you."

You feel tears welling up in your eyes. You take a step towards him, cupping his cheek in your hand and kissing him. He tenses in surprise but kisses you back pretty quickly, moaning into your mouth as you express all the passion and desire you feel for him. He wraps his arms around your waist and pulls you closer to him, wanting to feel your body against his to make sure this isn't some dream. You caress the skin of his neck, shuddering as an electric shiver runs through you as he deepens the kiss, taking everything you have to offer him.

Kissing Feyd always felt like it was the first kiss between the two of you. He kissed like he fought—with his whole being, not holding back, transmitting all his passion and desire. He didn't even know how much you needed to taste all of him right now. And how bittersweet that kiss was for you.

You reluctantly pull away from him and press your forehead against his. You close your eyes, letting out a shaky breath.

"I love you, Feyd. I have always loved you. And I was very afraid of it, but I'm not anymore... I... I don't want to be scared of this anymore." You admit it as a single tear falls from your eyes. He reaches to wipe it off, but you shake your head. His hand freezes, hanging between you as he stares at you in shock, trying to process what you said.

Just as he's about to open his mouth, probably to tell you the same thing, you lean in and kiss him again. Slower, more gentle. A few tears escape you, allowing you both to taste them through the kiss.

You reach for the sword attached to his waist with trembling hands.

"I'm so sorry. But it's not our time yet." You whisper, moving away from him just as Paul Atreides returns to the room. He slowly walks towards you, his sword dripping with black Harkonnen blood. And you decide that if anyone spills blood in this room, it will be you. It must be you.

So when Paul is about to approach you and stab Feyd in the back, you close your eyes and stab Feyd with his sword. You hear him let out a shaky breath as his black blood slowly seeps from the wound, staining your hands. You keep your other hand on his shoulder, supporting his weight as he slowly sinks to his knees in front of you. You try to ignore him, not look at him or in his eyes... you simply cannot. Instead, you stare at Atreides.

Paul is beyond shocked by your actions. He looks for a moment at Feyd's black sword, the tip sticking out of his back—proof of what you did. After a moment, his eyes meet yours. After a while, he approaches you, sheathes his sword, and smiles proudly.

"This will be the beginning of a wonderful alliance, Lady Y/N." He says this, offering you his hand, which you reach for. You shake them, glaring at each other, assessing each other's behaviour as a new agreement forms between you.

You smile, hiding your fear as best as you can and holding back tears when you see Feyd's unconscious body out of the corner of your eye. But you've come too far to change your mind. From now on, you decide your fate.

Only you.

To be continued...

Taglist: (I REALLLLY hope that everyone who wanted to be here is here...😅 I;m sorry if I missed someone <3) @skymoonandstardust @prettybubblesintheair @thegabbyh @himesuedi @wo-ming-bai @beebeechaos @mamawiggers1980 @moonsoulk @avidreader73 @heartarianagran @dreamlandcreations @ancientbeing10 @lovereadingfanfic @jeansjoie @workof-a-rr-t @aixicl @ladyredstar1991 @evangelineimagine @hobobobo-fett56 @happyant3 @marsflys @aaaaaamond @kamcrazy123 @k1swass @yum-yahgurt @tyns13 @oh-you-mean-me @menari @tyns13 @vaf24 @dacreshoney @emrennoll-blog @tian-monique @slightlypossessed @celestialadrift @lauramooij05 @flaps200 @chixnugg22 @aaaaaamond @marvelfangirl04 @sw33tsnow @emeraldsgirl @imyourbubblegumpop @tempt-ress @harkonnin @k1swass @alana4610 @cloudroomblog @lotus-888 @lowlyloved @spoolsofgreenspoolsofblack @w3ird11 @kythefangirl25 @hobobobo-fett56 @nj452896 @oneandonlybbygrl @noirecatt @iloved1lfs0 @mamawiggers1980 @lololfixu @barnes70stark @obsessedvibee @aaaaaamond @workof-a-rr-t

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dragon-kazansky · 3 months ago

Text

The song in our hearts

Lestat De Lioncourt x Female Reader

A musician with a heart that sings and an admirer who wishes to see his songbird thrive. Two beings in different worlds get caught up in each other when someone threatens to steal his songbird's spotlight. Loving Lestat isn't simple, and your life will never be the same again. What is eternity without chaos?

{Masterlist}

{Previous Chapter} - {Next Chapter}

Prepare to meet my plot device lol

Chapter Three - Third wheel

You're sitting at your piano in the empty theater mindlessly playing notes. The melody is new, something no one had ever heard before. You had taken the opportunity of no one being here to come to your familiar friend and play the tune in your heart.

You were so lost in the melody that you hadn't heard the door open and close. Nor did you hear the footsteps coming down the aisle of chairs.

The call of your name as your music ending shortly, unfinished. You sigh and look up to see the manager of the theater waiting for your attention.

“Yes?”

“I hadn't heard that one before,” he says, smiling at you.

You sigh again. “Of course not. It's new. That's not why you came in here is it?” You ask.

He laughs. “No. It isn't. I want to introduce you to someone.”

You can feel yourself wanting to groan. He knew how much you hated actually talking to people, but you wanted to keep him happy. He was, after all, your only chance to perform.

You stand from the piano and hop down from the stage. Jack, the manager, rolls his eyes at you. He often tells you off for doing that during rehearsals.

You now take notice of the man behind Jack. He's about your age, sandy brown hair, green eyes. You look from him to Jack.

“This is Noah. He's a singer.” Jack states.

You nod and look between them both wondering why he wanted you to meet this man. Plenty of people come and go from this theater, you don't usually meet them all personally.

“Noah has a request and I think it's a fabulous idea,” Jack goes on. “How would you feel about playing for him while he sings? You could be a duo!”

You stare at Jack. Noah is smiling softly from behind him. He takes a step forward and you turn your attention to him.

“I adore your talent. I have seen you perform several times and every time I hear you play I feel like all my worries melt away. I want you to play while I sing. I think we could go quite far together, perhaps even be good enough to see the world.”

Those were some strong words.

“I play solo,” you say.

“Hey now, give him a chance,” Jack says. “Look, you're our best performer here. Most of our audience come to see you play your piano. I think it's time to switch things up and try something new.”

“I don't want to try something new. I want to do what makes me happy,” you tell him.

He says your name with a smile, but you don't hang about to listen. You flee the theater and seek refuge in your dressing room.

You're alone in your dressing room for a good few minutes before you hear a knock on your door. You expect it to be Amelie perhaps seeing if you're in here, but usually she just comes in. You don't say anything for a while, preferring to stay alone if it isn't her. However, the door opens and someone comes in. You turn and find yourself face to face with Noah.

You frown.

“I'm sorry, but I couldn't leave knowing I'd offended you. Please just hear me out.”

You sigh softly and turn around in your stool. Noah takes a seat on the table behind him. “I know music is your passion. I've seen you perform many times. To be able to sing while you play… that would be a dream.”

“I play solo.”

“I know… you said that. I just… I think we could be good together. Imagine what magic we could create together. How many people would come to see us?” He smiles wide, excited by the thought.

It is clear popularity is important to him.

“I don't care. Music is all I care about.” And making Lestat happy with your music, of course. After that evening with him, he has been on your mind a lot.

“You can still play your music, just allow me to sing over it. Let me voice meld with your melody.” He speaks sweetly. Almost too sweetly.

“No.”

Noah sighs and then nods. “I understand. I'm sorry I disturbed you.”

Noah takes his leave. You sigh and slump down at your dressing table.

That following Friday you're waiting to get onto the stage to play your beloved piano, especially knowing Lestat would be watching. Perhaps he would permit you to go to his house again to play a duet with him. You certainly hoped so.

While waiting for your name to be called Noah comes up beside you. He adjusts his cufflinks mindlessly in the corner of your eye. You do not spare him a glance, keeping your eyes focused on your favorite instrument ahead of you.

“Good luck tonight,” he says.

You didn't need luck. You just needed your music.

“I'm sure you'll amaze the crowd tonight.”

You once again don't respond to him. Noah chuckles. You hear your name being called and you take a deep breath before walking out onto the stage.

Upon reaching the piano you turn to the crowd, but you're not really looking at them. You're only looking for one face. You spot him up in the boxes. You smile softly when your eyes land on him. He must notice your smile because he smiles too. Knowing Lestat was there was a comfort to you.

Lestat appreciated your music. He understood it. He understood you.

You take a seat at the bench and take another deep breath. Your fingers hover the keys. You imagine for just a moment that Lestat is beside you on the bench. You think about that night in his house when you made music together and how happy you felt in that moment.

Lestat knows.

You begin to play, a smile on your face. You're so ready to give a performance to be proud of, to make this a night to remember, not only for yourself, but for your admirer too. You wanted Lestat to enjoy your gift.

However, this would be a night to remember for all the wrong reasons. As you get into it, you're interrupted by a deep voice singing behind you. Not once missing a note you glance behind you to see Noah enter the stage. He walks to the center and sings with all his might. You stare at him with pure confusion. You did not agree to this.

Catching Jack’s eye off to the left side of the stage you can see him shaking his head at you. He doesn't look the least bit sorry. You turn your eyes back to the piano and try and focus on the music. However, that attention grabbing voice is making it difficult for you to enjoy your music.

Noah was owning the stage. People weren't listening to your music any more. They all had their eyes on Noah. Now, a crowd watching you wasn't your desire, but it was the thought that they were paying mkre attention to him than your magic that irritated you.

When you finished the piece you expected him to leave, but he didn't. He accepted the applause and then looked at you, urging you to keep on playing.

You stared at him with a frown.

“Play,” he says quietly.

You grit your teeth and begin playing the next piece. He smiled back at the crowd and then began to sing. For the next half house he sang though every piece of magic you played. He had taken your moment for his own and you hated it.

Up in his box, Lestat glared at the man. He gripped his arm rest so hard it began to splinter. Who was this fool who dared take away from your beautiful melody?

Lestat could read your thoughts. This was not something you wanted. You were upset that this man had taken it upon himself to perform with you without your consent.

That would not do.

The half hour of your performance felt so much longer to Lestat. He was eager to leave his box and go down to your dressing room, however, you were still playing and he didn't want to miss a moment to lay his eyes upon you, no matter how grating that voice was. Could this even be considered singing?

As soon as the show was over Lestat left his box quickly.

You hurried down to your dressing room as soon as you were free from the stage. You began to pace around the space of the room quickly. Amelie was first to enter. She was quickly to start chatting.

“I had no idea he was going to do that. I know you said no to his request, so I knew you had no intention of that happening. I am so sorry I didn't stop him, but it was too late. When I realised what he was doing I couldn't stop him, not without making a scene.”

You don't reply, just continue pacing.

The next one to enter is Noah, followed by Jack. You glare at Jack. “What was that?”

“That was me showing you how good we could be together,” Noah says.

“I wasn't asking you!” You glare at him and turn back to Jack. “I play solo.”

“I know, but surely it wasn't so bad to give it a chance.”

“You humiliated me!”

“You two work so well together,” Jack argues.

“No. No we don't.”

Jack calla your name softly, but it's Noah who speaks up. “Look, sweetheart, do you have any idea how adored we were? We had then on the edge of their seat.”

“They were on the edge of their seat because they were straining to hear the piano!” You bite back.

Noah laughs.

Amelie steps forward and rubs your arms with comfort. You lean into her embrace and let her soothe you.

“We could go global,” Noah comments.

“No. No, I refuse to let you spoil my moment. It's my music.”

“Look, that was the most popular you had been since you started performing here,” Jack tells you. “You need to let Noah worl with you. Surely you don't want to be stuck here all your life.”

“I like it here…”

Silence fills the room as they all look at you. Amelie is still trying to comfort you. Noah and Jack are staring you down. They want you to cave in.

There's a knock at your door and then a familiar voice. “If I may interrupt.”

You feel relief when you see Lestat slink into the room. He instantly makes his way over to you, pushing past Noah to reach you. You smile as he comes over. Lestat stands in front of you and uses his finger to tilt your chin up. He smiles.

“Are you alright?” He asks.

You nod your head slightly.

Lestat smiles and drops his hand. He joins you at your side. Amelie is shocked to see him here but doesn't say anything. You feel Lestat place his hand on your lower back.

“Who are you?” Jack asks.

“Ah, I apologise.” Lestat grins. “Lestat De Lioncourt. The sponsor for this pure talent in the room.”

“I've never met you,” Noah says, looking him up and down with a deep frown.

“I said for the talent,” Lestat retorts. He then turns to you with a smile. “Shall we go, mon chéri?”

You simply nod your head which makes him smile. Just as you're both about to make your exit, Noah steps forward. “I'm sorry, but who are you? Where are you going?”

“I don't think that's your business. Come, dear, let us go.” Lestat guides you out of the room.

As you leave the theater he puts his coat over your shoulders and walks with you down the street. There's silence between you for a little while, but then Lestat breaks it.

“Who was that man?”

“I don't really know. Jack, the manager, introduced him to me earlier in the week. He's called Noah. Claims he's a fan of my music and wants to sing to it. I tried to tell Jack I play solo… but Noah took it upon himself to join the performance tonight.”

Lestat looks displeased.

“Are you alright?” You ask softly.

He turns to you and smiles. “Yes. Do not fret. I shall not let that man take away your sparkle.”

“You told Jack you were my sponsor. I don't have a sponsor.”

He grins again. “You do now.”

You look at him in wonder. “Why?”

He chuckles. “Is it not obvious?” You shake your head. He chuckles again. “I want you to bloom.”

A warmth floods your chest as the thought that this man you have only known a short while cared so much about your passion. The smile on his face almost made you believe he knew just how happy hearing those words had made you.

“Thank you.”

“There is no need to thank me,” he tells you. “This is my gift to you.”

Lestat walked you home and did not leave until he was certain you were safe inside. Even then, he took his time heading back. He was not about to let some pathetic human man ruin your beauty.

@awanderingghost @theprettiesthead @cosmixstar @theblueslytherin @katherine2098 @sawendel @floofdeloop @sitkafay @bigbaddie45 @bluscryn

@secretisme4

#the song in our hearts #lestat de lioncourt #lestat de lioncourt x reader #interview with the vampire #iwtv #dragon's work

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weneeya · 6 months ago

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eyes on me w/ atsumu m.list | rules

note. i've never wrote with atsumu before and it's really a shame so i'm here to put an end to this

You were working at Onigiri Miya for a few months already. Osamu started to really need some help and you were the perfect candidate ; no wonder why he accepted you so quickly. Obviously, working with Osamu Miya meant one thing ; you had to learn how to work with his twin who was almost living in the restaurant at some point. Before a match, after a match, during his free time ; Atsumu was always here.

What you didn’t know was that he was coming here even more frequently since you started to work here. Of course he was coming for Osamu too, but he wouldn’t come so often only for his brother. You were the real reason, and your coworker clearly understood it.

Atsumu had an important match the next day and, as you were his lucky charm, it was logical for him to come here to see you. But when he entered, a frown almost immediately appeared on his face. You were here, obviously, but he didn’t like what he saw.

Not only were you talking with Osamu but you were laughing, and the brightest smile he ever saw was on your lips. You were beautiful, even more than usual ; but he didn’t appreciate the fact that this smile was not directed to him but to his brother. Something was burning inside of him, something wrong that he didn’t like at all.

You only noticed him when he got out of the restaurant without saying anything. You turned your head to Osamu who was sighing slowly, realizing what had just happened. He told you not to worry about it, but he knew he had to do something to make Atsumu feel better.

This is how you ended up at the match the next day. Osamu found a way to make you come with him, and his plan was perfect. You were at one of the best places in the whole stadium, and there was no way Atsumu wouldn’t see you.

His gaze landed on you right after he saw his brother, and it awakened something different inside of his chest. A smile appeared on his lips and you were sure you saw him winked at you. You knew that Atsumu was way more confident while he was playing than any other time, but it still caught you off guard.

During the entire game, you couldn’t look at someone else other than him. He was impressive, and watching him move like this was like a work of art for you. You never expected to be this fascinated by a volleyball game one day in your life.

When the game finally ended, Osamu brought you with him to see the team. You quickly got caught by Hinata and Bokuto who literally jumped on you with the biggest smile ever. Apparently, they had heard about you a lot. You were answering to them, a slightly embarrassed smile on your lips, when you felt someone grab your hand. You turned your head to meet Atsumu’s gaze.

