#Joshua 3:10-13 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

munson-blurbs · 1 year ago

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Single Dad!Eddie x Fem!ReaderSeries

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13

Summary: A disastrous PTA meeting and an unfortunate grocery store encounter have you and Eddie questioning whether or not you deserve each other.

Warnings: a bit of dirty talk (18+ just in case), feelings of unworthiness, Carol Perkins and Billy Hargrove make appearances, mentions of bullying, small allusion to drug use and poverty, arrest, tiny allusion to Eddie's breeding kink

WC: 7.1k

Chapter 13/20

Divider credit to @saradika Special thanks to @girlwiththerubyslippers & @corroded-hellfire for helping with this chapter!

Your Thursday mornings at Hawkins Preschool usually involve a light tap on the door and a blink-and-you-missed-it wave from Eddie; maybe a wink if no one’s looking. Today, he’s stopped by the classroom with a steaming styrofoam cup in hand.

“I thought you only brought me coffee on Mondays,” you laugh appreciatively. You take the still-hot beverage from him, folding back the plastic tab and blowing on it lightly before taking a sip. It’s made just as you like it and warms you from the inside out.

Eddie smiles, crossing his arms over his chest an leaning in closer so his leather-clad shoulder grazes sweater-covered one. “Ah, but the PTA meeting is after school today.” As if you could forget forty minutes of unpaid work that could be spent reading, resting, snuggling up to your thoughtful metalhead boyfriend… “Figured you could use an extra boost of caffeine to help you power through.” He lowers his voice to add, “I’m sorry I won’t be able to make it. But Wayne’ll be there.” He squeezes your hand quickly just as Abby Carver approaches you.

You pull away so fast that you bang your elbow against the side of the desk, biting the inside of your cheek to suppress a yelp. “What can I do for ya, Abby?” you ask, smiling through the throbbing pain.

“Joshua said that he’s taller than me!” she whines, messily swiping at her ruddy tear-stained cheeks. Her dad only dropped her off five minutes ago, and she’s already conjured up a crisis. Unsurprising, but exasperating nonetheless.

You peer over at Joshua Harrington, who is currently constructing a racetrack, unbothered by Abby’s distressed state. Your gaze flits back over to the little girl in front of you. “Honey, he is taller than you,” you gently explain, watching as her bright blue eyes begin to well up again.

“Yeah, but he doesn’t havta say it!” she protests, stamping her sneaker on the speckled tile floor. It’s one that lights up, little red and blue and green twinkles dashing along the side.

You nod, sucking in your lips in a feeble attempt to keep a straight face. “Well, you can just play somewhere else. And we’re gonna get started with circle time in a few minutes.” Time to sing the Good Morning song–again. If the kids didn’t beg for it every day, you would’ve scrapped it months ago, but it keeps them entertained.

Once she scampers off, already zeroing in on a group of girls dressing up some time-battered Barbie dolls, you turn your attention back to Eddie.

“We’re still on for Saturday?” you ask, a subtle reminder of your upcoming date at Enzo’s. It’s a fancier restaurant than either of you are used to, but Eddie had insisted on it.

He nods quickly, scratching at the back of his neck like he does when he’s nervous, though you’re not quite sure what’s on his mind. “Y-Yeah, I’ll pick you up at 7?”

“I can’t wait.”

At 3:15, you and Will trudge into the classroom that’s serving as the meeting venue. It only takes a moment for you to remember that it’s Ms. Marion’s room, and your eyes scan the walls for Harris’s artwork. You find it easily; it’s the best in the class. It’s a drawing based on the saying, ‘March is in like a lion and out like a lamb,’ and each kid drew a picture of the two animals. Harris has meticulously added details to his. He’s drawn a zig-zag line under the lion’s pink nose to represent his aggression and given the lamb a puffy coat of wool, while the other kids just drew smiling lions and a circle to represent their lambs’ bodies. He’s also included a speech bubble hovering above each of their heads; the lion’s says “ROR!!!” and the lamb bleats “BAAA.”

Will’s gaze follows yours, and his lips turn up into a smile when he sees what you’re staring at. “He’s a talented kid,” he remarks. “We gotta have him sign something now so we can say ‘we knew him when.’”

You nod your head in agreement and return his grin. You’ll have to tell Eddie to have Harris swing by your classroom after school tomorrow so Harris can autograph some drawings.

Wayne comes in a few minutes later, taking a seat behind you and Will.

“How’s your day going, Wayne?” You turn around in your chair and greet him. Seeing the older Munson always lifts your spirits. He’s wearing a flannel, checks of olive green and white, over a white t-shirt that proudly proclaims: My Favorite Person Calls Me Grampa.

Wayne gives a little shrug; for him, it’s the equivalent of a beaming smile. “Can’t complain. Didn’t get too much pushback from Harris when I dropped him at the baby-sitter’s.” He explains that Claudia Henderson still has a bunch of the games her son had played with, and Harris loves going through the toy bin and finding something new. “Well, new to him. That stuff’s gotta be nearly twenty years old by now.” He scratches the white-gray whiskers on his cheek and chuckles. “Jeez, ‘m old. I remember buyin’ those kinda games for Eddie when he was a kid.”

More parents and teachers file in and, eventually, the PTA president stands at the front of the classroom and calls the meeting to order. The idle conversation gradually ceases, and Linda Wright presses her lips into a thin smile and smooths nonexistent creases in her khaki slacks.

“Welcome, everyone,” she begins, clasping her hands together in front of her. “Thank you all for being here. We have quite a few items to cover today, so let’s get to it!” She’s far too chipper for your liking, and you wince involuntarily as she excitedly announces the upcoming parent-child talent show. It’s an annual school-hosted fundraiser, and apparently a popular one; there’s a soft roar of discussion before Linda wrinkles her nose in irritation and shushes the group.

“Oh, Ed’s gonna love that,” Wayne leans in and whispers to you. “He’ll probably be more excited than Harris.” He sits up straight when Linda clears her throat and glares in his direction.

The president launches into a tirade about kindergarten readiness strategies, handing out little pamphlets to the parents and guardians. The cover displays an overly-enthusiastic teacher surrounded by a small group of students who are closely attending to a fake lesson.

You hear Wayne grumble under his breath: “What is there to be ready for? It’s kindergarten, Jesus Christ.” and you have to stifle a laugh.

Linda luckily doesn’t hear his lament. “I’m opening up the floor to any questions or concerns.” Now is the time that people typically start gathering their belongings and resume unfinished conversations. It’s precisely what you plan to do until you hear an all-too familiar snide voice from across the room.

“Yes, I have a question.” Carol Perkins stands up. She places her hands on her hips and pulls her lips into a smirk. “What is the school’s policy on parent-teacher relationships? Romantic and…otherwise?” Her gaze sweeps over to you, hovering there for a bit, and you realize with a sense of dread that she’s enjoying this. “Because, to me,” she splays her manicured fingers over the center of her chest, “it just seems completely unprofessional.”

The PTA members start whispering amongst themselves, eyebrows raised in excitement as they try to determine the culprit amongst themselves.

You want to crawl into a hole and die. You can feel Wayne’s eyes on the back of your head, as though he’s silently willing you to remain composed. The only other person who knows of your relationship with Eddie is Will, and you can tell that he’s doing everything in his power not to wrap his arms around you in a hug.

At the very least, the principal is not tolerating the dissolution of the meeting into a gossip session. “Ms. Perkins, we can discuss this at a later time. Privately.” Sue Sinclair’s expression is stoic, unreadable, and you’re not sure whether she’s angry at you or Carol. How would she know it’s me? But logic has no reason with emotion taking center stage, and you’re all too grateful when Chrissy Carver shifts the conversation to organize a ticket sale committee. For the most part, it seems like Carol’s little outburst has been swept under the rug. The meeting concludes as some parents leave while others stick around to schedule playdates, but you remain seated.

A hand on your shoulder startles you from your humiliated stupor, and you look up to see Will looking at you. Sympathy radiates from his eyes.

“It’s okay,” he softly reassures you. “I don’t think anyone knows, and even if they do, who cares? Harris isn’t in your class anymore.”

“I-I know.” But Frankie is, which means I’ll have to face Carol every day, I’ll have to deal with her smarmy expressions and backhanded comments. The blood drains in your face when you think about her spreading rumors to the other parents, their amused stares as they drop their children off to be in your care.

Wayne speaks up as he stands, leaning his gnarled knuckles on the seat of the folding chair for support. “Darlin’, you’ve got nothin’ to worry about. It’s no one’s business who you’re with.” He brushes some dust off of his dungarees and walks with a slight limp towards the door, the remnants of an old injury that flares up in the colder weather. “I gotta go get Harris, but you keep your chin up.” He gives Will a quick head bob that the younger man returns, having developed somewhat of a camaraderie with the elder Munson during the various post-graduation Hellfire sessions held at the trailer.

Carol says nothing as she leaves the room, deep in conversation with Steve Harrington and his wife. If they don’t know about you and Eddie yet, you’re confident that Carol will ensure they do soon. Dread pools in your stomach at the thought of small-town gossip flying, your professionalism being called into question, the possibility of you losing your job. And everyone will know why.

Eddie’s hands tremor with excitement; his whole body buzzes with energy as he grabs the receiver off of the glass countertop. He dials your number–his favorite seven digit combination in the world–and beams the entire time. As soon as he hears your, “hello?”, he’s practically shouting into the phone. Volume control has never been his forte, especially after years of blowing out his eardrums with loud music.

“Babe, guess what?” He drums his left hand fingertips on the counter, a rhythmic pum-pum-pum to keep his breath steady.

“What’s up?”

He notes hesitance in your tone, but chalks it up to exhaustion from your extended workday. “I applied for that manager position? The one I told you about on our first date?” He hears your soft “mhm,” before proceeding. “And I got it! Ash just told me now!” He smiles, pressing the receiver to his ear with his shoulder as he organizes paperwork into a pile. “Eddie Munson, getting the girl and the job? Never in Hawkins’ wildest dreams!”

There’s a pause on your end of the line before you reply. “I’m so proud of you, Eds. No one deserves this more than you do.”

