#Maui Moments

[emmerogers]

As many of you have guessed, I am happily hanging out in the ​Hawaiian Islands … Maui to be specific! Mahalo for playing along with guess Where In The World Am I.

[aqua-cultured]

are we expected to participate in capitalism tomorrow or can we get the day off due to climate crisis

[spicyhamsamson]

My dog Maui loves just hanging out in different places

He just does shit and it’s awesome

Sometimes he just gets up and sits on the couch because he feels like it

He does it on the bench by our kitchen table too

I found him sitting in front of my computer once

What the fuck is he even doing

He has no fingers with which to type

awesome animal moment

[questioningdragons]

North American Cities Devastated by Fires in 2023

Edson, Alberta

Fox Creek, Alberta

Tantallon and Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia

West Kelowna, British Columbia

Yellowknife, North West Territories

Lahaina, Hawaii

Let me know what I missed. I am sad to say that I am certain there are some.

[delta-chan]

I spent all night sorting through clothes to bring to the capitol donation drive for Maui. I found a lot of things that I've never used including nice, cool pajamas that are good for summer.

Next we're going to be taking good linens from the closet that no one's been using to the laundromat so we can donate them.

[madam-o]

Maui is the antagonist in Moana as the one person actively trying to get Moana not to do the thing that she was chosen to do. I dunno why it's important to me that people understand this, but it is.

Guys. Guys please. We have to remember that protagonist is not a stand in word for hero and antagonist is not a stand in word for villain. Please. We learned this in middle school. The protagonist is the character the audience follows. The antagonist is the character who is working against the protagonist.

[woopermin]

(writing this so i won't forget)

i love how the universe makes me smile through the simplest things it's like it knows that the smallest of things makes me happy, like how i was riding the bus listening to some songs and at the moment the lyrics mentioned "love," i saw a heart shaped shadow of leaves on a tree at that exact moment. it's just so cute and nice and warm. it was during the sunset too which i really love and the sun rays were golden :)

[mitski-slope]

i am Frankly so sicj n tired kf the 'azula thought ursa hated her bc shje was the only one 2 tell her no' take ! ut has been established timr n time again thst ursa played favourites !! u may not like 2 believe that she in fact has flaws n waks not oerfect the entirety of her life but u n i both know she had a favourite child n everyone (including azula) could tell !! yes she was obviously being abused n she Tried her best kn an awful situation but she waks not the perfect mother n it os so so poitnless to try n makr her one !!

[regexkind]

I maintain awareness in all the places I've spilt blood. There is a gravel stone in my driveway growing up where I ate shit as a preteen, there are a thousand thousand bandages mouldering in landfills. Every time a wave crashes on the beach in Maui, a piece of coral jiggles and I lose my concentration on the moment. It is all so aggravating

[wilwheaton]

My daughter and I are in Maui and while we were watching the sunset, a whale swam by the shore, creating a deeply magical moment. We named them Whale Wheaton in your honor. Just as the sun went down, Whale Wheaton dove and slapped the surface with their tail. It was beautiful. Long may Whale Wheaton roam.

Oh my goodness! I am so honored to be part of such a special and memorable moment in your lives. Thank you so much for sharing this with me!

[kiss-theggoat]

Bluebonnets Pt. 2

Thomas Hewitt x F!Reader

Word Count: 3.4k

Summary: You’ve been in the Hewitt household for a few months now, and things between you and Tommy are starting to get more serious. You realize you're ready for the next level, but is he?

Tw: Loss of Virginity (both F and M), Smut

A/N: Again, I apologize if some of the characters are a little out of character! I hope you enjoy!

The towel beneath you blocked your skin from the dry, scratchy grass you laid upon in the front yard, skin covered in expired sunscreen that you could only pray was keeping you from becoming a crisp. You were content here at this moment. The light breeze brought a sweet scent from the dry trees, cooling you down while still providing you with the warmth from the sun, nestled between thin fluffy clouds and a pretty blue sky. Even though this area was dusty and old, you felt like you were at a five star resort in Maui.

Everyone was in town today except for you and Thomas, but like usual, Thomas was messing around with his things in the basement. You liked being down there with him, but after so long, you had to get out of there and spend some time in the fresh air. You had long discarded your shirt, left in a bra and jean shorts. You’d never lay out like this if Hoyt was home, but with him gone, you felt safe to be shirtless without being ogled by unwelcome eyes.

The sound of a door shutting caused you to sit up, squinting through your sunglasses to see your big hunk of a boyfriend walking out of his house towards you. “Hi Tommy!” You said excitedly, waving at him.

He waved a few times back even though by the time he stopped waving, he’d reached your towel and plopped down into the grass. He seemed tired, which made you frown. You felt a pang of guilt. Knowing that he felt like he always needed to keep busy. You wanted him to feel like he could relax, just like you’d been doing this morning. There was nothing important to do today, so why not let him unwind a little bit?

You stood up, walked to his back and knelt behind him, wrapping your arms around his neck and pressing your chest against his back. “Why don’t you lay down for a bit, hm? The sun feels nice. It’s not too warm today.” You tucked a piece of his stray, sweaty hair behind his ear. “Probably cooler than down in the basement.”

He looked at the towel you were laying on and then back at you, giving you a defeated glance. He’d known you long enough to know that he was going to be laying down, whether he wanted to or not. He moved onto the towel and slowly laid onto his back, and you cringed at the sound of his bones popping. You can’t imagine the way he ached all the time. “Jeez, Tommy…” you sighed, moving closer to him.

Even though the scratchy grass was making your bare legs itch, you couldn’t care less as you reached up to place one hand on his shoulder. “Lay on your stomach.” You said, smiling at him. He complied, easily flipping over with another couple cracks.

You straddled his waist, feeling his body tense up at your presence, but you knew he’d relax. You bent forward and began to rub his shoulders and lower neck with your thumbs, applying ample pressure. His back felt like a rock, and you knew this probably hurt a little, but it’d feel good eventually.

You kneaded the knots out of his muscles and felt him relax bit by bit, until finally when you looked at his face, his eyes were shut and his body was loose. You finally made it to his lower back and hip area, ending your little impromptu massage. It stead you opted to lay down atop him, eyes closed as you listened to his steady breathing and heartbeat. You wondered for a second if you might be crushing him, but you knew that if you were, he’d find a polite way to tell you, and that he loves when you lay on him anyways.

Your relationship with Thomas started off rocky. You had known he was a kind soul, but seeing a man alternate between a leather muzzle and a human face wasn’t exactly the relaxing stability a woman wants. You’d eventually gotten used to it, and getting used to turned to falling for, and falling for turned to completely in love. You were infatuated with Thomas, and you couldn’t imagine your life without him anymore. Even though life here was really difficult sometimes, he made it worth it.

You heard a content sigh leave his mouth and you smiled so hard your cheeks hurt. “Tommy?” You asked softly.