He had this slight smile over his lips, and you were sure that you felt your heart missing a beat at the view. “I was the best out there, you can say it,” he told you,a dn it made you chuckle a little. You looked away, acting like it was nothing. “You were not that bad, yeah.”

He laughed slowly, but you could feel the grip on your hand tightened a little. During this time, Osamu found a way to get away with Hinata and Bokuto, so you two could be alone. Atsumu let his fingers rest on your chin, making you move your head to look at him once again.

“I want your eyes on me, only on me,” he said, and you couldn’t believe that he was really acting like this. Since when was he able to do this? You were used to seeing him bickering with his brother, so you didn’t expect him to do this. You didn’t have the time to say anything more, before Hinata jumped on his back, making him fall miserably on the floor.

He quickly turned back to his usual self, yelling at Hinata who was laughing like crazy, almost talking about three different things at once. You couldn’t help but to smile at the scene playing in front of you, a slight hint of blush on your cheeks. You weren’t going to have your eyes on anyone else than him now.

thank you for reading!

#atsumu miya #miya atsumu #atsumu x reader #atsumu headcanons #atsumu hcs #haikyuu atsumu #haikyuu #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu headcanons #hq atsumu #haikyuu hcs #hq #hq x reader #hq headcanons #hq hcs

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wannaeatramyeon · 1 year ago

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HOWWW DO U WRITE SO FAST AND SO WELL I LITERALLY TAKE WEEKS TO WRITE ANYTHING WORTHWHILE YET U ARE ABLE TO CHURN THESE THINGS OUT IN A HEARTBEAT ITS SO IMPRESSIVE

this time could u maybe do jake kim with a childhood friends!lover? im just imagining him with someone whose dad is also from the pre-generation, sorta like jerry (he can have a cameo we love that bad boy <3)

I'm pretty impulsive as a person... and when something grips me then. I need to do it. Luckily I don't have too much going on irl lmao so I have a lotta free time.

Jake Kim x Reader: Childhood friends

G/N.

"Smile when you're spoken to. Stay silent and out of sight when you're not."

It's important. You must follow these two pieces of instruction at all cost.

You nod when your dad reminds you again, squatting down to adjust your collar and your hair.

"Come on then, little one," he says, smiling softly. He doesn't hold his hand out as he usually does, leaving you to trail behind. Almost tripping over your shoelaces in an effort to keep up with his large strides.

Gapryong Kim's house is impressive, much more impressive than your apartment.

It's big and spacious. Ample room to run around and play. Your eye passes over the expensive breakable vases and severe decor, instead focusing on the long corridors and small nooks and crannies perfect for hiding.

You're shuffled off into a corner, not before being introduced to the owners, your dad's boss, first. You remember to smile and say hello back with full honorifics when Gapryong and Minseon greets you. Bowing at a full ninety degrees just like you had practised.

You find it hard not to fidget as you sit by the doorway. Bored and eyes occasionally falling closed at whatever is happening, not understanding the words or sentences as the adults talk in the centre of the room.

A gangly boy pokes his head around, holds out his hand, and you startle at his appearance. "Come on. This is boring, let's go."

Stay silent and out of sight. This counts, right?

You look over at your dad and find him observing you two. He gives you a small smile and a nod and you take this boy's hand.

His name is Jake Kim.

His name is Jake Kim and he's Gapryong's son. He walks the corridors with a quiet confidence and self assured stride. Hands behind his head and chewing his gum loudly.

He asks for your name and you tell him. He repeats it back to you with a grin and says it's cool, then digs in his pocket to offer you a stick of gum.

You spend hours in his bedroom together. Reading through comics and talking about nothing in particular as children often do. Only occasionally interrupted by adults bringing in drinks and snacks. Until the sun sinks and sunset oranges and reds filter through his window.

"It's amazing here!" you say, cheeks stuffed with hotteok and spraying crumbs everywhere.

Jake only shrugs.

You see Jake regularly after that.

You ask to tag along, and at first your dad is reluctant. You plead and whine and promise to be on your best behaviour and he gives in.

Gapryong and Minseon are always pleased to see you. Jake is even more so.

Jake is sullen and reserved around his parents but he smiles and laughs a lot with you.

He teases and jokes when it's just the two of you and you think he might be the funniest boy you've ever met.

You ask him who his favourite bands are and he doesn't know. When you tell him yours, he also doesn't know who they are. You gasp in shock and pull out your phone and headphones from your bag, pass him an earbud and listen to the sound of perky k-pop together.

"They're ok." Jake tells you with a grin, "I've heard better."

You give him a shove for that.

"Here," Jake gives you the last cookie and your greedy hands take it without a second thought.

He always gives you the last of everything. Watch you fervently fill your face in both disgust and awe.

"How do you eat so much!" he tries to give you a pinch, and you giggle, ducking out of the way. "You eat more than me!"

You smile, opening your mouth wide with half chewed food and he pretends to gag.

It never occurs to you how, whenever you visit, only your favourite snacks are served.

"This is Jerry,"

You look up at the boy next to Jake, and your neck seems to crane for a lifetime before finally resting on his face.

"You're huge!" You say, a little mean.

"Am not!" Jerry responds back to you, face flushing red. You give Jerry your half eaten snack as an apology and he accepts.

Jake grins, slinging his arm around the two of you, dragging you both out into the courtyard and away from the adults talking.

You sit shoulder to shoulder with Jake, Jerry on his other side. The house is filled with people dressed in black. Tears and sighs and subdued mutterings.

Jake doesn't cry today, neither does Minseon. He just stares at the portrait of his dad, not saying a word all day.

Your dad has smoked more today than you have ever seen in your life.

Eventually, when the alcohol is flowing and the adults get too rowdy, you sit with Jake in his bedroom. For hours and hours, just like the first time. Long after Jerry and most of the other adults have left. You hold him, tucking him into your side and he leans into your warmth.

His face is on your shoulder, so is a wetness. You don't say anything and keep holding him until your body is stiff and your knees hurt. You still don't move. You're there for as long as Jake needs you.

Jake's smile returns, after some time.

It doesn't quite feel the same though. You feel his childhood sweetness fading away and you don't know how to hold on to it.

There is a brief moment in time, during your friendship with Jake, where your growth spurt kicks in and you're taller than him.

You tiptoe and rest your elbow on his head. It's uncomfortable. He's still too tall, and you're not tall enough to make the pose work. Yet, you still do it every opportunity you get.

The opportunity does not last long.

Jake is gangly, grows ganglier still. He shoots up like bamboo and you think there's no stopping him.

You think he might be the tallest middle schooler in the world... until you see Jerry again and you think he is definitely the tallest middle schooler in the world.

Jake doesn't know when it hits him.

One day you're just you. His best friend that he has known forever. Goofy and silly. Snorts when they laugh, talks with their mouth full.

The next, your hair is shiny and your lashes are long. He thinks you smell nice and your smile makes him feel like he's dying in the best way possible.

Jerry catches him watching you and encourages him to confess.

Jake grimaces at the thought, at his transparency. His words come out indecipherable and muffled against his pillow.

Jerry doesn't say anything, just laments the fact he might be the third wheel forever.

It should be simple. Like you two becoming friends. Easy and uncomplicated.

Jake's natural charm is nowhere to be found. Having always been comfortable in his body, he now feels his legs are too long, his limbs too lanky around you. He stumbles over his feet more often than not. Finds himself tongue tied and red cheeked.

"What's wrong with you!" your hands grab onto his shirt, yanking him back upright as he trips for the third time in as many minutes.

Jake has always been cute. With his chubby cheeks and sharp eyes and kind smile.

Today, he tries out a wink on you (and you wonder where the hell he has picked that from), you can't help but think he's handsome too.

You and Jake still hang out frequently in his bedroom.

Minseon asks that he keeps the door open at all times, something she has never requested before, and you both burn crimson.

"Help me," Jake pouts, thrusting his school work at you. It's a Physics problem and he knows you suck at Physics.

You're both lying on your front on his bed, pressed at the shoulders.

"Burn it." You tell him and he laughs, sweeping all the books and stationery to the floor and turning onto his back.

"Sorry," you put down your phone and look at him. Has he always had those golden flecks in his eyes?

"Don't be." He sighs. "I think I'm gonna be held back a year."

"Aw Jake," You giggle, running your fingers through his hair, "You're definitely going to be the tallest in your class then."

He grabs your hand, stopping it mid-movement and rolls his eyes fondly. "You're a shit."

He doesn't let go. You forget how to breathe.

Jake has promised you ice cream, and you wait for him outside Gangseo Middle School.

He introduces you to Brad Lee and Jason Yoon and their eyes widen in recognition at your name.

"Oh, so that's-" Brad starts before receiving a sharp elbow in the stomach from Jason.

"Sorry Ma'am!" Ma'am?!

Jason gives you a bow, tells you it's nice to finally meet you and drags Brad away.

"What have you told them about me?"

Jake is shifty. Fidgety. He avoids your eyes and concentrates on his cone of ice-cream. Pretends he doesn't hear you even as you lean into his space.

"Jake Kim, I know you haven't suddenly gone deaf."

A bubble of laughter escapes his throat. He still doesn't say anything.

"Fine," You click your tongue in annoyance. "Be like that."

"I told them I like you." Jake catches you off guard a few weeks later. When you're lying on his floor watching a video on your phone, hand inside a bag of potato chips.

"Huh?"

"Brad and Jason," Jake rubs the back of his neck, "I told them that I like you."

Wait, what?!

You catch a glimpse of yourself in his full length mirror. You hair unbrushed and unwashed, dressed in your favourite, most comfortable thread bare outfit, potato chip crumbs around your mouth and down your front.

The most bizarre question grips you. "Even right now?"

Jake frowns, looks at you as if you're stupid. "Yeah?"

"Oh." It feels like a realisation, even though it's not. Not really. Not with the way you two are around each other.

You don't look at Jake as you return his affection, telling him you like him too, shy and cheeks flushed.

His response mirrors yours, "Oh."

You chance a peek at him and he looks as red as you feel. You don't think you've ever seen Jake blush before. It's deeply endearing and you sear the image into your heart forever.

"What now then?" you ask. Because if you both like each other then...

Jake plops down next to you, giving you a shrug accompanied with the sweetest smile you have ever seen. He takes your hand, greasy and food stained and all, and interwines your fingers together.

"I dunno. I should take you out on a proper date."

You nod, but it doesn't matter.

You look at your hand in his, think about taking his hand for the first time all those years ago and realise you've been each other's since the beginning.

#lookism #lookism x reader #lookism fanfic #jake kim #jake kim x reader #kim gimyung x reader #kim gimyeong x reader #wannaeatramyeon

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thisismeracing · 1 year ago

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King of my heart | extras | Yn tells Lewis she's dating Mick

― Summary: Yn and Mick finally broke the friendship barrier and started something else. It's time Yn tells her brother what's going on between her and his teammate. ― Word count: 1k ― A/n: This can be read as a stand-alone, but it’s better when you’ve read the series. ― Warnings: curse words; mention of anxiety; typos - not proofread.

⁕ see my masterlist | my taglist | KOMH Masterlist ⁕ you can support my writing by reblogging, and leaving a comment

There was a knock at Lewis' hotel door and he rushed to open it, confusion written on his face since nobody told him someone would show up. The second he opened the big wooden door he smiled, though it only lasted for the blink of an eye because he quickly gathered how Yn seemed apprehensive.

His sister was wearing one of his Merc white shirts paired with sweatpants and slippers. Her curls were up in her head messily gathered together by a colorful hair tie.

"Hey, bitsy, what's up?" he asked while opening the door wider for her to get inside. Yn did exactly that, running to one of the big armchairs in the room and folding herself there like a cat would.

"How would you feel if I told you I'm dating someone?" She asked before Lewis could say anything else. That was his sister, she would rush through things when nervous, too many expectations would make her feel sick and Yn hated feeling sick, so it was normal for her to just blurt her questions or confessions whenever something important was on the line, just like she was doing at the moment.

Lewis arched his brows, "Ok, I guess, as long as you're happy. But do you think you're ready for a new relationship?" he asked genuinely interested in her answer.

"I don't know, but I really like him, Lew. And I always wanna be around him, it's just...I- mhm I've never felt like this before." She confessed, eyes cast down. It wasn't that Yn was afraid of Lewis judging her because he would never, but he was her older brother and she held his opinion on the highest space. She was just afraid to let him down.

"I'm happy for you guys, then. Is Mick going to tell me too or-"

"Wait! How'd you know it's Mick?" Yn eyed Lewis up and down and he gave her one of his signature laughs.

"You think you're folling people? Be for real, Yn. Everyone knows or suspects. And even if you weren't obvious, I'm your older brother, I know you. I knew you were interested in him from day one didn't I?"

Yn huffed, rolled her eyes, got up, and then crashed on the oldest Hamilton hugging him.

"Thank you. I was a bit taken aback, afraid you were gonna be mad because I kind of promised to stay away."

"I knew if you truly liked him you wouldn't be able to stay away, bitsy."

She breathed in his scent and took a step back. Lewis caught a single tear on her cheek and held her face with both of his hands.

"You're safe with me. Spill it," his gentle tone made yet another tear roll down, and Yn chuckled holding back a sob.

"I'm afraid." Her voice was a weak whisper, but the British heard her perfectly. "I think things may be happening too fast, and I want them to go like this, but I'm also scared of all the attention we're getting. I mean, everyone is talking about us, and we haven't even started dating officially. I'm scared of how this can go and I don't want you to be caught in the crossfire, Lew. The media is always looking for things to point out when you're the subject and I-"

"Hey, breathe." Lewis held her face tighter as if by doing so he was holding her together too. Yn closed her eyes, breathed in and out following his lead, and then they sat on the edge of the bed. "Don't worry about me. I'm the oldest. I can take care of myself." There was a hint of humor in his comment and Yn chuckled.

"I know, but-"

"No, Bitsy. No buts. Stop worrying about me. I'm happy you're with Mick. If I had to choose a guy from the Grid it would most likely be him. I've seen the way he treats you and how careful he is with you. He's a good guy. Please, don't let your anxiety get in the way. People will talk about us it doesn't matter if we do things right or wrong, at the end of the day, you do what you gotta do to be happy, you hear me?"

Yn nodded, tears flowing down her face again. "Thank you, Lew."

"You don't have to thank me, Yn. I always going to have your back. Now, where's your phone, I wanna talk to your boyfriend."

She rolled her eyes chuckling, "he's not my boyfriend...we haven't discussed titles yet."

"You two are so oblivious," Lewis rolled his eyes exaggeratedly and unlocked Yn's phone, "if you change your password to his birthday instead of mine, I will be hurt," he tried to lighten the mood again, already searching through her contacts for the Schumacher's name.

"Hey, Mick...Can you come to my room real quick? I gotta talk to you...Yeah, my sister is crying here, and...yeah...yeah...I'm waiting."

"What the heck, Lewis?!" Yn screeched and Lewis just laughed.

It was barely a minute after and there were frantic knocks at the door. Lewis got up to answer and Yn buried her face in her hands, embarrassed by whatever prank her brother wanted to throw.

When Mick got inside he had his cheeks flushed from using the stairs and eyes wide, "what happened?" he asked and Lewis crossed his arms trying to hold back his laughter.

"Nothing, Mick. I told him about us and he wanted to prank you or embarrass us together, I dunno," Yn got up from the bed and she smiled at his reluctant face. His eyes were traveling between the siblings, but his body was turned in Yn's direction.

"Well, there goes my older brother's fun," the Hamilton sighed, and Yn rolled her eyes yet again that night, walking to Mick and hugging him. "Welcome to the family, Schumacher," Lewis smiled at the blonde.

"I'm sorry to inform you that it can get crazier than this." Yn adverted.

"I won't mind it if it means I got you," he whispered and she smiled.

― ⋆🪩 VOICEMAIL: It's been forever since I last updated it, but I'm gonna start working on it, I promiseeee <3 we're having this series finished in no time! I hope you guys liked this extra, let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment/ask and reblogging *mwah*.

