#Most are also just nice people but also they don't owe you. This is a sort of business transaction to them

[cacw]

I think online mutual culture is killing some of you

[aeolianblues]

The worst feeling in the world is 'I reached out for an interview, oh, you left me on read. Oh I see you've just posted that you're curating and hour of music for the BBC tomorrow. Oh I see, the US tour has sold out in 3 hours. You knew that. I'm embarrassed I ever asked. Sorry for bothering you. I can imagine your smirk right now. I can see your mouth forming the words now, 'poor sod'. Sorry for embarrassing all parties, sorry for wasting your time. I'll go kill myself now to make up for it.'

[l0s3rd0wnt0wn]

You know what we never see, neglected reader who is damn near bruce's age. Technically if you think about it you can really have kids at any age, so why people only make him pump it and dump it only when is in his 30s and 40s is crazy to me. If Bruce has I kid at 18 and he is in his late 40s , reader could be in their 30s and be the oldest of the batkids. Especially if reader has gone their whole life never knowing bruce until know or known them in the last couple of years.

Reader is a grown ass adult, whom bruce and the family have no real authority over considering their age. The audacity of batfamily as well, y'all are really out here bullying a grown adult like?????? Honesty if they wanted to they could just leave, like for real. Also technically speaking, if reader is near bruce's age, then most of the boys neglected reader is paired with romantically would be considered significantly younger, and I don't think reader would really date youger than themselves.

But you know who they could date, the league. Reader might be slightly younger but it wouldn't be considered an inappropriate age gap like we be seeing here on this damn app. Anyone only the Justice League is free game for her. God could you imagine what Bruce feel if he ever caught one of his own colleagues was shaking up with his oldest kid, especially if it was somone like Wonder Woman or Superman, the two people he is closest to.

I LOVE THIS IDEA OVERWORKED ADULT!READER

Just thinking about a reader who is an overworked office worker at Wayne Enterprises, the same company that Bruce owns, without knowing that Bruce Wayne is their biological father. They go through years of their lives not really knowing their dad and not really caring, like Father's Day was just another Mother's Day to them, or they would give Father's Day presents to their uncles or grandpa. They never really cared to know their dad and never really cared to even see him. Their mom said he was just a feeling that she had when she was 18; it wasn't too important, and she can hardly remember. But then again, who forgets Bruce Wayne? At that time, he wasn't the infamous playboy, just a hurt rich kid with too much eyeliner. Bruce wasn't even aware of their existence until now.

Just think about it: you're going out on a daily walk in Gotham Park when all of a sudden you run into Dick and his cute little dog, Haley. You play around with the puppy for just a while before you go back on your walk. Dick is practically blushing because, wow, you're so good with animals and you're so kind and nice—not to mention you remind him of somebody, but he can't put his finger on it. The next thing you know, you run into Tim, who's having trouble with the vending machine. You teach the kid a small trick: hitting the vending machine at least three times on different sides, and boom, energy drinks fall out. You hand him the other one while walking away, and he thinks you're the coolest person to ever step foot on this Earth. You catch Damian sketching in the park and compliment him on his artistic skills. He never cared for silly compliments, but yours felt so real, so kind and genuine.

You meet Steph Batgirl; you both are ordering the same combo meal just for you to say, "Jinx, you owe me a soda!" Being playful, she gets you an extra Sprite. You accidentally drop your wallet, and Cass picks it up. She doesn't say anything, so it makes you think that she's mute or deaf, so you end up signing "thank you" to her. She's over the moon, ecstatic even. Duke is complaining about how his favorite coffee shop is out of matcha drinks. You end up buying matcha—a stupid trend—and you give him your drink. He's left flustered, struggling to say thank you.

At the bar, you're out with some coworkers drinking until you and your work crew are singing "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall." Jason, who's at the same bar, catches you. He thinks your drunk expressions are pretty cute, and they all share the same experiences they had that day with each other. They figure out they met the same person, surprisingly similar to Bruce. They also list key traits like how you're tall, your long dark hair, your tired eyes, your slumped posture, and your amazing charm, which managed to make them become yanderes in under a minute. They share this information with Bruce, who's completely confused as to why all of his little birds would be obsessed with you.

He finally sees you in the office, snoozing over a pile of paperwork. He has paternal feelings towards you, wanting to wrap you in his thousand-dollar suit coat. He puts it over your shoulders and takes the workload off of you. The next thing you know, he's reading into your files, trying to learn everything and anything about you, just to know that you've been working here for three years. He learns that even though you do an exceptional job, your mother is the old flame he had during his first years as Batman. He takes a piece of your DNA—an energy drink you've been chugging down your throat—just to realize that you are his blood. But how can he just step into your life without you even knowing him? Any of the Birds stepping into your life without you regarding them— to you, they're just a bunch of strangers that you've had silly moments with; to them, you're family. I have a hunch that they knew you for years, at least more than the big sibling that somehow managed to run away.

[johannestevans]

do you have any advice for an autistic adult who hasn't yet lost their virginity due to the social aspect? I'm terrified not of the act itself, that's fine, I get myself off just fine all the time, but that I won't act the right way, that I'll try too hard to be sexy and it'll be cringy or not try hard enough and be off-putting

Oh, honestly, I think a lot of people worry about that a lot of the time they have sex, whether it's for the first time, or the first time they're just trying a new act, or just when it's somebody new or somebody they've not seen in a while.

Sex is ultimately something extremely vulnerable - you're literally dressed down, you're generally in private together, the other person is very concentrated on you and you very concentrated on them - so there can be a lot of concern about how you're going to perform, how you're going to look, if you're going to be sexy or embarrassing, or whatever else.

When I first had sex after like eight or ten years of celibacy after my more active (and abused) life in my teens, it did feel a lot like a sort of virginity, and I basically just had a decently anonymous hook-up with a nice fella on Grindr. He was on the shy side and had some insecurities himself, but for me, the fact that it was so anonymous and low-stakes eased the way for me - you might find that, or you might find that on the other side, someone you already know very well and trust quite intimately will be more comfortable and be more of a balm for your anxiety.

People make a big thing about sex and its social or intimate or romantic implications, but it's ultimately just another slightly silly thing that people do together. It's inherently undignified and a bit absurd, no matter how well a sex scene is edited in a film, and with how great a sound track.

I don't say this to say sex can't be important, or that it can't feel really great or even really emotionally important, because it absolutely can be.

It's just the truth that you and another person or people are also going to be wrestling and wobbling about together, with at least some of your clothes off. You're going to be smelling each other. You're going to be up close, very upclose, with each other's genitals and arses and chests, and armpits and ears and ankles. Now and then, one of you is going to fall over, or accidentally hit the other one in the nose, or put your elbow on the wrong bit of them and make them go "ow!" and you'll lurch back and go, "fuck, sorry!", and sometimes you'll lurch back too far and fall off the bed.

Sometimes, the bed - or wherever else you're getting up to this - will break. Sometimes, the dog will manage to open the bedroom door and leap onto the bed, midway through the act, and excitedly introduce a sodden, mostly-chewed rawhide into the activity. Sometimes one of you will release the most incredibly musical fart in the world, at the worst possible time.

Sometimes, the sex will just straight up be bad. The time won't be right, or you'll have a slight cold and you'll keep wanting to blow it or swallow phleghm and it'll be gross but you'll also genuinely be quite horny, or you and your partner will be slightly mismatched in rhythm and size and keep giving each other unlikely bruises.

Sometimes, you will be utterly nude, you'll be gazing deeply into one another's eyes, your body will feel tense and aching a bit but at the same time, perfect. There'll be sweat sheening on both of you, you'll both be breathing hard and sharing the same breath, you'll have managed a sublime rhythm that seems to be seeping into the very core of you, your orgasm a more distant concern than making this moment, this perfect moment, last for as long as possible, because it just feels so good, so intimate, so loving, so perfect--

And then the fire alarm will go off.

And it will be the absolute worst thing in the world, but also, you probably will laugh about it - laugh uproariously, at the sheer juxtaposition of it, as you either try to quickly finish or stumble out of bed to put on dressing gowns, and hope none of your neighbours or the fire people look at you in too much detail when you're waiting downstairs.

Your concerns about seeming like you're trying too hard, trying too hard to be sexy, ending up a bit cringe, not trying hard enough and ending up flat - you might have these same anxieties going out for coffee with someone, or playing Dungeons and Dragons or improv-ing with someone, or doing karaoke.

You and your partner(s) will be in the same boat of vulnerability when you have sex - they might have the same or similar anxieties to the ones you do. Part of the reason that sex is generally best with someone you trust is because that vulnerability is part of it.

You're trusting the other person with your naked body and how it looks and feels and smells; you're trusting the other person to touch you the right way, use the right lube and prophylactics; you're trusting the other person to basically do rhythmic exercise with you, and that includes all the sweat and physical exertion that comes with that.

There may well be times you try too hard to be sexy, and your partner says "you can probably tone it back a bit", or even laughs - and there will be time when your partner does the same. Other times, you might well be being "too sexy" - as in, sexier than your partner was prepared for - and they'll be incredibly into it, or jump to match your energy.

Sometimes, the sex will absolutely be cringe, but luckily, that's part of having sex, not to mention life, and sometimes, cringe is delightful.

The first or maybe the second time my partner and I had sex, I couldn't stop infodumping about marine biology and telling him exciting facts (I felt) about different creatures' mating habits, which drove him insane, and not only did he still have sex with me that night, we're going to get married.

I'm not saying "don't worry", because social anxiety doesn't really listen to "don't worry", but part of the reason your anxiety has so much mileage in this internal conversation is because sex in your head might still be there as like, a capital-letter activity that requires infinite decorum and consideration and with so much stuff for you to do wrong, and that bubble will burst a bit when you do start having sex with other people and the mystique goes away, but will always be there a little bit.

The tragic thing about sex is that because it's genuinely just a fun thing people do together, your social anxiety has as much reach there as it does any other activity you might pursue with someone, but the good news is that once you have sex a few times, it will hopefully just be the same level of anxiety you do have with any other activity.

"Virgin" is made out to be this big thing, but people are virgins at new activities every day. Driving a car, going out for dinner in a fancy restaurant, wearing suspenders, going swimming, et cetera. It's really not a bad thing to be, but it's also not necessarily a momentous thing to stop being either. You'll be great!

[daydreamgoddess14]

id like to please request roommates with mutual pining for bucky barnes please🥰

Alternate Shifts

Anon, I was starting to get stuck here. I was really worried when I couldn't think of anything 😨 and then! I remembered a book I read and LOVED a couple of years ago and bingo! Here we are!

Roommate AU Bucky Barnes x F!Reader with some mutual pining. There's also only one bed.

Read on AO3

Warnings: a pinch of angst at the end... but don't panic, we have a Part 2 coming!

Word Count: 714 (hush, none of these are coming in at 500, ok?! 😅)

1000 Followers Ficlet Challenge Masterlist

Masterlist

Hey, sorry I missed your call. Thanks for asking about the apartment. I'll text you the address and you can see if it works for you? ~BB

Sounds great, thanks. I can only get there after 7pm though? bad work week.

Np. My buddy Sam can show you around if that works?

Great, tysm. You've no idea how much I need a place to live.

Well, I'm happy if you're happy. Had like 2 applicants. Both awful. At least on your voicemail you sound sane.

Huh. You smiled at your phone. The advertisement had been intriguing enough for you to call straight away. You had to get out of your ex's apartment ASAP, and weirdly, this was the least strange option.

WANTED - Roommate. Room/bed is to share with 35yo working nights & away most weekends. Only in the apt 9am to 6pm Mon-Fri. All yours the rest of the time! Perfect for someone with 9-5 job. Contact B. Barnes – details below.

Yes, the setup was a little unorthodox. You'd technically be sharing a bed with this person - though not at the same time - you have to draw the line somewhere.

You'd left a message, the greeting on his voicemail sounded a little gruff, but desperation had made you open-minded.

The apartment was small, but clean and tidy. The friend, Sam, was warm and welcoming.

“And he won't be here at the weekends either?” you asked, peeking into the bedroom.

Sam shook his head. “Nope. He’s usually upstate. Comes back Monday morning, sleeps a few hours, then he’s out for his night shift.”

“That’s… kind of perfect,” you admitted.

“Honestly? It is. He’s quiet. Obsessively clean. Doesn’t eat other people’s food. Only weird thing is the bed.”

“Yeah.” You glanced at the queen-size mattress, neatly made with hospital corners and two pillows. “No couch, huh?”

“Not unless you want to sleep on a futon with a busted leg. Barnes swears it’s not weird. Just logistical. Says it’s a ‘time-share situation for the modern housing crisis.’”

You snorted. “He's not wrong.”

“Right?” Sam grinned. “So? You in?”

You hesitated, and then thought about the boxes still sitting in your ex’s living room, how miserable you were.

“Yeah,” you said. “I’m in.”

The notes started simply.

Thanks for fixing the sink. I owe you a beer.

You don’t. But I’ll take one anyway. -B

Then came the practical ones.

Brought more of the coffee you seem to like… B

Busted. Thank you. Apology beer in the fridge. xo

And eventually, after weeks, months… the softer ones.

Nice dress hanging up on the closet door. Hope you're wearing it somewhere fun. Bx

A cupcake with a candle.

Happy 6mo of this weirdly amazing set-up. Lease extension? xo

Yes. Definitely yes. Bx

The notes became a ritual. Morning coffee, brush teeth, check fridge for Post-it. You started saving them in a drawer. Just in case.

You’d never admit how much effort you put into the ones you left. How long you stared at the tiny square, chewing your pen lid, trying to be funny. Or charming. Or something.

You started to notice little things - how your side of the bed was always freshly made, how his cologne lingered on the pillow. How he always refilled the water jug in the fridge. How he left the lamp on dim for you.

You’d only seen him three or four times in person since you moved in. Always a blur - one of you running late - you in the morning, or him in the evening. The occasional brush of hands in the kitchen, that one time your fingers grazed while reaching for the same coffee mug and neither of you moved.

It wasn’t nothing.

You missed him when he wasn’t there - which, technically, was most of the time. Which made it worse. It made it lonely. Like you were longing for someone who was so close to being yours in every way except the one that counted.

And then, one Friday night, everything changed.

You came home early.

And for the first time in weeks, Bucky Barnes was standing in the kitchen, very much awake - and not alone.

His date was laughing at something he’d said.

And your heart sank so hard you had to grip the counter just to stay upright...

Tagging: @knowledgeableknitter , @ficmeiguess , @ozwriterchick , @thenameswinter99 , @themareverine , @boomyoulookingforthis , @florie1 , @crdgn , @winchestert101 , @stevetonycupcakes , @lolobeey , @bts43a , @gumballofshame , @tessastarfire , @buckytakethewheel , @multifandomneeerd , @furiousprincesskingdom , @s-sh-ne

[shanastoryteller]

this is NOT a request for u to hurry finishing up the new chapter for siat (bc people who do that are ungrateful brats) but a genuine question. Do you feel even less drawn to it right now (spn brain aside) because of what JKR has done to English politics and the lives of trans women? Because I think it would be completely understandable if you felt this was ur final straw to not finish it but I would also get the opposite of it being ‘now there’s even more reason to finish it’ I think both viewpoints are valid and have their reasonings and this is really truly not in any way meant to be a “why isn’t there a new chapter yet!!:(((“ ask I’m just curious what HP fanfic writers (especially someone as well known as you) make of this as I keep seeing posts going around of the “if u still read/write HP fanfic you’re a terf too” variety and I just…disagree with that but also see where they come from (aka helping the fandom stay relevant. But even if we all quit reading and writing fanfic, HP would still be popular and imo the dent fanfic makes isn’t that big in the fandom bc locals still love HP and most people who now read fanfic hate JKR and wouldn’t actually read her books/buy merch)

Regardless of what you decide, know your Audience is behind you,100%. Hell, you dragged most of us (me included) back into Supernatural. I’m excited for the new chapter of tgp!! 💖💖

Thank you for all your words, whatever fandom they may come in (I.e I found you years ago because of your teen wolf fic specifically embers embers but stayed through so many fandoms and even read some I know nothing about) you are a beacon of light in this world and I treasure each of your works truly and with all my heart

thank you, this is a really sweet and nice way of asking, i'm so glad you enjoy my writing <3

but honestly: nah lol

jkr is shit and so are all of her opinions. the influence she has on government sucks and i personally think it's best to avoid giving her money, but i'm not pocketwatching other people

siat, which is a very popular hp fic, is 8 years old and has 2.8 million hits

in 2023 alone, 9.6 million people visited universal studios hollywood, the home of the wizarding world of harry potter

people should engage with media in whatever manner they feel most comfortable and sparks the most joy. but the idea that fanfic is a significant contributor to the cultural zeitgeist is just stupid

siat's on the to do list, i've just been infected with spn brainworms and wbt is also on the list but i feel more compelled to work on that one than siat just because huge chunks of it are already written so it seems a little silly to drag my feet as much as i have, plus at the time it had been a year since i posted the first chapter and i was like. ok come on let's go this is getting ridiculous

it's a goal to get back into a regular update cadence with siat. i'm not tired of it, i don't hate it, i still have an outline and know we're i'm going

it's partially that we're in sort of a tricky part to write, since it's about when a bunch of threads are about to come together and i don't want to fuck it up, and also that demands for updates honest to god really do kill my motivation to work on it. it's not punishment, i'm not trying to be a bitch, but i love the story and want to love sharing it with you, but being treated like a dispenser of fic, or like i owe people something and i'm somehow being selfish or inconsiderate by having fun writing what i want to write, really honestly just kills that. i don't want to write with that in the back of my head

people ask me about siat updates a lot. i don't post anything close to all of them. and if it was just "love the story can't wait to see what happens next!" that wouldn't be a problem, that's nice, i like that people are engaged and interested in what's to come

but a litany of "when will this update?" "is this abandoned?" "what about siat :(" "i don't care about x, why aren't you working on siat?" "you haven't updated siat in a while..." "why haven't you updated siat?" just makes me feel kinda bitter. which isn't a place i want to write from

it will be updated. i probably won't write the next chapter straight through and will alternate with tgp or wbt or whatever, but it's honestly just a mix of brainworms and having a lot of fun with these blorbos and wanting to have be in the right mindset while i write

[hkthatgffan]

Hey, Kiki-Kit. Your customers are waiting!

Well, this is a painful post to make given the respect and admiration I had for her, but a long overdue one because I'm not alone in this mess and I refuse to let another fan fall for it when I could've said something!

Back in February, I bought a commission from Kiki-Kit. You may know that artist as she was one of the best in the Gravity Falls fandom back in the day and the illustrator of Don't Dimension It in Lost Legends.

She'd been running emergency commissions at the start of the year and I got one from her for $40 USD.

I have the invoice and everything saved and also messages with Kiki of us talking about the comm and me paying her. I owe nothing on my end money wise! I paid in full.

She said later she'd have them finished by around the end of March but come late April, still no response. So, I messaged her about it. Nothing odd I thought. I get things can happen and if Kiki is busy, at most she'd reply telling me it'll be a while longer and all's good.

But I got nothing. I messaged her, emailed her on the commissions email she had and tweeted at her. NOTHING! Turns out there were other people, including some friends of mine who had not heard back either. Then in June, Kiki made an update post explaining the situation.

Naturally I felt bad and wished her the best. She said iirc, she'd have the remaining comms done by the end of the Summer but here we are at the end of October and still nothing. I messaged her too again and no response.

You know, it's one thing if there's a reason for no response for a few days but then another when it's been months and still nothing. Oh and btw, I very much remember Kiki on Twitter liking tweets (back when Twitter let you see liked tweets) while I was there messaging her for an update. Real sus if you ask me.

But okay, I shouldn't rush it. Everyone has reasons to take time and maybe Kiki is just very busy and can't get back. She went through a very rough and difficult experience and I can understand and respect that. I'm more than happy to wait. But how long is too long without an update? Maybe a bit longer I guess. Art takes time.

Well, IDK about you all, but I don't remember any other Gravity Falls fan artist taking oh, idk...FIVE YEARS TO FINISH A COMMISION AND STILL NOT RESPOND!!

FoxieSkullzArtz on Twitter made me aware she has been waiting since 2019 for Kiki to respond to a commission they paid her for.

2019!!

I'm not an artist, so forgive me if I'm wrong. But I don't think it should take any artist 5 years to make a commission and even if, at least communicate with the person who paid you about it so they're not left guessing.

Oh, and it gets worse. I got another person who let me know they've been waiting since 2020 for a comm and Kiki handled it far worse!

Oh yeah, she blocked them for asking about it!

And okay, even if we give Kiki-Kit the benefit of the doubt and assume she has reasons to not communicate with people and maybe even assume people messaging her are being mean about it, then why not refund them? Nice or bad, you were paid by them to do something but also have the power to deny it and refund their money. And yet, Kiki did not even do that. And even if we be super kind and assume everyone is lying, I'm still here.

I paid Kiki-Kit $40USD for a comm I thought I would get in late March and it's now late October and still nothing. And even if you don't wanna believe me cause you can't believe an artist like Kiki-Kit would do this and assume I'm after clout (which would be odd, given why would I take pleasure in calling out an artist I respected)...well, there's gonna be someone else who says this too. And people have been saying this for years and she still is getting away with it!

It's disappointing honestly. Kiki-Kit is a name so many in this fandom know and love. And I love her art too. She's a fan artist who got to be on Lost Legends. We all celebrated that in 2018 and still remember it. And I know how hard it may be to hear this, but it has to be said.

I do not like having to do this, but I have a platform that can get this message across further than others could and having been someone who lost money to her too, I know first hand what all these people have been through.

And before you say "Kiki was going through a rough time in her life. Why are you blaming her? Be patient and she'll get your stupid art done," read over everything again. I'm not saying Kiki-Kit needs to be making art 24/7 and fulfilling these comms. I'm not saying she isn't allowed to be offline and not finish things on time for reasons out of her control. What I'm saying is that she hasn't communicated properly with anyone here who paid her and has continued to accept more and more commissions from people despite not finishing ones she has backlogs of.

When an artist opens commissions, why do you think they have slots or only accept a few? Because they know they can get that many done in a certain time or know anymore will take longer. And even if it took longer, at least they give updates. I bought a commission for the interview with Alex Hirsch and got it both on time and with proper communication from the artist.

And even if you disagree with all this, be honest with yourself...is making someone wait since 2019 or 2020 for a comm and not responding to them really something still worth defending?

I'm not here to cancel anyone. I don't want Kiki-Kit's reputation to be that of an scammer who stole money from people. But she's painted herself that way to far too many people who have been warning about this for ages but no one either saw or listened to them.

I tried to be nice and messaged Kiki-Kit over and over for an update and she never responded. I had friends who she took money from who similarly have not heard anything back! If you know Kiki directly, tell her to reach out to these people and all the ones she has taken money from and not gotten back to and either refund them or commit to finishing their commissions. Please don't be rude or hostile either though, given despite it all, she is still a person like your or me who deserves a chance to make things right.

I wanna believe Kiki-Kit has just made some negligent mistakes and isn't the best with time management or communication. I mean, I'm not the best either. But I'm not asking people for money for something and then not getting back to them with it. I'm sorry to everyone who is learning about this who saw Kiki in a positive light and I'm sorry also to everyone like me who lost money to her.

I hope if nothing else, Kiki will respond and make whole everyone she has taken money from. If she really cares about this fandom that put her on a pedestal high enough that Alex Hirsch himself picked her to work on his book, she can respond to us and fulfill what we paid her to do.

I'm not asking for my commission to be done tomorrow...I just want an update. That's all. We all do! No more stalling, @kiki-kit. Please respond to us now!

Sincerely,

Every person who has paid you for a commission and has yet to hear back from you and every Gravity Falls fan who your work inspired and are now having to learn this about you!

