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wishesunderthestars · 4 years ago

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Eunoia // Ch. 12

eunoia (noun): beautiful thinking, the possession of a well-balanced mind, which exhibits goodwill and kindness

Pairings: Hybrid! BTS x reader

Summary: You are a world famous director and you have dedicated your life to your job.You have everything you could ever dream of; wealth, recognition, talent, your friends and family. But loneliness ins’t cured by success. So what happens when you somehow rescue seven hybrids? Can they fill the void?

Genre: Angst, fluff, hurt/comfort, eventual smut

Word Count: 18.1k+

Warnings: Abuse and violence, mentions of past sexual abuse, mentions of putting down hybrids, discussion of insomnia caused by a traumatic event, panic attacks, derogetory language

Masterlist

Chapter 1, Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11

Phew, that was long one. Please comment and reblog it really motivates me to keep writing. And I always love receiving asks so don’t be shy ;)

"I can't believe this is happening! Why can't I receive good news for once?" After the initial shock, you were fuming. "Work of months has been destroyed and for what? Because someone decided not to take the proper safety measures to save some money. People could have been hurt in there! Seriously hurt. And it would have been on our heads!"

Namjoon was holding your phone, the email you had received opened on the screen. "You didn't know they hadn't taken the necessary precautions. It wouldn't have been on your head."

"Can you imagine what would have happened if we had been filming? If the actors and the crew were inside and the building collapsed on us?" The chair scraped against the floor as you raised to your feet. You couldn't stay sitting anymore. "I don't even want to think about that. How many people... If we would even get out of there alive. And it isn't only us. What if the earthquake hadn't hit at night? And the workers were still inside? What then? This is wrong on so many levels I can't even begin to count."

Five point six Richter. That was the magnitude of the earthquake that had hit Virginia. It had been felt in Washington. They said it had affected a radius of two hundred kilometers around the center of the earthquake. No one had expected it and no one had been prepared. In the email there was a detailed description of how the earthquake had caused the sets for The Raven Cycle to collapse in on themselves, because the respective protection measures hadn't been taken. The earthquake had hit at night, waking up everyone in the area and causing panic as people flooded the streets. They had discovered the ruined sets in the morning.

Protection measures were of utmost important in every environment and you were baffled that a film studio with such prestige would disregard them so easily. You had half a mind to storm into the building you had just returned from and make a scene in front of everyone. They had put everyone in danger, not only the actors and the crew and all the people working there but also the passersby who could have had metal rods falling on their heads.

How could they allow this? How could they be so careless? It wasn't a building made for only a couple of days of use with light materials. Filming would take place there for the better part of the summer. In a few months you would have been there. You could have been there.

"And now you have to leave?" Namjoon asked, jaw tense. "Can't you wait a few days and go later?" You knew what he was thinking. You didn't want to leave either. It was the worst time possible for you to leave. The two hybrids in the guestroom, the injuries you had to tend to, Jimin and Jungkook, Jimin's past. But it wasn't your decision to make.

"I can't, they have already planned the whole trip. It isn't like I have a choice. The message is clear, I will be flying to Virginia in two days. As the director and showrunner, I have to be there. They have called everyone important in the project and I am one of the lucky ones. And it isn't like I can refuse unless I have a very important reason. And I can't exactly tell them I am nursing to health a stray hybrid until he and his friend can live on their own again, instead of reporting them to the hybrid services."

Namjoon's face scrunched up at the mention of the services. They were anything but kind to hybrids. They thought they could do anything to them if they were strays before they had to give them to a center. The times he and his small pack had to run away from them weren't few. It disgusted you, the way some people behaved.

You landed back on your chair with a huff, tired of pacing. Namjoon must have got a headache from the way his eyes were following you. "This is just what I didn't need. I thought we wouldn't have to go to Virginia until summer!"

You felt like banging your head on the wall but you settled for laying you head on the desk. It collided with a dull thud.

It wasn't only the destroyed set and what that meant for the show. Slowing down of the production, a larger budget needed (oh, the irony) and the bad press you would get if it got out.

People in the area must have suffered. Flashes of collapsed buildings, shattered windows and cracks in the streets ran through your mind. No, it couldn't be that bad. You prayed it wasn't that bad.

Namjoon frowned. "What are you supposed to do there? You aren't going to help rebuild the sets. What do they need you for?" You could see the worry in his eyes. His instincts calling him to protect you, to not let you leave. You appreciated the fact he was fighting it.

With your cheek squished against the desk you said, "No, I'm not going to rebuild the sets, but they need me there nonetheless. There is a legal part of this whole thing I have to be there for. And me being there might help the ones doing the rebuilding."

Namjoon sighed, giving up on trying to keep you here. "Will John come with you?"

"Most likely," you said, raising your head from the desk and sitting back on the chair. Your back hurt from the awkward angle you had bent your body in. "I will ask him but I'm pretty sure he will say yes. He always comes with me when I'm working out of California. He has toured half of the world being my bodyguard. And this time.... This time I don't think he would let me go without him."

"It seems you do tend to travel a lot," Namjoon noted. There wasn't any judgment or disdain in his voice, he was simply stating a fact. If anything he looked at the cream and gold world globe on your desk with longing. He had told you he had never left California, created and bred in Los Angeles. You didn't like how he said "created" but you couldn't correct him. "It must be nice seeing all those places."

The gold of the globe caught the light, distorted figures moving on the polished surface. "It's nice when it's properly planned and when I actually want to go. And there aren't any natural disasters involved. I can't say that's true this time. It's the furthest it could be from the truth." You groaned. "What am I going to do now? I can't leave like this. There are so many things going on."

Namjoon was too close to what he looked like talking to you about the ending of the Book Thief. "How long will you be gone?"

"A week?" The email didn't specify. A week was how long most work trips that didn't include filming lasted, but this wasn't a normal work trip. This had never happened to you or to anyone you knew before. You had heard of disasters but nothing like this.

Your fingers had subconsciously started drumming a tune on the desk. A tune that had comforted you once. A tune he used to hum long before he turned it into a song. You stilled your hand.

An earthquake. Five point six Richter. Shaking buildings, rattling shelves, trembling chandeliers, cupboards opening and dishes and glasses falling to the floor. The kind of thing you see on the TV. The kind of thing you don't ever expect to witness. No one expects a disaster like that to strike out of the blue, but that's the way it is. There is no one to warn you, no one who can.

You didn't go to dinner. You told Namjoon not to wait for you, you would eat later. Climbing down the stairs, you stopped in front of the door and knocked. The reply was the same and Yoongi opened the door like every time.

Every room had a medical kit in the bathroom, the one in this had to be restocked twice in the past few days.

Hoseok gave you a small smile and extended his broken arm. Sitting on the edge of the bed, you started telling him of the time you had spent in the Caribbean Sea. You had stayed there for a few months and had spent most of that time in Jamaica and Puerto Rico. The sandy beaches, the endless turquoise sea and the colorful houses didn't fail to bring a smile to your face. The people had been welcoming and kind, eager to help with any problems production faced. They invited you to nights full of dancing and music and included you in everything like you belonged there.

The movie you had filmed wasn't one of your biggest hits. It wasn't nominated for an Oscar and although it did earn much recognition and was played at multiple international film festivals, it wasn't as successful as your other films. But it was the most fun you had had filming. The actors were incredible both at their job and out of it. You had spent some of the best nights of your life there.

As you fastened the splint in place around Hoseok's arm, you told him of the night they had lit large bonfires along the beach and all the people in the area had gathered around to have a few drinks and dance. Your mind, however, wasn't on the story. A fractured arm and a rib wasn't something you should be treating at home. It didn't matter how many first aid classes you had attended, a lot of things could go wrong. But it was either this or nothing. When you had suggested taking Hoseok to the hospital, Yoongi had almost bitten your head off.

Hoseok was laying back against the pillows with his eyes clothes when you were done. He was doing better. Having regular meals and being able to wash made the improvement more evident. He didn't complain when you were treating him but you could see his eyes clenching shut when you were applying salve to the most tender spots. The stories helped. They distracted him and you could work easier. He rarely spoke but lately he had been brave enough to voice any questions he had and you had readily answered him. Progress. Progress you hoped wouldn't halt now.

"This is it for today," you said, rubbing your hands together and getting up. "In a few days you won't have any trouble moving around on your own. Not anything too strenuous, though, no running or jumping around."

"Thank you." Hoseok spoke softly, like being any louder would break an unspoken rule. Like it would get him punished.

Yoongi was sitting on the chaise lounge by the glass wall, facing away from you. The fire pits were lit all the way along the balconies, flames licking up the darkness of the night. He didn't look at you while you were there, only stealing glances when he thought you weren't looking. When his eyes met yours he would scowl and look away.

"There is something I wanted to tell you," you started. You didn't know how else to say it so you jumped in head first. "I was called to Virginia for work. I'll be leaving the day after tomorrow." Yoongi's back stiffened, his tail stilling in the air. Hoseok's eyes turned impossibly wide. "I don't know yet how long I will stay there but it will be some time before I can come back. I thought you should know because I won't be able to treat you."

Yoongi huffed. "Who will be our caretaker then?"

You paused by the door. "Do you think you need one?"

"Is this a joke?" Yoongi's fists clenched. There was no blood on them anymore.

It wasn’t a secret that hybrids were treated like pets, that included having someone babysit them when the owner was gone. You had been through it before when you had left for New York shortly after you had adopted Namjoon, Jimin and Jungkook. Everyone had expected you to ask someone to take care of them. You hadn’t. They could take care of themselves and each other just fine.

It was the same now.

“If you think you need a caretaker I can hire one for you, but I doubt you do,” you said. “I think you can survive in the Castle without me for a few days. If I’m gone for longer than a week, Helen my housekeeper will come over to do some cleaning. She usually comes over a few times a week. And the gardener comes by quite often. ”

Yoongi looked stunned but schooled his features quickly. Hoseok’s ears were pinned against his head. You closed the door behind you.

Why did your work’s timing had to always be that bad?

An earthquake. A fucking earthquake.

In the kitchen, the table was served. The mouthwatering smell of the food drifted in the air. Jimin, Namjoon and Jin were sitting around the table, Jungkook absent once again. No one had touched their plates.

“You didn’t have to wait for me,” you said taking your seat. Your plate was filled with a generous slice of meat pie and fresh salad. Your stomach grumbled. You hadn’t noticed you were that hungry.

“We wanted to wait for you.” Jimin’s smile didn’t reach his eyes, it hadn’t since the day he had come running to you, begging you to take him with you to work. Jungkook spent most of his time at the atelier and he slept in Jin’s room at night. Every time he didn’t show up for meals, the light in Jimin’s eyes dimmed further.

You picked up your fork and knife and cut into the pie. The taste was heavenly, not that you had expected anything else from Jin. You told him so and delighted in the way he got flushed and tried to cover it by a terrible joke he must have come up with on the spot. While you ate, you didn’t speak much, thinking about the best way to bring up the news crawling up your throat. Namjoon squeezed your hand under the table.

When your plates were empty and Jimin was laying his head on Jin’s shoulder, you decided it was time. You put your fork aside. You started by the email, the email that had looked so inconspicuous at first because you received emails like that all the time. An email labeled “important” was often not as important as the people sending it thought it was. You couldn’t have guessed what it contained inside. You hadn’t been prepared.

Your leg was moving up and down on the metal foothold of the stool, mimicking your racing heartbeat. An earthquake had struck Virginia at night. You repeated the dry words of the email, of someone who hadn’t felt the terror of the earth shaking underneath their feet. Five point six Richter, strong enough to knock down the sets they had been building for months. You were required to be there in two days.

Jimin’s bottom lip was trembling. “How long will you stay?”

You shook your head. It was the same question you were asking and had no answers for. Even if you called someone in the company they wouldn’t have anything but speculations for you. “I hope no more than a week.”

“Isn’t it dangerous?” Jin asked. “What if there are aftershocks, or if it was a warning for a larger one coming?”

Jin’s question brought an dreadful shine to Jimin’s eyes. You had thought of that as well but your mind was troubled already as it was. Questions of your safety would take this too far. For once, you didn’t trust the company you were working with to keep you safe. You would have to do research before you left and take all the necessary precautions. You wouldn’t risk it like they had.

Namjoon wrapped his hand around his glass but didn’t bring it to his lips. “John will be with her. They will be alright.” It didn’t calm down Jimin who hugged himself tightly, dropping his head to his chest.

You couldn’t watch him suffering anymore. Getting up, you walked to him and hugged his from behind, prying his hands away so they were over yours instead. “I promise I’ll call you every day and we will text. It’s like when I was in New York and you texted me every day about what you got up to and what you were thinking. Your texts made me forget all about work and how tired I was.” Jimin sniffled but his cheeks remained dry. “It’s only a few days. They’ll be over soon. You won’t be alone here.”

Jin ruffled Jimin’s hair and the cat hybrid wrapped one arm around the oldest, pulling him into the hug. You placed a kiss on both their head, making Jin flush again. He wasn’t used to physical attention the way Jimin was but he craved it too and you were trying to make sure he felt as loved as he was.

Namjoon held Jimin while you and Jin cleaned the table. He grabbed Jimin’s thighs lifting him up and carried him to the living room. The younger laughed all the way there, telling him to put him down. His tight hold around Namjoon’s neck told him a very different thing.

But you weren’t done yet. You had one more person to tell.

The atelier’s door was half open. You knocked once on the wood before opening it all the way. The room could be described as an organized mess. Two canvases were set up in the middle of the room and three half-finished ones stood against the cabinets. The floor was covered in newspapers splattered with all the colors of the rainbow and paint tubes were lined on the tables in no particular order.

“I finished dinner, you can take it,” he said, gesturing to the tray on one of the tables with the hand not holding a brush.

“That isn’t why I’m here.” One of his ears perked up as you walked closer. The canvas he was working on now was a blend of shades of purple, orange and yellow with no definitive details. “What are you painting.”

He shrugged. “Don’t know yet.” Moving forward with no destination. You knew how that felt.

Jungkook hadn’t distanced himself just from Jimin but from everyone. He didn’t run to you to hug you and scent you when you came back like he used to do. He didn’t come up to the living room to watch TV and talk until you were too exhausted to keep your eyes open. He didn’t show you his progress on the paintings. He didn’t annoy Jin while he cooked (the oldest liked it even if complained). He didn’t come to meals. Meals were family time.

Being in the atelier now was different to any other time. It was the stifling feeling of an empty page, which used to be ecstasy. It was wrong, something missing.

“I have to leave for Virginia the day after tomorrow,” you said, ripping the band-aid off. The times you had said it today were too many. Surprised doe eyes turned to you. You explained the story once again and waited.

Jungkook seemed to be bracing himself for something. “Can you take me with you?”

“Take you with me?” you repeated, dumbfounded.

He nodded. The brush he had been holding had fallen to the floor at some point painting the newspapers in a shock of deep purple. Neither of you had noticed. “I won’t bother you. I’ll listen to everything you say. You can leave me at the hotel. I won’t cause any trouble, no one will know I’m there.” He lowered his head. “I need to be away from here.”

“Jungkook…” Your hand touched his cheek and you felt the way he clenched his jaw under the touch. “If this is-”

“Don’t,” he begged, pulling away. A pained desperation coloring his voice. “You don’t know what I did. If you did-” He took a sharp breath. “Can I come with you? Please.”

Stifling. You hadn’t considered taking any of the hybrids with you now. You had planned on inviting them along when you would go there for filming, a much more fun part of your job. This would be a busy trip and most likely far from enjoyable. It could be dangerous. But Jungkook’s eyes were begging you. He was fading away locked up in the atelier avoiding everyone.

“Okay. If you really want to, you can come with me. I’ll help you pack the essentials,” you said. Jungkook visibly relaxed. Maybe you should have pressed more. Insisted on him speaking with Jimin before you left or after you came back. But you were exhausted and a headache was brewing behind your temples.

Jungkook glanced at a canvas covered with a white sheet at a corner. You’d let it go for now.

When Jimin sneaked into your room late into the night, you didn’t say anything pulling up the covers in a silent invitation. Jimin crawled underneath and hid in your arms. Against every expectation you fell asleep. Orange bottle untouched in the bathroom cabinet.

The days leading up to your departure were every kind of hectic. Panic had taken over the studios and the atmosphere was tense in every meeting. No one wanted to admit the colossal mistake that could have cost the lives of so many people. The press was another matter entirely. The project could get a bad reputation before it was aired. It was emotionally exhausting, your brain working in overdrive, coming up with solutions to problems that may or may not arise. You had to be prepared for the worst.

At home it wasn’t much better. You had started packing for the weird end-of-spring weather in Virginia. The Raven Cycle books and a little research had provided you with enough information about what to expect. Dry, warm and with a possibility of thunderstorms. It could also get cold at night so you made sure to pack a few sweatshirts.

You helped Jungkook pack his things in a similar way. He had a habit of wearing long sleeves even when it was hot so you packed a few more sweatshirts and hoodies for him. He continued not talking much but he looked calmer now that you were leaving. All you wanted to do was hug him and tell him everything was going to be alright. But you didn’t think that would be welcome.

Jimin had timidly offered to take care of Hoseok’s injuries while you were gone. You hesitated at first. While they had been here Jimin and Yoongi hadn’t interacted much. You had expected they would talk, figure out the strange tension between them, but they had kept to themselves. You gave in in the end. The worst had come and passed and you trusted Jimin to provide the basic care Hoseok needed.

He came with you to their room before dinner and you explained to him what you were doing. Hoseok was a little more withdrawn than usual but he didn’t protest, smiling at Jimin.

You had a long talk with Namjoon in your office the night before the day you were scheduled to leave. There were a lot of things to talk about and you tried to get everything out. All your worries and all the things you thought he should know. When you were spent and his reassurances were buried deep in your chest, he brought you close to him, rubbing his face in your neck. He places light kissed on your skin, his lips trailing up until they were touching yours.

The house was silent. You opened your eyes blearily, staring at your phone. The ringing of the alarm had stopped, leaving large numbers reading the time on the screen. The blinds were closed hiding the morning from you.

There was a weight on your chest. You looked down to find tired eyes staring up at you. Jimin made a small sound in the back of his throat and nuzzled against you. His blond hair was soft against your fingers as you combed through it. A loud purr escaped him as you scratched the base of his cat ears. He held on to you tighter but the alarm was clear, you needed to get up and get ready. You had a flight to catch.

“No, don’t go,” Jimin whined.

You massaged his head down to his neck. “I have to get up. I’ll miss the plane if I’m late.”

In the shadows of the room you could see the pout on his full lips. “What if you miss it?”

“If I miss it, I’ll get in trouble. And I’d rather not get in trouble.” Jimin snuggled closer to you and you could smell the vanilla shampoo he loved. Mia had said in the early days that she had smelt vanilla and muffins on you and you had guessed that was Jimin’s scent. The shampoo must serve to accentuate his natural scent.

His cat ears lowered as his tail wrapped around your bare leg. You suppressed a shudder at the feeling of the soft fur against your skin. “I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

“I know, that’s why I have to go.” You untangled yourself from the hybrid and pressed the button for the blinds to retreat. The morning light spilled into the room. It caught on Jimin’s curls painting them golden. You had an urge to capture the moment with your camera, the way he looked so soft, hair mussed and eyes still dreaming. Carving the image in your memory, you walked to the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for the day.

Getting dressed for a flight was different than getting dressed for any other work day. You liked to wear something comfortable that wouldn’t look too bad on camera. You weren’t the kind of celebrity to get mobbed every time you went out but sometimes paparazzi could get wind of where you were going and show up at the airport. When you were traveling for premieres or events, fans and paparazzi would fill the place.

The previous night you had set aside a pair of loose black pants and a red top. You would also take your leather jacket with you because it could get chilly on the plane.

Jimin, wearing his stripped white and blue pajamas with the little pink hearts, clung to you like a koala all the way to breakfast. He only let go of you when you placed your large black bag on the floor and took a seat at the kitchen island. Jin was finishing up with cooking, taking the pots off the stove. Breakfast was almost ready.

John would be coming later to drive you to the airport. The black SUV had turned into a sign you would be traveling. Because of the sheer volume of the luggage you always ended up with, a large car was needed to drive you to and from the airport. This time you had packed two suitcases and your handbag. You had been tempted to fill a sac-voyage as well but you quickly abandoned the thought.

Namjoon arrived, looking wide awake. The opposite of Jimin and his drooping eyes. Only one was missing. And you weren’t compromising today.

“Jungkook?” you asked. The others exchanged a glance. It told you enough. “I’m going to go get him. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Their gazes followed you as you left. They probably didn’t believe you could get him to come up. And any other day that could have been the case.

The door of the atelier was closed but you were sure Jungkook was inside. The amount of time he had been spending in there was unhealthy but you were the last person who could judge him, having spent the majority of your so called break in your office. You knocked three times before opening the door.

Jungkook was sitting on the floor in the middle of the room, lost in a place that used to scream comfort. Did it still? You couldn’t feel it anymore. The canvases were all in their places and the paints and brushes had been tidied up. Sitting on the paint splattered newspapers in his completely black clothes, Jungkook looked lost.

“We’re having breakfast upstairs,” you said.

Jungkook’s eyes cleared, just enough for most of the fog to disappear. One bunny ear drooped down and he swiped it away from his face. “Can’t Jin bring it to me?”

You shook your head. “Jin isn’t bringing anything to you. You will be coming to breakfast and eat with us like you used to.”

He lowered his head, both ears falling in his face. “I can’t.”

“You very much can and you will.” You tried to be gentle but you were firm on this. “You will come up and we will all eat breakfast together. We are leaving in a few hours for the other side of the United States and I have no idea when we will be back. You aren’t doing anything here and everyone wants to see you and spend some time together.”

“Not everyone.” It was so low he probably hadn’t meant for you to hear.