Taglist: @sachaa-ff @ferrariloverr @mellowpizzapuppy @mickslover @dalsuwaha @formulakay3 @mishaandthebrits @non-stop-imagines @iloveyou3000morgan @crimeshowjunkie @saintlewis @fdl305 @carojasmin2204 @chaoticevilbakugo @wondergirl101ks @smiithys @shhhchriss @f1kota @lunnnix @leclercsluv @baby-is-crying @balekane_mohafe @uuuseeerrr12 @karmabyfernando @crashingwavesofeuphoria @81astri @pinksstrawberry @callsign-scully @moonyschocolate3 @v1naco @dearxcherry @p8dris (let me know if your tag was supposed to be only for my other works and you don’t wanna be tagged on the series! <3)

#komh #millie writes #mick schumacher #ms47 #f1 imagines #f1 x reader #mick schumacher imagine #mick schumacher x black!reader #mick schumacher x reader #f1 fandom #mick schumacher fluff #f1 x you #f1 fanfiction #mick schumacher fanfiction

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mins-fins · 3 months ago

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daydream — [ huang renjun — 엔시티. ]

where huang renjun knows exactly what he wants.. he just can't say it | now playing ✯

walking out on his unwanted date is surely rich, but renjun has much more important things to worry about.

leaves crunch under his shoes as he nears the familiar bus stop, lips pursued and hands remarked by the sandal of his bag. if they're bruised red, he'll worry about that later.

he stops by the mini entrance, the sky shrouded in darkness, seems the stars have receded tonight. he leans against the cold metal, smile neutral. "um.. hey".

you glance up instantly, the freezing wind brushing past you two making your hair lift in a manner reminiscent of a slow motion movie shot. it's cute. "you just get off work?"

your nod is slow. "yeah".

he scratches at the side of his arm, anxiety creeping up behind him like a surprise. "can i join you?"

your smile is a beautiful response, and you scoot over to make space for him, your shoulders lightly brushing against each other as he sits. the smoke from your cigarette continues wafting into the air, but you don't take another hit. "no good night kiss?" you begin, tease on the tip of your tongue.

renjun has half a mind to chuckle at that one, his eyes flitting in another direction. "no" he shakes his head, eye roll barely visible. "too busy judging his strange meal choices.."

you snort at the reply, a snort that gets a laugh out of renjun, you find that much funnier than you probably should've. "okay, if you want good tempura, i know this great soba place you should try".

renjun again laughs, his smile full of pure euphoria. shit, he doesn't remember the last time he smiled so hard. "i'll keep that in mind".

a small silence settles between you two, renjun entertaining himself by reading the labels on the nearby pole. another smile again blossoms onto his features, the street lamp cascading over you makes you appear almost angelic in a sense. "i don't remember the last time i've laughed so hard.." he places a hand on his knee.

you glance his way, and he continues: "it's been a while since i've been able to.. just be myself".

your smile is inviting and renjun simply snickers at his circumstances. "and how long have i been dating these assholes? trying to give love a shot".

the touch of your shoulder is a comforting sense, and you simply suck your teeth. "i get what you mean, he wasn't your thing anyway".

renjun's shoulders raise in amusement. "don't even know what my thing is anymore".

you nudge him lightly, an action that passes as an affectionate gesture. "hey i never got.. uh— your name, your real name" you chuckle in between terms. "you know i'm always calling people mr that or mrs this".

renjun finds his giggles endless tonight. "renjun".

your eyebrow raises, cigarette still tucked between your fingertips. "renjun?.. um, benevolent?"

he clears his throat. "it also means kind or handsome".

you hum, taking another hit of your cigarette as you blow the smoke out between your lips. "that checks out.."

his eyes can't exactly widen subtly, and you catch sight of it, because your both quick to burst into resounding laughter. "it's— it's a beautiful name is what i mean!" you hide your mouth behind your hand, but renjun's smile doesn't falter.

his snickers continue for a few seconds, and while it seems impossible, he manages to avoid eye contact. "thank you.. um, uh— i'm sorry, what's your name?"

you chuckle before even beginning your reply. "y/n".

renjun knows, he already knows, he's read your name tag more times than he can count. he's heard your hoard of coworkers shout it more times than he can count, each time his eyes trail you leaving your shift at the restaurant, he can't help but feel the taste of your name on the tip of his tongue.

he stares down at the ground for a few seconds, pressing his feet together. "have you always noticed me?"

maybe he's getting cocky, but maybe he also just wants it. renjun can't exactly put it into words, but he so badly wants to know. your nod is so reassuring he smiles before you even utter a reply. "yeah, yeah i always do".

renjun straightens up in his seat. "i'm sure you meet tons of people per day i shouldn't exactly stand out—"

"well you aren't exactly hard to miss".

in a sea of faces, you choose to remember his.

"do you take the bus here?" is his next choice of inquiry, hands gripping at his sides.

"yep, every single day".

renjun bites at his inner cheek. "you don't have to wait her—"

"i want to" he's quick to respond, keeping his hands at his sides.

you place your own into your lap, just barely biting back your smile as silence drifts again. "i'm starving" you opt to state, fingers gripping at the sides of your jacket.

now it's renjun's turn to nudge you. "maybe you can show me that soba place".

it's an offer that's much too enticing for you to turn down, and your smile simply grows wider. "sure".

and yeah, maybe two dates in the same night isn't exactly the way to go, but there's a difference, huang renjun is 100% sure he wants you.

#huang renjun #nct #nct dream #renjun nct #nct imagines #nct drabbles #nct scenarios #nct dream imagines #nct dream drabbles #nct dream scenarios #huang renjun imagine #huang renjun x reader #nct x reader #nct dream x reader #𑁍 ࣪˖ 𓂃 isa's works!

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stupidlovergirl · 2 years ago

Text

TL;DR He's HOT pt 2 Getting caught about how attractive they are, by them Feat. Solomon, Simeon, Barbatos, Diavolo Bros. Version not edited Dev Notes:Sorry I've been gone!! I finished my semester and took a little to rest.

You had came to visit Solomon at Purgatory Hall, yet when Simeon opened the door, you quickly found out that the sorcerer was running to get a few ingredients. Next thing you knew, you were telling him about how attractive you found your teacher.

"He's just different, you know? I like how he makes me feel. Not to mention, he's pretty attractive I got to say. Something about the fact he is so knowledgeable while still being able to be fun is so refreshing. I like being able to to have serious discussion and also able to chill" and you kept on. Talking about how much you liked the sorcerer, you didn't hear the door open and Solomon walk in. Hearing you and Simeon talking, he stopped before entering. Solomon feels so smug. The fact that you are into him while there are so many after you is an ego boost. It also makes him happy, because he is very into you also.

Waiting later, he brings it up and talks about it, relishing in the embarrassment on your face. He laughs when you cover your face. Pulling them down, you can see the smirk on his face

"Don't worry, I think your pretty attractive too"

Simeon is a man who has a strong morals and ideas. So he feels kind of bad listening in on your conversation. He just came to drop off some baked goods from Luke. So when he heard you on the phone talking about a man with "a cute little waist" and "the most attractive face sculpted by God," he felt bad and went to knock.

"Simeon is the most attractive man I have ever met. I don't understand how he is so cute and sexy at once!"

He halted, and he felt the heat rise to his face as soon as his name escaped your mouth. He took a moment. Calming himself down and finally knocked on the door. After a few seconds, you open the door. You seemed flustered at his appearance,

"Hello, Luke wanted me to drop this off to you. He is having baking lessons with Barbatos, so he wasn't able come"

"Ah, thanks" you say, taking the container "Uhm, can I ask you something?"

"Of course" Simeon says, smiling at you softly

"Did, you, uh, hear any of that?" you reply, rubbing your neck

"Ah, yes, I did. I appreciate how fond you seem of me. I think this is a good time to tell you I'm quite fond of you too" he tells you with a smile.

Barbatos was sent to pick up some important forms from Lucifer, so since he was there he decided to come pay you a visit. Hearing your voice from inside the kitchen, he went to investigate.

"Mammon, you are SO wrong! The most attractive demon hands down is Barbatos. I mean HELLO? He can literally do it all. He takes care of Diavolo, cleans the entire of the palace, makes the entirety of the meals, and THEN some! Also, just his face in general? Ugh, I could look at him forever. Perfect little malewife if I have ever seen one"

Well. That was interesting. Deciding not to come clean just yet. He was going to wait for the perfect opportunity. Which happened a few days after when you came for tea at the palace.

"Hey! Barbatos!" you called as you approached the butler

"Hello" he simply says, turning to face you

"How ya' been? Lucifer said you were at the House of Lamentation a little while ago but you didn't come and say hi!" you said with a smile.

"Ah yes, you were having a interesting conversation with Mammon in the kitchen and I didn't want to interrupt you" he smiles, but the look of mischief in his eyes don't go unnoticed.

"Something about how I was the 'perfect little malewife', if I directly quote you."

You clam up at this comment.

"Oh, uhm, yeah...haha...uhm"

"Don't worry, I took it as a compliment. You are quite cute when you gush about me, I'd like it if you told it directly to me." You blush at this, rubbing the side of your neck.

"Maybe over dinner?" you ask sheepishly

"I was hoping you'd say that"

Diavolo was walking to meet you after a day at RAD for a meeting with the exchange students, discussing how you personally thought it could be improved. Now imagine his surprised when he heard you giggling with Asmo over the most attractive demon.

"What! No way! Give me ALL the details!!!" He heard the fifth born squeal out from around the corner, "When did you start liking him??"

"I dunno, it just happened. One day I just acknowledged he was cute, and then it slowly started to build up. Like how he smiles so big when he's happy, how he is able to balance everything so well, but doesn't allow himself to get super stressed." Diavolo was intrigued at your words, what demon has you that wrapped around their finger, he's going through the list when he hears you take a deep breath in

"I don't feel like it was a definitive time, but just a slow build up. I just knew that I really liked Diavolo after awhile when I started getting so anxious during meetings with him. OH SHIT! I HAVE A MEETING TODAY!!" and with that line he hears your footsteps running towards him, and you slam into his broad chest, almost falling if he hadn't caught you. He laughed loudly at the dazed and flushed look on your face.

"Hello! What are you up to?" he asked curiously

"On my way to meet you actually..."

"I heard you." he says simply, smile growing even bigger as the panic sets in on your face.

"OH HA HA HA" you laugh loudly, looking at him panic in your eyes

"Don't worry darling, your affections are completely returned, probably doubled if I'm honest"

#solomon x reader #simeon x reader #barbatos x reader #diavolo x reader #obey me x reader #obswd x reader #solomon x you #simeon x you #barbatos x you #diavolo x you #obey me x you #obmswd x reader #bunny's.game.collection

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lynxtheserval · 10 months ago

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Hi im the anon that requested for scythe chasing the reader.

And yes,like thoese typical yandere pslsls im so down bad for this womwan🙏🙏🙏🙏

Fun to write wooo, I might do a part two if I remember about this lmao

Man sorry if it seems lazy at any point as well

Yan!Scythe x reader -

(TW: yandere shit, stalking, getting chased, a single curse word, possible ooc scythe)

All you heard was whistling and the heavy ba-dump of your blood through your ears. You tried to run as fast as you could through the dusty ghost town you managed to get lost in.

Your shoes pounded against the sand, and your legs were exhausted. You've been running for who knows how long at this point.

You turned around a corner and sat next to a wall to try to catch your breath. You hoped she wasnt following you anymore, but you still heard the whistling and humming of that… monster. The whistles sounded farther away now, but you still weren't fully safe. You don't know what she wanted from you, but what you do know is she's been chasing you for what feels like an hour, carries a terrifying looking gear, and she’s the most wanted in all the factions. You weren't that special of a person, you weren't a criminal, nor anybody important, you have no idea what a person like HER wanted from you.

You got snapped out of your train of thought when you realized you could hear footsteps now, oh god.. she was close. You were frozen with fear, you held your breath and stayed as still as you possibly could.

The footsteps got louder, and louder, and louder.

“Ya know, you can't run forever, sugar.”

Her voice was.. intimidating, to say the least. She had a very strong southern accent, if she wasn't chasing you down for who knows what reason, you might have found her voice attractive.

You said nothing and continued being as still as you possibly could.

“Listen, baby, I ain't gonna hurt ya! Just come out of your little hiding spot, so I can see your pretty little face.”

You seriously doubted that she wouldn't hurt you.

Scythe was getting annoyed now, where the hell were you?! She never loses her sights on a target, but you were much more than that. You were actually important to her. But of course you didn't know that, you just met her, after all.

Except she's known you for a while.

You were such a precious thing! Your adorable face, your laugh, your beautiful eyes, oh.. and your personality! She loves every bit about you.

That's why she isn't letting you leave.

You were still hiding, she knew you were around here, somewhere. You were terrified, you didn't know what to do.

So you stayed in your hiding spot, and waited.

And waited,

And waited.

It felt like forever, you couldn't hear her footsteps anymore, so you think you're in the clear to go.

So you carefully step outside your hiding spot, and look around.

It seemed cl-

“FUCK-”

You got kicked down on top of the sandy ground, and heard a menacing laugh behind you.

“Oh sugar.. I'm glad I was able to find you in the end! You hide well, I'll give ya that.”

You got the breath knocked out of you, gasping for air. The woman placed her foot on top of your back, not too hard as to hurt you, but enough to keep you from getting up and running.

“Now, you're probably wondering what I want from you.” She paused, trying to figure out what she wanted to say. You nodded, and tried to speak, but she interrupted you. “Well, darlin’, I want you.”

“Wh-what do you mean!?”

She took her foot off of you, but before you could do anything, she grabbed one of your arms, forcing you up. She then brought you into a hug, wrapping her arms around you.

“Ya see sugar, you don't know this, but I've been watching you for a while now.” She grinned at you, looking into your eyes. God, you were so much prettier up close.

“What did I do to anger you?!”

“You didn't do anything, darlin’. Except steal my heart!” She laughed, “And trust me, baby, I ain't angry. It's reasonable that ya would wanna run away from me.”

You looked at her with fear in your eyes and she took notice of this, and loosened her hold on you, instead of hugging you, she was now just holding your hands.

“Relax, I'm not gonna hurt ya! I just want you to stay with me for a little while, it won't be bad, baby, I promise.”

And then your vision went black.

#x reader #phighting x reader #scythe x reader #rifle/scythe x reader #anon ask #tw: yandere #tw: stalking #tw: cursing #yandere phighting #yandere phighting x reader #yandere scythe #yandere scythe x reader

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sapphickittykenz · 6 months ago

Text

STORYTIME 📖

Hi lovely people! 🩷😙

I've been instructed by my Mommy (@themistressdomme ) to recall the events that occurred last night when we had a gaming session over the phone.. 🙈

So, I'm gonna do as told, and share the story....

It started off as any other time when we gamed together on call. Most of the time I'm in charge of choosing what games we play on Roblox, since Mommy can never decide what she wants to play! 🙄 First we played an obby which she sucked so poorly at, so eventually I told her we could play something else since she kept losing so badly! 🤭 During that game I teased her endlessly, I knew at some point I'd pay for it. Mommy even reminded me herself, and gave me a fair amount of warnings which I completely ignored.....bad mistake!

So blah blah blah, we started playing bloxy bingo, and Mommy kept teasing me endlessly! She picked up on the teasing when we were getting ready to end the call! Obviously, as any innocent little sub would, I got excited from all the constant teasing. You can't blame me! 🙈 Mommy knew I was getting excited, but she pretended to be clueless, saying she didn't know what I meant, and that I had to ask specifically for every little thing I wanted. So, eventually.. I told her that I was excited. She asked me what I wanted to do about it...and made me say in detail what I wanted to do to myself. 🙈🙈 I told her that I wanted to finger myself... and when she asked how many fingers I said 3. 😵‍💫 KEEP IN MIND THE ENTIRE TIME IM BEING LAUGHED AT AND TEASED BY MY EVILY SADISTIC MOMMY!!!

So, I was pushing for her to get off the phone with me, since I was so greedy and eager to touch myself! 🙈 I got so needy to where I just started touching myself whilst Mommy was still on the call! I tried to hold my moans to avoid the teasing that would spark once she heard them. Mommy knew this, but once little whines and whimpers started to escape I eventually gave up trying to keep quiet. 🙈🥴 With Mommy's encouragement and constant teasing, I came two times from my fingers! After the first ones, mommy made me spank my kitty 10 times while counting them out loud. I didn't think I could cum anymore since I was already so sensitive, but Mommy told me to keep going, and that she thought I had more to give her..

Bad girls don't get to decide when they're done cumming, Mommy says. So, I had to keep fingering myself while rubbing my clit when I was already extremely sensitive! I was a moaning mess, and I couldn't keep quiet at all! Not that I wanted to.. 🤭 I apologized to Mommy for my bratty behavior repeatedly, and begged for mercy...although she just laughed at me and told me to continue. 😵‍💫 I got so close again, but Mommy made me wait. Told me to count down from 20 and then I'd be able to cum. So of course I followed the rules...for once. After that, I came super hard for the 4th time, and I was left in a puddle of my own excitement, unable to give Mommy any other response besides 'mhmm'. It was a while before I was able to walk, or even close my legs, since I was so sensitive and overstimulated.