[inthelibrarybtw]

you're gonna go far | 02 - the country club

SERIES MASTERLIST pairing: rafe cameron x pogue!reader

summary: where Rafe who hates pogues has a soft spot for one, who couldn't care less about him, she's too independent and too focused on graduating college and making it out of the Cut to pay attention to him or where they say they don't like each other yet for a reason they are always at the same place at the same time, him making time for her and her never pushing him away but again they don't like each other. word count: 4.9k content: angst, cursing, jealousy, suggestive, kelce is an asshole, financial talk, pet names, mentions of anxiety authors note: I'm back, I have been writing a little of everything which has been anything but productive and also I have been reading a lot. AND i have a new au/fic in newberry for anyone who might be interested in 🙂‍↕️

01 | 02 | 03

Two days after the boneyard party, you had to go back to your job in Figure 8. For better or worse, you spent a lot of time out of the Cut. For many Pogues, it was like that; the better-paid jobs were available there, so naturally, everyone went looking for work or worked in Figure 8. Over the years, you worked at different places: a bookstore, a coffee shop, babysitting, and waitressing at events. Waitressing at events was heaven and hell in one place: heaven because of the money you made and the good food you got to eat, but hell because of how exhausting and tedious it was to be surrounded by kooks who thought they were better than anyone just because they hosted the events or got invited to them.  

Currently, you are working at a cute, fancy bistro catered to women. It is a relatively new place. You started working there four months ago, and in the first weeks, it was good, great even. But the good times were short-lived when you were faced with what could be the reincarnation of the devil, Ruthie Crawford, mostly known as Ruthie. At first, she didn’t care about you, and you couldn’t have been more grateful, but when she realized who you were friends with, everything went downhill, and your job began to suck a little bit more every time she walked through those doors, followed by her friends or, in the worst case of all, her mom. If people thought Ruthie was annoying, her mom was worse. Both of them made your job miserable; all the patience you thought you had was nonexistent, and you considered quitting, but the money was good, and most people were nice. Still, it wasn’t enough, so you had been looking for another job to quit and move on to the next.

You decided that this time around, you would find a job all on your own. The job at the bistro had been kindly proposed to you by Lily, an older woman you had met a year and a half ago at the other coffee shop where you used to work. She and her husband Richard, were regulars who loved to talk and liked to stop by on slow days, so you had time to chat with them. They quickly became your friends; they informed you about jobs around Figure 8, their events included, and the biggest thing they did to help you was let you know about the new scholarship program at the community college. That had helped you apply on time and finally start nursing school, just like you always wanted to. They had been heaven-sent, and you couldn’t be more grateful for them. Even if you knew they wouldn’t bat an eye if you asked for help, you felt self-conscious about it. You didn’t like the feeling of depending on someone else to do things; even if you knew their help came in good faith, you felt like you would owe them for life. 

They had told you multiple times that you were like a granddaughter to them. The first time they said that, you completely broke down. Your grandparents had died when you were little, so you didn’t get enough time with them. For this couple in their 70s to tell you that… let’s just say it felt like a wound had been healed, and you finally got the chance to feel that type of love, even if they weren’t your family. They surely considered you part of theirs, which included your mom. They had also helped when you both had gone through a very difficult patch last year. This led your mother to be even more thankful for their presence in your life; they had been there when you most needed support and advice, and you seemed to consider them more when it came from them rather than your mom. It wasn’t that you didn’t care about your mom’s opinion, but sometimes she repeated it so much that you found it annoying, so when it came from someone external yet familiar like Lily and Richard, it resonated with you much more easily.

Though this time around you had listened to your mom, and while you were stubborn, you were out of ideas and almost out of patience. The bistro was driving your mental health down the drain; maybe not rapidly, but it was slowly taking your spark away and had made you cry more times than you liked to admit. Your mom had seen the change, so she suggested that you talk to Lily and Richard to see if they knew anything about a new job opening, since they usually knew everything going on in Figure 8, and surprisingly, also in The Cut. So that’s how you ended up at their house, knocking on their door while still wearing your bistro uniform.  

“Oh, sweetie, what an amazing surprise!” Lily smiled as she opened the door to greet you, letting you into their home. It was crazy how familiar it felt to be there. “Richard! Look who came to visit us!” she said with the warmest smile ever.

She never failed to make you feel welcome. With them, you didn’t feel like an intruder in Figure 8; they had never made you feel less than or made you doubt yourself. They knew your story and were proud of how far you had come on your own, which is why they were more than happy to help you. Sometimes you felt like you were abusing their trust and kindness, but they had reassured you multiple times that they were more than happy to help with whatever they could. They settled on helping you find jobs and checking in on you and your mom periodically by inviting the two of you for dinner at times. Even if they had wanted to do more, you didn’t let them.

As you walked in, you heard Richard's voice, "Well, hello, you!" He smiled as soon as you entered his line of sight. "What brings you here today? More of Lily’s food? Because I can't blame you if you do," he chuckled. 

"Hi Richard, I was just around and decided to stop by," you smiled, feeling like the worst person. It’s okay to ask for help, you kept repeating to yourself. Lily noticed your uneasiness but didn’t press you to talk; she knew better. 

"Why don’t you sit here?" she pointed to the kitchen island. "I was waiting for some cookies to cool down. You can help me decorate them; God knows Richard won't do it." 

"I can help eat them," he pointed out while walking to the couch. Their kitchen had a little sitting area. "So, tell us what brings you around?" you silently sighed, grabbing a piping bag to help Lily decorate the cookies. 

"Richard, shut it! She can come by for no reason if she wants. She’s always welcome," Lily said, putting icing on the cookies and smiling at you. 

"No, I didn't mean it like that. You know that, right?" Richard was used to Lily's attitude. You chuckled and nodded. For a while, you kept quiet, indulging in the conversation, finding the courage to speak up and ask for their help. 

"So, how’s work?" Lily asked gently to see if you would tell her the truth. She knew you didn’t like it. You hadn’t told her anything, but she knew. She had been around a couple of times to visit you while you were working, and she had noticed the low energy and annoyance you showed at times. You had never been good at hiding your emotions; maybe you didn’t talk, but your face certainly did. 

"Uh, it’s good, yeah," you tried to sound convincing, dodging her gaze. They exchanged a look; Lily had shared her suspicions with Richard, and they had already been looking for new job openings. They knew you wanted to work at the Country Club; that’s where tips were better since it was the number one hangout spot for kooks. At the spa, the restaurant, the golf course, the tennis courts, the pool, and so many more amenities that apparently they couldn’t live without.

“So, there’s no chance you would like to change jobs?” Richard asks as he continues scrolling through his phone. You stare at him, trying to decipher why he would say that. Could he read your mind?  

“Oh…” is the only thing that comes out of your mouth. Lily turns to look at you, lifting one eyebrow.  

“Don’t worry, sweetie; if you’re happy where you are, don’t let us push you to do something you don’t want to.” You didn’t notice, but Lily mouthed “you’ll see” to Richard.  

“I wouldn’t mind knowing. I—” You pause for a second. “If it’s not for me, maybe I know someone who might need it.” You try to make it sound as though you weren’t desperate to have the job yourself.  

“It’s at the Country Club as a beverage cart girl; it has great pay, and tips can be good too. With your skills, we’re sure you wouldn’t have any problems with that, but if it’s not for you, please let us know of someone who might be interested,” Lily kept explaining. “I’ll admit it can be a little tedious since you have to be on a cart all day around the golf course.” Your eyes light up—beverage cart girl; it was a tough job, but it was also fun, and the tips. The tips couldn’t be just good; they were amazing.  

“I want it, if it’s okay,” you admit quietly, unable to shake the feeling of guilt. Lily had gotten you the job at the bistro, and you felt as if you were betraying her. But you weren’t, and they would never think you were using them for this because you weren’t; this had been your last option.  

Lily smiled kindly. “Well, that’s terrific, right, Richard?”  

“Of course it is! Now we’re going to see you more,” he says warmly, and you relax. They always meant well; you mentally slapped yourself for feeling guilty or ashamed.  

“They want you there on Wednesday so they can train you.” You nodded at Lily and spent the rest of the afternoon with them.  

—

The next day, you told your manager you were quitting. She didn’t seem surprised at all. She had been waiting for it, and if you didn’t quit, she was going to fire you. Not because you were bad at your job, but because she had noticed how miserable you had become over time, and she didn’t want that for you.  

“Be free, little bird,” she joked with you.  

“Thank you for everything.”  

“No, thank you for enduring way more than you signed up for.”  

“Sadly, it’s part of the job.”  

“It shouldn’t be. Now come on, get out of here. Don’t spend another minute here.”  

“Are you sure? I can still work today.”  

“No, no, you’ve done enough already. I’ll deposit your last payment at the end of the week.”  

“Thank you, Allie.”  

You said your goodbyes, and by 9 AM, you didn’t have anything else to do. You grabbed your bike and went back home to change out of your uniform, and then you left for Heywards. At least there, you knew you could make a bit of money and keep yourself entertained for the day.  

“Aren’t you supposed to be working?” he said while picking up a box.  

“Hi to you too, Pope, and no, I just quit.”  

“Quit? You quit?” he asked incredulously.  

“I have another job lined up already, and you know I was over the bistro.”  

“Oh, I know, but I never thought you would quit… Wait, another job? Where?”  

“Country Club, bev cart girl,” you said, walking up to him and helping him get the boxes inside.  

“Well, good luck.”  

“Don’t say it like I’m going to war.”  

“You might as well be. The Country Club is like going to war.”  

“And how would you know?” You knitted your brows together.  

“Don’t give me that look; you know I hate putting a foot anywhere near that place after Rafe and Topper jumped on me and JJ last summer,” you sighed at the memory.  

“I doubt I’m going to get jumped.”  

“No, you won’t, but you still need to be careful.”  

“I will be.”  

You didn’t talk more about it; you continued discussing school, summer plans, and you went with him to make some deliveries around the island.

—

During the next days after the Boneyard party, Rafe had been in a sour mood; he had been snapping at anyone. Sarah was so fed up with his tantrums that she even went out of her way to talk to Topper, hoping he could help or take Rafe out of the house because she couldn’t stand another second of his whining. 

So on Friday, Topper and Kelce dragged Rafe out of the house to the Country Club, hoping he would stop being in that awful mood. Topper didn’t think much of it because Rafe's bad moods usually came from Ward, so he assumed his dad and he had some sort of fight. Wrong—everything was reminding him of you, and he tried really hard to ignore what he was feeling and all the awful things he had said to you, but his subconscious was torturing him by replaying the moment and your face. Fuck, your face… Golfing with or without his friends usually helped him get his mind off things, but this time it didn’t work. He was quieter than usual and not very into the game. He was attempting (and failing) to play, which only made him grow even more frustrated than he originally was. As if nothing could make things worse, he saw you driving around in a cart. Why were you there? 

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” he muttered to himself.

One thing that didn’t cross your mind when you accepted the job was the fact that Rafe liked golf and spent a lot of time at the Country Club, perhaps because you didn’t know he liked golf or anything else about him beyond being an annoying asshole who had hurt your feelings a week ago. It had been two days since you started working there, and until that point, you hadn’t thought about Rafe until you saw him. You cursed mentally; of course, you would be the one to have to serve him since it was a rule to stop every time you saw a group of golfers, just in case they needed something. You parked the cart and saw how Topper and Kelce approached first, with Rafe following behind, keeping his distance.  

This was your first day out of training. Two days of training had been enough since there was not much to learn; the drinks were easy, and you had a menu that told you exactly what and how much to put in each. You put on a fake smile and prepared yourself for whatever this interaction was going to be like.  

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t our favorite bev cart girl?” Kelce said, his voice dripping with something that made you feel uncomfortable.  

“This is the first time you’re seeing me around,” you stated as you got out of the cart. The glances Kelce was giving you made you feel uneasy, but you tried to ignore him as best you could.  

“Yeah, but it doesn’t mean we haven’t heard from you.” Topper was staring at you, not intentionally, but he was. He wasn’t going to lie; you were very pretty, easy on the eyes. Rafe noticed the way they were looking at you, and he wasn’t amused.  

“Shut it, both of you,” he snapped at them. Topper finally looked away, noting Rafe’s mood had worsened. Sarah hadn’t been lying; Topper thought.  

“Uh… anything you guys want?” you asked, focusing again on why you had stopped and not them for a moment.  

“Oh, we definitely want something,” Kelce said, his tone dripping with suggestiveness. You stood near the cart, allowing yourself to put some distance between them, Kelce more specifically.

“Got something planned after your shift?” Topper rolled his eyes at Kelce's flirting attempts, while Rafe tensed up a little more, seeing you awkwardly smile, trying to avoid whatever Kelce was attempting.  

“Back off, idiot. You’re making her uncomfortable,” Rafe spoke up, his tone firm and with a hint of warning. You looked at him for a second. The whiplash you would get from Rafe messed with you. You would like to thank him for stepping in, but you were still angry at him, and, much to your dislike, you had cried after the Boneyard when you were back home.  

“What’s up with you, man? Can’t a guy just flirt with the pretty bev cart girl? I'm not doing any harm, am I?” Kelce said with a hint of arrogance. You would’ve slapped his face right there, but you were working, and if you did, you would be fired. You were most certainly not going to lose this job.  

“Since you guys don’t need anything, I have to go back to my rounds,” you said, ignoring everything Kelce had said and walking back to the driver's seat. Much to your dismay, you felt a hand grabbing your arm—Kelce’s hand.  

“Wait—don’t leave just yet. We’re having a nice little conversation, aren’t we? Can’t we have a little fun?” Kelce grinned, while Topper just stood there, unsure if he should intervene. He was gauging Rafe’s reaction and what Kelce might try to do.  

“Let go,” you said, your tone firm. Your heart raced; you felt cornered, and that made your anxiety show up.  

“Aw, don’t be like that. I just want to talk,” he kept a grip on your arm, unwilling to let go.  

“You don’t need your hands to talk, so let go.” You pulled your arm back, but his grip was unwavering.  

“Feisty, I like that.” His eyes roamed shamelessly over your body, and you felt extremely disgusted by him. If only you weren’t working, which was a bullshit excuse. Being members didn’t give them the right to treat you like this.  

“I really need to go, unless you guys want drinks.” You kept trying to steer the conversation back to the original reason for your stop. 

"How about we start with your number?" Kelce said, Topper widening his eyes in shock, and Rafe clenched his jaw even tighter. How much longer would his friend push you? And how much longer until he broke?

"Jesus, Kelce, stop." Topper looked at him and put a hand on his shoulder. He felt the tension in the air, and either he stopped him, or he knew Rafe was going to do something much worse. The grip on your arm loosened a bit when he turned to Topper, but then he looked back at you. 

"Come on, pretty face, just give me your number; it won't hurt." Your heart raced, but you weren't going to let him keep running his mouth. 

"I'm letting this go just because I'm on my shift and it's the first time. But if you try this again, I'm sure my supervisor would love to know how members of the club are harassing a cart girl," you said, feeling like the world was closing in on you. 

Topper's eyebrow shot up to his forehead, lips slightly parted. He was ready to intervene if he had to, but he surely didn't need to do that now. Kelce froze; he didn't expect you to answer the way you did. Rafe was silently pleased, and at least he knew it wasn't just him that you were a demon with. You were feisty, and he liked it.

"Okay, man, that's it." Topper said to Kelce, who clearly was still processing what had just happened. Kelce was about to take a step forward as if to do something, but Topper yanked him back. "You heard her." Kelce huffed, annoyed, but didn't try anything again. 

The moment there was more than enough space between you and Kelce, you felt a bit of relief wash over you, even if you still weren't fully relaxed. You gave Topper a small smile that made Rafe roll his eyes. You didn't notice that since you were already turning to get back into the cart. 

"If you need anything, I'll be around." You didn't want to be near them for another second. You glanced at Rafe before leaving; his gaze was filled with something you couldn't understand, nor did you want to think about. You didn't give them a chance to answer back, and you drove away.

"The fuck is wrong with you?" Rafe finally spoke up, pushing Kelce back a little too hard. "Think you're funny?" 

“Jeez, calm down. It was all in good faith,” Kelce smirked. Topper shook his head and intervened before it could escalate into something more. 

“Kelce… you’ve done enough. Didn’t you have dinner to get ready for?” Topper was searching for excuses to kick his friend out before Rafe could beat him up. Kelce huffed, but Topper was right; he had dinner, so he left. 

After he left, Topper turned his attention back to Rafe. “Hey, man, you okay?” He was genuinely trying to be a good friend, while Rafe was seething, still angry about everything that had just happened.

“Just peachy.” The image of Kelce grabbing you, your face… damn it, your face, the stress, and maybe even fear—why didn’t he do something? He cared for you, yet he didn’t act. He was even angrier with himself, as if the Boneyard hadn’t been enough torture. 

“Come on, let’s play; it'll help,” he nodded. Yes, golf should help, but it didn’t. He kept looking back at where you had driven away. After what felt like an eternity, you showed up again. You were surprised they were still playing. But more surprising was that it was just them; you still looked around for the other set of clubs, but there were none. Kelce had left. Good. 

“I hate this game,” Rafe muttered under his breath after hitting the ball with more force than necessary. He was so lost in his head that he hadn’t noticed when you arrived until you spoke.

“Hey,” you announced, catching him off guard. 

“Hey.” His face was serious, even angry, but his tone softened when he realized it was you. 

“Do you guys need anything? Snacks, water, ice?” Your cold tone only made him feel even guiltier. This time, you didn’t even try to smile. 

“No, we’re good for now.” Until that moment, he hadn’t noticed your uniform; it suited you perfectly. The color and everything accentuated your body in ways he found enticing and infuriating. He shook his head. “But you could stick around for a bit.” Topper looked at him, confused and curious about the change in demeanor since you’d shown up. He was trying to make up for what had happened at the party and with Kelce without directly addressing the issues. 

“I—” You had been caught off guard, but you recovered quickly. “I can’t; there are other golfers who might need something, and I’m still working.”  

Rafe seemed disappointed. He knows you have to work, but he doesn’t want you to go. Topper catches the way his shoulder slightly slumps and decides to intervene. “Not even a five-minute break? I bet it can be tiring working in this heat and serving a lot of people.” He is not wrong, but still, you can’t.  

“I can’t. I have scheduled breaks, and that’s in an hour… unless you guys buy something from the cart, I can’t stay.”  

“How about a refill on golf balls? I lost some already, and I’m running low.” He has a slight smirk on his face, trying his best to loosen you up. He’s lying; he never loses a golf ball, but it was the first excuse that came to mind, and it was believable.  

“I’m not the girl for that,” you admit with a serious face, “but I know someone who can help.”  

“Can’t you make an exception? We won’t snitch,” he smirks at you. What is he trying to do? You want to wipe that smirk off his face.  

“I don’t know… I could, but only if I get a good tip.” You shrug. You could do it; yes, it wasn’t something you would normally do, but in your training, they had told you that even if it wasn’t part of your job description, you had to learn in case of a staff emergency. This was far from that, and you were still annoyed with everything related to him, so you were going to try everything to make him back off.  

“You’ve got yourself a deal,” he agreed almost immediately. You had said that so he could stop asking, but it had caused the opposite reaction. You sighed, giving up; at least you were going to get money out of this.  

“I’ll be back then… how many do you need?”  

“I’ll take three.” His smirk was still plastered on his face. Topper looked between the two of you and tried to suppress a smile at the palpable attraction between you, or rather, the attraction Rafe had for you. Topper took note of the sudden change in his mood.

“Okay, Topper, do you need anything?” you asked politely.  

“No, no, I’m fine, thanks,” he replied, to which you nodded once and walked away, saying quietly, “I’ll be back,” leaving the cart there and making your way to pick up the three golf balls. Once you were out of earshot, Topper turned to Rafe and grinned widely.  

“So you like her?” he chuckled.  

“Shut up, man,” Rafe said, glaring back at Topper.  

“I’m asking for real; you’re almost drooling.” He knew it was true; he wasn’t going to admit it, but he recognized that you had some kind of power over him, even if it was just by being there.  

“You’re being insane.”  

“Oh, I'm insane? When have you ever been like this? You’re trying too hard to get on her good side. I really never thought I’d see the day—Rafe Cameron pining over a girl who, by the way, doesn’t seem to like you.” Rafe felt exposed by what Topper was saying, so he tried to cover it up.  

“It’s not like that; she’s just… nice to look at.” Yeah, that wasn’t going to help; in fact, it was just going to make things worse. Fortunately for him, before Topper could keep poking him, you showed up again.  

You walked back with the three golf balls in your hand. “You better tip me well; I went out of my way for these three balls.” You handed them to him gently; he was a member, so you had to be nice.  

“Oh, don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll tip you well,” he smirked. He didn’t intend to sound so flirty, but it came out so naturally. Topper had to stifle a laugh; it was too funny to see Rafe like this.  

“Are you guys really sure you don’t want or need anything from the cart? Snacks? Water? Shots?” You ignored his comment and asked again, getting a little annoyed.  

“I’m really okay, thanks,” Topper answered.  

“You guys make my job harder,” you admitted to both of them.  

“Well, maybe we like making things hard for you,” Rafe teased back, and you rolled your eyes.  

“Yeah, I see that. You sent me for golf balls when I’m a bev cart girl. Bev, in case you didn’t know, means beverage.” You crossed your arms over your chest.  

“Maybe I just wanted to see you walk away in that outfit.” He was straight-up flirting with you, which annoyed you even more. Acting as if nothing had happened, who did he think he was? “Besides, I’m sure you have some way I can reward you for all this good service.” His smirk remained unfaltering.  

“I accept cash right now,” you said with a knowing smile, putting your hand out. You would never ask for tips, but it was Rafe; he had been an asshole, his friend had basically harassed you, and he made you bring him stupid golf balls. A little money was nothing; you were pretty sure he wasn’t even going to miss it.  

“Ah, ever the businesswoman,” he chuckled. “Fine.” He pulled out his wallet, took out a twenty-dollar bill, and placed it in your hand. The brief contact sent a jolt down his spine. 

“Just that?” you pushed. “I think I deserve more for all the emotional damage I had to endure.” You raised a brow at him, and he huffed.  

“Emotional damage? Are you—” he trailed off, holding his words back. He could tell you were already angry. From the Boneyard party, he knew better than to push you further. So, because he felt awful, he let it go. “Fine.” He pulled out another twenty-dollar bill. “Are you happy now?” He rolled his eyes.  

“Very,” you faked a smile. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, there are people who won’t waste my time and will tip me without me having to ask.” You rolled your eyes, walking back to your cart and driving away.  

“Fuck…” he muttered to himself.  

“Rafe, my man, you’ve got it bad,” Topper said, grabbing Rafe’s shoulders and shaking him. “Also, what did you do to that girl? It was like she was shooting daggers at you.”  

“Shut up, will you?” He shook his head. “Let’s finish this game; I can still beat you.”

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[astermagnolia]

Danny and Peter run into Jason: one-shot based on my most recent post

\/\/\/\/

Danny sighed as he shivered, still trying to get used to the spider-sense. From what he and Peter could tell it's barely only been a month since their situation and by far Spider sense has been the most annoying ability to try and learn.

"Peter tingle sucks, man," Danny mutters under his breath lest he get confused stares.

"Please for the love of everything, stop calling it peter tingle." Peter begged. If he was in control of his body at the moment he's sure his head would be on his head.

Danny's... housemate? Body...mate? Ew, no not that one. Headmate. Yeah, headmate, tried his best to explain how his sixth sense worked and how to deal with it but Danny still gets freaked out by it. Even when he's not driving the body

"Well, maybe if i didn't get tingles and shivers every time i would call it accordingly."

"It's just warning you of danger."

"Dude, we're currently staying in an area called crime alley near a place called the narrows in a city where crime is rampant. Gotham is ranked number one for 'one of the most crime-ridden cities'," Danny ranted, trying to keep his voice low and head down.

That little nugget of information was great to learn when they were doing their research. On top of learning that aliens exist and the police were corrupt. Though that last one wasn't too surprising.

"I mean, if we moved..."

"We barely have enough to feed ourselves plus your crazy metabolism. We can't move and then struggle to find a good place to bunk." Danny sighed again.

Trying to find a job is the most difficult thing at the moment considering they didn't have any ID—or any proof of existence in this world—and the fact they looked so young.