He let you know he heard you by slightly lifting his head.

“Can we go inside? I want to make us some lunch.”

He nodded once and you rolled off of him, watching him stand up from where you lay on the ground. He held a hand out to you, one you gladly took, and walked with him back to the house in a blissful silence.

You walked inside and straight to the kitchen, really craving any sort of food. You decided on simple turkey sandwiches, and you made yourself one, just how you like it, and you made Thomas two, just how he likes them. You handed him his food and sat on the counter, facing away. That’s how you’d eaten together for the past few months. Facing away from each other. You hated it. You’d only seen his face twice, and you constantly tell him you think he’s perfect, but he never takes his mask off.

You scarf down your sandwich, but all you can think about is the fact that your sweet, loving boyfriend is sitting behind you, convinced that he is so ugly he has to eat facing away from you. It breaks your heart every time you think about it, and you decide you need to bring it up again.

You set your plate down, swinging your feet from the counter. “Thomas. Are you done?”

He steps in front of you. Plate empty and mask on.

“Can I ask you something?”

He nods quickly. You know that means ‘of course!’ in Thomas' language, and you feel a little bad knowing that you’re about to make him uncomfortable.

“Can I kiss you?”

He stared at you, eyes focused on yours, body so still that you would’ve been convinced you were staring at a photograph. He slowly began to shake his head and look down to the floor, but you grabbed either side of his head softly, making him maintain eye contact.

“Please, Tommy? I promise you, I will never, ever judge you for what you look like. I’ll always think you’re handsome, okay? Please.”

You felt horrible staring into his eyes. It’s almost like you could see the panic and horror in them, all of the years of bullying and hatred and rejection replaying on tiny projectors inside his head, cast to you through his eyes.

He slowly raised his arms around to the back of his head, buckle clinking as he undid it. You smiled, unable to hold back your excitement. You were finally going to kiss the man you loved. Something you’d been wanting to do for months now.

His head was angled down, face enough you couldn’t see his face as his mask came off in his hands. He stared at it for a second before he looked up at you, a scared expression still on his face. You looked at him, finally all of him, and you couldn’t look away. You grinned, cheeks flushed and eyes bright as you studied his face. He was so handsome. A true pretty boy.

You leaned forward and pressed your lips against his. The kiss felt a little bit different than anyone you’d kissed before, but you couldn’t care less. For the first few seconds, you’d have bet money that you were kissing a statue. But finally you felt his hands around your waist and his lips began to love against yours, he was getting into it. You wrapped a leg around his, you being on the counter gave you an advantage and put you around his midsection. You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him in closer, reveling in how good his arms felt around your waist.

One of your hands went from around his neck down to brace yourself against his chest, palm flat against his sturdy frame. The other hand slowly made its way up into his hair, gently stroking it as he did the same to the skin on your mid back. You pulled back, looking him in the eye, a dazed look on both of your faces. You didn’t expect the kiss to feel like that, and based on how he looked, he didn’t either. You both felt dizzy, like something had entered directly into your bloodstream.

“You’re beautiful, Tommy. I love you.” You whispered, gently running your thumb along his cheekbone. You looked at him with eyes full of love. He didn’t respond, in true Thomas fashion, instead he did something rather bold. He pressed his lips against yours again, harder this time. More demanding. You had no trouble reciprocating, both legs now wrapped around his body, barely able to hook around him.

His hands trailed a bit lower and rested on your lower back, taking up all the skin that resided there. You ran your tongue along his lips, to which he gladly responded to, doing the same and you deepened the kiss, practically sticking your tongue down his throat.

You held onto the hair at the base of his neck with both hands now, holding him as if he were about to blow away. His hands quickly left your back and moved to your shoulders, very gently pushing you off of him. You felt horrible, questions running through your head. “Did I do something wrong? I’m sorry, are you uncomfortable?” You asked quickly. The last thing you’d want to do is violate his boundaries.

He quickly shook his head, staring down at his feet with a shameful look on his face.

“What is it then?” You asked, a hand gently touching the side of his face. “Never kissed anyone before?” You smiled.

He looked up at you with an embarrassed expression and slowly shook his head.

“That’s okay…” you said softly. “I’ve never…” you stopped yourself. If he’s never kissed someone, sex isn’t even on his radar. You don’t want to take things too far right now and scare him off. “Nevermind.”

He grabbed your hand softly and gave you a look, urging you to continue your sentence.

“I… well I was going to say that I’ve never…had sex before. But I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. I want to do things on your time.”

If this was any other situation, you would’ve laughed at how fast his cheeks turned pink. He stared at you, face red and eyes wide, completely still for a couple seconds. Those seconds felt like agony, and you couldn’t help but feel like you’d ruined everything with him.

It felt like he read your thoughts and wanted to put them at ease because right after you said that to yourself, his hands slowly came back to you, resting on your upper thighs, near your hips. You looked up at him quickly, excitement coursing through your veins. “Are you…I mean…Do you want to?”

He toyed with the loose thread on your shorts for a second before he nodded. You damn near squealed with excitement, hopping off of the counter and grabbing his hands. “Let’s go to the guest room. The bed’s softer than the one in the basement.”

He didn’t respond, mostly because you didn’t give him the chance. You led him upstairs into the barely used bedroom, the one occasionally used for storing a stray victim. You captured his lips in a kiss again, slowly easing him down onto the bed and climbing into his lap. He reluctantly put his hands on your mid back, holding you just as gently as he normally does.

You smiled against his lips, reaching back to grasp his hands. You slid them down your own waist, stopping only when they rested on your ass. With his hands off of your waist, it freed you to take your bra off, which you happily did. You thought that Thomas might drool, eyes transfixed on your chest and lips slightly parted.

You ran your hands up his chest to the collar of his shirt, toying with the button there. “Can I?” You asked quietly, joy exploding inside of your chest when he nodded. You undid his shirt and slid it off of him, admiring his broad chest and arms. He was just your type.

You ran your hands all over his bare chest and he started to find a little bit of confidence with you. It made you so happy to feel his fingertips trail under the surface of your shorts, teasing your thighs and exposing more of them. He slowly traced the side seam up to the waistline, where he stilled completely. You nodded. “Please…take them off.” You said breathlessly.

He unbuttoned your shorts with unsteady fingers, and you had to stand to slide them off. As you stood, he slid himself further to the center of the bed, leaning against the headboard. You crawled back up, looking up at him for permission to take his pants off, which he quickly granted you.

Now, you figured that even though you were both virgins, there was still a significant skill difference. You were no stranger to porn and masturbation before you got here, and you had a feeling that Thomas definitely was.

“I’m going to take my underwear off. Is that okay?” You asked, watching him closely. He nodded, staring at your every move. You slid your panties down your thighs, tossing them onto the ground beside your shorts. “Can I take yours off?” You asked again. This time, he hesitated for a second. “That’s okay.” You said softly, figuring that you’d use that time to warm up more first.