I guess you can say I learned my lesson... Maybe 🤭

That's my storytime! 😌 Hopefully I didn't leave out any important details...

#lesbian #lesbian nsft #sapphic nsft #wlw nsft #sapphic #wlw post #wlw ns/fw #gay girls #gay nswf #wlw #lesbian smut #overstim kink #hornyposting #saphhic #wlw smut #f/f smut

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novelmonger · 10 months ago

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Continuing to watch through the Writer/Director commentary of LotR (with Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, and Fran Walsh) and jotting down any new-to-me information I come across. Here's what I gleaned from TTT:

When they got the New Line logo to put on the movies, it was very old and scratched, so PJ gave it to Weta to touch it up. They joked about how they should bill New Line for it XD

Originally, the studio wanted TTT to start off with a prologue too, with Cate Blanchett narrating what sounds like it was basically going to be a "Previously on..." spiel, even though they didn't like the idea of the prologue in the first one. Thankfully, these three ignored the studio's advice both times XD

The Uruk who says "Manflesh" is also the guy in Sauron's armor in the prologue!

In the scene where the Rohirrim find Theodred, it's not actually raining! They used rain towers for the close-ups, but any wide shots just have CG rain. I would never have guessed!

Andy Serkis did the voices for the Uruk-Hai who says the "maggoty bread" line, and the orc who says, "Yeah, why can't we have some meat?" (The actor in the suit for the latter is, of course, Jed Brophy, who went on to play Nori in the Hobbit movies.)

Somehow it never registered for me that Orlando Bloom has brown eyes, and so he had to wear blue contacts when he played Legolas ^^' But sometimes he wasn't able to wear the contacts (or forgot), so there are some scenes where they had to fix it in post.

PJ called the Treebeard from the animated Bakshi movie "a walking carrot" XD He also said that Treebeard is his favorite character!

The scene with Smeagol killing Deagol was originally going to be a flashback right after Frodo says his name, and then the Nazgul shriek would pull the audience out of the flashback. They decided not to do that for pacing reasons and because we haven't spent much time with Gollum yet, so that's why they put it at the beginning of RotK instead.

Bernard Hill had his son with him on the shoot and would play with him in his downtime on the Edoras set. Puts things into perspective when you hear that he was the one who came up with the line "No parent should have to bury their child."

They were originally looking at Bernard Hill for Gandalf! (I feel like I've probably heard this before, but anyway.)

They filmed a flashback to Aragorn and Arwen's first meeting?! Viggo shaved to make himself look younger, and it was a scene of the two of them "frolicking about the forest." It was originally going to be put in the Lothlorien sequence, but they cut it out in favor of that scene between Aragorn and Boromir, because they decided it was more important to earn Boromir's death scene than to remind the audience of the romance. I agree with that decision, but it would be cool to see that footage! (I say as someone who prefers to skip the TTT Aragorn/Arwen scene entirely XD)

Originally, the warg battle was going to happen at Edoras itself. It was going to be at night, everything was going to be on fire, and ultimately that was going to be the reason everyone evacuated and went to Helm's Deep. Also, a warg was going to be set on fire and end up dragging Aragorn through the streets, and that was going to be how Aragorn would be left for dead. Ultimately, the reason they did it the way they did was because the studio wasn't sure Weta could do a flaming warg (something all three of them laughed about, considering everything Weta did manage to do with flying colors), and because it would have been a nightmare to light the Edoras set at night, because that location was so remote and so windy. Which is why every scene in Edoras takes place in the daytime!

In the scene where Faramir talks about his dream where he saw Boromir in the boat, you can see a sort of pinkish color in the water around Boromir's body. That's because the dye from his shirt (surcoat? idk) was leaking out into the water! XD

When Andy Serkis did ADR for the Forbidden Pool scene, he couldn't manage to sing the song off-key, so they had to use the audio from the motion capture footage XD

They shot some additional footage of Aragorn unconscious on Brego's back, riding past an orc encampment, that they never ended up using.

Theoden was originally going to give a speech to the soldiers in the armory, but Bernard Hill's performance was so inspiring that it defused most of the tension they were trying to build up before the battle, so they took it out. Would love to see that footage!

So the boy Aragorn encourages before the battle ("There is always hope.") was Philippa Boyens' son, who was 13 when they filmed the scene. But by the time they went to do ADR, his voice had broken, so they had to get a different child actor to say his lines.

Aww, the extra who was missing an eye said he always felt self-conscious about his missing eye, so he always wore an eyepatch. But then after they gave him a close-up and the guy saw the movie, he said he felt much better about his appearance! :')

Treebeard's line "I always like going south; it feels like going downhill" was ad-libbed!

When Saruman turns and reacts to all the water pouring in and washing his machinery away, that shot was actually a reaction shot to Wormtongue on top of the tower from the RotK movie that they repurposed for this scene instead, since they hadn't shot any reactions to the flood.

At least at the time of the recording of this audio commentary, the final shot of Gollum, where he's arguing with himself and ultimately decides to lead Frodo and Sam to Shelob, was the longest CG shot in any movie. (I tried to google what the current record is, but couldn't find anything, so if anyone knows, I'd love to hear about it!)

Fran Walsh: "All cinema storytelling, to a degree, is shallow. That's the nature of the medium. You've got two or three hours to present a world and a dense story with a hundred themes and a ton of backstory, in this instance, and 22 characters...so you can only really have the veneer of depth. You really can't have anything that comes close to the depth of the books, or the experience of the books. So I think what we attempted to do was to use the language of the books where we could and to certainly invoke them, the iconic images, where we could, but to keep the storytelling very much...to modernize it, if you like, in terms of cinema language. So we didn't, for example, use the style of storytelling that was in the books between these different after-the-fact storytelling, of Sam and Frodo and then a chunk of the Aragorn story. We completely undercut it. That was a far more immediate and engaging way to connect it to the audience. You can't really hope to satisfy people who adore this book, with the movie. You can only ever give them the sense of what might have been. That's all a film can do. I think, in that sense, films...I mean, they're entertainments. They're just not going to give you the pleasure that a book can give you."

#lord of the rings #lotr #the two towers #peter jackson #philippa boyens #fran walsh #i feel like i learned more with this one than the fotr one which was cool!

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mercurygray · 3 months ago

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how to get home, for Cord? 💙

The days feel longer here.

It feels strange to say that, as they move into December and the dark descends before the sun's even had a chance to get her coat on, but wars don't run on business hours, and everyone can pull out their desk lamps and continue calculations well into the wee hours of the evening if that's what conditions demand. And the war demands a lot, always.

The new men coming in think that this is just the way that Thorpe Abbotts has always been - that the ops officers are seldom in the officers club, that that ground crew don't know your name. No one bothers to correct the impression, except perhaps Rosie Rosenthal, who even Colonel Harding will agree is in a class by himself.

Everyone is different after Munster, and none of the old hands want to correct assumptions. Harry Crosby is a loner, Ev Blakely tells fewer jokes, and Cordelia Callaway is an ice queen who's married to her job and never smiles.

Let 'em, Cord thinks to herself, finishing the last touches on the week's accident reports and watching out of the corner of her eye as a few new WACs go by, whispering. Why should it matter? She stands up and stretches, concious, as she has not been for a while, of the tension in her shoulders and the twinge in her jaw.

"Lieutenant Callaway, do you have a minute?" Cord looks up to see Fred Torvaldsen standing in the doorway, her homemade red scarf vivid against the blue of her Red Cross uniform and the gray outside. "I've got - something for you."

It's an odd request - Cord doesn't know the woman over and above a few cups of coffee, a good singing voice, and a heart for stray cats. (Anita spent a whole day talking about spark plugs before it was explained that she meant the Aero Club's new kitten.) A mittened hand holds something out - a letter. "It came to me, but it's - it's for you," Fred explains. "I think they wanted to - get it around the censor. I hope you don't mind I opened it."

The poor-quality paper is crumpled, the handwriting messy and rushed. There's only one person who writes like that. Cord finds herself leaning against the wall. (Fred, she notices, hasn't moved. How many letters like this has she delivered?)

Dear Cord,

I don't know what to say except I'm sorry.

And that's it. That's all there is. Ten words that hit her like a ton of bricks. Sorry, Bucky? You're sorry? What does that even - sorry? Sorry for what? Sorry you're not here? Sorry you're alive and you didn't think it would be important to tell me? Sorry?

It is so maddeningly and frustratingly him that she can hardly think - the wall is holding her up and she wishes it were him. You're a thousand miles away and you're right here in this paper, and I miss you so much, Bucky, your shoulders and your smile and the way you make me laugh…

The words have been struck through, heavily, with a pencil, and as she reads them a fifth and sixth time, she can almost see him, hunched over a table in a chair that is too small for him, struggling with the words and then deciding they're not worth the paper they're written on, striking them out and throwing down the pencil and crumpling up the page. Underneath there are a few more lines, added in a script she knows is Gale's -

Sorry you haven't heard from him sooner. He's started this letter five times and I thought you ought to at least get one.

I think if he missed you less, he'd be able to talk about it more. He hasn't said your name since we got here.

We're all doing okay, and hope you are, too. Say hi to everyone for us. Gale.

That, too, is a new wave of tears - classic Gale. At least he knows how to get home. She hopes for a tearful moment that Marjorie Spencer has gotten the letters that she knows Gale has written like clockwork in his fine, neat hand. And she has ten words. Ten words, struck out for being written, and her name, and 'Dear', and all of that somehow not good enough to actually send. John Egan, if you were here I don't know what I'd do to you. Kiss you, kill you, or never let go of you.

She looks up, wipes her eyes on the back of her hand, and realizes Fred is still standing there, smiling faintly, a handkerchief in her hand. Cord sniffles and takes it, grateful. "There's paper at the club, when you want to write him back."

"No if?" Cord asks, blowing her nose and trying to find the ice queen again behind the hot tears on her cheek.

"No one I know cries like that over ifs," Fred replied with a little smile. "Mary's baking shortbread later. We'll save you some."

Later that night, when she has been installed in a comfortable chair with a cup of tea and three of the promised cookies, she finds herself staring at the paper feeling blank. "Well, what would you say if he were here right now?" Mary asks, sitting down with her own cup of tea and gesturing to an empty chair like it will somehow conjure the man.

Cord stares at the empty chair, and then writes down the only words she can think of, picturing him.

You stupid, stupid, stupid man.

The only apology I want is for not writing sooner - and for thinking that I wouldn't want a letter. What kind of woman do you think I am? Jack Kidd was kind enough to give me your jacket - the one I said I hated. It's in my room now. I'll return it to you when you get back - or not. The weather's been getting colder and a girl might need it…

#asked and answered #basilone #i have written a thing #mercurygraypresents #tds cinematic universe #masters of the air OC #masters of the air x oc #cordelia callaway #mota x oc #freda torvaldsen

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wayfayrr · 1 year ago

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just got home from work lol - a dq worker. i had an idea of Time reacting to someone who worked as a fast food worker, specifically dairy queen cause of the potential for a funny interaction: "oh yeah i worked for Dairy Queen™" "you worked for lon lon ranch?"

"no there is literally a company named Dairy Queen.. i sold ice cream.." and then starts a whole conversation on what the hell ice-cream is lmao.

gonna be very honest with you dq-anon hope you don't mind me calling you that I've only really heard of dairy queen through that one girl's tiktoks because they don't exist in the UK dvjcedfc one of my wives (@angry-trashcan) told me more about what they're like and I focused more on the ice cream/ customer service voice part of it - I hope you like it!

“So you've mentioned needing to get back to your own world for the sake of your job, if it's alright may I ask what just what it is?"

"hmm? Sure? it's not really private, the only reason I haven't talked about it is because it hasn't come up in conversation yet."

"I work at a place called Dairy Queen™ or at least I did, they might have fired me…"

Time looks like he's about to ask me a question, not that I can blame him. Our worlds are very different. I doubt he's heard of it ever before. Well, I know that because it doesn’t exist here.

"I don't think I've ever seen you at lon lon ranch before, well and the fact that you've already said you're not from Hyrule."

"... There's a company called Dairy Queen in my world. we sell ice cream."

There’s the look I expected from him, utter confusion. Hyrule really doesn't have anything in common with my own world, nothing I could compare to the chains anyway. How could the post-industrial era even hope to compare to a mediaeval land where magic actually exists?

“...Ice cream?”

Yeah, I shouldn’t have expected him to know what that was. Really though does Hyrule not have ice cream at all? It’s not hard to make; with magic, it can’t be too hard to make a freezer.

“It’s well, it’s frozen cream with sugar and flavour? Honestly, I’m not sure the best way to describe it when I can't just show you. For now, I’ll just say that it tastes amazing and that you’re missing out.”

“Maybe you could show me some time then, we should be able to find the correct ingredients at some of the villages here and Wild has a spare ice rod or two to freeze it.”

“Keep the money for more important supplies Time, it’s not that big of a deal.”

Here’s where I’d happily take bets with the others for if he was going to drop it or not, what with how he rarely drops lectures it wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t drop it until I agreed with him. But he seems to have more respect for things that people don’t want to talk about with their past than accidents so who knows?

“Aside from that then, what is your work like?”

"It's work..? I mean the only real skills I picked up are accidentally tipping drinks on people and my 'service voice'."

Most of this is just going to be him all confused, isn't it? what I wouldn't do at this point to show him exactly what I mean…

"You haven't got any more questions have you?"

"... what was that?"

"well I can't show you most things are like where I work, but I can show you how I act around customers. So how can I help you sir?"

Laughing at his face was so easy at this point, the fear in his eyes at how much I can change my voice so easily, worse than it's been towards any monster he's faced on this journey.

He’s more worked up about my voice than the shadow…

“...please don’t do that again [name].”

“Come on Time, it can’t be that bad can it?”

“You - you can stop pulling that face Old man.”

He really does live up to that name, now I can’t help but wonder if ‘old man’ is Hyrule’s equivalent of boomer, from how they use it? How mean would it be to teach wind and wild what that means? Introduce Hyrule to ‘Ok boomer’. I’d just have to make sure time never learns what it means or that it's from my world.

“Can we just… just go back to explaining what ice cream is?”

“I think I would prefer to tease you more. But fine I can go back to trying to explain it better for you.”

#sorry this took a while for me to write!!#I've been really busy with work and uni prep!!#hopefully when I start uni I can be more consistent #linked universe x reader #link x reader #lu time #time x reader #moss✦answers #moss✦writes

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that-sarcastic-writer · 1 year ago

Text

Safe Haven (4)

Soldier Boy X Fem!Paramedic!Reader

Summary: You and Ben have been bonding for a few days, but after a scare, you both have an important conversation

Warnings: Foul language, talks of PTSD, some slapping (not from ben), angst, this is literally the slowest of burns, eventual smut, so minors dni, Soldier Boy bc he's a warning on his own

Like I've said before I write sb as less insufferable and horrible, he's still a dick but he's warming up to reader so he's nicer

WC: 3.2k

A/N: I AM SO SORRY. I know I left this tory forgotten for a year, and that's so not fair to you guys, and I am truly sorry for it. I've never been good at finishing my series. I tend to get blocked in the middle and I'm never able to get past it. But I started rewatching s3 again and decided to give this series a second try. And I think I have a much clearer idea of how to proceed from where I left off. I just always have a hard time with the middle. But I will do my best to not leave this series unfinished because yall were more than supportive to it and it's not fair to just leave you hanging. So if you stuck around thank you.

Next part | Series Masterlist | Soldier Boy Masterlist

The last thing you expected to wake up to was the smell of freshly brewed coffee and Ben, in the kitchen, actually cooking something. You were still a bit out of it from sleep when you walked into the kitchen, but you stopped dead in your tracks and your eyes grew at the sight of him, frown plastered on his face as he stood with a pan in his hand. You blinked a couple of times and snorted in disbelief.

“Since when do you cook?” You asked as you moved to stand beside him, slightly tilting your head as you looked at the slightly burnt sandwich on the pan. “If that’s what you would call cooking.”

“Fuck off,” He rolled his eyes at you and scoffed like he took offense to your words as he grabbed the sandwich from right out of the pan and took a bite out of it. His face remained in a frown, lips pursed into a displeased grimace. “I got hungry and you were still in your room, so I improvised.”