Danny took stealing from people, much to chagrin if Peter. He swore up and down he was stealing from wealthy people.

Peter on the other hand, when he was in control of his body, would try and fix anything from anyone within the area. People have started calling him 'tinkerer' and. Funnily enough, the guy who buys the stuff Danny steals calls him 'furittus'.

"Hey, look." Peter grabbed Danny's attention to what's ahead of them.

In front of them is a nice red motorcycle, the glossy coat reflecting the soft glow of the nighttime city. It was just sitting idle and unattended with no one near it or in sight.

Danny whistled appreciatively and walked closer to it. "D'ya recognize it, Pete?"

"Hmm, I think it's a Honda CB750 but...it looks heavily modified. That would cost a lot." Peter noted with a hint of admiration in his voice.

Danny hummed in thought, a playful smile growing in his face.

"Think i could steal it?" He joked.

"No!"

Danny blinked as the word practically echoed in his head, "Ow."

Pete huffed. If he had his body he would cross them and he would have a frown on his face. "Sorry for yelling, but also, that's a horrible idea. It would have cost the person so much time and money to modify the bike."

Danny rolled his eyes, "If it meant so much they wouldn't have left it here in the middle of crime alley. Just the wheels at least."

Peter sighed, "You don't even have any tools. How are you going to take the wheels?"

Danny smirked as he lifted their hand and turned it intangible. At least, that was the attempt. Their whole arm turned intangible instead.

Peter huffed, "I'll try to keep a lookout as you take the wheels then. Just like to say again, this is a horrible idea."

Danny grinned as he quietly worked to get the wheels off the rest of the bike and carefully left the bolts near the bike. It's the least he could. He has one wheel off when he pauses his work to get a better look at the engine.

"This sure is a nice looking bike." Danny says absentmindedly. "I'm really curious who it belongs to."

"I would say thank you but it looks like I'm being robbed." The gravel behind them makes noise.

Danny gasps—blue mist leaves his mouth—spinning to face the man behind them and some of the bolts fall out of his hand.

"i found it like that." Danny blurts out.

"Oh for the love–I can't even be mad, i would say the same thing. But i told you it would be a bad idea! Do you see him?? Look how huge he is!" peter ranted and hoped that Danny could feel him disappointment.

The man in front of them is huge, built like a tank and wearing a leather jacket. He has black hair with some of the front part being white. He definitely knows how to fight.

The man crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. "Why does this feel like deja vu?" He mutters. "Alright, wanna explain yourself, kid?"

Danny tries not to pout as he's called a kid, "...I just needed some money for some food." He says instead, hoping the man will take some pity.

The man stares at him, scrutinizing him and trying to come to some conclusion.

"What if he kills us?" Peter whispers.

"Welp, sorry pete but you would have erased yourself for nothing." Danny dryly replies as quiet as he can.

"Dude! Uncalled for."

"Alright, come on, follow me." The man suddenly says.

Danny jumps, his mouth dropping open "huh?"

"Food. I know a good place. The names' Jason, by the way." The man, Jason, simply says. He puts his hands in his jacket and starts heading in a direction.

"We're not actually following him, right? That's like, stranger danger one-oh-one and–nope we're just following him. That's great. That's cool. Lets just follow the guy we were stealing from."

Danny shrugged. "Free food."

Peter sighs and can only watch as Danny follows the guy. He would take control if he could, but if he forced a switch, that would only cause extreme dizziness, and it would be hard to explain their physical change, too. Peter and Danny still haven't figured out how to safely switch who is in control of the body. They just wake up and whoever is in control of the body is in control for the rest of the day, unless they're knocked out. Once, Danny was in control for three whole days.

Jason led to a fast food place called Bat Burger.

Once at the register, Jason tilted his head, "Order whatever you like and however much you like."

Danny and Peter are stunned hearing what Jason just said.

"However much I like?" Danny slowly repeated still trying to make sure he heard right.

"no way he's serious, right?"

"Yup, however much you like." Jason confirmed as he finished his order. "I'm using my old man's credit card anyway."

"...Alright, what do we want," Danny mutters and decides not to question Jason's odd decision. If they can order however much they want then they'll be able to take whatever they don't finish back to their little base, though he doubts they'll leave much.

Peter rattles off what his order, which Danny repeats and then he orders what he wants.

One thing Peter is grateful for, despite their circumstances, is that when he is stuck in his head, he can still taste whatever Danny is eating and vice versa.

The cashier stares in horror but then deeply sighs. They ring up their order, gives them their cups, and tell them to sit anywhere.

They grab their drinks and the two sit in the corner booth.

Jason places his hands on the table, "So, kid, what can i call ya?'

Danny jumps at the sudden question and stutters out, "Uh, our name is–I mean, my, my name is Danny."

The rest of the night goes by strangely but nicely. Jason asks one too many questions—about their non-existent home life which is nice—and that leads Danny to tell Jason to shove them, much to Peter's horror.

Danny does pretty much eat everything and as much as he wants to ask Jason about his strange ecto signature, he lets it go in favor of being left alone.

"That guy was weird. My spider sense didn't, you know, sense him." Peter admits, suspicion and weariness oozing from his voice.

Danny shrugs, "It's a big city. I doubt we'll run into him again."

\/\/\/\/

Peter luck strikes again.

If peter ever got the chance, he'll hang Danny up by his feet. He will find some way to neutralize his abilities and web him up.

"Hey, you're welcome to try, pete!" Danny says through his laughing.

In front of Peter is Jason, the man that fed them just a few weeks ago.

And is currently staring down at Peter with an intense stare.

Next to Jason is another man with tanned skin, black hair, and blue eyes. He's smiling widely, coming off as friendly.

"Do you two know each other?" The man tilted his head, trying to start a conversation.

"Uh, no, sorry, it's my first time seeing him...and you," Peter replies and looks down at the watches he's holding. He'd been told to fix them and the people they belonged too were loyal customers. He didn't think one of them would be Jason.

"Nah, i don't know 'em. He just looks familiar." Jason replies. He squints, scowling in thought. "You don't happen to have a twin do you? One with Black hair and blue eyes."

Peter wants to shrivel up and die.

Danny definitely isn't helping as he wheezes, laughing at Peter's misfortune.

Danny, what do I say?!

"Tell them yes and that we've been separated and you have been living with your uncle!"

By some miracle, Peter was able to sell his grief and ask Jason if he'd seen him. He's not sure how he did it since his lying pretty subpar most days. He was still baffled about lying to Aunt May for as long as he did.

"Oh, that's so sad," The man, Dick Grayson, stated with empathy in his eyes. "Why don't you file a missing person report? They could help..." He weakly says.

Jason sighs, placing a hand on his forehead. "Dick i swear to god..."

Peter stares baffled. Did this man not know Gotham police? How does he explain why going to the police is not a good idea, for one, the corruption, and two because Danny—by extension Peter as well—do not exist. So he cant file a missing person report.

"ACAB, bitch!"

"ACAB, bitch!" Peter blurts out the only thing in his mind and slaps a hand over his mouth. Danny's loud voice was the only thing on his mind. He couldn't think of anything else.

Danny was laughing hysterically about the situation Peter found himself in.

Dicks mouth dropped open, shocked by the sudden exclaim.

Jason begins to snicker which turns into a full blown belly aching laughter. He leaned on the counter and slapped Dick's shoulder.

"He–HAHAHH! Ohhh man. Kid I just met, you're incredible. heehe–" Jason erupted into another fit of laughter.

Peter stands in embarrassment and tired of this whole thing. He just wants the world to open up and swallow him. Saves him from the embarrassment.

"You're stuck with me Peter, whether you like it or not!" Danny exclaims through laughter.

At the very least, Peter isn't alone.

\/\/\/\/\/

This is all i had running through my head. I cannot promise any part 2 or anything

Some notes:

Jason's personal bike and red hood bike are different. And obviously hard to find an exact model since they change with different iterations and, ya know, trademark law and all. The bike i mentioned is one iteration that seemed the most obvious since someone was able to name it.

I think the earliest spiderman gave peter Parker a bike. I haven't seen anyone put an exact name on it but, funnily enough, its also a Honda

I hope I did the characters justice <3

[wonyology]

The Years Next Door (m!reader x Babymonster's ASA) - part III

part I - part II - part IV (done) - epilogue

masterlist

Summary: Enami Asa - one of, if not the most important person in your life - moved in next door a few years ago. You didn't know it back then. It started with an awkward first meeting, a shared family dinner and washing dishes together. Looking back now, you still remember it like it was yesterday. But when did things change between two of you? You don't know for sure - once things shifted, there was no going back for either of you.

tags(?): fluff, ups and downs, angst, you'll see when you read it

ASA x yourself/Original Male Character

Word count: ~17k - i didn't even know it was gonna be this long lol, umm maybe u guys can guess the ending while waiting for part IV? have fun~~ (also i took some inspirations from 'twinkling watermelon', you'll know the scene when u see it)

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

2020

That feeling - a little too comfortable, a little too complicated to explain. Neither you nor Asa ever brought it up, so life just kept moving. Walking to school together, sharing headphones, snacks, umbrellas… You two were like that one couple in a teenage romance that clearly liked each other but never got together, even at the end. Always orbiting, never colliding.

Spending time with her, however, was never boring. Asa usually spoke in Japanese whenever she was mad, or when she didn’t want you to understand something. That somehow made you fall for her even harder. Over time, you also started picking up on the patterns. You noticed how Asa always covered her mouth whenever she smiled or laughed really hard at your dumb jokes. You noticed how Asa always slipped into a trance when she was sketching, writing - like she was in her own world, brows almost touching each other like the sketchbook owed her something. She still denies it now, but you know, you always pay attention to her. Maybe too much, sometimes.

She was chasing her own ambitions, but she never forgot you were there. You’d moved to sit behind her, part of you missed sitting beside her - taking a glance at Asa whenever you wanted, her daydreaming in class, the way she looked at you whenever she came across a difficult question in an exam, or her nodding off during afternoon classes…

Cute.

But hey, sitting behind Asa also had its perks. Whispering dumb jokes, poking her with your pen just to get a reaction, talking about those dumb discussions on the Internet… The best part, you could play with her hair. With the other boys, Asa was friendly, nice but not one of them was ever this close to her. You were the only who she allowed, or maybe even encouraged to braid, twist or just fidget with her hair in class. There was this one time, the teacher couldn’t make it to class. Your classroom was a war zone - noises, laughter, chaos everywhere. You were zoning out, probably thinking of something dumb while looking out the window, like whether people in Seoul would realistically survive if a zombie outbreak ever broke out? Your guess: a big no no. Just then, Asa shook her head a few times, her long hair brushing against your hands. What was she trying to do? She turned around, lips slightly puckered, pretending to be annoyed. Then she playfully slapped your hands with her hair before turning back around, face slightly blushing.

Oh. My bad. Right away, princess.

What about you? Well, aside from Asa and a few of your hobbies - it felt like all you did back then was chasing medals and taekwondo practice. Homework piled up. Training never seemed to stop. Your limbs ached more than usual. Maybe it was starting to get to you. Did you really enjoy taekwondo? Amidst all that, Asa always noticed whenever you were worn out. She would slip a note to you in class, with cute doodles saying: 

“힘내~” (Fighting~)

“괜찮아? ㅇㅅㅇ”  (Are you ok? ㅇㅅㅇ) 

“뭐생각행 ^^” (What are you thinking^^)

Those always cheered you up, even if you were too tired to show it. Walking to school and back home with her, still your favorite part of the day. 

And then, the world changed.

Covid hit.

At first, you all thought it was cool to have an unexpected break. Then school was postponed, online classes became the norm. It stopped being fun pretty fast. No more poking at her with your pen, or playing with her hair.

Both of your dads, being doctors at the same research center, knew how dangerous it was. They tried not to scare everyone, but the way they came home tired, quiet after work just showed. It even got to the point that they had to limit how often you and Asa could visit - even though you lived next door. Then one day, they didn’t come home at all. They had to be quarantined - staying at the research center for over 2 months, working day and night.

The world was harsh on everyone, on your families. But hey, you and Asa had each other. You talked through the window late at night, voices low, sometimes even scratchy through the glasses. Or you would wait until everyone is asleep, then slide the windows open just enough to hear each other. 

“Asa-ah?”

“Huh?”

“Nothing, just bored.”

She laughed, quietly. “Me too.”

“Do you think our dads are okay?” she asked, the way a good daughter would - trying hard not to sound too worried.

“I think so. My dad just called my mom, she said she saw your dad sleeping on the floor in the background.” you replied, just loud enough for her to hear.

“I hope they come home soon.”

Me too.

If it was hard to hear what each other said, you both got creative and turned into that guy and Taylor Swift in the “You belong to me” music video - holding up boards and writing what you wanted to say.  Sometimes, you two didn’t even know what to say. Just there to enjoy each other’s presence. Listening to the same night air. Just two windows apart. It was just about being there.

Late night movie watching was fun too. You both tried to start the movie at the same time - “Wait for me, okay? Three… two, ONE!” - sometimes through video calls, sometimes through your windows with screens glowing in the dark. It felt nice, looking over and seeing each other’s reaction from the window or on the corner of the video call. Other times, you’d watch her instead of the movie.

“Wi Ha Joon looks hot. I think he’d be a great boyfriend.” she commented, while you two were binging Squid Games one night. 

“Really? I mean, he looks good. Don’t know about the boyfriend part tho.” you replied, a hint of jealousy in your voice.

“Girls’ instinct. He’s handsome, six pack, and I watched his interviews too. You wouldn’t know.” she smirked.

Ouch. Excuse me, I’m not bad myself. I got girls chasing me too. I do taekwondo so, duh.  And I treat you like a princess… Maybe even when we are just friends. Well… friends?

That night after finishing a few episodes, your windows went dark. Your phone suddenly lit up.

[김아사🌸]

yah…

you’re not mad at me or anything, right?

the wi ha joon thingy…

You left it on read, maybe for too long. You didn’t know how to reply right away. Not because you were mad. Just processing. She said he would be a great boyfriend just like that. Like you wouldn’t understand. Okay, maybe you were a bit salty? You had abs, thanks to taekwondo practice. You won competitions, girls liked you. She said it, like it meant nothing. 

[준혁선베🥋]

nah

not mad

[김아사🌸]

ㅜㅜ u only text short like this when ur mad

Gotcha. But what were you supposed to say?

[준혁선베🥋]

no im not mad

what are u saying ㅋㅋㅋ

[김아사🌸]

i was just joking 

i don’t mean it like that

i just say dumb things like that sometimes

You were in no position to be mad at her for something like this. Asa didn’t owe you anything. It just stung… Maybe just a little bit.

[준혁선베🥋]

what are u saying, kim asa?

i know you’re joking ㅎㅎ

i’m just a bit tired, math class fried my brain today

[김아사🌸]

ooh me tooo

but you’re good at math, i slept the whole class today ㅋㅋㅋ

You really hoped she didn’t know you were bluffing. Your brain weren’t fried from math class. Her voice was just in your head.

“I think he’d be a great boyfriend”. What about me?

[준혁선베🥋]

i should report u to ms. sieun

[김아사🌸]

try me, you big meanie

[준혁선베🥋]

sleep before i block u, dummy

i’m getting sleepy

[김아사🌸]

it’s still early ㅜㅜ

don’t leave me up alone

nooooo

You looked at the time on the top of your phone. 1:39AM. No, it wasn’t early. You two were now just used to staying late together.

[준혁선베🥋]

go to sleep asa-ah

we still have a lot time 

[김아사🌸]

…

okay, good night

u meanie

*emoticon of a duck crying*

Heh, cute.

You then tossed the phone aside, letting out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. It wasn’t really something that big. But tonight felt different. Why did one offhand comment just sit with you like this? You tried your best not to give it much thought, gaslighting yourself that it was just you being childish.

Throughout Covid and all those months at home, there wasn’t a single day that you and Asa didn’t talk, text or call each other. Even when things got a bit hectic, you both tried to take a break to just be there for each other. It had become a routine. Video calls showed you sides of her that she never showed to anyone - messy bun, oversized t-shirt, the way she hugged her pillow when she was half asleep, sketching without realizing she was biting the collar of her shirt again…

“Are you still up, Kim Asa? You look like you were just dozing off.”

“No, I’m not.” she said, eyes barely open.

“You look like a ghost right now.” you smiled.

“Maybe I am. Boo.”

“Ghosts don’t send me selfies with eye masks on.”

You loved those selfies of hers. She didn’t know, but you secretly saved every single one of those. 

“Want me to hang up?” you asked.

“No… Just talk. I’ll listen.”

She always did that. Staying on the call even when she was drifting, just to hear your voice.

Then came her birthday. The streets were still quiet. Your dads were still sleeping at the research center. So you did what you could. That night, you wrote on a board: “Happy birthday Kim Asa” in big, uneven bubble letters along with a few bunnies - which you tried to cut and decorated in the cutest way possible.

[준혁선베🥋]

look outside, birthday girl

A few minutes later, her curtains twitched. She peeked out. She squinted at the board, the broke into the softest laugh ever. A second later, she opened her window.

“Yah, your handwriting is so bad.” she called softly.

“Hehe, happy birthday. Guess who stayed up until 3AM to cut and decorate paper bunnies?”

“You didn’t have to…”

Then you held up something - a small pink box, clumsily wrapped.

“I’ll leave by your gate later. Don’t open ‘til I say it.”

“What is it?”

“I dunno. Wi Ha Joon’s number. Maybe, if you behave.”

She rolled her eyes at you, smile still lingered. That night, she sent you a photo of your gift, a hand-sewn felt keychain.

[김아사🌸] sent a photo.

[김아사🌸]

is this a fox? ㅋㅋㅋ

[준혁선베🥋]

excuse me? that’s a really cute rabbit, young lady

just a little mutated ㅎㅎ

still, made with my blood, sweet and tears

[김아사🌸]

ㅇㅅㅇ didn’t know you know how to sew

[준혁선베🥋]

mom taught me, sorry i didn’t get u anything meaningful

covid sucks

[김아사🌸]

noooo

i luv it ㅋㅋ

even if it’s a bit mutated lol

[준혁선베🥋]

look under its butt, there’s a piece of paper

You waited.

[김아사🌸] sent a photo.

It was a photo of a few coupons you made, a bit crumpled.

1 free snack from the school vending machine, 1 walk from home in silence (or full gossip, her choice), 1 emergency homework rescue, 1 ticket to the movies with the one and only Seo Joonhyuk. No expiration date.

 [김아사🌸]

ㅋㅋㅋㅋ who taught u all this

[준혁선베🥋]

use it whenever u want lol

happy birthday

[김아사🌸]

thanks for this

i really love it

really

i love it

Well done, Joonhyuk. Well done…

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

Late 2020 - 2022

Things went by so fast. Online classes dragged on, until limited gatherings were permitted. Schools were partially opened, with lots of restrictions of course. Still, you were excited to see each other, in person - next to each other.

Asa seemed different. More confident. More outgoing. She started speaking more in class, becoming more active in club activities - but she was still Asa, your Asa. Still covered her laugh in that feminine, beautiful fashion, still muttered in Japanese whenever she was annoyed or shy.

And you? It felt like you got taller. Broader. Sports and taekwondo really helped. Your voice deeper, your laugh rougher. You didn’t think much of it, but Asa noticed. She was just a few centimeters shorter than you when you first met, now - she barely reached shoulder. You teased her once on the way home, calling her “pocket sized”. She rolled her eyes, but the corner of her mouths moved up in that way you always remembered.

People also started noticing. Your science teacher paused one day while handing out a quiz.

“Huh, the two of you have grown a lot… Seems closer, too.”

You just laughed it off, while Asa pretended to be busy zipping her pencil case. But she was smiling.

Your parents noticed too. One evening, you were getting something for your mom on the top shelf when dad squinted at you.

“Since when did you get taller?” 

“Really, dad? Is it that noticeable?”

“Nah, you’re still my boy.” dad grinned. “Just… over 180 now.” It surprised you too. Somewhere between all the calls, the practices, and walking home with Asa, you’d grown.

When the government finally lifted restrictions on public places, Asa wasted no time.

[김아사🌸]

joonhyuk

get dressed

we’re going out 

don’t forget to bring ur money too

It wasn’t exactly allowed. Your families would’ve scolded you both if they found out - dads being doctors, cases still high, staying inside, all that. But you’d been locked inside for what felt like decades now. Plus, being with Asa was never a bad thing. It was worth the risk. 

You secretly climbed over the wall in your backyard. She snuck out, with the help of her sisters (with much convincing). You two met each other at the corner of the block like it was a secret mission. Mask on, hoodies up, sanitizer ready in your pocket. You didn’t even ask her where you were going. But you were thinking about it in your head. 

During lockdown, Asa developed a habit. You two bombarded each other with dumb Tiktoks. But she had a pattern. Every few days, she’d send you those Tiktoks, sometimes suspicious, sometimes random. 

“Hidden cafe, ideal for couples in Apgujeong-dong”

“Up your game with these fits”

“Outfits that give K-drama main lead energy”

“Try to style your fits according to these rules”

When you asked, she said your style wasn’t bad - nice even, it just needed some upgrading. You watched every one of those and started to imagine being outside. With her.

She took you everywhere. The slightly over-priced stationary shop she called her “art heaven”. A quiet cafe with bear-shaped bottles. A tiny pop up gallery she said was “vibey but a bit underwhelming.” And then cloth shopping, for both you and her.

“Come on,” she grabbed arm before you could even protest.

“What now?”

“We need new clothes. Especially you, you’ve been dressing like a gym teacher ever since the lockdown.”

She took you to one of those small, really niche boutiques full of clothes for young people she saw on Tiktok in Seongsu-dong. Oversized shirts, clean wide pants, creative color palettes. Everything felt like they belonged on a K-drama set. As you two wandered around, she held up a beige jacket, turning it side to side before nodding to herself.

“Try this. You’re tall. This will look good.”

You just followed Asa. Didn’t argue. She picked a few more things and shoved them into your arms, rushing you into the dressing room.

You tried everything on. Stepping out, you felt like you were 7 again, trying out clothes with mom at the mall.

“See, I told you I know best.” she smiled while tilting her head.

Yeah, she really does know best.

She tried on some stuff too, taking her time picking everything out. She said she “wanted your opinion”. You didn’t mind tho, it was Asa who you were spending time with. Watching her browse through those racks with a smile on her face brought you 10 days worth of happiness.

“What do you think?” she walked out, spinning around with a blush on her cheeks to give you a show.

She was in a cropped blouse with soft plural patterns, hands nervously fiddling with her sleeves. Damn, you almost forgot how to breathe.

“Too big?” 

“No.” you said, too quickly. “Looks nice, suits you really well.”

You both paused. Then smiled, sneaking out with her was worth it.

When you left the store, Asa tried to carry her bags - like always, But you stopped her with a simple “Give it to me.”

You took everything from her without waiting for a reply. And for a second, Asa looked at you like she wanted to say something, but didn’t. And honestly, she didn’t need to. You thought it was the end of the trip, until she tugged at your arm.

“One more stop.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Your hair, it’s been like that since the start of lockdown - that upside down bowl on your head.”

“Not like I had the chance to go out and cut it.”

“Right, let’s solve it right now.”

You guys arrived at a quiet little salon, the sign was mostly in Japanese, soft instrumental playing inside - one of the hidden finds she’d probably bookmarked while staying up late. This place sure smelled citrus and hairspray. As you took your seat, she scrolled through her phone and showed the stylist a muted TikTok.

“Something like this really suits him.” She said, in Japanese.

The stylist squinted at the phone screen. She looked at you, then back at Asa with a smile.

“Oh yeah, I can see that. Are you taking your boyfriend out for a haircut?”

Asa smiled, hands waving.

“Ah, no–” she answered quickly, still in Japanese.

“Uhm, he’s my neighbor. We’re close friends.”

You looked at the stylist’s expression, she smiled, you didn’t speak Japanese but you knew she clearly didn’t buy whatever Asa said. No one really did when it came to the two of you. 