Though there’s still an air of something Eddie can’t quite identify, it’s woven with genuine pride for his accomplishment. His fingertips keep busy as they graze up and down the phone cord. “Now we, uh, really have something to celebrate at Enzo’s.”

Another pause; this one is so long that he wonders if the line disconnected. “Um, about that…” you finally speak up, and Eddie hopes you don’t hear the gigantic sigh of relief that escapes his lips, “maybe we could just do something at my place? Grab takeout, watch a movie or something?”

His relief evaporates almost as quickly as it came, and he puts his weight on his forearms and lowers his voice. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just been a long week.”

It sounds too automatic, too rehearsed to be true. Eddie doesn’t believe you, but he needs to get to Wayne’s and pick up Harris before his uncle leaves for work. “I really wanted to take you out, show you off, y’know?” He clears his throat, scrambling for words. “We can talk more about it later. Try to get some rest, Sweetheart.”

“Mmkay,” you mumble, and Eddie hopes he’s not just imagining the smile in your voice. “I’ll try. Say hi to Harris and Wayne for me.”

He ends the phone call promising that he will, hanging up hesitantly. What happened between this morning and this evening that had you backing out of the date and retreating into your home?

I shouldn’t have tried to hold her hand, he grimaces, pulling out of the parking lot and onto the main road towards Forest Hills. That was so stupid; she was at work, and the kids were right there. Way to go, Munson.

Eddie continues to brood about his faux pas all the way until he gets to Wayne’s, slapping a smile on his face as he relays the news about his promotion. The smile becomes less forced the more he talks. He’s suddenly consumed with thoughts of buying a house with a yard, a pool–well, maybe not a pool; he’s not making that much money–but definitely space for Harris to run around and play.

And in this fantasy world he’s created, you’re standing on the front porch, sipping coffee out of a World’s Best Mom mug–possibly the only mug Wayne doesn’t already have nailed to the trailer wall–made just the way you like it. You’re laughing as you watch Harris sprint back and forth across the grass. Eddie imagines it neatly cut, but the reality is that it would probably be more than a bit overgrown.

He’d sneak up behind you, snaking arms around your waist and resting his head on your shoulder, pressing soft kisses onto the back of your neck–

“That’s amazing, Ed!” Wayne claps a hand on his nephew’s back, drawing him out of his daydream and thrusting him back into reality. He pulls him into a quick hug, not overabundant in affection, but his delight seeps through. “You talk to your girl yet?”

“First person I called.” My girl. The first person I called was my girl. She’s my girl and I’m her man–

“Good.” Wayne responds pensively, smoothing down his unruly mustache whiskers and reaching for his pack of Camels. He shoves them into his side pocket, right on top of the lighter. “She could use some good news after that shitshow of a PTA meeting.”

Eddie’s brows crinkle, pinched together in non-understanding. “What are you talking about?” he asks before calling out his son’s name to bring him from the bedroom. He can hear the bed springs creaking, which can only mean that Harris is jumping on the old mattress. Apparently, breaking his wrist didn’t result in a lesson learned.

“She didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?” He slams his palm onto the countertop as confusion melts into frustration. Weren’t you past this? Past keeping secrets and masking emotions?

Wayne sighs, weighing his options. Ultimately, his allegiance is to his nephew, so he divulges what happened that afternoon, heart sinking as Eddie’s face falls with each word. “She seemed real shook up,” he concludes the story, digging out the pack of cigarettes. Delivering news that devastates his nephew has him urgently craving a smoke. “I wanted to stay and talk to her, but Claudia had somewhere to be at five.”

Eddie chews on his lower lip, pulling off a bit of dry skin with his front teeth. “Yeah, no, ‘s fine.” He calls Harris out of the bedroom again, patience sufficiently thinned. Of course Carol Perkins would shoot off her big mouth about your personal life. It’s not like she had anything better to do. None of that is surprising.

What worries Eddie is why you didn’t tell him about it. Were you embarrassed that people knew you were together? Is that why you didn’t want to be seen at Enzo’s with him? Would you agree to a restaurant far outside the bounds of Hawkins, or was this shame rooted deeper than small-town gossip?

Wayne can sense his anxiety, and he scrambles to dam up Eddie’s flooding thoughts as he fumbles to put the cigarette between his lips. “It’s pretty damn obvious that you two care for each other. Dare I say, you lo—”

“Wayne!”

“Fine, fine,” Wayne chuckles and grabs his lunch pack. The ceasing of the bed springs indicates that Harris has stopped jumping, and Eddie can hear toy cars clattering into a bag. “But you should just talk to her. Make sure she’s okay.” He lowers his voice as Harris finally emerges. “I know it ain’t been easy to hear rumors your whole life, but this is new to her. Cut her a little slack.”

Eddie looks around the trailer at what was his first real home. He’d bounced from place to place with his parents, dodging angry landlords and their threats of eviction. From a young age, he’d learned to dread the end of the month, knowing that conflict was inevitable. Screaming voices, accusations of hiding money, when anyone with working eyes could see that they’d all but stuffed it in a pipe and smoked it. There was no love; only survival. Wayne was never the cookies and milk, family dinner, Leave it to Beaver type, but he offered Eddie something he’d never had before: safety.

Now, Eddie scoops Harris into his arms and follows Wayne out of the trailer as he locks up. There’s not too much of great value; possibly just the TV, but even that’s on the fritz. And unless a thief had a hankering for hokey mugs and baseball caps, they’d probably leave without taking a thing. “Thanks, Old Man.”

“‘S what I’m here for,” Wayne says, pressing a kiss to Harris’s mop of curls. He pauses, and then does something he hasn’t done in years: he kisses the top of Eddie’s head, too. “Not just a pretty face, y’know.”

On Saturday evening, Eddie finds himself at Bradley’s Big Buy, scouring the aisles until he locates the small refrigerator holding various flower bouquets. The chill hits him in the chest as he opens the door, crouching down to get a better look at the offerings through their tissue-paper wraps. He’s determined to take you to Enzo’s, and he’d hoping this small gesture will show you that he can be the man you deserve.

He finds a bouquet of pink peonies and grabs them from the display case, clutching them proudly. They’re delicate and beautiful, just like you. He raises them up, the petals tickling his nose when he inhales the fresh scent, when he overhears Billy Hargrove speaking in a hushed tone:

“Thought you were stopping by after that parent meeting thing.”

“My idiot husband came home early,” a woman–Carol Perkins, Eddie realizes–punctuates her lament with an irritated sigh. “But speaking of that meeting–I’ve been meaning to tell you: guess who’s also hooking up?” She doesn’t wait for him to answer before divulging the gossip, “Frankie’s teacher and Eddie Munson.”

“The teacher and the Freak? No way.” He sticks his tongue in his cheek and chuckles maliciously. “Didn’t know she was down for that kind of stuff.”

“Keep it in your pants,” Carol huffs, as though she’s not stepping out on her own husband. “But I’m serious! He brings her coffee and leaves her stupid love notes.”

Eddie squeezes his eyes together as he cringes. Billy’s second round of mean laughter transports him back to the time the jock grabbed his brand-new D20 off of the lunch table and used his basketball skills to chuck it into a far-off trash can. The ruby red die sunk into the mountain of discarded lumps resembling mashed potatoes and half-eaten meatloaf, forcing Eddie to trek across the cafeteria and fish it out of the pile of old food. “Love notes? What, is he in high school or something?”

Carol snickers. “Guess he’s making up for all the times he didn’t bother, since he knew no girl in this town would go for him.”

“Looks like he had to go for an import,” Billy jokes, drawing a hideous cackle from his friend. Eddie can practically hear the man’s ego inflating at the way Carol fawns over him.

“And a desperate one at that,” she snorts. “I mean, can you imagine lowering your standards enough to be with Eddie Munson?”

“Let’s hope she comes to her senses eventually,” he agrees. “So, is your husband home now…?”

All Eddie can think is to run, to get the hell out of there before anyone spots him and notices the pink tinging his cheeks and the tears welling in his eyes. He’s so focused on leaving and getting past the two bullies that he forgets about the flowers in his hand, until an infuriated voice calls after him.

“Hey! Get back here!” The manager rolls his eyes when he recognizes the culprit. “Eddie Munson. Of course. I should’ve known that shoplifting isn't too juvenile a crime for you.”

Eddie can hear Billy and Carol poorly stifling their amusement at his misfortune. He struggles to find the proper words to explain himself as his entire body is engulfed in the flames of embarrassment, burning him from the inside out. “No…I didn’t mean…it was an accident…”

The manager shakes his head with a biting laugh. He’s a graying man who should have been retired fifteen years ago when Eddie was actually shoplifting. The liver-spotted creases around his eyes are particularly visible when he sneers, “Heard that one before. Prob’ly from you.”

Anger burns in Eddie’s throat, but he swallows it. “Look, let me just pay for these, and I’ll get outta here.” He starts to fumble for his wallet, but the old man shakes his head.

“Nice try. I let you off easy too many times when you were a kid, and look where it got ya.” His cold hand clasps Eddie’s bicep as tightly as his feebleness allows. “I’m calling the sheriff. He can decide what to do with you.”

“Shit-shit-shit,” Eddie mumbles, yanking himself from the man’s grip. “Y’don’t have to hold me; I’m not gonna run away.”

To his surprise, the manager lets him go, though it’s likely due to his advanced age rather than trusting Eddie to do the right thing.

He’s taken to the back room, anxiously tapping his foot against the floor and biting his thumbnail. A quick glance at his watch tells him that he’s supposed to pick you up in 15 minutes. He breathes out a long sigh, scanning the bulletin board hastily fastened to the wall with a lone flyer advertising medical benefit sign-up. Upon closer inspection, he reads that it’s for the 1990 fiscal year, and he can’t help but wonder if that’s the last time the stodgy old Bradley ever offered insurance to his overworked, underpaid employees.

He says a silent prayer to whatever gods are listening that Hopper is the one who answers the call. The chief will give him the benefit of the doubt and probably tear the old fart a new one for wasting his time.

Purse, keys, lipstick, condoms.

You have everything you need for your date, save for one minor detail–Eddie.

