#My lee mood is crazy right now like my face had been on fire for the last two hours and I'm not even exaggerating

[gladerwolfstarkimagines]

Imagine being Azula’s friend but secretly dating Zuko behind her back

One of the first things you and Azula bonded over was your annoying brothers. Azula told you how her brother had stolen one of her best friends away from her and you related to that. Your twin brother was none other than Sokka of the water tribe, who was also very popular with women. Most of the women you knew liked him, from Yue to Toph to Suki to Ty lee! It sometimes felt like you were the second attraction in a friendship and so you and Azula quickly became close over your shared frustrations.

Then....you betrayed her.

Well, betrayal is a bit dramatic but maybe not given how upset she'd been when Mai and Zuko started dating. You knew that had been hard for Azula to process.  How difficult it had been wondering if her friends really liked her or just wanted access to her brother. So when you started liking Zuko you didn’t plan on acting on it at all. Then Mai broke up with him. 

Zuko was around at yours quite often, whenever he visited the water tribe he stayed in your home and when you visited the fire nation he extended the same hospitality. So throughout the years, you just naturally got closer and closer until....it happened. You started hanging out just the two of you and these occasions felt very date-like until Zuko just outright asked you out. You liked him and told yourself one date was fine, what harm could a single date do? But then as you kept seeing each other and one date soon progressed into many many more you knew your time to do the right thing and tell Azula you were dating her brother was approaching. 

However the idea of doing that idea terrified you. You guessed Azula wouldn’t take it well and didn’t want to lose your friendship with her because of your relationship with Zuko. You wouldn’t break up with Zuko just to make her happy but you also didn’t want to lose Azula’s friendship, so when Katara’s birthday arose you were fairly nervous. There was going to be a large party and all of Katara’s friends were coming...which included Zuko and Azula. You hadn’t been together with everyone since you and Zuko started dating so you had no idea how it would feel. The whole time you and Zuko would have to convincingly act like you weren’t a couple and not make anyone at the party suspicious of the two of you. So when Zuko’s ship got in you fixed your eyes on Azula and tried not to stare at him any more than usual. You greeted him formally and didn’t admire him as you usually would. You fell in step with Azula and decided just to focus on her. It wasn’t hard, you were best friends and very close...however fate was not on your side. You got seated across from him at dinner which felt like some sick punishment and struggled not to get lulled into conversation with him. It didn’t help that Zuko was in a playful mood. He kept making comments about the things you’d done on your date and then sending you sly looks across the table. When you met his eye he smirked blatantly and you lightly kicked him under the table. That only made Zuko chuckled and look adorable so you sighed and decided to just keep your eyes down the whole time to survive dinner. 

However, Zuko had no intention of stopping his teasing. After dinner you set about preparing the party for Katara tomorrow and having sent Sokka, Aang, Suki, Azula and Toph on their assigned jobs turned to your job of decorating. You were hanging streamers in the living room when you felt a hand curl around your waist. “Need some help there?” Zuko asked moving closer and he leaned up over you to hang it. “I could have done that myself” you smiled turning to face him and Zuko shrugged “I know you could’ve, but then I wouldn’t have been able to do this”. Zuko gently kissed your neck trailing down to your collar bone making you sigh. “Zuko...stop” you said faint heartedly and Zuko sensed that smirking "I don’t want to and you don’t want me to either, I can tell by how softly you said my name" he smiled "it’s been so long since we’ve had any time together". Your skin erupted in goosebumps and a shiver went down your spine as Zuko pressed closer against you. But you knew how badly this could end if literally anyone walked in. So swiftly you grabbed Zuko’s hands and twisted your way out of them. You held them tightly in one hand so he couldn’t try and slink around you again and used the other to make him look at you "Zuko we can’t okay, not on this trip. God knows i want to, i’ve missed you too but there’s too much that could go wrong i’m sorry". Zuko sighed but nodded his head "don’t worry i understand". Zuko’s shoulders sagged and you knew your insistance on keeping this quiet was difficult for him. "Thank you for understanding" you said hugging him quickly "i know it can’t be easy for you and I appreciate the effort you're going to for me". Zuko smiled resting his head on top of yours "it’s fine, i’d do a lot more for you if you asked but promise me it won’t always be like this....we will tell everyone soon?". You gulped but nodded pulling away "i promise, i will tell Azula...soon!". Zuko nodded “I believe you” and let his hands drop away from you. Not a moment later Sokka and Aang appeared in the room making the two of you jump. “Zuko just the man we need! We were thinking of making an ice sculpture, fancy some fire bending?”. Zuko nodded “sure” and with a last glance to you left the room. 

Hours later the party preparations finished you returned to your room which you were sharing with Azula for her visit. “Sokka made me blow up balloons” she said angrily “something about fire benders being full of hot air”. You smirked at your brother’s nerve when Azula’s next sentence wiped it off your face.  "Also I think Zuko’s dating someone again" Azula said softly and you paused. "Ow really?" you asked and she nodded "he’s been spending a suspicious amount of time in the southern water tribe lately. Lots of visits which he claims are diplomatic but I can’t work out what he actually does here! He doesn’t know that many people and so it got me thinking, y/n do you think your brother and mine....". "No Sokka's still with Suki" you said shaking your head. Azula sighed “and it’s obviously not Katara, she and Aang are basically married, have you seen him hanging around anyone else? He doesn’t know many people so it should be easy to spot". You paused pretending to think but were really just trying to buy yourself time. "Honestly i don’t pay much attention to him when he visits" you said cleverly covering your back "but i will from now on and let you know". "Thank you y/n" Azula smiled. You smiled back relieved Azula didn’t suspect anything and let out a large breath you’d been holding for this entire conversation. You were now more than ready for sleep and got into bed hurriedly. You laid your head on your pillow and closed your eyes utterly exhausted. 

"Goodnight y/n" Azula called and you nodded. You were very sleepy and after a long yawn smiled "good night Zuko".

You realised the name you’d said seconds after it came out of your mouth. 

You froze

As did azula.

"Did you just call me Zuko...". You blinked "did i? I’m sure i said Azula". Azula was quiet for 2 seconds before she shot up "it’s you!" she cried "you're the one my brother’s dating!". "No Azula that’s crazy!!! We'd just been discussing Zuko, that’s why he was on my mind!". Azula shook her head "you're lying! I can tell by the tone of your voice! You’re the new girlfriend aren’t you?". You sighed "Azula i’m sorry i was going to tell you...". "I can’t believe you" Azula yelled and suddenly the door opened. "What’s wrong?" Sokka and Zuko asked bursting in “we heard yelling” and Azula glared. "You! Couldn't just have Mai huh? Had to take another one of my friends? How about when you’re done with y/n you try things with Ty lee?". "Ow she told you...." Zuko frowned awkwardly. "No i worked it out!” Azula spat “Y/n accidentally uttered your name because she’s so lovesick" Azula cried "you both make me sick" and she strode away slamming the front door hard as she exited the house.

After Azula left you all looked at one another unsure what to do or say next. "So...you two are a thing?" Sokka asked and Zuko paused "yes...is your reaction going to be as bad as Azula’s or can i go deal with her?". Sokka shook his head "go deal with her before she burns the village down”. Zuko went to move past Sokka when your brother put a hand to his chest "but come back and see me after, me and Katara will want to talk to you about dating our sister". Zuko surprisingly looked intimidated and nodded "I'll be right back". "Zuko wait i should come too" you called "this is as much my fault as yours". Zuko nodded "let’s go" and led you outside into the cold night after Azula.

You found Azula trekking in the snow and as she wasn’t in proper shoes you gained on her quickly. “Azula!” you called and she jumped. She looked around and glared “ow look the happy couple, how nice of you to grace me with your presence”. Zuko rolled his eyes “only you’d be so attention-seeking to make this about you”. “Attention seeking? Who’s the person who can’t form his own friendships or respect boundaries? No always have to date my friends, is it some weird way for you to gain power over me? A sad way to boost your ego?”. As Zuko and Azula went to square up to each other you stepped between them. “Alright enough the both of you! Zuko please go back to the house, i’ll handle this”. “But she...”. “Zuko please” you said sharply and he nodded “fine” and with a glare left. You watched him go before turning back to Azula. You’d been about to suggest you go home given that Azula was surely freezing out here in the middle of the night but Azula broke into a rant. "Everyone leaves me for him" she cried "Mai! My uncle! Mother! Even my father...after i was smarter, a better fire bender, more loyal and younger he still gave Zuko every little chance and only crowned me after Zuko literally ran away! When will i be good enough people don’t just choose him without a second thought for me?". "Azula i didn’t choose Zuko over you! Just because i like Zuko doesn’t mean i don’t like you still". "That may be true but this changes our friendship completely, it did with Mai! People always prioritise their partners over their friends so i’ll be second best once again". "Are you kidding?" you asked "Azula now i need you more than ever! Relationships aren’t when you ditch your friends, they’re when you need them the most! Who else are you going to go to for a break or a nice getaway? Who else is going to support and love you in only the platonic way a friend can? Who else can i complain about Zuko to when he annoys me or we fight?" you asked "they’re all things you need your friends for! Desperately and that’s going to be the same for me". "But when Mai dated him...". "But i’m not Mai" you smiled softly "Azula we are good friends, i won’t sideline you because of this. You mean just as much to me now as before i started dating Zuko". Azula huffed but you could see her melting. "So...how about we go inside, get some warm milk and talk a bit more about this huh?". You offered Azula your hand and she took it but she didn’t stop there. Azula threw her arms around you and hugged you tightly. "I’m partly doing this for the cold but thank you" she said softly "nobodies ever tried to make me feel supported when they've chosen Zuko, they just tell me to deal with it but you’re the first to try and reassure me and so i know you mean it, to still be my friend". "Of course" you smiled "you're my best friend!". Azula smiled and linked her arm through yours "i like that!”. 

Zuko stared in awe as you and Azula returned grinning. "How did it go is everything okay?". You nodded "your extremely cool sister is fine with it". "Yes i thought this would be a great way to have an inside scoop on you zuzu". "She’s kidding i won’t talk to her about you...a lot". Zuko blinked "okay if everything's okay then i should go speak to Sokka and Katara, they’re waiting for me in the kitchen". Azula smiled "that’s a good idea, when you come back zuzu find me, i have some threats about what will happen if you hurt my best friend". You smiled at Azula and stepped to Zuko "good luck but don’t worry Sokka’s all bite, Katara’s the one to look out for but she has a big heart, just tell her how good a time we’ve had and you’ll be fine". "Good tips, any for my sister?". You smiled "Azula is one i have not worked out yet" you grinned "but i’m sure you’ll manage, you are the firelord after all". Zuko smirked and you patted his shoulder "after your appointment with my brother and sister and then your sister....you could always come find me in your room?". Zuko smiled "is that my motivation for surviving this?". You shrugged "you can think of it as that" and stepped away from him. Zuko watched you before sighing "alright let’s get this over with” he said loudly and strode towards the kitchen.

You turned back to Azula who raised an eyebrow at Zuko’s sudden confidence and she frowned. "Do i even want to know?" Azula asked and you shook your head "no". “Ow and don’t worry if I’m not in our room tonight”. “Euch Y/n!” Azula cried and you shrugged “what? I didn’t say why”. “I know why” she sighed before she smiled “at least I can have your bigger bed”. “Be my guest” you smiled, you had a firelord to get reacquainted with. 

[hubbytaeil]

Hiiiii can I request a hyuck smut with 6, 16?? Like oc being super cocky and bratty and him not being able to keep up with her sometimes so he just has to fuck her up a little bit, idk maybe turn her fierce personality into a pillow princess? I can’t believe I’m gonna ask for this but can him suck/lick her cheek?

Thanks so much for sharing your works✨💕

Donghyuck + #6 It’s a real shame that no one asked for your opinion &  #16 Did you hear something

genre: smut

contains: swearing, way too many petnames, praising

word count: 2525

a/n: this has been sitting in my drafts for a while (hence the santa claus joke) but hey she’s here, hope you like it <3

-ˏˋ⋆ ̥ prompts ̥ ⋆ˊˎ-

"Did you hear something?" "What?" Donghyuck turns his head, following where your gaze has posed. It gives you enough time to steal a punch of fries from his plate and stuff them in your mouth. When he realises what you're doing (for the umpteenth time during lunch), he is the face of disappointment. "I'm going to break this plate over your head if you do that again." He replies with the straightest look you've ever seen on him. "No, you wouldn't." You assure him, sending him a flying kiss to which Donghyuck answers with fake gagging sounds. "Drama queen." You hiss, biting onto your hangover burrito. "Oh, look who's talking." "Oh, shut up." "Someone's forgotten the scene she caused last night." You munch shaking your head left and right. "I have no idea what you're talking about, are you sure it wasn't you?"

 You tease after swallowing the big bite. "I wasn't blacked out drunk, clinging on my friend and whining like a little bitch." You snicker at how offended he looks, fists tight on the edge of the table. "So what? Are you mad you couldn't get any pussy because of me?" Donghyuck's eyes widen in shock as the restaurant falls silent. You have a sneaky look in your eyes, perfectly aware that every single client has heard your not so ladylike remark. You bite into your plastic straw and Donghyuck is not sure why his cheeks are flushed now. "I wouldn't worry too much, Hyuckie." You say after taking a sip of soda. "It's not like you would've gotten any if I wasn't there anyway." Donghyuck gives you a dry laugh, glaring at you. "As a matter of fact, you didn't get laid either, missy." "At least I got some offers" "Oh, yeah? From who? The stripper that was dressed like Santa Claus?" You chuckle remembering how absurd (and hot) that guy looked. "No, from Mark." Donghyuck's jaw drops to floor, as you finish your drink, purposely exaggerating the sounds coming from the can. "You fucked Mark?! What the fuck, y/n." "We didn't fuck." You affirm, standing up to get the bill. 

Donghyuck haunts you all the way back to your apartment until you spill every detail. "So, he chickened out?" Donghyuck laughs, anticipating the moment when he will be able to tease Mark about the entire incident. "I guess he was taken back, the poor thing." "By what exactly?" He looks at you from head to toe mockingly. You hit his shoulder purposely hard and he whines. "We weren't doing anything crazy once we got back to his place, just the usual... some groping, some kissing..." Donghyuck shakes his shoulders vigorously letting out disgusted sounds, trying to shake off the vision of his friend Mark in a sexual situation. "But then I started talking dirty and he just sort of... stared at me. Like, just staring. He looked like a deer in headlights. Just stood there." "Oh my God." Donghyuck bursts out a big laugh as he imagines everything you're saying. "Please, tell me what you said to him." He is more than ready to take written notes if that means embarrassing Mark Lee. "Well..." you hesitate, wondering if you're getting a bit too personal. "Something like 'yeah baby, I know you want to fuck this pussy, come and get it you bastard'." Donghyuck stops his steps on the concrete, not expecting to hear these words flow out of your mouth at 2 p.m. on a Sunday. You turn around and see him take in the little too graphic information. Slowly, he starts massaging the bridge of his nose, sighing, feeling unexpectedly bad for his strictly vanilla sex-oriented friend. "Y/n, of course he chickened out, Jesus. I mean... I guess you don't know him that well." You shrug your shoulders unbothered. "Whatever, he looks like he only does it in missionary." you both resume your walk. "And he probably does." Donghyuck chuckles. "I guess no one can tame me." You joke, but Donghyuck doesn't take it as such. Those word stick with him until you reach your door. It doesn't help when the wind swiftly blows under your dress while you're unlocking your door, teasing Donghyuck with a quick glimpse of your white laced panties, you don't even notice. That's when he realises, he's been staring at your ass.