You straddled him, leaning down to capture his lips in a kiss again. You held the sides of his face with your hands, trapping him in a passionate kiss that you put your all into. As you kissed him, you very slowly and subtly began to circle your hips, grinding against him through his underwear. You separated, moving down, placing kisses to his chin, then down his jaw and neck, and finally at his chest, sucking kisses and bite barks and licking his skin there. He was alternating between watching you and closing his eyes with his head leaned back and his hands slowly moved up, finding your bare hips. He held them still tightly, but not out of a want for you to stop, but a need for you to stop.

You smirked against his chest and pulled back, staring into his glazed over eyes with pride in your chest. You stayed still like that for a moment before he nodded at you, slipping a finger beneath his own underwear. You got off of him for a moment and watched him slide his underwear down to about mid thigh.

You would’ve paid to see your face at the moment, because you weren’t sure what you’d expected. You were dating a man who was almost 6 foot 7, 300 lbs and could lift you like you were a feather. His cock definitely fit his build. You felt a little bit more nervous now and you felt like this definitely leveled the playing field.

You placed a hand on his shoulder. “Are you absolutely sure you’re okay with this?” You asked, your one last consent check. He nodded the quickest you’d ever seen him nod, making you giggle a bit.

You quickly straddled his lap again, and you couldn’t believe the view. His silky brown hair, soft and wavy, fell in front of pretty brown eyes like pools of honey, accentuating his unique face that seemed like it was sculpted by gods just for you. You placed your hands on broad shoulders, bracing yourself as you lifted your hips, one hand going between you two to guide him inside you.

The searing sting turned into a dull ache as you slowly eased yourself down onto his cock, your face scrunched up in discomfort, the direct opposite expression from Thomas’. His eyes rolled back in pleasure, jaw slack and cheeks pink and slick with sweat. His head pushed back against the headboard slightly, and you couldn’t help but feel like bragging to someone about this. You’d barely moved and he was already needy.

You very slowly began to circle your hips, trying to adjust to his size. His hands flew to your hips, wrapping around your body almost completely and gripping your hard. Your hands were still planted firmly on his chest as you slowly lifted yourself off of him, thighs trembling with the struggle. He helped you a bit by lifting you up slightly.

A few more of these and you were whining in bliss instead of pain, the dull ache had gone away and been replaced with a pleasure deep inside of you that you knew only he could reach. His cock stretched you in a way that was just right, and you weren’t sure if sex always felt like this but you were damn sure glad it did. Your legs shook and your fingernails dug into his chest, leaving red marks in their wake.

His hands squeezed your hips tight enough to bruise as he guided you down onto his cock, helping you bounce at your own pace even if he felt the urge to fuck you like an animal right then and there. If Thomas was one thing it was a gentleman and he wasn’t going to do something you weren’t okay with. He watched your cute little face scrunch up and turn red as you tightened around him in all the right ways, and it took everything in him to keep from busting on the spot.

You couldn’t help but let out loud moans, whiny and breathy. It felt like you were a woman possessed, bouncing uncontrollably and not being able to control your voice or your face. Thomas’ eyes were glazed over, intensely watching your tits bounce above him. If this was heaven, he was okay with dying tomorrow.

“Holy shit…Thomas…” you moaned, not even noticing the fact that you’d drawn blood on his left shoulder with your scratching. “I…I’m gonna cum…” you whined.

Thomas could’ve cried he was so happy. He could finally let go just after you. He grabbed your hips and made the executive decision to slam you down against him, taking more control of you. The noise that left you was music to his ears, loud and high pitched and beautiful. You held onto him for dear life as he moved you like you weighed nothing, but thanked him for giving your thighs a break.

Your orgasm came on fast and strong. You clenched around his cock, eyes squeezing shut and mouth hanging open as a litany of cuss words left your mouth. Not even seconds later, Thomas slammed you down against him one last time, cumming deep inside you with heaving breaths, eyes closed and head thrown back against the headboard.

You both stayed still, intertwined and limp against each other. You panted, head against his chest with your eyes closed. Thomas slowly started to pet your head, smoothing your staticy hair. As you opened your eyes, you saw the blood on Thomas’s shoulder, along with multiple other raised scratch marks. You gasped and sat up, covering your mouth. “Tommy, I’m so sorry…” you said, reaching down to gently touch one of the scratches.

Thomas smiled a bit and shrugged. It was obvious he didn’t care about the marks, in fact, he liked it. He liked knowing he made you feel good. You both were happy.

“Would y’all shut the fuck up already?!”

You jumped out of your skin and up off of the bed, gathering your clothes as Thomas did the same.

“When the fuck did Hoyt get home?”

[terrible-eel]

I may be too stressed to articulate this clearly but I am going to try.

While Hawai'i and Maui are trending I'm going to share this link. Its a FAQ about Hawai'i's statehood and the situation Hawai'i is in at the moment. There are people who want to be part of the U.S in Hawai'i and there are people who don't, but the people of Hawai'i were never, at any point, given an option to choose.

If you want to help Hawai'i and it's people but can't donate, spread this word. Help educate people. Make Hawai'i as the tropical paradise be replaced with the sovereign nation stolen by the u.s.

It is subtropical, meaning it is much more vulnerable to arid climates caused by climate change.

It has been systematically stripped of its native food harvesting practices and any ability to farm and self sustain. It has been systematically stripped of its previous industries. Maui used to export milk and cattle. That's all been taken away.

The islands since the 1800s were exploited as plantations, burning sugar cane and growing pineapples which are not native, diverting the water and depleting the water table.

Lahaina burned because of these practices. Because the native people were no longer allowed to govern their lands.

We as local people know that tourism is bad because this systematic destruction has happened in living memory. Within my grandparent's lifetimes, within my lifetime. I have watched this island crumble at the hands of mainland startups, hoping to take people on whale watching tours that cut the whales with their boats while people aren't allowed to have a ferry between islands. People create ziplines and tours through lands that used to belong to local people for farming and cattle. Now they're bought out for photos and hikes the local people can never afford. Hundreds of jobs have been lost in the past thirty years. Mass migrations to the mainland have been made by local people, myself included because we can no longer afford to stay on the island where we were born. Working three jobs is not enough to cover the rent because the houses are bought up by mainland people who then turn these houses into vacation rentals and charge hundreds a night. Right now these very homes are being paid for by the government so that Lahaina people have somewhere to stay and it's costing the state millions that people in the mainland are reeping.

People ask why tourism is bad. Because there are people alive today on Maui that have watched the foreign industries destroy everything. Because people alive today know what used to be and knew how to take care of the ecosystem so that this kind of calamity didn't happen. Lahaina was not just fertile. They had canals and waterways. Rivers that they would drive boats through to go from one part of town to another. It was more like Venice than this desert you see in pictures.

And do your own research. The information is out there. There are two Hawai'i's. The one you see as a tourist, and the REAL one. The one we need to protect.