“Got it. So we’re doing a light trim, and soft side perm? Ivy League?”

“Yes please, Maybe keep some volume on top, uhmm… the top should be up a bit like this. Just like in the video.”

“Okay.”

What are they saying?

You’d always paid attention to your appearance ever since puberty hit, or more when Asa moved next door. Just that you always opted for that signature Korean two block cut, styling it for that wavy look every once in a while. You’d tried doing side perm in the past too, it was okay - it wasn’t your taste back then. It looked good on you, at least that was what your close friends said. You did mention wanting to try a buzz cut once. Once you told Asa that, she glared at you, threatening to end your friendship on the spot if you ever dared try it.

Trying something new today won’t hurt, I guess.  

Sensing your concern, the stylist smiled.

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you achieve that boyfriend material look today.”

While the stylist was working her magic, you just sat back and relaxed. Snippets of conversation here and there with her, it was comforting. Meanwhile, Asa was in the back, scrolling on her phone, pretending not to be watching your reflection the entire time. 10 minutes or haircut, 30 minutes of perming your back and sides - it was done. 

The stylist stepped aside, feeling so proud of her work.

“She wasn’t kidding when she said it would suit you.”

You caught Asa’s reflection in the mirror. Her lips pressed, cheeks lifted - trying not to smile. That smug little glow in her eyes.

“You owe me this one.”

You didn’t say it out loud, but… Damn, you were feeling yourself too. And the way she was looking at you? It made you feel even better.

On the way, you felt like she couldn’t stop stealing glances. You - carrying both your bags of new clothing, stationary items, rocking a new haircut, Asa on your side - were on cloud nine. That night, she posted a story on IG, a blurry street photo with the corner of your shoulder in frame, with Bolbbalgan4's ‘Galaxy’ playing in the background. You also posted a story on IG - a selfie with your new haircut, caption saying “New hair, same dummy”. 

See that? Comfort, peace… We were inches away from something else, something more. Almost there… Why wouldn’t either of us just say it already?

Asa didn’t stop at haircuts and clothing. That girl just kept sending you links - perfumes that smelled like “someone who reads”, sneakers that “match your vibe”, watches that scream “I’m a stylish guy, but not in a cocky way”. She really knew what suited you, better than yourself.

Also, what is this? Build-a-boyfriend?

Your mom started noticing too. 

“Asa has good taste” she said once while passing by you looking at a cologne Asa recommended.

“When did you start switching to Japanese products, Joonie?” 

You knew, mom.

-

Time went by. You continued to dominate your age group, too easily - some said. After that gold medal at Jamsil Student Gymnasium, as you won more and more - you were in the eyes of the taekwondo national team board. People were sent to your house - a bunch of yes men in clean suits trying their best to convince mom and dad to let you come to Suwon, go to a sports centralized school to focus on taekwondo. 

“You’ve got real potential. You will definitely represent our country.”

Props to them, they made it sound really easy.  Like it was your only path in life. After they left, the living room felt strange but your parents were clearly impressed. However, as your dad was flipping through the brochure they left behind, he finally said after a long pause.

“They weren’t wrong, Joonhyuk-ah. You’ve work so hard for this, but…”

“It’s your life. You’re still our son. Still my little boy” mom added, wrapping her hands around your head to hug you.

“We will support your choice, honey. Whatever it is.”

“We have always been proud of you, kiddo.”

You didn’t say anything right away. Just nodded, grateful. The decision was heavy, but at least it was yours.

That night, you didn’t sleep. Taekwondo, parents, the neighborhood, friends, high school… everything was running around in your head when your phone suddenly buzzed.

[김아사🌸]

guess what 

i saw a tiktok

now i made toast but i used soy sauce instead of syrup ㅜㅜㅜ

ahhh, is it too late to call an ambulance?

You smiled. Oh right, if you left for Suwon, you would have to leave Asa, too… Your thumbs hovering, then finally typed.

[준혁선베🥋]

why are u like this, kim asa ㅋㅋㅋ

[김아사🌸]

the tiktok said it would taste nice

[준혁선베🥋]

drink some water and rethink your life choices 

[김아사🌸]

rude

im dying from soy sauce poisoning and ur bullying??

*angry loopy emoticon*

i’ll haunt u

as soy sauce ghost

boo

You laughed, maybe a bit too loud in the dark, shoulders weren’t tenseed anymore. Somehow, her dumb messages were the only thing that kept you from overthinking everything. No… you couldn’t leave life in Seoul behind, especially if it involved this cute little soy sauce ghost.

The next morning, you told your parents about your decision to stay in Seoul. 

“Uhm… I’m staying. I’ll apply to the same academic highschool here. I think I can balance training and studying here.”

They didn’t say much - just exchanged glances with each other. Your dad then rubbed your head and said:

“Alright. Give it your best, son. Work hard and don’t regret it.”

Just before you leave for school, mom pulled you in for a quick hug.

“Thanks for staying with us, baby.” You smiled, too.

-

It was a late afternoon after school, the two of you sitting next to each other outside the convenience store, the same one where you first showed her around the neighborhood. Banana milk in her hands, snacks opened on yours. It was breezy, the sun had started dipping, casting that soft golden glow on her hair.

Still beautiful, just like that day I showed you around.

“Joonhyuk-ah? Do you think we’ll get in?” She suddenly asked.

“Highschool, I mean.”

You looked at the sky.

“Yeah. Should be fine. I’m applying to Seoul Jungang.”

“Me too.” She smiled softly. “Our grades are great, we should get in easily. I think I’ll focus on art there.”

You hesitated - the Suwon thing, you hadn’t told her yet.

Is this the right time?

“I got an offer from Suwon. For taekwondo.”

Her head snapped towards you. “What?”

“Uhm… sports highschool. They wanted me to move there. Full training, scholarship, too.”

She didn’t move, but the banana milk almost fell out of her hand. 

“You didn’t say anything to me…”

“Sorry… Didn’t think I needed to. I said no to them.” You didn’t dare to look her in the eyes.

“Why?”

“I just didn’t want to leave Seoul.” now turning to look at her, you said quickly.

“It didn’t feel right, I guess.”

Something in her eyes shifted, you could feel it. Anger? Disappointment? Sadness? You didn’t know. But it sure was scary to you.

“Do you know how big of an opportunity that is, Seo Joonhyuk?” Yeah, you’re in trouble. Full name now.

“You’ve trained your whole life for this.”

“For fuck’s sake, you’re not my mom.” Fuck… It came out of your mouth faster than you could think.

“I know what I did and what I trained for.” Asa knew you swore, just not around her - only with your other friend groups. Never around her. Never at her. Not like this.

Her lips parted, then closed again. She was clearly hurt by what you just said. Her brows now pulled together, like she was trying to hold herself back.

“So you’re staying here. For what, you dummy?” she asked, voice soft, stunned. “Because of me?”

You stayed silent.

“Joonhyuk-ah” she said again, voice now low.

“Look me in the eyes and tell me I’m not the reason you said no.”

“There were a lot of things that affected my decision, okay?”

“So you didn’t deny it either.” You let out a breath, just realizing how big of a mistake it is for telling her about your big decision like this. 

“Why does it matter? I’m happy with the decision, Asa-ah.”

She calmly set the banana milk on the table before taking a deep breath, adding to the tension between you two. 

“Because I don’t want to be the one to hold you back.” 

“What? You’re not…” you frowned.

“What if I am, huh? Then what?” her voice wasn’t loud, but it was sharp. It wasn’t like the other times when she was mad at you. This was real. 

“What if later, when everything’s harder, you blame me for staying? What if you regret staying?”

You looked at her - something about the look in her eyes made your chest tighten.

“I promise. I won’t ever blame you.” you said. “You know what I think about you, Asa…”

The silence became too long, too heavy.

Asa stood up first, brushing off her skirt.

“Let’s just go home.” she mumbled. You nodded, following. But this time, she didn’t wait for you.

Watching her walk ahead did something to your heart. Every part of your body told you to fix things before it was too late. So you did. You ran up and reached out - not thinking, grabbing her hand. She stopped. Asa’s hand was small. Tense. Warm. This was your first time holding her hand. You’d never held it before. Not like this.

“Please don’t be mad at me.” you said, voice rough but filled with guilt.

“I’m sorry. For earlier. I got mad and swore at you… I didn’t mean it like that.’”

She turned around, not quite looking at you yet - but her fingers didn’t move.

“I… uh, I’ve never talked to you like that before. I don’t want to. Please don’t be mad at me.”

No response. You held her hand a bit tighter, afraid that she would pull away.

“I panicked… I didn’t want you to think that you were the reason I refused the offer. You’re not…” You swallowed.

“I mean, you mean something to me. I wanted to stay. Because Seoul matters. You matter.”

Asa just stood there, her face still ridden with hurt. Then, without looking at you, she turned around and just said:

“I’m tired. Let’s just go home.”

You really messed up. Big time. But as you slowly let go of her hand - she didn’t, for some reason. She held your hand, just for a bit longer, not squeezing, not pulling away either. 

-

The walk home was filled with tension, no words were said. Something between you two changed - something cracked. Even though you two were walking side by side again, it didn’t feel good, not like before. It was you and Asa’s first real fight - it exposed something unsaid between you two, while also hinting at how much harder things might get in the future.

The next morning, Asa acted like nothing ever happened.

You were waiting outside, like always - same routine, same backpack slung over one shoulder. Unsure if she’d even show up. Surprisingly, she did.

“Morning, dummy. Why are you staring at me like that?”

“Uh… nothing. Morning.”

She didn’t bring up the fight. Not the Suwon offer, not the apology, not you two’s first hand holding or the awkward silent walk home or the silence last night. It felt like she’d folded it all up and hid somewhere you couldn’t reach. 

“Did you sleep standing up last night?’ she grinned. “You look like a kicked puppy.”

“Huh?”

She slipped out her earbuds, popped it into her ear and tiptoed to reach yours, placing the other one in for you. Then, before getting fully down, her hands touched your cheeks…

What?

Baam.

Asa playfully slapped you, grinning. “Music, dummy. What’s wrong with you today? Wanna walk in silence like we’re strangers?”

You shook your head and started walking together. You two talked during the walk to school too. Her complaining about the school schedule, joking about how she was going to fake her height to look taller in the yearbook. Did she erase the whole thing overnight - that easy?

“Yah, Kim Asa. Wanna eat something together tonight? After the hakwon? I’ll pay. Government funding.” you asked, half joking, half trying to see if she really forgave, enough to eat together.

Her eyes lit up.

“Ooh, you still remember that thing, huh? Okay, only if you’re paying.”

There she was, your Asa was back, with that smile of hers, that playful tone. You were relieved, but kept sneaking glances, somehow this whole thing wasn’t really convincing just yet. No matter how normal she acted - something told you the fight from last night was still there. 

-

Time went by. Ever since that day outside the convenience store - since the fight, the apology - you couldn’t help but feel like something between the two of you had shifted. Not broken. Just bent. But Asa kept acting like nothing happened.

But you both got in. Results came out in January. That morning, you were still in bed, wearing nothing but shorts, hand trembling a bit as you clicked through the  website.

Accepted: Seoul Jungang High School

You stared at it for a moment, heart pounding. You didn’t even begin to type yet.

[김아사🌸]

im in. you?

You smiled, thumbs moving.

[준혁선베🥋]

ur stuck with me for the new few years btw

[김아사🌸]

ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

told you we’d get in

[준혁선베🥋]

get ready

let’s get something to eat, my treat

[김아사🌸]

okayyyyy

10 minutes

At least, it felt peaceful. Even for now. You walked there together. Same old street. But the mood was suddenly lighter. You held the door open for her. She didn’t say thanks - just bumped your arms but hers and walked in.

Like usual, you were the one who grabbed the basket, trailing behind her as you both moved through the familiar aisles. Asa kept tossing things in. You, on the other hand, were spacing out. Eyes on her, but your mind was gone. The memories of that day came flooding back in. “What if I’m the one holding you back?”

You didn’t realize you’d spaced out until she hit your arm with a bag of chips.

“Yah, Seo Joonhyuk. Are you okay? That head of yours still broken or what?”

“Just… thinking.” you mumbled.

“Chocolate or latte?”

“Chocolate. Always?”

“Hah, you still have the taste buds of a 6 year old.” Asa said, laughing before tossing a bottle of chocolate milk into the basket.

Walking outside after everything was done, the cold air hit sharp again. You found the usual bench, side by side, food in hands, just chewing, sipping, watching people go about their days. For a while, neither of you said anything. Suddenly, Asa leaned against you - not too heavy, just enough that her head was rested on your shoulder.

“Hey” she said quietly. “Don’t overthink about that day.”

Your chest tightened. Before you could respond, she added:

“I already forgave you. Now I want my dummy back.”

It hit you harder than you thought it would. You didn’t know how long you’d been holding your breath until you finally let out:

“...Thanks. I’m sorry… I really didn’t mean it. What I said that day…”

For a second, you felt her shifted slightly by your side. She didn’t say anything yet - lips still sipping her banana milk. Then she reached up, her hands ruffled your hair gently.

“Yeah, you sounded like a jerk that day.”

You winced. “I know.”

“But…” her hands now moved down to the corner of your lips, finger moving it up,

“Still, you’re the only jerk I treasure. So you don’t get to disappear just because you mess up.”

Your eyes now really met her - and there it was. That smile, real, lovely, only for you.

“Next time,” she said. “Please don’t treat me like I’m someone who you have to hide things from.”

You smiled. “Okay.”

Then she held up her bottle of banana milk, shaking to signal you to hold up your chocolate milk.

“To getting into high school.” she said.

“And being forgiven by Kim Asa.” you added. The two bottles clinking against each other.

She grinned. It all felt better now. Thanks to her.

-

The first year of high school went by faster than you thought. That orientation day came with stiff collars, new sneakers, also way too many unfamiliar faces crammed into one school. You and Asa arrived together, like always - shoulder to shoulder, backpacks bumping as you walked side by side through the gates of Seoul Jungang High school for the first time. You’d seen her in that new uniform in the morning, sure - it hit even harder under the school sunlight. The blazer fit her so well, skirt pressed, hair pinned back for once. Asa looked good, way too good.

“Why are you staring at me, you dummy?” she muttered, eyes avoiding yours as blushes began to form on her cheeks.

“Nothing.. you look mature.” you replied.

“Well, you’re not too bad yourself.” she snorted, but there was a flicker of something in her smile. 

The two of you joined the crowd of first years crowding around the bulletin board, chaos by the way. Asa leaned in closer, scanning the list, maybe for the both of you.

“Class 1-4.” she read aloud. “Enami Asa… And, Seo Joonhyuk?”

Yessss, as you quietly celebrated in your head.

She turned to you slowly, eyes wide.

“No way.” you both said at the same time. 

She bursted out laughing, the laugh that always triggered something in your heart.

“I guess I really am stuck with you.”

You grinned. Well, I’m glad that’s the case.

“Excuse me, I do my fair share helping you back in middle school too, young lady.” you shot back.

She put her hands up, surrendering.

“Okay, okay, we’re even.”

Still, she didn’t stop smiling. Neither did you.

Class 1-4 was on the third floor. You walked together, slowly, with Asa half-dragging her feet, already complaining about the stairs.

“I miss middle school. Everything was closer.”

“Tired already?” you asked.

She huffed, dramatically. “I need a personal elevator.”

I could carry you on my back to class everyday, if you want.

When you two got to class, it was filled up already. Students hovered near the windows, some already claiming seats with their bags tossed onto chairs, while you two just stood there awkwardly. Everything was loud, new, and unfamiliar. Then the homeroom teacher walked in, clapping her hands to get everyone’s attention.

“Alright, everybody. Quiet, please.” she said.

“You can pick your seat for now. We’ll assign them officially next week.” 

As soon as the teacher finished speaking, the room burst into motion. Bags shuffled. Screaming. Some kids rushed for the back like it was Black Friday, some weirdly calmly walked to the front. Then, Asa turned to you with that grin, “C’mon” she said -  reaching down and grabbing your hand. Just like that, no warning. Just enough to pull you along, like she did that a thousand times already.

She led you toward the second to last row by the windows - prime real estate, probably best seats ever - before throwing her backpack on the left seat and sliding into it. You followed, sitting next to her, still feeling the trace of her fingers on yours. 

A few glanced your way. Probably assuming, gossips forming in their minds. You notice it. So did Asa. But she didn’t care, already digging through her cute pencil case like it didn’t matter.

“You’re lucky, you know that?” she said, casually.

“I could’ve picked anyone. But I chose you.”

“Really?” you played along “Why didn’t you?”

She didn’t look at you this time, lips smiling at her notebook.

“Your high school years would be miserable without me.”

Yeah, she was right.

The class was slowly settling as some students found their seats. A few of them looked like they were ready to square up, fighting for the last good seats. You and Asa sat there - like it was already decided, like it was fate. A few minutes later, the homeroom teacher walked around, clipboard in her hands to check names and make notes. She stopped by your row, glancing at Asa, then you.

“Hmm, are you two close?” her eyes flickered, noticing how relaxed you guys looked next to each other.

You opened your mouth, but Asa beat you to it.

“We’re next door neighbors, Ms. Since middle school.” she said.

The teacher blinked, then smiled - just a quiet kind of understanding.

“Seo Joonhyuk… Hmm, you’re that special taekwondo kid the principal was talking about, right?”

The whole class turned to look at you. Your ears were already burning. 

“Uhm... I wanted to stay in Seoul.” you mumbled, still shy.

The teacher’s gaze stayed on you for a bit - curious, maybe amused - then she smiled. 

“Well, our school’s never had an athletic talent like you before, so... welcome, you two can sit next to each other.” she walked away - leaving behind a few whispers, glances and Asa was looking out the window like none of it fazed her. But her smile, it made your whole weekend.

Academically, the two of you kept pace - late night studying, in her room or yours, passing notes under the desk, sometimes competing to see who’d score higher - you’d purposely lose to her sometimes, just to see her smiling. That quiet competitiveness, it made you both better. The two of you worked well together, always had. You two weren’t loud, weren’t flashy. But somehow, it was easy to tell that the two of you… just clicked. The teachers noticed too.

Your math teacher always said that you two were like an old married couple. Ms. Taeha always smiled a little whenever she passed by your desks, watching you check Asa’s notes while she doodled hearts on them. 

“Cute couple, aren’t they?” she told the class once. You both pretended not to hear it. Maybe, the teachers were rooting for you and Asa, too.

You started making headlines, too. As you swept through national taekwondo competitions - gold after gold, your school was mentioned in articles, for the first time ever in that context. A taekwondo prodigy, coming out of an academic school? Never before. Interviews of you surfaced on social media, clips of you dominating matches on national TV. Of course people noticed. Especially the girls. They whispered in the schoolyard, eyes on your back in the hallway. Some even showed up to practices, holding banners with your name.

And Asa? She didn’t say much. But you noticed how her eyes shifted, gripping the water bottle tighter whenever someone called your name too sweetly. She wasn’t invisible either. She joined the dance club, and stood out, as expected. Her movements cleaned, graceful, confident - people had to stop and stare. Performances were posted online, soon enough, comments started showing up too.

“Who’s that girl in the front row?”

“Isn’t she the Japanese girl from 1-4?”

“Enami Asa… She’s gorgeous.” 

It didn’t take long before the sunbaes noticed her - those dicks. The kind who lingered after rehearsals with extra water bottles or excuses to “help” the club. Some waited by the gates afterschool. However, the moment they spotted you - whether walking beside or rambling about something dumb behind her - they scattered. A glance was enough. Sometimes, just a nod. You didn’t need to say a word, didn’t need to. Asa didn’t say a thing, or asked you to do it. But she never told you to stop either.

Most mornings, you two met outside like always. But now, there was always something in your arm - food, milk, her favorite snacks. You never made a big deal out of it. Just casually handed it over to her. Asa would take it with that same grin, then start unwrapping it before you hit the main street.

Eventually, your classmates started noticing. They noticed the way you pulled out her favorite banana milk and slipped it under her side of the desk before homeroom. The way she always saved half her snacks and nudged it over to you. Neither of you made a show of it, but you both expected it - like muscle memory. At first, there were whispers - then just nods, smirks, acceptance. By that time, everyone had figured it out - even if you two refused to admit it.

But… things weren’t exactly all smooth through high school. You two fought more often than you ever did in middle school - louder, sharper, sometimes over things that didn’t even make sense when the anger wore off. Maybe it was the pressure. Maybe you two were growing, but still super childish. Or you two cared for each other, just didn’t know how to express it.

-

Like when you forgot to print out a sheet for math class.

“You said you’d do it last night.” Asa snapped, arms crossed as you fumbled through your backpack.

“Uhm… I forgot. Sorry…”

“I reminded you. Twice.”

“Well, I already said I’m sorry, Asa-ah. What do you want me to do now? Pull it out of my magic pocket like Doraemon?”

She scoffed, turning away before muttering loud enough to make sure you heard her.

“Should’ve done it myself.”

You bit your tongue, then fired back.

“Yeah? Maybe you should’ve. Since this idiot can’t do anything right.”

The silence after was brutal. You sat next to each other but didn’t even exchange a single word. Even when she slid her sheet halfway across the desk for you to copy - you didn’t even peek, your pride was hurt. After that, no more glances at each other. Your eraser dropped on her side and she didn’t pick it up. Her pen ran out of ink and you didn’t offer yours. It was petty, neither of you wanted to lose first.

Later that day, on the way home from hakwon, you slipped her favorite pastry into her blazer - that potato thingy she swore she hated but devoured in just two bites. At the crosswalk, she finally spoke up.

“You’re childish.”

“We’re childish.” you corrected her.

Asa crinkle the wrapping in her hand, having her first bite.

“It was a bit dry…”

You smiled.

“Told you it’s not even that good.”

She glared at you, chewing slowly, then muttered.

“Still better than no apology.”

You looked ahead, hiding your grin.

“That’s the apology, dummy.”

The crosswalk light turned green, and you both stepped forward. You were good again. 

-

Like when you accidentally ate her last Chocopie during lunch.

“You seriously just ate my last one, you pig?”

“I didn’t know it was your last? I’m sorry.”

“Since when does ‘I’m saving it for later’ mean ‘Eat it now, traitor’?”

The rest of lunch was silent. The next day, you bought her two Chocopies, sliding them under her side of the desk. She ate it without looking at you. Victory for you.

-

Like when she tried something different with her hair, curled the ends a little, styling them, even wore one of those cute clips Chisa gave her. She showed up at the lamppost between yours and her house, waiting for you to say something. Your dumbass definitely didn’t notice anything, instead just yapping about how Spider-Man would be useless in Asia since there aren’t that many tall buildings.

Not when she tucked her hair behind her ear.

Not when she asked how cold the weather was while subtly tossing her head just enough to show her curls.

You just nodded and kept explaining your theory, Spider-Man would also really struggle in rural areas. By the time you two reached school, she ran out of patience. Feeling the tension, you leaned back to Yunah, who was sitting behind you and asked, quietly:

“Is it just me, or… is she a bit angry today?”

Yunah blinked at you like you were the densest creature alive.

“Look at her hair, idiot. Boys like you are hopeless.”

You squinted over your shoulder, then turned back to Asa, who was sitting next to you, arm crossed, lips pressed, clearly not in the mood. Oh… her hair. Those curls, the way she styled it, the lavender clip - the one you knew Chisa bought her during their sister outing, 

Right, she did all that hoping you’d noticed. But no, Spider-Man was swinging around in your mind.

“Uhm… nice hair, Asa-ah. Those curls look great.”

She didn’t even look your way.

“Wow. Look at Detective Conan over here.”

You winced.

“Is that the hair clip Chisa-noona bought you?”

She clicked her pen.

“Oh so now you remember my sister, too.”

You signed, sinking slowly in your chair. Yunah was right, you were hopeless.

That day, on the way home from hakwon - the air was crisp, your backpack heavy with regret, she finally spoke, arms swinging by her sides.

“You’re lucky Yunah helped you this morning.”

You glanced at her.

“Am I… forgiven?”