The afternoon continues lazily, both of you still feeling the final effects of last night's drinks. You put on some classic rom-com you both saw thousands of times just to kill another few hours and have the excuse to slack on your couch. Every time the handsome male lead comes on you let out a weird strained sound that annoys Donghyuck until he can't take it anymore. "He's not even that good looking, y/n." "It's a real shame that no one asked for your opinion." You fire back, lifting up your leg to hit him with your foot. He groans but doesn't do anything to stop you, so you just keep on going, curious on how long he'll last. "Y/n, stop." His tone is lower than ever, he's not even looking at you but it's enough to make something snap in you. "What if I don't?" You whisper, tapping your foot on his thigh restlessly. He finally turns to you, setting up little flames all over your skin with just his eyes. He goes from your cocky smile, to the slightly visible line of your breasts, and down to where your dress is barely covering what's under it. Donghyuck grins without moving any other muscles. "Really, y/n?" "What?" You protest all the while 'casually' exposing the panties Donghyuck couldn't stop thinking about for the past forty minutes. His throat runs dry at heavenly sight, but he doesn't break. "I'm not going to fuck you just because you couldn't score some dick last night." He states, biting the inside of cheek. You huff, annoyed at him wanting to play hard to get at a time like this. You let your left leg hang off the couch, just to give Donghyuck a better look. "Then you're just going to watch." You affirm before letting your hand trail along your thigh as you reach your wetness. You had been ‘in the mood’ for quite some time, if one counts last night’s complete failure, and you noticed just how wet you were already just by touching the outside of your underwear. Donghyuck holds his breathe while his eyes scan every single movement of your fingers. You chuckle way too innocently when he coughs in the back of his throat. You never take your eyes off him as you work your way towards pleasure. You've done this so many times, it's like applying an obvious mathematical formula to you. But having someone watch you do something reserved to the intimacy of your bedroom is new kind of thrill. It feels especially thrilling with Donghyuck gawking at your skilled fingers caressing your folds with the perfect amount of pressure. You feel your breathe shortening, throwing your head back on the cushions. You pull your panties to the side and Donghyuck suppresses a low moan when you eagerly put a finger in, chasing after your high like a wild animal. He waits a few moments to enjoy the view of you pumping in and out of your heat, juices making lewd sounds that fill up his ears. "You dirty girl." Donghyuck whispers before dragging your hand away from yourself to which you whine loudly. "You want someone to tame you, uh?" Donghyuck mutters before putting your fingers in his mouth, savouring your taste. You can't help but moan at the contact, feeling sensitive in every inch of your body. "Think you can?" You blurt out and within seconds your friend has you pinned on couch. You sigh loudly when he swiftly resumes the work you had left unfinished, all the while securing your hands above your head. Donghyuck doesn’t need to ask how his fingers feel inside of you, he can read in your more than satisfied expression, he can hear it in your ever so delighted moans that come straight out of a porno. “Fuck, I should bother you more often.” you whimper in between chuckles and whimpers, struggling to keep your legs apart, overwhelmed by bliss. “I think you do that way too much already, doll.” Donghyuck remarks before aiming for your neck to place sinful kisses. His fingers work skilfully to find out when to slow down and when to speed up, you grab his bicep encouraging him whenever he hits the right spot. You start wondering why you haven’t done this earlier. Your mind is too cloudy therefore you are taken by surprise when you perceive Donghyuck sucking slightly into your cheek. You hold your breathe, surprised at your own enjoyment and you both smile at each other. You are quick to connect your lips to his, brushing your tongue against his as soon as you get the chance. “Greedy, aren’t we?” Donghyuck groans, amused and aroused at the sight of your neediness. You just hum in response, palming his member over his gym shorts. “I need it.” you plead, showing him your best puppy eyes. “I know you do, baby.” he smirks as he says this, taking his fingers out of you, completely soaked in your juices. “Look at this. Look at how needy you are.” you nod desperately at his statement and Donghyuck is beyond pleased. You, caged under him, not being able to put into words how badly you wanted to get fucked. A sight to see indeed. “How do you want it?” he asks, helping you out of your dress and underwear and removing his t-shirt afterwards. You open your legs once again, not needing an explicit answer. Donghyuck clicks his tongue in disappointment, showing off an indecent smile. “I thought you were against missionary.” he reminds you, but you are fast to bring your hands to his, pulling him over you. “I never said I was against it.” you whisper, at this point consumed in your lust. Donghyuck takes his time to caress your hair, your cheek, until his fingers ghost over your hardened nipples and over your stomach. You take in the sudden affectionate gesture, then you feel his weight over you shift and you see him rummage inside your bag from the night before that had been forgotten on the coffee table. You’re not shocked when he pulls out a condom, given that you were the one who had put it there for ‘good luck’. “I guess we can finally put this to good use. Don’t we, babe?" You hum happily, savouring his assertive yet considered tone. You sit up on your elbows admiring every second of him putting it on. “Now, where were we?” “Need a reminder?” You suggest getting closer, ghosting his lovely lips with yours. He smirks amusedly before pinning you down once again. “Ready, baby girl?” the pet names were driving you crazy in a way you had never experienced before and Donghyuck had been taking note of that every time you moaned at the sound of those words. “Interesting, knowing you I thought you might’ve like being called a whore or something.” he mocks you, aligning himself at your entrance without giving you full satisfaction. “How do you want to call me?” you moan softly in response, revealing to him your most docile nature that surely you hadn’t let a lot of people witness, let alone lovers. And you knew that he was enjoying every second of it. “Let me think... I quite like babe.” he utters as he delivers a first thrust. You throw you head back, feeling more than joyful in receiving what you had been craving. “Baby girl is nice too.” A second hip movement, this time painfully slower, in between frustration and gratification. The slower he goes the more you can feel just how much he fills you up perfectly. “I think I’m gonna go with baby girl.” you cry desperately at the third thrust, both at the pleasure and the words he whispers in your ear. “Yes, yes, call me like that.” you almost scream when he finally speeds up the rhythm. Lewd sounds of skin against skin fill up the living room, now you understand why they call it afternoon delight. “You feel so good around me, baby girl.” You smile at his statement, squeezing around him purposely, to which Donghyuck grunts happily. “Let me take care of you.” he then positions your arms around his shoulders, setting his head in the crook of your neck, delivering even deeper thrusts that make your eyes roll in the back of your head. You can’t help but turn into a moaning mess, unable to answer when he asks you how good he’s making you feel. He chuckles at the gibberish that comes out of your mouth followed by a long and strained sigh that is music to Donghyuck’s ears. “This is what you wanted, didn’t you? Getting fucked until you can’t function?” he groans before giving a sloppy kiss that can only muffle your now uncontainable whine. “Hyuck-ah.” His name is all that you can mutter as he pushes himself into you quicker and quicker. Donghyck knows that he can’t hold on any longer, not after hearing his name flowing out of your lips. “God, I want you to fuck me all the time.” you blurt out. It’s no use say that your brain can’t filter your words anymore. “All the time? Oh, don’t tempt me, y/n. I could fuck you on this couch for hours, until you can’t take it anymore.” Your mind runs wild, imagining getting stuffed with Donghyuck’s cock for hours on end, in every corner of the house. You haven’t finished yet and you’re already lusting for more. Electricity sparks throughout your body when Donghyuck balances himself on your knees, spreading your legs even further apart. “C’mon, baby. Come all over my cock, you’ve waited long enough.” He’s not wrong. Those words are enough for you to crumble under him, perceiving the familiar grip in your stomach you had longed for far too long. “That’s it baby, let go.” you can’t help but do as he says and when your high finally hits you the ungodly sounds you release are out of this world. When you finally open your eyes, you see Donghyuck still painfully hard inside of you, the pulsation almost hurting you. “Cum on me, Hyuck.” you whimper, wishing for him to feel just as good. He is more than happy to do so as he removes himself from you, discarding the condom and grabbing his member right above the space between your breasts and your stomach. “Fuck, y/n.” “Let me do it.” He lets you do as you please, letting you milk his cock with so much fervour, moaning with him, encouraging him just like he has done with you. It doesn’t take long for him to shoot his cum all over your breasts, you hum at the feeling of the warm liquid. Donghyuck takes his time to admire the sinful vision right below him. “We... are gonna need to do that again.” “Touché.”

[random-imaginess]

Would you write "tell me I have nothing to worry about" with lee Bodecker and an insecure reader. Please 🥰

I don’t know how how I feel about how this ended, I think it ended up being different than what I had intended, but I don’t have time to fix it 😩 So I hope you like it!!! And I’m sorry it’s taken so long to get it posted.

You saw the way woman would look at Lee; with wide eyes and fascination as he strolled into any place. It could have been the suit, or the way he carried himself. He was a hero to most in the town, putting his life on the line to save those who needed saving. They were definitely some of the reasons that got you to fall for him.

He was funny and charming, and he had a way of making you feel like you were the only one in the world that mattered to him. He had his faults, but it was always good to you. You considered yourself the lucky one when he asked you to marry him. For a long time it didn’t bother you how other woman looked at him, or even if he flirted back a little, you were always the one he came home to.

But after some years of being married, the flame tends to flicker a bit. You still loved each other deeply, but the romance had slowed down a bit. He was becoming more busy with work, and any attempt you made to spice things up, it was always pushed to the side. He made promises that it would change soon, that he would make it up to you, he just needed to focus on work because it was important. You were worried that he was losing interest, and you were running out of ideas on how to fix it.

You were both finishing up with dinner when Lee got up from his seat to move to the couch. “That was great, baby. You always make a great meal.” He complimented, giving you a smile as he unbuttoned his shirt, exposing his white undershirt. “I’m glad you liked it.” You returned the smile and cleared the table. Once everything was cleaned up, you glanced over at Lee and saw his face scrunched up a bit as he watched the tv. You knew he had something on his mind.

Walking over to him, you placed your hands on his shoulders and straddled him, your fingers running over the sides of his shaved head. Maybe there was something you could do to help take his mind off things. His hands found your waist and he looked up at you, giving you a small smirk. It wasn’t playful like it usually was, but you ignored it. “You look tense, darlin’,” you spoke quietly, kissing his temple. His eyes closed as he spoke. “It was a long day at work, that’s all.”

You hummed quietly and kissed down his neck. “Can I do anything to help you relax?” you ran your hands slowly up and down his chest, getting ready to pull the tucked undershirt up, but he stopped you.  “No, baby, I appreciate what you’re tryin’ to do, but I’m just not in the mood. I just wanna watch my show and go to bed.” You weren’t going to lie that the rejection hurt. You slid off his lap and sat next to him, irritated and confused. “You’re never in the mood anymore... It’s making me start to wonder if you’re getting it from someone else.” He looked over at you with fire in his eyes, surprised that you would even insinuate such a thing.

“Why are you talkin’ crazy? I never gave you any reason to doubt me.” “How would I know? I hardly ever see you anymore. Tonight is the first night in weeks you’re not walkin’ in at late hours in the night, and you don’t wanna do anything. What am I supposed to think?” Part of you knew that you were probably being irrational, but you were scared you were losing him.

“I told you, work has been insane. With everything going on right now, work has to be a priority. But I promise you, there ain’t nobody else. I love you, and I’ll make it up to you, alright? You gotta trust me.” He gently gripped the side of your face, his fingers getting entangled with your hair. You believed him, but you still needed the extra validation. “Tell me I have nothing to worry about.” 

“You got nothin’ to worry about. You trust me, right?” You nodded and leaned into his touch. You had felt so lonely lately, you let your mind convince you that everything was changing. You hated the feeling of him pulling away. “I know I’m makin’ a lot of promises, but it’ll get better, and I’ll be able to doat on you all the time and make up for everything’, alright?” You nodded, giving him a light smile. “Alright.” He leaned forward and kissed your forehead. “Come over here and watch this with me,” he pulled you closer and you snuggled up next to him, resting your head on his shoulder. You knew you had to make the best of the situation, and being able to be with him like this was better than not at all.

[melzula]

Could you write a Fire Lilies blurb about Princess! Reader and Zuko 's date night in their tale of Ba Sing Se?

a/n: you have no idea how excited I was when I got this request!!!

~ part of the fire lilies series ~

It’s a quiet day in Ba Sing Se as the Princess sweeps the floor of the tea shop and prepares for the morning rush of customers. She doesn’t get paid nearly as much as Zuko and Iroh due to only working part time, but she makes up for it by working in the dress shop across the street. It’s easy work and her employer is very kind so she can’t complain. Besides, this was the kind of simple life she had been longing for ever since her departure from home. The transition hadn’t been easy, especially not for Zuko, and she knew it would take some time to get used to, but now that they were in Ba Sing Se they had all the time in the world to settle down and finally begin a life together.

Across the way at the front counter Zuko watches y/n work silently, an unreadable expression on his face as he does so. He’s doing his best to at least try to make a life here despite how adamant he feels about the city being nothing but a prison, if not for him then for her, because she deserves it after all. It was something he had promised her long ago, and though their relationship had become worn and strained it was still there altogether, and the knots that had formed along the way were finally beginning to loosen now that they were here in Ba Sing Se.

“You know, it has been a very long time since the two of you last had the chance to be alone,” Iroh points out. “Perhaps the Princess would appreciate a romantic night out with her boyfriend.”

“There’s nothing to do here,” Zuko complains. “Where could we possibly go?”

“I’ve heard they have a beautiful fountain here,” Iroh suggests.

“I have to work.”

“Nonsense. I can cover your shift for you so that the two of you may go out together,” his Uncle offers, and before he has the chance to protest y/n approaches the counter with her dustpan and apron in hand.

“The shop is ready for customers,” she says with a small smile. “I should get going. Miss Tai asked me to open up the store today.”

“Of course. Zuko, is there anything you’d like to say to the Princess before she leaves?” Iroh asks, giving his nephew a gentle nudge to the ribs. Zuko scowls before clearing his throat and attempting a gentler approach to the question as you stand there expectantly.

“Would you like to go out on a date tonight?” He asks in a strained voice, obviously uncomfortable and out of his element. He’d never really had to ask her on a date before, she’d always just kind of been there, by his side and ready to spend time with him. Since when did a simple bowl of ramen together not count as a real date?

“I’d love to,” she giggles, obviously appreciative of his efforts, “you can pick me up from work.”