Let Hawaiians have their land back. Let them restore the water to the land so we can prevent further catastrophe. Tell people about REAL Hawaii.

[zepskies]

Smoke Eater - Epilogue

Pairing: Firefighter!Dean Winchester x F. Reader 

Summary: Dean Winchester is the cocky, but well-respected Lieutenant at Firehouse 25. He leads by example, but he’s also known to break a few hearts. He’s starting to crave something he’s never had, though. Something stable. Something real. 

That’s when he meets you, on a truly terrible day, trapped in a rickety old elevator.

🔥 Series Masterlist

AN: We made it, friends. 🥹

Word Count: 2,800 Tags/Warnings: Fluff and feels, that is all.

Epilogue: “Easy as Pie”

The week after the incident at Stull Storage, John, Sam, Dean, and Eileen sat down to a family dinner that you cooked in the brothers’ apartment. Aside from Eileen, all of you had injuries in one form or another (but even Sam’s shiner was healing up nicely). 

For dessert, you were a bit nervous as you brought out a freshly baked apple pie. Dean caught you mentally bracing yourself before you set it down on the table. He shot you a reassuring smile.

“Looks great,” he said.

Your returning smile was tentative as you divvied out the first piece. Dean was just a bit disappointed when you handed it to John. His eyes followed the plate.

You smiled more genuinely, and made sure the next generous piece you cut was for your boyfriend.

After everyone was served, you sat down with your own plate and encouraged them all to dig in. Forks hit the crumbly top and cinnamon apple filling, and there were collective hums of pleasure throughout the room.

You brightened and glanced over at the rest of the table. John looked contemplative. His fork rested on the plate for a moment.

He gave a rare smile. “That’s some damn good pie.” 

Sam nodded. “For sure.”

Dean looked over at you after he’d already demolished half of his serving. A smile spread across his face.

“Best slice of pie since I can remember,” he said, giving you a wink.

Both of you knew the weight of that review. It humbled you, making you blush.

You smiled and leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek, rough with stubble.

“I guess this recipe’s a keeper then,” you said.

He hummed in agreement. When he went in for a real kiss, it was sweet indeed.

From then on, you all spent the evening talking, eating, laughing, with you and Sam drinking wine and everyone else their beer. You updated them on Andréa and Benny, who were planning their trip to Greece in a few months.

"We should take a vacation," Dean pointed out, gesturing around the table. "All of us."

Sam raised his brows at his brother. "Oh yeah? Where would you wanna go?"

Dean thought about it for a moment. He glanced at you, and found you smiling.

"The beach," he said. "Somewhere warm and chill, with those fancy little umbrellas in your drink."

"Hmm...I like that," you said, as your smile grew. Tropical, relaxing, a warm sun on your face, and your boyfriend in some board shorts. You could definitely go for some of that.

"Sounds nice," Eileen agreed.

"I'll look into some destinations," Sam nodded. Dean nudged his brother's shoulder.

"One word, dude. Maui."

Sam snorted. "We can't afford Maui."

"Hey, you never know, man! Time to check out some Groupons."

"You can't get a Groupon to go to Hawaii," Sam said. His face was scrunched in what Dean liked to call, his "Know It All" face.

"Are you kidding me?" Dean shot back. "There's a friggin' Groupon for everything nowadays!"

Of course, that devolved into a familiar sibling argument that was only disrupted when John broke into the conversation. He admitted something shocking—that he was taking some time off work, for the first time since he took his sons camping when they were kids. Sam and Dean teased the workaholic for finally "slowing down" in his old age, but it was all in good fun.

You and Eileen shared a knowing look. It all felt as close to family as you’d had in a long time.

And for Dean, it felt like he could breathe again. He’d gotten a text shortly after dessert—from Cas.

Jo made it into the Police Academy. She starts training in a few weeks.

Dean’s lips quirked with a smile.

How do you know?

I’ll be instructing a couple of her classes. Firearm Safety and Weapons Training.

Dean nearly laughed.

Good luck, buddy. Try not to get your ass shot.

To which Cas replied:

My ass will be nowhere within range, I assure you.

Dean did chuckle at that. When you turned to him and asked what was so funny, he just shook his head and grabbed onto your hand on the table.

“Nothin’. I’m good,” he said. He pressed your knuckles to his lips. “I’m real good.”

You smiled at that.

Later that night, Dean walked his father to the door while you and Sam were locked in a trivia game, and Eileen tried to play mediator between two very competitive nerds.  

“Dad,” Dean said.

John stopped with a hand on the door, turning back to his eldest.

Dean paused to gather his thoughts, but he eventually grasped his father’s arm and met his gaze.

“Just wanted to say thank you, for what you did for her,” he said, discreetly nodding at you. He kept his voice quiet. “You protected her when I couldn’t.”

John paused, seeming surprised. His brows furrowed as he shook his head.

“You don’t need to thank me for that, son,” he said.

“Yeah, I do,” Dean insisted. He’d heard every bit of that conversation between John and Daniel in that warehouse. His father had been willing to lay down and die for you, not a moment’s hesitation.

Cas was right, Dean had realized. His father did have a line.

John let out a breath. “What matters is we made it here.”

Dean nodded, though he dimmed.

“Yeah, came with one hell of a price tag.”

It still weighed heavily on him, what he’d had to do to end Daniel Savage. In the end, John had lied on his statement of the events. He’d taken responsibility for grabbing Daniel’s gun and shooting him between the eyes.

“It’s the only thing I can do to keep you out of this,” John had told his son. “Should’ve been my hand anyway.”

Dean appreciated what his dad had done to protect him from the law, and his career, but it still made him feel dirty. A strike to his integrity as a first responder, and as a man. That was something he’d just have to deal with, along with everything else.

John distracted him, however, by gripping his shoulder this time.

“You saved my life, Dean,” he said. And with a hint of a smile, “It’s what you’re good at.”

Dean met his dad’s gaze. He wasn’t quite able to smile back, but there was new warmth in his chest.

“Oh,” said John, raising a finger. “Before I forget…”

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a silver engagement ring with a small stone. To Dean, it looked familiar…

When it finally struck him what this was, he looked up at John in surprise. Dean glanced back to make sure you weren’t looking before he tentatively took the ring.

“Is this…Mom’s?” he asked.

John nodded. “The stone’s nothing special. You might wanna get it reset. Sam already figured out his uh…situation on his own. Maybe you want to find your own too.”

Dean knew what he meant. Sam had bought a ring last year, but he'd proposed to Eileen just a few days ago. They were already planning to get married a year from now, along with buying their first house together.

Dean examined the ring he held with a softer smile.

“Nah, it’s perfect,” he said.

He didn’t know yet if you two were ready for that step. A lot had happened in such a short amount of time…but he knew he wasn’t going anywhere.

He had time to do things right with you.