“Everyone,” you said, kneeling by his side. “Everyone wants to see you.” You brushed his bangs off his face, petting his ears in the process. He didn’t relax the way he usually did, melting in your hands, but he did lean into the touch. “One breakfast. That’s all I’m asking for. You said you’d listen to me if I took you with me to Virginia.”

He couldn’t disagree with that and when you offered him your hand he took it.

Jungkook and Jimin had had a special bond. That first night you had seen it in the way Jimin cried begging you to help Jungkook, to heal him. You had seen it in the way Jungkook, beat up and having trouble breathing, was asking Jimin if he was injured, if he needed to be treated first and Jimin had cried every time Jungkook flinched but smiled and squeezed his hand to ease the pain. Nothing had changed the longer you spent with them, the way they loved and cared for each other only becoming more apparent.

Jungkook had gone to Namjoon crying, saying he had hurt Jimin but you couldn’t imagine him doing anything but loving him. Misunderstandings preyed on everyone and they were hungry for those who loved each other. They would get through it, you assured yourself. They were strong and they cared too much to continue hurting each other like this. You cared too much too, you wouldn’t let this get out of hand.

They needed a break, that’s what it was. Jungkook had been right, the trip would help put some distance between them to think clearer. You would make sure when you returned they would be ready to face whatever had happened between them.

Jimin lit up at seeing Jungkook but the light dimmed when the younger didn’t even glance his way. You sighed into your orange juice.

After breakfast Jungkook carried up his suitcase while you went to another room. Three knocks and a question of who it was. It had become routine. Hoseok smiled at you, he had been doing that more and more.

You sat down at the side of the bed, Yoongi watching you from the chaise lounge, his ears standing alert. “I’m just here to check on you one last time before I go. Jimin will take over after this.”

Hoseok was sitting with his back against the headboard. He hadn’t been able to do that without hurting the first days. “When will you be leaving?”

Touching his arm to inspect it, you said, “John will be here in about thirty minutes but the flight isn’t for another two hours. We have to be early at the airport because the process to get on the plane takes a long time. Do you want to hear about the first time I got on a plane? That’s a funny story.”

Hoseok nodded enthusiastically so you started recounting the time you were sixteen and you had to take a plane to get to the film festival that was held in France. The short film you had directed would be played there. The only problem was that you had never been on a plane before and the prospect of flying wasn’t appealing to you in the least. It just happened that the flight was far from calm.

The check up was finished halfway through the story but Hoseok touched your arm, wordlessly asking you to finish it. At your arrival in France Hoseok’s smile dissolved.

“I have to get going, John will be here soon,” you said getting up. Hoseok had met John only after you had told him of the time both of you had gotten lost in London. John had been insisting he knew what he was doing leading you deeper into the maze of streets. Because of that a few more stories the bodyguard had guest-starred in, the fox hybrid hadn’t looked as terrified as some people did at the side of the giant of a bodyguard.

“Thank you for,” he gestured to himself “this. And the stories. Thank you for the stories.”

You stopped by the door. “It was my pleasure.”

John was at the Castle right on time, parking the SUV close to the front door. He helped you carry everything to the car, which meant he carried the three suitcases while Jungkook insisted he could help. The bunny hybrid did help but only because John took pity on him and let him help with putting the suitcases in the trunk.

You lowered your sunglasses. No wind and no cloud in sight. You would have a calm trip.

You hugged all the hybrids, letting them scent you. Jimin’s eyes were growing misty and you hugged him extra hard assuring him you would be back soon. You rubbed your forehead against Jin’s and kissed his cheek in goodbye, his skin warming up under your lips. Goodbyes were hard and you’d thought you’d gotten used to them. Saying goodbye to Taylor and Zayn before tours, to your aunt the rare times you could visit her, to your friends, to the actors and the crew.

And yet your chest was tight.

Namjoon was talking with John by the car and you heard him asking John to take care of you and Jungkook. John replied he would protect you with his life. John was your bodyguard but this had been more than a job to him for a long time.

From the corner of your eye you saw Jimin approach Jungkook. He reached to touch him, hug him. Jungkook flinched. Jimin’s hand hovered in the air before going limp. He backed away, his chin dropping to his chest and jaw trembling.

You bit the inside of your cheek. A hand landed on your shoulder and you turned to find Namjoon standing next to you. You weren’t the only one who had watched the youngests’ exchange. You hid in his arms, forgetting about the world for a moment. The two hybrids who loved each other too much, the trip you had to take, production being halted, that godforsaken earthquake. He nosed along your neck, his warm breath tingling your skin.

Jungkook got into the car first, an escape, and you followed soon after, a necessity. The house got smaller and smaller behind you as the car drove away. The Castle fading in the distance. Another trip. Different reasons, a different disaster, but familiar territory. Once you used to be excited about these trips, exploring a new place and living new experiences. Where had that part of yourself gone?

But you weren’t alone this time. Jungkook was looking out of the window, his head laying against the glass. You would take him to that yogurt shop you had liked so much and you would show him the park you wanted to film at and take him to that endearing small cinema. Yeah, you would do that.

♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩

The hotel towered over the rest of the buildings in the area. It wasn’t the same one you had stayed on your first visit last year, more grand and definitely more expensive. The company had gone all out. An admirable attempt to quell your anger, yet it continued simmering underbeath your skin. A young man was waiting for you outside, taking the suitcases from the car and leading you to the lobby.

Jungkook looked around with wide eyes and an open mouth. There was so much glass and marble, almost everything was made using these two materials.

The receptionist smiled at you wide, her teeth white and straight like her uniform. She welcomed you to the hotel and handed you two key cards, white with a gold line on front and the room numbers in cursive. Two cards.

“I was sure I’d forgotten something,” you muttered.

The receptionist’s smile faltered. “Is something not to your liking, miss?”

Two cards. One for your room and one for John’s. You had notified the company about Jungkook accompanying you but you hadn’t requested another room. Granted, you had thought they would come to the conclusion on their own. One more room would have cost them a lot, though. Easy way out. But you couldn’t exactly blame them. At hotels, owners rarely bothered to spend money on a room for their hybrids.

You held the cards like a magician ready to do a trick, showing them to John.

“Shouldn’t there be one more?” he asked.

The woman behind the desk blinked a few times. “More? Two rooms were booked in the name Y/N Y/L/N. Is there a problem?”

You sighed. “No, I guess there isn’t. Or there wasn’t supposed to be.” Jungkook watched the exchange shifting from foot to foot. His black hoodie was a size too big and he was drowning in it. “Do you have any available rooms in the same floor.”

“I’m afraid we don’t, miss. The rooms on the top floor are all booked for the night.”

“Great.” You couldn’t think of another solution, you would have to make do. “Thank you. We’ll be going now.”

“Have a nice stay,” the receptionist said.

The elevator was as luxurious as the lobby, a glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling. John had your black bag slung over his shoulder. The man with your suitcases was already gone, you would find them in your rooms when you arrived. There was a mirror to your left and leaning your back against the wall your gazed at your reflection. With your black circles hidden with concealer and carefully applied makeup, you looked just a little tired from the flight. You had brushed your hair on the plane and it fell in waves over your shoulders, curling at the tips.

Jungkook hadn’t been to a hotel before and it showed as he tried to take everything in. The lights that were on even in the afternoon, the golds and whites, the mirrors and glass and the velvet seats. It was wonderful but still it wasn’t the best hotel you had stayed at.

The elevator’s doors opened with a ding and you walked into the well-lit corridors. Doors were on either side with a sitting area at the front. You had stayed in many hotels over the years but they were nothing more than a place for rest. Sleep and shower, that’s all you did in your room. And sometimes breakfast or dinner if you didn’t feel like going out.

Stopping in front of a white door, you checked the numbers on the cards again. The two rooms were very close, only a few meters distance from each other.

Two rooms. Right.

You handed John his key card. “So, we’ve got two rooms…” Jungkook looked at you curiously. “I hope you don’t mind staying in my room with me for now. Unless you would prefer staying with John and his snoring.”

John pointed a finger at you. “Hey, I don’t snore.”

You hummed. “Sure you don’t. What I have been hearing all those years must be the pigs outside.”

Jungkook was trying to hide his laughter behind his hand and doing a poor job of it.

John dropped your bag by your feet. “Do you hear her? No respect for me. That’s what I get for listening to your every whim for years. I’ll go to my room now and snore in peace.”

You giggled as John struggled to swipe the key card right. With an ‘aha’, he managed to open the door and get inside. You swiped your own card, the door clicking open at the first try. Both of you had been doing it for years but John was more of a fan of traditional keys.

The company had booked a suite for you, which you guessed was one of the best in the hotel. The door opened to a grand living room with white velvet couches and armchairs and a 75 inch TV. You took off your sneakers before stepping on the wool carpet, it was white with veins of gold running through it.

You fell on the couch, taking off your backpack and placing it on the floor. “I’m sorry for this, I thought they would book three rooms for us.”

Jungkook looked at you from where he was still standing by the door, his hands pulling at the straps of his backpack. “Why would they book three rooms?” There was a gap here. Hybrids stayed with their owners, that was the norm. You realized that was what he had expected.

“We are three people. I thought you would want your own room. I told them you would be coming with me for the tickets but they didn’t change the rooms they had booked.” You threw your head back and closed your eyes. “Everything is going so well already.”

There a shuffling of feet from the door. “I thought… I can stay with John if he doesn’t mind or… I can…”

You opened your eyes. Jungkook was looking at the floor, his ears drooped at the sides of his head. “What are you talking about?”

Jungkook hugged himself. “I don’t want to bother you.”

And it clicked. You got up from the couch. “Oh, bunny. You aren’t bothering me. I only wanted one more room because I thought that’s what you wanted, that you wanted your own space.” You didn’t touch him, remembering him flinching and pulling away, but you stayed close to show him you were there for him.

“Oh, I-” He flushed, not knowing what to say. You had been past that stage and it was unfortunate to see the shyness and hesitance come back.

“Come on, take off your shoes,” you said, motioning for him to come further into the room. “I desperately need a shower. Then we can rest. I don’t have to do anything until late tonight. Do you want to go in first?”

Jungkook sat down gingerly on the couch. “No, no, you can go in first. I think I’ll sleep a little.”

You stopped him before he could lay down. “Here?”

Confused, he looked around at the furniture. “Should I take the smaller couch?”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” you said. “But there is a huge bed in the bedroom. If you feel uncomfortable though, I could take the couch.”

Jungkook shot up at that. “No, no way. You have work, you should sleep in the bed.” The redness creeped into his cheeks again. “I would like… I would like to share, if that’s alright.”

You gave him a smile. “That’s more than alright. Come in, then.”

You were planning to make the most out of this trip.

♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩

Jimin had memorized everything you had said about checking and treating Hoseok’s injuries. He had memorized the pills he was taking, the salves you used and the times you checked on him during the day. Before you left, he had even looked up all the injuries Hoseok had on Google and read all the information he could find. You had told him Hoseok was well on his way to recovery and he didn’t have to worry much. But he was worried. He was very worried.

He had thought he had been ready, that he could do this. But standing outside their door, second thoughts were smothering him.

What if he did something wrong and he hurt him? What if he made everything worse? If he pressed too hard, if he used the wrong cream, if he wrapped the bandages wrong…

Seokjin would have been much better at this. He took care of them like a parent, he would have been a better choice than Jimin. But Seokjin was the one to cook all their meals, he had enough on his plate. Yoongi could have done it but… He had only glared at you and sneered something that sounded very much like a refusal.

Yoongi…

He hadn’t talked to him since the day he had chased him to the alleyway. The older didn’t leave the room he shared with Hoseok unless it was absolutely necessary. Jimin didn’t know what he had expected, but it wasn’t this… This stasis they were trapped in. He had expected someone yelling, accusing. Sharp words, that didn’t match the soft voice he had been used to. There had been none of that. Nothing at all. He wasn’t sure what he preferred.

Hoseok smiled a little at him when he walked into the room. He was sitting up in his bed with his reddish tail in his lap. Yoongi, laying in his own bed, didn’t acknowledge him but his dark eyes were burning Jimin’s skin when he wasn’t looking.

Hoseok patted the bed with the hand that wasn’t in a cast. His smile was smaller than it had been in the morning. Your absence wasn’t affecting only them. Jimin had heard you telling stories to Hoseok, you had done the same with Jungkook. But he had no stories to tell, nothing worth sharing. He hadn’t traveled the world, he didn’t have interesting and famous friends, he didn’t have a job or childhood memories by the beach.

Silence spread, only broken by his apologies every time Hoseok winced. He was holding back for his sake and it made his stomach clench. He left the room like there were hell-hounds on his heels.

The second day you were gone everyone woke up early in the morning, like all the days they had to be up early to see you before leaving for work. You might not be there but his body demanded he wake up and drag his feet upstairs for breakfast. A book was laying cover up on the table. One of the leather-bound classics you kept on the top shelves of the library. Namjoon read it at night before going to sleep.

Seokjin placed a plate of pancakes in front of Jimin. Pancakes were his favorite.

Belly full, he trudged to the second level.

“Good morning,” he greeted, coming through the door.

Hoseok’s fox ears twitched. “Good morning,” he said with a small smile. Yoongi remained silent, standing by the glass wall.

Jimin fetched the medical kit from the bathroom. Everything he would need was in there. “Did you sleep well?” He tried to make conversation. It wasn’t easy when he felt like he could erupt at any moment with Yoongi’s gaze on him. If he hurt Hoseok, Yoongi would never look at him again. Or he could do so much worse. But Jimin had already lost him years ago.

“Yeah,” Hoseok replied, fumbling with the blanket he was sitting on. “I had a weird dream. About being at the lake. There was a statue there and he was talking… It was good, though.”

There was a small Greek style statue on the half-empty shelves of the room, a Kouros you had explained to him. “It must be because of that.” Jimin motioned to the shelves. “There are pieces of ancient Greece all over the house. The first show Y/N directed was about Persephone and Hades, the Greek god of the dead. Greek mythology has a special place for her.”

“She talked to me about Greece a little but she didn’t say anything about the show,” Hoseok said.

Jimin opened the medical kit, remembering watching the episodes one after the next, hanging from every word the characters said. “The show is so good! I couldn’t stop watching it, I didn’t want to get out of the cinema room for anything. The characters were perfect, Persephone was so sweet and kind but she-” He stopped himself, cutting off his rambling. The cream in his hand was getting warm.

Hoseok sat up straighter to help his work. “But what? Why did you stop?”

Jimin startled. He could at least do this, he could speak about the show. He had watched the episodes multiple times and he had asked you so many questions, some of which you hadn’t talked your way around. Hoseok didn’t wince as much as the first time and maybe Jimin go a little carried away, but he didn’t make any mistakes and Hoseok even asked questions and talked with him.

The cat hybrid had to suppress the shivers the eyes on his back sent down his spine.

♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩

Greek gods, fantasy, romance and mysteries. That’s what made you rich. That’s what got you this huge house and more money than anyone would ever see in their lives. The Castle. Yoongi scoffed. What a pretentious name for an even more pretentious house, but that was the way it worked.

Yoongi disliked rich people on principle. Privileged, arrogant and self-entitled were only a few of the adjectives he would use to describe them. They thought they could control anyone because they had money and money made the world go round. Money could get you everything and that’s what they wanted. Everything. In long coats and designer sunglasses looking for entertainment in the most dubious places, feeding off the struggle of the others. Watching enraptured as others fought for their lives.

All of them were the same. It didn’t matter if they were hiding behind smiling masks or surface philanthropic acts. They were the same. And you were just like them. He refused to believe anything else. Despite how hard it was getting. But every time he was slipping, he would remember the pleads and rough hands. His resolve didn’t crack.

He heard all the stories you told Hoseok. Not that he wanted to but there wasn’t a chance he would leave him alone with you. Most of them were funny and although he didn’t want to admit, there were parts the corners of his mouth had lifted up without his permission. He was grateful for those stories, they made Hoseok forget. One rare time, when you were telling him about a disaster on set that involved three spoons, a maraca and a lost script, Hoseok had giggled and Yoongi’s heart had come close to bursting out.

Every morning and every night you would have a different story for him and it made Yoongi wonder if they were all true or if you were coming up with them on the spot. Not that it mattered, it made Hoseok smile and that was enough. Yoongi had found himself waiting for the times you would come into their room and start talking. You had a way with words.

And now you were gone, leaving them alone in the house, alone with no one watching over them like a guard dog (except that damned wolf hybrid, but that was another case entirely). There were a few things he knew about the world and one of them was that hybrids weren’t left alone in a house that cost more than his handlers would make in their whole lives. He didn’t like surprises and he hated how full of them you were.

Jimin had been the one to take over and you must have been somewhere in Virginia laughing at Yoongi’s expense. The younger looked good, his cheeks were full and there was a certain glow on his soft skin. Jimin had always looked beautiful but now he was ethereal. He couldn’t keep his eyes away.

Hoseok pressed a few buttons on the TV remote and groaned. After Jimin’s excitement about the show in the morning, he had decided he would watch the show. Jimin had showed him how to put it on but Hoseok was having some trouble.

“Give that to me,” Yoongi grumbled, taking the remote. He searched for the title among the options (there were too many of them).

Hoseok pointed at one of the pictures. “That’s it! That’s it! “Land of the Gods”.”

A girl wearing a flower crown was gazing at him from the screen. He clicked on the picture and the synopsis and the episode list appeared. “Are you seriously going to watch that?”

“It must be good if Jimin was so excited about it. He was so excited he got me excited.” A smile stretched his lips. Yoongi was weak.

“What do you know about Greek mythology?”

Hoseok shrugged. “Not much but I don’t think I need to. The show has to be good if it got her where she is now. I’m sure she must have been great at her job to be this successful.”

If anything, there was no doubt you were successful. He could see it everywhere he looked. One night he had been watching the news, Hoseok long asleep, and they had talked about your newest project set to start filming in May. One of the greatest directors of our generation, they had called you, predicting high ratings and large audiences. But success didn’t necessarily mean talent and Yoongi told himself he didn’t care enough to see if you had it.

Contemplating, he sat on the bed by Hoseok’s side. “We should discuss when we are leaving.”

Hoseok’s eyes widened, his tail fluffing up. “Leaving?”

“Yeah, leaving. You’re better, aren’t you? We should be gone before she comes back.” Yoongi threw the remote on the bed.

“Oh.” Hoseok’s fox ears lowered. “I wanted to thank her, it feels wrong to leave like this.”

Yoongi sighed. He could understand Hoseok, he didn’t want to leave either. He wasn’t stupid. Having a warm meal three times a day was more than they could dream of in the streets. It was more than they could dream of when they had a roof over their heads and murky water on their tongues. These few days Yoongi had eaten and slept more than he had in three years but it had to end. It was nothing more than a polished dream. He didn’t want your pity and he wouldn’t have accepted to come here if it hadn’t been for Hoseok.

“I think she would appreciate us leaving more than a thank you,” Yoongi said. “We don’t know how long she will be gone and we have already overstayed our welcome.”

“We… yeah.” Hoseok gave in. “But you should talk to Jimin before we go.” Yoongi stiffened. “I have seen the way you look at him, you know. I heard you that first day. He is the only reason we are here now. I can connect the dots. I don’t ask you about your past because I know it hurts you but I ask you this. Talk to him before we go. Jimin… Jimin looks like a part of your past that shouldn’t hurt this much.”

Yoongi clenched his jaw. Because Jimin was the most painful part of his past. Everything that had happened to him, everything he had been through didn’t hold anything to the pain he felt when thinking about Jimin and his delicate features. Nothing hurt more than the images of that night ingrained in his brain. He didn’t deserve to forget, he didn’t even try.

“I can’t talk to him.”

Hoseok scooted closer and Yoongi reached to steady him. The fox hybrid would laugh at him, he had the all clear to move on his own and he didn’t need help with something as simple as this, but he didn’t push him away. “Why not?

“I just can’t.” Hoseok raised his eyebrows at him. “Hobi, just let it go. Jimin wouldn’t want to talk to me, there is too much you don’t know.”

Hoseok turned his head away. “Yes, because you don’t tell me.”

“Hobi…” Yoongi placed a hand on his shoulder, rubbing comforting circles, there were no bruises there. “What happened, it’s better if you don’t know. I don’t want any more people being haunted by what I did.”

Hoseok’s eyes softened, taking Yoongi’s hands in his own. Every touch from Hoseok was like a brush with the sun. “If you think anything you say could change my opinion of you, you don’t know me at all. You saved me, Yoongi. You saved me when I thought I was done for, when I thought I wouldn’t live to see another day. If you weren’t there, if I didn’t have you…” A shaky breath fell past his lips. He squeezed Yoongi’s hands in his and Yoongi squeezed back. “I would have never gotten out without you. You are all I have.”

Yoongi touched Hoseok’s cheek, nosing against his neck and breathing in the scent of cinnamon. “And you’re all I have.”

The first episode of “Land of the Gods” played as Yoongi laid next to Hoseok with the younger’s head on his chest.

♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩

The workers kept looking at you like children who had been caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar and it wasn’t even their fault. They had been following instructions and using the materials the company had sent. The one who had decided to forgo the safety measures because they were too expensive had yet to admit to anything, but a storm was brewing and you would watch until the end. They could say whatever they wanted about you but no one’s life was at risk on your watch.

You hadn’t been alone in the sentiment, most of your co-workers siding with you and calling meetings after meetings on the matter. You had taken it up to yourself to send a lengthy email to the president and were waiting for a reply that wouldn’t take long to come.

In the meantime, you were stuck with damage control. The meticulously designed sets had turned into ruins and rubble. A lot of expensive equipment had been destroyed and the replacements had yet to arrive. The first night you had a short meeting at a building the company was renting and then drove to the set to survey the damage. You had gritted your teeth at the sight of broken blocks like legos. There was nothing more to see.