Well at least you appreciated him not barging into your room so you would cook for him. After you went off on him the other night he gave you space, he was just as flirty and inappropriate, but respected your space and wouldn’t antagonize you much. If he could do something on his own he would, but was still silently grateful if you ever did anything for him. And much to his surprise, you still allowed him to stay, for some reason. But he didn’t mind it. And honestly, you didn’t mind his presence either, if anything he was pretty bearable most of the time.

“Does that not burn?” You asked, eyeing him with big eyes as you turned the stove off and placed the pan on the sink.

He shrugged, “The Russians burned me with flamethrowers the size of your head for fun, so no, this doesn’t burn.”

You stared at him blankly, lips slightly parted as you tried to process his words.

“Right..” You simply shook your head, not even wanting to inquire further. You were about to walk away when you heard him say your name.

“That’s for you,” He said, pointing at the glass mug you usually use for your coffee, droplets of water already pooling around it like it had been sitting there for a little while. You looked between the glass of coffee on the counter and him, confused.

“You made me coffee?” You asked slowly, squinting at him with confusion. He grabbed a glass of his own from the counter next to the stove and he nodded as he drank from it.

“Why do you sound so surprised?”

You grabbed it and hesitantly took a sip from it, eyes widening in surprise. It didn’t taste half bad. So he wasn’t entirely useless.

“I don’t know. I mean, you cooked and you made me coffee,” You said slowly and paused, narrowing your eyes at him suspiciously, “What do you want? Is this your way of convincing me to fuck you?”

He laughed at that, tongue running over his pink lips playfully and an equally playful glint in his eyes, but he shook his head, “No…” His lips curved into a small smirk as he stood in front of you, leaning down close to your face. “Is it working?”

You took a deep breath, eyes wandering to the side to avoid his. You'd be lying if you said you hadn’t considered it. In the days he had been pretty much hiding in your house, you had grown to like his company, when he wasn’t being a dick of course. And he was irresistibly attractive in more ways you would like to admit. But you knew better than to let him in your bed.

“You wish.” You moved away from him and hopped on the kitchen island as you sipped your coffee, your face already flushing with heat, though you were glad he couldn’t see that.

“You know the offer is always on the table if you change your mind darlin’.” He winked, lips curled into a smirk as he drank from his coffee. You rolled your eyes at him and shook your head.

“How did you even manage to get the coffee machine on? I’ve seen the way you look at my phone, it’s like your brain is computing. Technology isn’t your thing.”

His face turned blank and his lips fell into a flat line, jaw slightly twitching, like he was not amused by your comment in the slightest bit.

“You can suck my dick, thank you. For your fucking information I’m not that stupid. I’ve seen you make coffee every morning for almost a week, I can manage to make some goddamn coffee.”

You were trying your hardest not to laugh, you had to close your eyes and exhale through your nose so you wouldn’t laugh at his clearly offended tone. And when you opened your eyes to look at him, he looked anything but amused.

“Jeez alright, don’t get your panties in a bunch. It’s not the worst coffee I’ve had, so.” Your lips curved into a half smile and he rolled his eyes.

“That’s how you like it right? Iced, a bit of cream and caramel?”

“Yeah, actually.” You said with a half smile, surprised he actually seemed to have remembered that, most guys you've dated wouldn't have bothered to remember even after months.

He smirked almost proudly and he hummed as he stood in front of you, and had your legs been open, he probably would’ve stood right in between them. You straightened your back as you looked up at him with curiosity.

“That’s a good girl. I like a girl who knows her stuff.” The words rolled off his tongue so naturally and yet so breathtakingly hot it made you inhale sharply. He knew what he was doing to you when he did things like that, and the worst part was that he would often just walk off, almost as if he was hoping you would chase him. Which you never did, as much as a part of you wished you did. “I’m a pretty quick learner, I can do things just the way you like ‘em, you just have to ask.”

And with that he walked off, smug smirk full on his lips at the sound of your sharp breaths and quickly beating heart. Your sanity and modesty could only last so long if he kept this up. And honestly, you didn’t see it stopping anytime soon.

~~~~~~~~~~

You blew out an annoyed sigh as you padded down the hall from your room to your living room, the persistent sound of Ben calling your name nonstop having pulled you out of your own space.

“Dude what.” You sighed out as you stood with your arms crossed and looked down at him. He was sprawled out on the couch, an arm behind his head. For a second your eyes drifted to his bicep under the soft fabric of the henley you had given him, and you had to force yourself to look at his face instead.

“What are you fucking deaf? I’ve been calling you for like five minutes.”

“Yes Ben I heard you the first five fucking times you screamed my name. I was busy. What do you want that is so urgent and you can’t do yourself?” You asked, leaning your weight into one heel.

“Do you have any drugs?” He deadpanned, not bothering to take his eyes from the TV. You stared at him, blinking a couple times.

“What?”

“What I said. Do you have any reefer or benzos or some shit like that?” He turned his head to look at you this time, face completely serious.

“Uh.. No? What the fuck do you want drugs for?” You asked, rubbing the side of your face, still trying to process his request.

He ran a hand over his face, fingers threading through his hair and he sighed heavily, looking up at the ceiling before speaking.

“I need something to help me take the edge off. I’m constantly restless, I always have this feeling like I’m going to punch a hole through a wall, I can’t sleep and I didn’t feel that way when I was fucking high all the time, so.” He said with complete honesty, he was serious too.

Your lips slightly parted as you thought about it for a second. You guessed it made sense. If he did have PTSD weed probably would help him relax. You knew that feeling pretty well. You sympathized with him even.

"Yeah okay. I know a guy." You finally said.

Ben gave you a surprised look, his eyebrows slightly raised. He definitely didn't take you for the drug type. But then again, maybe you liked to feel numb sometimes, too.

"Thanks sweetheart."

"Sure." You gave him a half nod as you glanced at your phone. "Listen, I'm gonna go out for a bit. I'm gonna buy some groceries and stuff. Stay here? Please. Your face is still all of over downtown. And with the whole Homelander Starlight bullshit I just don't think it's safe."

"Aww sweetheart, you worried about me now?" He sat up with a shit eating smirk that made your roll your eyes.

"Not particularly. It'd be less money I'd have to spend if you weren't here actually." He shot up an eyebrow with disdain and scoffed at you, making you grin. "I mean it, after what Homelander did in plain daylight, nobody's safe."

"What did that fucker do this time?" He asked, his tone suddenly changing and he sat up straight.

"Didn't you see? Oh yeah, you don't even own a phone." You sighed, "Homelander lasered a guy at some form of public event. The guy wasn't a criminal, he wasn't dangerous, he was just telling Homelander the truth to his face. So he killed the guy."

"In plain daylight? You're kidding."

"I fucking wish. I saw the video, it was all over Twitter before it got taken down. The worst part, everyone there cheered him on. He murdered an innocent person and everyone praised him for it. It was terrifying."

Ben sat in silence for a long minute, even after you were done speaking. His lips were parted but he never spoke. That was his son. His only son. He couldn't say he was a saint, he knew he had done plenty of wrongs, unforgivable things, but he had never killed a person without reason. Let alone an innocent person. He was disgusted, digusted that his own flesh and blood could do something so horrible. Disgusted that Vought made him that way. He couldn't live knowing Homelander was still out there like this. He had to end this. One way or another.

~~~~~~~~~

"Ben!" You called out loudly as you kicked your front door open, struggling to carry the multiple bags you so wrongly assumed you could carry on your own. You groaned loudly, the one time you needed this motherfucker. "Ben you useless asshole I need your super strength!"

Still nothing.

"I cannot with this motherfucker…" You muttered angrily to yourself as you pretty much dropped the bags on the floor.

You left the door open since you still had more bags in your car but you wanted to find him first. You called his name a few more times as you walked around your farmhouse. He sure wasn't downstairs. You went up to the second floor, maybe he was in the guest bedroom, he slept there sometimes.

Still no Ben.

You stood in the middle of the hall with a frown on your face. Your stomach twisted with uneasiness. Your palms began to sweat cold as you thought the worst. God, where could he have gone? He clearly didn't know his way around town, he had no car. And worst of all he was still wanted by FBSA and now the CIA as well in a joint task force.

He was gone. He was actually gone.

What was this feeling? You felt sick and lightheaded, and your heart was racing. You leaned against a wall as you took deep breaths. Were you actually upset he was gone? Was this worry and panic you were feeling? Your mind was racing with every possibility, the next being worse than the previous. Maybe he got hurt? Or worse, maybe he blacked out and hurt somebody else again. God, why didn't he listen to you?

You were drowned in your own worry when you heard heavy footsteps coming up the stairs. You straightened up, afraid someone had come for you, another supe, or the cops. You had been aiding a known fugitive afterall.

You didn't know how long it had been, but you heard your name. It was his voice.

"There you are. You okay? Why is the front door wide open?" Ben stopped at the top of the stairs, eyes furrowed into a worried expression.

You didn't realize you had been holding your breath. And you felt like you could breathe again. But the knot in your stomach was quickly replaced by your blood boiling. God, how could he just walk in like that? Did he not realize how worried you had been?

You were worried about him.

You hadn't worried about anyone since—

You didn't think, you simply marched in front of him and your flat palm collided with his cheek. You were so fucking furious with him.

"What the fuck were you thinking? Why did you leave without saying anything? Are you so reckless and careless that you didn't stop to think you're literally the most wanted Supe right now?" You were shouting at him, shoving at his chest like it was going to do anything. The man didn't even move. He was stunned, surprisingly not angry. If anything seeing you like this turned him on.

"Jesus Christ, woman, can I tell you my safeword first?" He scrunched up his face a bit. He didn't feel your slap. It didn't even leave a tingle, but it was more so the fact that you had the guts to do so. You glared at him and smacked his chest one last time before you crossed your arms over your chest, face fixed tight and fuming. "Why are you so angry? I wasn't gone long."

Did he seriously not realize?

"Why? Why am I so angry?" You repeated his question with disbelief. "Maybe because you could've gotten hurt out there or arrested! Or worse you could've—" You stopped, catching yourself before you said the words.

Ben raised an eyebrow at you, sensing the heat in your words, and he gave you a half nod of his head, knowing what it was you didn’t dare to say.

"I could've what? Go on say it. If you had the balls to smack me then have the balls to finish that sentence."

"You could've hurt someone." You finally said after a few seconds of silence, your voice much quieter now.

"Right, 'cause I'm the brainwashed terrorist supe who just loves to blow people the fuck up, is that it?" He lowered himself to get in your face, his words accusatory, but also hurt by your accusation. You didn't to outright say it for him to know what you meant. Everyone else seemed to think so anyway. You avoided his eyes, mouth closed. "What? You got nothing to say now?"

"I don't know! You're unpredictable, your powers are unpredictable. I'm not saying you meant to hurt those people, but you did Ben, I saw it. I saw all of it. It wasn't fucking pretty and I just—" You swallowed, closing your eyes, frustrated with yourself. Why were you so upset about this? About him? "I know you don't want any more of that on your conscience."

Ben stared at you for a long while, lips pressed together, and his jaw ticked with frustration, but he didn't snap at you. He just sighed.

"I didn't hurt anyone. I just.. I can't keep hiding here with you when Homelander is out there. I just can't." He finally said, his voice strained with emotions you just couldn't quite understand. "I went to see an old friend from Vought. I needed to know what was going on. I need to do something. But I'm…"

He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing and lips pursing as he tried to say his next words, like it was hard for him to do so. You met his eyes this time, expectant.

"I'm sorry for worrying you. I didn't think… To be honest with you I don't know why you care but I'm glad you do. So I'm sorry." He breathed out the words with his chest, like he was lifting a ton of bricks off his chest and he could breathe.

Your eyes grew in size at his seemingly sincere apology. He had never sounded so genuine, he had never looked so much either. But he was, his green eyes were big and apologetic, and there was no smug smile, no grins, just a flat line and his big eyes.

"I'm sorry for hitting you. I was just worried. I thought something might’ve happened." You sighed, giving him an apology of your own, which he welcomed with a tiny smile and nod. "But I... Fuck, I'm still worried about what you're doing. Homelander is extremely dangerous, Ben. I don't think you should get yourself in more trouble than you already are."

Ben would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised by your concern, it made him feel strange, actually. No one had actually shown him such selfless care before. Everyone always needed something from him or were just pretending to care for him. But no you. Everything you had done for him you had done because you wanted to, not because you had to. And he still didn't know why.

"Listen darlin', I can't tell you much, but I can tell you this— I had a mission before you found me. I started something and now I need to finish it." You frowned even more, and he couldn't help but reach his fingers to smooth the tight lines above your brow, and for some reason, you let him. "I have done some pretty bad shit, I'm not gonna lie about that, but if I can do one good thing by killing that motherfucker, I will. I can't just sit here while he's out there doing God knows what and with nobody to tell him otherwise."

"I don't know what it is that you got yourself into, or that you got me into, but we're here now. I just ask you that you tell me what's going on. I think I've proven to you that you can trust me." You finally said with a long breath, but you still felt that pressure on your chest. "Do what you gotta do, just be careful."

His lips curved up into a small smile. A genuine smile. He hesitated at first, but something in his chest told him to do it. You had already slapped him once anyway. He closed his eyes for just a second and leaned down, his lips touching your forehead ever so slightly.

"Don't you worry about me, sweetheart. There's nothing that fucker can do that hasn't already been done to me before. I'll be okay."

He'll be okay as long as you let him stay because somehow, you have been the only thing keeping him sane.

#soldier boy x reader #soldier boy x female reader #soldier boy smut #soldier boy #the boys #the boys season 3 #safe haven #safe haven series

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beanzwrites · 1 year ago

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Hi! I just love your works, they are so good! Do you think you could do Winchester sister who really likes Boba but she doesn’t get it often due to their lifestyle, then one day either Sam or Dean suprised her with one? Thought it would be so cute!

Boba, How I've Missed You!

A/n: Hello, thank you so much for the request! I'm really sorry it took a bit to get to it; life got quite busy. I hope you enjoy this though! Also, thank you so much! That means a lot and I'm glad you like my writings! <3 Fun fact, I've never had Boba before, but would love to try it at some point! | ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── |

Being a Winchester was definitely no easy feat. Constantly moving from place to place, there was no guarantee that you could indulge as much as other people would. Though (Y/N) was the youngest out of the Winchester family, she knew what kind of responsibility that her family name carried.

The good thing about being with her brothers though, is that they both have a sweet tooth just like her. She enjoys it when they are able to take a breather and stop by a coffee shop or bakery to feed their cravings.

(Y/n) recently found that she loves Boba and will take any chance to order it. Her brothers find her giddy nature over a sweet beverage endearing, and though they make the excuse that they need a cup of coffee, they love to make their little sister happy.

Those memories are some of the bests (Y/n) has; however, they don't come around often. Her family has been quick on their feet the last few months, and with the stress that carries over her brothers as of late, it's hard to say when those memories will come to reality again. (Y/n) knows what is more important and keeps to herself as her brothers' work.

However, there was one night where her brothers were in a more chipper mood. They were talkative over their TV dinner, joking around and bringing up past experiences.

---

"Really, Dean? You just had to bring up THAT moment..." Sam snorts, his brows furrowing in a pout.

"It was hilarious, Sammy! Of course, I'll bring it up. You had coffee all over you," Dean laughs before taking a big bite of a chicken tender.

"Man, I miss going to coffee shops. I haven't had Boba in so long," (Y/n) giggles, "It's been a hot minute."

The sudden silence between her brothers causes her to stiffen. They're both staring at her with unreadable expressions, frowns etched on their lips. (Y/n)'s heart skips before she shakes her head frantically.

"I didn't mean anything by that, I'm sorry! I know we've been busy..."

"That's okay, Squirt. I miss those moments too," Deam says, leaning back. "We gotta get back to it at some point."

"Man... How long has been now?" Sam asks to no one in particular, "It has been a while, hasn't it?"

---

That next morning, (Y/n) woke up to the motel room being empty. The sun was already peeking through the curtains as (Y/n) lazily ventures to it, looking out to see that the Impala was gone. A sigh escapes (Y/n), but she couldn't help but to bite her cheek. Her brothers would usually tell her if they were going somewhere, and though uneasiness tried creeping into her thoughts, she busied herself by getting ready for the day.