A few months later, Dean’s medical leave ended. He was physician-approved for duty, psych evaluation and all. He showed up for his shift bright and early.

He entered the doors of Firehouse 25 to a host of his friends and makeshift family cheering, complete with cheesy streamers and an even cheesier cake that Meg held. On the top was scrawled: Good Job Cracking Your Head.

“A smoke eater returns to the house!” Benny remarked with a grin. “Good to see ya, brother.”

He clapped Dean heavily enough on the back that it earned a grunt and a laugh out of him.

“You too, man,” Dean replied.

Meg set down the cake on the table and was the next one to playfully punch him in the shoulder.

“You have a nice little vacation?” she teased.

Dean rolled his eyes. “Yeah, complete with bottomless margaritas and little umbrellas.”

She smirked, but she was still earnest when she touched his arm.

“Welcome back.”

Dean chuckled. “Ooh, now I know you missed me.”

It was her turn to roll her eyes as she waved a dismissive hand at him. Chuck and Jack gave more sincere well wishes, with the latter actually hugging Dean. He’d tolerated it with a smile.

Gordon clapped him on the shoulder once Jack was finally done, and Dean sent the Candidate off with a bright smile on his face.

Gordon smiled. “Welcome back, Lieutenant.”

Dean nodded and shook the other man’s hand. “Thanks for holdin’ down the fort, man.”

“No problem,” Gordon said. “Any time you wanna go on sabbatical, you just let me know. Acting Lieutenant’s almost better than the real deal. It’s not as much paperwork.”

Dean chuckled, but before he could sling back a retort, the alarm went off. There was a working house fire downtown, according to the dispatcher in the overhead speaker.

Bobby appeared in the hall and clapped his hands once.

“All right, gear up. We’re startin’ off the day right,” he said. He gave Dean a look that was somehow both pleased to see him and stern at the same time. Bobby addressed him with a point of his finger.

“See me in my office before the end of shift,” he said. “We’ve got somethin’ to talk about.”

A few days later, Dean had the rare pleasure of welcoming you home from work on his day off. You trudged into the apartment with several bags and rolling a cooler behind you. He got up from the couch and grabbed some of the bags for you on your way to the kitchen.

“How did it go?” he asked, reaching out a hand to rub some flour off your cheek. You smiled brightly.

“Well, there was a little snafu with the mini quiche, but they loved the menu I proposed. They want me to cater the whole wedding!” you said.

“Whoa, that’s a lotta food,” Dean remarked. Once you’d dumped the rest of your stuff on the kitchen table, he slid an arm around your waist and brought you flush against him, earning a squeal from you.

You clung to his shoulders. “You still on for being my official taste tester?”

He stared at you with mock offense.

“Uh, obviously. Mini quiche are my weakness,” he teased. “Just another form of pie, far as I’m concerned.”

You giggled into his lips as he claimed you for a kiss. It was both sweet, and a bit naughty as his hands moved to squeeze your ass. His words were no less heartfelt.

“I’m proud of you, sweetheart,” Dean said. “I really am.”

 You smiled and stroked his cheek in answer.

The Monday morning after that family dinner a few months ago, you’d quit your job at Savage & Co. After a month of wracking your brain and your savings, you decided to start your own catering business.

It was your way of starting small, to try and get people in this town to know you for your food and baked goods. And maybe, if you were successful enough, you’d be able to open up your own bakery in a couple of years.

For once, you were going after what you truly wanted…but now, your career was only part of it.

You hadn’t forgotten your conversation with Dean about what he wanted for his future: of getting married someday, and having a family. Something he could build for himself. 

Not only did you want that for him, but you’d begun to crave that for yourself as well: a family of your own.

Realistically, you knew that part was years away for you and Dean. However, you had that in the back of your mind. Having your own business had always been your dream, but sometimes your dream could adjust. 

Or, it could become something new.

You’d also sold your grandparents’ house. You had contemplated going back, but you didn’t want to be reminded of how the police and the Arson Department had torn it apart after Daniel Savage threatened your life. You didn’t want to be reminded of where both of your grandparents died.

You loved that house, but you also knew it was time to let it go…

Because you finally understood what your grandfather had tried to tell you months ago.

A house did not make a home. And now, you’d managed to make a new one.

For his part, Dean had been happy to have you stay in his apartment. Sam was getting ready to move out in a few months anyway, as he and Eileen were deep into house hunting and planning their wedding.

“So…I’ve gotta tell you something,” said Dean, after he parted from your lips for a moment, and allowed you to breathe. His tone made you tilt your head in suspicion.

“It’s nothing bad,” he said, though he looked a bit nervous.

Your brows furrowed. You led him to the couch, where he held your hands in his. It took him a moment to get started. He seemed stuck on what he wanted to say, or maybe just how he wanted to say it.

“Whatever it is, I’m sure I can handle it,” you teased.

Dean gave you a smile. His shoulders relaxed a little.

“They want to promote me to Captain,” he said.

Your mouth fell open and your eyes went wide.

“They? Who’s they?” you asked.

Dean blew out a breath and scratched at the small scar on the side of his head.

“Apparently it came from the Battalion Chief.”

He explained that the Fire Department had gotten the full debrief from both Sam and John about Dean’s involvement in ending the serial arsons and murders committed by Nick and Daniel Savage. Without you and Dean, they wouldn’t have figured out Azazel’s identity, let alone stopped his criminal enterprise.

You smiled wide with excitement as you held Dean’s face in your hands.

“That’s amazing!” you said. You pulled him in for a hug. Though he held you back, you soon realized that you were happier than he seemed to be. You pulled back and carded your fingers through his hair, earning his gaze.

“What’s wrong, baby? This is great news!”

Dean’s lips pursed. “I don’t know. I broke ranks and defied a direct order at the Savage & Co. fire. And at the warehouse, I was even more reckless. I don’t want to be promoted for disobeying orders.”

You frowned at that, even as you continued to stroke through his hair.

“What did Bobby tell you?” you asked.

Once again, Dean sighed. He’d been called into Bobby’s office a few days ago, after his first shift back at 25.

He’d surprised the hell out of Dean.

“Did you break ranks that day, and put not just yourself, but Benny and the rest of your men in danger?” Bobby said. “You bet your ass.”

Dean averted his gaze. He stood with his hands drawn behind his back, willing to take whatever punishment the Chief saw fit.

“But,” Bobby continued. His fingers tapped on his desk, where he sat on the edge across from Dean. “It wasn’t fair of me to stop you from lookin’ for your girlfriend.”

Dean’s attention sharpened at that, and he frowned in confusion. Bobby didn’t apologize. Ever.

“Sir?” Dean asked uncertainly.

Bobby softened the slightest bit. He heaved a sigh.

The man was a widower, but he still wore his wedding ring. He toyed with it now on his finger.