You came back with heavy limbs and dust on your jeans. The air-conditioning was on and Jungkook was sitting on the couch watching a superhero movie. It wasn’t one you recognized, an older one than those you usually watched. You changed into your pajamas after taking a shower for the third time in a day (your skin barrier was set to be destroyed soon) and joined him in the living room. Neither of you had had dinner so you ordered food from the first place you found on the web. The delivery was fast and you settled on the couch, eating pizza and watching an old Samuel L. Jackson film.

Fortunately, the earthquake hadn’t caused any major disasters but you had heard that a couple of people had been injured. The most damage in the area had been to the TV show sets. That was alright, you could work on that.

Your schedule wasn’t much different from usual. You woke up early, the sun peaking over the horizon and showering the room in its morning glow through the thin curtains. Reaching for your phone, you turned off the alarm before it could start ringing. You woke up earlier but you scheduled it every night regardless of that. Jungkook blinked his eyes open as soon as you moved a little, he was used to waking up early too.

At breakfast it was only the two of you, John and the hotel staff. It was way too early for anyone else. Jungkook didn’t leave the hotel and you spent most of the day outside. The first days were the most crucial and therefore the most busy. Go there, take this, fill this out, talk to him/her. An endless task list. And there were a lot of things you had to figure out yourself.

“You should come with me today,” you said, digging your spoon into the bowl of yogurt. You ate a generous breakfast to propel through the morning.

“T-to work?” Jungkook stuttered, his hand loosening around the spoon. He was eating pancakes with maple syrup and you had a feeling about who he was thinking of.

You rolled the spoon between your fingers. “Well, you don’t have to come to work with me. We could drop you off at a coffee shop or a park if you want to. You can’t stay cooped up in the hotel room all day.”

John nodded in agreement. “I think it’s a good idea. You need some fresh air, staying in three rooms can’t be good for you.”

Jungkook dropped his head to hide his flushed cheeks. “I’m alright here, you don’t have to worry about me. Really.”

“But that’s what I’ll do at work if you stay in here for one more day,” you said. “You can go anywhere, there is a whole city to explore. And if I have any breaks I can call and I’ll come find you.”

Jungkook looked down at the pancakes. “I don’t think I should be out alone.”

“Of course you can. You can wear a collar and no one will say anything. We packed a few didn’t-?” Wearing a collar would protect him from the hybrid services, especially with your name and number engraved in the back of a charm. But you realized it wasn’t hybrid services he was afraid of. A hybrid alone in the streets could be an easy target, Jimin and Jungkook had been together that night and still… But it was broad daylight. “John could come with you,” you offered.

“No, no, he should be with you,” Jungkook protested weakly.

You exchanged a look with John, after years you were perfect at reading each other. “I actually think John would have a much better time with you. The only thing he does with me is follow me around and wait for the day to end. And it’s not like I’m in any danger there, I’m surrounded by a lot of people and some of the places have security so…”

“Or she’s trying to get rid of me,” John said, taking a bite of his sandwich. “Not that I’m complaining, waiting outside of those meetings gets very boring very quickly. Who will drive you?”

“It won’t be hard to find someone. I’ll catch a ride with Will, he has plenty of space in his car.” Will was the assistant director and he had been dragged to Virginia with you. When you worked it was rare to find one without the other. He had been with you for a few years and he was your right hand on set, he could get everything you asked done in a matter of seconds and often better than you could have done them yourself.

Satisfied, John finished his sandwich. “It’s settled then, I’ll go with the guy while you run around like a mad woman.”

“It isn’t so much running around today,” you mumbled. In comparison to other days, that was.

Jungkook picked up his fork again, his nose twitching. “Thank you, but I really don’t know where to go.”

You smiled. “That’s the most exciting part. There are so many places you can choose from. John knows the area a little, he knows a few places worth visiting.” John saluted with two fingers on his temple. “Is there something you want to do?”

Jungkook shrugged. “The park maybe? I would like to walk a little if that’s alright.”

“Fine by me,” John said. “Let’s reconnect with Mother Nature a little.”

You shook your head. “As if the sets aren’t in the middle of nowhere. They’re like thirty to forty minutes from the city, I spend most of my day in a car.”

“Stop complaining. It’s partly your fault,” John reminded you, which only caused you to complain more.

Jungkook let out a cute giggle at your bickering. He looked small in his oversized hoodie, it was a gray one this time with design of black swirls interwining and forming a heart. He would have to change before going out. He would melt otherwise.

They dropped you off at the set, having spent most of the thirty minute drive (John was a fast driver, always following the speed limit though) listening to music and talking about whatever came to mind. Jungkook had insisted on coming with when John dropped you off instead of waiting at the hotel for John to come back. He didn’t care that the drive would be more than an hour for him. You stepped out of the car, adjusted your backpack with all the papers and files inside and sent flying kisses to them while John rolled his eyes.

It was one of the good days, everyone was in a relatively good mood, they were listening to you and the conversations about the problems you were facing rolled smoothly. Will had taken over some of the most tiring tasks ignoring your protests so you were left to do most of the talking and the moral support part.

They worked quickly but there was no doubt that the sets wouldn’t be ready for filming to start on the initial date you had set, you would have to rely more on the sets in Los Angeles and film some scenes earlier than planned. Time was precious and you couldn’t waste it sitting around doing nothing.

Will was more than happy to give you a ride back to the city, you had many things to discuss on the way. You hadn’t been at this park before. It wasn’t the one you were considering for filming but it was just as nice. John had texted you where they were and you had typed the address in Will’s GPS. It was way past lunch and you wondered if they hadn’t left the park since the morning. That was a lot of hours spent in a park.

You followed the cobblestone path, tall trees framing the way adorned with green leaves and tiny flowers. Sending a quick message to John asking him about more specific directions, you stopped at a bridge arching over a small river and rested your elbows on the railing waiting for the reply.

You missed home in a way you hadn’t before. Home hadn’t always been Los Angeles, it had taken a long time for you to see it that way. It had been your hometown at first and that would always remain a part of you but it had been years since you had stayed there for more than two weeks. Home had been a suitcase and a vague idea of belonging for the most of your adult life. Being at a new place every few months, often more than that, you traveled and met people, you explored new places and learnt their secrets and culture. Los Angeles was just the base you returned to before you were gone again.

And then you had met Taylor and Zayn and suddenly you had a reason to come back other than necessity. They had become your closest friends and you held a new appreciation for the city because that’s where you spent time with them, strolling through the streets and going to the beach or staying inside watching movies or baking.

And through Zayn you had met Jacob and Los Angeles became more and more to you. The two of you had decided to build your life there together. That was gone now but the City of Angels had sneaked into your heart and made a home for itself there. Yet you hadn’t missed it like this before.

Texts and calls were fine for some time but not nearly enough. Jungkook was withdrawn while you talked to the other hybrids and Jimin’s voice got smaller and smaller every time the youngest refused to speak with him until he stopped trying. Namjoon and Jin tried to comfort him but the only person who could help was the one shutting him out. On top of that, Jimin tended to Hoseok’s wounds, the two hybrids were still at the Castle and you hoped they wouldn’t leave until you got back. You wanted to check in with Hoseok one more time before they were gone, back to the streets.

The streets… Those damn streets. Where Hoseok had been beat up, where Jimin and Jungkook had been attacked, where they didn’t know which day would be their last, starving or being beaten to death. You had done all you could, when they refused any more help, but it wasn’t enough. It couldn’t be enough.

A whistle made you turn around.

“Are you going to stand there all day?” John called to you.

“Me?” you called back. “How long have you been here? Did you eat lunch?”

“We went to a restaurant nearby, John ordered the best from the menu. I told him to wait for you but he said you would be late,” Jungkook said.

You ruffled his hair and he shuffled closer to you. “Late… I’m not late, I didn’t say I would be back for lunch.”

Jungkook chuckled. “When are you back for lunch?”

You gasped. “You have been spending too much time with John. He’s corrupting you!”

On the other side of the bridge, the path opened up to a large expanse of grass with a few trees sprinkled in. Jungkook had his sketchpad with him and sat down against a tree with pieces of black charcoal, a method he had been experimenting with.

Next to him, you pulled out a notebook from your backpack, it was your personal space where you could write anything and everything. Drawing faint thick lines on the paper, Jungkook told you excitedly about his day with John, who was sitting at a bench talking on the phone with his family.

A shine you hadn’t seen in a while was back in Jungkook’s eyes. You took photos and sent them to the hybrids at home and rolled around in the grass. He pointed at the clouds and what each of them looked like. There was turtle, an elephant and a vase, although you insisted it looked more like an Egyptian cat.

Jungkook came with you to work later and although he was shy and stayed away from everyone else, trailing behind you like a lost puppy, he was smiling. Fascinated, he listened to your conversations about the show and the sets and admired the designs. Your co-workers cooed at the cute bunny hybrid and he flushed hiding behind you.

When the day was over and you were back at the hotel, you realized it was the most fun you’d had since coming to Virginia. Freshly showered with his wet hair sticking to his forehead, Jungkook slipped into the bed next to you.

“Did you have a good time?” you asked. In the quiet of the night it felt wrong for your voice to be louder than a whisper. “You can be honest with me. I won’t take it personally.”

A small smile simmered on Jungkook’s lips as he turned on his side to look at you. In the lights of the city coming through the window, his chocolate brown eyes seemed black. “I had the best of times. Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me. It was nice having you there, it was… different. A good different. You should come again tomorrow, to the sets outside the city this time.”

“I would like that,” he whispered.

“Okay.”

“Okay,” Jungkook repeated in a breath.

It would be nice to have him with you. He wasn’t distracting you, on the contrary you were more focused because you knew he was there watching you, you wanted to show him the best of you. This was far from the most exciting part of the process of making a film but it was necessary. Well, it wouldn’t have been necessary if someone hadn’t decided to purposely forget all about the safety measures but you had already dedicated too much of your energy being angry about it.

Once the actual filming had started you would take Jungkook with you and show him the behind the scenes of how a TV show was made. If he was fascinated with this part then he would love filming. The actors were incredible and they had found their connections to the characters, channeling them at the table readings, it would be even better when they were in the costumes on set.

“I liked it,” Jungkook said. “I really liked seeing you work.”

You smiled at the bunny. “You used to see me work every day at the Castle.”

“But it wasn’t the same.” Jungkook laid his head on his hand. “You looked different there,” he said. “You looked powerful, like you could do anything. Everyone looked at you like you had all the answers.”

“It was a good day, I guess. It isn’t always like that. I might look confident and like I have everything under control all the time but that’s far from the truth.”

For all of your fame and the praise you received, you did make mistakes, you got stuck and felt helpless against some problems. Not everyone listened to you and you got into arguments with the executive producers sometimes. And you weren’t always the one who was right.

“Looking confident is half of the job, even when you don’t feel like it. It’s one of those situations where ‘fake it till you make it’ is a requirement. When you want to be heard you have to look and act like you are sure of what you’re doing, especially when you are a young woman at an important position. If you don’t, people begin to doubt you and if they doubt you, they will begin to talk over you and disregard your opinions. That was the first lesson I learnt on this job.”

At seventeen, you had been in charge of directing “Land of the Gods” and it wasn’t all smooth sailing, much less at the beginning. You were young, too young for most of them. You couldn’t direct such a project they said. They questioned your every move and decision, every correction you made and everything you said to the actors during a scene. They didn’t take you seriously until halfway through filming and even then they didn’t hesitate to question your authority. A constant battle of wills.

But it had gotten you here. You couldn’t complain.

“You’ve done so many things,” Jungkook said as if in awe. “All those shows and movies. And they are all so good. You are so talented. I could have never achieved what you have even if I wasn’t…” He left the sentence hanging.

You adjusted your position, laying on your forearm. “I don’t believe that, I think you would be marvelous at whatever you did. You have the dedication and that’s half of the job done. About me…” You let out a small chuckle. “I was very young when I started, I’m still young considering my profession, and I had so many ideas. I still have so many of them.” Or you used to, before the buzz in your brain became just noise. “And I don’t want to wait so long the industry gets tired of me, I have to take advantage of the light as long as it’s on me.”

“I don’t think they can get tired of you, not when your movies and shows are… like that. I couldn’t get tired of them,” Jungkook said. “It’s just- I’m not-” Frustrated, he cut himself off. “You work too much. I’m just… When was the last time you had a break? An actual break without working in any form.”

You opened your mouth to answer and closed it again. It certainly wasn’t this year and it wasn’t last year either. When you had taken a break to buy and decorate the house, you had been answering calls about work when you had been choosing the paints for the walls and writing scripts while you discussed floor plans. Break for you wasn’t a time you didn’t work but rather a time they couldn’t call you to the offices or the set.

“It’s been a while,” you said in the end. “I’ve got a lot of things going on, I don’t really have the time to take a break. I can’t leave them hanging, they rely on me.”

“Maybe they shouldn’t. Not so much.”

But that’s how it has always been for as long as you could remember. You were involved in every single part of the process, in every decision, from the scripts, to casting, to the set and costume design, to the actual filming, the post-production and the editing. Supervising and making sure that everything was right. That was your charm, that was one of the reasons you were one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood. Each project was a part of yourself. If you let those responsibilities go, what would that mean for you? What would they say about you?

The air-conditioning made a small sound as the room reached the desired temperature. The setting wasn’t too low, a pleasant coolness replacing the stifling heat. The thick walls of the hotel kept the heat of the day trapped inside, something that would be very beneficial in winter but a lot less so in spring nearing summer.

“Anyway, I think we’ll be done in a few days,” you said. “We’ll probably be home by the end of the week. The new plans have been drawn and there is only one more meeting I have to attend and that’s more for appearances’ sake than anything else. The rest is up to the crew here.”

Jungkook’s smile wavered. “So soon? Don’t you have any more work? The people here seemed to need you.”

“They don’t need me, there is nothing more I can offer them. My place right now is in Los Angeles, that’s where they need me.” You nudged his foot with yours, your knees were close enough to touch every time you moved. “But that’s not what you’re nervous about, is it?”

Jungkook shook his head, hiding half of his face in the pillow. “I don’t want to go back.”

“Kookie…” You nudged his foot again until your legs were intertwined underneath the thin sheets. “Staying here won’t help anyone. You have to talk to him.”

Jungkook closed his eyes as if the conversation pained him. “He shouldn’t want to talk to me.”

“But he does. You know he has been asking for you,” you said.

“He stopped.”

“Because you never replied. Doing this, pulling away and ignoring him, you’re hurting him more than whatever you feel guilty for. You didn’t see how sad he was every time you didn’t show up for a meal or when he called for you and you ignored him. You’re hurting him and I know that isn’t what you want so why do you keep doing it?”

A sob clawed out of Jungkook’s throat and he tried to muffle it with his fist. Your eyes widened at the sound, instinctively pulling the younger boy into your arms. He didn’t fight you, holding on to you like you were the only thing keeping his afloat, hiding his face in your neck as the sobs he couldn’t suppress fell from his lips.

“What… What I did to him was h-horibble. I-I took adva-advantage of him,” Jungkook chocked out as his tears dampened your skin. “And I know, I know he’s going to forgive me. But I don’t want him to. He shouldn’t. He shouldn’t forgive-” A sob cut him off. “I don’t deserve forgiveness.”

You run your hands through his hair, scratching gently at the base of his bunny ears, something that used to calm him down. “Baby… You should let him have that choice, you can’t take it away from him.”

“I can’t forgive myself,” he muttered, desperation and heartbreak seeping into his voice like water through the cracks of a dam until it breaks.

“If Jimin can forgive you then you can work towards forgiving yourself. All I know is that you love each other too much to continue like this.”

♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩

It was the fifth day you were gone. Seokjin had been keeping track, the equivalent of another line engraved on the wall of a cell. He had been going to sleep and waking up alone in a bed that felt too large for one person. He had added more blankets and stuffed animals decorating embellishing his nest but it did nothing for the feeling of emptiness covering it like a veil.

You called every day and texted them religiously, it was more than he could have expected but much less than what he craved. Jungkook sent photos of the hotel suite and of every place he visited with short captions. Seokjin smiled as his heart constricted.

It was the fifth day you were gone and he was sitting at the large table in the back garden, drinking tea at the time he would have been bringing yours before you had to go back to work. Jin didn’t consider himself a clingy person. He was loyal and protective of the people he loved, he obeyed his past owners and he took care of them. But this was new. It had been five days, the number didn’t change but Jin felt like it had been much longer than that. When his past owners left it wasn’t for long, less than two weeks, he didn’t have the time to miss them. He hadn’t missed them. Two weeks. Five days.

Jungkook would be nagging at him by now, tugging his arm or foot or whatever part of him he could get and if Jin didn’t give in the bunny hybrid would sprawl himself next to the older with his head in his lap. Despite Seokjin warnings about getting splashed with tea or coffee in the face, Jungkook stayed there.

If you were back from work, a rare occurrence, you would insist you all spent that time together. Like a family.

Family. Such a peculiar word. It was one of those words Seokjin couldn’t grasp the real meaning of. He was a hybrid, he didn’t have parents, the one who had given birth to him had delivered him to the scientists earning a large amount of money for her services. His first owners had trained him harsher than a pet and treated him like a servant or a living piece of decor. It didn’t matter if he’d thought of them as his family to feel better for himself, they owned him and they didn’t let him forget.

He didn’t know what having a family felt like. But he guessed it felt a lot like the mornings before you left for work and Jungkook was bickering with Jimin about how much he could eat while Namjoon was smirking into his coffee.

“A penny for your thoughts?”

Seokjin startled, the mug trembling dangerously in his hands. Another hand enveloped his to steady it. “How do you do that? I almost had a heart attack.”

Namjoon smiled sheepishly. “You aren’t the first one to say that, about the heart attack. I’ll try to make more noise next time.”

There was only a tiny bit of tea left at the bottom of the mug so Seokjin placed it on the table to avoid any more surprises that could threaten its survival. “Are you going somewhere?” he asked, looking at the black backpack Namjoon was wearing.

“I’m going for a walk in the forest. Would you like to join me?”

“Like this?” he gestured to his casual attire.

“Maybe you should wear different shoes,” he said referring to the slippers he was wearing.

Seokjin was tempted to say no, sugar gliders might be native to forests but he didn’t have the same ease among trees. But he was tired of being in his own company and something inside him was screaming to go and be with his pack. After all, it was impossible to not give into Namjoon’s dimples.

“Okay, I’ll come with you. Just don’t lead us so far away we won’t be able to come back.”

Namjoon’s smile widened as Jin left to change his shoes. His sneakers were in a box under his bed. He had worn them only once because he preferred wearing his slippers in the house or the gardens. These sneakers were the ones he had on when you had gone to the lake before you had to go back to work and be away for most of the day.

The wolf hybrid was waiting in the back garden for him by the curtain of vines with the purple blooms. The mug was nowhere in sight.

“Ready?” Namjoon asked him.

“Ready,” Seokjin said, not paying any mind to the fluttering in his stomach.

Namjoon pulled the curtain of vines aside, the path stretching ahead. The forest was alive in spring, trees green and tall, creating shade for the small creatures roaming around to hide from the sun. And when a few sun-rays slipped through the spaces between the branches and the leaves, they looked like a touch from the gods.

Namjoon navigated the forest with practiced ease and Seokjin had a feeling the wolf hybrid knew exactly where they were going. He just hoped Jimin wouldn’t look for them while they were gone, but knowing Namjoon he had probably already told Jimin. Or Jimin could call them. Seokjin wasn’t used to having his own phone and often he forgot he had the device.

Staying close to Namjoon, he kept his eyes on the ground. A poor attempt to keep his tripping to the minimal. But the forest was conspiring against him. Roots, stones, sticks, everything he could trip over was in his path.

“Where are we going?” he asked.

Namjoon stopped, turning to look at him. He smirked. “It’s a surprise.”

“No, I prefer no surprises,” Jin said. Rock. He stepped over it, avoiding a possible humiliating fall. “Tell me where we’re going. Is it far?”

“Not too far.” Not too far for Namjoon could be totally different from Seokjin’s idea of not too far. “I swear to you we aren’t getting lost today. I know this part of the forest like the back of hand and I have a good sense of direction. See?” He pointed to the direction of a large tree on his right. “That’s north,” he pointed to the opposite direction, “and that-”

Before he could finish, Seokjin had tripped over a protruding root. He hadn’t seen it, being too focused on Namjoon. He let a shriek as he tumbled to the ground, scratching his hands as they came in contact with the ground fist.

Namjoon called his name but he hadn’t been fast enough. He grasped Seokjin’s elbows pulling him up so he was sitting instead of laying face down on the dirt.

“Are you alright?” Namjoon asked, kneeling next to him, and Seokjin felt heat travel to his face and his chest tightening. He had an urge to flee and forget that had happened. Namjoon didn’t give him the chance though. He took his hands in his, turning them over and inspecting the damage. Dirt was clinging on the flesh and Namjoon blew on them to make some it go away. “We need to clean this.” He pulled out a water bottle from his backpack and poured water on his hands. It did sting a little but Seokjin was used to much worse than this.

Thin lines were etched on his palm, none of them bleeding. His hands had taken most of the burnt of the fall. The pride he had been piecing back together hurt more than his body did.

“We should go back,” Namjoon said, letting his hands go. Seokjin mourned the loss then reprimanded himself for it. “Maybe coming here wasn’t a good idea.”

“I’m fine,” he said. He didn’t like the frown on Namjoon’s face. “We don’t have to go back. I don’t want to go back.” He cleared his throat. His face, neck and ears felt impossibly hot.

Namjoon regarded him with careful eyes. “Are you sure? Does it hurt anywhere?”

“Really, I’m fine,” he repeated. He put one hand on the ground to steady himself and get back on his feet. It didn’t work very well because as soon as Namjoon saw him moving he was helping him up supporting most of his weight. “It wasn’t painful, more embarrassing than anything else,” Seokjin muttered. Despite the low tone, Namjoon heard him and his face smoothed. “Let’s go. We will never get to that place you want before nightfall at this rate.”