As the girl climbed out of the shower a few minutes later, she heard the front door open with her brothers' voices carrying soon after. She takes her time dressing before a knock is heard.

"Hey Little Bit, you almost ready?" Dean's voice resonates on the other side of the bathroom door.

"Yeah, hold on!" (Y/n) answers before opening the door. "What's up?"

"Sammy and I got you something," Dean smiles.

Sam walks over to his siblings, his own lips forming into a big smile, before gesturing to something in his hand.

"Boba!" (Y/n) cheers, grabbing it and taking a sip, "Ah! How I've missed you! Thank you, guys!"

"No problem, sweetheart. We know how much you love it," Sam says.

" Come on, you two! Stop with the chit-chat! I'm ready to dig into that Pumpkin Roll!

#fanfiction #supernatural x reader #dean winchester x sister reader #sam winchester x sister reader #supernatural x sister! reader #dean winchester x reader #sam winchester x reader #platonic reader #wholsome #sister reader #Winchester x sister reader

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manawari · 1 year ago

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Hometown Girl

Byung-gyu loaded his last bag into the back of his truck and made his way to open the backseat door. He turned around to whistle at his dog. "Coco! Time to go!"

Coco, who was waiting at the porch of the house shared by the band, bounced up to his feet and went to the open door. His bushy tail swayed in the air as he mounted up before Byung-gyu closed the door and left the window open, knowing how his dog liked poking his tongue out at the wind.

"Have a nice trip, hyung!" Yoon-ho called from the doorframe, along with the rest of the guys. "Tell your grandmother we said hi!"

Byung-gyu chuckled. "Absolutely!"

"Don't forget to be careful with the people around. Remember, you're no longer the guy who makes acoustic covers." Jong-in said. "You're a guy who's widely known across the country."

"People, specifically your fans, will swarm you around until you lose the energy to go outside." Tae-gyu added.

Jin-woo huffed. "Byung-gyu knows what to do, guys. Don't make him nervous."

"Jin-woo's right," said Byung-gyu. "I know my neighborhood anyway. Sure, they might flock around me, but not in a way just like that those 'fangirls'." He shivered. "Anyways, I should get going, guys! Have fun while I'm gone!"

A chorus of different responses were heard. Byung-gyu walked to the other side and got onto the driver's seat. He pressed the keys into the ignition and the engines rumbled, he placed his foot on one of the pedals to pull out of the garage.

It was his first time going back to Gyeongsang since he began his debut as an idol. Byung-gyu called his grandmother whenever he was not busy, her laugh and tender voice always lifted his spirits, knowing that she was doing well even if he was not by her side. The thought of reuniting with the only family member he had left increased Byung-gyu's excitement.

He was coming home.

And a lot had changed since he chose to go to the idol path instead of becoming a history teacher — did he regret? Not really. And besides, Byung-gyu was able to send a portion of his money to his grandmother so she would have money to buy her needs. His love for his grandmother worth more than the finest of gems. She was the courage he could grab onto when he was nervous of going to the stage.

She'd be cheering for him.

She'd be giving him thumbs up and the brightest smile ever.

Besides his mom, his grandmother was the most important woman in his life.

Time passed, Byung-gyu had finally arrived in Gyeongsang. Coco started barking behind him, yet he had to calm him down by saying that they weren't in the exact town. But Byung-gyu knew he'd be as jubilant as his dog if he was not completely aware of his surroundings.

The journey to his hometown took another ten minutes and at last, Byung-gyu felt a whiplash of nostalgia even while he was still in the vehicle. The lush green trees blessing his vision, the distant sound of waves from the open windows, the open road which had not once experienced traffic, and the houses that stood since he was young.

So far, nobody had noticed him. But that was because he hadn't stepped out yet. Byung-gyu took a turn to the path that led to where his house was, driving a bit slower this time due to the road and the proximity to the other houses.

"Guys! It's Coco!"

"What? No way that's— it is Coco!"

"Hyung-nim is here!!"

. . . And his cover was blown.

Fortunately, it was the kids. Byung-gyu would have to deal with them later once he got settled down. He parked the vehicle on the open lot near the tree and pushed the door open to hop off. And just as he was about to open the door for his dog, a couple of bodies clashed with his body.

"Hyung-nim!"

"You're back, teacher!"

"I've watched your concerts on YouTube! You are AWESOME!"

"How does it feel to be famous, hyung-nim?"

Byung-gyu laughed and ruffled each of the children's hairs. "I'll hang out with you guys later. I have to see halmeoni first."

They nodded.

The moment Byung-gyu opened the gate, Coco sprinted inside and went to the porch to scratch the door. Sang-ah, Byung-gyu's seventy-nine year old grandmother, opened it and was greeted by the golden retriever, who was as lively as her grandson when it came to her.

Sang-ah had light grey hair, almost white, that was tied in a bun and wore a casual air of pants, a sweater that she made for herself, and a dark blue vest. She had been around since Byung-gyu's birth and took care of him whenever his parents were away for work, so there was no doubt that Byung-gyu was more attached to her than anyone else.

"Halmeoni!"

Sang-ah looked up and saw her grandson. "Byung— oh!"

Byung-gyu threw his arms around her before she could even finish her sentence. Sang-ah laughed. She knew when Byung-gyu hugged someone, it would be tight and full of warmth depending on how much he yearned to feel someone close to him.

"I missed you!"

"I missed you too, dear," smiled Sang-ah. "Look how far you've come! Back then, I only listened to you sing in your room, and now, you're singing in front of hundreds of people!"

Byung-gyu chuckled. He wiped a stray tear when he pulled away and stared at his grandmother's beautiful green eyes. "So much has happened, halmeoni. The guys told me to tell you they said hi."

"Aw, they're so sweet. You should bring them along next time. In that way, I can make them the crab stew you always liked."

"I'll try, but you know people can get toward famous people," shrugged Byung-gyu. "I wonder how our neighbors will react to me now."

The old lady huffed. "Don't fret about it! I have you know that I always show you off to my friends. Do you know what they say? They want to set you up with their granddaughters!"

He paled. "Wh— what?!"

"Just joking!" Sang-ah smacked her grandson's arm. She turned around to make her way to the kitchen. "Do you think your old lady will simply sell you off? Absolutely not!"

Byung-gyu shook his head playfully.

While Byung-gyu was bringing all of his clothes out to place them on his wardrobe, which had been kept spotless by his grandmother, along with the rest of his room. Sang-ah was in the kitchen preparing Byung-gyu's favorite crab stew with seaweed. And of course, Byung-gyu didn't come back empty handed — he bought gifts for Sang-ah.

Knowing that Sang-ah preferred things that were not too expensive, Byung-gyu got her a new flower vase, a couple of his photos that also included his friends since Sang-ah would like to display them in the house, and a headdress for whenever she wished to go out.

Lunch was spent wonderfully. Byung-gyu spilled all details of the new memories he had created to his grandmother, who laughed and mused at certain situations that involved with the ARISE members and the band's manager. Sang-ah always thought that her grandson had found himself in a group of professional and matured people, but after hearing those stories, Byung-gyu reckoned her views would change once he shared more.

Afterward, Byung-gyu helped his grandmother with the dishes before feeding his dog by the porch. He watched Coco wagged his tail as he devoured his own lunch, then he caught his grandmother stepping down with the vase he had gifted her. Sang-ah walked to her garden where she crouched down and picked a flower from a clay pot with her gloved hands, transferring it to the ceramic vase. Byung-gyu noticed that the flower was pink and had a couple of dark green leaves clinging on the stem. . . He hadn't seen that flower before, or perhaps Sang-ah must've bought it.

"This has been given by a nice family near our house," said Sang-ah after noticing her grandson's curious gaze. "Isn't it beautiful? And with the vase you got me, this flower has a new home!"

Byung-gyu smiled. Then, he caught a couple of eyes glancing through the gate.

"Halmeoni? Is hyung-nim around?"

Sang-ah turned to him. "Seems like they are looking for you, my dear."

Byung-gyu chuckled and stood up. "Watch Coco for a bit for me, halmeoni."

"Take all your time! I'm sure they missed you a lot."

Very. Byung-gyu opened the gate and he was greeted by a group of young kids whom he always saw running around the neighborhood. One of them was holding a ball, which insinuated that they were about to play something and they wished him to be included in their activity.

The children beamed and started to scramble out of the gate, passing the ball to one another as their laughter increased in the air. Byung-gyu followed shortly behind them until he noticed that the kids were about to pass by a certain house where he knew someone would yell at the youngsters for being too loud.

"Hey! Be careful!" He shouted. "We don't want to have the old couple yell at us since we're in front of their house, do we?"

"But they're no longer here, hyung-nim."

Byung-gyu blinked. "They passed away?"

"Idiot!" The kid hit the back of his friend's head. He turned to Byung-gyu. "They left when their children came to pick them up. A new family had now moved into that house two weeks ago."

"Oh?" Byung-gyu raised a brow. "I see."

Part of him wondered if that was the same family who had given his grandmother that flower. . .

Byung-gyu had always liked spending time with the kids in his neighborhood. He considered them as his friends too. Whenever he brought his guitar around, they would gather around him and listen to the sounds he made; he'd watch or play with them and help them with their homework. The kids even cried when they learned that he was leaving due to a new work.

But now that he was here, Byung-gyu would make sure to create new memories with them as well as with his grandmother.

The children played in a vacant lot near a gazebo. They were passing the ball with their feet and Byung-gyu stood somewhere to kick the ball when it headed toward him. His laughter mixed with theirs. While half of the children were competitive, he didn't choose to get involved with him, rather he focused on the joy of being back to his neighborhood.

. . . But that was until he had put too much strength on the ball that it struck across the place and went past the kids. Then, there was a young woman, who was walking by and not aware of the incoming ball to her direction. Unfortunately, it was too late. . . The ball had already hit her shoulder.

Oh shit! Byung-gyu winced. Meanwhile, the children ran toward the woman.

"Noona! Are you okay?"

"We are so sorry!"

"We are just playing and—"

To Byung-gyu's surprise, the woman let out a chuckle.

"It's fine! You kids don't have to apologize. Just try to be careful next time, okay?" She said. Her voice sounded sweet as cinnamon and honey.

Byung-gyu sprinted toward her. "Hey! Uh— it's technically my fault. I was with these kids and—"

His sentence came into an end when the woman met his gaze. Her eyes were blue like sapphires. She had long ginger hair that had a fringe right over her eyebrows. She was short, only reaching his chin, and looked quite younger than him. She wore a plain white shirt and a pair of jeans; a brown sling bag clung to her shoulder.

�� "You don't have to apologize, sir. It is merely an accident." She smiled.

"Aw! Noona is so kind!"

"Hey, Unnie! Did you know that he's—"

Byung-gyu quickly covered the kid's mouth and left the rest of her sentence muffled behind his palm. The woman hadn't recognized him, so he must maintain it that way. "Okay, that's enough, Rin-ah. Aren't you supposed to win this game?"

Rin-ah's face changed. She shook her head and Byung-gyu removed his hand from her mouth to let her speak. "Right! Let's get back to the game and win!" She exclaimed and punched her fists in the air.

Byung-gyu laughed. When he turned to the woman, she had already walked away. Part of him wondered who could she be, considering how close were the kids toward her. And part of him reckoned that he hadn't seen her around the neighborhood before too.

"That's Lee Ju-hee, hyung-nim!" Another kid, Gwi-nam, said. "She's new here in the neighborhood. We were so happy that the old couple was gone and we decided to befriend her!"

"I can tell," chuckled Byung-gyu.

Later that day, Byung-gyu said farewell to the group of children, who were reluctant to see him leave, to go further in the town. He was going to meet a certain someone at the café. Eun-seok, who was a long-time friend of his besides Yoon-ho and also the person who had been editing the lyric videos of his original songs; he was a digital editor and had used Byung-gyu's videos to practice his skills.

Byung-gyu had already messaged Eun-seok that he was back in town and wished to meet him at the café they used to frequently hang out in. His friend's response had been a bunch of keyboard spamming that Byung-gyu chose not to read as he was walking. He had pulled his hood over his head in attempt of a disguise — and so far, nobody had recognized him, which was good. Back in Seoul, he barely stepped into the daylight due to his popularity, and when he had gone to the convenience store with Jin-woo once, a bunch of people had surrounded them.

They had to be fully covered since then. No matter what was the temperature.

Sure, he had his own fans when he was that singer online. But that was different in his new and current career.

When he entered the coffee shop, Byung-gyu looked around until he spotted his friend across the place. Eun-seok was facing his laptop with a pair of glasses in his eyes as he fiddled on his keyboard, his light brown hair had reached past the shell of his ears and his hazel eyes were fixated on the screen in utter concentration.

Byung-gyu pulled his hood back and made his way toward his friend. "Eun-seok!"

Eun-seok looked up from his laptop and a wide smile broke through his face. He got up and welcomed Byung-gyu into his arms. The two squeezed each other tight before Eun-seok patted Byung-gyu's back to pull away.

"I'm so glad to see you again, my man!" Eun-seok said. "You don't know how my days had become weird when you aren't sending something for me to edit."

Byung-gyu laughed. "Well, the company has their own set of editors to do the job. But hey! Maybe some time later if I'm in the mood to compose an original song, I'll hit you up."

"Great! But first things first— tell me about your career! Is it amazing? Are the fans different than your old viewers? Oh! Have you met any celebrities?" Eun-seok bomboarded him with questions as he sat down.

Byung-gyu answered them after Eun-seok called for a waiter to order some coffee, which Byung-gyu had to pull his hood back up to prevent an unwanted attention. Eun-seok flashed him an odd look and was about to ask until realization kicked in his eyes and nodded.

"Damn, what a struggle, huh?"

Byung-gyu sighed. "It's an absolute pain."

"Min Byung-gyu?"

Urgh! Not now!

Byung-gyu tugged his hood lower and he suddenly felt a strong sense that someone was heading toward him. His heart raced at the sight of three shadows touching the edge of the table. He wanted to run away. But no, Eun-seok was here, and it would be such a disrespect if he left out of the blue and those girls might interrogate his poor friend.

"Excuse me? Sir?"

"Oh my God! You can't just refer an idol 'sir'!"

"I'm just making sure! What if he's not really Min Byung-gyu?"

Leave me alone, please!

"Isn't ARISE in a vacation right now?"

"Right! Woo Jin-chul had posted on his page about it."

A finger tapped his shoulder. "Hello?"

"Cough!" Byung-gyu began to force himself cough loudly and tried to speak in a different voice. "Cough! Cough! I'm so sick! I cannot breathe!"

As if finally getting grasp of the situation, Eun-seok got up and reached up to his best friend. "My— my sweet brother! Do you need medicine?? Should I call the hospital?" He turned to the girls. "Uh, can you leave us alone, ladies? My brother gets. . . An attack when he's surrounded with people he does not know."

The girls instantly left as Byung-gyu continued coughing while Eun-seok was rubbing his shoulder. He waited until the girls were completely out and let out a sigh, leaning back to his seat.

"Remember when I joked about you becoming famous and surrounded by fans? Yeah, I regret it now." He said.

Byung-gyu groaned. "I should've listened to Jong-in and Tae-gyu!"

All Eun-seok could do was pat him on the head.

Once the two men were finished with their coffee, Byung-gyu felt refreshed. Nobody else had approached him ever since the girls had left the place, so that meant he was confident that he could walk around without anyone recognizing him as one of the members of the leading band of the country. . .

. . . And he was wrong.

The three girls who had attempted to approach him earlier turned out to be waiting for him outside, so the moment Byung-gyu got out of the cafe, they squealed and pulled him into taking selfies with them. Byung-gyu was forced to smile throughout six photos until Eun-seok dragged him away. Since then, more people began to notice him, flocking him, asking him to sign autographs, asking him to take a selfie with them. . . Byung-gyu was in a disaster.

All he asked was a simple hang out with Eun-seok!

Sadly, he hadn't gotten to catch up with his friend since Eun-seok had to return to his work, much to Byung-gyu's dismay.

Later that evening, Byung-gyu was walking in his neighborhood, on his way to return to his house when his phone started ringing. It was a group call from his friends. He answered it and four faces appeared in the screen. Their backgrounds appeared different, which meant they had visited their family, except Jong-in — who remained in the hotel instead of seeing his father — and Yoon-ho — who hadn't left their shared house.

"What's up, hyung?"

"Hey!"

"How was your reunion with your grandma?

"You look like you're outside. I hope everything is going well for you, eh?"