“We could’ve radioed in with the other teams already at work. I could’ve paired half of your team with the top floor units. But in the heat of the moment, I made a judgment call,” Bobby said, leveling Dean with a look. “As a leader, you’ll continue makin’ mistakes. You’ll make the wrong call. It’s how you learn to keep leading that matters. And there ain’t a person in this house that wouldn’t have gone up to pull your fool head outta that fire.”

Dean stayed quiet in his discomfort. He still wasn’t entirely sure why Bobby was telling him all of this.

“That being said, this is coming from the top,” Bobby said. His gruffness was back. He took a folder off his desk and handed it to Dean. “Here’s the next step, if you choose to accept it.”

You were crying by the end of his story. Dean cupped your cheek and caught your tears with his thumb. You grabbed that hand and gently squeezed.

“He believes in you, Dean,” you said. “So do I. And it’s my turn to be so damn proud of you.”

Dean graced you with a smile for that one. Yours brightened. You moved off the couch and slid into his lap, twining your arms around his neck. Dean welcomed you with an arm around your waist and a hand sliding up your jean-clad thigh.

“Guess I’m gonna have to get used to calling you Captain,” you said with a smirk.

Captain Winchester, Dean considered, rolling the weight of it around in his mind.

He chuckled. “Okay, maybe I'm liking the sound of that.”

“Mhmm, that’s what I thought,” you said, shortly before you pressed your lips to his. He squeezed your hip while your deft fingers once again slipped into his hair. With each new kiss, Dean felt more of his uncertainty melt away.

A new thought occurred to him then. It made him start to grin against your lips, and you parted from him.

“What?” you asked in amusement.

Dean slipped a hand into his pocket, where he felt the outline of his mother’s newly resized ring.

“Hey,” he said. Your brows drew together in suspicion at the gleam in his eye. 

“Hey, yourself,” you quipped. 

Dean breathed in deep, steeling himself. He looked into your eyes, and he smiled. 

“I’ve got a question for you.”

AN: ...And I think we all know what her answer was. ❤️‍🔥

I can't believe it! I started posting this story on September 15, the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month. Almost four months later, we finally made it to the end of Smoke Eater. 🥹

Thank you to all of you who've been following along at any point of the journey. Your comments and feedback have truly touched me, and have helped keep me going! 💕

Read the Sequel Story:

Ready for more Smoke Eater?

Here's Something Real:

Summary: Now that you and Dean are officially engaged, you take some much needed time off together for a family vacation. But even with the wedding set for next year, the two of you are still at odds when it comes to one key part of your future together…

▶️ Keep Reading: Something Real

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[spicyhamsamson]

Why did he say this

[mpreglover225]

Cristian, an 8-month pregnant man with a sculpted, beefy physique, was enjoying his babymoon in the breathtaking paradise of Maui. Accompanied by his baby daddy, Callan, whom he had met at the gym and with whom he had shared a steamy hookup turned love affair, Cristian was indulging in the beauty of the island before their lives would be forever changed by the arrival of their bundle of joy.

As the sun began to set, casting a warm orange glow across the ocean, Cristian watched with admiration as Callan emerged from the water, his muscular frame glistening with droplets of saltwater. With a cocktail in hand, Callan strolled back toward their oceanfront patio, a contented smile on his face.

Feeling a surge of desire, Cristian's hand instinctively caressed his swollen belly as he gazed at Callan's captivating presence. The combination of the serene sunset, the ocean breeze, and the undeniable attraction between them filled the air with a palpable erotic tension.

Without a second thought, Cristian rose from his seat and followed Callan onto the patio, where a plush couch awaited them. As Callan settled himself onto the cushions, Cristian approached him, his heart pounding with anticipation. The sound of crashing waves and the distant songs of tropical birds provided a seductive backdrop to their intimate moment.

With a mischievous glint in his eye, Cristian knelt between Callan's legs, his hands gently caressing Callan's thighs. The scent of the ocean mingled with the musky aroma of their desire, creating an intoxicating atmosphere.

"You've been such a good daddy-to-be," Cristian purred, his voice laced with desire. "Let me show you how much I appreciate you."

Callan's eyes widened with anticipation as Cristian unzipped his shorts, revealing his prominent erection. The sight of him, strong and virile, combined with the knowledge of their impending parenthood, ignited a fire within Cristian that could not be contained.

With delicate yet purposeful movements, Cristian took Callan's throbbing cock into his mouth, enveloping it with warmth and wetness. The taste of salt lingered on his tongue as he eagerly pleasured his lover, their moans blending with the crashing waves.

The couch became a sanctuary of pleasure and connection as Cristian's skilled mouth worked its magic, taking Callan to the edge of ecstasy. With each flick of his tongue and gentle suction, Cristian brought Callan closer to release, his own desire growing with every passing second.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a final burst of fiery hues across the sky, Callan's body tensed, his grip on the cocktail tightening. With a primal grunt, he surrendered to the euphoria coursing through his veins, releasing his essence into Cristian's eager mouth.

Cristian, still hungry for more, savored every drop, his own arousal pushing him to new heights. The taste of his lover's pleasure mingled with the salty air as he swallowed, a satisfied smile playing upon his lips.

[sluttywonwoo]

instead of you [part thirty-three] || l.mh

pairing: [best friend’s brother] lee minho x college!reader ft. han jisung

summary: you didn’t expect to spend your summer pretending to be your best friend’s girlfriend- then again, you didn’t expect to fall for your best friend’s brother, either. 

warnings: swearing, angst, discussions of plane disasters, mentions of sex (mdni ; 18+)

word count: 3k

a/n: revamped my tom holland series from my main blog ( @wazzupmrstark ) to try and motivate myself to finish it!!

additional a/n: disclaimer that this chapter and the following chapters take place on oahu and kauai, hawai'i. i wrote this a year ago (originally posted on sept. 22, 2022) and included mentions of the negative impact and sentiment tourism in hawai'i procures, but it was before the fires in maui. i included hawai'i in their vacation in the first place because i'm part hawaiian and wanted to bring attention to our people's attitude toward tourists while also writing about the parts of the islands that i grew up loving. and i thought i should clarify that before posting, as i feel the context is important to precede what would be an otherwise distasteful choice if i had written this now. please keep hawai'i in your thoughts, mahalo plenty <3

series masterlist | early access to the next chapter on ko-fi

Predictably, you cried yourself to sleep. You debated over whether or not to tell Minho. He’d probably find out when he woke up in the morning but would he be mad if he didn’t hear it from you? If Jisung was right, he didn’t care about you at all, so why would you grant him the courtesy of a head’s up? You didn’t want to believe Jisung, rather, you wanted to believe that he had only said those things in the heat of the moment but at the end of the day, he knew Minho far better than you did. Whether or not he was telling the truth to try and save you or lying to hurt you was up to you to decipher.

You wound up texting Minho, ‘Jisung knows,’ without any other context and calling it a night. 