“No.” She looked up at you, smirking. “But I might forgive you tomorrow.” 

Fair enough, princess.

-

Sometimes around mid 2022, the offers came to you, quietly - just messages, emails from the national taekwondo association - asking if you could attend weekend practice at the national training center. Your coach told you later.

“They told me they’re watching you. They said you’re the best and youngest they’ve ever seen at this level. They want to put you through the grind - see how you handle it. If all goes well, they might call you up for upcoming Asian games, Olympics even.”

Asian Games? Olympics? Me? Really? For real?

It all happened so fast. You didn’t tell Asa yet. Not because you didn’t remember the Suwon rejection incident - but because it didn't feel real yet. So instead, you opted for something else, light and throwaway someday on the way home:

“Coach wanted to put more focus on training for the rest of the year. Like… weekend stuff.”

Asa blinked, lips still sipping that banana milk.

“More now? Aren’t your schedules, like packed now? School? Training? More training?”

You shrugged, not looking at her for too long.

“He said he wanted to see I how do. Testing the water.”

She didn’t press, but something about her eyes made you feel like she could already tell you weren’t telling her the truth. 

-

Months went by, training got hectic. You barely had time to breathe between school, hakwon and new national drills. You were exhausted - but didn’t want to complain. You didn’t want Asa to worry. But that meant you forgot. Her big rehearsal. She told you about it almost everyday that week. You promised her you’d come. You didn’t.

By the time you remembered, you were soaked in sweat. Hurrying to check your phone, 3 unread messages. Fuck…

[김아사🌸]

hey

it’s okay if you couldn’t make it

just wish you told me earlier

No… You messed up.

You ran with all your remaining stamina after training. When you got there, everybody was packing up and ready to leave. Asa was there, eyes tired, talking to her friends - when she finally spotted you. You didn’t dare to go inside, instead waiting for her outside.

Asa walked out, 10 minutes later, still in her rehearsal outfit - hair tied up messily. The moment your eyes met, she knew.

“You’re late…” she said, cold.

You stood there, forgetting how to breathe.

“I’m sorry. I really am. Training was crazy…”

She nodded slowly, lips pressed.

“You could’ve told me earlier.”

“I know. I should’ve, I’m sorry.”

Asa shifted her weight, gripping the straps of her bag tighter.

“You promised, Joonhyuk-ah. Either show up or don’t promise.”

“I’m busy. It wasn’t intentional. You think I want to let you down?” you defended yourself.

Her eyes were sharp - not teary, not soft. Angry. Tired. Hurt. All at once. 

“You. Already. Did.” she said, firmer this time. Then stepped closer, looking up straight at you in the eyes and jabbed her finger into your chest. 

“You keep saying you care. But when it actually matters, you forget. Do you know how embarrassing it was, waiting there while everyone else’s friends showed up?”

Poke.

You flinched at her words - ready to fire back before she poke you again.

“You don’t get to apologise and hope I forget it like it was nothing big, Joonhyuk-ah.”

Poke.

“I AM BUSY! You think I just, what - relaxed all weekend?”

“So you’re saying all this doesn’t matter? I don’t get tired too?” she snapped, stepping even closer now. “You’re not the only one with pressure on your shoulders.”

“That’s not what i said-”

“But that’s what it feels like!” she snapped again, chest raising, finger still pressed against your chest. “Like you’re carrying everything alone, and I’m just some side character you forget to tell things to.”

You swallowed, head down.

“... I didn’t mean to make you feel that way.” voice low.

Asa said, eyes still burning.

“Guess what? You just did it again, Seo Joonhyuk.”

Her friends could feel the tension, choosing to walk away. And with that - she walked home alone, not waiting for you, not looking back. Your shoulders dropped as you watched her walking away, too fed up with you. Your hands were now trembling - not from training. But from the words she said and the way she looked at you like she didn’t recognize you for a second. 

-

That night, you skipped dinner. The call came at about 7PM - your coach was on the other end: “They want you on the roster. For the upcoming Asian Games. They were afraid you were still young at first, but with it being postponed until 2023, you will have enough time. You’ll be training more with the seniors at the weekend. It’s real this time, Joonhyuk-ah. Hangzhou, China.” 

You should’ve felt proud, ecstatic. Instead, your mind went to Asa. Like muscle memory, you grabbed your hoodie and stepped outside. The light on her house gates was still bright. You hesitated for a moment before ringing the bell. The gates opened to Ms. Keiko, wearing her apron, maybe mid-dinner prep. She blinked at you, surprised.

“Oh, Joonhyuk-ah.”

You bowed politely, then asked in a low, nervous voice.

“Can I… Can I talk to Asa? I have something to tell her.”

Her eyes scanning your face for a second - something in your expression must’ve softened her.

“Asa-chan is in her room. Go on.” She smiled.

You nodded, slipping off your slippers before walking upstairs - familiar stairs, but they suddenly felt heavier than usual. Then, you stood at her door for a moment - gently knocking twice.

“Asa-ah, it’s me.” no answer.

“Can you open the door?” you knocked again.

You took a risk, opening the door anyway. As you pushed open the door, a familiar soft hum floated out - StayC’s ‘Stereotype’ - it had been trending on TikTok these days. Asa was sprawled out on her bed, earbuds in, legs kicking in the air, scrolling on her iPad. Her hair was in a messy bun, bangs slightly messy. She didn’t notice you at first - not before looking up, and screamed:

“AAHHH! What the -???”

She yanked one earbud out, almost dropping the iPad on her face.

“What are you doing in my room?! You can’t just barge in like- What if I was changing, you pervert?!”

You were surprised, too. Holding your hands up in the air, stepping back a bit.

“I did knock. Twice!!”

“I thought it was Chisa or Lisa!!”

“I called your name!”

“That doesn’t me you can just - ugh! You pervert!!” Asa grabbed one of her plushies and threw it right at you. You didn’t even dodge, letting it hit you in the face before falling on the floor.

She was still glaring, cheeks flushed pink, breathing a little heavy. “You’re unbelievable, you jerk.”

You took a deep breath and quietly stepped inside, not forgetting to gently close the door behind you. The soft click of the door made Asa raise an eyebrow, still perched on her bed in a defensive position, arms holding her pillows like it was her shield.

“Uhm.. Just listen to me, okay?” you said “I have to explain.”

Asa didn’t respond right away, but she didn’t tell you to leave either. Her head tilted slightly, watching you carefully - irritation was clearly still on her face, but curiosity quickly took over. You exhaled before speaking up;

“I didn’t want to tell you because I wasn’t sure it would happen. They said they were watching me, those weekend training sessions. If I told you and it didn’t go anywhere, it would’ve been just another broken promise and disappointment.”

You paused, looking at her.

“I just got the call. They picked me. I’m going to be on the roster for the Asian Games next year.”

Asa’s mouth opened, then closed again.

“I know I screwed up a lot recently. I’m not denying it. It’s just… I’m tired and distracted… I don’t want this to come between us, Asa-ah. I know I didn’t handle things right, but I care. I never wanted to shut you out. I…”

You sat down awkwardly on the floor in front of her. Trying to think of the right words to say:

“So… tomorrow night. Let’s ditch hakwon, go somewhere. Just you and me. No excuses this time. I’ll tell you everything you want. Just give me one chance.”

Asa’s expression didn’t shift at first - but her grips on the pillow loosened. Eyes softened a bit before saying:

“You didn’t think I’d be proud of you, you big dummy? How long have we been friends for?”

You let out a light breath.

“You could’ve just told me, you know. I would have understood.” she added, quietly.

You looked down, hands scratching the back of your neck, shame in your voice.

“I was scared…”

Asa sat up straighter, letting out a slow breath.

“I’m still mad tho.” she said plainly.

“Fair. I understand.” you replied.

“But… I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

“That’s good enough for me.” you smiled.

As you stood up, brushing your palms nervously against your thighs, glancing at her.

“Uh, before I go,” you said “Can you… stand up?”

Asa narrowed her eyes a bit, “Why?”

“Just… please.”

She let out a skeptical sigh but slowly stood up anyways, stepping down from the bed, still clutching her pillows. Before she could say anything, you stepped forward and wrapped your hands around her. It wasn’t tight, more of a quiet, unsure hug. Like you were afraid Asa would push you away.

She stiffened slightly at first, caught off guard. But she didn’t move, standing still, breathing against your chest, her pillow now squished between you two.

“I’m sorry.” you murmured, “I really am.”

You hugged her for a little longer, before pulling back slowly, just enough to look at her face. Her eyes had now softened, brows were still furrowed. 

“You smelled like tiger balm.” she said softly.

You let out a breathy laugh.

“Yeah, not a bad smell tho.”

She didn’t smile - yet, but she didn’t pull away either.

“We’ll talk tomorrow.” she finally said, poking your shoulders lightly.

“Go home, dummy. Before I tell my mom you were perving on me.”

You froze at the door, turning back with a look of betrayal.

“I knocked. Like, TWICE!”

She raised her eyebrows, completely unfazed.

“And still came in without my permission. That’s suspicious behavior, dummy.”

You groaned.

“Right… Sorry. Good night, Asa.”

When you finally got out, from behind the door, her voice followed. “Congrats, Joonhyuk-ah.”

The next day came quickly. Neither of you said much during class. Your arms close enough to brush, though they didn’t. Asa spent most of the period tapping her pen mindlessly, probably daydreaming about something. You slipped her a note - a terrible drawing of the hakwon building exploding, dramatic smoke, stick figures running. She looked down, raised one of her eyebrows - clearly unimpressed, then scribbled underneath: “Lame.”

You smirked and nudged her knee under the desk. She didn’t move away. The day dragged on for so long, but when the bell rang, you moved first. Zipping up your backpack, you stood up casually and leaned down to whisper. “Let’s go.”

Asa then glanced at you - then nodded. No teasing, just trust. Down the staircase. Past the side gate. But not heading home this time, instead, you two walked to the bus stop near school. 

At the bus stop, you checked the schedule screen and pointed.

“Should be two stops. Then we walk a bit.”

Asa gave you a sidelong glance, a bit skeptical.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Probably taking you somewhere outside of Seoul, then dump you there.”

She didn’t press, lips now pouting before adjusting her backpack and folding her arms. 

“This better be worth it. My mom would kill me if she found out about this.”

You laughed. “You’re with me, remember?”

The bus came. You both climbed in. Sitting next to each other, like you always did since you two first met. The bus rocked gently as it made it through the late afternoon Seoul traffic - that classic bustling city traffic, stop and go every few meters. Outside, the peaceful vibe of Eungam-dong slowly disappeared, now replaced with dense clusters of tall buildings, packed intersections, and neon lights flickering before sunset. Delivery scooters weavering between cars, people rushing home like it was a sport, LED lights glowing above massive skin care stores and cafes. Everything felt like Seoul, felt like home.

Inside the bus, it was calmer. Just the soft hum of the engine, the low voice of people chatting. You snuck a glance at Asa, whose face was lit up by the city lights. One earbud, arms loosely folded, but her fingers were lightly tapping on her legs.

“...You should paint your nails again.”

She turned her head slightly, confused. “What?”

“Your nails, dummy.” you said “I was just thinking. It suits you.”

She narrowed her eyes. “What are you even talking about right now?”

“Let me see your hand.”

She held out her hand, still confused but obliging.

“They’re literally just nails. Plus it would get me in trouble at school.”

You took her hand in yours, pretending to inspect it - brushing your fingers against her fingertips.

“See? You’d look cool with black polish or something. Or like… purple. No, pink.”

She giggled.

“What are you on right now, Joonhyuk-ah?”

But she didn’t take her hand back. So you got braver, risking it.

You slipped your fingers between hers - slow, easy, no big deal. But it was. You kept your eyes on your joined hands - waiting for something. She didn’t do anything, just surprised. Then, her fingers adjusted, tightened, slightly. You looked up.

“I’m still mad at you…” she muttered, eyes looking at you before turning back to the window, face unreadable.

Then, you shifted closer and without thinking, gently pulled her hands into your lap.

Smooth criminal.

Still casual, but careful - like it had always belonged there. Your thumb brushed softly along the outside of her hand, slow, back and forth, tracing her knuckles. Still no reaction. So you held it tighter - trying to keep it warm from the AC. Not possessive - just warm, reassuring. 

-

The bus stopped at a stop near the Ewha area. The bus door hissed open. You stood first, giving your still jointed hands a tug, signaling her to follow. 

As you two stepped down, the noise hit all at once. Cars honking, couples’ chatter… It was an area built for slow dates - bright stores decorated with cozy color palettes, cute dessert cafes, streets full of flower shops, music spilling out of every corner… You name it, they had it all. Everything here smelled like sugar, perfume - like love. Brighter. Alive. Especially at night.

Asa adjusted her backpack, looking around. You glanced down, looking at her hand in yours. Still there, still warm. You gave it a light squeeze.

“Let’s do what you want today, everything.” you said, gently,

“What?” she blinked.

“Anything.” you repeated. “You pick. I’ll follow. Anything you want. I pay.”

She looked at you for a moment - still trying to decide if the idiot in front of her was being serious.

“Really? It’s not cheap here, Joonhyuk-ah.”

“I got money from all those taekwondo competitions, a lot. My parents are serious about saving up - I won’t go broke.”

“Promise me you’re not going to complain halfway through?”

“Nope.” 

“Not even if I drag you into those stationary shops for two hours?”

“I’ll even hold your basket.” you said “Then judge your choices.” Asa cracked a smile. Small, but real. “...Okay then.”

Asa looked around, lips pressing like she was pretending to think really hard. 

“First stop, I want to look at pens.” she said.

“Lead the way. But only pens?”

“Yup, overpriced ones. Gel pens. Multicolored. Glitter.” she replied, testing you.

“Like I said, all on me.” you smiled.

She shot you a look, suspicious. “You’re weirdly agreeable today.”

And with that, she turned on her heels and led you straight into one of the nearby stationery stores, the bell ringing above as you rushed to open the door for her.

The place was like heaven to Asa - shelves organized by color, pens stretching for what felt like a mile, ailes of stickers, memo pads shaped like milk cartons… It smelled faintly of paper, sweet plastic, flowers… but in a really good way. Cozy. Cute. Just like Asa. First thing you did, grabbing a basket and followed her without hesitation. Asa immediately beelined for them pens, testing them like a military instructor evaluating weapons.

“This one is smooth.” she said.

“That one is cool.” you replied.

She dropped it into the basket anyway.

“Glad to hear your opinion. But… mine matters more.”

You kept close as she moved from pens to notebooks, flipping through one with a chubby cat on the cover. She didn’t say anything, just ran her finger along the edge before quietly adding them to the basket. You, just happy being there with her. Your eyes wandered a bit before stopping at a rack full of pencil pouches. Hey, a dinosaur with stubby arms, its face looked exactly like her when she sulked. Huh, cute. You slipped it into the basket. When she returned, she noticed it immediately and just rolled her eyes at you.

“You think this looks like me?” 

“...No.”

About 30 minutes later, you two arrived at the register. When the cashier handed the bag, you reached for it before Asa could reach for it.

“I’ll do it all today. Don’t worry about it.”

She didn’t say anything - just let her hand fall back to her side.

As you two stepped out into the street again, you glanced her way.

“Still mad?”

“Still deciding…”

Outside, the sky was starting to fade - golden, dreamy, straight out of a K-drama, episode 7, market date vibes. You two walked without any destination in mind. The street was buzzing. Then the smell hit: sweet, savory, a little spicy. 호떡, 떡볶이, 어묵국  steaming from skewers. (Hotteok, tteokbokki, eomuk broth). Asa’s eyes lingered at a stall, and you didn’t hesitate.

“Give me one second.” Then you returned with two skewers and a cup of warm soup.

“...Such a gentleman.”

“I’m not a monster, you know.” you smiled.

You both stood there, under a tree, side by side, quietly chewing as people passed by. 

“That dinosaur pencil pouch better not show up in my room. It looks dumb.” she nudged your arm. 

“Too late.” you grinned.

A few minutes later, you tossed your empty skewer into a bin as you both kept walking. Then, suddenly, you stopped. Asa turned:

“What?”

You were staring at a giant ad plastered on the side of a  building - Ryujin from ITZY, short hair, sharp gaze. Asa followed your gaze, then frowned. “Why are you staring at her?”

You tilted your head. “Not really.”

She looked at you, confused.

“I was just thinking… you’d look amazing with short hair.” 

Asa blinked. “Me?”

You nodded, still thinking.

“Yeah, like… you know, shoulder length. Or, what do they call it? Bob? Like short but also curly? Or wavy? I don’t know but… yeah, short hair would look great on you.”

She scoffed at you.

“You’re just saying that because she’s an idol.”

“No,” you said, now looking at her.

“I’m saying that because I think you can pull it off. Then again, you can pull any vibe off - cute, cool. Whatever you want.”

She opened her mouth a bit, before closing it again. Then she looked away - pretending to look at the shop across the street.

“Well… I’m not cutting my hair.”

You smiled.

“Didn’t say you have to, just complimenting.”

She crossed her arms, ears now slightly red.

“You’re still annoying.” she muttered.

And you love it.

Not long after, you passed a neon-lit building with a blinking sign, a coin noraebang. Asa glanced up.

“Wanna try?”

“Today’s your day.”

“Don’t get weird about it.”

Inside was cramped, but clean. Faded stickers on the mic, soft disco lights overhead. Asa picked first.

BLACKPINK. DDU DU DDU DU.

You raised an eyebrow. Then she rapped - like really rapped. Sharp, confident, nearly perfect, hand gestures, expressions and everything. You sat there, amazed, lowkey forgetting how to breathe. When the song ended, she looked at you and raised an eyebrow.

“You like that?”

“Didn’t know you had that in you.”

“I’d make a good rapper, at YG.” she just smirked and cued up another.

About ten songs later, your throat hurts, stomach ached from laughing, the room was warmer then it should’ve been. On the way out, you spotted one of those claw machines, with a cute medium sized bear in the middle. Asa on the other hand barely glanced at it. You didn’t say anything, just sliding a 500 won coin in and tried. Failed. Tried again.

“Joonhyuk-ah…” she spoke up,

“Nah, I got it…” you said.

One more try.

Okay, the claw now hooked the teddy bear, one ear flopped over.

C’mon now. Just a bit more…

Yes! It finally fell into the chute. You picked it up, brushing lint off its head and handing it to her without a word. 

“Still deciding, by the way…” she said, but hands still held it tight, in front of her.

The night now felt light, loose, like the kind you didn’t want to end. Asa slowed in front of a tiny Life4cuts, tucked between a convenience store and a run down shop. She looked at it, then you. 

“Wanna do it?”

“You want to?” you shrugged.

“Might as well. You’re already carrying my stuff.” 

Before you could answer, she grabbed your free hand and pulled you in. The curtain dropped behind you. The screen lit up as Asa took her time to choose the frame and her favorite filters.

“Heheh, this one is so silly. Get ready -”

3..2..1

First frame: she held up the teddy bear while you blinked, too slowly.

Second frame: you both puffed your cheeks, you pointing at hers, her pointing at yours.

Third frame: she leaned her head slightly against your shoulder, much closer than before. Neither of you said anything, but you could feel the heat rush to your ears.

Final one - you hesitated…

Then, as the screen flashed the countdown, you leaned in and kissed her cheek. It was just a quick kiss - soft, barely a second. Then the camera clicked.

Click.

Asa froze a beat, lips slightly parted. Hands still holding the bear. You looked forward, pretending nothing happened with burning ears. She didn’t say anything. 

She reached out to grab the printed photo strips as they slid out. Outside, Asa looked down at the photos on her hands, particularly the last frame - before handing you one and quietly slipping the remaining photo strips into her backpack. Still no words. But her fingers found yours again as you both started walking, other arm still wrapped around that bear.

-

Eungam-dong was quiet, like it usually was at this time of the night. No more traffic, only the soft whirr of scooters passing by, the hum of distant music leaking out from convenient stores, and occasional laughter from a group of students still hanging around. You glanced at the digital clock outside the familiar pharmacy near home, 9:42AM. Well, late but moms shouldn't be suspicious - hakwon sometimes ended even later.

You and Asa weren’t exactly talking. The silence between you two felt like a shared secret - not awkward anymore. She walked beside you, hugging the bear tightly against her chest, fingers clutched around the soft fabric like she didn’t know what to do with her hands. You looked over, the tip of her nose was a little pink from the cold. Without a word, you reached into your blazer pocket and pulled out two hot packs before slapping one gently against her arm.

She blinked.

“When did you even buy these?”

“Prepared. Thought ahead.” you shrugged, trying to be nonchalant.

She took it without arguing, the warmth settling into her palm. “You’re weird today.”

“But you love it tho.” you grinned. Then, before she could walk too far ahead, you shifted closer and put your arm around her shoulders. She immediately froze. Just for a second. Then she dipped her head a little lower and stepped into your side - shoulder brushing against your chest. It was too quiet, too warm. Your heart was hammering, But, you were still feeling confident so you reached over and gently squished her cheeks.

Asa turned her face away instantly, but not fast enough. You caught the way her face was glowing red. “Your face is hot.” you teased.

She turned back with wide eyes. “Yours is even redder.”

You smirked, gently pressing your fingers to her other cheeks. “You’re burning right now, Asa-ah.”

“You kissed me first! Today!” she shot back, voice raising a few octave.

“So?”

“So!” she repeated, like that proved something. You tilted your head, watching her. Lips slightly pressed, eyes wide - not mad, just a bit overwhelmed. Still holding that teddy bear you got her like it was protecting her from your sudden burst of confidence. You leaned in closer, close enough to whisper:

“Should we kiss for real this time?”

Then, you weren’t sure who leaned in first. You? Her? Didn’t matter. But the space between you two was shrinking, her eyes flickering at yours and your lips, cheeks still flushed, breath caught somewhere in her throat. Your hands now grazing her shoulder, holding steady.

Here we go. just a few more seconds. Closer… closer….

And then - “Asa-chan?”

Well, that sounded familiar. Gentle. Neutral. But somehow it felt like an ice bucket was just dumped on your head. Asa’s mom? Was it her? You both froze and turned around.

Bingo! Standing a few feet away near the streetlamp, were your mothers - your mom with a grocery bag full of greens in her arms, and Ms. Keiko, holding a bag of frozen dumplings and something wrapped in newspaper. What are they doing out this late at night? Both staring, standing still, not yelling.

Asa’s body stiffened beside you. She took a few steps to get away from you, bear pressed to her chest again. You tried to open your mouth, but couldn’t speak up.

“I thought you had hakwon today, Joonie?” your mom asked.

“Or did you both… skip hakwon together?” Ms. Keiko tilted her head, she still had that warmth in her, it was just a bit terrifying this time.

-

Her house’s living room was too bright. Too quiet. You and Asa sat next to each other, looking like two puppies who were about to be yelled at for biting slippers - scared. Your moms sat across from you, arms folded, expressions perfectly neutral - way worse than yelling. 

“So, Asa-ah. You were about to kiss my son in public?” your mom asked, voice calm.

“Mom…’ you groaned.

“You don’t get to talk, mister.” mom said, pretending to be mad. “Is it your idea, Asa, or this dummy’s idea?”

Asa was horrified. “Uhm, Ms… I… We didn’t kiss yet…”

“Yet? So you were about to.” mom said, too quickly. A hint of tease in her voice.

Ms. Keiko added. “I’m trying to understand why you two perfectly good, responsible students - my daughter, my neighbor’s son, would skip hakwon like this. Together.”

Asa looked down, cheeks blazing. “We weren’t planning to… it just…”

Your mom leaned back. “It just…?”

“Can we not talk about this like we just robbed a bank, mom?” you said quietly, scared to look your mom in the eyes.

“No, no, I’m fascinated.” your mom said, “It’s not everyday that I find my son trying to kiss his girlfriend on the street.”

“We’re not dating…” you both said at the same time - too loud, too defensive. Both moms paused.

Ms. Keiko then glanced at her daughter, faking disappointment. “Asa-chan… you skipped hakwon. Almost kissed a boy. That’s almost 2 crimes in one night.”