“He’s looking forward to it!” Iroh grins, and Zuko blushes with embarrassment at the delicate laughter that escapes y/n as she exits the shop and heads to work. Spirits, help him.

~~~

Zuko waits impatiently outside of Miss Tai’s shop, a permanent scowl on his lips and the urge to fuss with his hair stronger than anything he’s ever felt. He isn’t sure why he allowed his Uncle to do his hair or why he’s putting so much work into a date with his longtime girlfriend, but he knew Iroh had been right about the fact that it had been much too long since they’d last went out like this. But it wasn’t Zuko’s fault, at least not in his eyes, because he had been busy and couldn’t tend to y/n right away like she had hoped he would. The pair had been so close together yet so far apart in his years of hunting the Avatar, and when it was quiet enough his thoughts were often loud with doubt over whether or not she still loved him as much, if at all, as she did when they’d last met in their secret tunnel.

A muffled giggle is what catches his attention, y/n’s hand held over her mouth as she tries to stifle her laughter for Zuko’s sake. He wants to complain but the words die in his throat at the sight of her. Dressed in Miss Tai’s finest silk dress, the Princess looks absolutely radiant and quite literally takes Zuko’s breath away.

“Do you like it?” She muses with a sweet smile. “Miss Tai let me borrow it for our date.”

“You look... really pretty,” he finally says with a small smile of his own.

“And you look absolutely adorable!” y/n squeals, prompting Zuko’s smile to immediately morph into a scowl. She gives his cheeks a light pinch and laughs when he gently swats her hand away. “You should do your hair like that more often.”

“It took Uncle ten minutes to do my hair,” Zuko sulks as the Princess finally puts him out of his misery and ruffles the awful hairdo away.

“I’ll have to thank him when we get back,” she giggles before taking his hand and dragging him off to venture out into the city. “So what should we do?”

“I don’t know,” Zuko grumbles. “This city is nothing but dirt, I don’t know how I can possibly enjoy it.”

“Well you can’t enjoy it with an attitude like that,” the Princess argues. “There’s a cake stand over there. You like cake, don’t you?”

“I’m not in the mood for cake.”

“Then what are you in the mood for?”

“Nothing,” he grumbles, and the Princess’s once cheerful demeanor dwindles into one of disappointment. He doesn’t want to be here, she knows that better than anybody, but she had hoped that maybe by going out together he’d at least warm up to the idea of living in the city. Y/n loved Zuko more than anything in the world, but she was starting to doubt whether or not he still felt the same way about her. Their flame was beginning to dwindle and though she was desperate to keep the fire going it seemed that wouldn’t be possible without his help.

“Maybe you should just go home,” she offers quietly, releasing his hand and turning her back towards him in order to hide her growing tears. “That way you won’t have to be here when you don’t want to, a-and I can just explore the city by myself.”

Guilt weighs heavily upon Zuko’s shoulders at the sound of her trembling voice as he yet again manages to disappoint her. He wants to apologize but the words are stuck in his throat, so instead he lets out a small, awkward cough before coming up and gently resting a hand on her shoulder.

“That fortune teller booth looks kind of fun,” he suggests, and when she gives him a pointed look he says, “I promise I’ll be on my best behavior.”

“Okay,” y/n sniffles quietly, a weak smile present upon her features as Zuko intertwines his fingers with her own and guides her towards the booth. He doesn’t miss the manor in which she tightly holds his hand, almost as if she’s afraid she’ll lose him if he lets her go, and it urges the Prince to increase his pace as he guides her towards their destination.

“Yes, step right up, lovebirds!” The eccentrically dressed man encourages, immediately taking the Princess’s hand and yanking her forward to read her palm. Zuko bites back the threat that rises up his throat, and y/n watches with childlike excitement as the fortune teller scans the grooves and lines of her hand. “Ah, this is very interesting.”

“What is it?”

“I see that you’ve lived a very happy life, though it hasn’t been easy as of late. The love you have in your heart is strong, but this love will be put to the test when the time comes.”

“Sounds like a bunch of nonsense,” Zuko mumbles only to earn a glare from the Princess in return. Put to the test? Hadn’t they already been through the hardest parts of their relationship already? What else could possibly make things worse?

“You will live a content and comfortable life and die a peaceful death. Oh, and you’ll most definitely be having twins!”

“Twins!” Y/n repeats delightedly, but all color drains from Zuko’s face at the idea and suddenly he feels very lightheaded.

“Okay, thank you, that’s enough,” he finally interjects, making sure to pay the man before dragging you off to your next destination.

“We’re going to have twins!” The Princess squeal delightedly.

“How do you know he’s not just some crazy old man?” Zuko retorts.

“He could be,” she admits with a shrug, “but it’s nice to have something to hope for even if it isn’t real.”

He says nothing in response to her wishful thinking, but he must admit that he does enjoy the idea of settling down with the Princess, starting their own family, creating a new legacy. Maybe staying in one place wouldn’t be so bad after all.

After a few minutes of aimless walking the two stumble upon the famous fountain of Ba Sing Se, though it doesn’t look like much to either of them due to the fact that the lanterns aren’t lit.

“This is the fountain everyone always talks about?” The Princess retorts with obvious disappointment. “I thought it would be prettier.”

“Hold on,” Zuko says, and before y/n can question him the Prince begins to use his bending to light the lanterns around the fountain. It’s dangerous and absolutely foolish to use his bending out in the open like that, but he’d rather be thrown in jail by the Dai Lee than have his Princess be upset. Her eyes sparkle with complete and utter awe at the sight of his fire bending, recognizing the flow of his movements and admiring the beauty of the flames that dance among the lanterns.

Now lit in all of its glory, the two stand side by side and admire the shimmering water that flows from the fountain. Zuko wraps an arm around the Princess’s waist, and she happily rests her head upon his shoulder once she’s safely nestled into his side.

“Thank you for taking me out tonight,” she murmurs quietly. “I’ve missed spending time with you like this.”

“Me too... I know I’ve been difficult with the transition into our new life here, and it’s going to take some time for me to get used to. But I also know that this should have happened a long time ago, and I’m sorry it took me this long to fulfill my promise to you.”

“I don’t care about how long it took us to get here,” y/n replies earnestly. “All that matters is that we’re finally together in Ba Sing Se just like we planned all those years ago. We can be happy now, but only if you allow yourself the chance to enjoy it.”

“I want to,” Zuko utters, turning to face her and gently cupping her cheek with his hand, “and I know with your help I can.”

The Princess smiles faintly at his proclamation, and when he leans down to kiss her she meets him halfway to seal their lips together in a tender kiss. It isn’t very long or very passionate, Zuko still not used to the idea of public displays of affection due to the fact that he’d refrained from act during his time on the ship with the crew, but it’s special and beautiful all the same.

Ba Sing Se is the start of a new beginning for the a coupe, a second chance at happiness and a place where they can start over. It won’t be easy, and the transition won’t happen over night, but at the two kiss underneath the ember glow of the fountain’s lanterns, the Princess knows that they’re finally going to get their chance at happiness, and so she savors the feeling for all it’s worth.

Because the spirits know it won’t last for very long.

| tags: @rainteslerrrr @oddment-niwit-blubber-tweak @thebluelcdy @royahllty @the-firebender-girl @coldlilheart @ilovespideyyy @yiyibetch @eridanuswave @lammello @a-monsters-love @knaite-solo @zukh03s @titaniafire @dekahg @emberislandplayers @kikaninchen-2 @lozzybowe @izzieserra @melacholy @music-geek19 @thia-aep @thyunnamed @haylaansmi @nataliahaslosthershit @idkdude776 @aangsupremacy @thirstyforsometea @ihaveaproblem98 @brown-eyed-thang @djskfkdkkf @xapham @yeetletzgetitjae @misnmatchedsox |

[loopy777]

I'm gonna pick "Sokkla Makeout," just to learn if it actually is what it sounds like.

I'm not going to give away the game, but since it's already complete, I might as well post the whole thing.

Keep in mind this was written in response to a discussion on ASN, which was (surprise!) centered on Sokkla. I forget the full details, but it touched on the possibilities of Sokka and Azula being secret agents together and falling in love. Secret Agent Sokka was a thing in fandom, for a while, and is partially what prompted me to put him in a 'Bond Girl' role for the story where I wrote Mai as 007. (Zuko was the Bad Bond Girl, although not actually bad in any way. It's all about the dynamic in the story formula.) As alwasy, I couldn't avoid putting in my own thoughts of an Azula 'Redemption.'

Also keep in mind that I typically dashed these things off without trying to make them good. Looking at it now, I'm not satisfied with Sokka's characterization.

Anyway, here you go:

Torture is Kind of Like Pranking, Right?

He should have been enjoying his first chance to ride in the new Drake-class Rapid Transport Zeppelin (that he helped design, thank you very much).

If not, then he should have enjoyed being trapped in a tiny passenger cabin with a spectacularly hot girl.

If not, then he should have at least been able to get some sleep, considering that he was on his way to another dangerous mission to preserve world peace or stabilize the price of rice or something.

Instead, he was scared out of his mind for his life.

Azula shifted her gaze away from the small porthole to look at Sokka with those darned-perfect eyebrows raised. "You're shaking. Are you cold? I can heat the cabin a little, if it would make you more comfortable."

Sokka tried to scoot away from her, but since he was already pressed into the wall on the far side of the bench they shared, all this accomplished was to squeeze him further up the metal barrier. Azula was literally driving him up the wall. "No Firebending," he growled. "I see one flame, red or blue, and I'm having this thing turned around and telling Zuko that you tried to kill me."

Azula's brow scrunched up, perhaps in irritation but more likely in evil murderous rage. "I'm trying to be nice; the Socialization classes my dear brother is paying for taught me that the first step in forging bonds with people is investing in the well-being of others. Since we will be working together on this mission, it would be most efficient for us to find a way to 'get along,' and something akin to a working friendship would be the ideal solution."

Sokka's eyes narrowed. "What does that all mean?"

"It means," she hissed, "that there isn't a single reason for me to do anything bad to you, so would you take your accusations and keep them to yourself?!"

There was the gaze- that scary Azula Gaze, the one that said she was about to destroy the entire world just for the joy of watching good people suffer. Sokka tensed and readied for an attack, but it didn't come. Azula just huffed a breath -- a warm one -- and turned to look out the porthole again. There was nothing but clear skies and rolling green plains to gaze at.

Sokka continued to eye Azula, just in case. She was a little different since she got out of the crazy house, but Sokka thought that Zuko deserved to take over her old room there for actually putting his former attempted-murderer to work. Zuko was far too trusting, and relied too much on logic, when it came to his sister. Normally, Sokka was a fan of logic, but Azula was Evil, and Evil is never logical.

Still, she was different, no denying that. She had completed five of these dangerous, off-the-books missions for Zuko, and seemed to be loyal to him, for now. Right here in this cabin, she was wearing a simple red and black tunic, and hadn't put her crownpiece in her hair. The old Azula liked the fancy robes of Fire Nation royalty, and even when she wasn't wearing her crownpiece, she was still wearing it in spirit.

That Azula was different now just meant she had gotten more sneaky.

"Why are you so convinced that I'm out to kill you?"

Sokka's jaw dropped, He hadn't thought she was paying any attention to him. "Maybe because you've done it before, every single time we met? And don't tell me you're a different person now. I've seen Zuko do that whole Evil To Good thing, and you're not working any of that magic."

She shrugged. "Honestly, I don't invest much into the concepts of Good and Evil. Back when I tried to kill you, I served my father, and by extension the nation he ruled. Of course, that drove me to... my bout of weariness. In the time it took me to... return home, Zuko had taken over the Fire Nation, ended the war, and began transitioning our country into peacetime. The only way to make myself useful is to serve him, now."

"And it never occurred to you," Sokka barked with a laugh, "to kill him and make yourself Fire Lord?"

Azula looked at him like he was a spiderfly in the process of defecating in her dessert. "What kind of an absurd notion is that? I'm one of the most reviled people alive, both in the Fire Nation and especially abroad. Even if I could somehow oust Zuko and take over, he's completely reversed our economy and state of readiness. If I tried to restart a war for conquest, I'd be defeated inside of a week, and the Fire Nation would suffer for it. That would be the height of pointlessness. Better to let Zuko rule, since he's trusted, and do what I can to make sure he has a stable reign so that the Fire Nation can prosper. Dear Zuzu has decided that I'm most useful on these covert anti-terrorist missions, so that's what I'm doing to prove my reliability. Maybe one day he'll let me function as an adviser."

Sokka could only stare at her through the whole tirade. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that?"

"I honestly couldn't care less. You're the one who's been staring at me the whole trip. Either you're a paranoid moron, or you're 'checking me out' as the expression goes."

Sokka snorted in indignation, which cleared his sinuses too quickly and set him coughing. As soon as he recovered, he croaked out, "No! I'm scouting the enemy!"

Azula tapped a finger to her chin. "Well, you've misidentified the enemy, but scouting isn't a bad concept. Actionable intelligence is the key to a successful operation, and it's good to know as much about your allies as you can. Perhaps even more important than knowing your enemies. Especially considering the mission that's planned for us."

She said it so nonchalantly that Sokka was immediately suspicious. "What do you mean?"

"Didn't they give you the extended briefing? We're going undercover as lovers in order to infiltrate enemy territory. I was given a wardrobe that even Ty Lee would consider daring. I hope they taught you how to brush your teeth back in the Water Tribes, because we'll probably be exchanging quite a bit of saliva."

Sokka couldn't speak. He couldn't even breathe. He was getting up the energy for a good scream when Azula leaned over him with a predatory expression on her face. "Might as well practice, hm?" Then she grabbed him and kissed him.

Then again, 'kissed' was probably the wrong term for it. Sure, their mouths were connected, and probably their tongues, too, but the degree to which Azula was pressing her body against his, limbs entangling, definitely pushed things beyond kissing. Maybe it was even a few notches above making out, depending on your definition. It certainly had its own power, which is why Sokka failed to even try to break free. If he had to classify it, he might file it under those Magnetik Energies the Mechanist was currently playing with.

Whatever it was, it was heating the room like crazy.

Of course, everyone needs air -- even Firebenders -- so the Way More Than a Kiss ended with stereo panting as the two of them eased back to their respective sides of the bench. Sokka found his voice first. "What- you- we- I... I don't care how great that was, no way am I pretending to be your lover! You're evil!"

Azula sighed. "Relax. I was just joking. My Socialization class that says humor is a very effective way to lighten moods and create superficial connections between people who are otherwise having trouble bonding. I guess I'm no good at pranks yet. Perhaps I'll ask Zuzu for an additional tutor." She turned to stare out the porthole again, leaning her chin on her hands.

Sokka watched her very carefully for the rest of the silent, awkward trip. And it totally wasn't because he was checking her out.

END

[k-writer1998]

Hidden Meanings

Prompt fic: cafe owner! lee know x barista! y/n

fluff

w.c: 1.8k

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So hear me out. What if we blew him up? Poisoned him? Maimed him a little?”

“For fuck’s sake, no? He’s our boss.”

“Not even one punch? Come on Jisung, you can’t tell me he isn’t a vexing person.”

“He’s… peculiar but he still pays us so we, as in you, cannot assault him. Plus I thought you were happy with the job.”

“I am. It’s just… he’s so confusing! Sometimes he just pleasantly minds his business ordering whatever here and there and other days he has me all over the place ordering ungodly amounts then having me help him finish them!”

“... He’s just like that y/n. After working for him for 6 months I thought you figured that out.”

“I’ve long figured that out, doesn’t mean I like it though. I’m just getting some serious whiplash from his constant back and forth and taking him out would give me one less headache with my thesis coming up. You’re his friend Jisung, do you know how to keep him in a good mood?”

      As I let out a frustrated sigh, Jisung gave me a smile which made me narrow my eyes at him. Why does he look like he knows something I don’t?

“I think Minho’s been in quite a good mood for a while though.”

“In what world do you call him randomly screaming in the middle of closing a “good mood”? It made one of the new part-timers drop a mug at how terrified he was.”