Byung-gyu chuckled. "Hey, guys! Missing me already? Yeah. . . I should've been more careful."

"Ha! I was right!" Tae-gyu exclaimed. "So what did they do to you? Asked you for photos? Took selfies with you while you smile in pain?"

"You know the risks, Min. And judging what you're wearing right now? Yes, you'd be easily recognized." Jong-in said as matter-of-factly. "And I won't be surprised if pictures of you in Gyeongsang is in the internet."

"Idiot, stop scolding Byung-gyu. He's trying to live his best life!"

"I'm just reminding him to be careful, you big fat—"

"How's your grandma, Byung-gyu?" Jin-woo cut in. "Any something exciting happen?"

"Halmeoni's doing great! She quickly made me my favorite stew." Byung-gyu smiled. "The kids are happy to see me too as much as I am with theirs. And a new family had moved in the house that was previously owned by an old grumpy couple, so I guess that's good."

"Seems like you don't like that couple a lot."

"They always yell at the kids. Halmeoni probably hated them too. But nonetheless, the new neighbors seem nice." Byung-gyu said. Surely, if that lovely woman whom he had encountered turned out to be kind-hearted, then the rest of her family must've been the same.

"Ohhh~ who are they? Did they find out that a certain ARISE member lives in the neighborhood?" Tae-gyu smirked.

Byung-gyu shook his head. "Not exactly. Otherwise, they would've approached me by now."

Tae-gyu huffed. "Don't get too comfortable, my dear friend, because once you—"

Words faded when Byung-gyu saw something across him. It was a young woman who looked exactly like the one he had seen earlier. Orange hair, petite frame, and a white shirt — that was definitely Lee Ju-hee, whom the neighborhood kids had befriended when he was in Seoul.

His feet halted.

Byung-gyu spotted her place her hand through the bars to fiddle on the gate. And that was when their gazes met. Byung-gyu tugged the corner of his mouth into a smile, but Ju-hee turned away and opened the gate and made her way inside.

His smile fell into a frown.

"Byung-gyu? Earth to Byung-gyu!"

"I think the signal is breaking."

Realizing that he was in a middle of conversation, Byung-gyu shook his head and glanced to his screen. "Gotta call you guys back. I think I need some rest."

His band members bid incoherent farewells and the video call ended. Byung-gyu shoved his phone into his pocket and proceeded his walk to his house. Coco was already waiting in the porch, so the second he saw his owner, his tail wagged and greeted Byung-gyu by standing on his back feet to reach him up. Byung-gyu rubbed the back of his dog's ears in return and ushered him to get inside.

"Oh, you're back, sweetheart!" Sang-ah called from the living room, watching a show in the television. "How's your day went? Good? Did you meet your fans?"

Byung-gyu chuckled. "Something like that, halmeoni. It feels weird to be seen by a lot of people."

"That's what you get for being very talented, my grandson. After all, you went from having small to big just like those stars I see on the television."

"I guess you're right," said Byung-gyu. He was about to turn to his bedroom when he stopped in front of the door. "Uh, halmeoni? Do our new neighbors know that you have a famous grandson?"

"Hmm. . . I have not told them yet. Why?"

"Oh, nothing." With that, Byung-gyu opened the door and Coco made his way inside first before he did.

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The next day, Byung-gyu decided to bring his dog along to see the kids since they were already done with their morning walk. If the children were not running around in the neighborhood, then they were likely at the wooden gazebo. Back in Seoul, he barely had time to take long walks in the morning with his dog, most especially when he was busy with rehearsing and had to hide his identity from the public.

Being back to his hometown had never felt so nice. . .

Until he caught a scene with the children.

They were huddled around something and as Byung-gyu got near, he realized that someone was crying. It turned out to be Beru, a six-year-old boy who came from another country and had moved in the neighborhood three years ago. He had a scraped knee and was sobbing.

"What happened? Is he okay?" Byung-gyu asked in worry.

"He tripped over when we were playing tag, hyung-nim."

He nodded. "Okay. Now, listen, Beru—"

"Guys! Noona is here!" Gwi-nam shouted and joined his friends. Byung-gyu turned up and saw Ju-hee, who was rushing toward them.

"Is your friend alright? How hurt is he?" Ju-hee asked. The kids stepped aside to give way, so she crouched down in front of the injured Beru. She reached her hand up to wipe his tears. "It's okay, sweetie. I'm here now."

"Is— is it going to be painful, Ms. Lee?" Beru sniffled.

She smiled. "A little. But you can stay strong for me, right?"

Beru nodded.

Byung-gyu watched another scene unfold. Ju-hee took something from her sling bag and it was a couple of medical supplies, she began by cleaning the corners of the wound, causing Beru to wince. Byung-gyu placed his hand on the kid's shoulder to comfort him. Beru slowly stopped crying when Ju-hee plastered a band-aid over it, pressing it gently to keep it intact with the skin.

Beru still sniffled and drew his arm across his eyes to wipe away the remnants of his tears. Ju-hee reached down to her bag again and this time, she brought out a piece of candy to hand it to Beru.

The kid's eyes widened. Ju-hee gave him an encouraging nod. Meanwhile, Byung-gyu gave him a smile. "So? What do you say?"

Beru turned to the candy again and reluctantly took it. "Th— thank you, Ms. Lee."

"Your welcome," Ju-hee smiled. "Now go and play. Just be more careful, Beru."

"Yep! I promise!"

Huh, Beru had never promised someone that he won't get hurt.

Nonetheless, while the children went back to playing, Byung-gyu had unleashed Coco to let him join the kids. Then, he realized that it was just him and Ju-hee who were left on the spot. Ju-hee watched the children play with her eyes glistening tenderly just like the soft sunlight coming through the leaves of the tree above her, also bringing copper glow from her ginger hair, then a soft smile was curved on her thin lips.

She's pretty. A thought came to Byung-gyu.

He understood what made the children fond of her. When Beru got injured, one of the kids had gone to fetch Ju-hee because they knew she would rush to their aid as possible; she treated him nicely and gave him a reward in return. Ju-hee was kind-hearted.

"Is there something you want, mister?"

"Oh! Sorry, I just—" Byung-gyu raised an eyebrow. "Did you just call me mister?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"You know me, right? Don't tell me you do not." Byung-gyu said. "I mean, the whole country knows who I am because I'm part of ARISE — one of the two lead vocalists! So there's always going to be someone who notices me if I'm not being to careful—"

Ju-hee laughed. "Did I hurt your feelings just because I didn't treat you like your fans?"

"No, I just—" Byung-gyu looked away and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know. The fact that you called me mister bugged me, I guess?"

"I see. Now that must've been the reason why you rambled about your image." Ju-hee said. "And yes, I do know you, Min Byung-gyu. But it's not like I'm gonna treat you like some God if that is what you're thinking."

Byung-gyu huffed. "Then I should be grateful."

"Oh? So you don't like being surrounded and praised just like other famous people?"

"Not exactly. I didn't accept the offer just so I could get a lot of attention, but rather, I joined because of my passion." Byung-gyu shrugged. "And to be fair, it feels new to be treated this way. You're not screaming or squealing at me, Ms. Lee."

"I just thought I should treat you like an average person when I learned that you've become a hit star." The corner of Ju-hee's lips twitched. "I used to watch your acoustic covers, you know? When I was still studying for exams, I used your videos to help me focus and relax."

She used to listen to my old covers?! Byung-gyu was surprised. To think he'd actually meet someone who had been listening to him sing before he rose to fame. . . It felt quite flattering. Truly.

"Well. . . What about now? Did your opinions change now that I'm—" he shrugged his shoulders to insinuate the last unspoken word.

Ju-hee hummed. "You amused me. To think I'd witness you dance at the same time, it made me wonder if I am looking at the same person." She chuckled. "Nonetheless, you deserve to be seen by hundreds. ARISE sure is lucky to have you."

Byung-gyu laughed airily. "What a flatter, Ms. Lee."

"Call me Ju-hee," the ginger let out a grin. "You don't use honorifics around your fans, you know?"

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His fingers strung the strings of the guitar. A smooth rhythm wafted in the air, twirling and waltzing to the ears of the small audience that had gathered in the gazebo. Byung-gyu had his foot pressed on a chair to perch his instrument above his leg, he opened his mouth to begin singing in front of the kids who had occupied all the sitting areas in the wooden shelter. They stared at him in utter awe, absorbing the gentleness of his voice amid the stringing of his guitar.

The song was the acoustic version of one of ARISE's newest releases before their vacation. Byung-gyu was yet to release the version, but he decided to share it with the kids first.

As soon as the song came to an end, Byung-gyu proceeded to play his guitar to repeat the chorus. He knew how the youngsters liked the stringing sounds so much. A grin crept across his mouth at the enamored faces of the children until he reached the last note of the song.

His audience clapped and erupted into cheers.

"You're so amazing, hyung-nim!"

"You are the best singer I've ever known!"

"I want to go to your concerts one day!"

"Another song! Another song!"

Byung-gyu laughed. "You guys enjoyed it so much, huh? Who wants to hear another one?"

"Me!" They exclaimed simultaneously.

"Alright! Let's—" Byung-gyu paused when he caught something from the corner of his eye. It was Ju-hee, who carried a plastic bag in her hands. "Ju-hee!" He called.

Ju-hee's twin pools of blue met his dark ones. At first, she blinked. "Oh, hey?"

"Wanna join us?" He said. "I could use one more audience."

"Uhm. . . " Ju-hee turned to the children, who looked at her with pleading eyes. Her lips softly curled into a smile. "Okay."

Yes! Byung-gyu succeeded in his plan. So once Ju-hee sat on the corner, he moved his capo to a different spot in the neck and began stringing his guitar. His gaze landed on Ju-hee, whose eyes stretched at the first few notes. The song was one of his most viewed covers in his account. So obviously, Ju-hee might've listened to it.

Judging her reaction, he was correct.

The song was originally pop, but Byung-gyu made it smoother. He added more emotion to the lyrics since singing with his whole heart felt much better. He briefly glanced at Ju-hee, who had a smile on her face. Just seeing her reminded him of sunshine.

"How long are you going to be here?" Ju-hee asked. She and Byung-gyu were walking together after they decided to leave the children alone to play, thus having a moment for themselves as grown-ups.

"Two months. That's the longest vacation ARISE could get." Byung-gyu replied.

"Really? That feels quite short. You guys probably worked hard a lot to deliver those performances on stage." Ju-hee remarked. "How are you handling it?"

His mouth twitched into a grin. "Sometimes it's exhausting, but sometimes we just find the fun in our rehearsals. Namely, speeding our song twice and whoever falls loses. Jong-in is the one who never wins because of his body not handling too much steps — Yoon-ho dragged him to the gym once, Tae-gyu almost called the hospital."

"Wow! You guys are wild." Ju-hee chuckled. "What about you? What's your role?"

"I only cause trouble once or twice. I don't usually join them to the gym, but if I do, I just make a run in the treadmill." Byung-gyu shrugged. "Yoon-ho is the biggest gym junkie, Tae-gyu and Jin-woo come close."

"Tae-gyu used to be a tennis player, right? And I heard that Jin-woo used to be an athlete too."

"He was, but Jin-woo only tried it when he was a kid because he needed to get good grades. Tae-gyu still plays tennis, only as a hobby now though, and he wants to try archery for a change."

"I see," Ju-hee nodded. "Do you write the band's songs all the time?"

"Yeah, but occasionally, I had the guys help me with the verses. Jin-woo had even wrote his own song for his first single — which made me so proud." Byung-gyu wiped a nonexistent tear on the corner of his eye. He snickered at the eye roll Ju-hee had given him. "What? Is it wrong to be proud of my fellow members?"

"No. I just find it cute that you guys see each other as siblings." She said.

"Well, we are one happy family after all. And that includes the band's mother hen."

"Who's the mother hen?"

"You're up for a story then, Ms. Lee!"

Byung-gyu had grown more comfortable with Lee Ju-hee. He even couldn't believe that he was revealing a lot of things to her that no one else in the media knew. But Ju-hee did not give him the impression that she would tell other people, she listened and chattered along like she wasn't walking alongside a celebrity.

It felt like she was talking to a friend.

Byung-gyu liked that.

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"When are you gonna make a new song or a cover? My hands are itching to create a video out of it!"

Byung-gyu chuckled and held the both of his hands up. "Sorry, hyung. I challenged myself not to write songs during the whole vacation."

"Well, that just sucks," scoffed Eun-seok. Coco went to him with a stick between his teeth, so he took it and threw the stick to the distance. "But hey! Do you know that being friends with a celebrity is hard too? Yeah, my co-workers talked to me all of a sudden and a girl asked me out on a date."

"Congrats!"

"No, it's not! She clearly asked me out because I'm friends with you." Eun-seok said. "And then she'll just use me as a bridge to get close to you until you leave me in the shadows after—"

Byung-gyu smacked the back of his friend's head. "Quit overthinking. Do you think I will abandon you? Not in a million years. And besides, why would I date a girl who uses others? If I hadn't become a celebrity, I doubt I will get a date."

"What kind of girl who won't fall for a talented guy like you who plays guitar, sings, and loves his grandmother?"

"Call me high standards." Byung-gyu shrugged.

"High standards my ass!" Eun-seok rolled his eyes. He looked over and noticed that the dog hadn't returned yet. "Where's Coco? I'm sure I didn't throw the stick too far."

"Let's just look for him." Byung-gyu walked past Eun-seok and followed the trail his dog had gone to. Coco wasn't the one to get lost, but if he did, it might be because he got distracted by something.

And Byung-gyu had a bad feeling about it.

He wasn't sure how short Coco's attention span had been after living in the city for too long. Given how his bandmates had been spoiling his dog behind his back, Byung-gyu had grown concerned over the idea of Coco getting lost.

Eventually, he and Eun-seok found the golden retriever.

Coco did get distracted. . . Particularly because Ju-hee was with him.

Coco wagged his tail as he leaned further on Ju-hee's touch. She scratched his fur and giggled when Coco licked her hand in return. The stick, on the other hand, was left unnoticed. Coco whined lovingly at her and laid on the ground with his belly exposed for her to rub.

"Dude, I think someone has stolen your dog."

"He's not stolen, you dummy," said Byung-gyu. "He saw a friend."

Eun-seok flashed him an odd look. "Eh?"

"Coco!" Byung-gyu called his dog as he approached the two. "There you are. I was wondering where you went!"

Ju-hee looked up to him with her blue eyes, shining just like her smile. "Byung-gyu! I was just coming back from the clinic when I found Coco. Though, it was more like he found me."

"You're working at the clinic?" Byung-gyu asked.

"Yeah. I just thought that I should start with something small before moving to an actual hospital."

"Well, that's great! I hope you'll be able to work in the hospital one day." Byung-gyu smiled. "Hmm. . . Dr. Lee? Or Dr. Ju-hee? Which sounds better?"

"Either," Ju-hee chuckled.

"Ahem!"

Byung-gyu turned around and realized Eun-seok was still there. "Oh! Eun-seok, this is Ju-hee." He turned to the ginger. "Ju-hee, that is Eun-seok. He's the one who edited my old videos."

Eun-seok waved at her.

Ju-hee nodded at the brunet and turned to the wagging golden retriever. "Your dad's here now. Go to him."

Coco whined and leaned up to flick his tongue at Ju-hee's chin before going to Byung-gyu.

"Your dog likes her a lot."

"Coco likes people in general, Eun-seok."

Eun-seok snickered.

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"Put it on the left! Yes, there we go!"

"Be careful! The contents might be fragile."

"No, no! Don't put that box on the crates. They have chemicals!"

"How about here?"

"That's fine."

"I can't believe we have an idol helping us around!"

Byung-gyu chuckled as he hauled another box from the truck. "Just because I'm famous doesn't mean I will have to stop helping you, Ms. Jung. Remember when you used to give me candies in return?"

The middle-aged woman laughed. "Of course! How can I forget that young boy who joins the delivery men after he gets home from school?" She said. "So, now what? Do you want candies after this?"

"Maybe later," Byung-gyu grinned.

When he placed the box on top of the others, he shook his arms on his sides to ease his muscles from carrying heavy objects. Byung-gyu preferred carrying boxes more than lifting weights in the gym. And at this, his bandmates believed that he didn't have as much muscles — which was partially true, but Byung-gyu still had a bit of muscular biceps that were always hidden under his hoodies.