She squeaked. “We didn’t do anything bad.”

Ms, Keiko then crossed her arms. “Okey. Tell us what you were doing.”

Asa hesitated, you gave her a wide-eyed look like: You tell them. We both die.

“... We went to the Ewha area.” she confessed, head down.

Both moms blinked.

“We got food, walked around, bought stuff…” you added, now surrendering. “Noraebang, then… got a bear.” Right then, you saw Asa hugging the bear tighter on the corner of your eyes.

“Anything else? Hmm, you two.” Ms. Keiko said, trying hard not to smile.

“And we took photos. That’s it.” Asa blurted out. Your eyes were now wide. Nooo, why would say that!!!

“Show us then.” your mom demanded. That tone. You knew it. The one she used when you used to hide your literature exam results in middle school - you hated it, never one to be writing stuff.

Asa froze, then slowly reached in her backpack like it was a death sentence. You leaned over, whispering, “You don’t have to…”

“Zip it, you little rascal. I’m not done with you yet.” your mom said.

Asa was already pulling out those tiny, glossy photo strips. She flipped through the first two ones - the safe ones. Then she stopped, stared at the third one. Oh shit.

The one with the last frame being her eyes wide, your lips on her cheek. The room felt like it dropped several degrees. For some reason, she passed them all to your mom. Your mom took them in complete silence, examined each frame then paused on the last one. Ms. Keiko also leaned in to see. It was followed by a beat of silence.

Then your mom cleared her throat. “So… you two…”

“You kissed my daughter in a photobooth?!” 

Your heart dropped. “It was just a cheek kiss, Ms. I…”

Ms. Keiko then raised an eyebrow. “Did you ask first?”

Asa intervened. “It wasn’t even that bad, mom…”

Your mom looked between the two of you, before handing the strips to Ms. Keiko. 

“Hmm, you two did look like me and your dad back then, Asa-chan. When we were young, rebellious, back in Japan.” Ms. Keiko said. “Mommm!” Asa wailed.

“Just saying.”

Your mom exhaled deeply, shaking her head - now smiling. “This idiot of mine. Skips hakwon, runs around Seoul, kisses a girl on the cheek, and even got photo proof.”

She then turned to you, eyes narrowing. “Did you pay for these, Joonie?”

You nodded, sitting up straighter. “Yes, mom. With my taekwondo prize money.”

“Hmm.” your moms both blinked.

“Uh… I wanted to buy them for her. Not just the photos. Everything today.” you said, quieter now.

Then, your mom smiled - for real this time. “Good. I raised you well.”

“So, we’re not in trouble?” you asked, raising your voice at the end, hoping for some miracle.

“Oh, you’re definitely in trouble.” mom said immediately. “Your dad is definitely seeing these photos tomorrow.” Then, she pulled out her phone to capture the evidence, looking way too proud.

Ms. Keiko gave Asa a soft look. “And you, Asa-chan. Next time, tell me. I wouldn’t have stopped you, I just want you to be safe. At least you were with Joonhyuk tonight.”

Asa pouted into the bear. “I’m sorry, mom…” she said in Japanese.

“Also, I’m putting this one on the fridge.” Ms. Keiko said, holding up the one where you kissed her cheek. Both of your faces were now blazing. 

“We’re not done yet. This whole thing smells like there’s more. What are you two hiding?” your mom asked.

Asa looked at you. You looked at Asa. And then, you took a breath.

“...I got called up. The national team. Uh, next year Asian Games.”

The whole room went silent. Dead silent. Your moms blinked. Ms. Keiko sat up a bit. For a few seconds, everything in the room stopped.

“What?” your mom asked, like she wasn’t sure what she heard was real or not.

“I just got the call yesterday,” you said, eyes now dropping to your knees. “They said they wanted me after all those weekend training sessions. It’s official… Uh, I might represent Korea.”

Asa stayed quiet by your side, watching everyone else's reaction. Your mom’s hand slowly reached to cover her mouth.

“You’re serious.”

You nodded. Then-

“Seo Joonhyuk!!” She stood abruptly. You flinched, fearing for your life. She pulled in, for a hug. Hard.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” she mumbled into your shoulder. “Do you know how proud I am?” 

“Uh… maybe?” you said, unsure.

“And Asa knew before me?!”she pulled back, mock-offended. “Unbelieved. Betrayed by my own son?!”

“I was going to tell you tonight, mom.” you muttered.

“You’re lucky I love you.” mom said, hands now moved to your shirt collar, shaking you around. “Because if I didn’t, you’d be walking home barefoot right now!”

Ms. Keiko gave you a gentle smile. “That’s great news, Joonhyuk-ah. You should be proud.”

You nodded, shy. “Thanks, Ms.” You then glanced at Asa, she was already looking at you, lips curled into a smile. The moms eventually let you two off with a final round of warnings - still teasing, but proud. Asa walked you to the gate, still hugging the bear, and she whispered, “Next time, tell me sooner.” Life hadn’t felt this exciting in a while. Also, the next day, Lisa and Chisa didn’t let Asa off the hook that easy, teasing her for an entire week.

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

2023

It was great. But nothing official changed between you and Asa. Still sat next to each other, still walked home together whenever you could. Still stolen glances and dumb jokes in class. But something shifted - it wasn’t bad, at least not right away, just… a bit different. After the Asian Games news came out, you became a celebrity at school, not to your liking. Whispers followed you in the hallway. Kids at school asked for photos like it was normal. Girls from other classes, even sunbaes started lingering outside your homeroom. 

Asa noticed, of course she did. She didn’t do anything about it, though. Just kept her head down during lunch, kept waiting for you while you stopped to thank someone for what felt like the hundredth time, kept smiling when people said “You’re so lucky to sit next to Joonhyuk.”

Also, something also got to you. It was nothing new, started as background noise but slowly became more frequent. A comment here, whisper there.

“You two would make a good couple.”

“Seriously, just date already.”

“They’ve got it all - good-looking, talented, and basically act like a couple.”

At first, you brushed it off, like you always did. Dumbass. People said it even back then, right? But the more you heard it, the harder it became to ignore. Neither of you had confessed. No labels. No promises. You guys were close, too close - but technically still “friends”. 

One day, you weren’t expecting anyone. One of those rare weekends without training, thankfully. You’d just finished showering and were halfway drying your hair with a towel when the bell rang. You padded to the front door and opened it. It was Asa. Wearing her usual black shirt. Holding a small paper bag, maybe from Auntie Bomi’s snack stall. And-

Her hair. Gone. Not gone gone. But… short. Chin-length, neat and clean with soft layers that emphasized her features in a way that you’d never seen before. You just stared.

“...What?” she asked. “See something you like, dummy?”

You blinked. “You cut your hair…”

She raised her eyebrows. “Duh, obviously. Say something else.”

“...You look amazing.” you said.

Even though Asa tried to roll her eyes, you caught her lips curling into a smile.

“Of course, I do. I look good in everything, you said I’d look good with short hair, remember?”

You did. That day at Ewha. Staring at a huge poster of Ryujin. Hey, she really remembered.

“Yeah, you really do…” you added, quietly. “Like, a lot.”

She looked down for a second, then held up the paper bag. “Aren’t you gonna invite me in? I got your favourite right here.”

You stepped aside, Asa just walked in like she always had. She was toeing off her shoes in the entryway when your mom came around the corner with a basket of folded laundry in arms.

“Oh my - is that Asa?”  she said with her eyes wide opened, surprised. “Oh my, look at your hair, darling. You’re so beautiful!”

Asa straightened, greeting your mom. 

“Wow, you look so chic.” your mom said, putting the basket down instantly to get a better look. “Like a model. Or one of those magazine girls. Wahh-c’mon, Asa. Turn around, let me see properly.”

Asa shyly did a 360, slowly as your mom fawned over her with praises. You were about to save Asa when your dad’s voice echoed from the hallway.

“Who’s that? I heard Asa’s voice-”

He appeared next to your mom, one of his eyebrows raised.

“...Why did you cut your hair?” he asked, confused. “Did Joonhyuk break your heart?”

“Daddd.” you groaned from behind your towel, horrified.

Asa nearly choked on a laugh, hiding it behind her paper bag.

“I didn’t!” you said. “Nothing happened!”

You dad just nodded, still unconvinced. “Mmm, I know that look. Your mom cut her hair just like that when we broke up for a few months back then. I know that broken heart haircut.”

You two settled down on the couch, paper bag between you two, still warm with food. In the kitchen, your parents’ voices flowed through - your dad still going on about your mom’s short hair back when they broke up years ago while she was shushing him between laughter. Asa leaned in, shoulders brushing yours, and whispered:

“I didn’t cut it because of you… but I did kinda want to surprise you.”

Either way, you’re still beautiful.

You glanced sideways, forming a grin. “How am I supposed to play with your hair in class now?”

Asa rolled her eyes, but her smile suggested something else. “You already do that. Like, since middle school.”

“Exactly.” you said. “It de-stress me. What am I supposed to do in class with my fingers now?”

From the kitchen, your dad’s laugh boomed again, followed by your mom’s scolding whisper. For a second, this all felt stupidly perfect - making you forget about everything else.

-

One day, you were busy with extra training and sent Asa a quick message.

[준혁선베🥋]

extra training, can’t walk home with you today

sorry ㅠㅠㅠ

i’ll make up for u tomorrow

plss don’t be mad 

Asa understood. She didn’t want to be mad, she knew what you signed up for, she was just… lonely. The sun had dipped behind rooftops, Eungam-dong somehow felt weird today. Putting all her thoughts behind, Asa walked briskly, hands holding the straps of her backpack - she missed having someone, maybe you, by her side.

She cut through the narrow alley - the shortcut. Halfway through - she saw them. Those two guys, sunbaes, always loud, hovering near her desk during breaks with that fake friendliness, throwing out compliments that felt more like traps. But they never crossed the line, not when you were with her. Today, you weren’t. One of them noticed her first, then nudged the other. Their grins spread too fast.

“Oh, hey. Alone today?”

Asa kept her eyes forward. “Excuse me.” she said, trying to walk past like she didn’t hear them.

The tall one shifted to block her way. “Feisty, you talk to older guys like that?”

“Just let me go home.” she said quietly, not looking at them.

The shorter one leaned against the wall. “We’re not trouble. You think too low of us.”

“Also, don’t pretend you don't like the attention.” The taller one tilted to look at her, gaze sweeping from her face to her uniform.

“You’ve been acting stuck up lately. You and that boyfriend of yours.”

She met his eyes. “He’s not my boyfriend. And I’m not interested in talking with you two.”

That made something in his eyes flicker. A challenge. “Then why are you blushing?”

“I’m not. Get out of my way.” she moved, now blocked by the shorter guy.

“You’ve got a sharp tongue for someone so small.” his voice now playful, but meant everything he said. “Makes me wonder how long you’d keep that attitude if you weren’t with that taekwondo kid.”

He reached forward, trying to tuck her hair behind her ear or touch her face. She smacked his hand away, hard. 

“Don’t fucking touch me.” The air now shifted. Before she could say anything - 

Smack

The slap echoed too loud in the alleyway, her head was snapped to the side, cheek flaring hot. She stumbled to her side, breath hitched, frozen. Her hand flew to her face, palm shaking, pressing against the pain - the sting was unbearable, along with the helplessness. 

The taller one muttered, “Fuck, what the hell..”

“This bitch asked for it.” The other one said. 

“Let’s just go.” They walked off, muttering curses - not glancing back.

Asa’s knees felt so weak. Her chest was tight. Her vision blurred. The tears then came, sharp, unannounced - filling her eyes  before she could stop them. She sanked to the ground, fingers clenching her backpack straps tight. She cried, quietly - the kind of crying that hurt, that burned because you tried so hard to not cry. And all she could think about was: Where were you?

That night, no texts from her, nothing. You sensed something was off. The next day came, you showed up at her gate like always. She was already outside, blazer all buttoned up. You smiled and waved casually.

“Hey… I’m sorry for last night. Uh, you didn’t text me back.”

Asa nodded. “Sorry, I was just… tired.”

You didn’t think much of it at first. She did look tired, pale - not like her usual self. You tried teasing her a little on the way. She didn’t answer. Just nodded a few times. It bugged you. You slowed your pace to match hers, slower than usual. 

“Everything okay?” you nudged her shoulder.

“Just cold.” she nodded, again.

Then, as you neared the school, you glanced at her face closely - Is that make up? More than usual. Covering something? Her skin was always smooth, barely needed makeup. But today, something seemed off. Under her left eye, just barely visible beneath a thin layer of foundation, there was some discoloration. Something that shouldn’t have been there. You stopped walking. Reaching out, you gently tilted her chin. She flinched.

“Asa…” Your heart dropped.

“Don’t.” she pulled away.

“What happened?”

“Nothing.”

“That’s not nothing.” you were trying to keep your voice low. Calm. But your pulse was racing.

“Who did that to you?” you asked again, barely above a whisper. 

She paused for a long whisper. Then, softly said “Please, Joonhyuk-ah. I just want to forget about it.”

You clenched your jaw. Your whole body stiffened, trying not to explode right there. But you nodded. You wouldn’t press her now. But whoever did this? You weren’t letting them go.

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

That day, you didn’t ask again. But you watched. Quietly. 

During break, you saw her flinching when one of those sunbaes passed too close behind her in the hallway. She didn’t say anything, but you sensed something was off. She didn’t laugh during lunch like she usually would, instead she kept checking over her shoulder. And then, you saw them.

Those two guys from the year above, leaning against the stairwell wall, eyes flickering to Asa as she passed. Whispering something. You didn’t do anything, not yet.

Later that day, you asked around - casually. Just a few questions to your friends, your sunbaes. One of them said he’d noticed them two trailing behind Asa these days, whenever you were off to practice. Hey, that was all you needed. When school ended, you already had their names. You sent Asa a message.

[준혁선배🥋]

more training, again

can u go home with yunah?

i asked her to walk you home

i don’t want anything bad happen to u again

You didn’t go home after school, opting to skip practice. You followed them. There they were - behind the neighborhood market, cutting through that empty lot near the old playground. Laughing they owned the world. You kept your distance, breathing calm. Waiting for your chance. When they stopped near the back alley of a fried chicken joint, about to light up a cigarette, you stepped out.

“Yah!”

They turned. Too late. In a flash, the taller one was slammed against the wall, the other shoved down by the collar, falling onto his knees with a grunt. You didn’t say anything, letting the silence take over and walked slowly to them. One tried to get up. You kicked the back of his knee. Hard. He dropped again. Then, you swung at the two of them. Hard. Both of them were now lying on the ground.

“Kneel. In front of me. Hands up in air.”

They tried to catch a breath, looking at each other.

“Hurry up before I fucking lose it.”

And they did, obediently. You took your left Jordan off, pointing at the two of them.

“What did you two shitheads do yesterday? Huh?”

No answers, that only fueled your anger even more. Just two motherfucking cowards, kneeling, hands in the air. Your jaws clenched - trying to stay calm, that didn’t seem to work. You slapped the sole of your sneaker against the first guy’s face.

Smack. He flinched, head turning with the blow.

“I fucking said-” Smack “What did you-” Smack “do to her?”

 “W-We didn’t do… She just…” The other guy spoke up, just before he could finish his sentence-

Smack. A hit to his temple.

“Don’t fucking lie to me.”

They look terrified now - not only from pain, also from the way your voice never cracked. You looked batshit crazy.

“Asa had a bruise on her cheek. I saw it. She covered it with makeup.” You stared them both down. “She even covered for the two of you and didn’t tell me anything. You know why, huh?”

Your chest rose and fell from adrenaline. Then  you asked - low and sharp:

“Which one of you?”

Still nothing. So you stepped forward, pressing your sneaker against the shoulder of the guy on the left - the taller one. He flinched.

“You? You laid your dirty hands on her?” 

“No-no… It wasn’t me. I swear!”

The other one tensed his shoulders, kept his head down. Dead silence. So it was you.

You moved fast - grabbing his jacket and yanking him up.

“You slapped her.” just barely a whisper, enough for him to hear.

“I didn’t mean to-” he whimpered. Then - your fist connected, he collapsed to the ground.

You didn’t remember how hard or how long it took. You did know your punch was hard and you made sure they landed in the right places - enough for them to regret this for the rest of their life. The other one flinched, you pointed at him.

“You, too. Get up.”

A few slaps to the face and kicks to the knee later, he joined his friend on the ground. You signaled for them to stand up, like a coach at practice, gazed cold.

“Up. Fifty push-ups. Now.”

They blinked at you, stunned.

“I fucking said- Fifty push-ups. Each, Go. I got all night.”

The two of them looked at each other, unsure if you were joking. You weren’t.

“One, two…” your hands now in your pockets. 

They dropped, hands on concrete. And you watched, sneaker tapping the ground slowly. Each time they groaned, you’d add, “That’s four extra. Keep going.”

Your voice now steady, a bit more calmer. Still, you had to make sure they’d never go near her again.

-

The next day, the weight of everything hung over the classroom like a thick fog. Whispers had already started before class, threading through desks and across notebooks like a storm no one could stop. Some looked at you, some didn’t. Some didn’t even bother hiding the way they stared at you and Asa when you two walked in. You sat down, opened your book, tapping the pen against it - calm, quiet, like you hadn’t just done what you did the night before. Asa didn’t sit close this time. She slid into her seat with her eyes down, hugging her backpack like a shield. No jokes, no teasing that morning, either. You didn’t blame her. But it stung, so hard.

First period. As the teacher began roll call, the tension never broke. Then, right in the middle of the first period, there was a soft knock on the door, followed by the gym teacher opening the door.

“Uhm, I need… Seo Joonhyuk, Enami Asa.” he said flatly, eyes unreadable. “Come with me. Principal room.” That was it. Everybody knew.

You stood up slowly, adjusting your blazer. Asa hesitated, confused - she gave you a weird look before following. As you walked, you could feel everything - eyes, thoughts, gossips behind you. Heavy. Curious. By the time the door closed behind you two, the room hadn’t dropped into silence yet.

“Alright, class. Focus. Focus!”

-

The principal’s office was already full when you and Asa stepped in. The two dickheads were seated, looking like they’ve aged ten years overnight, bruises on their faces, eyes avoiding yours - should be like that. Asa slowed behind you, her steps faltering just lightly. 

Your mom sat on one side of the room, next to Ms. Keiko. Neither of them looked angry - which was worse. Your mom’s eyes were cold, controlled but full of disappointment. Ms. Keiko’s arms were folded, face unreadable. Asa was scared, choosing to sit next to her mother, like she didn’t know where else to go. The atmosphere was stiff and silent. You felt like a loud breath could set everything off. Even the ticking of the clock above the principal desk felt loud. The principal stood behind his desk, his gaze swept across the room, landing on you last.

“Okay, now that you guys are all here. Let’s begin.” He started.

“I’ve heard everything. Several students witnessed the incident last night, and these two students have admitted to harassing Asa here repeatedly - for a long period, it seems.” He paused.

“And, uh… Joonhuk’s actions were violent, yes. I understand where it came from but this is still unacceptable behaviour for our school, our society.”

Asa’s eyes met yours. Shock, betrayal - like she couldn’t believe you, her Joonhyuk, the one who walked with her everyday for the past few years, had done that. You looked back at her, but she turned away, clutching her mother’s arm like she was holding herself together.

After a few phone calls, the principal talked to your moms. Your mom firm, Ms. Keiko calm but disappointed. You just held your head down, feeling like you had disappointed everyone once again. There was no yelling, just tired voices trying to make sense of what happened. The principal rested his hands on the desk, his voice calm and firm.

“The national taekwondo association was informed,” he began.

“They’re disappointed but, fortunately, they understood where your actions came from, Joonhyuk-ah. That doesn’t excuse it, but they’ve made it clear: they still want you at the upcoming Asian Games. You’re one of the best our country has ever seen, at seventeen.”

He then glanced back at the moms.

“Uhm, him along with Asa are bright students. Strong academic records, no prior incidents… Also, Joonhyuk is the youngest ever from an non-athletic school like ours to be selected to represent the nation. A really rare case. And because of that, they’ve requested a meeting with our school ethics board in the upcoming days to help mediate this.”

A pause. Then:

“Joonhyuk and his parents will have to be present. Pending review, we’re assigning Joonhyuk extended after school volunteer duties and weekend public service work. This has to stay within school records. I want you, Joonhyuk, to follow our instructions for now. And don’t make us regret this.” 

You tried to act normal, like nothing happened. But the room felt colder. And Asa’s silence? That was the worst part.

After everything, the two of you returned to class. No one said much, but everyone noticed. The seat felt further apart. Asa didn’t even look at you, once. You tried, everything. Tapping her side of the desk slightly, slipping her a note during break. No response. Even though you had every excuse, every reason, something about her silence just crushed you harder than the principal’s words ever could. When the last bell rang, you chased after her on the way home.

“Asa-”

She walked faster.

“Asa-ah, please. Wait for me.”

Nothing. Just the soft rhythms of her shoes on the pavement. 

“I’m sorry, okay? I just - I couldn’t let them get away with it. You were hurt and I wasn’t there.”

“You think that’s why I got mad?” she finally snapped, still not looking at you.

“You think I need you to do that just because they hit me?!”

Her voice was shaky.

You stepped closer, letting out a breath.

“Then why? Tell me. Please. I’ll do anything. Just don’t shut me out. I can’t take it.”

She stopped talking, finally turned around to face you.

“I was scared. Not of them. OF YOU. Of what you would do when you found out.”

You didn’t answer. 

“I needed you.” she continued, “But not like that. Not like some idiot who always resorts to violence.”

You tried to reach for her hand, but she pulled back.

“Please…”

Her eyes now wet, furious, but it wasn’t the anger that hurt. It was the look that said she didn’t know who you were anymore. She then muttered something in Japanese, like she always did when she didn’t want you to understand, like always did when she was mad. That… That made something twist in your chest.

“Again with that.” you exasperated. “Why do you always do that?”

She looked away, refusing to answer. 

“I’m trying here, Asa. I’m telling you how I feel. I know I’m not right but-”

She cut you off, more angry words again in Japanese. This time, colder, sharper. You had no idea what they meant, but they sounded cruel. Like she was purposely keeping you out. Then, something inside you snapped.

“Just goddamn say it, Asa-ah.” you said, voice raised, hands on your head out of frustration.

“Say it to my face. Don’t act all high and mighty like a princess one second and turn into an annoying bitch the next.”

Silence.

Oh, shit. Why did I say that?

“Asa… I didn’t-”

Smack.

Hard.

You blinked. The sting bloomed across your cheeks. You had taken all kinds of hits, but this, this was deeper. Asa’s eyes were wide, full of hurt and disbelief, already glassy with tears.

She took a step back. Shaking. “I knew it. You only see what you want.”

“Asa, wait-” you tried again, stepping forward.

“No.” her voice cracked. “You don’t get to hurt me and act like you’re the one who’s broken.”

She turned before you could say another word. Her shoes scraped the pavements as she rushed off, hands covering her face. She didn’t look back, once.

You stood there, frozen. 

You did it again.

You hurt her.

You broke your promise.

You might have just lost someone who you couldn’t win back.

✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧

Yayy, part III done. idk what to say lol. it's not the end yet. things might happen. good or bad? wait for part IV, i guesss? love u guys. thanks so much for supporting me.

[writingbluerose]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 — skully j graves x reader

summary : being stuck in another world isn't new for you, but it seems you've found someone who perhaps truly understands you

warnings : reader is known to be Yuu

a / n : MAN I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS NEW EVENT!! I hope I get Skully's personality right! ( I put a reference there. Good luck on finding it! It's pretty easy <3 ) Also I would like to mention that I started making this while I was watching part two and going into part three of the event. So it may be a bit rusty on the edges

HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!

This is Halloween.... This is what Halloween is about...

Yes, indeed, that's what the magic of Halloween is all about

The night was quiet in Halloween City. Out there, in the City Hall, some people were arguing over meaningless things.

“This was supposed to be teamwork... what's happening?„

“Your friends have a lot of energy.. don't they?”