“Like I said, he’s peculiar plus we’re a cafe. We have tons of mugs. You’re bright y/n, you’ll figure things out… eventually.”

“Excuse you, just cause you're the manager doesn't mean you can talk condescendingly to me you’re still a year younger than me.”

      I rolled my eyes when suddenly the front bell jingled. I got up from the seat I had taken on the edge of his desk, and made my way to the front.

“Oh no I got this, Manager Han,” I mocked as he didn't even bother to get up.

“Yeah yeah yeah. It's around the time Minho comes, don’t keep him waiting.”

      He gave me a wink which I returned with the finger as I headed out, to make it worse of course Jisung just had to be right. Minho stood at the register with a smile which turned teasing the moment his eyes landed on me. All I could do was give a polite one in return.

“Afternoon boss. Do you want your usual or do you want to change it up again?”

"Let’s change it up, you should know my tastes by now right? Surprise me." He smirked and if this were an anime you would see the little anger symbol on my head.

"Will you drink it still if I get it wrong?"

"Hmmmm, maybe?"

      With a sigh I turned my back to him as I moved around to make him a drink, rolling my eyes when my face was safely out of sight. Or so I thought.

"I see that y/n," he chuckled before walking away.

      He took his usual seat at the table with the most sunlight by the window. Maybe because I'm like a cat and get sleepy with direct sunlight like that, I don't know how he can sit there unfazed. Mentally cursing at myself for getting caught, I went to actually make his drink this time. Thinking back I've noticed he's tried most of our strawberry flavored items, both drinks and treats. Please don't let this flop. I placed the drink in front of him with a slice of strawberry shortcake, in case he didn’t like the drink.

"Hmmm, strawberry?" He thought aloud after taking a sip before a smirk pulled at his lips, "So you have been paying attention to me."

      I prayed that my face felt warm because of the sun and not because of the blush that totally isn't burning my face right about now… come on y/n don't let him get to you, pull yourself together!

"Of course sir, you're a regular. It's hard not to when you come so often."

"So you remember all of the regulars' tastes?"

"The ones I've ran into often enough, yes."

       For a moment his smile twitched slightly, as if he wanted to say something but didn't. That's odd. Minho usually says what he wants, literally. He's said gibberish to me before without batting an eye. Silence passed between us as the air began to feel uneasy, back to my station at the cash register it is. As time passed he just continued to sit there with his order quietly… Once the new part-timer Jeongin came for his shift, and Jisung came out to supervise, I went to take my break after casting my god-knows-what-number concerned look at Minho who just stayed in his daze. Going out the back door, I went up the side alley towards the front of the cafe but made sure I was still out of sight as I took my rightful place on an old crate that has been deemed my break time spot for months now. That is because of a certain black furry four-legged reason who’s familiar meow echoed down the alley as soon as I took out my food, his blue eyes looked at me as he approached.

"There you are Siren. You only come when you smell my food you little bugger," I smiled.

      I pulled some cat food from my lunch and placed the opened can in front of him. For a moment we ate in peaceful silence Minho’s behavior kept floating in the back of my mind until I could no longer focus on eating. Putting my half-eaten sandwich down triggered Siren to look up from his food curiously.

"You know my boss came in again. He didn't quite seem himself today, even more so after I made him a personalized drink. He acted like I got it right but maybe I got it wrong?"

"Meow!"

"Why are you getting mad? It’s not like you know his tastes either. Okay, if he isn't upset over that then what could it be? He started acting like that after I mentioned he's like other regulars-"

"Meow."

"Don't use that flat tone with me. What was I supposed to say? "Hey you're kinda cute so I can't help it"? He's also annoying and misleading, remember?"

"Hssssss."

"Wow okay. Fine, I'll  go talk to him and maybe make things clear, MAYBE, okay? Happy?"

      At that Siren purs before going back to his meal. With a shake of my head I went back to eating my sandwich. I mean it wasn't the most conventional conversation, and if anyone saw or heard they would think I'm crazy, but hey it cleared my head.

"See you tomorrow, One day we won't be having these conversations in public, got it? Just a bit more saving and then you're coming home with me buddy."

      I gave Siren a little love as I rubbed his head before going back inside and back to my shift. After washing my hands Jisung ushered me back to the front cause we got busy and it wasn’t until things slowed down that Minho motioned for me to come over and he ordered two more drinks. Nothing else said. Setting the two drinks in front of him I assumed he wanted to be left alone again since he seemed to be in a bad mood today but at the small tug at my wrist I stopped. My eyes trailed down to catch his hand firmly around my wrist.

"Sit with me."

"But I'm on the clock and-"

"And I'm the boss. Jisung and Jeongin will be fine for now so sit with me."

      This new serious and charismatic side of his threw me off and I could do nothing but oblige to his wishes. Sitting in the chair across from him, he pushed one of the drinks to me and I realized it was one of my favorites. Not really complaining, although a bit unsettled with this weird air around us, I eagerly took the drink. His question was abrupt and blunt that my immediate response may not have been the best.

"Do you know why I come here so often?"

"Just to torture me?"

      I had intended it to be a joke, thinking my sarcasm was evident, but the slight hurt look on his face cut my heart. He's being so serious about this, I feel shitty for trying to joke around… I'm just not used to interactions like these between us.

"Hehe... I was joking… well you come here a lot cause you own the place right?"

"That's not the only reason… Then do you know why I always sit here?"

"Because you like the warmth from the sun?"

"No, it's because I like the view from here."

"The view of other buildings? Minho what’s going on, why are you asking all these questions?"

      At my responses he just smiled at me and shook his head. This smile wasn't like the playful ones he often gave me, this was different, there's something softer about this one.

"Okay fine, last question. Have you realized that you're the only one who services me?"

"Huh? I may be here more often cause I have more availability but-"

      As I spoke this my mind raced through my past time at this job. Every time Minho came in I helped him and when I asked others when I came after a day off they never mentioned Minho coming in… 

"Wait, why is that then? Did someone mess up your order before so you stick to one server?"

"You know y/n for a student working on your grad thesis you aren't bright in other areas."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

      My temper started to flare but the minute the words fell from his lips any fire was immediately put out, the warm smile didn't help my beating heart either.

"Let me take you on a date, preferably not a coffee one."

"Wait so you…"

      All he did was nod. The pieces began to fall into place in my brain but one didn't seem to fit. I snapped my head and scanned his general view from this spot and was confused why this was his favorite until I noticed a flick of a black tail. Looking closer, from this angle you would be able to see into the alleyway. My head whipped back to the boy in front of me.

"Have you been-"

"You never answered my question," he cut me off.

      Remembering my short conversation with Siren at lunch, I nodded my head. His smile grew bigger and I had to look away before my stupid blush reflex acted up again, his smile is quite the trigger. This was definitely not the direction I thought this conversation would go but I'm kind of not complaining.

"Good. Then on the date I can tell you about how I fell for a girl in an alley who fed a stray cat."

[flickityfics]

Don’t Play With Fire, Chap 7 First Day of Work

Um..to answer your concerns Sokka there's no need to worry. This may embarrass you to read but its all perfectly normal in women's body. The throbbing and slick you've mentioned is from arousal and the ones you mention that come randomly isn't always arousal but the way the body is trying to self clean or protect your genitals from tearing and dangerous bacteria's. Sometimes your vagina can even..well for lack of a better word let's just call it sweating, so for example say you're moving around a lot and you feel you're self dripping but its a different feeling from arousal just hot and a wetter feeling which again all normal, if you're feeling uncomfortable just wipe yourself and go through the day. I'm Glad you're taking my advice seriously and it's good to hear you're doing well with your situation. So far I haven't found anything about body swapping? gender swapping or transference of any kind I'm so sorry. Just keep staying low and being careful, we'll figure this out soon.

                                                                                                                                                              -Suki

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Sokka, It's great to hear from you! We're still putting up fliers of Appa around Ba Sing Se and looking all around places. Toph and Katara are always fighting though, Katara won't let us play our tricks on anyone or even explore or relax, its all work work wor-  

                                               Anyways Sokka you better be pulling your weight and not having Suki cleaning up after you and do try to stay out of trouble okay, I do worry you know, we miss you a lot.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  -The Gaang

Sokka laughed hard seeing Toph's lone foot print right underneath his sister's and Aang's writing, seeing that told him more about her than words ever could. He really missed his family/friend group. Before he could get any sadder he folded the letter and stuffed it in his pack heading to work, he'll write a responding note later tonight.  

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Sokka was full of energy heading towards his new job. He's curious to know how different it'll be from the other ehem manlier jobs he's done. 'Honestly how hard could a girl's job be? Katara complains all the time but I bet she was just being dramatic'  he figured. With everything double checked and his breakfast packed he went out for the semi-long walk to work.  Upon arriving to the building, Sokka went straight through the door finding the elder lady waiting for him.

"Hi, so what will I be doing today?" He asked with all the enthusiasm he could muster.

"We start by checking our list of customers who dropped off their laundry, with the other workers we'll go wash together then hang all the laundry to dry and fold, lastly we pack and send out the clothes." she explained.

"Alright sounds easy enough." Sokka followed along as she gave him a tour of the place and areas he'll be needing to know.

After a few tiring hours did he have breakfast, the work ended up more tiring and tougher than expected but he got the hang of it pretty fast and turned out he was the fastest and strongest there which turned out some of the girls didn't like. On his first day an older girl by few years was sabotaging all his work trying to get him trouble and after explaining that to the elder boss lady was he able to stay working. 'women are crazy, guys just nod at each other, find their spots to work, get paid then leave without any word to one another'  He couldn't believe how cut throat it was working as a girl alongside other girls. Just a few more hours and he'll be able to relax and enjoy Zuko's company at the Jasmine Dragon, 'oh my god I didn't just think of stupid fire bending Zuko as nice company?! I've got to get a hold of myself, I'll just blame this dumb girl body and girly brain, ick .'  He mentally shook himself from the strange feeling that came over him towards another guy.

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Sokka came through the door of the tea shop dramatically falling in the doorway trying to catch Zuko's eye. He spotted Zuko in the kitchen and waved to him obnoxiously, he could honestly say he liked the perplexed and fearful look in the other boys face from the scene he was causing. Walking towards the kitchen, he sat himself down waiting to tell Zuko about his day.

Since Zuko looked like he was trying to ignore him, he caught the uncle's attention instead, "Hey old man when's the jerk's break?" To other's he may seem like an uncouth girl but he really didn't care for appropriateness right after work.

"You can't talk to him lik-" Zuko was just about to rant when he heard his uncle guffawed loudly.

"Oh nephew don't worry about my feelings, I love this young lady and her wily ways, its quite refreshing from your gloomy moods." he expressed. Zuko could only scoff at his uncle's slight rub towards him.

Sokka stuck his tongue at Zuko watching as he just rolled his eyes in return.

"I'll let my dear nephew  off for the rest of the day. Please take him away and show him how to have fun for once in his life." His uncle practically begged.

The two conspired against Zuko and all he could do was hang up his apron and get dragged by Miyuki's whims, he'll never admit to either of them that he likes getting pushed around, he'll keep that to the grave.

"Great! Let's get a table, I've got tons of stuff to share about my day." He grabbed Zuko by the arm and lead him to a free spot.

Sokka waited to be settled at the table, ordering before turning around to unleash his rant. He was weirdly giddy wanting to tell Zuko about his day.

"You won't believe my day." Sokka shook his head tiredly, "So I get there, the boss lady is nice but oh man some of those girls are mean. I had one try to sabotage my work by telling me to place stuff in the wrong place and they're very particular about where things go so that messed me up some. The washing part was tougher than I thought, I had to wring and scrub the clothes til my fingers cramped and wrinkled, ugh it was tiring. Drying was easier and folding strangely calming, the whole clean-up routine was just easy and besides the rude girls, I liked the job overall and think I can stick with it." He ended with a flourish, elbows on the table smiling at the fire prince, laughing internally with Zuko's stoned-face reaction to his long-winded story.

"Sounds like a frustrating day to me, welcome to the job world I guess." Sokka could't believe Zuko's flippant reply, he honestly thought he would be more caring to his woes and again what's with himself wanting Zuko's sympathy?

"Excuse me, that's funny coming from someone whose probably never had a hard labor job before. I'm guessing you had it easy since your uncle was able to provide you one. You don't know the struggles of running around and being told flat out no or when you finally get lucky it only lasts for so long before you're replaced or treated like crap and running yourself exhausted for people who don't care but keep abusing you til you can't go on anymore." Sokka had no idea why he was throwing everything at Zuko. His emotions just started bursting maybe its the way he knows Zuko's privileged, entitled fire prince jerk that he is has everything handed to him and  just pretending to be undercover as some regular civilian to get to Aang. He could only huff in annoyance at himself and Zuko for letting his emotions get the better of him, he decided it was just best to stay quiet and not look at Zuko lest his hostility for the guy becomes more prominent.

"Well, I do find serving customers and cleaning after everyone frustrating and tiring most days. I've been assaulted by older women pinching my bottom cheeks, jealous boyfriends harassing me when their girlfriends try to be flirty at me, even got some few girls who stalked me for quite some time or the rude customers I hate who are disrespectful to me but mostly my uncle, I just want to burn them to a crisp, nobody disrespects my uncle and his beloved tea shop in front of me. I actually do know how hard laborious work can be especially with not much help and little pay." Zuko looked at the girl in front of him with all the openness he could muster. He knew she had it rougher than him but it wasn't like he didn't have his own hardships, they were just different from hers.

Sokka huffed in annoyance even more hating being so temper mental while Zuko explained himself calmly and free of judgment for his part. 'why am I such a child?'  he thought lamely.

"Ugh, sorry for being rude, I guess I'm more annoyed at the fact that I got turned down for most jobs just because I'm a girl. I know I can do the tough jobs, I've done them before and I like working hard and with my hands so it makes it more frustrating not even giving me a chance just by one look at me." He drummed his fingers nervously on the table still embarrassed about earlier.

Zuko couldn't help finding Miyuki's mannerisms and  temper cute, just seeing her emotions displayed out in the open and being ridiculous was refreshing and exciting to witness. Most of his life was closed off of emotions and barely a few months now he's been trying to open up to his feelings, they were scary but freeing and seeing Miyuki so unafraid of her emotions filled him with more confidence each day.

"I get it and if you'd like something more.. uh manlier to do, I can train you in dual wielding after whenever you'd like." He offered.

"Oh? Is that a date dear Lee?" Sokka jumped on the chance to embarrass him, something about seeing Zuko so flustered had him feeling awesome. He liked being back in control and harassing the poor teen.

"Ugh no, if you don't want the training then I won't bother." The tips of Zuko's ears went red as he looked glaringly at Sokka.

"Nooooo, I want the training really." To soften the blow of annoying Zuko did he mentally shrug and go for a kiss to the bender's cheek. He gasped in total surprise as he felt heat around his lips and a waft of what could only be the fire bender's particular scent, it was in his nose so thickly and strangely addictive he wanted to keep his nose to the other's cheek and soak it up forever even be mixed in it. 'What 's wrong with you?! Why are you smelling another dudes scent, stop! Stop it nooooow!'  he couldn't believe how soft a cheek could feel and was that a bit of scruff he felt, it felt so rough on his lips he actually didn't like that. Finally did he pull away and hope to agni the shudder he felt coursing through his body didn't show outwardly.