You’d expected him to stop by your classroom yesterday to say good morning like he normally does, but he didn’t show. He would’ve called you if Harris was staying home sick; a brief peek out your window during recess confirmed that the littlest Munson was present. He ran around the playground with one of his friends from the birthday party, blissfully unaware of the turmoil churning within you.

Eddie definitely heard what happened at the meeting, you realize miserably, and he doesn’t want to deal with the backlash he’ll get from dating his kid’s former teacher. From anxiety blooms visions of the convoluted game of telephone perpetuated by Carol, the story getting more absurd with each retelling.

At 7:30, Eddie still hasn’t shown. He’s not exactly Mr. Punctuality, but thirty minutes is pushing it, even for him. His tardiness does nothing to ameliorate your fears. This was clearly too much for him—you were too much for him.

You’re about to wipe the makeup off of your face and change into your coziest pair of pajamas when the phone rings, startling you slightly.

“H-Hello?”

“This is a collect call from the Hawkins County Jail. Do you accept the charges?” an automated voice bleats, too chipper for the circumstances it’s reporting.

You’re caught off-guard by the question and the tone, and you choke out a strangled, “yes” and the line rings twice.

“Sweetheart? You there?” Eddie. Eddie, Eddie, Eddie. Relief floods your body until you remember where he’s calling from.

“Y-Yeah, I’m here,” you say, and it’s only when your fingers start to cramp that you recognize how tightly you’re gripping the receiver. “Why are you in–”

He sighs into the phone, and static briefly clouds his voice. “Long story,” he mumbles. “Can you just come and get me? There’s, uh, no bail or anything.”

“I’ll be right there.” You waste no time in grabbing your keys off of their hook, nearly forgetting to shove your feet into shoes in your scramble out the door. You’re ashamed to admit that for a millisecond, you consider the possibility that he’s been busted for dealing, but you shake it off lest it further infiltrate your psyche.

You pull up to the jail exactly twenty-eight minutes later, the fastest you can get there without flying down side streets; the irony of being pulled over for speeding on your way to the police station was not lost on you. Flinging the car into park and killing the engine, you fast-walk through the entrance and hope your nervousness is hidden by the air of confidence you’re faking.

“I’m here to pick up Eddie—er, Edward Munson?” His legal name is clunky on your tongue, like it doesn’t quite belong to him.

The officer behind the desk wears a name badge that reads “P. Callahan.” He puts down his copy of the Hawkins Post and presses his lips into a thin line as he reaches for the walkie attached to his shirt pocket.

“Hop, is Munson ready to be released?” Released. Like a wild animal who needs to be kept away from the general public for their own safety.

The officer on the other end—Chief Hopper, you presume—confirms that Eddie is good to go, and a door opens shortly after that. Eddie trudges out, shame and frustration marring his beautiful face.

You sign whatever paperwork is required before silently taking Eddie’s hand and leading him to the car. He holds it tight, a shiver of a tremor rocking through it.

“Babe, what happened?” you ask once you’re safely outside, away from where the officers can hear you.

Eddie lets go of your hand to throw his arm around you dramatically, leaning with his whole body weight. The sudden force of it has you stumbling, but he catches your fall.

“It’s awful being on the inside,” he whines, trying to lay on an exaggerated pout, but his smile pokes through. “You’ve made me too soft for prison, baby. Couldn’t stop thinkin’ about you and almost got shanked.”

His joke subtly informs you that he’s not ready to actually discuss it yet, and so you roll your eyes and play along for now. “Poor thing. Locked up for a whole forty minutes.”

“It was more like forty-five,” he protests, “and every second counts when it’s spent missing my girl.”

“You’re so full of it, Munson.” My girl. If he never calls you anything else but his girl for the rest of your lives, you wouldn’t complain.

He wraps his arms around your waist from behind, pulling you in so your back is pressed against his chest. “Full of longing and devotion!”

“Sshh!” you chastise him lightly through your giggling. “Get in the car, crazy man.”

“Crazy ‘bout you!” Eddie says, booping your nose. As soon as your fingers wrap around the gearshift, he’s resting his hand atop yours. It trembles slightly.

Tell me what happened. Don’t keep any more secrets from me. I won’t judge you or leave you. I’m your girl, remember?

It takes a few blocks before you finally work up the courage to ask, “Is everything okay?” It’s a stupid question; you don’t get arrested if everything’s okay, but the alternative is a more straightforward, Why the hell did I have to pick you up from jail?, so you acquiesce.

“‘M good.” He gives your hand another tiny squeeze and attempts a smile, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

You sigh, poorly hiding your impatience for answers you need to know. “Can we talk about what happened?”

His slow release of breath is in sync with your foot pressing on the brake pedal as you approach a stop sign. “Not a big deal. Just a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding that led to you getting arrested?” Stop hiding. Stop pretending. Stop acting like this is fine when it clearly isn’t. Stop making me feel like you don’t trust me. The words get caught behind clenched teeth, threatening to ooze through the gaps.

“Yup.” He leans back in his seat and closes his eyes as though giving a sufficient response to end the conversation.

You drive another few minutes before you spot the sign for Lovers Lake in the distance. There’s only one surefire way to calm his nerves; whatever it is he’s keeping from you, there’s a reason he hasn’t worked up the courage to say it.

Eddie sits up and peers out the window in confusion when you veer to the exit. “Where are we—”

“You’ll see.”

Parking in a spot secluded by trees and the dark of night, you turn to him and stroke his cheek with your thumb. “Can I make my man feel good?” you coo, taking his earlobe between your teeth and tugging lightly. You can feel the small bump where his piercings used to be.

“Shit, baby,” he breathily groans, adjusting the seat so you have ample space to straddle his lap. His hands fly to his belt buckle, undoing it and pulling the leather strip from its loops. Though his pants aren’t as tight around him now, you can still see the outline of his now half-hard cock beginning to press against his fly. “‘S exactly what I need.”

But it isn’t solely the act of sex that he needs, although it would be a farce to imply that he didn’t crave the feeling of you wrapped around him. It was the public nature of it; the way that anyone could walk by and see you on top of him. Could see you choosing him. The teacher choosing the Freak.

You roll your hips, denim-on-denim creating a delicious friction that draws moans from both you and Eddie. Your lips chastely graze his neck, trailing kisses upwards until you reach the prickly stubble along his jawline.

Eddie’s hands grab your ass, claiming it as his. “Feels—mmf—feels good,” he grunts, letting out a soft chuckle when he adds, “gonna make me cream my jeans if you keep grinding on me like that.”

“S’okay,” you shrug, maintaining your tempo. You press your lips to his and he whines into your mouth. “Just wanna ease your mind tonight, Eds.”

“Yeah, but the face you make when you cum? Christ, babe. Makes it even better for me.” He scoots you off of him for a moment, laughing again when he sees your lower lip jut out. “Let me just grab a condom, you needy little thing.”

You bury your head in the crook of his neck and begin sucking on its supple skin as he fumbles for his wallet. “Fine, fine,” you grumble, a teasing lilt in your tone. “The last thing we need is for people seeing that you knocked me up.”

Eddie freezes beneath you, his wallet falling to the weather-mat with a thud. “Wh…what?” His voice is below a whisper, volume compressed by emotion.

“We’ve only been together, like, a month.” It’s too obvious a point to confuse him. There’s no way he really wants a kid with you right now. “We can’t have a baby—”

Eddie vehemently shakes his head, effectively cutting you off. “But that’s not what you said.” You see hurt in his eyes as you try to piece together the puzzle. The fact that you can’t immediately identify the source adds another element of frustration for both of you. “You said that we can’t have people seeing that I knocked you up. Why…why wouldn’t you want people knowing that I…?”

The imagined swell of your belly that he’d hoped you proudly show off, mindlessly caressing it as you walk hand-in-hand with him, is now covered with layers of clothing, even in summer’s heat. You’re tugging a cardigan closed, determined not to let anyone see the shame you’re carrying along with Eddie Munson’s child.

“I just figured you wouldn’t want people talking about you,” you manage, thinking of the rumor that had spread after Harris’s injury. You bring yourself back to the driver’s seat, and it takes another moment before something else dawns on you. “You wouldn’t be upset by people knowing? I mean, not that we’d, y’know, have a kid right now…because you already have one, and this is all so new…” You clamp your lips together to shut yourself up, having already blabbered on for too long.

Eddie shakes his head, tousling his frizzy curls. “Why would I be upset? You’re my girl.” Worry ripples through him, evident through his expression. His doe eyes grow even wider, and he spins his rings around his fingers. One slips and bounces off of the passenger seat, but he doesn’t move to retrieve it. “You still want to be my girl, right?”

“I still want to be your girl,” you confirm, watching his body decompress with relief. “I just don’t want to make things even worse than they are. I mean, you can’t even tell me why you were in jail tonight. That’s a pretty big deal, Eds.” There’s a lump in your throat as you force out your feelings. You hate confronting people, hate drawing information from an unwilling party. But Eddie is your boyfriend, and this is serious. “Why won’t you tell me?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” he mutters, keeping his head on the headrest and eyes trained on in front of him; his unwillingness to look at you serves as an act of defiance. “I had to hear about the PTA meeting from Wayne.”

The contents of your stomach curdle like milk in the sun. “You’d just told me about your promotion,” you stumble, unable to find footing in your meek protest, “I didn’t want to—”

“So, yesterday? Or today?” he pushes, a tango of anger and hurt dancing in his darkened pupils. “You could’ve called me.”

You could have; you’d certainly considered it more than once, but you didn’t want to bother him. It seemed like such an asinine complaint: Oh, Eddie, a grown adult bullied me, another grown adult, at the PTA meeting. Did I stand up for myself? Nope. Just sat there and tried not to sob like one of the kids I teach. “I thought if you knew what people were saying, you wouldn’t want to be with me anymore. You’d think I was too much of a burden.”

“You?” Eddie gawps, nearly choking on the word. “You think that you’re the burden? That you’re the reason why people are talking about this?” People. Not just Carol. The information slips from his lips, but he doesn’t catch it. “Nah, Sweetheart. In the equation of ‘Teacher’ plus ‘Freak,’ you’re hardly the problematic variable.”

“‘Teacher plus Freak?’”