On a bench not too far away from the arguing houswardens, you, Skully and Jack were staying in a little group. Unfortunately not even Grim could escape from the complaints of the houswardens. The mayor too was clearly angry at everyone's stubbornness but it seems even he couldn't stop everyone.

“I wouldn't expect much from them. I've gone to that school enough to know they're hopeless„ You sighed and let yourself numb on the wooden bench.

“I miss my dorm mates, man„

What a day, what a day... As expected the teams made absolutely no progress. The mayor was mad, Jack was worried, and Skully...well, he's trying to get people to try his ideas but it seems like it's not working as well as he wants to.

A pair of orange eyes looked at you from under a pair of black glasses. “How lovely! Truly! You too have companions in your dorm?”

You smiled at Skully brightly. “Yeah! They're an amazing company, it's fun to be around them, even if there are only 5 of us!„

“How wonderful!„

“I would've loved to meet your companions too, Y/N! If they are as you say, it would've been a blast working with them” Jack Skellington smiled at you from above, you could tell he was thinking about how it would've been to meet them. You smiled and looked back at the others in front of the stage. Still arguing... What could be done..? You wanted to get up and try to get them to shut up, but the mayor himself decided to do it for you.

“EVERYONE SHUT UP!” You heard a quiet laugh from next to you, of course it was none other than Skully, you could tell by the way his hand was covering his mouth.

“Can we not argue at least today? We need to finish the Halloween preparations in these 3 days!„

“Yes yes! I promise I shall do another lottery tomorrow, until then, please do your best to work together„

The Houswardens looked at each other. Vil gave a long sigh.

“We don't have a choice do we?“ Shaking his head, he accepted his fate as well as the others. “How troublesome..„ Jack whispered before going out of the city hall, quickly followed by Skully and you, Grim too, quickly jumping on your shoulder to accompany you outside.

It all started when you and the others found a mysterious book lying in the middle of the market. Initially, you planned not to open it, but Grim, being the little curious furball he is, opened it without thinking at all. And here you are, in Halloween Town, with a bunch of different monsters and Jack, who to you seems very familiar for some reason. In the forest you've woken up, you also found Skully, who in your eyes was a very nice guy. He was a gentleman, and seemed to respect every one of you, even if the others made fun of him a lot. Skully also seemed to pay attention to you the most, asking about your opinions ( even if they're not needed ), asking for advice and just being there with you. You can't lie and say you haven't been thinking about taking him back at NRC. The headmage owes you a lot after all. You just hope you'll be able too. After all, he looks like he needs some good company.

The day has finally come to an end. Even if no progress was made, you and the others were able to accommodate more with Halloween town. Except, there may be one problem.

“And where exactly should we sleep?„

Sebek was the one to disturb the silence. Now that you're thinking about it, you really didn't think about the sleeping problems.

“My, I haven't thought about that at all! Hm, well my house can't possibly fit all of you...Ah yes! There are plenty of open graves for you to use!„

Did he just say graves?

“Uh no thank you, we're fine sleeping somewhere else„

“Oh! I'm pretty sure I can find someone that has enough space under their bed for you all! Or perhaps a cozy coffin I can borrow from a vampire!”

Well, Jack clearly seems to have some... interesting ideas “I'm sorry under a what now?“

“No way, sleeping in a coffin is definitely not for me!“

“How about sleeping in the hall?„ Jamil was the first to propose the idea. Sleeping in a city hall didn't seem that bad. Beats sleeping in someone's wall.

“Are you kids sure? I simply cannot let you sleep in such an uncomfortable place! You are our guests after all„

“Oh no, we insist! We will be just alright!“

“Well, if you say so, I can't be the one to oppose the idea“

You're not sure what woke you up, the uncomfortable feeling of the wood bench you were sitting on, or the shuffling and steps close to you. You slowly opened your eyes and looked around, not much to see in the dark, but you spotted a tall figure opening the door of the hall and going out. Skully..? You thought. Why is he awake at such an hour? You silently got up and started walking to the door as to not wake up Grim and the others. You slowly opened the door and the cold weather greeted you. Looking up at the sky, the light of the full moon greeted you, like saying good morning. You were thinking it's morning, since the cold air was the first thing to hit you when opening the City Hall's door and your black patchworked suit wasn't a very good shield against it. You looked around searching for Skully's figure, and you quickly spotted him going out the town's gate.

The truth was that what you experienced when you first met Skully was love at first sight. And then your love grew bigger with every care he showed you.

You picked up your pace, the city was quiet so your call wasn't unheard by the boy. “Skully, wait up!„ He quickly turned around and spotted you, you couldn't miss the way his eyes lit up and his lips that were in a straight line were now a happy smile.

“Ah Y/N! What a nice surprise! What are you doing here? I recall you being asleep„

You stopped next to him, catching your breath. “I heard you going out and I got worried something happened, so I came to see if you're ok„ You've never seen Skully smile so brightly. Your gesture made him happy beyond belief, to think someone as kind as you cared enough to check on him warms his heart. Skully put his hands on his chest, gesturing how happy he was.

“Ah! To think you went all the way here to check on me! It really warms up my heart! My dear friend your kindness is unmatched!„ You left out a giggle at his compliments. No one really gave you such compliments, not here and rarely at home, you can't help but blush a little at Skully's devoted compliments. You caught him bowing again, catching your hand in his and placing a kiss on the back of it. Now this was one of the things that truly made you a red blushing mess.

“Ah.. there's no need for that... it's ehm, it's nothing really, it's what friends do!„

He looked at you and laughed. “Nonsense! I have to show my gratitude no? Now! — Skully slapped his hands together, closing his eyes — how about you join me on my walk?“

“Your walk?”

“Indeed! I was planning on going on the spiral hill to take a better view of the endless field bathing in the moonlight! It's a once in a lifetime experience and I can't miss it! Would you like to come with?„ He extended his hand for you to take, and how could you possibly refuse?

So you took his hand and he slowly guided you to the hill. The silence between you was comfortable, you could hear your loud heartbeat while walking and you were almost 100% sure it would pop out of your chest.

Both of you made your way on the hill and sat close to the edge of it, enjoying the now slightly warmer breeze that the wind offered you.“Beautiful isn't it? I've been dreaming of coming here for so long! To finally see Mr. Jack and the Halloween Town! It's a dream come true!„ You smiled at his statement, but as soon as you looked back at him, his face quickly turned into a frown.

“Something tells me this isn't all you want to say“ He looked at you, your cheeks having a pink tint to them after noticing the light in his eyes when he looked at you, and you only.

“My dearest friend, can you keep a secret?„

You nodded smiling, whatever he had on his mind, you'll keep it secluded, close to your heart. “The truth is, that I am quite disappointed. Mr Jack is not how I imagined him to be. He wants Halloween to be happy, lively, with people to celebrate with. But that's... THAT'S JUST ABSOLUTE BULLSHIT„

You slightly jumped at Skully's screaming. Is this how he usually is?

“Music and dancing, bright colors? NO! That's not how it's supposed to be! Halloween is a nightmare! Halloween is a dream! It's scary! This is Halloween! That is Halloween!„

Skully clenched his fists and looked ahead, eyes full of pure fury. “If Mr Jack cannot understand that, maybe I'll have to take matters into my own hands„ Looking back at Skully, you understood that more than all, he was disappointed that he was let down, you understood his feelings, you understood them well.

You laughed at his antics, and looking back at him simply made your heart beat faster and faster. Skully seemed to think the same, because slowly and quickly at the same time, both of you found yourselves closing the distance between you. Stopping just as your lips barely touched, Skully looked at you one more time, searching in your eyes for any sort of hesitance, once he saw the soft glint in your eyes, he put a hand around your waist at the same time you put one of your hands on his cheek and finally closed the distance between you.

Without thinking, you put your hand on his, reassuring him silently. Skully jumped a little at the contact, his hand stiff, but quickly relaxing under your touch. He looked at you, an expression of shock and adoration. “Ah, I apologize my friend. I don't know what happened for me to raise my voice like that. Oh no no, Mr Jack is a gentleman, he definitely wouldn't like me acting like this„

He slowly turned his hand so that he could interlock your fingers with his. He looked at your hands, a visible pink blush peaking from behind his glasses. “Thank you, for being here for me my friend. Your companions laugh at me, calling me names, but you, you aren't like them. You understand me, and I appreciate that more than you think„

You smiled at his confession, thinking about the thoughts you had earlier today. “Skully, when...when we get out of here, I..I can try and get you enrolled in the school I'm staying at. I'm sure that my dorm will welcome you with open arms. No one to make fun of you. I'm sure you'll fit amazing„

The white haired boy looked at you with hope in his eyes. He thought that maybe, just maybe, he can be with the one whom he loved so much from the start. He looked at you with a hopeful smile. “It would be lovely! I must say I'm very curious about your friends out there. The thought of staying with you makes me jump in excitement„

The kiss was enough for both of you, because you put all your feelings about each other in it. So many unspoken words were now spoken through a simple kiss, a kiss that none of you will ever forget. The hands that had your fingers interlocked had never quite loosened their grip, now gripping tighter at it, as if one of you thought the other would disappear if you'd dare to let go. You broke the kiss in need of air, you and Skully still being caught in the blissful moment, went for another one, and another. While the dim light of the moon seemed to illuminate only the two of you as if supporting your confession.

Both of you were happy, so happy. And you were sure, you were sure that even after getting out of here, you'd find each other again, the devotion and love for each other guiding you in the form of a beautiful red string, making sure you'll never forget.

After what seemed like an eternity, you both stopped, both your faces red, looking at each other with only adoration and love being present in your eyes. Skully and you got up still holding your hands in his. Then unexpectedly, he gripped your waist and twirled you around. You couldn't help but laugh at the action. Even after stopping, he held you in his arms, kissing both your knuckles and looking at you.

“My love for you goes beyond the moon, Y/N. I love you and adore you like no other„ You kissed him again, your hands coming behind his neck.

“And my love for you, Skully, goes beyond this world, Twisted Wonderland, and my very own, I love you so much, like no other person I've loved in my life„

He let out a laugh, kissing you again and again, making you giggle. He took your hands and started dancing with you, slowly, while humming a melody.

BONUS :

Meanwhile in the city hall ...

“Hey, where is my henchhuman??„

Jamil and Vil looked around.

“Huh, now that I think about it, I haven't seen the Prefect when I woke up„

“Indeed, and Skully too, he seemed to have disappeared„

Sebek came between them speaking loudly.

“Skully told me he went to watch the sunset or something like that. I'm pretty sure I spotted the Prefect following him after a minute he left„

The houswardens looked at each other.

The two residents of the town decided to keep it a secret. And let you enjoy the moment just for a little while more.

After a while Jack showed up asking about the two, Sally coming after a while, incredibly happy.

“Why good morning Sally! What's gotten you so happy?“

She got closer to Jack whispering something that the others couldn't hear. Jack let out a happy laugh.

“Reminds me of our early days. Love is truly beautiful isn't it?„

“Love? What love? What are you talking about?„

Vil demanded answers, but got nothing in return.

© writingbluerose 2024

[itsclydebitches]

Watching The Apothecary Diaries and from a character perspective I love the detail of the pipe, the one used in the warehouse explosion. In just a few, literal seconds of storytelling we're shown quite clearly who Maomao is:

She notes that she "accidentally" took the pipe with her. Despite being a poor commoner surrounded by luxury, she resists most temptations towards theft. There's one moment - was it when she went to Ah-Duo's palace? - where she notes that anyone with so many nice things wouldn't notice something small going missing, but then she knocks herself out of that thinking. Maomao isn't some #pure protagonist who'd never even consider such a thing, rather she's an upstanding and smart individual who realizes this is both wrong and, notably, a dumb move if she gets caught. Maomao is careful to ask for the materials she needs to pull off the bomb experiment and there are times when, even basking in a love of herbs, she will not pick them if they're from someone else's garden. Maomao respects others' property and not even her hyperfixations will override that (a common flaw in other single-minded protagonists). This also dovetails nicely into her admission that she and Luomen built a lot of things they needed because she grew up poor. Who's to say how hard someone else worked to make/buy/secure that object?

Sidenote: It's interesting to me that the exception here seems to be Jinshi. Just an episode earlier Maomao tried to fleece him of who knows how much through the sale of Granny's "educational materials," which, you know, is very much theft. Beyond the fact that the general wealth of a noble differs greatly from the specific possession of a commoner (or even a woman concubine), it feels almost... intimate to me? That's not quite the word I'm looking for, but I mean that Maomao allows Jinshi to influence her in ways she doesn't let others, at least outside of her immediate family. Another notable example of that is her unwillingness to fake an interest in him. We see many times over the course of the show - facing off against the women in the outer court, acting as a courtesan for the night, etc. - that Maomao is perfectly capable of playing the smiling, docile, hapless woman society expects. Yet from day one she's refused to apply that mask for Jinshi's sake and, in turn, despises when he turns his charm mask on her. Maomao wants people to exist plainly, just as she normally does... and a part of that is accepting that she's sometimes an imperfect, immoral person. Weirdly, trying to steal from Jinshi feels like an act of trust towards him, both on a safety level (I trust that you won't punish me too harshly if I get caught) and an emotional one (I trust you to see an important part of my character: that I'll bend and even break the rules for my family's sake).

Moving on, Maomao is also incredibly practical and is living under the realities of a) poverty and b) a patriarchal society. She notes many times throughout the series (this episode included) that Luomen is terrible at turning a profit and Maomao herself owes Granny a fair bit. Combine that with the reminder that she was just fired from one position after being kidnapped from another and of course Maomao thinks about selling the pipe. She didn't intentionally steal it and - crucially - she has no reason to think it's still important to the investigation, but now that it's in her possession she might as well make use of it. Clean it up, find a new mouthpiece, and sell it off for a good price. Maomao is constantly thinking about the price of things, particularly in the context of whether she, a commoner, deserves them and that leads to her likewise noting the everyday objects that could make a big difference in her life, things that others don't even notice. For Jinshi that's just a useless stack of papers to burn; for Maomao they're a potential source of income, translating directly to her father keeping a roof over his head. Class is HUGE in The Apothecary Diaries, so of course Maomao takes one look at a beautifully carved pipe and considers how much she could sell it for.

...but she doesn't. Maomao looks closer still, uses those keen deduction skills to assume the pipe may have sentimental importance, and decides to give it back. Laomen isn't in immediate danger of being evicted, she may have just snagged him a new customer in Lihaku, and Granny isn't hounding her too much, so soft-hearted Maomao is going to put practicality aside and return it. Because she is soft-hearted. This is the girl utterly committed to the big gestures - risking exposure to warn two mothers about the poison killing their babies - as well as the small: staying up night after night to sew pockets into everyone's clothes just so they might be a little warmer for one festival. Now here, Maomao decides to still clean up the pipe. It's not enough to just return it, she's going to return it in pristine condition, even though that won't net her anything other than a potential 'Thank you' now. For me, Maomao so often embodies the message that when peoples' basic needs are met, they're then free to be quite kind to one another.

Love this girl. So, so much.

[thischarmingmandalorian]

I Wanna Ruin Our Friendship

Couple, Bar Chapter 1

Summary: After you help Joel with a work project, he takes you out for drinks. When the bartender mistakes you for a couple, his brain short circuits.

Pairing: Single Dad Neighbor!Joel Miller X Reader

Warnings: Joel thinking being mean is flirting, alcohol, grinding on strangers, getting groped in public, no-no words. In my mind there's an age gap (10 years max) and I envision a mid-40s Joel, but I don't think it'll ever become apparent.

Word Count: 2.3k

Notes: Formatting on mobile is not for the weak, y'all, so if this looks like ass I'm sorry. I don't know what a contractor does. Song mentioned is Jenny (I Wanna Ruin Our Friendship) by Studio Killers. Full playlist is linked on the master post for this series (which I'll learn to link all together soon I promise I'M OLD, OK?!) Also I promise I have an English degree but if I read this one more time I'll lose the nerve to post it so ignore any mistakes I missed. Anyway love you bye.

While you weren't on your neighbor Joel's payroll, every now and then he'd knock on your door and sheepishly ask to borrow your "eye for design," which was Joel talk for "I need help knowing what handles look good on these cabinets I'm building and every other person in my life is busy."  

You and Joel had been neighbors for the better part of 5 years and had become relatively close in that time. If you were being honest with yourself, the first day you met you might have fallen in love, but since immediately jumping into a relationship with a newly-divorced single father wasn't on your five-year plan, those feelings were buried, albeit not always successfully.

Joel was charming, kind, and... Southern.  And while these were all things that made you head over heels for him, they were exactly what made it difficult to interpret his feelings for you. Were he and Sarah baking you Christmas cookies and hand delivering them to your door because he too had a crush, or was he just being neighborly? Was he grinning every time he said hello to you because he was a nice guy? What were you supposed to make of that one time, on his couch for movie night, when his hand lingered a little longer than normal on your thigh? You had no idea, and for the sake of your friendship, you were content not knowing.

On this particular day, Joel needed help matching paint colors to flooring samples and might as well have been color blind. He was building a house for a newlywed couple and their wishes for, as Joel put it, "some 1960s Brady Bunch bullshit" aesthetic meant nothing to him. You had spent the better part of an hour helping Joel match swatches of green and orange in ways that he had previously thought impossible, and as a thank you, he offered to buy you a drink at the first bar you spotted on the way home.

The first bar you spotted happened to be an almost-literal hole in the wall, but the packed parking lot indicated it was a place worth visiting.  Joel opened the door, beckoning you through the threshold ahead of him, and you're hit with a wall of smoke and the bump of a local dj working through his set. 

Luckily most of the people at the bar had already started drinking and were congregated in the middle of the tiny dance floor, making it easy to find two seats. Joel flagged the bartender over and ordered for the both of you, handing his card over to start a tab.

"Got you a beer, this place doesn't look like they'd make a good margarita," Joel shouts over the music. 

You smile, leaning in close to thank Joel. "I appreciate the forethought! Send me a Venmo request for what I end up owing you," you gesture to the frosty bottles that get put in front of you.

Joel tuts and waves his hand between you two in a noncommittal gesture. He leans in close to your ear instead of shouting this time, "consider it payment for your help today. When that couple told me they wanted their house to be 'midcentury Palm Springs chic' I knew you'd know what they meant. The wife kept sending me links to her Pinterest board, whatever the fuck that is. I was too scared to click them because..."

"Because you're fucking old," you finish, barking out a laugh at the frown that Joel gives you.

After one beer turned into three, Joel starts to open up. Despite his gruff exterior, you know he cares and is interested in your life, even if it takes some alcohol to get him asking about it.

"Have you started dating yet?" The question catches you off guard, your eyes growing wide. "What? You've been in town for five years now, it's high time you start putting yourself out there. A pretty girl like you should have no trouble finding a man."

There it is again. Is Joel just being nice calling you pretty? Or is he fishing for something more?

"Have you started dating?" you counter, raising an eyebrow, nodding when Joel shakes his head. "I'm too busy, Joel. I'm…"

"'Focusing on my career,'" Joel finishes for you, having heard it all before.

You roll your eyes. "Why are we talking about this?"

Joel smirks and cocks his head to your beer, the label in the process of being peeled completely off. "You've peeled the label off every drink you've had tonight."

"Oh…kay?"

Joel shrugs, "if Tommy were here he'd say you're pulling the labels off because you're sexually frustrated." He makes a face as if to say 'but what do I know?'

You raised an eyebrow at Joel. "You of all people should know not to take what Tommy says as fact. And you're one to talk; you live across the street, I'd notice if women were coming over. And they're not. You're going through a dry spell, Miller, same as me." You empty your bottle, stuffing the label down the neck and waving the bartender over for you and Joel to order one more round.  Joel tries to think of a witty comeback, but he knows you're right. 

You watch the bartender open your tab on the till behind the bar and chuckle when you notice what she's titled it: at the top of the screen, in bold letters, "COUPLE BAR."

You tap Joel's bicep, pointing to the screen, "look at that, Miller," you shout over the music, "she thinks you and I are a couple."

Joel looks at the screen himself, eyes suddenly going wide. You raise an eyebrow at him, confused as to why he isn't just chuckling at the bartender's misunderstanding, but your expression turns to one of anger once Joel regains use of his brain and the only thing he can think to say is, "... ew?"

You hope you just misheard him over the loud music, but as Joel started to sputter out an apology, looking horrified at what he had said, you realize - a stranger thought you two were dating, and Joel thinks that's gross. You weren't interested in hearing him trip over his words while he tried to backtrack, and you desperately needed a distraction so you didn't start to cry.  You wave your hand in front of Joel's face, telling him to save it as you grab your beer and push past him to the dance floor.

This is definitely not your scene, the middle of a smoke-filled bar on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, but you make the most of it, taking a swig from your bottle as you push through the crowd. Once you've made your way to the center of the crowd, you assume the position - eyes closed, bottle raised above your head, swinging your hips to whatever top 40 hit the dj decides to bleed into the last one he played.  You don't have to wait long before you feel a body push up behind you and you welcome the distraction. You don't open your eyes or lower your hand except to drink from your near empty bottle, but you do back your ass up against the stranger behind you. It's definitely not Joel. This person behind you is way too lanky; when his arms encircle your waist they lack definition, his thighs aren't nearly as beefy as Joel's, and… you get frustrated with yourself.  Joel just insinuated dating you would be gross and all you can do is think about how hot he is? 

You shake your head, trying to clear your thoughts and enjoy the moment. The guy behind you is getting handsy, and normally that would bother you, but Joel was right about that dry spell. One song bleeds into another as you gyrate against this stranger who now has his hand splayed across your stomach under your shirt.

You're ripped unceremoniously from your mindless grinding by a large hand on your shoulder. You wink one eye open though you knew it was Joel. You're not interested in hearing him out, especially not with this stranger's hand gliding slowly up your torso, boldly inching closer to your chest.

"Darlin'" you hear Joel shout over the music, "'m sorry. I didn't mean…"

You put your palm in front of Joel's face before moving your hand on top of the stranger's, whose fingers are teasing the hem of your bra. Joel can be sorry, but he's also going to see how decidedly not-ew the thought of being with you is.

"Whatever, Joel. You can think being my boyfriend is gross. This is fine!" You open your eyes and the look on Joel's face is one you've never seen before. At this point he isn't looking at you, he's staring daggers at the man behind you. Whoever he is seems blissfully unaware.

"Honey, I'm out of touch. I'm fucking old, you said it yourself! I don't know how to - hey, buddy, do you fucking mind?" The hand under your shirt loses its grip on you as Joel shoves the shoulder of the guy behind you. Suddenly his body unglues itself from your back.

"My bad, man. Didn't know she had a boyfriend," he shouts over the music as he disappears back into the crowd. You groan and roll your eyes.

"So sorry, Joel! Turns out when you look and act like my boyfriend, people think you really are! How embarrassing for you," you ramble into Joel's ear. You turn to walk off the dance floor, embarrassed, but before you're out of his reach Joel grabs your forearm, pulling gently until you're flush with his body. He towers over you, his eyes bore into yours.

"Please listen," he bends to speak quietly into your ear, "I'm sorry, and I mean it. We're friends, and I value that. I thought I was bantering, bein' funny. I know you don't want to be a couple at this bar. I know you want to be friends, nothing more, with me. But…" he trails off, pulling away to look at your face.

The atmosphere changes in a way that you swear is straight out of a movie. The lights pulsing and flashing are hitting Joel's face in a way that makes him even more handsome, which you'd thought previously impossible. While your beer bottle is empty, clutched into your hand that hangs limply at your side, Joel's drink is nearly full, still frosty, and dripping condensation through your shirt, soaking your lower back. Joel's eyebrows are raised, waiting for you to do or say anything. 

And then the dj changes the song. You are… intimately familiar with what begins to play and you shake your head, chuckling. What divine intervention drove the dj to start playing a song about ruining a friendship at this very moment? You have no idea, but you make a mental note to thank the universe as you smile at Joel. You push away from him for just a second, long enough to rip the label off your empty beer bottle. Joel looks confused watching you ball up the damp paper. 