Zuko was surprised from the peck, it happened so fast but had him feel deeply warm from such a sweet kiss. "Um, how uh- or I mean.. What else did you like about the new job?" Yeah, his brain was done for.

Sokka rolled his eyes playfully, "How bout we talk more about it on the way to walking me to my place?" He held out his hand nervously.

"Okay." Zuko agreed grabbing her hand walking out the shop and down the familiar path to Miyuki's place.

The two caught up with each other's day, some more teasing, awkward flirting and plans for the next time they meet unaware of the mischievous moonlight's gaze upon them.

[lia-jones]

Growing Pains - Chapter Eleven - Sweet, Sweet Leverage

My alarm clock rang like it was insulting me. Due to yesterday’s events, I couldn’t sleep at all, replaying the entire dinner with Victor in my head, which led me to no conclusion at all. My head and my heart would not agree with each other, no matter how hard I tried. So I decided to completely drop the subject, or, even better, pretend that there was no subject at all. I had enough on my plate as it was, I couldn’t afford any more time on a one-sided crush.

I was finishing my breakfast and coffee, getting ready to leave, when someone rang my doorbell. It was Levi, the Krav Maga god, in all his glory. Freshly showered, his hair still wet, his muscles showing under his blue sweatshirt, beaming at me.

“Good morning, Andy.” He greeted me with a hug.

“Hey!” I said, hugging him back. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I’m sorry, I know it seems like I only come here to ask for favors, but-“

“You want me to walk Boris.” I interrupted him. “When?”

“Later tonight, if you don’t mind. I have training. And speaking of which, you didn’t go to last night’s training. I can’t remember you missing a single one. Is everything ok?”

“Everything is fine, my boss invited me to dinner, that's all.” I said, as I walked around the house looking for my phone.

“Your boss? The mean dude?” Levi made a face.

“Yes, and it turns out he’s not mean.” I said, looking for my phone between the cushions of my sofa.

“Can I help myself with some coffee from your pot?” Levi asked, going to my eating kitchen. “I forgot to buy ground coffee.”

“Sure, go ahead.” I yelled from my room. “Do you mind calling my phone? I can’t find it anywhere.”

After a minute, my phone started ringing. It was definitely inside my room, and it sounded muffled. After searching between the covers and under the pillows, I finally found it in the drawer of my nightstand. How did it get there? I have no idea.

“Found it!” I looked at the screen, it was 8:40 already. “Crap! I’m going to be-“ As I walked out of my room and into my kitchen I was met by Levi and… Victor. “Late. Good morning.”

“Good morning.” Victor was clearly in a bad mood. “Ready to go?”

Victor looked at me briefly, only to stare back at Levi, his eyes lit with anger and scorn. Levi was staring back at Victor, comfortably relaxed leaning against my kitchen counter, his legs crossed, a smug smile on his face as he sipped coffee from one of my mugs.

The air was suddenly hot and dense, the tension building in my kitchen. Suddenly I remembered I was late.

“I need to leave now. Nice seeing you, Levi.” I said, going for the door.

“Thanks for the coffee and for walking my dog.” Levi said, grabbing my head and kissing me on the forehead. “You’re such a sweetheart.” And with that, he went to his apartment, my mug still in his hand, closing the door behind him. I blinked.

“Don’t forget to lock your door.” Victor chimed in bitterly. “Or are you too smitten to care for your safety, sweetheart?”

“Oh, quit it.” I warned, not in the mood for his moodiness. “Why are you here anyway? Do you need something?” I said, locking my door and going downstairs.

“I came to pick you up. But it seems I interrupted whatever you were having with your little friend there.” Victor practically spat as he mentioned Levi, his words dripping with venom.

“Ok, listen.” I looked at Victor, ignoring his icy look, my expression dead serious. “Number one, although I appreciate the gesture, I do have a car. You don’t need to pick me up, and you really should call beforehand. If I wasn’t late, you probably wouldn’t even find me home.” Victor was about to retort but I raised my hand, and he kept quiet. “Second, not that’s any of your business, but Levi was there to ask me to walk his dog. That’s all. You didn’t interrupt anything.”

Victor unlocked his car and we got in. He didn’t start the car though, remaining seated, looking at the street through the windshield.

“He was drinking your coffee like he owned the place. He kissed you on the forehead. That is not nothing. That is intimacy.” Victor clenched his jaw, like he was stopping himself to speak any further.

“What are you talking about?” I was confused, I had no idea why he was acting like this, and I felt I was being punished for something I didn’t do. “I have no idea what led Levi to act that way, he was never like this before, but even if he was, what’s it to you? Why do you care?”

“What makes you think I do?” He asked coldly.

“Well, why are you so worked up then?” I faced Victor, daring him to deny it.

“This is going nowhere.” He said, starting his car. “We are late, we should go.”

The drive to LFG was tense, to say the least. Victor was clearly angry at me, and I had no idea why. And that made me angry at Victor, because I felt he had no right to intrude in my life like that. Sure, I had feelings for him, but I had no shred of evidence that he felt the same. We were just friends. Hell, I wasn’t even sure I could say we were friends in the first place.

We sat in our desks in silence, turning on our laptops. I didn’t want to spend the whole day with him fuming like this, since there was nothing to be mad about, at least from my perspective.

“I’m going to get some coffee. Would you like me to bring you a cup?” I asked softly, raising the proverbial white flag.

“I’m fine, thank you.” He didn’t even look up from the computer, his tone showing me he was still angry. Fine, Mr. Lee. Have it your way.

When I returned, coffee in hand, I found the office empty. Victor had already left, his laptop and phone gone with him. He probably had an emergency meeting. I let out a sigh of relief, at least the tension was gone. And maybe the meeting would be enough of a distraction to make him forget about all the craziness of that morning and return in a better mood.

 I grabbed my earphones, put some relaxing music on, and started to work. It was going to be a busy day. After a while, I was startled with the sound of the office door being forcefully open.

“Where’s that entitled little prick?!?” I flew from my chair when I recognized the voice.

“Ted?!? What are you doing here?”

Ted looked like he was as in shock as I was.

“You’re here?!?!?” He practically screamed. “You really are a go-getter, aren’t you, you sneaky little bitch! Fucking the CEO to get your way up to the top!”

I didn’t even reply. I bolted to the phone to try to call security. My body froze when I heard the cock of a gun.

“I wouldn’t try that unless you want me to decorate the bastard’s office with your brains.”

My mind was running wild, skimming through everything I had learned in my Krav Maga training. I knew I could hurt him badly, but for that I needed to be close, and he had a gun, so that wasn’t an option. Even if he didn’t shoot me, one of the shots he would fire could go through the glass windows and land on someone else. I looked at the windows, remembering someone could have seen already what was happening. All hope vanished in an instant, when I saw the blinds were down.

“Turn around.” I heard Ted’s voice again, closer to me now. I obeyed. Ted walked in my direction, making me lean on Victor’s desk, his body extremely close to mine, his gun against my chest. He ran it down across my stomach.

“You were never this cozy with me when I was your supervisor. Not powerful enough, I guess?” His gun left my stomach and traced my jawline. I shivered at the cold metallic touch, whimpering softly. “Aw, is the kitty scared?” He cooed at me. “Don’t worry, daddy is going to show you what you’ve been missing.”

He was interrupted by the sound of the door opening again. It was Victor. He froze for a second, registering the fact that Ted had me at gunpoint.

“Let go of her!” Victor roared, his expression fierce. He was about to run to Ted, but stopped dead on his tracks when he spotted the gun.

Ted lifted his armed hand, placing the edge of the gun under my chin.

“Easy, tiger… Not so brave now, that I can finish her right here, are you?” Ted teased. “Just sit back and enjoy, we were about to have a private show… But it doesn’t have to be so private, does it, cutie pie?”

My stomach turned, and for a moment I thought I was going to vomit.

“Let her go, Ted. She has nothing to do with this.” Victor’s voice was calm, but I could hear traces of rage and panic. “It’s me you want. I’m here. Let her go.”

“Oh, no, that is not going to happen. I know how much you like your precious little pet.” Ted forced the gun on my chin, tilting my head up, like he was admiring a prey. “If I let her go, I lose my leverage.” He held my cheeks roughly with both hands, making me face him. I noticed the barrel of the gun was facing upwards, not towards me.

“And you’re such a sweet, sweet leverage, aren’t you?” My stomach did a double turn when I saw his face come closer to mine, and I realized what he was about to do.

I found my opportunity when the bastard tried to kiss me. I forcefully grabbed the hand holding the gun and slammed it on the edge of the desk, hurting Ted's tendons and making him drop the weapon. Seeing Victor bolt to the ground to get it, I slammed my knee to Ted’s crotch, making him double himself in pain, and took the opportunity to slam it again against his nose. Ted slumped to the ground, knocked out.

Victor moved to the phone to call security, gun in his hand, eyes on Ted. I leaned against the wall, trying to catch my breath.

“Are you ok? Did he do something to you? Did he hurt you?” Victor softly held me by the shoulders and search my body with his eyes, probably looking for any injury. His jugular was jumping like crazy.

“I’m fine, he didn’t hurt me.” I said, feeling my stomach turn one more time.

Security came and handcuffed Ted, still passed out on the floor. Victor instructed them to take him downstairs and call the police, turning to me again.

“Are you sure you're feeling well? You look pale.” He searched my face again. “That’s it, I’m taking you to the hospital.”

My stomach turned again, and I immediately knew I had no time to chat. I bolted to Victor’s private bathroom and kneeled by the toilet, emptying the contents of my stomach in it. I felt warm hands in my neck grabbing my hair, pulling it up gently, until nothing would come out of my but a painful dry heave. I sat up, exhausted.

“Rinse.” Victor said, as he handed me a glass of water. I rinsed my mouth, spitting the water into the toilet and flushing it. He put the glass on the sink, and kneeled beside me.

“Feeling better?” Victor asked, as he softly stroke my back.

“Yes.” I wanted to sound strong, but it came like a whimper. Victor’s arms were suddenly around me, pressing hard, his face on my hair, his hand on the back of my neck.

“What you did was really stupid. Fighting him like that.” Victor’s voice, low and soft, whispered in my ear.

I didn’t reply. I didn’t realize how much I needed the comfort of his arms until I was enveloped in his embrace. I hugged him back, letting myself just be there for as long as he would let me.

[youcanblogifyouwantto]

Biff’s Year in Music

2020 what can I say… I feel like this meme summed up the first half of it pretty well.

https://cheezburger.com/12209157/ant-man-meme-gives-a-recap-of-all-the-horrors-of-2020-so-far

Then to top it off this last week my son developed a spontaneous pneumothorax which basically is a collapsing of his lung for no apparent reason other than he is a tall thin white adolescent. To make matters worse he is 18 and COVID is raging in all the hospitals.  Thankfully my wife is an RN and should have been a lawyer as she was able to argue her way into staying with him.  Good thing she did because one the doctors fucked up so bad she gave him another Pneumothorax by turning a valve a wrong way.  Needless to say it has been a very rough year and especially rough week for me and my family.  Music has been and always will be the only constant positive release for me.  2020 had some great music and being home for almost an entire year now has led to a lot of music consumption.  The only other thing I did almost as much as listen to music was drink and cook food to match what I was drinking.  I’ve always loved beer and wine and dabbled in Whiskey but this year was the year of the cocktail for me.  I would discover a new alcohol type and then plan crazy elaborate dinners that cocktail would either be an aperitif of digestif for. Fun yes, healthy? …That is yet to be determined. I did take up running again to counter the amount I was drinking and eating and I would say that I have consistently worked out more this year than any other year so my liver might be fucked but my heart and lungs are strong.

So to start it off, this year saw releases from some of my all-time favorite musicians that I found nice and good even but never clicked or haven’t yet.  I had been eagerly anticipating Matt Berninger’s solo release all year and I dig it but strangely not enough to return to it unless I purposely tell myself to.  The same goes for Bright Eyes, Real Estate, Sylavan Esso, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever minus Cars in Space (I played the shit out of that song), Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Car Seat Headrest, Dirty Projectors, Sufjan Stevens, Laura Marling (on first listen I thought easy top for the year then Fiona Apple came out and I haven’t returned to Laura Marling since), Damien Jurado, Jason Isbell, Neil Young (Homegrown had a special place in my heart for a month but again haven’t returned since August), Future Islands, Kevin Morby, and Busta Rhymes. All of these albums I do not hate or even dislike in fact some I liked a lot at first but just didn’t have staying power.  The following list are albums I loved that some stayed all year in rotation. Not in particular order but kinda like a Coachella poster if it’s near the top it’s one of my favorites of the year. I can be very longwinded on paper and very brief in person so I will try my antisocial tendencies to describe these albums. I will say for the most part the albums that hit this year are like comfort food music for my soul.

Waxahatchee  - St. Cloud – Home, comfort, introspective

Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher – Witty, production, great voice

Run The Jewels – RTJ4  - best running album ever. My favorite from these guys and best rap album I’ve heard in a while.

Jeff Tweedy – Love is the King. Maybe blasphemy but I like better than Warm. Perfect example of music comfort food. His biography is great too and so is the Summer teeth deluxe reissue.

Fleet Foxes – Shore – Beautiful, peaceful everything I needed from them and more. Side note Helplessness Blues was the first album review I ever wrote for ATR and I’m so glad I found those guys! Thank you for continuing the tradition.

Jeff Rosenstock – NO DREAM There was some good punk rock this year but this was the best also great running music. Rosenstock is now my go to for punk

Taylor Swift- Folk Lore- Story Telling, Sweater music, more music comfort food. And now Evermore continues the greatness. Dorothea might be my favorite track from both records. If you would have told me a Taylor Swift album would be in my tops for the year a couple of years ago I would have laughed you out of my face and now she has two albums in my tops. 2020 is one crazy year!

The Avalanches- We Will Always Love You- I’ve loved every single and was waiting for this to drop before posting this.  Well Worth the wait. I like it better than the Gorillaz release and that is saying a lot. It’s hard to have this many spot on features and keep a cohesive vibe! Johnny Marr meets MGMT is another need more of this collab.

Loma  - Don’t Shy Away- If 2020 could be articulated through music disorienting but also working from home has some perks. Good balance of weird and comfort

Adrienne Leckner – Songs- She writes great songs and performs them immaculately

Muzz- ST – The last show I went to before shutdown was Morrissey with Interpol opening and I forgot how much I love Bank’s voice.  This album is highly underrated in my opinion especially Evergreen.

Gorillaz –Song Machine – Best since Demon Days and Robert Smith/Damon Albarn Collab was never anything I thought I needed but now want more of. When Tony Allen died I went through a deep Tony Allen dive that was quite enjoyable. Great Drummer!

Dinner party – ST – The title explains it better than I can

Against All Logic – 2017-2019 – Kelly Lee Owens and this were the only electronica to stay all year both great running albums and If you can’t do it good do it hard is worth the price of admission alone

Hamilton Leithhauser- The Loves of your life- I love this man and I loved the walkmen. I feel he for me is like Frank Sinatra was for my mom. Not as sweet as a voice but can sing the hell out of a song.

Walter Martin – The world at Night- Another Walkmen member, this is another comfort food album it just feels right in my soul

Ka – Descendants Of Cain – Criminally underrated for too long this dude paints lyrical mood pictures like GZA.

Perfume Genius – Set My Heart On Fire Immediately – Beautiful Authentic Elegant

Fiona Apple – Fetch The Bolt Cutters  - Lyrically and sonically slays me. You have to like spoken word and weird rhythm texture but she nails both of those.

Bonny Light Horseman- ST – Great folk indie I just knew this was an album for me on first listen

Rose city band - Summerlong – Best new discovery, feeds my jam band meets indie soul

Strokes - The New Abnormal – I don’t know why this didn’t get more love? I loved it and The Adults are Talking is top five best Strokes songs.

Pinegrove- Marigold – More indie comfort food music

Bartees Strange – Live Forever – Second best new discovery. This dude is all over the place but in a good way. If you like this check out his singles where he covers many National songs.