“Teacher,” he says slowly, pointing to you, “Freak.” He brings his forefinger to his own chest. “I’m kinda used to it; just sucks when it affects other people.” He looks at you through his soft brown eyes. “People I care about.”

You’re unsure how to respond, so you say nothing. You vaguely recall Jess telling you about his high school nickname, but you had no idea it had stuck after all these years.

Eddie sighs, shifting his position to get slightly more comfortable. “Tonight, I was at the store getting some flowers for you. And, um, I heard Carol and Billy Hargrove talking about how you had to be desperate to be with me. That you’d realize you’re too good for me and leave.” His teeth dig into his bottom lip and he lowers his head. You watch a tear slide down his cheek, and he sucks in a messy breath as he tries to control the dam of emotions threatening to burst.

“Too good for you?” The notion is almost comical, and you have to hold back an incredulous laugh. “Too good for the man who rescued Grandma after she locked herself in her room? Who came to her funeral? Who gave me another chance after I made an ass out of myself?” You use your pointer and middle fingers to tilt his chin upwards until his gaze meets yours. “Too good for the man who would do anything for his son?”

“No,” Eddie shoots back, “too good for the guy who grew up being taunted because he played Dungeons & Dragons instead of basketball. The guy who abandoned his pregnant girlfriend to go on tour. Who treated you like shit just to avoid getting close to you. Who…who got arrested for accidentally taking flowers from Bradley’s because he’d stolen from them so much that no one believed him when he said it wasn’t on purpose.” He recalls swiping candy bars, jars of peanut butter, and the occasional six-pack of Pabst during his rebellious teenage years. After he’d schlepped back to Hawkins, proverbial tail tucked between his legs, there was more than one occasion where he’d ripped diapers from their boxes and tucked them into his jacket pocket, walking as casually as he could until he was a safe enough distance to exhale and run.

You take a sharp breath in. “That’s what happened tonight?”

“Yeah,” he says; the admission is a sack of bricks being lifted from his chest. “Those schmucks got in my head, and I walked out the store with the flowers like a fuckin’ idiot.” He replays the scene in his head, inwardly cringing at his desperation to flee the premises and inadvertently drawing everyone’s attention to him. He starts to laugh, but anger, sadness, and relief all brew together and the dam bursts completely. One tear multiples to two, four, eight, until he’s simultaneously choking on sobs and laughter, the overlapping emotions wreaking havoc on his nervous system.

“Fuck, ‘m sorry,” he manages through another half-laugh half-sob. He swipes at his cheeks with open palms, and you reach for the travel box of Kleenex you keep in the glove compartment and hand him a tissue. “Thanks.”

“You don’t ever need to apologize to me for crying,” you murmur, barely audible as you press a kiss into his mess of curls just behind his left ear. “I want–I need you to be able to show me what you’re feeling.” Eddie blows his nose, loud and honking, and your lips turn up into a small smile. “Why do we let them get to us?” you wonder aloud, a question more for you than for him.

“I was thinking about that,” Eddie muses, stuffing the used tissue into his jacket pocket. He’ll try and remember to toss it later, but part of him knows he’ll find it there tomorrow. “Like, I didn’t give a damn what they said about me back in high school, but now, as an adult, I do?” He takes a deep breath through his mouth. “And I realized…it’s because I never cared about what they thought of me. Not really. But, fuck, I care about what you think of me.” He swallows before stroking your cheek. “I want to be enough for you.”

You kiss the tip of his nose, letting your lips linger there longer than necessary to ensure the feeling of belonging becomes entrenched in his pores. “You’re enough, Eddie. You’ve always been enough.” Your hands find his, and you lace your fingers together. “I have an idea. Why don’t we grab some takeout, maybe pick up a bottle of wine, and bring it back to my place.” You immediately worry that you’ve proven his point of not wanting to be seen with him, so you quickly backtrack. “We can still go out to dinner; I just figured…after the night you had…”

He silences you with a kiss of his own, nose nudging the side of yours. “I’d love that.” Before you can start the car again, he says, “what Carol said at the meeting…did it really make you think I wouldn’t want to be with you?”

You nod solemnly, breaking his heart all over again. “You already have so much on your plate. I didn’t want to be another problem to deal with.”

Eddie’s expression hardens, but his frustration isn’t directed towards you. It’s for anyone who has ever made you feel like loving you is a chore. He does the only thing he can think of doing: he takes your face in his hands, fingers tucked behind the smooth skin of your ears, and peppers your face in a flurry of kisses.

“Eddie!” you cry out through a fit of giggles. Your eyes squeeze together as his lips tickle your forehead, your cheeks, your nose, your lips, your chin.

He only pulls away to take a breath, and when he does, he’s smiling through shiny eyes as he continues holding your face. “You are not a problem. Never.” He pauses, collecting his thoughts. “We make each other happy. And if anyone tries to fuck with that, we’ll just…sic Harris on them.”

The gray clouds that were scattered across your brain dissipate at the mere idea of the boy charging at Billy and Carol like a miniature rhinoceros. Insecurity still hovers over you, waiting for the perfect blend of sadness and vulnerability to strike, but it’s not quite as heavy as it was before.

You aren’t too much for Eddie, and Eddie is enough for you.

And you’re everything to each other.

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#eddie munson #eddie stranger things #eddie x reader #eddie x you #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson x f!reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson smut #eddie munson angst #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson fanfic #stranger things fanfic #fanfic #eddie munson stranger things #stranger things #tui

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thedensworld · 1 year ago

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Welcome to Densworld🌼

Masterlist

den | aries | infp-a | she/her | carat💎 ahgase🐥

Scoups only

Jeonghan only

Joshua only

Wonwoo only

Mingyu only

1. Found You | Choi Seungcheol

His wife suddenly went missing. There are two possibilities, his best friend has hid her from him or she literally left him.

2. Lover Series | Kim Mingyu

Mingyu's love life has became more interesting since you came

3. On Scene | Yoon Jeonghan

Yoon Jeonghan, once a dedicated police officer, finds himself embroiled in a web of corruption and is subsequently transferred to a unit that is shunned by his colleagues. Just when he thought his life couldn't get any more complicated, a murder case emerges, and it appears to be connected to his ex-girlfriend.

4. Healing Hues | Jeon Wonwoo

Exhausted by the monotony of his life as a celebrity, Wonwoo makes a pivotal decision to return to his childhood hometown and embark on a heartwarming project: building a small library named 'Healing Hues.' Little does he know, this journey will lead to a series of unexpected and transformative events.

5. To The Rescue | Jeon Wonwoo

Eight years had passed since you and Wonwoo last worked together, but fate had other plans. The case you thought was behind you resurfaced, pulling you back into the world you thought you'd left behind.

6. Doesn't Mind At All | Hong Jisoo

Joshua willingly agrees to pick up his boss's daughter from school, not realizing that this simple task would lead to an unexpected encounter with his longtime crush.

7. Sweet Macaroons | Choi Seungcheol

Seungcheol was far from pleased when a food critic posted a negative review that started to impact your sales. He couldn't stand to see you upset.

8. Mind Date | Hong Jisoo

Joshua has the power of mind control, enabling him to get anything he wants by influencing people's minds. Suddenly, he meets you, someone he can't control at all.

9. Even When We're Drown, We're Still Breathing | Kim Mingyu

Mingyu was missing the spotlight he used to have, so he decided to accept the offer to shoot a reality show about marriage life and parenting. However, his wife was in a different situation.

10. Don't Touch Mine | Yoon Jeonghan

Jeonghan had hid his feelings for you, but he had been in denial. Then, an unexpected event occurred, and everything changed.

11. Post-Magazine | Kim Mingyu

It was an honor for Mingyu to collaborate with a well-known magazine. But this job made him realize that love at first sight is real.

12. Where to Sign? | Choi Seungcheol

Seungcheol is about to sign the pre when you said this thing to him

13. Guilty Flower | Choi Seungcheol

Seungcheol accepted his mother offer to meet you, his potential future wife said his mother, without knowing what kind of person you are.

14. Naming is Fun | Kim Mingyu

Mingyu knows that you are his laugh button, but he can't believe your suggestion over the baby name.

15. Now You're Safe With Me | Choi Seungcheol

Seungcheol received several missed calls from you, and he knew they weren't just regular phone calls.

16. Forever His | Choi Seungcheol

You found out that Seungcheol was marrying you for your property and wealth while you're pregnant with his child. What would you do? Let him go or play a fool?

17. Piece of Origami | Kim Mingyu

you have no idea that you're this untalented in making a paper fold—origami until your kid ask you to make one

18. What A Fate | Yoon Jeonghan

Who would have thought your next meeting after having a one-night stand would be this unexpected?

19. Perfect Pairing | Choi Seungcheol

Mafia Seungcheol has to face a fact that he found his bestfriend's long-searched sister. However she is a NIS agent who was ordered to terminate him.

20. What a Sweep | Choi Seungcheol

Seungcheol brimmed with excitement as he prepared to teach you some Jiu-Jitsu moves, little did he knows, you would nearly send him into a heart attack.

21. Ten Years | Jeon Wonwoo

In hospital Wonwoo is a doctor, and back to house he is your husband. However, your sudden conditions make him choose.

22. Everything | Choi Seungcheol

You come to him in the middle of the night, plan to end him immediately. However everything change.

23. What A Revenge | Yoon Jeonghan (Part 2 of What A Fate)

After an unexpected rendezvous after a one night stand, Jeonghan asked Mingyu to set him up with you. However you had a different situation and it's getting complicated.

24. Falling Flower | Kim Mingyu

Mingyu never thought that he would find Y/n, his friend's secretary, attractive. What's started from eyes, physical, has fallen to his heart. As he tries to get to know you, he realizes he knew nothing about you.

25. Rewind Button | Jeon Wonwoo

If Wonwoo had a time machine, he would definitely go to crash your wedding.

26. Flower Bloomed | Kim Mingyu (Part 2 of Falling Flower)

It's been a year since Mingyu and you were married. Once united by a good feeling, has started to scatter, both you and Mingyu couldn't find reason to stay together.

27. Your Best Man | Jeon Wonwoo

Wonwoo has tried his best to become the best man you've ever met. At the end, he is the best man.

28. Stupid Cupid | Kim Mingyu

You must be the reason why he's been nervous for tonight's event. There must be something that Cupid has been doing.