Currently, Byung-gyu had taken off his jacket and rolled the sleeves of his shirt to his shoulders. Sweat glistened from his forehead down to his neck, also leaving small drenched marks on his light brown top. He brought his arm to his forehead to not only wipe the sweat, but also push his hair back, and released a quick loud sigh.

"Are you sure you can still do it, dear?"

"Hm? Of course, I can!" Byung-gyu grinned broadly. "The temperature happened to be so hot, you know?"

"My! If my daughter is here, she would be watching you the whole day." Ms. Jung chuckled. "She has a big crush on you, you know? If anything, would you be willing to date someone who's a fan of yours?"

Byung-gyu hummed. "That depends. But usually, I will have to refuse."

"Oh, so your type is a celebrity like you?"

"Not that either," he shrugged. He walked back to the truck to pick up the last box. "I prefer someone who's. . . Ordinary. Whether she's a fan or not, if I feel like she's the right person, then might as well go for the chance."

She smiled. "You have a great mindset, Byung-gyu."

Afterward, Byung-gyu sat on the bench outside the store, downing on the ice cold water Ms. Jung's husband had given him as gratitude for the help. The lady had also given him candies as promised. The store was located near his neighborhood, so he had no worries of people recognizing him or even snapping photos of him since his face was completely bare to the public.

Then, he caught a taxi pulling over several feet away from his spot. A woman got out of the front seat and pulled the door from the back, hauling out two heavy plastic bags with one hand and another two with the other. She placed them on the ground and took out some cents from her pocket to hand them to the driver.

Byung-gyu drank the last of his water and threw it at the trashcan. He grabbed his jacket from the edge of the bench and tied the sleeves around his waist as he took off toward the lady, who seemed to be struggling a little with the weight on her hands.

"Let me carry these for you," he said to her as he crouched down. The woman looked quite familiar and he presumed she must be living somewhere in the neighborhood.

"Oh, you don't have to—" she paused. "Min Byung-gyu?"

He shrugged. "As always."

"Heavens! I never thought I would encounter you in personal." She chuckled. "And— why are you all sweaty?"

"I just helped carry the boxes that belonged to that store," he jerked his head to the direction of the small convenience store. "Sorry for the messy appearance, ma'am."

"Oh, you don't have to apologize. I almost didn't recognize you."

"Thanks for the compliment!"

The woman laughed and playfully smacked his arm with her free hand. "Now that you're here, I might as well lead you to my house and make you something nice as a treat."

Byung-gyu followed the lady, who was now carrying only one plastic bag since he had already taken the other three which he believed would be too heavy to carry on her own. He got into a nice conversation with her. Unlike Mrs. Jung, the woman didn't mention a daughter of hers being a fan of him and attempt to set him up, rather she talked about nice topics that reminded Byung-gyu of his mom and grandmother.

Speaking of his mom. . . It made him miss her.

It had been almost a decade since he lost her, as well as his dad.

A few moments later, Byung-gyu noticed he was walking in a familiar pathway, like he was just heading home. He speculated that the woman lived somewhere close. Then, he realized that she turned out to live in the same house where the old couple had formally resided.

Wait. . . Could it be—

"Mom?" It was Ju-hee's voice.

Byung-gyu found himself facing Ju-hee, who was standing in the middle of the doorway. Her eyes were stretched in surprise.

"Look who's with me, Ju-hee!" The lady— no, Ju-hee's mother, said. "You two have already talked, right?"

"Y— yes. . . "

"She's a shy young lady," the woman whispered to him. "But she is incredibly sweet once you get to know her more."

Byung-gyu let out a chuckle. "I can already tell, ma'am."

"And sometimes, my daughter is also—"

"That's enough!" Ju-hee glared at the two. She left the doorway and walked to Byung-gyu, her face flushing as she held on the bag's handle. "Thank you so much for helping my mom, Byung-gyu!"

"It was nothing. I didn't even know that she's your mom in the first place." The corner of his mouth twitched.

"Byung-gyu! I'm gonna make you some iced tea, so you better come inside of this house!"

Ju-hee blinked. "What's going on?"

"Your mom invited me over when I went to help her," Byung-gyu shrugged.

" . . . "

Ju-hee's parents were both welcoming individuals. It even made Byung-gyu quite overwhelmed when the couple ushered him to take a seat. Meanwhile, Ju-hee was nowhere to be found, and Byung-gyu was too occupied to ask where she was. It made him wonder if they were naturally friendly to everyone. But he would be lying if he said that he didn't have a good time — Ju-hee's mother had given him iced tea and some cookies.

"Do you always come home here in every vacation?"

"Only if the vacation is one month or more, sir," replied Byung-gyu to Mr. Lee. "And sometimes, we take vacation somewhere else as a band."

"Well, that's a good thing that you folks are finding enjoyment that doesn't involve performing to the audience," the man nodded. "Look at you! You're way too handsome to be so stressed. When I was in your age, ladies still keep fawning over me."

Byung-gyu chuckled. "Uh. . . Thank you."

"You're sweating a little, son. Are you nervous?"

"What? No, sir. It's just that—"

"Got it!"

Byung-gyu turned his head and saw Ju-hee, who had a clean white cloth in her hand. He was about to open his mouth when he suddenly felt something soft on his forehead.

"It's bad if you leave your sweat on your skin for too long," said Ju-hee.

Byung-gyu felt his breath pausing. The proximity between them was short. He could see her sky blue eyes fixed in concentration. He considered pulling the collar of his shirt up to smell his odor, yet his hands had gone inert on the table.

And when he caught the towel moving to his neck, that was when he decided to act.

"I— uhm. . . " He stuttered. "I— I can do it. Thank you, Ju-hee."

When Ju-hee realized what she was doing, she flinched and the towel fell on his lap. "Oh my God! Sorry!"

Her father laughed on the other side of the table. "Ju-hee likes to look after people. It's her instinct. Although, I'm surprised that you called her by her first name, Byung-gyu."

"They have already met before, dear!" Ju-hee's mom shouted from the kitchen. "Why didn't you tell us that you're friends with Byung-gyu, Ju-hee?"

"It wasn't that completely important, mom."

"Are you saying that I'm not important?" Byung-gyu widened his eyes and leaned away in faux hurt. "I cannot believe you hurt me this way, Ms. Lee."

Ju-hee glowered down at him. "Shut it."

He laughed.

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It had been a few weeks since he was staying in Gyeongsang.

Byung-gyu created new memories with his grandmother, spent more time with Eun-seok and the kids, let his dog run around freely as much as he wanted, and most of all, hung out with Ju-hee too.

Since their houses were not far from each other, it was easy for Byung-gyu to see her around and invite her to hang out with him if she was not busy. He had gotten along well with her parents too, which was something Ju-hee would prevent from happening. And while she had already known Sang-ah, Ju-hee was still quite timid when entering the old woman's house, and luckily, Coco was there to drag her in by himself.

Ju-hee was as welcomed by Sang-ah as Byung-gyu was by her parents.

Byung-gyu began to show her the songs he had written and sang them to her with his guitar. He knew that Ju-hee would not share it with others, unlike a particular member in the band who had could not keep his hands to himself. Ju-hee's reactions were heartwarming. She'd tell her compliments once the song was over and was hoping that he would do a solo cover soon.

It was felt as though he was interacting with a fan. Except that Byung-gyu wasn't uncomfortable and he liked her company a lot. Besides Eun-seok, he never thought he would gain another friend who was just an average person.

Other times, he'd hang out with Ju-hee until sundown. And even when she was at his house, Byung-gyu would still take her home, only then to be greeted by her parents who were grinning at the other side of the gate. He laughed at Ju-hee's reaction.

She made him happy.

"Ju-hee's the sweetest, isn't she?" Sang-ah spoke when she was sitting on the couch and Byung-gyu was on the floor, playing with Coco. "She came here a month before you did. I even told her that I have a grandson whose heart is big just like hers." She let out a chuckle. "And the funny thing is, I can't help but feel I am witnessing your parents' love story again."

Byung-gyu looked up with an arched brow. "How so?"

Sure, he already knew how his parents met, but to have his grandmother include Ju-hee, it made him curious.

"When your dad was the first one to fall in love, he could not stay quiet around your grandfather and I after he realized his feelings," Sang-ah told him with a gentle smile. "The most amazing part is that they met and fell in love in the same neighborhood."

"I don't get it. . . " Byung-gyu said. "How does that have something to do between me and Ju-hee?"

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough, my boy. And I trust my instincts." Then, Sang-ah let out a grin. "Do you think you can fool this old lady, huh? I have taken care of you since you were a baby!"

Byung-gyu just playfully shook his head.

He believed that his grandmother must be pestering him to get a girlfriend and used Ju-hee to emphasize it. He knew how old people could get when it came to love lives. And besides, he was still young despite in his early twenties — he didn't have to hurry about dating, especially when he had a career to look after.

But little did he know, he should've had listened to his grandmother.

Byung-gyu was walking around the neighborhood, hoping to see the kids to spend time with them, but to his surprise, Ju-hee was there.

He raised his hand and was about to shout until he got the gist of the situation. Two girls were with her while the boys were running around and playing tag. Several flowers were scattered on the mat next to the girls' feet, who were fawning over the flower crowns they had created.

"You look so pretty, unnie!"

"Unnie! Try this one!"

Ju-hee bent down to let a little girl put a wreath on top of her head. She was clad in a pair of black leggings underneath her floral skirt and a yellow shoulderless blouse with puffy sleeves; with the white wreath on, her beauty radiated into something more.

. . . And Byung-gyu was probably blinded by it.

Afterward, the two girls, who had their own wreaths, took each of Ju-hee's hands and connected their hands together to form a circle. Laughter blossomed in the air as the little girls bounced on their feet while Ju-hee just watched them with the widest smile on her face.

Oh no. Came his first thought.

Perhaps his grandmother's intuition was right. Byung-gyu turned around and was to walk away when he heard someone call him.

"Hyung-nim!" Rin-ah beamed. "Come and take a look at unnie!"

Byung-gyu obliged and came face-to-face with Ju-hee. Her long orange hair swayed gracefully behind her waist. And with the flower crown on her head, it made him feel as though he was facing a spring goddess.

"Hey." Ju-hee smiled.

If it wasn't for his jacket, she would've seen the blush on his neck. Byung-gyu had to swallow to make sure he wouldn't lose his voice. "Uh. . . Hi?"

Awkward silence. . .

Knowing that he must do something, Byung-gyu spoke again. "You— you look like a goddess, Ju-hee! I have to go!"

He took off after that and didn't look back.

Eun-seok was the first person he went to. Unable to hold back his words, Byung-gyu rambled in front of Eun-seok without allowing him say a single word about him barging into his house in the middle of the day. Eun-seok ended up listening until he was done.

"I barely understand anything, but all I get is that Ju-hee is the reason why you're like this, correct?"

"Yes!"

" . . . " Eun-seok sighed. "Damn, I thought something bad happened. Anyways— why are you so freaked out about that?"

"Should I not be freaked out?" Byung-gyu said. "I mean, I've only known Ju-hee in less than two months and I got—" he counted his fingers. "Two weeks and four days left until my vacation is over!"

"Two weeks and four days left?!"

"I told you I won't stay here for a long time." Byung-gyu rolled his eyes. "But that's not the main point! I'm not sure if Ju-hee feels the same way, or if I will be able to admit to her, but do you think things will be rushed if I take the risk?"

"You're not even sure if you'll be coming to Seoul with a broken heart or a happy heart." Eun-seok deadpanned.

Byung-gyu sighed. "Okay, maybe I won't tell her yet. I can just cope with it since I'll be busy once ARISE is back on stage."

"Or you can deal with your feelings in a creative way. That'll keep you sane." Eun-seok shrugged. Then, he grinned. "So. . . Someone finally stole your heart, huh? Of all the girls going crazy over you, your heart chooses a sweet girl like Ju-hee."

Byung-gyu huffed. "Well, at least I don't simply jump into a relationship." There was another moment of silence until he spoke again, only to send a warning gaze at Eun-seok. "You better not tell anyone about this."

Eun-seok snickered. "Well, this should be—"

"I'm firing you as my editor."

"Okay, fine! I won't tell anyone."

Two weeks and four days had finally come to an end. Sang-ah had become emotional while she watched her grandson pack his things into his bag. Byung-gyu had to pause and comfort her, rubbing her back, then told her that he would return on his next vacation. He too was emotional, yet held his tears back.

The kids had come to see him for one last time. Some didn't want to see him leave while the others were excited to see him again. Byung-gyu ruffled each of their heads before he loaded his bags into the back of his truck. Coco was already in the inside, poking his head through the open window. Eun-seok, who had spent the night in his house, stood next to Sang-ah, comforting the old woman.

"We'll be waiting for your next spotlight, Byung-gyu!" Eun-seok said.

"Thanks, man!" Byung-gyu smiled.

As everyone waited for him to mount on the driver's seat, Byung-gyu found himself standing still next to the door. It seemed that someone was missing. The kids, his grandmother, and Eun-seok were there, but not her. Byung-gyu wondered if she was on her shift and that was why she couldn't meet him in his departure.

"Are you waiting for someone?"

It took a brief moment for Byung-gyu to respond. "Well. . . "

"Byung-gyu!"

And there she was.

Ju-hee ran toward him, panting. Her hair had grown quite messy as if she had rushed from the clinic to the neighborhood. Byung-gyu stared at her wide-eyed as she straightened her posture and shook her head.

"I, uh. . . I can't risk seeing you leave without saying goodbye." She said.

Eun-seok snorted, but Sang-ah smacked him in the head. Byung-gyu's lips curled into a smile, his heart fluttering. He couldn't believe that Ju-hee had ran all the way to see him. . .

"Thank you. I'll— see you next time, Ju-hee." He told her.

"Good luck with your upcoming songs, Byung-gyu. The whole band, I mean." She smiled. "And don't worry, I will check on your grandmother while you're gone."

Part of him wanted to hug her. But then, Sang-ah and Eun-seok might get the wrong idea, so Byung-gyu resisted the urge and smiled at her before he opened the door and got into the driver's seat.

They bid farewell to him, though Byung-gyu found himself paying more attention to Ju-hee through the sideview mirror. He turned on the keys on the ignition and pulled out of the driveway. Vacation was over, it was back to spending his time at the recording studio.

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"Welcome back, hyung!" Tae-gyu greeted him when Byung-gyu had stepped inside of their shared house. Coco quickly dashed toward Yoon-ho, who happily greeted the dog and began to rub his furry belly. "Judging by your face, it seems like you had a great time."

"The greatest." He chuckled.

"Now that everyone here is complete," Jin-chul began. "You guys know what this means, right? The vacation is over, ARISE releases new songs. However, feel free to do whatever you want while Byung-gyu is writing songs or doing the final revisions."

"Uhm, actually—" Byung-gyu brought his backpack down and pulled out his notebook to flip it open. He turned over a couple of pages before he handed it to Jin-chul. "I have already written one when I was back in Gyeongsang."

Curious, Jin-chul took the notebook and began to read the lyrics. Byung-gyu waited in anticipation while the rest stared at their manager. Then, Jin-chul's eyes widened. "Wow. . . "

"What is it, Mr. Woo?"

"Do the lyrics finally contain swear words?"

"Are we gonna low-key insult people in the song?"

"Tell us already!"

"Seems like you guys will be singing something different," Jin-chul let out a grin. "After having a break for two months, ARISE will surprise the viewers with their very first love song!"

"WHAT?!"

Byung-gyu rubbed the back of his neck. He knew that everyone would be shocked. "Yeah. . . "

He might get questioned after the meeting, but he was prepared for his answers anyway, whether it would end up with him lying or not. Byung-gyu chose to keep the real truth a secret. And to think, he had actually written a song for somebody — a romance song to be precise, but if he kept these feelings buried in his heart, it might push his sanity on the edge.

It was better to release his feelings through words while not mentioning the name.

Sooner or later, he would be singing to hundreds of people. But little did they know, he was actually singing to one person. And little did that one person know, she was hearing all of the emotions she had made him feel within those two months.

Ju-hee had managed to linger in his mind like the most beautiful song he had ever heard. Her kind soul alone had made his heart race. Byung-gyu had many words to describe her smiles and laughs in a sheet of paper until he came up with a song.

She became his new favorite inspiration.

Byung-gyu might be singing to the whole country, but to him, he was just singing to the girl from his hometown.

#jinhae next! (which will be the last fic for this au at this moment before i move to another fic)#solo leveling #solo leveling boyband au: arise #min byung gyu #lee ju hee #minlee #rei scribbles

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