Kelly Lee Owens – Inner Song- My Friend Antony described this better than I can at the current moment. Inner songs indeed.

The Killers – Imploding the Mirage- Most surprised album of the year, I’ve never been a big Killers fan but this one just wrapped it hooks inside me and didn’t let go all year

Young Jesus – Welcome to Conceptual Beach- Avant-garde or experimental music stretches me in ways that are very good for my soul and this one was such an album

My Morning Jacket – Waterfall II – Took a trip up to Humboldt in Early August and this was the soundtrack of the trip. Very much needed social distance return to nature vacation.

Hum- Inlet – I rocked out to this many a summer early fall evening sitting on my dock fishing and drinking beer.

Haim- Women in Music Pt. III – Best Haim yet and yes they are maturing into great song writers

Nation of Language- Introduction, Presence – Third best new discovery.. My friend Spencer at Shadows and Noise (a blog I’ve contributed to on occasion) accurately describes this album nicely. My wife loves Depeche Mode, New Order, and Erasure so this album is a new version of that genre that she and I can love together.

Coriky- ST – Half of Fugazi with a female drummer that sounds like classic Sleater Kinney in fact Fugazi meets Sleater Kinney is how I would describe this and that can’t be wrong!

EP’s Singles

James Blake- Before (Great marriage of his old and new)

Kruangbin & Leon Bridges- Texas Sun

Local Natives – Sour Lemon

Radio Dept – The Absence of Birds

Leon Bridges – Sweeter

Tom Berlin – Projections

Father John Misty – To S/ To R

Rostam- Unfold you

 Mank is one of the only great movies of 2020!

[rvwchck]

tweet at first sight

It was one tweet. Not even all 280 characters. Just the simple phrase “I feel like @jamiethebee would be down to egg a house for his fans. just saying”.

I didn’t have more than 500 followers on Twitter, and those included only people from my school. It wasn’t even a fan account, nor was it even remotely related with Jamie Lee Oliver. 

So naturally, when I saw his username in my DMs, my stomach almost fell out of my ass. Keyword being almost.

I screamed, and I did it loud. Thankfully, I was alone in my apartment, because having my roommate witness my prepubescent stunt would have been enough for me to move out. Which sounds serious when it comes from a college graduate living in Southern California.

8:06 AM

@jamiethebee: pick your poison.

tap to download attachment.

He had sent me a picture from the egg section in what appeared to be Walmart. I decided it was better not to answer, considering I was late for what seemed to be the millionth job interview of the week. Nobody said life after graduation would be so hard. Especially after enduring the hell that is living in a dorm the size of a shoebox. 

Looking at my appearance in the mirror confirmed that I would not, in fact, get hired today. It may have to do with the fact that between my now coffee-stained shirt and red pants along with my rusty red hair made me look like a war zone. Or a used tampon. Or both. 

Clearly L’Oreal Colorista was not the best hair dye in the market. 

I glanced down at my phone, partly wondering if I had any new texts from Leo—or as I liked to call him after that cheating incident, Satan—and partly to see if any other celebrities had graced my inbox. None of those scenarios had happened, and I was now 10 minutes late. 

Just when I was rushing out of the door, my roommate opened the door with a slam and proceeded to face plant onto the couch. 

Well, I thought, at least I’m not in med school. 

***

I somehow managed to miss the train and the bus. All in a 15 minute span. Which meant I was 25 minutes late for the interview. It would be a miracle if I even got to announce my name, or hand in my resume.

My hair was completely disheveled and one of my shoes had come off in the middle of the street, meaning my pizza socks were on full display once I arrived to the building of Pyramid Publishing. The receptionist directed me to the 16th floor, where everything was white, or really pale beige. 

I sat on one of the couches ,well, rested my back for half a second before I was interrupted. 

“Lisa Martin? Sorry for the long wait, we had some issues with the air conditioning” A tall secretary poked her head from one of the offices in the waiting area.

I was not a true believer, but God had just done me a solid.

11:30 AM

@jamiethebee: so you discover a 

dark truth about me and then you 

leave me on read?

@jamiethebee: wow, RUDE. 

I hid my phone in my purse, my heart beating at an alarming rate against my chest. I was still having a hard time believing the Jamie Lee Oliver had slid into my DMs and went to the produce section of the grocery store for me. The fact that he had the audacity to call me out was also making my brain go haywire trying to come up with a decent answer.

All while struggling to pay attention to the code of ethics of the company. Because yes, I had just gotten hired to be an editor for Pyramid Publishing. 

“The idea Miss Martin, is for you to have a week to get to know the office and the way things work around here before you fully immerse in what is a typical schedule of an editor in Pyramid Publishing” The man, Gregory Truman, had a smooth voice and gave off an aura of authority, partly because of the way he was seated, and partly because his secretary seemed to be in awe every time he opened his mouth to speak.  

I nodded along completely distracted, smiling every once in a while to show that I was happy for the opportunity I had just been given. After four years of majoring in English and getting tired of hearing that it would be impossible to find any job, I had just landed the job of my dreams.  Which sounds amazing, but it really consists of earning enough to cover my part of the rent and to afford one or two nights out every once in a while. 

After agreeing to come back tomorrow morning to start my briefings, I left the building and headed for the bus station. I was about to acknowledge my Twitter notifications, which seemed to be glaring at me, when my roommate called.

To any person this would come across as normal behaviour, however when you live with a med school student who lives and breathes for their career, you get used to not hearing from them for days at a time. No news, good news right?.

“What’s up buttercup?” I answered cheerfully nonetheless. Amanda tends to be overly dramatic and extremely analytic of phone and text conversations. She has flipped out on me for answering the phone with a simple ‘hey’, claiming that she thought I was mad at her and didn’t want to live with her anymore because she forgets to hang her towels. Her words, not mine.

“Yeah, yeah, no time for greetings. Listen the curry exploded all over the kitchen” I was once again, rendered speechless. 

Amanda comes from an Indian family that loves to travel and above all, loves to eat. Her recipe book is overflowing and constantly getting thicker. However, her skills are not getting any better. Last week she managed to turn the butter on fire while attempting to melt it in the microwave. Who knows how she managed to do that.

“Okay so there’s no need for me to buy more oils for the diffuser, is that what you’re saying?” I would have worried if it was another person, but Amanda tends to worry a little too much over everything and I don’t want her to beat herself up anymore over this.

“No Lisa I’m serious like I don’t even know where to start cleaning and I’ve probably ruined the kitchen and we won’t be able to repare it and I just know that you’ll want to move out because of this and—“

“Okay this is what you’ll do. You’re going to go to the wine cabinet and open a bottle of rose, you know the one you like, and you’re going to calm down and then start cleaning. First the floor so you don’t keep making a bigger mess, then the counters and so on. Mandy, seriously its not the end of the world, did you at least get to have lunch?” I heard a grunt, then a sigh. Not good.

“Obviously not Lisa, I’m on call tonight apparently. I don’t even understand what they want me there for since I just worked the morning shift two days in a row and I’m not even a real doctor yet. Like what the fuck? This is abuse” 

“Okay babe, see you at home!” I hung up with a smile on my face, determined to make something out of today other than cleaning curry with Amanda. So I opened Twitter. 

12:21 PM

@misalartin: pity, i only shop organic. 

@misalartin: excessive hormones,

you know?

Not even thirty minutes had passed when he replied.

12:43 PM

@jamiethebee: so tell me when 

and where.

tap to download attachment.

It was then I realized I had not stopped internally screaming since 8 am, because it was the only way to explain how I had not fainted yet. 

Jamie Lee Oliver had been my celebrity crush ever since I knew how to turn the tv on. He had started out as a child star in my favorite tv show Morgan’s Backyard, and then had gotten into more serious stuff like action movies, playing superheroes and whatnot. Once I grew out of children’s tv, I stopped following him as an actor although his Instagram and Twitter were a true gift for my feed. He was beautiful, with dark brown hair and equally dark skin that made his pearly smile stand out beyond anything else. His chocolate eyes blended perfectly well with the rest of his complexion, which made him seem really inviting in the way his eyes disappeared almost completely when he smiled, almost like he wanted everyone to have fun along with him.

Doubt started to creep in and was slowly consuming me. I knew exactly what I had tweeted, but it was exactly that, just a tweet. I never imagined he would even see it, much less acknowledge it. Besides, I didn’t know if it was the smartest idea. I mean Leo had cheated on me, and in my old apartment when I was supposed to be in one of my classes. So I got home early because I was in the mood to skip and that’s when I found him. On my bed, on top of a freshman rushing for the sorority I belonged to. Even in that moment, I was not a confrontational person and I absolutely hated violence. But he had also shattered my trust completely and disregarded our relationship. 

In hopes of being more proactive and doing the right thing, I replied.

12:48 PM

@misalartin: alright, BJ’s

in Forest ave 

@misalartin: say 6?

12:49 PM

@jamiethebee: it’s a date then. 

***

My hair was resembling a mood stone. In weak attempts of making my hair even, it had turned a beautiful brick orange. Adding the smell that undoubtedly clung to my clothes, I was now the personification of a plate of curry. 

All of that didn’t matter once I got to BJ’s and saw a tall figure leaning on one of the walls outside. He had disguised himself extremely well, with a black hat that cast a big enough shadow to hide his face. Which I was thankful for, because the clothes he was wearing would not help him blend into the crowd. With a pair of checkered pants and a teal coloured shirt which made it clear he had missed the class on “How to dress up for a spy mission™”. 

Taking a deep breath to calm myself down, I forced my feet to move towards him. 

“Well one of us clearly misunderstood the mission” I said jokingly when I reached him. 

He looked up from his phone and I managed to keep my cool. Not because I could, but because the sun was glaring right on my face, which made it impossible for me to see practically anything. My knees almost gave away when I covered the sun with my hand. It took every ounce of willpower for me not to jump and squeal like a crazy 12 year old girl, he was really here in front of me looking all perfect and ready for a fashion show. Contrary to myself, which looked ready to sleep in a homeless shelter. My black sweatpants and hoodie clashed completely with him and you could immediately tell we were opposites when it came to the lives we had. 

“Lisa, right?” Jamie’s voice was deep and almost a whisper, which made a chill run through my body like electricity. It made me want to hear him speak forever, not caring about the topic he chose.

“Yeah. Um, do you really want to do the egg thing?” I couldn’t stop the words from escaping my mouth once I saw he had not one, but two boxes of 12 eggs. 

His laugh was like a song that I wanted to listen to in replay non stop until I couldn’t stand it. And then he did the unimaginable, he pouted.

“What, chickening out already?” I smiled in embarrassment and looked down at my feet to hide my blush. 

“Weren’t you taught that violence is not the answer?” I questioned him and his smile only seemed to grow bigger. Which was nice, but also worrying since it meant I was losing my moral battle.

“It’s not like we’re throwing eggs at someone, right? It’s just a house. Nothing a good cleaning can’t fix” He took off his hat to ruffle his hair before leaning down to whisper in my ear “Besides, who knows what else can happen” Jamie leaned against the wall again with a smirk, knowing perfectly well the effect he was having on me.

“Alright, you had me at eggs” I smiled sheepishly and then dragged him along to the bus stop. We kept talking, asking each other questions and trying to disguise our flirting behind lame excuses to get to know each other better. 

He lowered his hat even more once we got on the bus and kept his hand on the small of my back in order not to lose me in the mess of people. It felt natural, like it wasn’t the first time we met and his hand was used to touching me all the time. 

“So how come you talked to me?” I asked curiously, turning my body towards him. The bus lurched into a sudden stop, which caused me to stumble forward. Jamie caught me quickly, securing both arms around my waist and crushing me against him, since he was leaning on one of the walls. Thankfully, the eggs stayed safe beside him. 

“Well the offer was more tempting than the usual ‘Jamie I love you please marry me’ kind of thing” He rubbed my arms and held eye contact with me the whole time and I was in heaven.

“Naturally, who doesn’t want to egg houses instead?” I quipped with an eyebrow raised and he laughed under his breath, like he didn’t want people in on our conversation. 

“If egging houses is what I have to do to spend time with a pretty girl, then I’ll choose it over marriage any day” I was not one to fall for the usual lines, yet here I was struggling to reply without him finding out that I was very close to calling the whole thing off and take him to my apartment instead. 

Snapping out of my thoughts, I glanced outside and pressed the buzzer to get off. Jamie followed me walking along the sidewalk but this time, in silence. I walked these streets like I never stopped, being grateful I chose to move out of my apartment after everything that happened. 

I stopped when I recognized the familiar stones that led to his porch. It felt like I was living my worse nightmare. The maroon mailbox contrasting with the blue porch but clashing with the shiny Audi parked in the outer garage. 

Suddenly, it didn’t seem like the best idea. I had to leave. Best case scenario: Leo found out but didn’t press charges. Worst case scenario: Jamie and me end up in a jail cell. Neither situation seemed appealing to me. Especially since they both involved talking to him. I wasn’t the best at concealing my anger. And I had a lot to conceal.

I didn’t realize I was crying until I felt Jamie’s warm hands wiping my cheeks. He crushed me to his chest as if we’d done this a million times, and I took a deep breath to calm myself down. The tears had stopped, yet he kept running his hand through my hair and rocking us softly.

He stepped back only to lean down and open the first dozen eggs. He placed one in my hand and then looked at the Audi in front of him.

“Do you think it has an alarm system?” He voiced my question out loud. 

“I really hope not” And then I threw the first egg. 

***

Either Leo didn’t care about his Audi becoming an omelet, or he simply didn’t find out about it. I was over the top we were not stuck in a jail cell, and even more happy I had avoided confrontation. 

We were walking in silence again, the weight of reality on our shoulders. Now that we had pelted an entire car with eggs, there was nothing left to do with each other. It was no secret that he had to go back to Los Angeles and I had a curry explosion to take care of, yet I was finding it hard to see how our paths could cross again.

“I smell curry. Can we extend our date to more than just damaging private property?” Jamie stopped to look at me properly for the millionth time and once again, my knees threatened to give away. God his eye contact was going to kill me. 

I didn’t have the heart to tell him how I was the source of the smell, so I nodded and let him lead the way this time. 

One thing I had found out about Jamie Lee Oliver, he was not the best with directions. We walked around the same block four times before I got tired and yanked his phone from his hands.

“Just tell me where you want to go” I sighed exasperatedly and he chuckled, holding his hands up in surrender.

“Take me to the best burger place you know” And with that, he wrapped his arm around my waist and kept walking naturally, like he hadn’t just caused my heart to perform a drum solo in my chest. 

It was a long walk, especially since I was hell-bent on getting away from my exs’ neighbourhood as quickly as possible. Jamie didn’t seem to mind the distance, so I kept my mouth shut. 

“So Lisa” He spoke my name like it was foreign on his mouth, yet he treated me like I was anything but “Tell me something about yourself, something you haven’t told anyone” The words he spoke made me want to cringe, yet his tone was so inviting, it was impossible to refuse. 

“Well” I hesitated, there could have been a million things to say that would have made me look better or more attractive. Instead, I chose “I’m the reason you smelled curry” Jamie tried to mask his surprise as best as he could, yet it was clear this was not what he had imagined I would say. 

So naturally, I continued “My roommate managed to cause a curry explosion in our kitchen and when I came home from my interview I had barely any time to get ready before I met you and I clearly didn’t think things through because if I did, then I wouldn’t have showered. Which sounds disgusting but it would’ve made the smell less apparent and my hair a little less similar to a burning building. Also I tried to dress for the occasion but actually made an effort to look presentable, but clearly I didn’t do—