30. Hold On Tight | Yoon Jeonghan (Part 3 of What a Fate)

What's started for a revenge and status has developed into something Jeonghan couldn't comprehend. He unconsciously were willing to do anything and it was only for you.

31. Alone At Night | Kim Mingyu

Mingyu has no idea until he had to sleepover in your house because of the rain. In fact, it hurts him.

32. Revelation | Choi Seungcheol

What started as an office romance escalated quickly when there are news about Choi Seungcheol, your boyfriend, is suddenly the heirs of the company where you both work.

33. I Can Fight | Jeon Wonwoo

Since you married Jeon Wonwoo, you always considered to not wear revealing clothes. Honestly, Wonwoo doesn't care

34. Bucket Of Happiness | Jeon Wonwoo

After the divorce settled, you immediately moved to Canada for your treatment. Meanwhile, Wonwoo has to run away from his parents who couldn't stop forcing him to get married.

35. Sweet Truth | Choi Seungcheol

The relationship become unstable and lot of things happened. It's time for truth to be revealed

36. Towel Argument | Hong Jisoo

Towel is just a towel. It's not something essential. But why it is able to crack a relationship? Joshua is the first man to proof you that you won't have a towel argument.

37. People's Person | Xu Minghao

You never had a person. You were always be the people's person.

38. Time For A Rose | Choi Seungcheol

You found out how he always got you flower at the perfect time.

39. Right Time | Kim Mingyu

You both were too young when you get together, right person-wrong time. Two years after break up, destiny brought you two again.

40. Let Me | Choi Seungcheol

Seungcheol has known your for a long time and has been very grateful of your dedication as his worker. It was supposed to be just like that.

41. How To Summon Demon | Choi Seungcheol

Your friends and you playfully played game to call the Hot Demon in high school. What if he actually summoned?

42. Case 143 | Kim Mingyu

Mingyu and Y/n are exes. One day, they have to work a case together and it makes the situation uncomfortable for both teams. Besides for the rookie, Hansol.

44. Another Revelation | Choi Seungcheol

Just like other conglomerates in drama, Seungcheol's mother wants you to break the relationship.

45. Chill Dad | Kim Mingyu

Mingyu always wanted to be the chill and cool dad for his kids, however the world don't let him.

46. Work Stressed | Yoon Jeonghan

Working with your best friend is stressful and Jeonghan will tell you why.

47. App Location | Choi Hansol

You finally found the right function of the share location apps

48. Taste Me | Choi Seungcheol

Can't friends taste each other? Seungcheol didn't know the answer. But he was certain that it'll be fair only if he could also taste you.

49. Arrangement Crossed | Kim Mingyu

Mingyu started to enjoy the arrangement between him and you. What should he do?

50. The Moves | Kim Mingyu

Here's the plan, get you on the bed.

51. Illogical Project | Choi Seungcheol

It was just a project to get rid of a side chick, but Seungcheol fall. Deeply.

52. Dream Consequences | Kim Mingyu

Mingyu had ignored you last night and you will make sure he'll pay for that.

53. Logical Project | Choi Seungcheol

Illogical project dismissed! Now, Seungcheol had to face a new problem, Jiyeon and Jeonghan.

54. Top 10 Anime Betrayal | Kim Mingyu

It's hot news, and you can't help but share it with your boyfriend because Mingyu always loves your stories—top 10 anime betrayal level.

55. And No News | Jeon Wonwoo

Wonwoo can't reach you and he was worried about you.

56. Skinny Dipping | Choi Hansol

It'll be so nice if you and Hansol could have a little chat about both of your life, forgetting things that had hurted. Right?

57. Marry A Rich Man | Jeon Wonwoo

every parent wanted their daughter to marry a rich man, Jeon Wonwoo. However, you are a rich.

58. Black Card Issue | Lee Jihoon

after a fight, Jihoon didn't expect to receive notifications for a revenge. However, he's not complaining.

59. Stay Supple! | Yoon Jeonghan

two ordinary worker have to deal with a baby. What should they do? Stay supple!

60. Why Women Kill | Kim Mingyu

your husband of 2 years was found dead while you were away. Kim Mingyu, the detective, try to help you find the truth.

To be continued ;)

e n j o y, joy! -dk

#densworld🌼#seventeen fanfic #seventeen imagines #seventeen angst #seventeen imagine #seventeen scenarios #seventeen series #seventeen fic #seventeen #seventeen carat #seventeen au #seventeen drabbles #seventeen fanfiction #seventeen fluff #seventeen headcanons #seventeen reactions #seventeen x reader #seventeen x you

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seventeenreasonswhy · 5 months ago

Text

MASTERLIST

SEVENTEEN MASTERLIST

🔥 - Mature/NSFW, 🌸 - Fluff/SFW, ❤️‍🩹 - Angst

OT!13

Reactions:

OT!13 Reacts to S/O asking them to be a footstool 🔥

OT!13 Reacts to watching S/O masturbate 🔥

OT!13 Reacts to S/O coming home drunk 🤭 🌸

OT!13 Reacts to their shy S/O in a swimsuit 🌸

OT!13 Goes Camping with You! 🌸🌲

OT!13 Reacts to S/O wearing glasses for the first time 🤓 🌸

OT!13 Reacts to S/O Biting Them 🫦🌸🔥

OT!13 Reacts to their S/O taking some space ❤️‍🩹

OT!13 Reacts to S/O's Toxic Ex at a Party! ❤️‍🩹🌸

OT!13 as CEOs 👔🔥

S.COUPS

BF S.Coups reacts to your scars ❤️‍🩹 cw: self harm

JEONGHAN

Same Team! A YJH Office Romance 🌸, (Part 10: 🔥) - completed

Idol!Jeonghan x ProductionStaff!Reader, a slow-burning coworkers-to-lovers plot...

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10 (<- smut! MDNI)

JOSHUA

coming soon

JUN

coming soon

HOSHI

coming soon

WONWOO

Super Shy ~ A JWW School-Life Romance 🌸, (WIP)

Star Athlete!Wonwoo x Shy Wallflower!Reader, a sweet, slow-burning classmates to lovers story...

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

WOOZI

coming soon

THE8

coming soon

MINGYU

coming soon

SEUNGKWAN

coming soon

VERNON

coming soon

DINO

coming soon

146 notes · View notes

shuaaaaaaaaaaaa · 2 months ago

Text

Enemies to lovers?

Hihiiii this is my first story and I had so much fun writing it^^~ this story randomly popped up in my head and I just had to hshs, hope you enjoy~~

Part 1 Part 2

2.1k words~

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

You were part of an exclusive club in your college with 13 others. Seungcheol, Jeonghan, Joshua, Junhui, Soonyoung, Wonwoo, Jihoon, Minghao, Mingyu, Seokmin, Seungkwan, Hansol and Chan. You're close to everyone, except one. Jeonghan. He was a pain in the ass, he loved teasing you and getting on your nerves. You both loved bickering a lot and getting into unnecessary fights with each other. It happened often that the others were used to it. You guys were going on a trip to the beach as y'all managed to collect the club money and stuff.

All of y'all agreed to meet outside the college in the morning with your luggage. You were the second person to arrive outside the college after Jeonghan. You saw him and rolled your eyes, he didn't notice you as his eyes were glued to his phone. You adjusted your tote bag on your shoulder that was filled with your necessities and dragged your luggage to where Jeonghan was standing. "You're surprisingly early." you said to Jeonghan, not looking at him. Jeonghan eyes moved from his phone screen to you, taking in the view that was next to him. "I'm surprised you even showed up. Damn.. your outfit.." Jeonghan let out a whistle. You were wearing a white dress adorned with a playful cherry print. It has a fitted bodice with a gathered bust and thin adjustable straps. The waist is cinched, leading to a flared, short skirt that moves lightly with each step. You glared at him and took a step away from him, waiting for the others to come.

What seemed like 10 years (it was only 10 mins) all of y'all finally gathered up. "Is everyone ready to leave? The bus will be here in 2 minutes. Don't leave anything behind because this is a 3 hour trip, we won't be stopping for anything." said Seungcheol, the president of the club. Everyone nodded and talked amongst themselves while waiting for the bus. While you were scrolling through your phone, Joshua approached you. "You look really good in that dress" he complimented. You smiled "aw thanks Shua, you look really good in that outfit as well". As you were conversing with Joshua, from the corner of your eye you saw Jeonghan glaring at you both, which you found really weird but you shrugged it off.

After a while, the bus arrived. "Everyone settle down please" Seungcheol spoke, getting everyone's attention. "For this trip, everyone has a partner assigned to them. So wherever you go, you'll have to bring that person with you. So I'll announce everyone's name." Everyone turned to look at Seungcheol, "first up, Seungkwan and Hansol, Chan and I, Soonyoung and Jihoon, Seokmin and Joshua, Mingyu and Wonwoo, Jeonghan and Y/N." Seungcheol announced everyone's one partner. Everyone was satisfied except for Jeonghan and you. "Seungcheol, why would you do this to me?" You grumbled. Jeonghan rolled his eyes "just shut up and deal with it" he tsked, you glared at him before before groaning. "Okay enough, everyone get in the bus and sit next to your partner." Seungcheol ordered everyone.

The bus finally took off after everyone settled down in their seats next to their partners. your seat was placed all the way at the back, you were sulking because you still had to sit with Jeonghan. "You look stupid while sulking" Jeonghan who was already seated spoke, not looking up from his phone. "Shut up" you rolled your eyes and sat down on the seat next to him. "Seungcheol I'll never forgive you for this" you mumbled to yourself

For once Jeonghan wasn't actually bothering you, he was just minding his own business while listening to music. You decided to listen to some music too but your dumbass forgot to bring your earphones. "Could this day get any worse" you grumbled. Jeonghan eyes diverted to your devastated state, he scoffed "what happened now?" He asked, pausing his music and taking out one side of his earphones. "I left my earphones at home" you groaned, burying your head into your hands. Before Jeonghan could say anything, someone beat him to it. "Y/n, are you okay?" asked Mingyu, you shook your head "I left my earphones at home" you pouted. "Oh, wait let me check if I brought my spare-" "just share mine" Jeonghan cut mingyu off and placed the earphone he had in his hand into your ear. "but I don't listen to-" you tried speaking "just search up your playlist, I listen to anything" Jeonghan said nonchalantly as he passed you his phone. You were caught off guard by his behavior but brushed it off. You searched up your playlist and played it, you passed him his phone back. He hummed and looked out the window.