Namjoon chuckled shaking his head. “If you say so.” Seokjin expected him to start walking but instead he laced their fingers together. “Is this okay? I don’t want you falling again. If you trip again I’ll keep you up or at least we’ll fall together.”

Seokjin huffed out a laugh, lightheaded. Namjoon wasn’t distant but he wasn’t open with his affection like Jimin or Jungkook or even you and feeling his hand in his had ignited something inside him he was struggling to bury.

They held hands all the way to the secret destination. Seokjin tripped a couple more times, the rocks and the roots were still there and Namjoon was too distracting, but he kept his balance. Namjoon held on his hand tighter whenever he lost his footing and he allowed himself to consider it for a moment before banishing the idea.

The walk wasn’t too long and as the trees thinned out a little, a few large rocks emerged from the ground. They had climbed higher than the level of the house, the forest and the lake stretching under them. On the side the Castle peeked between the trees and the road leading to the city.

Namjoon helped him up the rock while he complained for the sake of it. They sat down to rest and Namjoon offered him the bottle of water he had used before, plenty of water was left inside. Seokjin insisted they shared it, he had already used half of it on him anyway.

“You like being outside so much, you have walked through most of the forest. You go on walks every day. Why don’t you go out with Y/N? Or around the neighborhood?” he asked. Namjoon wasn’t someone who could be contained in a house, he needed to be outside, and the forest looked too small for him.

Namjoon crossed his hands over his bent knee. “Being in the forest is easier. I can’t explain it but it’s familiar territory. Outside the forest, outside the house, that’s different. I know the streets of Los Angeles, I’ve spent more time on them than I would have liked. And now things are different but those streets are the same. I don’t think I’m ready to go back there alone.”

Seokjin’s heart constricted at the reminder of what the three hybrids he held so dearly had been through. He was spoiled, he couldn’t have survived a life in the streets. But if he was with them… If he was with them maybe it would would have been worth it.

It was a dangerous world for lone hybrids, people were eager to take advantage of them and hybrid services were always lurking in large cities like Los Angeles. Going outside alone could be an invitation for harassment from a few sick people who thought they were entitled to hybrids’ lives because humans created them, who thought they were lesser. Seokjin hadn’t been allowed to be alone outside, his owners believed it was indecent and disrespectful for hybrids to walk alone or stay alone.

“Do you want to go outside in the city?” Namjoon asked.

Seokjin hugged his knees. “I wouldn’t know where to go or what to do. I’ve never been out alone.”

Namjoon nodded. “That’s alright. It was nice being out for Spring Cleaning, I saw the city in a different light.”

Seokjin smiled, for him it hadn’t been only the city he had seen in a different light. “I would like to go out one day.”

“I would like that too,” Namjoon said softly.

But Seokjin didn’t think of going alone. He thought of being with Namjoon holding his hand so they wouldn’t lose each other or an excited Jungkook hopping around with Jimin chasing him.

Namjoon’s phone beeped with a message and he pulled it out of his backpack to read it. A smile spread on his face at whatever he was seeing. Seokjin wanted to lean closer and look at what was making him smile but he held himself back. There were only three people it could be from.

“Jungkook is playing her assistant,” Namjoon said, turning the screen so Seokjin could take a look at the photo. Jungkook was looking to the side, probably at someone talking to him, carrying two folders and a few loose papers. Seokjin’s heart softened at the sight, Jungkook looked content there. Excited and a little confused.

Seokjin took the phone in his hands. “I’m sure he insisted on carrying them for her. Doesn’t she have an assistant?”

Namjoon nodded. “Yeah, Will. But I’m not sure he’s that kind of assistant.”

“Maybe she should keep Jungkook on set, he could carry anything she wanted,” he joked. Their bunny could pick up all of them without getting tired, Seokjin had been his victim enough times to know that.

Jungkook had been doing better, his messages were more frequent and he talked more on the phone. He had been doing better but Seokjin was missing him a lot. But he couldn’t be selfish with this, going away had been good for him and if it hurt a little that he needed to be away from them, Seokjin didn’t utter a word. He had heard him sniffling at night, covering his mouth to muffle the sounds. Seokjin didn’t know how to comfort him so he just held him tighter.

Namjoon sighed, taking his phone back and hiding it in the backpack. He sighed. “Jimin is hiding away again. He barely spoke to me before locking himself in the cinema room. I don’t understand what is going on between them. Jungkook had to travel to the other side of the States to get away. I can’t get a word about what happened from either of them. Jungkook says he did something horrible to him and Jimin doesn’t want to say anything about it. And every time Jungkook pulls back from him I can see how much it hurts them both and I can’t do anything about it.”

“They don’t want us to do anything about it but they need us next to them,” Seokjin said, looking ahead at the sun slowly descending in the sky.

Namjoon let the silence stretch before speaking, “I’m grateful you’re with us, that you chose to stay. I don’t like to think about how it would have been without you.”

Seokjin turned his head away. “I didn’t do anything special. I am not that important.”

A hand touched his cheek, leading him gently until he was face to face with Namjoon looking into his hazel, almost golden, eyes. “Listen to me when I say this; you are important to us. You are pack and your place is with us here. I’ll be honest, I was weary at first but you fit right in like you were always meant to be with us. You belong with us and we’ll never let you go or get tired of you. You give so much without even realizing it.” His thumb rubbed small circles on his skin leaving burning trails behind. A heavy cloud had covered everything around him and all he could see was hazel eyes. “All I ask you is to let us take care of you, too.”

And before his doubts could stop him he surged forward. Namjoon caught him in his arms, cradling the oldest’s neck as he hid his face in his neck breathing in his scent. Time was meaningless there.

♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩

You were taking a short break. John had delivered your second cup of coffee for the day and a smoothie for Jungkook who disliked the bitter taste of coffee with passion. It was a mostly practical day that didn’t require a lot of moving around. You had been meeting up with people since the crack of dawn and discussing the best ways to cover up the disaster in a way that wouldn’t turn the public against the show or the studios. So far, you had been holding off any reporters from including the overlooked safety measures when publishing the news about the collapsed sets.

After being inside all day, you had decided to take a stroll around the block. Jungkook was walking next to you sipping his smoothie. He was wearing a simple black chocker with a silver charm.

He was telling you about a video he had seen on YouTube when your phone started ringing. Your nickname for Taylor was displayed across the screen with a photo of her pulling out a tray of cookies from the over.

“Hey, Tay,” you said.

“I called at the right time, didn’t I?”

“Just the perfect time, I have around twenty minutes before I have to go back. Work has been kicking my ass.”

Taylor laughed. “I’m sure you’ve been kicking its ass too. And better.”

You had told her around what time you would be taking your break. You hadn’t talked on the phone since coming to Virginia and you had missed her voice.

You stopped at a bench and Jungkook pulled out his phone. You felt a little bad for talking on the phone when it was the two of you but you had really missed Taylor and it wouldn’t take long anyway. She had been busy with Astrid, getting to know her better and helping her adapt to the new environment. When you had visited the hybrid had looked enamored with Taylor, you knew your friend would be amazing at taking care of a hybrid.

The conversation soon turned to you but you didn’t have much to share. Work was the same regardless the disaster but Taylor was more interested in other things.

“It has been almost a year since you and Jacob broke up. Don’t you have your sight on anyone? Any flirts? It isn’t like you lost the one and only,” she said.

Jacob had been far from the one and only. And when she asked, your mind went to dangerous places.

“Just because you found your man doesn’t mean we are all that lucky,” you said. “And how am I supposed to find anyone? I’m too busy.” From the corner of your eye you saw Jungkook turning to look at you with an unreadable expression.

Taylor continued, “Aren’t there any cute boys on set? At work? There has to be someone. Don’t bury yourself in work and forget to live. I’m not saying you need a man to be happy or complete, but don’t you miss going on dates? Getting to know someone like that?”

The answer came to you unbidden but it wasn’t something you were ready to say. “Maybe after the TV show, for now I really have to focus. After that is done and I don’t have to worry about anymore earthquakes, I’ll see where I’ll end up.”

You knew Taylor cared for you and she worried about how deep you threw yourself into work. Maybe there was also a small part that was still uncertain about the way you and Jacob had broken off things and the way you had avoided the topic like the plague for the first months. Like you and Jacob had never happened. But looking at boys and dating had been the last thing on your mind.

Ending the call with Taylor promising to text her when you got off work, you patted the small of Jungkook’s back. It was time to walk back. The smoothie was half-finished, the way it had been before, like he hadn’t taken a sip since sitting down.

You asked him if there was something wrong but he replied that everything was alright. It didn’t look like that was the case. He stayed close to you all day, more clingy than he had been the whole time you had been in Virginia, wary of the men who talked to you.

♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬♬♩♪♩

The blue sky and fluffy clouds reflected on the lake, a huge mirror creating another sky on its surface, a more vibrant but precise copy. No boats cut through the water, it was like there was a part of the sky that had made its home on the ground. Trees extended on every side of the lake, so many of them one next to the other with no end in sight.

The grass tickled Jimin’s palms swaying in the gentle wind. He breathed in the fresh morning.

“One day we’ll go on a boat ride.” Jungkook was sitting next to him, his long bangs falling at the sides of his face. “We’ll see every part of the lake, not just this. We’ll go everywhere.”

Flowers bloomed all around them, white and blue petunias, chrysanthemums and lilies. Jimin wanted to cut the most beautiful one and tuck it behind Jungkook’s ear. He turned to tell him but hands were holding the back of his neck and lips devouring his. He gripped Jungkook’s arms to steady himself from the force of the kiss. The sweet aroma of the flowers filled him up, engulfing every part of his being, the deepest crevices and the smallest of cracks.

Jungkook pushed him back so he was laying on the grass and Jimin let him, too drunk off the flowers and soft lips. Touches on his cheeks and his sides, caresses under his shirt. He was burning.

It didn’t take long for the panic to set in. With weak arms, he pushed Jungkook away. The air wouldn’t reach his lungs. The scent of the flowers turned stale and bitter.

“We can’t,” he tried to say but his voice wasn’t coming out right, sticking in his throat and refusing to flow.

Jungkook pulled back. His eyes were darker than before. “Is this it? Am I too common for his highness? You didn’t have any reservations about the panther hybrid, did you? Are you attracted to power, Jiminie? Or do you open your legs only for him?”

There were sharp blades piercing Jimin’s chest. How did he know? Who had told him? No one was supposed to know.

Two figures were hiding between the trees in the darkness the day couldn’t chase away. Your hands were crossed in front of your chest and Yoongi was standing right behind you.

Jimin took a step back colliding with the fountain at the entrance of the Castle. The house was looming over him, ominous and tall as if it could touch the sky. His clothes were torn, dirt and blood staining them. They were the clothes he had been wearing the day you had found them.

“I’m sorry but you can’t stay here anymore,” you said. You knew what he had done, you knew his dirty secret and he was paying for it again. He would be paying for it his whole life. A pain so powerful he felt like he was dying bloomed in his chest as rivers of tears rolled down his cheeks. His knees were weak. He couldn’t stand.

He searched in the faces of his pack, of the people he loved so much he thought his heart would burst. Nothing but sneers and gazes of pity. Whore, they whispered. Slut. Worthless.

Jimin crumbled to his knees. He was dying. He was sure he was dying. Spasms wrecked his body as he sobbed. He had nowhere to go, he had no one but them. He couldn’t live without them.

And when he thought it was over, that it was the last breath he was taking. He opened his eyes. His chest was heaving, his heart beating like a wild animal scratching at the bars of its cage. He was in their room, the glass wall looking out at the forest. Only the moonlight fought the darkness.

The sheets were restricting him and pushing him down, tangled around his body. Frantic movements born out of desperation took over his body and he stumbled over the edge of the bed, falling hard on the floor with the sheets wrapped around his legs.

And it overflowed.

The sobs and tears. He pulled at his hair and scratched his skin. They couldn’t know. No, they could never know. You would never look at him the same way. He would lose the only home he has ever known.

He wanted to scream. Scream until his lungs were empty and his body stopped shaking. Scream until he didn’t feel worthless and used like an old toy forgotten in a corner of the attic.

There were arms around him, prying his hands away from his hair and skin. He tried to pull away but they only held tighter until he gave in and sunk into their warmth. Blood was rushing to his ears and he only made out his name falling from the other person’s lips. He rocked in his arms, cursing himself and the world. Weak. He was so weak.

Fucking pathetic.

He gripped the hands holding him. He focused on the voice speaking although he couldn’t understand what it was saying. He choked on the bile in his throat, his body shaking with his sobs.

“Jiminie, breath. Just breath,” the voice said and Jimin tried to listen to it. He did. But it felt like he hadn’t been able to breath for a while. “Just like this. Breath with me. That’s right, like this. Breath. You’re doing so well, Minie.”

Spent, Jimin fell on the chest behind him, shaky breaths leaving his lips. One of the hands rubbed his stomach over his nightshirt.

“There. You’re alright. You’re alright.”

Jimin swallowed with difficulty down his scratchy throat. “Joonie?”

“I’m here. I’m here, Minie,” the other said. Jimin didn’t have the energy to look at him, laying his head on the older’s shoulder. “I’m right here.”

His breathing stuttered. Another tear escaping from his eyes, he thought he’d run out of them. “I’m sorry.”

“Shhh, don’t say that. Please don’t say that.” Namjoon’s voice was unsteady and it hurt Jimin knowing he had been the cause of it. “You’re alright. I’m always here for you but I can’t protect you from your head.”

Jimin’s tail wrapped around one of Namjoon’s arms as Jimin sniffled. “I don’t want to be alone. Please, please don’t let me go. Don’t make me leave.”

“Never. I’ll never leave you. We’ll never leave you. I’d do anything in this world to keep you safe.” Namjoon caressed his arm, moving upwards and pressing his fingers against Jimin’s left scent gland. Jimin’s whole body trembled, shivers overtaking him. Namjoon rubbed his nose against the other side of his neck, leaving kisses behind. Purring, Jimin arched his neck.

“I love you,” Jimin whispered, unable to stop the tears from falling.

Namjoon kissed over his scent gland and Jimin felt it everywhere. “I love you, Minie. So much.”

#bts #bts hybrid au #btscreatorscorner #bts x reader #jungkook x reader #jimin x reader #namjoon x reader #seokjin x reader #yoongi x reader #hoseok x reader #taehyung x reader #poly!bts x reader #poly!bts #bts fanfic #jikook #sope #bts scenarios #bts angst #bts fluff

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tog-centre · 3 years ago

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10 Things to Look for When Searching for a Gynecologist

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. True for doctors in different fields. But a gynaecologist is one doctor that every woman wants to visit atleast once in her lifetime. For a good reason of course. One of your first steps as you prepare for this exciting and pivotal time in your life, pregnancy, you should be choosing the correct gynecologist in Jamaica. You must feel completely at ease with a gynaecologist, since he or she will accompany you throughout your exciting nine-month adventure, culminating in the birth of your bundle of joy.

What do they check for at the gynaecologist

Other than pregnancy or childbirth, if you're having problems with your reproductive system, such as heavy bleeding, severe cramping, or other troubling symptoms, you should see a gynecologist. Even if you're in ideal health, you should get frequent checks to make sure your reproductive organs are in good shape and stay that way.

How do I choose a good gynaecologist

Well there are two fields interwoven with this. A gynecologist is a doctor who focuses on the reproductive health of women. Obstetricians provide treatment to women during pregnancy and shortly after the birth of their child. They also give birth to children. All of these are things that an ob-gyn is trained to do. It would be ideal to visit obstetrics and gynaecology care centre Jamaica.

What should I know before going to the gynaecologist

Your ob-gyn will take care of some of your most essential health concerns, such as birth control, childbirth, and menopause. An ob-gyn can also conduct surgery for pelvic organ or urinary tract disorders, as well as screen for cancer and cure infections.

Because ob-gyns deal with such personal and delicate health matters, some women may be apprehensive about seeing one for the first time. You may be apprehensive or ashamed about allowing a doctor to examine the most intimate portions of your body. You might be hesitant to communicate your most personal concerns with an ob-gyn. In this article we will be discussing about few tips to help you choose your best gynecologist in Mandeville Jamaica.

How to find a good Gynecologist near me

Location

Considering the aspect of location is more a point of necessity than comfort. You will have to make a monthly visit or two to your gynaecologist, so its wise to choose one which has offices at various locations in town. Obstetrics and gynaecology care centre Jamaica has offices at Spalding, Mandeville and Santa Cruz.Also consider:

Does her clinic/hospital have facilities for conducting various tests and investigations?

Does it have a pharmacy nearby?

Trust is imperative

You'll want to select someone with experience who you can trust because you'll be discussing your most private and sensitive health issues with this doctor. You wouldn't put your most private portions of your body in the hands of just anyone. That's why you should choose your ob-gyn with care.

Don't just pick a doctor's name at random from your health insurance provider list. Obtain a recommendation from a friend or family member. Find out about essential variables including the doctor's skills, experience, and bedside manner when you ask for recommendations.

Gynaecologist reviews

Read internet reviews to find out what other people have to say about your possible OB-GYN. Patient satisfaction surveys can reveal a lot about what to expect in terms of scheduling, availability, office environment, doctor approachability, and bedside manner, among other things.

A collection of patient comments and starred ratings is also available. A few negative reviews among many positive ones are probably unimportant, but hundreds of unfavorable reviews should be a major red flag.

Experience counts

Check out the credentials of the gynecologist in Jamaica while you're browsing online. You should be able to find the doctor's bio on the same websites that offer reviews, as well as on their practice's website. You should be able to see where the doctor went to medical school, how many years they've practiced, which hospital(s) they're affiliated with, and what their specialties are.

Personality:

During some of your most vulnerable moments, your gynecologist will be by your side. His or her bedside manners are really important. Is the doctor a nice guy? Is he or she upbeat and responsive? Is he/she approachable and friendly? Is he/she a good fit for you?

Every consultation takes time.

This is an essential factor since you don't want a doctor who rushes from one patient to the next without pausing. Always go for the person who is relaxed and patiently answers all of your questions.

Regardless of how busy she is, she should answer all of your questions and perform all of the necessary examinations.

Does the gynaecologist accept your insurance

When it comes to choosing a doctor, price is a major factor. If your gynecologist isn't in your network, you'll have to pay for your care out of cash, which can rapidly add up. To begin your search, check with your health plan to discover which gynecologists in your area are part of their network.

A comfortable communication

You want a doctor who will listen to you and take your concerns seriously. The best doctors don't give orders or preach to their patients; instead, they communicate with them in a two-way manner. This is the doctor who will perform your gynecologic exam and quiz you about your reproductive health in great detail. For the relationship to work, you must be entirely at ease with this individual.

Your gynecologist should be able to talk with you in simple terms. She should be able to answer all of your questions in layman's terms rather than medical jargon. She should be pleasant, kind, and attentive to your issues.

She should also keep you informed about how your pregnancy is progressing, any difficulties, and any further precautions or preparations you may require. Going to a doctor who does not communicate well with her patients is pointless.

What kind of additional access do you think you'll require?

During the week, most OB-GYN practices have conventional business hours. Is that sufficient for you, or do you require additional flexibility?

If seeing an OB-GYN during regular hours is difficult, investigate whether:

When the clinic is closed, you can reach out to an on-call doctor. When the clinic is closed, the doctor offers telemedicine services that allow you to have virtual appointments.

The doctor provides you with an online patient portal through which you can contact with them.

It saves them time and money on travel, increases communication with gynecologist in Jamaica , and aids in better health outcomes.

What are your thoughts on the practice as a whole?

Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are used by many practices to offer primary care. How well do you get along with the other doctors and nurses in the practice?

It's also important to see how the front and back office workers interact with you. They'll be the ones to contact most of the time, whether it's for arranging appointments, billing problems, or medication refills.

You might also wish to consider the practice's physical environment. Is the waiting room tidy and welcoming? Do the patient rooms appear to be well-organized and stocked? Is the equipment in good condition and appears to be reasonably new?

Where can I find a gynaecologist?

Though the clinic's appearance may appear to be trivial, it may be an indicator of how effectively the healthcare team will treat you. Finding the best gynecologist in Mandeville, Jamaica doesn't have to be stressful now that you have such a variety of information at your fingertips. And with these pointers in hand, choosing the right OB-GYN for you could be a lot easier than you think.

#gynecologist in jamaica #gynecologist in mandeville #gynaecologist near me #best gynecologist in mandeville #obstetrics and gynaecology care centre jamaica #obstetrician and gynaecologist #best obgyn clinics near me

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sarahtravelshappy · 4 years ago

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Let's Go Back to the Beach: Jamaica Edition

Let’s Go Back to the Beach: Jamaica Edition

Join me in 8 days LIVE from 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗰𝗮!!⁣ Register Here Don’t miss my livestream from Sandals South Coast! We’re interviewing the resort manager, wedding manager, and a few surprise guests! March 12, 202111 to 11:30 AM EST Topics Include: Travel in the Age of Covid. ⁣Is it safe?⁣What precautions are being taken?⁣What do I need to know? ⁣ Destination Weddings and Romance Travel⁣ How an…

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#2021 travel #2022 Travel #Beaches Resorts #Destination Wedding #Jamaica #luxury travel #romance travel #Sandals Resorts #Sarah Travels Happy #travel #Travel Advisor #Travel Agent #Travel Blog #Travel Tips

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ukbodyguard · 4 years ago

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Close Protection Company || Reasons and Benefits

Due to a growing bias arising from around the globe, the possibility of attacks on VIP individuals and others with properties of financial significance has inspired a rise in demand for the services of a close protection officer or other executive protection services from private security companies.