His lips were what interrupted me. One second I was boring his ears off with my rambling, the next Jamie Lee Oliver was kissing me. It was like no other kiss I’d had, he towered over me but not in an awkward way and his hands seemed to touch me in the right places at the perfect time. He was rumoured to date many girls and I understood why, he felt as comfortable kissing me as he looked when he was acting on camera. Reality caught up with me and made me lose focus, so Jamie pulled me closer to him by the waist. 

After what seemed like ages, he pressed his forehead against mine and pecked me a few times on the lips then closed his eyes and stayed silent for a few seconds, just holding me close to him. My eyes darted all over his face, trying to find something appropriate to say, yet words failed me. 

“Maybe I shouldn’t have done that, but I’ve been meaning to since I saw you crossing the street to meet me” 

Looking back, if I had to pinpoint the moment things changed for the both of us, I would say it was this one. Because this, was when I threw caution to the wind. It was like I couldn’t get enough of him. So I kissed him this time.

Laughing against my lips he pecked me once, twice. Then held my hand and continued walking in the direction of the restaurant. 

***

I was a blushing mess the remaining walk to the restaurant. Even when we asked for a table for two, I couldn’t keep it together. In fact, I felt my face grow even hotter, if it was even possible. 

“That blush is fucking adorable” Jamie whispered in my ear and his hand crept lower, which did not help at all with my blushing. 

The waitress raised her eyebrows at Jamie’s blunt movement but led us to a table in the far corner of the room.

“I don’t do this often, not with many girls” He blurted suddenly, still looking down at the menu. I’d decided to order the french burger and was waiting expectantly for him to decide, yet this had caught me completely by surprise. His warm eyes met mine in a piercing gaze “I don’t want anything serious either”

“I just egged my exe’s Audi, I can barely stomach a burger let alone a serious relationship” I blurted honestly and he grinned. I had just found my way into Jamie’s heart. 

He grabbed my hand while he ordered for the both of us and when he ordered a taxi to take us back to my place. He continued to hold it while we kissed in the elevator, and when we continued to do so everywhere in my apartment. 

Jamie Lee Oliver held my hand the way he held my heart, and I don’t remember him ever letting go. 

[ateeztories]

If I Need You I’ll See You In My Dreams. (FULL: so far) word count: 11k+

Angst, Fluff, “Coming of age” 

Very Easy Read. 

Seonghwa, Wooyoung, y/n imagine.

*AU where Wooyoung never followed Yeosang to KQ. That, however, does not mean they are any lesser friends with each other.*

To anyone who’s reading this, I just wanted to say that this is the first time I’m writing anything creative or anything at all so feel free to give any feedback/criticism. I would certainly appreciate it. Thank you~ so long peeps.

Song recommendation: End by Jeremy Zucker 

While reading i’d recommend listening to “Friend A” from Shgatsu Wa Kimi No Uso (Your Lie In April) maybe on a loop O_o

Pilot: Dreams

Seonghwa… You wanted to see him, one last time.

That day, you kissed your boyfriend Wooyoung goodbye at the airport and left him behind in Korea. He kissed you back.

He loved you, and you loved him. Wooyoung, he was the sweetest and the kindest person. He was your person.

He has work to worry about. You were going to miss him so much. Miss his bear hugs and all the other kinds, but you weren’t sad that he wasn’t coming. Only because you had your beloved friend Ji Yeon coming along. She had been with you through your middle school, high school and even ended up going to the same college. She was there for you through thick and thin. You and Ji Yeon were actually, best friends forever. The kind you read in stories and it astounded both of you.

It has been a week since you landed in Canada, there were things to see and to wonder about. You didn’t like to go to crowded places. You just wanted to enjoy the virtue of things that were unappreciated by the people. Go to places no one has ever been to.

That was something you both had in common.

It was Ji Yeon that “introduced” you to the group Ateez. She knew what it meant to you, but she was stubborn and did it anyway. Still, that was ages ago. College was taking over all your time and energy.

This was the break you needed.

You had long forgotten about them. You forgot about him.

...

“Can you believe this??” Ji Yeon Screamed while plopping down on the bed.

“this is the weirdest coincidence ever”

“We should go see it!!!!”

“The concert is in THREE days!!” 

All the suppressed memories rolling inside of your mind; all the while Ji Yeon’s voice turns in to mumbled white noises.

“let’s go then,”

you said, trying to sound as casual as possible.

As if you didn’t feel a thing.

Seonghwa… You wanted to see him... From afar. For the last time.

For the last time and never again.

Part 2: Wanna Go Back

“I said I’ll go,”

you said without a drop of emotion displaying on your face.  Unlike your heart and mind that was going bat-shit crazy right then.

“Awesome!! I just booked two tickets” Ji Yeon replied. Trying not to sound more suspicious than she already appears to be. You didn’t bother to question her intentions because that was simply none of your concerns at the moment.

Plus she would never do anything to hurt you. Ever.

━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━                                         

It has already been three days since Ji Yeon asked about the concert. You have been trying to contact Wooyoung. Even though, because of of the time difference and his work schedule, it never worked out. The calls were full of Hello’s and farewells. You missed him more than anything.

But now it was just another one of your ever-growing worries.

...

It’s today,

The thought of seeing his face in person never left your mind. It makes your heart feel some sort of way.

The way it feels to walk into a flaming pit of fire.

The way you feel at the drop of a roller coaster.

The way you feel when you see the person you once loved so dearly.

These thoughts made you feel guilty. It made you feel like a bad person.

“If Wooyoung knew what was going through my mind right now, what would he think of me?”

There was nothing you could do besides getting past those thoughts.

You felt all sorts of emotions as you walked into the concert hall.

“What are the chances that Ateez goes on tour here, at the same time we come to Canada??” Ji Yeon said.

“Ya… no shit”

Noticeably, you weren’t feeling it. you just wanted to get over it. You needed closure, and a part of you hated that feeling. Ji Yeon was no stranger to your mood swings. She caught on quite fast. Faster than you thought. Three days faster.

Somehow she knew what she was doing. Except, she didn’t know the whole story.

You walked through big brown doors into a seemingly small venue. You saw fan-girls falling into line behind the barricade like a bunch of tiny colonized ants. They bumped into your shoulder, passing you by as you walked among them, step by step. You looked around scanning the venue, while clinging to Ji Yeon.

“Maybe we should just go back,” you said with the least bit of persuasion.

“Are you kidding me? those tickets were NOT free” Ji Yeon said with a face that only you could decipher. 

You knew there was going back.

The venue became full, there was no chance for him to see your face. Even if he did, there was no way he would recognize you. It’s been too long since he last saw you.

Eventually and gradually, the stage became brighter as the audience became darker. This assured you, he wasn’t seeing you today.

Ateez members entered the stage one after another.

You saw his silhouette.

His tall figure that was impossible to forget. You saw his face, he looked different. Different from the face that was buried in your memories.

The music began to play and the performance started. The crowd went wild while you stared blindly onto the stage… standing still, wondering what you went there to do that day. You questioned your intentions in the midst of being unable to look away from his direction.

You eyes flickering at the thought of getting closure

“What closure?”

“How is this closure?”

You thought, staring at his face full of demeanor.

You felt your phone vibrate in your pocket. you took it out slowly looking down, though your eyes could not leave the stage. You wearily look at your phone.

“Wooyoung!!!”

Your face lit up, eyes shimmered. This was the first time you were able to reach him in three days. You unintentionally jumped up and down in excitement.

You forgot all your worries and unwanted feelings.

You signaled Ji Yeon and she was telling you to get out and take the call.

The song, Utopia, was coming to an end. The members stood on the stage when Jongho approached  them while singing the last verse. It was a beautiful piece of art deserving of endless admiration.

Fan chants were echoing throughout the entire room: “Kim Hongjoong! Park Seonghwa! Jeong Yunho! Kang Yeosang! Choi San! Song Mingi! Choi Jongho! Lee Junyeong!!!”

As you were moving across the crowd making your way out, you looked at the stage for the last time. There he was… looking like the same old person that you knew. Head tilted up and with his eyes closed. His black hair wet with sweat that dripped down his chin and onto his shirt.

Still, you hated him for what he did.

You have Wooyoung now.

He is waiting for you to answer. He is waiting for you. You looked away and pushed your way out through the crowd. Went out of the nearest door which led you outside. It was dark, the street lights flickered and they were stable at the same time.

Not one single soul to be seen.

The door closed behind you as you answered the phone in a haste. “Wooyoung I miss-”

“Let’s break up”

…

Frozen.

Unable to take another step.

How to react?

“Woo- Wooyoung?”

your voice, weak, surprised and baffled in disbelief.

You can still hear noises from the inside. muffled screaming of the fans.

The music has ended.

There was silence and everything else.

“How to turn back time?”

Where did it all go wrong?“

"Why?”

Part 3: Your Lie 

 "Wooyoung I miss-“

"Let’s break up”

…

Frozen.

People say your body freezes when you don’t know what to do.

“Should I fight this?” …

“Should I just run away?”

When he said those words… You just froze.

Unable to take another step

“How do I react?” You think.

Think, and there is nothing.

Your mind is empty, exhausted and deluded.

Legs giving out, your body crumbles onto the ground as you sit on the pavement of the building, your knees nearly touching your chest.

Your mind completely disregards the sound of the door behind, opening and closing.

You finally find the strength to say the words lingering at the tip of your tongue.

“What do you mean you want to break up?”

“Why?”

“Why now?”

“Just tell me what is going on, we can figure this out together.”

Silence… Stillness.

You can hear Wooyoung’s breath. You can hear his longing sighs. His voice stutterers to break this ominous silence.

 You could finally hear his voice loud and clear.

“I think you already know y/n.” His voice almost sounds drunk.

“There is nothing to figure out.” Has he been crying?

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” You respond.

“Wooyoung please…”

“Please… can you just wait until I reach Korea”

“I’m going to book the first flight tomorrow”

“Just hold on one more day”

“Please,” You sounded hopeless and desperate.

The silence of the surrounding creates goosebumps all over your exposed skin. The cold freezing winds making you sink into your own body. You are sniffing, your breath is shivering, and it is not because of the freezing winds. In the verge of tears, a lump in your throat. Your heart is beating so fast to the point you almost want to throw up at the thought of being without him.

You could hear footsteps behind you. You could see in the corner of your eyes, a tall shadow of a person. At this moment, you don’t care. Nothing matters as the only beautiful thing in your life slips away from your fingertips.

The tall figure gently walked to the side of you and stopped at the edge of the pavement. You didn’t look up at his face. You thought it was just a person coming out to get a breath of “fresh” air, a break from the chaos that is inside. Air that has now been polluted by the thoughts in your mind. He sat down beside you in a peaceful manner. Oddly enough, you weren’t scared of the stranger sitting beside you. All you could think about was Wooyoung.

Though it felt familiar.

You were now curious,  this stranger that carries a homely scent, an intimate familiarity. You lookup slowly… Upon his direction… All the while holding Wooyoung on the other side of the phone… You look.

He was looking at the distant empty roads across the parking lot. Your eyes grew wider.

It’s Seonghwa… Park Seonghwa!

At that instant, Wooyoung’s voice echoed through and out of the space enclosing you.

“Fine! I cheated on you!”

You heard Wooyoung’s reckless voice breaking the silence, as you stared into Seonghwa’s eyes.

You can’t believe your ears. Your heart is beating so fast. To the point, you almost want to throw up at the thought of him being with someone else. All the moments you both shared, gone in a fleeting minute. All the feelings of love and devotion suppressed deep inside your mind.

You can’t believe your eyes. The person that sits beside you at this moment. The person you missed for the longest time, and the person you hated the most. Now knows your most vulnerable secret.

You are looking at his face, but you’re not looking at him.  Your mind wanders to places no one wants to be in.

“I cheated on you. Is that what you want to hear?”

You are still looking up at Seonghwa��s direction. There is no doubt he can hear Wooyoung’s voice coming through the phone in this heart wrenching silence.

“This is it,” you thought. You were never gonna see Wooyoung again. He dares to break up with you over a phone call. End it all, after being together for two years.

Alone, you still loved him. All the feelings were suppressed. Yet they were still there.

All of this is happening so fucking fast. But, It felt like forever.

You still couldn’t say a word to Wooyoung.

Words are coming out of your mouth but your voice doesn’t make any sound. Your heart is shattered into dust. The street lights are flickering and glistering in your teary eyes.

Wooyoung continues, sounding spiteful than he’s ever been.

“Did you really think you were the only person I was with? Oh y/n you are too naive”

“This is not him,” You thought, while saying nothing and nothing at all. You continued to listen to him, step on what’s left of your heart.

“y/n, Did you honestly think I love-”

Seonghwa grasped the phone out of your hand and hung up. He latched on to the phone while keeping his head down.

Not once, ever since he sat down beside you, did he look at your face.

You looked at him. Then you gazed up into the distance.

There was silence yet again.

The deafening silence.

The silence that you loathed more than anything.

Part 4: The Story

“Wooyoung.”

Saying his name, just thinking about it, makes your heart, break into a million little pieces. You wanted to cry, cry your eyes out and throw up all the feelings that were bottled inside.

“y/n” Seonghwa muttered as he extended his arms to hold on while turning your way. To hold on to you… to comfort you.

“Don’t…”  you said. Keeping a straight face. While taking a deep breath, in an attempt to keep your composure. Because you can’t cry. Not in front of him. You don’t need his pity. And he doesn’t deserve to feel bad for you. It puzzled you, how difficult it was to not cry out loud. Scream at the top of your lungs. Yet he does not get to see you cry. After all, he left you. left you to wonder where he vanished to, without a word. Without even saying goodbye, he disappeared.

“Don’t touch me,” you said. Calm, but stern. You’re not a high schooler anymore. You’re not young anymore. You’re not his friend anymore.

Nothing less and nothing more.

You gaze up at the distance roads, turning your face away from Seonghwa’s direction. There is a horizon between the field across the road and the night sky full of stars. It’s a magical view for a night like this. A night that carries a sob story for people to read about.

You look at Seonghwa with eyes that hold a thousand, million words. His soft black hair is reflecting against the moonlight. It is blowing across his face as the wind sweeps the tension among you. The tension that holds a history belonging to you and only him. His hair… it had so much character. Once again, he looks like the person you know.

…

He had blonde hair when you first saw him on TV for the first time. It was peachy and unfamiliar. It carried a cold persona. You couldn’t recognize him at a glance. When you finally understood, you stared at his face for hours on end.

“So that’s where he ran off to…” you remember thinking. You remember going through a roller coaster of emotions all alone.

…

Flashbacks rushing back into your mind like an old movie reeling, roll after roll, scene after scene. Each moment you spend together; good, bad, exhilarating and frightening.

You were just friends, but more than that. You weren’t lovers but you loved each other. It was a beautiful time to be alive.

How hard it was for you; he may never know. But there was someone… not Ji Yeon, someone else. And that person was Wooyoung. He was there for you when you cried for so many nights and poured your heart out to him. You never thought of this moment, never thought how painful this moment would be. This moment he chooses to part ways.

“It’s happening all over again.” You said.

Thoughts, speculations, tearing through your mind, “There has to be something going on… he is not the type of person to do this.” All the while knowing that this, won’t change the fact that he broke up with you. He’s leaving you…

He left you.

It’s hard to face reality. Reality is sitting beside you. It is staring at you right in the face.

“It’s not fair,” you spoke under your breath.

You look up at the starry yet gloomy sky and blink the tears away.

“Why is everything going wrong today?” you wonder.

You squeeze your eyes shut tight to stop the tears. Still, they come creeping down your eyelids and stream along your glowing cheeks. One fell, two fell, tears came pouring out of your eyes. You put your guard down. No… your “guard,” was never there. It was denial, spite and history.