An hour passed and y'all were still on the road. You were getting sleepy, you tried resting against the seats but the road was bumpy and it was so uncomfortable. Jeonghan noticed and made you lay your head on his shoulder. Your eyes widened, you looked at him "what are you doing?" you asked. "Just shut up and sleep, you look like a zombie" he made you lay your head on his shoulder again. You wanted to say something but you were too tired, so you just kept quiet and rested on his shoulder. The music was still playing through the earphones and you dozed off on his shoulder. He looked over at your sleeping state and he felt his heart skip a beat, why was he feeling like this? Don't you both hate each other? Jeonghan's mind was flooded with all those thoughts. He brushed them off and laid his head on yours, slowly falling asleep.

Seungcheol walked up to both of your seats cause he wanted to ask Jeonghan a question. "Jeong-" he paused as he saw you both sleeping on each other's head. Seungcheol smiled and brought out his phone to take a picture of you both. He smiled as his plan worked, he made you both sit together so that y'all would get along. Seungcheol decided not to disturb you both and went back to his seat.

You slowly stirred in your sleep and looked around you, your eyes widened as you saw Jeonghan leaning on you. You shrieked and pushed his head a bit too hard resulting in him hitting his head against the window. Everyone turned their attention to you both. "What the fuck was that for?" Jeonghan asked as he rubbed his head, groaning. "Why were you resting on me?!" "I didn't realise, I was too tired. It's not a big deal." "It is a big deal!" You slightly raised your voice. "How is it a big deal? Besides I allowed you to share my earphones and lay your head on my shoulder" he looked at you with his eyebrows raised. You tried to say something but you just ended up turning red and kept quiet. Jeonghan smirked to himself as he saw your state.

"How long is it gonna take till we reach there?" Soonyoung asked, impatiently. "We'll reach there in 1 and a half hour time" Seungcheol yelled from the front seat. You groaned and slouched back into your seat. The music was still playing through his earphones that you were wearing. You looked over at Jeonghan who was sleeping peacefully, the sunlight glowing onto his flawless face. You couldn't help yourself but to just touch his nose. (Idk why but his nose is JUST so cute AHAHSJSSHSHSH) Jeonghan flinched and woke up, you were caught red handed.

Jeonghan looked at you with his eyebrow raised "mind explaining?" "Uh..." You trailed off, your face turned red in embarrassment. "I'm sorry" you said with your head down. He made you look at him by lifting your head with his finger "why are you sorry? You should explain why you touched my nose." He said in a slightly cocky tone. You were speechless, your face and ears were turning red. He noticed your flustered state and smirked, tucking your stray hairs behind your ear "you look like those cherries on your dress" he chuckled "you know, you're actually really cute but I don't know why you hate me" Jeonghan spoke, removing earphones from both yours and his ear.

You thought you misheard him, but no. "what..?" Your voice came out in a whisper. "You heard me right" Jeonghan says, maintaining eye contact with you.

He noticed that the bus was going into a tunnel. He looked around the bus to see if anyone was looking at y'all, but everyone was paying attention to other things or sleeping. "Fuck it" Jeonghan mumbles, you furrowed your eyebrows. The bus went into the tunnel, making your surroundings dark and you felt something on your lips. You froze. Yoon Jeonghan, the guy you apparently hate was kissing you.

You don't know what got into you but you kissed him back, closing your eyes. You must've caught him off guard by doing that. Jeonghan pulled away from the kiss as the bus got out of the tunnel, light filling the bus again. Jeonghan smirked as he brought his thumb to your lip "your lipstick smudged" he wiped the excess lipstick with his thumb. You let out a small squeak before hiding yourself into your hands.

"어? 부끄럽냐? You didn't seem shy when you kissed me back" Jeonghan whispered into your ear. You smacked his arm before hiding yourself into your hands again. "Ah" he rubbed the spot you hit. Throughout the whole ride, Jeonghan kept teasing you.

"Guys wake up, we're already here!" Seungcheol alerted everyone. You grabbed your bags and sprinted out off the bus. Jeonghan chuckled as he grabbed his bags as well. "Did you do something?" Seokmin asked Jeonghan. Jeonghan ran his fingers through his hair while smirking "nah nothing, may or may not have kissed her." "wHat-"

"Okay everyone gather up and stand next to your partner please" Seungcheol spoke. Jeonghan stood next to you, you took a small step away from him. He just smirked and turned his attention to Seungcheol. Seungcheol started announcing everyone's room number, "Jeonghan and Y/n, room 1004." You and Jeonghan nodded. "You all can go settle down in your rooms now, later at 6pm everyone has to gather up at the beach" Seungcheol dismissed all of y'all.

The walk to your room was silent, you were struggling to roll your luggage because of your goddamn tote bag that won't stay in place. You groaned as you adjusted the bag one last time, it was no use. Jeonghan looked over at you, one of his hands in his pocket as he dragged his suitcase. "Need help?" He asked. "No, I'm fine" you adjusted your tote bag again. "I know you're independent but you're clearly struggling" "let me be independent" Jeonghan snatches your luggage from you and dragged it with his, walking to your room. "hEy-" you caught up to him "you don't have to help" "shut up" "ok"

You both reached the room that was assigned to you both. You unlocked the door with the card given, your jaw dropped. "There's only one bed" "what". You entered the room and so did Jeonghan, you closed the door behind. "I'm gonna ambush Seungcheol." You threatened "I honestly don't mind sharing" Jeonghan spoke as he placed yours and his luggage aside. You raised your eyebrow "no it's okay, I'll sleep on the couc-"

"no"

"what do you me-"

"no"

"Stop cutting me of-"

"no, we're sharing the bed and that's final."

You rolled your eyes "fine, whatever."

"I'm gonna shower first" you said, getting out your towel from your luggage. Jeonghan hummed as he laid on the bed, using his phone. You went into the bathroom, closing the door behind you.

Jeonghan kept his phone down as he heard the shower running, he placed his arm over his forehead. He was thinking about the kiss you both shared, he couldn't help but smile. Damn, he wanted to kiss you again. He was too deep into his thoughts and didn't realize that you were calling out to him. When you came out of the bathroom, You were wearing a cream coloured dress which had lavenders on it, the dress had bow-tie straps and slightly exposed your cleavage.

Jeonghan looked up at the sound of the bathroom door opening and immediately his eyes widened, noticing the dress you were wearing and how good you looked in it. He stayed quiet for a few seconds, until you yelled out his name and told him to shower, “A-ah yeah I’ll do that now….” He said as he quickly got up from the bed, trying to hide how flustered he was, trying to keep his cool as he walked into the bathroom. He got into the shower and tried to push away the images of you.

#seventeen #jeonghan #jeonghan smut #jeonghan fluff #seventeen x reader #jeonghan x reader

84 notes · View notes

wooahaes · 8 months ago

Text

a splash of color

pairing: non-idol!s.coups x gn!reader

prompt: soulmate au series. 10/13

word count: 4.7k~

warnings: some angst. food mentions. so much platonic love between cheol n his friends. mentions of other soulmate fics throughout.

daisy’s notes: cheollie :( <3

summary: Seungcheol has lived in a world of grays since he was ten. He’s beyond tired of it and depending on the people around him to tell him what color his shirt is, or which apples are the green ones, or if that bottle is water or clear soda… So where are you, soulmate? He’s waiting.

Choi Seungcheol considered himself to be someone who was strong. Physically, yes, but he’d been the friend people could count on. Jeonghan once told him that he looked dependable, and that seemed to come true in the way he went about his day. He was the one who would hold his friends up when they were struggling, always with advice or a distraction if that was what they needed. He was the coworker who spoke up when someone was being treated horribly, using his position to protect others. And he was, admittedly, the person who would get called up when they were moving (you’re welcome, Boo Seungkwan). He had his reasons for being strong… but the biggest came from the day he turned ten.

The day of his birthday, he spent it sitting in a doctor’s office, holding his mother’s hand as he stared at boring posters on the wall. The doctor droned on and on about how this was normal, and his mom hung onto every single word he said. Midnight struck, and Seungcheol had slowly watched the colors on the presents he’d found begin to drain away into shades of gray. He’d woken his parents up and their disappointment in him faded into panic: what if it wasn’t his soulmate sign? What if something else had happened to their son? So he’d gone through tests today, just to eliminate what they could the fastest. Sure enough, the loss of color was his soulmate sign… and there wasn’t much relief in the news.

“But how do we find his soulmate?” His mother had clutched his hand within her own, hard enough to hurt.

The doctor gave a sympathetic shrug. He offered a lollipop to Seungcheol a moment later, wishing him luck.

Seungcheol threw it in the trash on the way out.

That day had begun a change. A way to adapt to the life he would live for however long. His parents sat in his room as he watched them draw shapes into the tags of his clothing, designating color. His father had laminated a sheet and taped it up inside of his closet door. Every single roommate and friend he’d ever had later in life became his go-to for when he needed a second opinion on his outfits, the same thing his parents had done for him while growing up. Joshua and Jeonghan had been there throughout college to keep him from looking like a disaster—although Seungcheol had his suspicions about some of the shirts he’d worn over the years—and that friend circle expanded from there. He eventually met Minghao, who only saw colors that matched his soulmate’s mood. He’d seen the way Minghao looked at him for the first time upon learning his soulmate sign with the oddest sense of relief. As though it was the first time he’d felt seen in any way. Their experiences differed, but Seungcheol had felt seen, too, with him as a friend. Everyone seemed to understand when Seungcheol gestured toward his eyes with a soft “my soulmate…” as an explanation, too.

Seungcheol had adapted as best as he could, and spent his weekends meeting other people like him. Just in case he found his soulmate that way. He could live like this, sure, but he yearned for the warm embrace of love defined by a shared experience. That was why they had soulmate signs, wasn’t it?