The next morning, you woke up to a message from Jisung telling you not to bother getting ready for the day and that he’d be going on without you. It was mostly a relief not to have to put on an act after everything that happened the night before but it also stung.

You weren’t very optimistic about repairing your relationship with Jisung, but any lingering hope vanished when he wouldn’t even look at you in passing in the hallway. 

You spent the entire day in bed, trying to distract yourself with anything you could think of to pass the time. You scrolled through social media until your timelines stopped refreshing with new content. There wasn’t anything interesting enough on TV to pull you out of spiraling so you didn’t even bother trying to find something to hold your attention. 

At one point you remembered the book you were reading but as soon as you opened it you were greeted by all of Jisung’s little annotations he had left for you. He still had your book and you wondered if he would ever finish it now that you’d ruined everything. 

You thought about texting him, just to check in or try and talk about things but you didn’t want to bother him. A couple of times, you almost texted him just out of instinct. You would go to send him a tweet that you thought he’d find funny and then remember.

Minho came by your room that night after dinner when everyone was back from the day’s activities. He knocked twice, letting himself in before you’d even finished telling him he could enter. 

“Care to explain what happened?” he asked, hands on his hips.

You shrugged noncommittally. “Jisung found out.”

“How? Did you tell him?”

“And ruin my own relationship with my best friend? Yeah, definitely.”

Minho rolled his eyes. “I didn’t come here to argue. I just want to know what happened.”

“Then don’t accuse me of shit.”

“I didn’t mean- I’m sorry. That’s not what I was trying to do.”

You sighed and signaled for him to sit down if he wanted to. He did, perching himself on the edge of the bed cautiously. 

“He knows because he noticed me sneaking out and finally decided to follow me.”

The color drained from Minho’s face. “So he heard-”

You nodded. “I don’t know how much, but enough.”

“Fuck.”

“Fuck is right.”

“He wouldn’t say a word to me today,” Minho said. 

“He wouldn’t even look at me.”

“I guess we knew this would happen eventually.”

“Yeah.”

“We fucked up.”

“Yeah.”

“You were right.”

“What do you mean?” you asked, furrowing your eyebrows.

“We really do deserve each other.”

Oh. What Jisung had said earlier rang through your ears again. 

“I guess I was.”

Just then, the door to the bedroom opened and Jisung walked in, scoffing as he passed his brother. 

“I should have known,” he muttered to himself. 

“Ji, look-” Minho tried, only to be immediately cut off by his younger brother. 

“Don’t. Please just fucking don’t.”

“But-”

“God, you never listen to a word I say, do you? Either of you?”

You wanted to protest that you did listen to him but you thought better of it. It wouldn’t help your case at all. Instead, you sat there silently like a child being scolded. 

“I don’t want to hear you explain yourself,” Jisung continued. “I don’t care why you fucked my best friend. I think the act in itself doesn’t need an explanation.” Minho opened his mouth to respond but Jisung cut him off again. “I don’t want to hear an apology either. I already know you don’t mean it. In fact, I think we’re done here so if you wouldn’t mind getting the fuck out of my room...”

Minho looked like he wanted to argue but likely knew it wouldn’t do any good so he simply hung his head and let himself out, bidding you a quiet goodnight as he left. You didn’t respond. You didn’t even acknowledge him. How could you?

“Don’t forget to pack your things for the flight tomorrow. It’s a long one.”

You sat there, stunned. You hadn’t expected Jisung to speak to you at all, let alone say something amicable. 

“O-ok thanks,” you responded shakily.

“I’m sleeping in here tonight,” he added. 

“Oh-” you scrambled up, preparing to leave but Jisung stopped you. 

“No, I meant with you. It’d look weird if I slept on the couch again.”

Of course. Keeping up appearances.

“Is it even worth it to do this anymore?” you asked. “I mean, it’s falling apart at the seams.”

“It’ll be fine,” Jisung argued. “It’s just a few more weeks.”

“Do you really want to keep pretending to be in love with someone you hate?”

He froze, still bent over his suitcase. Then he straightened up and turned to face you. 

“I don’t hate you.”

“You don’t?”

“No, I don’t think I could ever hate you. I’ve been trying, trust me.”

You weren’t sure how to take that. You weren’t sure how you were supposed to take it. You tried not to let his words stoke the embers of hope you were still clinging on to but it was already proving difficult. 

“Maybe with time,” you suggested. 

He shrugged. “Ready for bed?”

-

You managed to get some sleep, despite everything. It took a while for your heart to calm down as you lay there beside your (ex?) best friend who was already snoring softly. He had fallen asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. You weren’t sure how he was able to drift off so easily in spite of your whole friendship falling apart but perhaps the stress was only one-sided. 

You were the one being eaten alive by anxiety and guilt. All he had to do was mourn the loss of everything you destroyed. 

The hours of sleep you did get passed quickly without dreams which was unusual for you. Before you knew it, Jisung’s alarm was going off and both of you were groaning as you dragged yourself out of bed. 

You finished packing the rest of your things in relative silence. Neither of you had much to say aside from when you passed each other’s things back and forth from your suitcases. 

The sun had yet to come up when the rest of the Hans gathered in the kitchen with their luggage. Since the flight was over twelve hours long Jisung’s parents had booked the earliest possible departure which just so happened to be before the sunrise. 

The boys slept during the ride to the airport but you weren’t able to. You were squished between Jisung and Minho in the very back of the van, feeling like a pin in a grenade. They ignored each other, of course, both seemingly dead to the world. 

Minho woke up before Jisung. He glanced over at you and offered an expression of sympathy. You just shrugged in response. 

Sitting in the car like that caused your knees to brush up against each other every so often, each time you rounded a corner or went over a speed bump. Every time it happened you fought the urge to meet his eyes. The touch, be it fleeting, made your chest tighten over and over again until you were half-convinced you were going into cardiac arrest. Eventually, Minho gave up trying to give you space and just let his knee rest against yours. Funnily enough, it helped you relax.

“Sorry,” he muttered.

“It’s fine.”

He was so hard to read these days. Not that he was ever easy to read. You couldn’t tell whether or not he liked having his knee there. You weren’t sure why you were getting so caught up on it in the first place.

You longed to hold his hand. You longed to hold Jisung’s hand. But all you could do was sit there in between the two and wait until you finally arrived at the airport. 

Thankfully, Minho was sat with his parents for the flight, which meant you were squeezed in between Jisung and Felix. You gave Jisung the window seat, knowing you wouldn’t get any sleep yourself. He looked like he wanted to argue when you offered it to him but ultimately surrendered when he saw the look in your eyes. You compromised for switching halfway through since the flight was so long but even that seemed to be pushing it for him. 

It was funny how Jisung was still looking out for you after everything you had done. It was as if it was instinctual to him, to put you before himself. The realization almost made you tear up. Had you cared that much for him too? Or was it all one-sided? Either way, you were positive you didn’t deserve him.