What separates us from the other close protection companies is our unwavering devotion to delivering security solutions to our vast list of clients that guarantee the customer and their families full peace of mind. In the face of adversity, when you put your wellbeing into the hands of the best close protection services in London, you will never have to put your life on hold again. By selecting UK Bodyguards, we will support you in the face of unwelcome attention to live an unhindered life.

What are Bodyguards or Security Officers

The cinematic idea of a bodyguard, a large, incredibly muscular man who stands a few steps behind a politician or a star, is known to most of us. They always wear dark glasses in black suits in the nice guy bodyguard video. In movies, the bad guy's bodyguard, the guy who defends the wicked geniuses, still appears to be bearded, toting a machine gun, or lurking behind the throne of the mastermind.

Hollywood has fun experimenting with the bodyguard’s concept. However, bodyguards seldom match the picture created by the films. Men or women may be bodyguards because they are smart, well-trained, athletic people who also have years of experience in the military or police forces. If you want to see a true bodyguard, look for the people watching the audience and not the actors the next time you watch a red carpet event.

To ensure that your everyday security needs are fulfilled efficiently, close protection officers (CPOs) or personal London bodyguards services can act discreetly or as a conspicuous power.

Reasons to Hire from a Close Protection Company

1. Politics

Some people would dislike you if you are running for some sort of government, including at the local level. Regulation determines how our lives are lived. In individuals, this sparks a fire that can grow out of control if fanned.

You might believe that you will be held protected by your good nature. These haters also do not know the candidate, but they disagree with the values they stand for. Look at recruiting a competent bodyguard before you get into running.

2. Activism

As an altruistic way to save the world, you might think about activism. People who see activists as time bombs, though, are willing to ruin their way of life to survive.

If you post #save the turtles daily on Instagram, you will not get any pushback. Attending protests and pushing hard for your convictions, though, will make you a priority. Hire a bodyguard in london for your safety.

3. High Company Ranking

If you work for a large organization in an executive capacity, so secure yourself. For sabotage, attack, and kidnapping, people can target you.

Know, you do portray more than just yourself in your place. You build a voice for a business that makes big choices that have a major effect on others' lives.

4. Employment Termination

If you run a big company or a small local business, it will cause a backlash by dismissing an employee. Upon termination, at any rate, dissatisfied workers can seek out the control they believe was stripped from them.

Ask for protection if you fire an individual who:

Makes Threats

Screams

Physically Attacks You

5. Valuable Transfers

The unwanted focus may be attracted by moving valuables of some sort. If you are in the place of valuables belonging to you or someone else, proceed carefully.

Valuables may include:

Large sums of cash

Expensive jewelry

Pharmaceuticals

Rare collectibles

Sensitive documents

6. Arrests

When people want vengeance, they don't go for the goal often. They go for those close to the goal instead, to reach home.

If a family member, significant other, or close friend winds up being arrested for some felony that has made a suspect, hiring a bodyguard will keep you safe before anything goes by.

High-profile murders and assassinations can undoubtedly inspire people close to the perpetrator to seek safety. Those that contain secondary casualties, too, may as well.

7. Overseas Travel

Even places with great instability have special and enjoyable prospects for holidays. Instead of being scared of the rest of the country, recruit a guard to fly safely.

Some famous destinations that pose a traveler's risk include:

Mexico

Peru

Columbia

The Philippines

Jamaica

India

Saudi Arabia

South Africa

8. High Net-Worth

What is your value? You're, of course, priceless. But what is the meaning that the universe allocates to you?

If you come in with the highest percentage, that makes you a candidate for theft, abduction, and other violent crimes. Secure yourself and your belongings by hiring a private bodyguard to secure your house and to support you regularly.

9. Abuse

Statistically, perpetrators do not readily let their victims go. Once they run, many appear to injure their victims more.

Take precautions to support yourself if you abandon an abusive relationship. A restraining order only provides deterrence for them, but irrational offenses are not avoided. Protecting yourself with a bodyguard before you move on.

Why Choose Us

Our close security specialists will help keep you safe, whether you respond to a direct threat to your life, attend a high-profile summit, or simply go on holiday with your family. We hire a select and intimate range of security experts from all over the world, who can give you and your family complete peace of mind with their multifaceted expertise and wealth of experience. As a company, we are fully assured that we can provide and supply our foreign customers with the complete security and reassurance they want with our skills and our collective wealth of market experience spanning half a century.

You have found the perfect company whether you are in the market for close protection London bodyguards, or specifically our close protection London services, as UK Bodyguards is the best close protection UK company. We offer the best sia close protection course for individuals seeking job preference in the sector.

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edgewaterfarmcsa · 4 years ago

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FALL CSA WEEK 6

PICK-LIST

SWEET POTATOES - KALE - LETTUCE - CURLY PARSLEY - DELICATA WINTER SQUASH - BROCCOLI - SAVOY CABBAGE - ORNAMENTAL CORN - FENNEL - BOK CHOY - ROMANESCO - RED POTATOES

Ok, now is the time of year where my emotions can really get the best of me and I become very sentimental. This week, the better half of our field crew heads home to Jamaica, and it always makes me a little weepy. Roy, Strong, Ramone, Jasper, and Garnet begin to work with us seasonally starting in May. Their arrival in the Spring marks the beginning of our full bore growing season. Together, we plant, weed, pick, and pack, clean, etc… truly embracing the adage, many hands make light work. And if I knew an old adage about life is better working with people you love, trust, and laugh with, I’d use it here too.

For me personally, this crew makes it possible to farm and parent at the same time. Both the fields and the kiddos demand love and attention. So while Roy, Strong, Ramone, Jasper, and Garnet tend more towards tasks that go into raising good crops, Ray and I (and full disclosure, Grannie Annie (Anne Sprague)) tend more towards the tasks that go into raising (good?) kids.

Also, if you don’t already know, Roy Mitchell in particular, is key in the success of our CSA. He shows up every single Wednesday to assist in the CSA box pack-out. We work together from the start of CSA harvest on Monday to pick-up on Wednesday. After working together for the past 12 years we’ve got our systems in place with potentially too many jokes thrown in along the way. Later today, Roy and I will pack his last CSA box for the year with our Wednesday radio station of choice (97.5 fm) to carry us through.

But it’s mid-November now, and the temps have certainly dropped! By Thursday night these guys will be back in the tropics quarantining until they can step foot into their own homes and reunite with their own families- giving hugs, eating good goat curry and catching up on life. Of course traveling during this time (hello pandemic) feels completely complicated and nothing is without risk, but we are taking all the precautions that we can on our end to get them back home safely. If all goes well- and I have to believe it will- the next 5 or 6 months will move swiftly through winter, into the next growing season and we will all be back in the fields in no time, planting onions, catching up, snacking on donuts, and preparing for the 2021 harvest season.

LASTLY BEFORE WE GET INTO RECIPES, HOT TIPS, ETC….

The final CSA pick up is next week on TUESDAY (this timing should allow for proper Thanksgiving meal prep for all)

HOT TIPS:

KALE SALAD WITH ROASTED SQUASH AND FENNEL

FROM START SIMPLE

The dressing - a mix of maple syrup, lemon juice, and olive oil, plus an optional jolt of ginger- could make anything taste good, and the salad, with its autumnal profile, works just as well in holiday menus as it does in packed weekday lunches… Add some crumbled feta if you’d like a tangy creamy element.

2 cups winter squash cut into bite size pieces

1 to 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup or honey

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 teaspoons finely grated ginger (optional)

Salt & pepper

1 small fennel, cored

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 large bunch of kale (stemmed and torn into bite size pieces

¼ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425. Spread the squash on a baking sheet, then toss with 1 ½ tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Roast until tender, 15-20 minutes, stirring once or twice. Cool.

Whisk together the remaining1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon juice, maple syrup or honey, and ginger, if using, in a serving bowl. Cut the fennel into thinnest-possible shavings, preferable using a mandoline or, if not, a very sharp knife. Add the fennel and squash to the bowl with the dressing and stir to coat. Let stand for about 5 minutes, which will soften up the fennel, then add the kale and toss with your hands. Top with cheese if using.

BAKED SWEET POTATO CHIPS

FROM START SIMPLE

2 medium sweet potatoes

1 teaspoon flaky sea salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Zest of 1 lime

Preheat the oven to 425.

Using a mandoline, or if you don’t have one, a chef’s knife, slice the sweet potatoes into rounds about ¼ inch thick. Place in a large bowl, add the oil, and stir to coat evenly. Arrange on a baking sheet in the best single layer you can manage, then transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Stir and flip, then return to the overn and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more, until most of the chips are crisp and browned (some take on some black spots; thats fine!). Watch carefully towards the end, as they darken quickly.

In a small bowl, mix together the salt and red pepper flakes. Sprinkle over the sweet potatoes chips and zest lime over everything. Serve while they’re still warm. These are best when eaten within a few hours.

roasted broccoli/romanesco

FROM START SIMPLE

JENNY’S NOTE: I don’t know why it took me so long in life to cook broccoli in the oven (vs. steaming). I feel like I’ve been shown the light, and I am so excited to grow old and spend the next 37 years (more? less?) roasting broccoli. It’s Perfect.

Broccoli/Romanesco

freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

Salt

Preheat the oven to 400*

Working close to the stem, cut or snap off large bunches of florets of broccoli or romanesco. Depending on their size, halve or quarter them so that you’ve got a flat surface or two. For the broccoli, use a vegetable peeler or baring knife to remove the thick fibrous skin around the stem, then cut the peeled stem into pieces the same thickness as the florets.

Divide the vegetable between the two baking sheets, then drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Toss to evenly coat, then transfer to the oven and roast until tender and caramelized in parts, 20 to 30 minutes, stirring and rotating the pans once halfway through.

Jenny’s note on start simple by lukas volger:

I can not stress enough how helpful this book has been when it comes to easy GOOD meals. And it highlights all the food that we tend to have so much of this time of year: squash, sweet potatoes, kale, and cabbage. This would be a great addition to your cookbook collection to get you through the year. Nope this is not a paid advertisement- I'm just a lover of this book and it complements a CSA season all too well. I also feel the same way about TENDER by Nigel Slater. If anyone needs any more cook recs, reach out, apparently I’ve just deemed myself an expert.

BOK CHOY:

I am a forever lover of this crisp asian green. Goes great in stir fries, soups, salads, etc..

LETTUCE:

You might come across some browning on the bottom (it was picked on Saturday due to cold nights ahead). This lettuce will continue to stay fresh for a while, just cut back the bottom butt and outer leaves if need be.

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newstfionline · 5 years ago

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Headlines

World refugee numbers rise (Foreign Policy) A new report by the United Nations refugee agency found that the number of refugees worldwide increased by 9 million in 2019, adding to a total of roughly 80 million people. Only 107,000 refugees were resettled in third countries, with Canada receiving the most with 31,100. The United States received the second highest number with 27,500 resettled in 2019.

Migrant farmworkers die in Canada, and Mexico wants answers (Washington Post) Each summer for the past five years, Aaron has traveled from his home in Mexico to Canada as one of the tens of thousands of temporary foreign workers who seed, tend and harvest the crops that keep the country fed. This year’s journey was unique. Flights were limited. There were temperature screenings and questionnaires before he took off and after he landed. On arriving in British Columbia this month, he was checked into a hotel for a 14-day quarantine. But in this year of the coronavirus, the precautions have not kept all of Canada’s migrant farmworkers safe. At least 600 have contracted covid-19, and at least two, both Mexicans, have died. Mexico, which provides nearly half of Canada’s migrant farmworkers, has become so concerned that officials said this week they’re hitting the “pause button” on plans to send up to 5,000 more to Canada until they’re satisfied the conditions that led to the deaths will be rectified—threatening a labor crunch for Canada’s already squeezed agricultural sector. The pandemic has highlighted Canada’s dependence on the 60,000 temporary foreign workers who arrive each year from countries such as Mexico and Jamaica as part of a federal government program, and without whom hundreds of thousands of tons of blueberries, asparagus stalks and grapes would wither on the vine.

DACA lives on (NYT) When this country started hearing a decade ago about Dreamers—people who came to the United States as small children without legal permission—many of them were in their teens or early 20s. These Dreamers are now full adults, with careers and families, and many have spent years anxiously wondering whether they would be thrown out of the only country they’ve really known. Yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling, which barred President Trump from deporting the Dreamers anytime soon, came as a tremendous relief to them. “It feels amazing,” Vanessa Pumar, 31, an immigration lawyer who came from Venezuela at age 11, said. “I have been holding my breath. It feels like I can finally breathe.” Roberto G. Gonzales, a Harvard professor who has been studying DACA since it went into effect in 2012, calls it “the most successful immigration policy in recent decades.” Gonzales explains: “Within a year, DACA beneficiaries were already taking giant steps. They found new jobs. They increased their earnings. They acquired driver’s licenses. And they began to build credit through opening bank accounts and obtaining credit cards.”

AP-NORC poll: Majority of Americans support police protests (AP) Ahead of the Juneteenth holiday weekend’s demonstrations against systemic racism and police brutality, a majority of Americans say they approve of recent protests around the country. Many think they’ll bring positive change. And despite the headline-making standoffs between law enforcement and protesters in cities nationwide, the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research also finds a majority of Americans think law enforcement officers have generally responded to the protests appropriately. Somewhat fewer say the officers used excessive force. The findings follow weeks of peaceful protests and unrest in response to the death of George Floyd, a black man who died pleading for air on May 25 after a white Minneapolis police officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes. A dramatic change in public opinion on race and policing has followed, with more Americans today than five years ago calling police violence a very serious problem that unequally targets black Americans.

Atlanta police call out sick over charges in fatal shooting (AP) Atlanta police officers called out sick to protest the filing of murder charges against an officer who shot a man in the back, while the interim chief acknowledged members of the force feel abandoned amid protests demanding massive changes to policing. Interim Chief Rodney Bryant told The Associated Press in an interview that the sick calls began Wednesday night and continued Thursday, but said the department had sufficient staff to protect the city. It’s not clear how many officers called out. “Some are angry. Some are fearful. Some are confused on what we do in this space. Some may feel abandoned,” Bryant said of the officers. “But we are there to assure them that we will continue to move forward and get through this.”

Beware the trampoline (NYT) Sales of outdoor equipment has surged as families try to keep their children entertained while on lockdown. But that has led to a spike in injuries from bikes, scooters, and especially trampolines. Some E.R. doctors have begun referring to trampolines as “orthopedic fracture machines.” Many injuries occur when multiple children, especially a mix of older and younger ones, are jumping on a trampoline at the same time. That’s what happened to the daughter of our colleague Adam Pasick, who broke her tibia on a trampoline on Wednesday. Stay safe out there, kids!

Missing in Mexico (Foreign Policy) Families of people thought to have gone missing amid Mexico’s drug war surrounded a motorcade carrying President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in the state of Veracruz on Monday demanding he do more to bring their loved ones home. Some 61,000 people are estimated to be missing in the country, and relatives fear that austerity measures, which could see a 75 percent budget cut to a government agency that provides funding and support to families of the disappeared, will only make matters worse. While coronavirus-related lockdowns have stalled search efforts, gang violence and disappearances have continued.

France and Turkey spar over ship incident (Foreign Policy) Tensions between France and Turkey rose after French Defense Minister Florence Parly said a Turkish ship refused to identify itself and its mission after an approach by a French vessel on a NATO mission to check on suspected weapons smuggling to Libya. Turkish sailors donned bulletproof vests and took up positions behind light weaponry during the incident, according to Parly. “This act was extremely aggressive and cannot be one of an ally facing another ally who is doing its work under NATO command,” Parly said. Turkey called France’s claims “baseless.” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters that NATO is investigating the incident “to bring full clarity into what happened.”

Anger Surges in India Over Deadly Border Brawl With China (NYT) An Indian government minister has called for Chinese restaurants to be closed. Other Indian officials have suddenly put contracts to Chinese companies under review. And crowds of men are now smashing Chinese-made televisions in the street. A wave of anti-Chinese anger is cresting across India as the nation struggles to absorb the loss of 20 Indian soldiers beaten to death this week by Chinese troops in a high-altitude brawl along India’s disputed border with China. And the tensions are hardly easing. Sonam Joldan, a teacher in the Ladakh region near the India-China border, reported on Thursday seeing a line of 100 Indian Army trucks heading toward the front line, wending its way up the Himalayan mountains “like a caravan of ants.”

China charges Canadians with espionage (Foreign Policy) Chinese prosecutors announced today that they have charged two Canadians in Chinese detention with espionage. Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor have been held by Chinese authorities since 2018 in what is seen as a reciprocal move by Beijing after the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei, by Canadian police. Meng is currently under house arrest in Vancouver while fighting a Canadian court battle to halt her extradition to the United States.

Singapore opens gyms, dining out as China outbreak steadies (AP) Singaporeans can wine and dine at restaurants, work out at the gym and socialize with no more than five people at a time as of Friday, when the city-state removed most of its pandemic lockdown restrictions. Getting back to business in Singapore came as China declared a fresh outbreak in Beijing under control after confirming 25 new cases among some 360,000 people tested. That was up by just four from a day earlier. Singapore’s malls, gyms, massage parlors, parks and other public facilities reopened their doors with strict social distancing and other precautions.

Palestinians fear displacement from an annexed Jordan Valley (AP) For generations, the people of Fasayil herded animals on the desert bluffs and palm-shaded lowlands of the Jordan Valley. Today, nearly every man in the Palestinian village works for Jewish settlers in the sprawling modern farms to the north and south. The grazing lands to the west and east, leading down to the banks of the biblical Jordan River, have been swallowed up by the settlements or fenced off by the Israeli military. So instead of leading sheep out to pasture, the men rise before dawn to work in the settlements for around $3 an hour—or they move away. “Everyone here works in the settlements, there’s nothing else,” said Iyad Taamra, a member of the village council who runs a small grocery store. “If you have some money you go somewhere else where there is a future.” Palestinians fear communities across the Jordan Valley will meet a similar fate if Israel proceeds with its plans to annex the territory, which accounts for around a quarter of the occupied West Bank and was once seen as the breadbasket of a future Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to annex the valley and all of Israel’s far-flung West Bank settlements, in line with President Donald Trump’s Middle East plan, which overwhelmingly favors Israel and has been rejected by the Palestinians. The process could begin as soon as July 1.

Saudi Arabia’s crown prince uses travel restrictions to consolidate power (Washington Post) The formal term in Arabic is mana’a al-safar, or “travel bans.” But the practical effect of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s policy of restricting journeys abroad by what appear to be thousands of Saudis is to intimidate those he regards as political threats. “This is hostage-taking as a tool of governing,” argued Khalid Aljabri, a Saudi cardiologist who lives in Toronto. Two of his younger siblings, Omar and Sarah, now both in their early 20s, were banned from travel in June 2017 shortly after MBS, as he’s known, became crown prince. MBS wanted leverage against their father, a former Saudi intelligence official named Saad Aljabri, hoping to force him home to face corruption allegations that Khalid says are false. An investigation shows that this practice of restricting foreign travel is much broader than generally recognized and is part of a larger system of organized repression in the kingdom. MBS has used these tools to consolidate power as he moves toward what some U.S. officials believe may be an attempt, perhaps this year, to seize the full powers of government from his ailing father, King Salman. The total number of Saudis who are subject to travel restrictions, according to Saudi and U.S. analysts, probably runs into the thousands. Those who are banned don’t usually know about their status until they go to the airport or try to cross a border post, where they’re stopped and told that exit is forbidden on order of the state security organization, which operates through the royal court. No formal, written explanation is typically given.

Zimbabwe on the brink (Foreign Policy) Three female opposition activists in Zimbabwe have been forced to remain in prison following a bail hearing on Monday as they face charges of fabricating allegations of being abducted, tortured, and humiliated by police. The charges against the women are widely thought to be politically motivated, while the U.N. called on the authorities to “urgently prosecute and punish the perpetrators of this outrageous crime.” The case against the women, one of whom, Joana Mamombe, is a member of Parliament, comes at a tense time in the country as inflation has risen to 785 percent. The price of bread and sugar has surged by 30 percent over the past week, evoking memories of the hyperinflation seen in 2008 that rendered the country’s currency worthless. Economic crisis and rising public anger have led to mounting speculation that a coup could be in the works. The national security council of Zimbabwe dismissed the rumors in a press conference last week, saying they were being fueled by allies of the late Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe.

#headlines #news

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/03/11/coronavirus-live-updates/

LIVE UPDATES: WHO DECLARES CORONAVIRUS A PANDEMIC; ITALY HALTS NEARLY ALL COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY

By Alex Horton, Miriam Berger, Lateshia Beachum, Hannah Knowles and Michael Brice-Saddler | Published March 11 at 7:19 PM ET | Washington Post | Posted March 11, 2020 |

The World Health Organization declared coronavirus a pandemic, with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus saying: “We are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity — and by the alarming levels of inaction.”

The WHO’s Wednesday declaration came as the number of known novel coronavirus cases surpassed 120,000 worldwide. Speaking on Capitol Hill, Anthony Fauci, the long-standing director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infection Diseases declared “it’s going to get worse.”

President Trump said he will address the nation at 9 p.m.

In the United States, where there are now more than 1,000 cases, the White House is considering moving all of Europe to a Level 3 travel advisory, discouraging all nonessential travel to those regions. Meanwhile, Italy tried to stymie coronavirus’s spread by ordering a halt to nearly all commercial activity, aside from supermarkets and pharmacies.

HERE ARE THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS :

*The Dow reached bear-market territory on a nearly 1,500-point skid as panic intensified about the coronavirus, which threatens to debilitate global economies and bring on a recession.

*Ohio will limit large gatherings; Washington state introduced similar measures in a few counties. The NCAA announced that its basketball tournaments will be held without fans in attendance.

*India’s health ministry announced it was suspending all existing visas from across the world till April 15.