Yet things were getting harder. A year ago, Seungkwan met his soulmate at an urgent care facility. He’d introduced them to the group with this soft smile on his face, and the two had moved in together a few weeks ago—hence Seungcheol being called upon to help with the heavy lifting… and a bit of the unpacking process, ever the caring dad friend of the group. He’d caught himself on a box cutter that had been left slightly open (earning a million and one apologies from Seungkwan’s soulmate, no matter how many times Seungcheol insisted it was fine). Seungkwan had dropped what he was doing in the kitchen to snag the first aid kit from where he’d already tucked one underneath the kitchen sink, and sat across from his hyung to carefully disinfect it.

He’d pulled two bandages out, holding them up. “Do you want the pink one with flowers, or the blue one with cherries?”

Seungcheol raised a brow. It was cute, but he had to know…

“We picked them out together,” he had said a moment later, rolling his eyes. “They’re clumsy, and I usually have to patch them up, so we decided to get cute bandages. Now pick.”

“I can’t tell the difference, you know.”

Another pointed look, exasperated at the decision being drawn out this much. “Well? Pick one already before you bleed out.”

“The cherries.” Seungcheol could see the subtle smile tugging at Seungkwan’s lips as he set the other one aside, fingers nimbly unwrapping the bandage. His hands were warm as he held Seungcheol’s hand in one, angling it so that he could smooth the bandage over the side of it.

For a moment, Seungkwan’s fingertip traced the round red (he assumed) cherries. “You’ll find them, you know. And then I’m going to show you a slideshow of every single ugly outfit Jeonghan tricked you into wearing.”

Seungcheol found himself smiling already. “I look forward to it.”

Not long after Seungkwan had met his soulmate, Wonwoo ran into his own. He’d been sitting with Vernon and Mingyu apparently, listening to Vernon tell the real story of how Seungkwan found his soulmate. Seungkwan had once said that the day he met his soulmate, he felt as though a part of his soul had come home. There was this newfound sense of peace within him, curling up in his chest like a kitten, that he had never known he’d been longing for. Before Wonwoo, Seungcheol had thought it was Seungkwan being sentimental. Then Wonwoo had sidled up to Seungcheol one night while his soulmate was talking to Mingyu and Jihoon, fingers ghosting over where his string once was. It disappeared with a relieving pop, according to Wonwoo, and yet Seungcheol wondered if Wonwoo still missed it.

“They were petting a stray cat when I found them, you know,” Wonwoo tucked his hands into the pockets of his dark jeans. His shoulders were relaxed, and there was something so tender in his gaze as he watched the way his soulmate laughed at something Jihoon said. “It wasn’t love at first sight, though.” His gaze met Seungcheol’s, and there was a newfound seriousness to them. “But… Seungkwan was right. I found my home.” One of his hands ghosted over his chest, right above his heart. “It was like… Everything was right all of a sudden.”

“They’ve made you sappy,” Seungcheol gently teased.

Wonwoo had cracked a smile, that tender gaze settling onto his soulmate again like a well worn coat. “They like poetry,” he confessed. “I think I’ve been reading more of it for them.”

Seungcheol understood the feeling. He’d dated before, and he’d done loving little things like that, just to show that he was listening and that he cared.

“You’ll find them,” Wonwoo said. “I know you will.”

Seungcheol let himself believe that. He believed it for the others, after all: if he believed it for them, then he had to do it for himself, too. That was why he wasn’t surprised when Minghao quietly approached Seungcheol alone. Seungcheol had been at the art gallery that day, actually: he made a point of clearing his schedule enough to drop in and see his masterpiece (not in Minghao’s eyes, but everything Seungcheol’s friends made was a masterpiece in his eyes) as it hung on the wall. He’d seen Minghao with his soulmate, standing next to one another as they discussed more artwork with him. It’d been selfish, but Seungcheol missed having someone within his close circle who understood him.

All it took was seeing Minghao smile at his soulmate for the first time for that feeling to disappear. He’d seen how badly Minghao struggled, and he hadn’t understood until the day he finally asked him what he meant—just before the exhibit. A few days later, Seokmin had asked Seungcheol to come on a day Minghao had been a little off. A little snowballed into a lot and Minghao’s anger had bubbled up and boiled over within those two hours.

“It isn’t fair!” He snapped, his canvas still lying on the ground from where he’d thrown it aside. Paint had splattered onto the wooden floor not covered by the drop cloth, and Seokmin had quickly kneeled to scrub it away before it could dry. Minghao stood, fists clenched and heaving in his anger at the world. “They’re ruining my life!”

“Don’t say that.” Seokmin’s gaze softened, voice even quieter. He’d paused in his task for just a moment, just watching his roommate. “Minghao…”

Seungcheol faced his soulmate sign with patience. Minghao lived with an anger he hid underneath it all, buried under hours of meditation and self reflection.

“I wish I didn’t have a soulmate!” He sobbed, and Seungcheol crossed the room quickly to pull him into his arms. Minghao crumpled into him all too easily, as though he was being held up by toothpicks. “I can’t,” he hiccuped, “I can’t keep doing this. How am I supposed to paint when they’re ruining everything for me?!”

Seungcheol could only hold him as he cried, fingers digging into his shirt as he held onto him for dear life. And then, a few months later, Minghao had quietly introduced his soulmate to Seungcheol first.

He’d waited until they went to the bathroom to explain. “Because you understand me,” he said, squeezing Seungcheol’s hand in reassurance. Who it was for, Seungcheol wasn’t sure. “Every time I go out with them, I can’t help but regret everything I’ve felt toward them.” His voice dropped lower, softer, to keep their conversation between the two of them. “They’re understanding, and kind, and… I think I’m falling in love with them, Cheol. And I’m scared.”

Seungcheol squeezed his hand back. “That’s okay,” he said. “They seem very kind. Do they know…?”

“I think they might.” Minghao glanced toward the bathroom for just a moment. “I’ll tell them one day that I struggled. They deserve to know.” He took a deep breath, slowly exhaling. “I wanted you to meet them first because you were right. I wanted to love them.” His fingers curled around Seungcheol’s hand, holding on tight. “I still do.” He paused, and wiped at the tears brimming with a soft chuckle. “I think… I think you’re going to be worse, though.”

Seungcheol raised his brows. “Hm?”

“When you meet your soulmate,” he said. “You’ll cry, I think.”

Seungcheol laughed at that, warm as ever. He already knew that he would.

The rest of the group seemed to be finding their soulmates over time. Joshua met his soulmate in the space between Vernon and Jihoon meeting their own, and Seungcheol saw the telltale relief on the latter two’s faces. The two of them didn’t have obvious signs, after all: Seungcheol knew the way that kind of thing could affect someone. Seungcheol would sit around, thinking about his own soulmate as he watched his friends meet theirs. Would he rather have this sign, or be like them, wondering if he had a soulmate. Would he have already found someone perfect for him? Or would he leave them for his soulmate if he met and loved them more? The thought alone made his chest ache.

It was better like this. Even the idea of heartbreak was enough to unsettle him.

“He’s turning red, by the way,” Vernon casually said as Jihoon watched his soulmate step away to socialize with Mingyu, who had called them over to ask them something about their current hair color—a perfect match for Jihoon’s, as it always is.

“So?” Jihoon said, and then looked up to realize Vernon was standing next to Seungcheol. He was choked up for a moment, betrayed by Vernon—Vernon, who Jihoon adored like a little brother. “Why would you tell him that?!” He frowned despite the way Vernon chuckled. “The one person who can’t tease me about it yet…”

“Yet,” Seungcheol emphasized. He smiled behind his sip of beer, looking away for a second. Everyone seemed to speak as though they knew.

“I’ll find them myself if I have to,” Jihoon said. “However you meet them will be better than how I met mine.”

Joshua threw an arm around Seungcheol’s shoulder, chuckling. “You mean being yelled at in a beauty store isn’t your ideal way of meeting your soulmate?”

“Didn’t your soulmate yell at him, too?” Vernon nodded toward Jihoon.

Jihoon cracked a smile. Ah. Yes. Jihoon did have a role in Joshua’s soulmate hearing that same song over and over and over. “They did.”

“We can’t all have a soulmate we’ve been in love with for months,” Joshua said, reaching out to flick the back of Vernon’s head. “Jerk.”

(Or years, if they were Jeonghan, looked as if he’d rather be home and asleep right now.)

Seungcheol had laughed along with the others, only for it to fade soon enough. There was so much love in the room that he hadn’t exactly felt in a while, always afraid to fully commit to someone when this great love was still out there. “Is it worth it?”

The group fell quiet around him. No one ever felt the need to hide their soulmate with the group, even with those who didn’t have them. They were adults, after all: they could handle someone having what they didn’t (whether that was yet or at all differed from person to person). But Seungcheol knew that they were always treading lightly, never going too far when talking about their soulmates. Vernon had been the first one who met his gaze and nodded.

“Yeah. It’s worth it.” He paused. “It’s hard… but it’s worth it.”

Things had begun to change even more after Mingyu met his own soulmate. Seungcheol remembered sitting down for dinner with him and a few others, officially celebrating that Vernon found his soulmate. Everyone knew about the words neatly inked onto Mingyu’s bicep, always something to tease him about. Sometimes Seungcheol wished he had something like that. It’d give him more of a hint about who his soulmate was, maybe. Mingyu’s soulmate knew that he was a sap: what would Seungcheol’s soulmate be like? Would they look at him and see someone reliable and strong? Or would they see someone pouting at his friends teasing him and think him silly? He’d deal with as many silly thoughts as he could if it meant he knew something about this person.

Yet he remembered something that Mingyu had said to his soulmate: I can wait a little longer for you. Seungcheol could wait, too, and he would, but…

“Would you have?” Seungcheol asked one night, stretched out in a lawn chair. Mingyu was sitting in the other, nursing a beer between his hands, and maybe the two of them had been drinking a little too much. “Waited for them longer, I mean.”

Mingyu’s eyes were twinkling as he looked up at the sky, that bashful smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Yes.”

I can wait a little longer for you. Seungcheol wasn’t surprised Mingyu meant it. Mingyu was one of the sappiest people he knew, always so in love with everything and everyone around him. Others were warmer, more sunshine-y and loving, but Mingyu found something beautiful in life itself. Handsome as he was, Mingyu had one of the biggest hearts of anyone Seungcheol knew.