-

Dom had chosen Hawai’i as his destination. A controversial choice, given the state of tourism at the moment, but it wasn’t like you had much say in the matter. Jisung had confided in you earlier in the trip that he had tried to talk his father out of it but that he couldn’t be swayed. 

“We might as well try to make the most of it,” you argued. “It’s like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, right?”

He shrugged. “I guess.”

The flight from Bali to Hawai’i was over twelve hours long which meant that you had roughly six hours to figure out how to entertain yourself before it was time to trade places. You could try to sleep but that meant leaning on Jisung and you were almost positive the last thing he wanted was for you to touch him right now. 

You didn’t feel like paying for the in-flight wi-fi so you had to get creative with how to keep yourself busy. You scrolled through your camera roll for a while but it just made you sad. The pictures from the trip were one thing, but then there were all of the ones of you and Jisung back at school. The further back you went, the happier you seemed. There was no way that was actually true, it was just putting more distance between what had happened in the present from the way things were in the past. That, and you had a tendency to romanticize the past. 

“Did you know flight attendants are trained to take oxygen masks from passengers?”

Felix’s voice from beside you pulled you from your spiral of self-pity almost immediately. You turned to look at him and cocked your head in confusion. 

“What?”

“Like, you know that whole spiel they give you about safety before the plane takes off? And they’re like ‘during the flight, oxygen masks might drop from overhead’?”

“No, I know all of that. Why would they take the masks from passengers? Do they not have their own?”

“They do, but they might need to move around the cabin when that happens in case of an emergency or something, and if that were to be the case, they’re trained to take masks from passengers to oxygenate themselves. They’ll give it back, but in order to do their jobs they might have to borrow one without asking.”

“What if the passenger passes out?”

“Then they’ll be able to help them! Because they’re fully oxygenated.”

You made a face. “I’m glad you’ve got the aisle seat, then.”

Felix shrugged, grinning. “It sounds fucked up, but it’s just logistical. Wanna know something actually fucked up? These seat belts are practically useless.”

“What?” you weren’t sure if you really wanted to know where he was going with this but your morbid curiosity got the better of you once again. “What do you mean?”

“Well, they help with turbulence and stuff but in the event of a crash, these aren’t going to do shit for us. They’re just here to keep us strapped to the seat so they can identify the corpses by looking at the flight log.”

You sat there in stunned silence as the information Felix had just told you sunk in. 

“That is... so dark,” you said finally. 

“Yeah, but isn’t it interesting?”

“I guess, but why did you have to tell me all of this while we’re in the air?”

“Because it’s relevant!”

You sighed and glanced back at Jisung who was asleep and slumped against the window. “Ready to switch?”

It was just a joke but Felix scoffed nonetheless. 

“I’m offended,” he whispered. 

“And I’m traumatized.”

“My bad.”

Somehow, Felix kept you occupied until it was time to switch with Jisung. You lost track of time talking to him about everything and nothing. Out of all of the Han brothers, Felix was the one you knew the least. 

You learned a lot about him in the six and a half hours you sat next to each other. You learned that he, like Jisung, had a passion for photography. He liked anime but manga adaptations always disappointed. He wanted to be a dancer when he was little, just like his big brother. 

When it was Felix’s turn to inquire about you, you were sort of at a loss for words. You had to tread carefully around how much to actually reveal about yourself. When to lie, when to stretch the truth. You were exhausted. It was exhausting. But Jisung had made it clear that this was still important to him despite you not seeing the point anymore. So you played along for his sake. It was the least you could do since you ruined everything else. 

You talked mostly about school, what you were studying, what you wanted to do with your degree... all the small talk that usually took place when you first met a person, not after you’d been traveling with them for over a month. But Felix didn’t know a lot about you interests wise so he listened intently and asked a lot of questions. 

When it was finally time to actually switch, you were half-relieved, half-bummed. Talking with Felix was fun but you hated lying to him. 

Jisung lifted up the armrest between you and him to let you slide over while he stood awkwardly in the aisle. 

“Do you want to use my hoodie as a blanket, baby?” he asked.

“Sure, thanks.”

He laid it over your shoulders after you got settled against the window, kissing you on the head and telling you goodnight. 

You shut your eyes and tried to relax but sleep wouldn’t come. You knew it wouldn’t. You took deep breaths in an attempt to slow your heart rate, lowkey considering holding your breath until you passed out. 

Next to you, Jisung was flipping through the in-flight movies. You could hear him tapping on the touchscreen, huffing in frustration when he couldn’t find anything he wanted to watch. 

“You okay, bro?” Felix asked his twin. 

You felt Jisung sort of shift, likely checking to see if you were asleep. He sighed. 

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Relationship troubles?” Felix guessed.

“Why do you ask?”

“You’ve been pissy for like, the past two days. I assumed it had something to do with your girlfriend.”

“She hasn’t been sleeping well,” he explained simply, lying through his teeth. Well, it wasn’t technically a lie because you weren’t sleeping well, but that had nothing to do with why Jisung was upset. “The exhaustion has been leading to a lot of fights.”

“Sorry, man.”

 “It’s okay. It happens. Not that you would know.”

Felix scoffed. “Ouch, I try to have a heart-to-heart with you and you go there?”

“This is a heart-to-heart to you?”

“You know what I mean. A real conversation.”

“Okay, but I’m right. You wouldn’t know.”

“Not all of us can have healthy relationships like you, Jisung,” he sighed.

“I know. I think I’m mom and dad’s only chance at grandchildren at this point.”

“Not if our brother has anything to say about it,” Felix said lowly. 

“What do you mean?” Jisung asked.

He sounded genuinely confused but you knew that internally he was panicking because you were too. You were still pretending to be asleep but you had stopped breathing, waiting to hear what he would say next. How much did Felix know? You and Minho weren’t great at sneaking around but you had at least tried to be a little careful. 

“You mean you haven’t noticed the way Minho looks at her?”

“Not really? But you spend more time with him. You know him better than I do.”

“Well, you should pay more attention. He makes it kind of obvious,” Minho muttered.

“Makes what kind of obvious, though?”

“That he wants her.”

“What?” 

“I can’t believe you haven’t caught on to him flirting with her.” 

“Well obviously he’s doing it behind my back so-”

“Sorry you had to find out this way,” Felix said, likely grimacing, “but at least she isn’t reciprocating, from what I’ve seen.”

“Yeah, at least there’s that,” Jisung murmured. 

You were able to exhale in relief, but only slightly. Felix didn’t know everything but he could tell Minho was interested which wasn’t a good sign. How long had he been picking up on that? 

Your best friend sighed angrily. “The one thing I thought Minho couldn’t take from me-” 

You bit the inside of your cheek, guilt consuming you all over again. 

“Don’t you think that’s a little dramatic?” Felix asked. “He hasn’t even made a move or anything, mate. I just think he thinks she’s cute.”

“With Minho, that’s enough.”

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