You chuckle as you toss the label at Joel, it pinging off his temple before you spin your body so your back is plastered against Joel's front. 

You'll show him sexually frustrated.

Joel seems to take a second to read the situation because his body doesn't move. In fact, it goes rigid. Your hips sway against him anyway. Joel only breaks out of his spell when your arm snakes around his neck and you bury your fingers in his hair. Tugging gently on his curls seems to awaken something in him and his hands are on you in seconds. The hand clutching his beer comes to rest on your hip as the other picks up where your previous dance partner left off, creeping under your shirt and splaying across your stomach. 

"What are we doin' here, baby?" Joel rasps into your ear, his voice deeper and more strained than you're used to. "I guess I deserve you teasin' me, but two can play this game." Joel's nose prods at a spot behind your ear as he peels one cup of your bra away from your body, replacing it with his hand. Your eyes fly open to ensure no one notices, but everyone on the dance floor is busy paying attention to their own partners. Joel rolls your nipple between two fingers before giving it a flick; you try and suppress a moan.

Not to be outdone, you reach for the beer bottle in Joel's hand. You make sure Joel's eyes are locked on you as you lick a stripe up the neck of the bottle, taking a generous sip before handing it back. Joel's eyes widen and he smirks, bringing his mouth back to your ear.

"Think it goes without sayin' now, but I really don't hate the idea of people thinking you're mine," Joel accentuates his last word with a gentle nip at your earlobe that makes your head loll back onto his shoulder. 

"Are you listening to the song, Joel?" You reach up to place your hand on Joel's cheek, turning his face gently so your eyes meet.  He looks confused, but you can tell he's training his ear onto the chorus of what's playing.

I wanna ruin our friendship

We should be lovers instead

I don't know how to say this

'Cause you're really my dearest friend

Joel lowers his eyes back down to meet yours and smirks. "You an' me both, darlin'." His hand around your waist pulls you impossibly closer and you feel him grow hard against your ass. 

"Know where I last heard this song?" The final notes start to dissipate, melding seamlessly with the next song. Joel shakes his head and asks where. You smirk, nuzzling into Joel's neck before you lick a stripe up to his ear. "It's on my sex playlist."

Joel stills. You grin, giggling as he pushes you away gently. "I've gotta close out the tab," he says once he remembers how to form thoughts into words. "Meet me at the truck. And think about what song you're gonna put on once I get you home."

[creature-wizard]

I keep thinking about the post talking about how scammers will try and tell you how they're going to prove they're the real thing, where the "proof" they will offer you is actually meaningless because it doesn't actually mean what they claim this means, and how this is essentially the way witch hunters operate.

Your early modern witch hunters would always be able to "find" witches because they had easily-filled criteria for what constituted evidence of witchcraft - things like bad weather, strange symptoms and seemingly incurable ailments, night terrors, etc.

Of course, they had no evidence that there was a causal link between any of these things and witchcraft. They just said it was evidence of witchcraft, and a lot of people just assumed they knew what they were talking about.

And so it is with claims that hypnosis and various trance states can help people remember past lives and repressed memories. People with actual doctorates claim that hypnosis can help you uncover repressed memory, even though its ability to do this has never been demonstrated. In fact, the more you start looking into cases where hypnosis was used to help people remember something, the more you find that people can "remember" nearly anything - including, very famously, alien abductions.

In Ritual Abuse and Mind Control: The Manipulation of Attachment Needs (essentially pro-Satanic Panic literature, for those who haven't read it), Valerie Sinason acknowledged the people who seemingly remembered alien abductions, then proceeded to try special pleading for people who "remembered" satanic ritual abuse. Sinason's defense was that SRA was more plausible than alien abductions, therefore we should believe it's actually happening.

Of course, "more plausible" does not equal "actually happening." Just because it's more plausible that I have the skeleton of Elvis Presley in my basement than an alien skeleton, doesn't mean I have the skeleton of Elvis Presley in my basement. And when your methodology for obtaining your so-called evidence is this deeply flawed, you might as well just say "it's true because I want it to be true" and then try to locate all the cultists in your town with dowsing rods.

Indeed, when other people start setting higher standards for evidence, SRA proponents' ability to find witches (or cult programmers, as we're calling them today) vanish. All they can do is try to guilt trip people for allegedly betraying survivors and claim that the critics are part of a malicious conspiracy.

I've both studied and personally been involved in controlling and manipulative groups long enough to recognize this song and dance for what it is - it's fundamentally an assertion that you're betraying the good guys and letting the bad guys win. It's always an act of desperation.

Many Christians pull this when someone tries to leave the faith. It often goes like this: Jesus loves you so much, how could you deny him like this? Also everyone who refuses to become Christian has been deceived by the Devil, and some of them are even working for him on purpose!

Many neopagans do it whenever someone questions or disagrees with whatever dogma their personal group has. It often goes like this: You're betraying the gods (whom you owe your loyalty because they're the gods), and you're letting our Christian oppressors win.

Many peddlers of woo and conspiracy theories do it like this: You're being closed minded (and therefore you're being rude to nice open-minded people like them). You're also just brainwashed by the people who don't want the truth getting out, and you're basically doing their bidding.

Anyway, since I think most of us here can agree that the witch hunts were unjustified and that thousands of innocent people lost their lives, I want you to picture someone saying:

"When you say the Devil's Sabbath wasn't real and the witch hunts targeted innocent women, you're invalidating and erasing the pain of everyone who suffered from the torments of witches. I agree that some innocent people were burned, but there were absolutely real witches working with the Devil to cast evil spells."

As you can see, this rhetoric can be used to defend and justify any bullshit-driven atrocity. Let's try this with another conspiracy theory I think most of us can agree is bullshit - reptilian aliens:

"When you say the Reptilians aren't real and they're based on antisemitic tropes, you're invalidating and erasing the pain of everyone who suffered at their hands. I agree that some innocent people have been accused of being Reptilians, but there are absolutely real Reptilians out there torturing people and killing them to drink their blood."

So in conclusion, we must always think critically about what people present as evidence, and not let them guilt trip us into lowering our standards. Remember:

Efficacy of the evidence-gathering methods must be demonstrated. The methods must be shown to be reliable, unlikely to produce false results.

Causal links must be established. Assertions that X causes Y must be backed up with empirical evidence.

Other explanations must be ruled out. Do not assume the most sensational explanation without ruling out more common ones. As the saying in medicine goes, if you see hoofprints, think horses, not zebras. Do not consider zebras until horses (and any other common equines) can be ruled out.

[annie-writesstuff]

Come here, kitty, kitty! - Sylus (Part 2)

Summary: The curse of the Evol cats wears off. Majority of it, at least. Sylus finds himself in his 'human' form. However, your reaction is not what he expected. He thinks you're one of the most interesting persons he has ever met.

Warnings: None. Fluff. I really think Sylus is a green flag. Man is guarded, but when he opens up he's a softie. Tall, dark and handsome lol. He is whipped. It turned kinda angsty (sowwy). Slight - perhaps - spoiler/theory about his past if you squint.

Also, thank you to everyone who read part one! I am truly happy that so many of you enjoyed it!

And thank you to the Anon that messaged me! I am truly happy you loved the story! Thank you!

You can read PART 1 here!

The sun filters through your broken blinds. You scrunch your nose, eyelids fluttering until they fully open. Your [e/c] eyes meet your old wooden ceiling. A yawn leaves your lips as you stretch.

"Good morning."

"Morning!" You chirp reflexively, yawning once again.

Wait.

Slowly, you turn your head.

Sylus smirks, wondering if your half asleep brain has finally caught up on what is going on.

"Um..." You stutter, tugging the blanket closer to you. "Hi..?"

The smirk disappears from his face at your tame reaction. Every time he thinks he's got you figured out, you surprise him.

You should've been screaming, trying to get away from him, hurling objects in his direction.

Instead you're looking at him with more curiosity than shock.

"Red?"

He meets your eyes, and nods. "You don't seem surprised."

"I am!" You assure. "It's just... I don't know how to react. I mean... You looked so familiar. And when I looked into your eyes... I realized you were my little kitty."

"Your little kitty?"

A little flustered, you hurry to correct yourself. "I mean... the... the kitty..."

Rising his hand, he stops you. "Now, I do not like owing people. But you took me in and fed me. So thank you, kitten. Name your price."

Eh? A bit flabbergasted, you stare at him. "P... price?"

"Yes."

Honestly, you just want one thing. "Can I pet your ears?"

Pet his ears... is that what you want? Well, who is he to deny such request?

Rather than giving his verbal approval, Sylus leans down, so that you can reach the twitching ears atop his head.

He is a bit uneasy when your hand first makes contact with one of his ears, but he realizes that, just like yesterday, you're being careful and mindful. His ears are sensitive, but the way you're caressing them feels tolerable nice.

"You're a cute big cat." You smile, switching your attention to his other ear.

A tiny gasp leaves your lips as he leans into your touch, a lot more instinctively than consciously.

"If you tell anyone about this, there will be consequences."

You can't help but giggle, solemnly nodding. "Nobody will know."

He nodded, satisfied, and once you have had your fill, he moves away.

"Can I have your name?"

Normally, he wouldn't reveal his identity. However, because he is almost one hundred percent sure you don't know who he is, he complies.

"Sylus."

"How can I get you back home, Sylus?"

"I'd need to borrow your phone, kitten."

You nod, and without an ounce of hesitation, hand him your device, which had charged during the night.

Sylus uses the special code from the unknown number to contact the twins, which soon reply that they will be on their way shortly.

They don't press for any answers when he asks them to bring him a change of clothes.

Good. He is not in the mood to be answering anything.

At around an hour later, he has changed into his suit, and he walks out of your small bathroom, buttoning his dress shirt at the wrist.

"Thank you again for your... hospitality." He reiterates.

You nod, offering some water bottles to the masked individuals that came to pick up the 'boss', as they've called him.

"I hope to see you again, Sylus." You say softly, walking him to the door.

The taller male hesitates for one second, before looking down at you. "I look forward to it, kitten." He says.

This isn't going to be the last time you see him.

He's going to make sure of it.

Once he is back in his penthouse on N109 zone, Sylus can't help but feel bored.

His eyes darken as Mephisto updates him on your whereabouts. He clicks his tongue, expertly maneuvering a golden bullet with his fingers.

Money and power can give him anything he wants.

Except that the one thing he wants is priceless.

His Evol turns to dust the bullet in his hand as he decides his course of action.

Sylus has always found humans interesting, but you... are a complete enigma.

He wants to know every little detail. What makes you smile, what makes you sad. What ticks you, what excites you.

He wants things to go organically. The two of you have a bond, already, and he would never force you into anything, but he's quite sure that you're also thinking about him.

Fate... is cruel.

But it is wise.

You have found each other, and he firmly belives there is a reason why.

Maybe in this life, there is a hope for happiness for him.

[dyns33]

Obvious

Most of the time I see him as the cool silly big bro, but I love Deadpool, so here's a long Deadpool x female reader.

Normally nothing destined Y/N to meet Wade Wilson.

A normal life, without enemies, without superpowers, without contracts on her head. She didn't fight, respected the law (at least for the most serious and important things) and she considered herself to be a good person.

The first time she had passed Saint Agnes Orphanage, she hadn't really paid it much attention. The second time, she found it a little strange that an orphanage was in this part of the city, which was not really made for children.

Then one evening, when she had had a bad day, she realized that it was a bar and she decided to go in for a drink.

Since she thought an orphanage was strange in that place, she might have thought it was odd for a bar to have such a name. She could also have been scared when she saw the other customers, who all turned towards her, indicating that she might not be welcome.

But Y/N was tired, and she just wanted a drink before going home, so she smiled politely as she sat down at the counter.

The waiter frowned, but he agreed to serve her with a shrug, muttering that as long as she was an adult, it wasn't his problem.

A tall, bald, tattooed guy then approached her, putting a hand on her arm without worrying about her private space, asking her if she wanted to follow him home.

"… No thanks."

“Come on, don’t be a slut.”

"Please."

“Come with me, you stupid bitch.”

"Now, that's really not very nice. The lady said no, a gentleman should know it's time to leave. But no Hector, not only are you insisting, but you're being rude."

"Fuck you, Wade, don't get involved in this !"

The waiter continued to mumble about cleaning, while this Wade guy smashed Hector's head against the counter. A tooth even flew close to Y/N’s face.

That might have been enough to scare her completely. In addition to the surge of violence that was happening right next to her, there was the red suit, the katanas and other guns, which could make you want to flee as quickly as possible.

But when he finished kicking Hector's ass, Wade turned to her, and despite the mask, it was obvious that he was smiling, extending a hand towards her.

"Miss, my apologies for that boor. He knows nothing of good manners."

"… Thank you."

"You're very welcome, lovely angel ! Wade Wilson, Deadpool, Merc with a mouth, at your service ! Oh, he spilled your drink… Bad Hector ! Or was it me ? Maybe it was me. Weasel, the same for the little lady, on my note !”

“You already owe me a fortune.”

“I will kill whoever you want for free !”

“I thought you didn’t kill anymore.”

"Ah yes… I'll suck you for free !"

“Here you go, two drinks, just shup up Wade.”

In the end, Wade was a bit special, but not evil. He stayed with her, partly because he loved having someone to talk to, but also to make sure no one else was going to bother her again.

And he talked a lot. Everything he said didn't always make sense, he even seemed to be talking to himself sometimes, but he was funny. It seemed to please him that Y/N laughed at his jokes. Behind the counter, Weasel was still muttering that she was doing something silly.

Among the long tirade he delivered that evening, she understood that Wade had not had an easy life. That he had done some things that could make him a criminal, but he had been trying to improve for some time.

"Colossus already wanted me to become an X-men but it wasn't for me. Wait, there are X-men in this universe ? I do not know anymore. Anyway, there's Spidey and Devy. No, he's right, this nickname isn't great, Devil. Like Daredevil. They want us to be Team Red, but only if I stop unliving people. It's not fair because they're friends with Frank, and Frank keeps unliving people, but he lost his wife and his kids, so I guess he has more sympathy points than me."

"I don't understand everything, but I guess Spidey is Spiderman ?"

"Yes ! He's super cool ! And his ass ! People confuse us sometimes, it annoys me, but it's a bit of a compliment. He's my role model."

Like a true superhero, Deadpool insisted on taking her home. He was terribly honest, saying that he could leave her a few blocks away, but that was useless, because as a former mercenary, he was very good at stalking people and he could find her address without difficulty, even if he only had her name.

"Which I wouldn't do ! Normally. I might want to see you again, and ask Weasel to find your number, but I know myself, I'll put it in my phone, and I'll hesitate for weeks, then I'll send a lousy message, you'll be scared, you'll block me, I'll be ashamed and I'll shoot myself in the head because I'm a moron."

“I can give you my number.”

"And I… Huh ? Huh ?! For real ?!" exclaimed Wade, jumping like a child on Christmas Day.

Wade called her right away, specifying that it was not to verify that she was giving him a false number but a little. Despite the mask, his face showed surprise when he saw that she hadn't lied.

"I should put a bullet in my head to make sure I'm not dreaming."

“You wouldn’t wake up.”

“Baby girl, we only just met, there are a lot of things you don’t know about me.”

When Deadpool talked about shooting himself, he meant it literally. It often happened that he died, either because of an enemy, an accident, or by his own hand. But he always came back. A gift like a curse.

They became friends. It was obvious, and quite sad, that Wade didn't have many friends.

Most people around him couldn't stand him or were afraid of him. It was true that he could be quite unpredictable, especially when he got lost in his discussions with the boxes, or an imaginary audience. But he was never mean.

Weasel was more of a collaborator, Al was forced to accommodate him, and the other heroes, unable to get rid of him, tried to make him a nice guy.

And he was really nice. Crazy but adorable, funny and wanting to do well.

Very quickly, Y/N started to have a crush, and even more. Even after seeing him without a mask. He never took it off completely to eat, repeating that he didn't want her to lose her appetite or feel like throwing up.

But after landing in a trash can after a fight, and forgetting that he had invited her to watch Princess Bride, Y/N had seen him. Yes, his scars were a bit impressive, but they weren't that bad.

With an embarrassed smile, he waved his hand while remaining frozen near the entrance.

"… I can move if you want to run away. I won't follow you. I may look like Frankenstein's monster, but I only pursue young girls who ask me to. Or who deserve it. Because criminals have no gender, I don't discriminate."

“I brought popcorn.” was her only reaction.

"... Oh. Sweet ? Salty ? Caramel ? Al must have beer somewhere, hidden with the cocaine."

After that, he was a little less afraid to show his face, even though it was obvious he wasn't comfortable. It wasn't easy to reassure him, repeating that she didn't care about his appearance.

Y/N didn’t remember how they ended up having this conversation. The only thing she knew was that she was pressed against him, laughing, when she had innocently said it would be fun if they went out together.

This made Wade laugh, but a very serious laugh, leaving no chance and hitting where it hurt.

"You and me ? Ah ! No chance."

"Why ?"

"It's obvious."

A simple little sentence could sometimes do a lot of damage. Too busy making fun of the characters on the screen, Wade didn't see Y/N's look of sadness, just as he didn't feel her body stiffen.

Still, she should have expected this response. Of course it was obvious that they had nothing to do together. Deadpool was a super hero (in training), he was tall, muscular, funny, rich.

She had seen photos of his deceased ex, Vanessa. She had observed him flirting with beautiful women and men before. It was already fortunate that she was only friends with him.

So Y/N swallowed her pride, accepting the obvious, and not talking about the subject again.

But it was hard, because the more time passed, the stronger the feelings became.

It was even harder when Wade entered his depressive phases. He kept putting himself down, insulting himself and accepting insults from the boxes in his head. It took a lot of patience and perseverance to get him to put down his gun.

"Anyway, I'll come back later. Bad luck for the world. People would be happier if I wasn't here anymore. Maybe they'll miss me a little, for a few minutes."

“I would miss you, Wade.”

"Yeah… You say that because you're adorable, baby girl. But you'd be better off without me too. I'm a real drag."

“You saved me the first time we met.”

"And since then you think you owe me a debt. You know, every time we're in the street, the others look at me and they're afraid. If I wasn't there, you could be with them. You could have lots of friends.”

"I don't want lots of friends, Wade." Y/N sighed, taking him into her arms. “I’m glad we’re friends.”

“Oh, sweetie pie, me too !”

It was rarer for them to find themselves in the opposite situation. Not because Deadpool wasn't capable of empathy, but because she didn't like talking about her problems, preferring to keep everything to herself and cry out of sight.

Unfortunately, she had made the decision to become friends with a former mercenary who loved to jump from roof to roof, only to come visit without warning by tapping on the window.

Y/N had no time to hide her tears, holding back a sob as her eyes met those of Wade, who had stopped mid-movement, fist raised against his window.

He didn't hesitate before entering, terribly serious.

"Who ? Who did this ?"

“Wade…”

"Who made my baby girl cry ? I want a name. Spidey and Dev will understand. Yellow wants decapitation, White wants emasculation. Tell me who."

"It's really not necessary. It's not important."

“It’s important if you cry.” Deadpool growled as he looked around the apartment for clues.

Once he had an idea in his head, it was almost impossible to divert his attention. If it wasn't so important, it was possible with food or talking about Spiderman's butt. But this time he considered it very important.

Tired, Y/N thought that all she had to do was say that it was just a ridiculous heartbreak for him to calm down. He had no reason to kill someone just because they didn't love her back.

This actually seemed to calm him down a bit, as he patted his cheeks with his hands in a dramatic gesture.

"What ?! Someone doesn't love you ?! Someone doesn't like my sweet little angel ? Are they crazy or stupid. You deserve the best !"

"Actually… He's the one who's too good for me."

"Bullshit ! The important thing is love ! If a woman can marry a space duck, then everyone can be together, as long as it's legal and consensual !"

"… What ? No, wait, it doesn't matter. Wade, please forget it."

"A name. Let me prove to you that this fool doesn't deserve you, and not the other way around !"

"No."

"A name !"

"You ! It's you !"

For the first time since they met, Wade was silent for more than a minute, staring at her like he wasn't sure she was real. He often had hallucinations, so this happened to him.

Then he muttered incomprehensible things, probably speaking with his boxes to check that he had heard what she had just said.

"… Me ? As in, me ?"

“I know what you’re going to say.” Y/N sighed, wanting to disappear. "You've already said it, it's obvious that we're not meant to be together. You're charismatic, and strong, and funny, with powers. You save people, you have an extraordinary life, while I… I am me."

"… Baby girl. Do you have a fever ? Did you lose a bet ? Because… You saw me without a mask. You know I'm crazy and dangerous. There are several bounties on my head, I've unlived more people than the population of New York, and my favorite movie is Zoolander 2. When I said it was obvious… I meant that you were too good for me."

There had been a misunderstanding, each being convinced that the other could never want the other, because they were too different. But even though he was special, with skin problems and an inability to concentrate for more than ten minutes, Wade was much better than a space duck.

However, while she was sure of what she wanted, he hadn't clearly said what he expected next.

"I mean, if you just want to be friends, I'll understand."

"You can't tease me like that and then break my heart. Don't play with me, woman !"

“Wade…” Y/N sneered, as he gesticulated like a degenerate, declaiming his great love for her and her smile, the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

Taking advantage of his inattention, she approached him, until he froze when he felt her hands on his mask.

With a look, she asked him if she could take it off, and as he didn't move to stop her, she took it off first up to his nose, before hesitating.

Y/N didn’t want to make him uncomfortable, but she also didn’t want him to think that she didn’t want to see him if she didn’t go further. So she took out the whole mask, she observed Wade, smiling before kissing him.

"… Don't take what comes next as a bad thing." he whispered as their lips parted.

"What ?"

"I'm going to have a heart attack…"

As always, Y/N thought he was joking at first, until he collapsed in front of her, looking delighted even though his heart had stopped beating. Fortunately she was used to seeing him die, even if it was still a little traumatic.

It took almost an hour for him to wake up. Y/N had time to take a shower and make herself some tea, sitting on the couch to wait.

"Shit !" he shouted as he opened his eyes, looking around the apartment before looking at her. “Did we kiss ?”

“Yes and you died.”

"It's weird. Normally you go to heaven after you die, not before. But I probably don't have enough superhero points for heaven yet, so the other option is that I became totally crazy."

“Wade…”

"I know, White and Yellow would have told me. They're already saying that all the time, but they would have insisted, especially for me to escape from the asylum. It's no fun fighting with fake people and hippos. Was I dead long ?"

“No, a little over half an hour.”

"And you stayed with me, it's so cute. Nurse Y/N. No, Doctor Y/N, and I'll be Nurse Wilson. Oh, Doctor Y/N, I made a mistake in the dosage of a patient, I'm a bad nurse, punish me."

"… Let's see Nurse Wilson, we're in the middle of an intervention, calm down."

"Uh oh ! You're playing along !" Wade exclaimed, pouting from the ground. "I didn't expect that ! Wait, I need a blonde wig, and a white dress. You'll see, I look super sexy in a dress. Wait, we do this now or it's quick and we should have a date first ?'

“I wouldn’t say no to a date.”

"I see the genre, like in novellas. Doctor Y/N takes me to the restaurant to talk about my future promotion, but in fact, you are going to admit to me that I am pregnant with you, before I even enter your bed !"

“As long as you’re in my bed before the hundredth episode.”

“UH !”

The small, high-pitched cry of pleasure preceded a second cardiac arrest, Deadpool's mind imagining Y/N and him in a bed, with a stetoscope.

When she asked him if he was going to have a heart attack every time, he told her that he would probably die for good the day he saw her naked, or that they made love for the first time.

But Wade was a gentleman, he ate lots of vegetables, exercised, and begged Daredevil to teach him meditation techniques.

So he had the courtesy of having the next heart attack only after they were finished, and in the toilet. And every time after that they were together, Wade would go out of his way to just get a nosebleed.

Especially on Weasel's counter, telling him everything they had done or almost everything, which annoyed the poor waiter a lot, even if he knew that it would happened from the start, the moment he saw Deadpool with Y/N.