“Hey…” He pawed through the air toward Seungcheol’s hand, and Seungcheol rolled his eyes with a smile as he extended it. Mingyu wrapped his fingers around his palm, squeezing it tight. “I’m sorry you haven’t found them yet.”

Chan had met his soulmate right after Mingyu through the joint effort of said soulmate and their best friend. He was already enamored with this giddy joy, gushing about something cute they were doing. Jeonghan had finally met his soulmate face to face a month ago. It didn’t surprise him that Jeonghan had already talked about life plans after years of being in love with this person. Maybe Seungcheol was destined to find his soulmate last. He was okay with that: he’d rather see his friends happy first, and then find that happiness for himself.

“It’s not a big deal.”

“No, no, it is,” his voice was tinged with this drunken laughter that made Seungcheol wonder what was so funny. He “It is.” He calmed down, squeezing his hand tighter. “You always pretend you’re okay, but we know you aren’t. We know it’s hard.” He looked over to where Seokmin and Soonyoung were standing. “Not just for you, too, but…”

Seungcheol looked toward the house where Jun was yelling at the others through his own laughter. They had all been doing stupid dares, and Jun was apparently the unfortunate victim of a severe switch between salt and sugar. He was half-offended that they’d given him this when they all knew that he and his soulmate could taste what the other was eating. He didn’t want to scare them off by making them think he was some weirdo who messed around with weird flavor combinations.

“I mean it.” Mingyu brought him back to the moment, swinging their connected hands for a moment. “It’s hard, and we know you’re strong… But it’s okay if you aren’t, okay?” He smiled softly at him. “We can be strong with you.”

Seungcheol knew this well. He’d opened up to his friends before that he’d never find his soulmate and never know why they were meant for him. He’d seen the way everyone else seemed to fit together well. Seungkwan and his patient, caring soulmate who seemed to lovingly challenge him. Wonwoo and his quiet soulmate who seemed content to snuggle close to him and whisper little things that would make him smile. Vernon and his laid-back soulmate who would make playful jabs and match his energy. What would his soulmate be like? Would they be someone who enjoyed caring for others…? He’d started going on blind dates again a little after Vernon found his soulmate, and none of them seemed to work.

“The right person will find you,” was what Jeonghan said to him, laying down beside him, a week after Mingyu reassured him lovingly. “Whether they’re your soulmate or not, you’ll find them.”

But what if they don’t? Seungcheol shut his eyes. Not everyone lived like Jeonghan, who dreamed over and over of his soulmate until he finally found them. He’d fallen even deeper in love with his soulmate now that he could kiss them for real. Soonyoung had hugged Seungcheol a little longer the last time it was just the two of them. It was bothering him, and it bothered Seokmin, too. Jun knew his soulmate was out there, the same as Seungcheol. Those two…

Seungcheol chose to believe they had soulmates, too. Whether they were ordained by the universe or to be chosen by them in time, Seungcheol wasn’t sure. But if he had a soulmate, then Seokmin and Soonyoung had to, too. He had to hold onto hope with white knuckles when the others were starting to struggle. If he didn’t, then… Who would?

“I know,” Seungcheol sighed out. He turned onto his side, opening his eyes to watch how Jeonghan had pulled out his phone. “What did they send you this time?”

Jeonghan looked over, humming before the question sank in. “You don’t want to hear about my soulmate.”

He snickered a little. “I do! You don’t have to share, but you can still talk about them if you want to.”

Jeonghan angled his screen so that Seungcheol could see the long video essay (a rant about a book, apparently) that his soulmate had sent to him. “They’re watching this,” he said. He smiled a little more, eyes crinkling slightly, “They’re cute. I don’t know if I’ll watch it, but I like knowing what they’re watching.”

Seungcheol wondered what you were watching, wherever you were. “Jeonghan?”

“Mhm?”

“I’m glad you found them.”

Jeonghan dropped his phone onto the mattress beside him, and his hand found Seungcheol’s a moment later. “I’m glad I found you and Joshua.” He let out a soft hum. “I think I would have struggled much more without you two being in my life. So…” He turned his head. “Thank you for being here.”

Seungcheol’s grip tightened around his friend’s hand, and he found himself smiling. “Yeah. You too.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come?” Joshua was nervously patting down his pockets for the fifth time in the past few minutes. “They’re not alone. I know grocery shopping for stuff like this gets hard, and—”

“I’m fine.” Seungcheol rolled his eyes. “I’ve done it alone before. Stop acting like I can’t handle myself. It’s fine that you’re worried—”

“I’m not worried,” Joshua immediately said. “I’m fine. They’re not alone, I’m fine, I just—” He let out a sigh. “It’s mostly my list. I’ll take my things off, and you can just worry about the staples, and—”

Seungcheol managed just fine most days when he needed to get groceries. After all, most things had labels on them or near them in some shape or form. Unfortunately, there were a few too many things that had colors written beside them. This list was more Joshua’s list than his own (Joshua had plans to surprise his partner with a dessert they’d lovingly gazed at while out together a week ago), but Seungcheol didn’t mind doing this favor for him. He might have to ask for a little help if he needed to, but this was not as big a deal as it was being made into.

So he rested a hand on Joshua’s shoulder, stopping him from checking again that he had everything before he left. “They need you now,” he said, firm as can be. “Go. I can take care of this.”

Joshua dove forward, hugging Seungcheol tight for a moment. He drew back, “You’re a lifesaver. I’m sure everything’s fine, but—”

“Just go!” Seungcheol laughed softly. “Stop stalling.”

Joshua had thanked him one final time before taking off, the door slamming behind him. Seungcheol let out a sigh of relief. Finally. He looked at himself in the mirror, running a hand through his hair. From what he heard from the on-speaker phone call Joshua had received from his partner’s roommate, Joshua’s soulmate had a slight accident during lunch and now they were waiting to get stitches at urgent care. Apparently, they were nervous about it due to being terrified of needles, and Joshua had gone from being chill and content to absolutely freaking out when their roommate said it was ‘worse’ than they kept trying to make it out to be. Joshua knew how bad his partner could be about undermining their pain. Hence him elevating to a nervous mess and needing to go see them to know how bad it really was.

Seungcheol was sure things were fine. And if they weren’t, then Joshua would be there. He looked down at the list, looking over Joshua’s neat handwriting. Right. The sooner he got back from shopping, the sooner he could take that off of Joshua’s mind. He’d glanced over the list once before leaving, and then again when he finally had a shopping cart at the store.

… What kind of dessert was this specific about the different apples it needed? No matter. Seungcheol could read the little chalk headings just fine. He snagged a little bag for the apples, and began scanning through the headings for the first kind he needed… only to see one of them had been smudged. One quick google search told him that one was pinker than the other. Shit. Of course.

“Excuse me,” Seungcheol said when someone had been close enough for him to flag down. “I’m…” He gestured vaguely toward his eyes, hoping he wouldn’t have to elaborate. “I can’t tell which one’s are the pinkish red ones yet. The, uh, the pink lady ones?”

Yet. The magic yet always found its way onto the ends of his sentences when it involved his soulmate. Maybe he should stop.

Yet you’d given him this pitiful smile, looking away. “Really bad luck, then,” you had said. “I can’t really help with that one. Same boat, you know?” You stepped to his side, reaching for one of the apples to turn and find the sticker. “But,” you dragged out the word, squinting at how tiny the words are. “I think these are the ones you’re looking for.” You had grabbed your own bag, looking for a few from the top of the bunch right next to these—a slightly different color, he was sure. “And these are honeycrisp, if you need those.”

Seungcheol began to gather a few, thanking you. A moment later, he stole a little glance at you. “So… You can’t see color, either?”

You had shrugged. “It is what it is.”

“You aren’t mad?”

You glanced over at him, brows drawing together. “At my soulmate? Not anymore. But when I was ten? I was pissed.” You let out a sigh. “I loved rainbows as a kid. Rainbow fish, rainbow fruit, rainbows in general… And then I woke up and it was all gone.”

Seungcheol frowned. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” You shrugged. “Life is hard, but it’d be hard regardless.”

“But this is different.” Seungcheol looked back at the blurry chalk labels and how the letters blended into one another. “Isn’t it?”

“It is,” you nodded. “But… Sometimes they say people like us will lose it again once our soulmate dies. If that’s true, then I want to meet my soulmate and experience that world again together while we can.”

He’d never considered that before. He’d heard the same thing before, too. He spent so much of his life yearning for another person that was supposed to fit perfectly with him that he never thought about what came next after he met them. After all, Minghao and his soulmate had to adjust, didn’t they? The experience linked him to someone else, and it left Seungcheol wondering how his soulmate felt about all of this. Would this bond them? That’s what it was supposed to do, right? Seungkwan shared pain with his soulmate and now his number was one of their emergency contacts, and they were his number one priority when they were together. Joshua could still hear his soulmate sing even now, but softer than it was before (and it still grew softer every day since). There was the unity of a shared experience, and Seungcheol wondered if his soulmate would cry with him the first day they got to watch a sunset together.

“I see.”

“Other people are bothered by it and that’s okay,” you reached toward the top of the apples where they looked the juiciest. “I’ll find my soulmate one day, and then we’ll—”

All at once, life changed. You had lost your balance, and Seungcheol immediately reached to catch you. The bag fell from your grasp as your hands gripped his biceps to steady yourself, apples rolling across the floor as your eyes met his own. He stared at you, lips slightly parted as he tried to find his words just to ask if you were okay. Yet there was the strangest feeling flooding his chest, face growing warmer.

“Are you okay?”

Yet something was already changing. The first color he saw was your eyes, and the world grew warmer, more saturated with color by the second. He could see the purple of your sweatshirt, the reds and pinks and golds of the apples stacked up upon beige wood. The slate gray tile underneath his feet, the off-white lighting tinged with gold. He could kiss you now, and yet all he could do was look into your eyes again and commit the color to memory. He saw you as you were, and he wanted to commit every little detail and blemish and imperfection to memory.

Your surprise gave way to a smile. “Well… Hello, soulmate.”

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