*German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Wednesday that up to 70 percent of her country could end up infected.

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08:19 PM: WORK-FROM-HOME AT GOOGLE EXPOSES CLASS DIVIDE: CONTRACTORS VS. FULL-TIME

Growing fears around the spread of coronavirus have exposed class divides in the tech industry’s two-tiered system for white collar workers, where contractors do similar work as full-time employees — such as engineering or product management — but often for no equity, less pay, and fewer benefits.

Google on Tuesday publicized extending safety protections to contractors, including establishing a covid-19 fund to provide paid sick leave for contingent workers if they have symptoms or are quarantined. The company also advised employees in North America to work from home until at least April 10, according to a Tuesday email viewed by The Post.

But some Google contractors say they are still in limbo, unsure if they can exercise those benefits. On Wednesday, Google’s office in Pittsburgh was a ghost town, save for contractors employed by HCL Technologies, who work on Google Shopping. HCL employees in Pittsburgh, who recently unionized, believe it’s technically feasible to perform their job from home, if given permission. However, workers were told Wednesday afternoon that HCL is still talking to Google and can’t provide an update for 24 to 48 hours.

In the midst of that uncertainty, one contractor whose wife had symptoms of coronavirus came into Google’s Pittsburgh office Wednesday, another HCL employee told The Post, noting that dogs are no longer allowed in the Pittsburgh office as a temporary precaution. “So even dogs are more important of a priority than us,” he said.

HCL did not immediately respond to request for comment. In a statement to The Post, Google spokesperson Jenn Kaiser said, “To serve our users and keep our products running, some work, performed by Google employees, temporary staff and vendors alike, can only be done by people physically present at offices. We’re taking all necessary and recommended precautions, including increased sanitization and social distancing, a public health best practice.”

By: Nitasha Tiku

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08:04 PM: ELECTIONS OFFICIALS scramble for OPTIONS AS VIRUS WORRIES MOUNT

Elections officials have stocked up on hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes. Many are urging voters to cast absentee ballots or vote early to avoid crowds.

But as the coronavirus pandemic worsens, local and state officials are scrambling to identify other options if public health leaders ultimately determine that there are risks to visiting polling places — an assessment that could change the basic mechanics of running an election midstream in a presidential campaign year.

“If you’re talking about something on that level, then we’re clearly facing a crisis and not just an emergency, and public health and safety will have to dictate whatever we do,” said Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who said he would follow the advice of public health officials and law enforcement.

"One of the very few things that would take precedent over a free and fair election is public health and safety, right?” LaRose said, adding that such a move would be a last resort.

Read more about the effort to keep elections virus-free.

By: ELISE VIEBECK

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07:59 PM: NBA discusses coronavirus response but doesn’t immediately announce plan for games, fan attendance

The NBA’s Board of Governors held a conference call Wednesday to discuss the league’s coronavirus response options, but reached no consensus as to whether games should proceed as normal, whether they should be held without fans in attendance, or

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07:19 PM: U.S. EMBASSY EMPLOYEE IS JAMAICANS SECOND CASE

A U.S. Embassy employee in Kingston, Jamaica, has become the island nation’s second confirmed case of the novel coronavirus, Jamaican Health Minister Chris Tufton announced on Twitter late Wednesday.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Confirmation of the case came one day after Jamaica announced that a female British national, who arrived in the country on March 4, had tested positive for the virus.

Though far from the epicenter of the crisis, Jamaica is grappling with the fallout, facing a loss of 50,000 cruise ship passengers in recent weeks and a sharp falloff in some tourism-related business. The country has set up strict health protocols aimed at preventing the spread of the virus and has led at least one cruise ships to bypass its port in Ocho Rios. It has also effectively barred one vessel due to reports of sick passengers aboard.

Across Jamaica, nearly three dozen people remain quarantined after traveling to countries reporting large numbers of cases. The Jamaican government has also banned travel to and from China, Iran, South Korea, Italy and Singapore and suspended flights from Spain, France and Germany.

By: ANTHONY FABIOLA

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07:15 PM: HOW MUCH WORSE IS CORONAVIRUS GOING TO GET IN U.S.? NEW FORECASTS AND MODELS ARE GRIM

A rash of alarming forecasts about the coronavirus pandemic emerged Wednesday. The World Health Organization officially declared it a pandemic. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said 70 percent of Germany’s population could become infected. Meanwhile, new models painted a grim picture of what worst-case scenario might look like.

“Bottom line, it’s going to get worse,” Anthony Fauci, long-standing director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said at a congressional hearing.

Experts have produced forecasts of likely infections, serious illnesses and death tolls, based on what is known about the novel coronavirus and how past epidemics have played out, and they suggest that the United States — which has surpassed 1,000 confirmed novel-coronavirus infections and 30 deaths — must prepare for a potentially historic pandemic.

One forecast, developed by former CDC director Tom Frieden at the nonprofit organization Resolve to Save Lives, found that deaths in the United States could range widely, depending on what percentage of the population gets infected and how lethal the disease proves to be. Frieden, who oversaw the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, the 2014 Ebola epidemic and the 2016 Zika epidemic, says in a worst-case scenario, but one that is not implausible, half the U.S. population would get infected and more than 1 million people would die.

But the model’s range varied widely from 327 (best case) to 1,635,000 (worst case). The deaths would not necessarily happen over a month or a year, but could happen in two or three years, he said.

By: JOEL ACHENBACH, WILLIAM WAN and LENA H. SUN

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06:57 PM: El SALVADOR BEGINS NATIONWIDE QUARANTINE DESPITE HAVING NO CONFIRMED CASES

El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, announced Wednesday that the country — which does not have a single confirmed coronavirus case — will begin a nationwide quarantine that will last for 30 days.

Schools will be closed for 21 days. “I know this will be criticized, but let’s put ourselves in Italy’s shoes. Italy wishes they could’ve done this before,” he said.

“Our health system is not at Italy’s level, it’s not at South Korea’s level,” he added.

Earlier, Bukele banned travel from China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, France, Spain and Germany.

By: KEVIN SIEFF

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06:35 PM: CAPITOL PREPARES TO SHUT DOWN PUBLIC TOURS

The Capitol is preparing to shut down public tours because of the growing coronavirus pandemic, according to two congressional officials.

The announcement is being prepared by the House and Senate sergeant-at-arms, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity ahead of the official notification. Between 3 and 5 million tourists, from both the United States and abroad, visit Capitol Hill each year, according to the Architect of the Capitol.

Lawmakers have generally resisted efforts to stop legislative operations even as the outbreak expands, continuing to hold hearings and conduct business.

By: SEUNG MIN KIM

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06:26 PM: PRESSURED BY TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, CRUISE INDUSTRY TO RESTRICT OLDER TRAVELERS IN RESPONSE TO CORONAVIRUS

Responding to a directive from the federal government, the beleaguered cruise industry has crafted a coronavirus response plan that will keep more people off its ships.

Passengers who are 70 and older will be required to produce a doctor’s note attesting that they are healthy enough to take a cruise, according to a source familiar with the plan who was not authorized to speak publicly about it. That person said keeping the most vulnerable population off ships was a priority of the Trump administration. About 14 percent of cruise passengers in 2018 — about 4 million people — were 70 or older, an industry report showed.

USA Today first reported details of the plan Wednesday.

Travelers will be warned frequently before a trip that anyone with underlying health conditions is heavily discouraged from getting on a cruise ship. Those who are obviously ill will not be allowed to board, according to the source.

All passengers will be subject to a temperature check before they can get on a ship, and those with a reading of 100.4 degrees or higher will not be allowed to sail.

The Cruise Lines International Association had previously announced that anyone who had visited Iran, South Korea or China, including Macao and Hong Kong, or areas in Italy subject to government lockdown, within the past 14 days, would not be allowed to board. The new plan expands that list to include all of Italy as well as Japan.

According to the source, the plan also addresses testing passengers for the virus while they are on ships and how cruise lines will pay for the care of sick passengers or crew so that the burden doesn’t fall on the U.S. government. The source described it as “a pretty hefty investment by the industry.”

By: HANNAH SAMPSON

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06:11 PM: HOSPITAL INDUSTRY ASKS WHITE HOUSE TO DECLARE A NATIONAL EMERGENCY

Hospital industry leaders are urging the Trump administration to declare the covid-19 outbreak a national emergency or a national disaster to “ensure that health care services and sufficient health care items are available to respond.”

During a Wednesday afternoon meeting at the White House with Vice President Pence and Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the American Hospital Association’s president and several hospital chief executives said the federal public health emergency declared at the end of January is inadequate.

The meeting echoed a letter to the vice president sent on Tuesday by Richard Pollack, the hospital association’s president. The letter explained that only with a national emergency or disaster could the government loosen a variety of health-care rules, helping to cope with a surge of seriously ill, infected patients.

According to the letter, a declared emergency or disaster would, for instance, eliminate a Medicare rule that patients need to have been hospitalized for at least three nights before the vast insurance program for older Americans pays for nursing home stays — freeing hospital beds more quickly for the sickest patients with the new virus. It also would help patients stay longer in certain types of small rural hospitals, as well as making it easier for doctors licensed in one state to pitch in elsewhere, where the outbreak is particularly severe.

The letter noted that the government has loosened such rules after major hurricanes and floods and during the swine flu pandemic a decade ago.

The hospital leaders also urged the White House to provide federal help for the testing and care of people exposed to the coronavirus who are uninsured.

By: AMY GOLDSTEIN

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06:09 PM: SENATE DEMOCRATS URGE TRUMP TO UTILIZE $40 BILLION IN DISASTER RELIEF FUNDS TO COMBAT CORONAVIRUS

Three dozen Senate Democrats on Wednesday sent a letter to Trump urging him to immediately consider state disaster declaration requests in order to release more than $40 billion in federal relief funds.

In their letter, the senators called on Trump to invoke the 1988 Stafford Act, which enables the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts. Members of Trump’s coronavirus task force have discussed doing so, officials have told The Washington Post in recent days.

“It is crucial that your administration employ a whole-of-government approach in responding to COVID-19,” the senators wrote. “This includes working closely with state, local, and tribal officials and providing necessary resources to those on the frontlines. We strongly urge FEMA to stand ready to provide emergency protective measures to prevent and mitigate the spread of disease, save lives, and protect public health and safety, should any state request assistance.”

The release of the letter comes hours before Trump is expected to address the nation in a prime-time address from the Oval Office.

By: FELICIA SONMEZ

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05:53 PM: FIVE MORE DEATHS AT ASSISTED-LIVING FACILITIES REPORTED IN WASHINGTON STATE IN ONE DAY

Washington state announced five more coronavirus fatalities on Wednesday, all linked to nursing homes or assisted-living facilities. The news pushed the nationwide death count to at least 36; 29 of those are in Washington state.

King County, where most of the deaths have occurred amid nursing home outbreaks, reported four more deaths and 44 new patients. The county, which includes Seattle, now has 234 confirmed cases.

The newly announced deaths include three residents at Life Care Center, the facility where the outbreak has been especially horrific and where staff say they have seen patients go from showing no symptoms to death in a matter of hours. Two of the deceased were in their 90s, one woman in her 60s.

Another King County woman who died in her 90s lived at the Redmond Care and Rehabilitation Center nursing home.

Snohomish County also reported Wednesday that a man in his 80s who was “connected” to an assisted-living facility, Josephine Caring Community, had died.

By: HANNAH KNOWLES

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05:44 PM: BIDEN CANCELS MORE CAMPAIGN EVENTS OVER VIRUS; PENCE STILL SET TO STUMP IN WISCONSIN

In response to the worsening coronavirus outbreak, Biden’s team has canceled additional campaign events in Illinois and Florida to “minimize health risks for staff and supporters” and will hold “virtual events” instead.

The decision comes as the former vice president plans to speak about the global pandemic Thursday. Ahead of those remarks, he has set up his own public health advisory committee with boldface names from the Obama administration, including Vivek H. Murthy, who was surgeon general under President Barack Obama, and Lisa Monaco, former homeland security and counterterrorism adviser to Obama.

The committee will provide “science-based, expert advice,” Biden’s campaign said.

“The campaign’s top priority is and will continue to be the health and safety of the public,” it said. “Members of the committee will provide ongoing counsel to the campaign, which will in turn continue to update the public regarding operational decisions.”

The former vice president’s approach stands in contrast to Trump, who has said that he would continue holding rallies and attending public events and has played down the severity of the spreading virus. In a Fox Business Network interview Wednesday, Trump campaign spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany claimed without evidence that political considerations — and not coronavirus concerns — are the reason Biden has canceled his events.

Meanwhile, Vice President Pence, who is running the government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak, is still planning to attend a campaign event in Wisconsin next week for a congressional special election as Democrats and many organizations cancel large events.

In a C-SPAN interview Wednesday, Pence was asked whether he was personally concerned about attending these large events.

“I’m not concerned,” he said, “but we’ll follow the facts every single day about what makes the most sense for the American people.”

By: COLBY ITKOWITZ

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05:37 PM: D.C. MAYOR DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY AFTER PERSON-TO-PERSON CORONAVIRUS TRANSMISSIONS

D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) declared a state of emergency in the nation’s capital because of coronavirus, giving herself the power to order mandatory quarantines and to crack down on price gouging. Health officials said six more people have tested positive for coronavirus in the District, including two cases where the cause of transmission is unknown. That brings the total number of cases to 10. Officials said person-to-person transmission has started in the District.

Bowser’s emergency declaration came hours after the District urged the cancellations of all mass gatherings through the end of March. Bowser said the city government was pulling all permits for public gatherings and that she could order closure of other gatherings if necessary.

After the rector of Christ Church Georgetown tested positive for coronavirus, the District has asked hundreds of people who visited the church to self-quarantine for 14 days after their last visit. D.C. health officials expanded the self-quarantine to people who visited the church through March 6 after the organist tested positive, including a Saturday funeral where he played.

Bowser has said the city has leased a private facility that can be used to quarantine up to 50 people, but declined to reveal its location. Officials said quarantine orders could be used for people at high risk of exposing the virus to others or those who do not comply with self-quarantine requests.

By: FENIT NIRAPPIL

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05:29 PM: ITALY HALTS NEARLY ALL COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY ASIDE FROM SUPERMARKETS AND PHARMACIES

ROME — Italy on Wednesday ramped up the severity of its national lockdown, ordering a halt to nearly all commercial activity aside from supermarkets and pharmacies, in the latest dramatic step to slow the country’s coronavirus spread.

With the decision, announced by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Italy has engineered nearly as thorough a commercial halt as seems imaginable.

Once the decree takes effect — Conte did not specify when — only the most essential parts of society will continue to function. Farms can still produce food, and factories can still churn out products, but people will have almost no reason to leave the house.

“You’re changing your life’s habits, making sacrifices, but these renunciations are offering a great, precious contribution to the country,” Conte said. “Italy is showing it’s a great community, united and responsible.”

On Monday, Conte had imposed a nationwide lockdown, limiting travel abroad and across regions. With it came other restrictions: the closure of theaters, museums, sporting events. But Italy had still been operating at a crawl. Gelaterias were open, with people lining up a few feet away from one another. Barbershops were open. Cafes were open, with limited hours and restrictions on the number of people allowed inside.

Conte received strong political pressure from politicians in the north, the region at the epicenter of the outbreak, to further tighten the measures as the number of coronavirus cases continues to accelerate. Italy has more than 10,500 active cases, and the number of people who have died of the virus has risen in three days from 366 to 827.

By: CHICO HARLAN

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05:22 PM: MAJOR UNION CALLS ON TRUMP TO PROVIDE TWO WEEKS OF PAID SICK LEAVE FOR EVERY AMERICAN WORKER

United Food and Commercial Workers, the largest private-sector union in the United States with 1.3 million workers in retail and health care, asked President Trump and Congress on Wednesday to pass a new economic aid package that would provide a minimum of two weeks of paid sick leave for all American workers.

The union’s proposed economic package also includes unemployment benefits for workers who have been laid off or had their hours disrupted, payroll tax cuts for lower- and middle-income workers, as well as protection from unfair termination or discrimination for workers suspected of being exposed to coronavirus.

UFCW President Anthony “Marc” Perrone outlined the policy proposal in a letter to Trump, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The letter noted that 80 million American workers, or 59 percent of the country’s workforce, are hourly employees who receive payment only for the hours they work.

“Respectfully, I am urging each of our nation’s elected leaders to develop immediate policies that ensure that workers — salaried and hourly — do not have to choose between work and health,” the letter said.

By: NITASHA TIKU

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04:45 PM: NCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS WILL OPEN WITH NO FANS

The NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will be played in nearly empty arenas because of concerns about the coronavirus, NCAA President Mark Emmert announced Wednesday afternoon amid swelling recommendations and orders from public officials, one of the most significant public actions in the face of the outbreak in the United States.

The games, which begin Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio, will be played “with only essential staff and limited family attendance,” Emmert said in a news release.

“While I understand how disappointing this is for all fans of our sports, my decision is based on the current understanding of how covid-19 is progressing in the United States,” he said. “This decision is in the best interest of public health, including that of coaches, administrators, fans and, most importantly, our student-athletes. We recognize the opportunity to compete in an NCAA national championship is an experience of a lifetime for the students and their families. Today, we will move forward and conduct championships consistent with the current information and will continue to monitor and make adjustments as needed.”

By: ADAM KILGORE

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04:44 PM: WHEN’S THE LAST TIME THE WHO DECLARED A GLOBAL PANDEMIC?

The last time the World Health Organization declared a pandemic was during the 2009 H1N1 swine flu, and it triggered aggressive actions, such as millions in spending to buy vaccines.

But H1N1 turned out not to be as deadly and disruptive as feared, and a lot of governments were mad about buying vaccines that they ended up not using and harshly criticized the WHO for its declaration. Burned by that response, WHO got rid of the six-stage procedure that led up to it declaring that flu a pandemic.

“Each time they went up a stage, it raised alarm. When they finally reached pandemic stage it caused enormous panic,” said Lawrence Gostin, global health law professor at Georgetown University. “It was so dysfunctional and caused so much fear and panic that WHO abandoned that approach.”

The WHO’s current approach has been much more vague, essentially leaving it up to leaders to declare a pandemic when they deem it necessary. For weeks now, the WHO has hesitated to make the pandemic declaration for fear of inciting panic and causing some countries to sag in their efforts, even though many epidemiologists believed the coronavirus had already spread to pandemic levels.

“In many ways, whether we’re in a pandemic is a semantic question,” said Alexandra Phelan, a global health lawyer at Georgetown’s Center for Global Health Science and Security.

By: WILLIAM WAN

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04:40 PM: TRUMP CAMPAIGN CLAIMS WITHOUT EVIDENCE THAT BIDEN WAS ‘LOOKING FOR AN EXCUSE TO GET OFF THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL’

In a Fox Business Network interview Wednesday, Trump campaign spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany claimed, without evidence, that political considerations — and not coronavirus concerns — are the reason Biden has canceled his recent events.

“Joe Biden is looking for an excuse to get off the campaign trail, and let me just add, the media’s best hope is for Donald Trump to suspend his rallies,” McEnany said. “They’ve been wanting him to stop this, they know it’s his avenue to speak directly to the American people. So, we’re going to follow the president’s lead; we’re not going to cave to the media. And Joe Biden, we’re certainly not going to follow his lead as he tries to hide from the American people.”

Biden and Sanders called off their Tuesday night campaign rallies in Ohio after Mike DeWine, the state’s Republican governor, suggested that the campaigns to do so in an effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

McEnany also defended Trump’s decision to continue holding large campaign rallies despite the advice of experts, including Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“The president is the best authority on this issue,” McEnany said. “He takes into consult the words of everyone around him. That would include [Health and Human Services Secretary] Alex Azar; that would include Dr. Fauci; that would include others. So, I’ll leave it to the president. Right now, we’re proceeding as normal.”

She also said that there is no need for Trump to stop shaking hands with supporters, arguing that it’s part of the president’s job.

“He’s taking precautions, he’s washing his hands — we’re all doing that, but he’s a man of the people, he talks to the people, he shakes their hands. That’s the nature of the business,” she said.

By: FELICIA SONMEZ

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04:31 PM: HEALTH-CARE CLINICS FOR THE POOR FACE SHORTAGES OF PROTECTIVE GEAR

The nation’s community health centers, which care for some of the nation’s most vulnerable patients, are ill-equipped with masks and other protective equipment needed for workers to test and care for people who may have been exposed to the coronavirus, according to a new survey.

The survey in early March of more than 600 health centers in 47 states, sponsored by a private relief organization, found that 1 in 4 such clinics said they had a source that could provide and resupply N95 masks for the next month or two. Half said they did not, while the remaining clinics said they were not sure. Nearly two-thirds said they lacked a supplier to restock latex gloves.

The survey was sponsored by Direct Relief, a California-based aid organization that donated supplies to China early in the coronavirus epidemic and has been turning its attention lately to the United States.

Free clinics and federally funded health centers treat some of the country’s poorest patients. Under the Affordable Care Act, some of their clientele have gotten private health plans or have been able to join Medicaid. But the clinics still tend to be shoestring operations with many uninsured patients. And the federal funding that some receive is often uncertain in Congress until the last minute — as is happening again this year.

The survey found that only about 10 percent of the health centers said they were unconcerned about their ability to handle a surge of patients during the covid-19 epidemic.

By: AMY GOLDSTEIN

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04:27 PM: TRUMP SAYS HE WILL ADDRESS THE NATION TONIGHT

President Trump said he will address the nation Wednesday evening about the coronavirus and that his remarks from the White House will probably be at 9 p.m.

He gave no other details during a brief portion of a meeting with bankers that was open to reporters, other than that he will discuss both economic and health issues.

“We are talking about various forms of stimulus,” he said. Trump added: “The payroll tax would be great. Dems are not in favor of it. I’m trying to figure out why.” Many Republicans also oppose cutting the payroll tax.

Trump has spoken almost daily about the spread of the virus, but until now he had not done so in such a formal setting. The speech is expected to be from the Oval Office, a setting that underscores the national security implications of the spreading virus.

By: ANNE GEARAN

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04:25 PM: NATIONAL CATHEDRAL AND HUNDREDS OF OTHER CHURCHES IN WASHINGTON AREA TO CLOSE FOR TWO WEEKS

Episcopal churches in the District and the Maryland and Virginia suburbs — including Washington National Cathedral — are closing for two weeks because of the coronavirus, church leaders said Wednesday.

Bishop Mariann Budde, who oversees 88 congregations in the District and Maryland that serve about 38,000 people, said all buildings would be completely closed until March 25, a measure that includes weekday activities and Sunday services. Susan Goff, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, said 179 churches in the Virginia suburbs, with about 68,000 members, would do the same.

The announcement came hours after D.C. health officials asked organizations to postpone any “mass gatherings” involving 1,000 people or more in the city until at least March 31.

Goff said the last time that churches canceled en masse over health concerns was for the flu of 1918.

A spokesman for Budde said the diocese will stream services from the cathedral on Sundays — with no audience.

By: MICHELLE BOORSTEIN and SARAH PULLIAM BAILEY

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04:22 PM: STATE DEPARTMENT AND USAID SUSPEND NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVEL

The State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development have suspended nonessential travel for employees in response to the outbreak of the coronavirus, a move that requires diplomats and aid workers to receive sign-off from managers that future travel is “mission-critical,” said two U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

The move demonstrates the urgency with which U.S. agencies view the spread of the disease even as President Trump downplays the threat posed by the virus. At the same time, the policy has created confusion within the State Department and USAID as various bureaus, embassies and offices weigh the importance of the thousands of trips, conferences and meetings U.S. personnel embark on every year.

One State Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to discuss internal matters, said it was discouraging when an upcoming trip she viewed as critical to her job was canceled by her boss, who believed it did not meet that threshold.

By: JOHN HUDSON

______

04:18 PM: DOW REACHES BEAR-MARKET TERRITORY ON A NEARLY 1,500-POINT SKID, ENDING RECORD 11-YEAR STOCK RALLY

Wall Street went into a deep slump Wednesday, falling so far and so fast that the Dow Jones industrial average officially tipped into a bear market, ending a record 11-year stock rally.

The bear market reflects a 20 percent fall from record highs, which the Dow hit less than a month ago, and came as the coronavirus officially became a pandemic.

The World Health Organization’s declaration Wednesday signaled that health experts believe efforts should shift from trying to contain the virus to mitigation.

The Dow — already deep in the red for the day — plunged further, tumbling almost to the 1,500-points-down mark, after the WHO announcement.

“Bear markets are ugly,” said Michael Farr, president of Farr, Miller and Washington. “They’re painful and they all last too long. Sadly, it seems that a new one is just getting started.”

All 11 S&P stock market sectors turned negative on Wednesday. Real estate, utilities and energy — often safe havens for nervous investors — were faring the worst. The health sector was the least affected by the sell-off. UnitedHealth Group was the lone component of the Dow‘s 30 blue chips to show a gain. Boeing shed 18 percent of its value.

By: TAYLOR TELFORD and THOMAS HEATH

_____

04:02 PM: DELAWARE REPORTS FIRST POSITIVE TEST; MORE THAN 40 STATES NOW CONFIRM INFECTIONS

Delaware on Wednesday announced its first positive test for the coronavirus, as more than 40 states report infections.

The Delaware patient, a man older than 50, whom officials say is “doing well,” lives in New Castle County and is “associated with the University of Delaware community,” the state’s public health department said in a statement. Before the case was announced, the university said it was “gearing up for online delivery of all of our courses in the event that we have confirmed COVID-19 cases on campus.”

The Delaware patient was exposed to the virus in another state, authorities said, and self-isolated at home right away when his symptoms began. Officials are working to identify contacts.

“We understand that news of a positive case in the state is concerning,” said public health director Karyl Rattay in a statement, “but this is something we have been preparing for over the last several weeks.”

By: HANNAH KNOWLES

______

03:58 PM: AMTRAK RIDERSHIP PLUMMETS AMID OUTBREAK

The coronavirus outbreak has brought a steep fall in March passenger numbers and revenue for Amtrak, and the nation’s passenger rail company is warning of hard times ahead.

Ridership is down, cancellations are up by more than 300 percent, and future bookings have fallen by half, Amtrak said Wednesday, citing the public health crisis that has led Americans to cancel travel in recent days.

If the trend continues, Amtrak said revenue losses could be in the “several hundred million dollars” and throw off the company’s growth projections for this year. A plan to reduce spending is in place, and it includes service cuts and layoffs.

Ridership declines over the past few weeks have been sharp in the Northeast Corridor and on Amtrak’s National Network, and it is getting worse every day, Stephen Gardner, senior executive vice president and chief operating and commercial officer at Amtrak, said in a memo to workers on Wednesday.

“At this rate, we believe we will likely suffer the loss of several hundred million dollars in revenue during this fiscal year — and we might lose more,” Gardner said.

Amtrak has begun “aggressive measures to cut costs,” Gardner said.

“You should expect significant reductions in train service across portions of our network in response to the sharp drop in ridership. Shortly, we will begin rolling out our voluntary leave program for those non-mission critical employees that are willing to take time off on an unpaid basis,” he said.

This week, Amtrak canceled its Acela nonstop trips between Washington and New York to reduce service as demand dropped. The daily nonstop Acela service is suspended through May 26, the company said. More service could be halted across the network of about 300 daily trains nationwide.

The company has suspended change fees on all existing and new reservations for tickets purchased before April 30 to accommodate concerned travelers.

By: LUZ LAZO

_____

03:46 PM: OHIO TO LIMIT LARGE GATHERINGS IN DRAMATIC NEW MOVE TO FIGHT VIRUS

Ohio will limit large gatherings in a dramatic bid to combat the novel coronavirus, Gov. Mike DeWine (R) announced Wednesday, shortly after Washington state turned to similar measures in a few counties.

DeWine said he will soon issue an order enforcing Tuesday’s recommendation against mass gatherings and spectators at indoor sporting events but would not yet close K-12 schools, though he tweeted that “we may get to that point.”

“We are doing the things we are doing because we have the potential to become like Italy,” he tweeted, referencing the European country’s nationwide restrictions on movement. “We are taking the actions we are taking now to try to avoid that. The situation will get bad before it gets better, but it is in our hands to determine what the outcome will be.”

DeWine also said Wednesday that he will order that visitors to nursing homes and assisted-living facilities be limited to one per day per resident. The elderly are most vulnerable to the coronavirus, and outbreaks at nursing homes in Washington state have been deadly. Authorities in Ohio will require that all individuals who enter such facilities be screened for illness and have their temperatures taken, DeWine announced.

Four people in the state have tested positive, he said, as authorities called evidence of the virus’s community spread a “game changer" requiring more serious measures.

“You’re going to see us taking more aggressive actions now," said Amy Acton, the director of the state’s department of health. "Please know that we’re doing this to protect Ohioans and protect our healthcare system.”

“We shouldn’t panic, but we should take rational actions to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and others,” DeWine tweeted Wednesday afternoon.

Have you tried to get tested for coronavirus and been turned away? Share your experience with The Post.

By: HANNAH KNOWLES

______

03:35 PM: WASHINGTON STATE’S CORONAVIRUS DEATH TOLL AT 25

Another coronavirus patient in Washington state has died, officials announced Wednesday, bringing the death toll there to 25.

The newly reported death occurred in Snohomish County, where officials say there are 68 confirmed cases of the virus. The county now has two recorded fatalities — still far less than King County, where almost two dozen have died as outbreaks hit nursing homes. The elderly are most vulnerable to the virus.

Snohomish and King are among the counties where Gov. Jay Inslee (D) on Wednesday imposed a ban on gatherings of more than 250 people, seeking to contain the spread of infection.

Nationwide, the coronavirus has killed more than 30 people and the number of cases has surpassed 1,000.

By: HANNAH KNOWLES

______

03:27 PM: BOEING WILL CASH OUT $13.8 BILLION LOAN AND FREEZE HIRING AMID MARKET TURMOIL

Boeing plans to cash out a $13.8 billion loan meant to cover costs related to the grounding of the 737 Max passenger jet, a person familiar with the matter said Wednesday, as recent market volatility creates new risks at a time when the company’s business is already in a historically fragile state.

Boeing declined to comment on the loan cash out, but said it would put a hold on all new hires pending a “review of priorities and critical needs.”

The company’s stock was down 16 percent by late afternoon Wednesday.

By: AARON GREGG

_____

03:20 PM: HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS SHIFTING TO ONLINE LEARNING IN NEW YORK, ONE OF SEVERAL NEW MEASURES ANNOUNCED BY CUOMO

New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) on Wednesday announced sweeping new measures to combat coronavirus, including distance learning for hundreds of thousands of students at public schools and paid leave for quarantined or isolated government workers.

New York also will start contracting with private labs to increase its testing capacity, Cuomo said as the state’s cases topped 200, adding that he spoke with 28 labs earlier in the day. Lawmakers and public health officials around the country have been frustrated with delays in rolling out widespread testing that could help show the full extent in the United States of what’s now a global pandemic.

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writingquestionsanswered · 6 years ago

Note

When the MC has that helpful best friend (or sidekick/colleague/employee/sibling etc) who plays the part of the sounding board/conscience/advisor (as well as friend or whatever), is it good to have MC and side character also talk about SC's life? Even if it isn't plot-related, would it round out their relationship and make it a little less literally "SC is there to support MC"? Even if it's just a "how's that project going?" banter within a convo that is otherwise about the MC?

Fleshing Out Secondary Characters

Secondary characters often have a specific role in the story, but one of their other functions is to help develop the main characters. Part of how they facilitate that development is by acting as a sounding board and giving advice, but it’s still important that you round out their lives as well, but do so in a way that compliments the story in some way. For example, let’s say your MC is stuck in a dead end relationship, and they’re really struggling with what to do about it. On some level they know they need to break up with the person and move on, but one of the things holding them back is a fear of being alone. When your MC asks the other character how they’re doing and what they’ve been up to, perhaps they talk about having just returned from a three day cruise to Jamaica that they took entirely on their own. Your MC gasps in awed horror… “Alone?! Weren’t you scared or lonely?” And the SC laughs it off, talks about how they frequently travel alone, the precautions they take, and how much fun it is. So while this little aspect of the SC’s life is seemingly unrelated, in fact it gives the MC a needed budge, reminding them that they don’t need a significant other to enjoy life. And perhaps this bit of data even plants the seed of an idea that turns into your MC doing some brave plot-related thing. If you can tie the SC’s development into the story, they can pull double-duty. :)

#writing #writing tips #writing help #writing advice #wqaadvice

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royallyprincesslilly · 6 years ago

Text

Title: Animal (10)

Chadwick Boseman X Black Reader

Chapter Warning: Cursing, mentions of abortion, talk of pregnancy, fluff

Word Count: 7.2k

Note: This chapter is a little long.

***Interactive Chapter***

***Loosely edited/proofread***

Thank you guys for reading. I hope you enjoy.

If you do please LIKE and REBLOG. ️ ️ <><><><<><><><><><><>

-Chadwick-

“Fuck!”

Chadwick threw the brush he was using clear across the room. It clattered into the wall splattering red pain across the taupe colored wall. The clenched tension in his jaw was becoming painful but it was a constant thing with him. It had been 8 days. 8 days since what he foresaw as an amazing afternoon and showed every sign of shaping up to be that way but drastically came crashing down around him. By the time he saw the tears in her eyes in his heart he knew he’d fucked up. Watching her walk away was more painful than he anticipated. It felt like trying to catch your breath after running for a long time in 15 degree weather. By the time he made it home his chest literally hurt. It was a pain he’d never felt before so he couldn’t pin point it’s exact meaning but he could speculate.

“Damn it!” Chadwick rubbed his face and steepled his paint covered fingers under his chin, against his beard.

He zoomed through the still fresh memory again taking notice of every little detail trying not to miss anything, not a lip smirk or a shifting glance. He analyzed hoping for something. When he approached her he could senses something was off, she was acting distant, awkward. No it wasn’t any different than their other interactions, she always came off distant, as if she enjoyed the attention he paid to her but really couldn’t care less either way. She gave the impression he was an option in a sea of candidates. He didn’t doubt she had other admirers and his suspicions were confirmed seeing the man from the restaurant, then the club.

Chadwick groaned when the thought entered his mind that you didn’t want him, not really. He stood when the thought crept into his mind that all he was to you was sex. Chadwick walked to the wall to collect the brush he threw along with the various other items he’d thrown in the last few hours. When he walked back to the easel he stared at the incomplete painting. This one was different than those from the previous weeks. Those were calm, serene, lite even; these though were chaotic, disturbing and heavy. He scanned the reds, blacks and blues on the canvas. He didn’t have anything in mind with this paining, instead he just allowed his hands to do as they willed.

It matched his chaotic emotions, matched his anger, his confusion, his disbelief. A baby. A fucking baby. Not a dog, or a cat, a baby. A whole human being. Chadwick closed his eyes and walked out his art room and through the halls of his home. A home he shared with no one, a home that was rarely filled with laughter, except his own. A home that felt lacking, he’d always thought so but he worked enough to push the thoughts to the side. Once he got to his bedroom he stripped off his paint covered clothes and walked to the bathroom.

Chadwick glanced as his reflection in the mirror. A reflection that had changed in the 8 days he’s locked himself inside. The bags under his eyes were more accentuated perhaps it was due to the dark circles and his red veined streaked scerela. He looked tired, rightfully so, he hadn’t slept in days. Every time he tried he tossed and turned and ended up remaining awake the entire night. His facial hair was also longer, his beard was thicker, his mustache which was once a thin lining to connect his goatee was now fully encompassing the space above his top lip. He looked unkempt.

The only saving grace was his body, he’d added a few pounds more in muscle thanks to his insomnia and needing to burn angry energy at several points through his day. He focused in on his eyes and tried to find some sort of connection, but there was none. It was as if he wasn’t himself. He sighed and finally stepped into the shower and stood underneath the stream of hot water hoping it would melt the stress within his body.

“I’m pregnant.”

Pregnant. She was pregnant. In all his life he was the most careful man he’d ever known. Even among his friends he was the only one who never thought to have sex with a woman without a condom of his own. He brought his own and never used theirs. As his fame slowly rose so did his precautions, he brought his own and left with the contents disposing of it once he was in his house and even then he disposed of it down the toilet. He took no chances. He’d heard plenty of stories in the industry of men being played and trapped by women after fame, status, money, the life.

When he met Simone his precautions didn’t stop. It’s not tat he didn’t trust her, but he didn’t trust her. After the one slip up where the condom broke with her, the 3 weeks of waiting was the worst thing he’d ever felt but he had to conceal it. The more he played it cool the more her excitement bubbled. She wanted it, she wanted to be pregnant. They’d been together for barley 2 years and she was ready for kids. He wasn’t, at least not with her. When the results came back negative, he was relieved but she was distraught. That was when they had the discussion about her getting on birth control so this “accident” wouldn’t happen again.

Chadwick thought back to the night he met Sianna, the night on the beach in Jamaica. She’d had quite a bit to drink, they both had. He remembered his instant attraction to her, remembered watching her like a perv, thinking the whole time how beautiful she was, but there was something else, something his inebriated brain could not put together. He knew he wanted her then and there.

Chadwick groaned loudly remembering that he had not one thought of a condom, not once. Not while his head was between her thighs, or when her lips were wrapped tightly around his length trying to take him all in. He didn’t think about it once he felt the first touch of her slick heat, not even once he finally sunk into her depths. A condom was the furthest thing from his mind. It surely didn’t cross his mind when he pumped spurt after spurt deep inside her. His senses should have returned the next morning but what came the next morning were feelings of wanting to see her again.

Chadwick turned his back to the tiled shower wall and stared into the stream of he water and remembered Barbados. He didn’t expect to see her again, but he wanted to so when he did his excitement couldn’t be contained, neither could his need for her.

“It was Barbados.” He said to himself.

That night all they did was have sex, drink, shower, have more sex, take cat naps that lasted no longer than 15 minutes before one of our roaming hands reignited the flame that was never extinguished. The entire night he was buried within her, the entire night he had her in every position imaginable, on every crevice of the room; bed, chair, dresser, table, balcony, against the sliding doors, the actual door, shower, sink, god damn he nearly pulled her down on his hardness while he was sitting on the toilet watching her shower. Every coupling there was one thing missing; a condom.

“Jesus Chad.” He rubbed the back of his neck forward over his curls and shook his head.

He slowly began to wash his skin with his organic and vegan shea butter and bergamot scented body wash. All the while his mind never stopped it’s travel through the events that led to this moment. Barbados was incredible, the connection he felt to her was strong and intense, so intense neither of them had to speak a word to tell the other what they wanted, it was known, he anticipated it all. Seeing her at the club his instinct of ownership rose, he had to claim her and again it was without protection. Chadwick almost laughed loudly in the shower, he would have if it wasn’t a serious situation.

“We shouldn’t have done this.”

It hadn’t even been 5 minutes after and she was already pulling away. He had the hardest time reading her, the hardest time deciphering if what she said she meant or was it a cover for so deep hidden feelings. It frustrated him, he shouldn’t have to dig and search, he wasn’t a fucking archeologists. He was a grown ass man, a grown man who was in touch with his feelings, and his wants, he had no time for games but she seemed to like the cat and mouse chase. It was never his favorite game. He preferred the straightforward route, the route where he expressed interest and the other reciprocated and things progressed.

With Sianna that route was never in play. Yes he’d expressed interest, several times more times than he was comfortable with, each admission was met with cool aloofness. An aloofness that came across as teasing but also as disinterest. She’d known the entire time. The entire time we kept having sex, the entire time I expressed my interest. She said nothing, not a hint, it was hard for him not to take that action as a ploy. Chadwick washed the shampoo out of his curled coils.

“She has a successful fashion line you idiot!” He balled his fists.

That fact escaped him at the time, that important fact was irrelevant at the time. She wasn’t after his money, or his fame, she was garnering her own at this point. He kept up with news about her and the interest in her designs was raising by leaps everyday.

“Shit!”

He rinsed his skin off once more and turned off the water. He took a towel and once overed his skin an walked to the fogged mirror. Clearing the fog he stared at himself. It was time to snap the hell out of this. He prepared his clippers and began grooming himself. Yes he could afford to use some celebrity barber but he chose not to, he was particular about his facial hair. One slip up and he’d look like his weird cousin Pat, he didn’t want that. He slowly took the time to expertly clip the excess hair on his face and even gave himself a minor shape up. The entire time Sianna stayed on his mind.

When he emerged from the bathroom with the towel wrapped around his waist firmly he reached for his phone to check any messages from the last 8 days. As he scrolled there he saw tens of messages from his agent/manager Kwame, and others from friends and family and a message from her dated 7 days ago. His finger hovered over her name. He was afraid to check the message, afraid to know what she was going to say. He’d come to the realization he fucked up with the things he said, but he was still angry the weeks it took her to tell me something as important as him becoming a father.

A father. Chadwick mauled the idea around in his head. Father. Dad. Man responsible for rearing and teaching a child that possessed his DNA and features to be a productive part of society, a vocal part, a part that stood up for others and never allowed anyone to belittle them. A protector. A father. His heart was beating erratically. He wanted a family, God knew he did.

In fact the thought and want had been weighing heavily on his mind more frequently. He wanted a family, a wife, and some children running around driving him crazy. He wanted the life his parents had, he wanted all of that partnership, that love, that devotion and dedication to building a life, a home and a family with one person for the rest of his life. Albeit it would be a little different because of the career path he’d chosen but everything else he would not compromise.

“I’m pregnant.”

Sianna’s words again echoed in his head. 8 days ago those words scared the shit out of him, and filled him with doubt and confusion, but now this very second those words didn’t evoke any of those feelings. He felt still. He wouldn’t have planned it this way, he wouldn’t have thought to even consider this possibility. He expected to meet someone he connected with, someone who affected him like no one ever had, then they’d date for a few years and that connection would intensify into a certainty he couldn’t go the rest of his life without her, then he’s propose and continue the traditional route with a wedding in North Carolina away from Hollywood, and a few months later a babu would be brought into the mix. This, this was not his initial plan.

“The best laid plans of mice and men, often go astray honey, remember plans are fine and dandy but don’t block a blessing when it comes without a plan.”

His mother’s words rang in his head now. Words she often told him because she knew of his structured planning, she knew that if it didn’t fit his plans he would say it wasn’t for him. Chadwick took a deep breath and held it.

He’d met a woman he connected with, a woman who affected him like no one ever had, on levels no one ever came close to. She affected him deeply and it went past sexual, there was something about her. Was God intentionally throwing a wrench in his plans.

“He will show you his power baby, he will show you that no matter what you think it good for you he knows better. God has a plan for all of us.”

Chadwick scoffed and smiled at his mothers words. He released the stressed breath and tapped the message. Once it opened the words he read sunk his heart.

MSG Sianna: It’s taken care of, you don’t have to worry about it ever again. Delete my number.

Chadwick stared at the message for longer than he should have. He thought of her meaning but he knew her meaning.

“Fuck you Chadwick. Thank god I’m getting that abortion tomorrow. Stay the fuck away from me!”

She did it.

Chadwick slumped down onto his bed and sat there staring at her message. He didn’t feel happiness, he didn’t feel relief, no; instead he felt shame, regret and a strange feeling of loss.

“Fuck, what’d I do?” He asked putting his head in his hands.

-Sianna-

“Thank you, I’m looking forward to this partnership Ms. Rose.” Albert Swindelston expressed with a wide smile on his face.

“Yes, I am as well.” You shook his outstretched hand firmly to show him you could hold your own.

“My assistant will be in touch with yours.” He finished.

You nodded and followed him to the doors of the conference room. Once you emerged from inside Carolina stood gathering the materials hat sat next to her on the empty seat.

“Have a safe flight back to LaLa land.” Albert said before he walked off.

Carolina looked excitedly at your face waiting impatiently for the verdict. You smiled subtly and nodded your head to her signaling we were leaving. You gathered the shawl around your shoulders tightly and walked through the downtown Miami office building. This was where fashion designers dreamed of having a meeting. They dreamed that one day Albert Swindelston would call them, invite them to Miami and discuss a partnership where their pieces would be showcased in his high end luxury stores but also in his equally high end luxury editorial magazine.

He wanted to showcase not just one line but all of your line each component in his stores but also wanted to do an editorial piece on you. He wanted the world to know your story. You were excited to say the least. Once you and Carolina got into the waiting car to take you back to the hotel that Albert Swindelston set you up in you kicked off your heels and stared out to the beautiful Miami scenery.

Miami was another favorite city of yours, after the fiasco that happened in New York, you spent some time here and enjoyed every minute of it. The car rolled to a slow stop at a red light and you saw a shirtless man walk by on the sidewalk. He had every right to be shirtless with a body like that. He looked your way and smiled. You smirked but looked away. Miami was truly the land of skin and beautiful people. You never knew how anyone got any work accomplished here. You wanted to spend your time on the beach the majority of the time.

“Is that acceptable?” Carolina asked. You looked to her unsure what she’d said. Hell you didn’t even know she was talking.

“I’m sorry what?”

“Were you listening?”

“No, I’m sorry. I must have been wrapped up in my thoughts and this scenery.” You apologized.

“You zone out a lot, is everything okay?” Carolina inquired, with a genuine look of concern etched on her face. You smiled softly and gently laid a reassuring hand on hers.

“I’m fine Carolina, everything is fine. Please repeat what you said.”

“I was just confirming the dates and times of the other meetings. The one in New York on Monday, and then the one back in LA on Tuesday. Are those still acceptable?”

“Of course, yes.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t fly out tonight, maybe you should stay the weekend and meet me in New York, I’ll have everything prepared.” Carolina suggested.

“What? Why would I stay?”

“To relax, you say you’re fine but you look so wound up. Go to the beach, enjoy the food, the clubs, the men.” She said with a wide smile.

“Excuse me.”

“Come on, you’re only human and you have needs. The best stress reliever is sex with a hot guy.” You snorted, rolled your eyes and looked back out the window.

“Okay if not for the sex, then the relaxation. It can only benefit you and recharge you for the next round of these meetings.”

You considered all she was saying. You were tired, you were feeling drained, emotionally and physically. Maybe she was right.

When the car pulled up to the hotel you both beelined it to the elevator to ride up to your separate rooms. As you walked to yours and she to hers you paused.

“I’ll be staying Carolina, you’re right.”

“Good. Then I’ll fly out tonight. Relax.” She said before disappearing in her room.

I did the same and pressed my back to the door. I dropped my heels and walked to the bay windows and stared out to the ocean view. It was beautiful no doubt. The way the water stretched so far it just disappeared was amazing and the fact the brain knew it didn’t just stop, it continued was fascinating. The room phone rang and you tore yourself away to answer it.

“Yes. This is she. Yes I’ll be staying a little while longer. Check out will be Sunday. Yes, thank you. Also I’d like to book a spa visit for tomorrow morning. I’d like everything on the menu. Thank you.”

You sat on the bed, sighed out. Today was Thursday, so that gave you 2 days of relaxation and you decided to start with a long hot bath.

<><><><>

By the time 7 o’clock came around, you were starving. You decided on a cute maxi dress and a pair of strappy sandals and decided to enjoy your night. While walking down the street among the 20 something year olds, partiers, couples, and those who were in Miami for a good time your mind slipped back to your time in Barbados doing this very thing. Then it inevitably went to him. Inevitably went to all the time you spent together. You almost laughed out loud when you realized that the first time the two of you really spoke of anything deep was the day in the park, the day it all went to hell.

“You have arrived.”

Your phone announced, shaking you out of your thoughts. You stopped and looked up at the restaurant. Crazy about you. Interesting name you thought as you walked through the doors.

“Welcome to Crazy About You, I’m Selena. Do you have a reservation?”

“Yes, it should be under Sianna.”

She checked her computer for a few moments and smiled at you once she found you.

“Rose is your last name?”

“Yes.”

“All right, welcome, welcome, welcome. Follow me I’ll get you a table.”

She walked ahead, you followed through the restaurant. She walked out to the outside dining area and directed you to a seat close to the glass backed railing.

“All right, how is this?” Selena the hostess asked.

“This is perfect, thank you.”

She nodded and walked off as you took your seat. You looked out to the water and the lights of the high rising glistening in the water and leaned back into the seat and enjoyed the calm you felt. A waiter approached shortly after to take your drink and meal order. The evening was a calm one and calm was what you needed after the last few days. You took 2 days to cry and get your emotions in order and under control. You thought 2 days was enough time and refused to cry any longer than that. Truth be told you couldn’t remember the last time you cried over a man. Shit you almost slapped your damn self but you knew it was the hormones coursing through you making you act like a completely different person. You hated it.

After those 2 days you kept it moving and got back to business. You didn’t work your ass off for years to dwell on the fact that the man you had sex with on several occasions decided you were some thirsty industry thot capable of trapping him for money and lifestyle. Nope. You got back to work, closed deals and oversaw distribution of your line to all corners of the US. You would not be stopped. No one would ever get in your way again. You would not rely on anyone, not even the first man to give you butterflies in your stomach.

The food was delicious, the stellar reviews were all warranted. You throughly enjoyed the food and the ambience of the restaurant. So much so that before you knew it, it was almost closing time. After leaving you decided a walk on the beach was what you needed. It had been forever since you slowed down enough to smell the roses, no pun intended or even slow down enough to dig your toes into the sand.

As a child you loved the beach and usually spent your time there just playing in the sand. So that is what you did. You planted your toes deep into the sand, as deep as you could sink them and closed your eyes to enjoy the gentle breeze. You didn’t know how long you stood there, you didn’t really even care.

‘Sianna?” Your eyes snapped open and peered into the brown ones of the man in front of you.

“I thought that was you. Wow, what are the chances?” Amanchino said.

You looked around and noticed it was pretty much just the two of you there. Where did he comes from?

“Yeah, what are the chances.” You repeated.

“Are you all right? Are you hurt?” He genuinely asked. You smiled to yourself at his concern.

“No I’m not hurt, i’m fine.”

“What’re you doing in Miami?” He asked.

“Oh, work.”

“Ah me too, I had a medical conference this yesterday and this morning I had to speak at.”

“Oh really. What did you speak about?”

“The need for more ingenuity within brain surgery and the Beni fits to the patient a well as the profession. I mainly wanted to raise the question of what robotics could offer the field.” Chino explained.

Attractive and smart, you thought to yourself.

“Wow, sounds complex.” You admitted.

“Nah, I can explain it to you if you’d like. I’m an excellent teacher.” You smiled and nodded.

“I don’t doubt you are.”

He smiled and you admired his teeth. My mother always said if a man’s teeth are white, straight and in alignment then he took pride in his appearance but would also pay attention to detail which may very well translate to relationships. Your mother said a lot of things.

“What happened to you after the night in the club?” He asked.

You stopped smiling as you remembered what happened in that club. You cleared your throat and shook away the memory.

“Uh, nothing. I just got really busy. I’m sorry.” You only half lied.

“I can understand that. The life of Sianna Rose it girl in fashion is blowing up.” Chino teased. You smiled and nodded.

“It is picking up.”

“Congratulations, many blessings.” You smiled and nodded.

“Thank you.”

“Sianna, will you have dinner with me? A date, you and me alone.”

You froze in shock and looked down feeling embarrassed.

“I know you’re probably thinking it’s because you’re blowing up but it’s not. Before I knew who you were I’ve been interested.”

“Chino…,”

“I won’t take no for an answer. I know you feel this between us. There is something here. Am I imagining it?”

You stared into his eyes thinking about if he was right. Yes he was attractive, and accomplished, he was a doctor for heaven’s sake, and he dressed well, but that didn’t equate to him being a good man.

“I’m a good man, raised by both my parents, never cheated on a woman, never disrespected a woman, and I don’t intend to.” He further argued his case . You smiled, amused with his antics.

“Another point that should get bonus points, I do not have a baby mother, or any children or messy situationships. Just a single black man looking for his queen.”

That sentenced brought your ass back. You looked down and sighed. He could very well be a good guy, could very well be the perfect guy but it was never that easy.

“What? What is it? I’m not your type? I’m too light skin? Too dark skin? Not tall enough? Too tall? Just please don’t say you think I’m ugly, I don’t think my ego could take that blow.”

You snorted and laughed.

“There’s that beautiful smile and laugh.” You sighed and shook your head.

“You’re not too light skin or too dark skin, skin complexion doesn’t matter to me. You’re plenty tall and I doubt anyone in your life has ever called you ugly. So lets just stop that.”

Chino laughed and revealed 2 cute dimples that made you smile in return.

“I just, I just can’t.”

“Why?”

You had to bite the bullet.

“Because of this.”

You pulled the maxi dress to your body so it revealed the shape of your burgeoning stomach. Chino looked to your stomach and any humor from before disappeared. You nodded. Feeling awkward you did the only thing you could think of, cracked a joke.

“Don’t worry it’s not yours.” He looked to you but did not look amused.

“Yeah, so this would be pointless to peruse, it wouldn’t work and honestly you wouldn’t want any part of what’s going on here.” You said motioning to your entire body.

“Sianna…,” Chino began before you cut him off.

“Don’t say anything, it’s not needed. Just…good night.” You said before turning to hurry away across the sand toward the sidewalk.

You didn’t look back, you didn’t need to. This was something you should prepare for moving forward. This was your reality.

<><><><><>

The next morning you made it to your spa appointment and relished the complete treatment. You cleared your mind an enjoyed the massages, the mud bath, the gold wrap, the pedicure and manicure and even prayed to the hair goddess that allowing these people to touch your hair it didn’t fall out. By the end of the 6 hour spa date you felt so much more relaxed. It was like floating on a cloud walking from the spa.

“I’m looking for a guest, I hope she’s here. Her name is Sianna Rose.”

You turned your head in the direction your name came from and saw Chino talking to the lobby attendant. You stopped in your tracks confused. He looked over to you as you were going to turn and scurry away.

“Sianna.” He said as he approached you. You looked yourself over and pulled the white spa robe closer.

“Chino, what’re you doing here? How did you know where I was staying?”

“I didn’t. I’ve actually checked all along this strip. Did you know there are over 20 hotels on this strip of Miami Beach.” He asked nonchalantly.

He was crazy you thought, crazy and a stalker. The look on your face must have echoed those sentiments because as you were backing away he took one of your hands.

“I’m not crazy I promise, and I’m not a stalker. I just feel like we’ve been missing each other on several occasions and it’s mainly because I didn’t take the assertive role and let my intentions be known. I like you Sianna, yes I don’t know much about you but the conversations we’ve had I’ve enjoyed and would like to know you more.”

You didn’t know what to say.

“Chino, I told you, I’m…,”

“Pregnant, yes I understood that. I understand that but that does not change how I’m beginning to feel about you, or my intentions with you.”

“There is a whole baby, actually 2 babies. Twins, and they’re…,”

“I don’t care.” Chino finalized. You closed your mouth and just stared at him unsure what to say, even more unsure how to act.

“I want to date you, I want to get to know you. Will you let me?”

Several moments of silence passed between you. You didn’t know what to think.

“Will you have dinner with me tonight?” You couldn’t trust your voice so you nodded. He smiled and gently squeezed your hand.

“Good. Good. Is it okay if I come for you here?” Again you nodded.

“Okay, see you tonight.”

Chino backed away slowly before he turned and walked toward the door. You watched him stunned at what just happened.

<><><><><>

“You can’t go out with him Sianna, you can’t. You’re pregnant with another man’s babies. A man who thinks you got an abortion. This is messy.” You said to yourself while staring in the mirror examining the dress and heels you wore for the night.

Dressing this baby bump was getting trickier and trickier with each passing week. The dress you wore didn’t accentuate your bump but it did a pretty decent job of concealing it a little. The black color helped make you look slimmer while the layers help to conceal.

“You can’t go out with him Sianna. Don’t!”

The room phone rang, you walked to it and answered. It was the lobby attendant informing you he was downstairs waiting. You thanked them and looked yourself over again. Deciding that you couldn’t stand him up you took up your clutch and walked out. The entire ride down in the elevator you debated with yourself on if this was a good idea. Yes, he was attractive but were you really ready to entertain another man after Chadwick, especially while pregnant. Before you’d made any decisions the elevator opened and before you knew it you were standing in front of Chino.

He wore a well tailored black suit sans the tie and a crisp white button down underneath that had 3 of the buttons unbuttoned, he looked good. He smiled widely.

“Wow, you look….” He paused as if he were trying to find the right word.

“Incredible.” You smiled.

“Thank you, you don’t look too bad yourself.”

Chino reached inside his suit jacket and held out a red rose.

“For you.” You took the cliché but beautiful flower, smelled it’s fragrant aroma and smiled.

“Thank you, it’s beautiful.”

“Shall we?” Chino held out his arm and you looped yours within it as he escorted you out the front doors of the hotel to the waiting black car.

“Mr. Benitez, your keys.”

The valet held them out, chino took them opened the passenger side for you and assisted you getting in. As you thanked him he walked around the front of the car giving you the full view in the brightened headlights. The suit fit him well, it hugged him in all the right places, shoulders, back, thighs, ass. He climbed into the drivers side and drove off.

The drive was not an uncomfortable one, he asked about my business in Miami and if I was successful in what I came for, after explaining I was very successful I asked him about the medical conference. He explained the conference from the first day which was mainly about surgeons and brain surgery in general, new techniques and things of that such. The way he spoke was beautiful he sounded passionate about what he did, he also spoke often with his hands to emphasis his meaning, you liked that. An expressive man while speaking was an expressive man during other aspects of life. Another thing your mother said.

Before you could ask about the second day of the conference you’d arrived at the restaurant. Again he helped you out the car and into the restaurant, never looking away from your face or placing his hands anywhere disrespectful. It was as if he was completely ignoring the elephant between you.

“So, Sianna how long have you lived in LA?”

“Not long actually, I lived in New York prior but decided to open a store here to take advantage of the weather which I thought would be a wise decision as a designer. So it’s been maybe a few months.”

“Do you like it so far?”

“It’s okay, if I can survive New York traffic then I can survive anywhere.” You joked. He laughed and it made you smile.

“Have you lived in LA long?”

“All my life, born and raised. I was born in San Jose, grew up there. Got a scholarship out to UCLA for medicine and jumped on it.”

“That’s impressive. Why medicine?”

“When I was in middle school they had career day and a doctor from the local hospital came to school, presented and everything. A neighborhood gang who had beef with one of the kid’s older brothers came and decided to shoot the kid to get to his older brother. The doctor there leapt into action, used regular things like paper clips, the hands in a clock, straws, and things like that to save his life. After that I was fascinated and went to the hospital, talked to the same doctor and I was lucky enough he took me under his wing in sort of an unofficial big brother thing. It’s to him I credit with keeping me off the streets and away from the gangs and my head in the books. He helped me a lot, made it possible for me to be able to get that scholarship.”

You studied him, he looked emotional but also humbled.

“Wow Chino, that’s amazing. Sounds like one of the good guys. Are you still close?”

“Yes, he is still my mentor, we now work at the same hospital, he left the hood. We’re very close.” You nodded.

“What about you? Are you close to anyone? Siblings, parents, fiends?”

“Yeah we’re all close, I have 2 brothers, we’re close. I also have friends, we’re very close.”

Chino nodded, the waiter approached and you watched his mouth as he spoke to put his order in. It was something about the way his lips moved to form words, something you couldn’t put your finger on, it was nice. You placed your order as well and the conversation continued effortlessly. In the beginning he did most the talking asking about you, which branched into him relating it to something he experienced, it was pleasant and it made me realize it had been a long time since I was on a date.

While eating your meals the questions got more personal.

“So how far along are you?” Chino inquired.

You swirled your spoon around in your creamy tomato soup and licked your lips.

“Um, roughly 15, 16ish weeks.” He nodded.

“I didn’t know when we met.” You blurted out.

“It’s okay if you did. You are under no obligation to tell me anything. Thank you for telling me though.”

You nodded.

“Is the father…,”

“No.” You interrupted. “No, he isn’t in the picture.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Babies are a blessing, and you’re expecting 2 of them. How are you handling it?”

“Ha, I’m losing my fucking mind.”

Chino laughed loudly making you laugh too. Soon the entire restaurant was looking your way quizzically.

“I can imagine.” Chino empathized.

“Why isn’t this a deal breaker for you?”

He took a deep breath in and released it slowly.

“I know things happen in life, things that are unexpected and unplanned. I was one of those things for my mother. She thought she was done God said no. Here I am. Faulting you for your situation would be like faulting my mother. Things happen. My only concern is if you can allow yourself to get to know me and in turn allow me to get to know you. Will this be a deal breaker for you?” Chino turned around to you.

You stared at him thinking over his question. This was all new to you. You didn’t have a manual of what to do and what not to do. Hell a week ago you were warming to the idea of getting back on the dating horse with another man and this week here you were on a date with a whole different one. It was safe to say you were all over the place. Making any permanent decisions was probably not a smart thing.

“I want to be real with you Chino. I have no idea what I’m doing. This is all new to me. I’ve been single for quite a while and I’m afraid I am out of practice with this whole thing. Now throw in the fact of this pregnancy, it’s a little weird for me. With that being said I enjoy the time we spend together. I enjoy your conversation, I think you’re a decent man and I wouldn’t oppose getting to know you better, but again this is new.” You explained.

“I understand. How about we take it slow. Nothing concrete. I am here for you no matter what you need. We’ll take it day by day. If at any time you feel we’re moving too fast then we will pump the breaks and reassess. I’m not in a rush Sianna. Yes I’ve come to the point in my life where running around with a different woman every month isn’t appealing and what’s appealing is a solid relationship, and eventually a family. I want to take the time to establish something with you, at your pace.”

You breathed out in relief. You were grateful he didn’t take offense and because he didn’t it made you warm to him even more.

The rest of the evening passed comfortably, Chino took you to a sultry underground club that housed many different singing acts. It was different, but the singing was beautiful. You felt his eyes on you on more than one occasion. Sometimes it made you uncomfortable other times you didn’t mind it, but he stayed respectful. It was refreshing. After the underground club you walked along the beach and continued talking. He was easy to talk to, but his life was also interesting so it was entertaining to listen to him speak.

When you made it back to the hotel it was nearing 2 o’clock in the morning. He kissed your hand and said goodnight without trying to weasel himself upstairs or even in for a hug or kiss.

When you went up to your room your morning was taken up by thoughts of Chino and Chadwick and your current situation. Yes, you knew you shouldn’t have lied or alluded to getting an abortion, but it was clear he didn’t want the babies, it was clear he thought you were a whore so why the hell would you want him anywhere near this pregnancy or these babies. You did your part, he fucked up. It was time to resign yourself to being a single mother and gather the balls to tell your family.

<><><><>

The remainder of the time you were in Miami it was spent with Chino. He took you to breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between. You explored the museums in Miami, the beach (which you wore shorts and a T-shirt to.) You even went into the water wearing them, Chino didn’t seem to mind. You rode bikes through a park together, went on a boat tour, and even saw a play. It was an eventful few days, but you enjoyed them.

The more time you spent with Chino you slowly became more comfortable. He never asked more than he should, or overstepped his bounds in any way. Part of you felt maybe he was one of those guys who had a pregnant woman fetish and really just wanted to have sex. You tried to get away from the thoughts but sometimes they were too strong to overcome.

On the day you were to leave Miami to go back to LA, you had breakfast and his hand accidentally brushed yours while you both were reaching for the syrup but he didn’t pull back instead he softly caressed your fingers in a quick move, but it did not go unnoticed. That was the extent of any touching; he was staying true to his word on taking it slow.

“If you’re feeling up for it tonight would you like to have dinner with me?” You smiled.

“2 nights in a row already, don’t you think after 3 you will have gotten tired of me?” You teased.

He smiled, took one step to you and took your hand. You looked to your hands and watched him weave his fingers with yours. His hands were big. “Tired of you? Are you tired of me?”

“Well Dr. Benitez, that is privileged information.” He smiled wider as did you.

“Oh, secrets already. Okay. Keep your secrets.” You laughed. He raised your hand to his lips and kissed your fingers.

“I’m not tired of you. Not even close.” You stared in his eyes and saw nothing but warmth in them.

“Good to know.” He nodded.

“Last call for flight 326 to Los Angeles boarding at gate G4.”

You smirked. “That’s me.” You announced.

“All right, have a safe flight. Call me when you land so I know you’re okay.” Chino requested. You smiled at his protectiveness.

“You too.”

He allowed your hand to fall to your side, and you walked away to the nearby gate. You peeped back and saw him watching, but you caught his eyes on your ass. You smiled to yourself before he realized you were watching. The embarrassment on his face was too funny not to laugh at as you walked down the corridor to board the plane.

“Jesus Sianna, what are you doing?”

To Be Continued….

NOTE: Painting used in this fic is an original artwork by Roseline Al Oumami titled “Eclat”. Artwork does not belong to me.

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#animal fic #chadwick boseman #chadwick x you #chadwick x reader #chadwick boseman smut #chadwick boseman fanfiction #black fanfiction #angst #fluff fanfic #slow burn

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