With both hands you cover your face and eyes to hide,. Your entire body trembles to the beat of your sobbing. You can feel the muscles in your face shaking. You can taste the salty tears as they fall onto your lips. You hear yourself silently screaming to release the pain you hold inside your throat. Your heart sinks deeper and deeper, each time you let out air. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t pleasant. You felt pathetic and miserable.

As the night gets darker and your sobs get louder, you feel the embrace of Seonghwa. You feel his touch for the first time in two years. It’s warm in this cold weather. It brings you comfort and relief. You continued to cry like a little child as he held on to you.

“I’m sorry,” He said.

Guilt, regret, pity, sorrow and all the feelings you can feel. These two words held so much meaning and you can hear every single one of them through his gentle voice.

…………

Seonghwa left, but he was always there. In the back of your mind. From the day he stepped in to that classroom. There was always comfort in his presence. Even the thought of him made you feel warm inside. There was never a guard between the two of you. The walls between you collapsed a long time ago and they were never going to come back up.

“Can I say the same for him?” You ask yourself. Whilst being wrapped up in his arms and feeling hollow inside.

He was your person before anyone else. 

Were you his?

Part 5: Friends

Park Seonghwa…He is with you, you feel his warmth, the feeling you craved at this moment. Your face is buried in his chest. Sobbing like a broken machine. A broken soul.

The history behind you two was always complicated, and it will always be, complicated.

━━━━━━༻p a s t༺━━━━━━ 

You were walking along the narrow sidewalk on the first day of high school. You stopped at an intersection, to wait for Ji Yeon. Waited and waited, you called her cell phone, and no one answered. You walked into the grocery store nearby to wait for her. You jump at everything so the ringing sound as you stepped into the store while opening the door startled you. It was a lovely day outside, but the sunlight was hot. You decided to get some ice cream for you and Ji Yeon. You were leaning, concentrated, picking her and your favourite ice creams. 

You heard the ringing once again and It scared the hell out of you. Your head shot up and turned towards the door with eyes wide. He stepped into the store while caressing his messy school boy hair.

There he was… Seonghwa.

That was the first time you saw him. He was wearing the same kind of uniform; you knew he went to your school. He looked… handsome. Not your stereotypical “idol” handsome.  Oh, the irony. It made your heart flutter, even though he looked like he could make you squirm with just a glance. His presence made you feel some kind of way. His aura was overwhelmingly attractive. You stared at him for a good minute until he noticed you. Which is when you were taken back to reality with a slap in the face. You looked away so quickly, you felt something snap in your neck. You were a deer in headlights. 

You picked up the first two ice creams that caught your hand and went up to the counter hoping to escape this humiliation. While you were waiting for the cashier to scan the items, you felt a strong presence behind you. It was him… standing tall, making you feel all kinds of intimidated. “how did he get there so fast??” you contemplate during this mental chaos.

You paid the cashier at lightning speed and ran towards the exit. You looked back just for the sake of it while opening the doors, only to see him staring at you. He smiled at you. It looked more like he laughed at you but “What do I know,” you thought while making a face that felt like a smile while walking out of the store. If only the muscles in your face moved properly, it wouldn’t have looked like you just ate the world’s most sour lemon.

You walked outside to see Ji Yeong standing at the intersections waiting to cross the street. You sneaked up on her placing both ice creams on her cheeks. Ji young turned around in a flash raising her hand to almost knock you out. “Oh it’s just you” “Why do you sound disappointed? Are you sad you couldn’t knock me out??” Mundane conversations never felt so good at that moment. The big sister you never had. No… The big sister you always had, watching over you. Making sure you always have your life together. And you were the same. Clumsy, but you tried. She was the more mature one.

“Why is your face so red?” Ji Yeong asked tilting her head. While grabbing the ice cream out of your hands. “O? Oh there was-” At that moment, Seonghwa walked out of the store. Ji Yeong’s attention immediately went to him, she looked at you and him again. “She’s too smart for her own good.” you think while looking at her face that is now grinning like a clown

“I- I think he goes to our school,” you said avoiding her eyes “Ohohoho, you think??” Ji Young said still smirking like a damn clown. She looked up at you with squinty eyes with an even wider grin. You knew she was about to do something you’re both going to regret.

Ji Yeon looked at Seonghwa who was walking towards the school. “HEY, YOU!!!” She screamed. Seonghwa looked back afraid for his life.

“HEYYY WHAT ARE YOU DOING???“ You said, silently screaming.

Ji Yeong ran towards him whilst dragging you with her.  

How she has the courage to do things like this, you never understood. But you were always grateful for that. But this time you weren't so sure, “Why in the world is she doing this??” you wonder all the while being dragged by the mighty hands of Ji Yeon. Seonghwa still standing, scared for his life by the sight of Ji Yeong running towards him amid pulling you like a suitcase. The way Ji Yeon suddenly stopped running and the moumentum she had built up made you crash onto Seonghwa.

“Sorry,” you said, frowning at Ji Yeon and blushing like no one’s business.

“You okay?” He asked with coughing out a laugh. You heard his voice for the first time. His voice matched so perfectly to his oh so handsome face. 

Leaves started falling slowly, winds brushed through the three of you standing on the sidewalk. Autumn has never looked so beautiful.

You remember walking to the school together, he parted ways to walk with his friends at the Entrance. His friends, you became close to them too.

You walked into the classroom that belonged to you for the year. Took a deep breath. ”everything will be fine,“ you more so wished.

Ji Yeon ended up in a different homeroom, unfortunately. Her outgoing self was fine. However, you were scared.

You chose your seat close to the window. A place that made the classroom feel much bigger. Looking outside somehow made you calm. And the sound of birds and wind crashing on the windows made you feel like you were outside.  

That’s when he entered the classroom. His eyes scanned the room and stopped at you. He slowly walked towards you.

“Is this seat taken?” He asked… with a smile? You don’t remember.

“No, you can sit here,” You said with a faint curious smile tracking his face as he sat down. There was that feeling again… But this time it was different. It felt normal, a beautiful, typical feeling… It was like he was always there in your comfort.  

You two were quiet for a long minute.

“I can’t believe we’re in the same homeroom,” He spoke with that gentle voice again.

This was the beginning of a questionable yet charming, melancholic, and longing friendship that lasted for years… It was normal, doesn’t any friendship start out like this?

But a part of you knew how special this was.

Today, you are holding him once again… after years, 

Crying because of another man.

Crying because of Wooyoung… His old friend… 

Your old friend.

You just want this never-ending night to be over.

You needed time, to stop crying… Time to think.

Part 6: Timing

You hated “Time”… 

Life happens… Time goes on without a care for your emotions, without a care for anyone’s feelings. 

Time, the passage that left you behind at the peak of your teenage years. 

It felt good at times but just some days, you could feel it. Feel the emptiness lingering at the back of your mind. 

But now, you needed time. More than anything, you needed time to think about what had just happened today. 

━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━

The memories of the early teenage years reeled in your thoughts. All the while, your head was buried in his chest. 

He no longer belongs to you.  You… are not his anymore. 

You’re not anyone’s… anymore, and these thoughts frightened you. 

His embrace comforted you while you melted away at his warmth. It distracted you from breaking apart this endearing connection. 

As the night went by, you finally gathered the courage to pull away from him. 

You’re not crying anymore, although your face was now swollen, red and soaked with fallen tears. You notice that his shirt was drenched in your tears as you bring your arms up to dry your face. You glance at his face with an apologetic smile.

“Are you okay?” Seonghwa look at you, only to look away at the distant roads.

A bitter laugh escaped your mouth… “I’m not okay,”  You sighed. 

“My boyfriend… just broke up with me,” You say while staring into the night sky.

“I know. I…heard”, Seonghwa stutter.

“Your boyfriend sounds like a jerk”, He spoke again, knowing full well, that it was Wooyoung. His old friend.

Hearing him say that angered you. 

Wooyoung stuck by you during your worst times. He made you laugh with his whole being. He was there for you… He took care of you, and you did the same.

 "He was there for me", You think. The person who called you today wasn’t him. You were still in denial. After all the things that happened, you still couldn’t shake away the pieces of hearts you left with him. The feelings you left with him when you kissed him goodbye at the airport.

“It’s Wooyoung…don’t you remember? You were friends with him in high school" You say although you knew… that he knew.

"And you don’t know anything about him,” You said, irritated by his words.

He did… probably more than you ever knew about Wooyoung.

 Your thoughts yell at him… “HE was there for me when YOU weren’t!”

He doesn’t get to say those things when he was the one that left you. 

Maybe saying “sorry” doesn’t make it all okay. Maybe it didn’t matter to Seonghwa if he said goodbye that day or not. 

Maybe…he didn’t see you the same way, you saw at him.

All your pent up anger started pouring out of your body. But you were stern. 

You stood up… looking forward, steadily. Head held up high with all the force you could muster.

Is it time?

Is it time to finally confront him? 

there was that helpless silence again. 

━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━

The concert ended a long time ago. The fans must have left the venue.

you looked at your phone to see a text from Ji Yeon.

“I’ll be waiting in the car if you need me" 

 You walked forward. Not having the guts to face him, you started to speak, facing your back at him…

Thinking that this, would be the last time.

The last time you will ever speak to him.

The last time he will ever hear your voice. 

"You know what? … You could have at least told me why"  

"Why you had to leave like that,” Your voice trembled at the thought of confrontation. 

“You could have at least-”

“I did…" 

 Seonghwa cut you off. 

You didn’t turn to look at him, but your face looks confused and baffled at his statement.

"My letter… I wrote you a letter” You could hear the disbelief in his voice as he recalls the day he left. 

“Seonghwa…What are you talking about?” You ask while your eyebrows narrow in doubt and shaking your head in denial.

“The letter… It was so sudden… they gave me such a short time to decide and leave the city… I didn’t even get much time to say goodbye to my friends… And you” He continued. 

“I didn’t want to text or call you and leave suddenly, so… I wrote you a letter" 

You could not believe what was coming out of his mouth. your mind was unstable at his excuses.

"He can’t possibly be serious right now…What letter?” you think as you hear Seonghwa’s muffled voice described what happened that day. 

You took a step forward and started to walk away. 

“I wrote it and gave it to Wooy-" 

 ...

You hear Seonghwa stop himself as the realization hits both of you. 

You were no longer walking away. 

You froze.

You could hear, the sound of wind brushing through the tree branches in this Midsummer night. 

 The whole world stopped and Time stood still. For the first time in your life, time was no longer passing you by. It stood still, and waited… for you to get on the passage that once left you behind. 

For the first time, a piece fell perfectly into your puzzling life. 

It fell into the perfect place while all the others blew in the wind…

Part 7: Let You Go (You & Wooyoung POV)

Maybe it was never meant to be…

“Maybe it’s time to let you go”

He thinks.

The day you left Korea he knew, you were going to slip away. He had friends that knew Seonghwa. He knew that it was only a matter of time. He knew that you were going to meet him there.

At the back of his mind, he also knew that you needed this.

He knew that maybe, it was time to let you go.

He loved you. 

He loves you. 

Still.

━━━━━━༻ p a s t ༺━━━━━━ 

On the first day of High School, he laid eyes on you for the first time, when he saw you walking with Seonghwa and Ji Yeon.

Seonghwa parted from you and Ji Yeon to walk with Wooyoung and his other friends. 

His bitter unrequited, one sided crush... began that day.

“Who is that?” he asked Seonghwa, unable to take his eyes away from you. 

You were radiating like a star in the daylight. 

It was magic to him. 

“Uhhh… she’s y/n, I just met her today. And that's her friend Ji Yeon” Seonghwa said. 

He saw your eyes sparkling at the sight of Seonghwa…

The day he saw you for the first time, he knew that you were never going to look at him the same way.

The way he looked at you.

The way you… looked at Seonghwa.

He became friends with Seonghwa’s friends, which meant that he became friends with you and Ji Yeon. 

Four Years of endearing friendships with you, Seonghwa, Wooyoung and Ji Yeon. The world belonged to the four of you. There were other people, coming in and out of your lives…

Yet the world revolved around the four of you when you were together. 

Each and every one of you would do anything, to get back those four years… 

To go back the time you were friends and nothing less or nothing more.

Everyone knew the relationship between you and Seonghwa was special. Everyone except you and Seonghwa. 

Wooyoung didn’t know about the things that happened between just the two of you, except, he would notice the subtle changes. He saw the walls between you and Seonghwa slowly fall apart. It didn’t matter how high or how strong they were, he noticed. Ji Yeon noticed. 

 He was never going to come between the two of you. 

The times Wooyoung spent with you, the four of you were always there. 

Amid everything, he found everything that you did so endearing, adorable and he respected you for who you are. He loved everything about you. He saw that you were clumsy, intelligent and wise. He saw your flaws and quirks and still loved you anyway. He would get butterflies in his stomach each time he saw you enter a room. He could feel his heart beating faster when you were sitting inches apart. 

 He also knew that he wasn’t the only one feeling this way.

The only difference was that you didn’t see him the way you saw Seonghwa. 

It was painful, to say the least.

But he saw how happy you were around Seonghwa. He wasn’t going to take that away from you.

Wooyoung being Seonghwa’s best friend, they only wanted the best for each other.

━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━

The day before Seonghwa left.

It was past 10:00 pm 

Wooyoung got a phone call from Seonghwa that day.

“I need to tell you something”

“I need you to do this one last favor… for her" 

He said.

It was a strangely quiet night that day.

There was a park next to Wooyoung’s apartment. A place the four of you used to hang out at night time looking at stars. A place where you all made late-night conversations that dove deep into your souls. The place that triggered conversations leading to teardrops that reflected the moonlight. It was merely a playground but for you four, it was perhaps the symbol of your friendship. 

Wooyoung knew exactly where to go when Seonghwa called him to meet up. He saw Seonghwa’s back. His figure that was sitting on a bench crouched down. His demeanor had dark clouds forming at the top of his head.

At that moment he knew. 

Seonghwa always talked about leaving… to go follow his dreams. It meant leaving his friends and everyone he loved. Wooyoung never thought this day would come. Although he knew how much talent and potential Seonghwa had, he never through this day would come. He never thought that Seonghwa would actually leave all of you.

Wooyoung approached Seonghwa. 

He had an envelope in his hands. He was fiddling with it as if he didn’t know what to do with the envelope in his hand. It was as if he wanted to give it away as soon as he could.

"Hey”, Wooyoung said while making his way to Seonghwa.  

Seonghwa’s head turned towards Wooyoung in an instant. He stood up slwoly while looking at Wooyoung concerned. 

“Hey,” Seonghwa muttered. reluctant to let anything come out of his mouth.

“You said you wanted to tell me something?… Is everything all right?? Let’s just sit down first”

“No,” Seonghwa said… as if he was in a hurry to run away.

“Actually, I’m leaving…

Tomorrow”

Wooyoung let out a laugh “What are you talking about? Where are you going?" 

He laughed because of how ridiculous Seonghwa sounded when he said those words without any context.

He laughed… 

Because, at the back of his mind, he knew exactly what Seonghwa was talking about.  

Seonghwa knew that Wooyoung didn’t need an explanation.

After all, they were best friends. 

"I… I wanted to tell you at least.”

“I want to tell y/n too but right now, I don’t think I can look her in the face and say goodbye”

“Or even a phone call... she’d hate me”

“Just this once, can do me one last favor? Will you give this to her” Seonghwa asked Woooung. 

“Of course,” Wooyoung said without hesitation.

There were no other intentions. The letter was meant to be for you and it was going to end up in your hands. 

Seonghwa finally gave Wooyoung, the letter. The letter that holds a thousand words and feelings to be unraveled.

His hands… they felt heavy. 

It seemed like he was about to burst into tears. Looking down, trying to trap the tears from leaping out of his eyes. Wooyoung felt the same. He thought that he was about to lose his best friend. They both held in tears because it’s not like them to cry. 

It’s not like them to cry they thought, because they were who people thought they were. 

Because when they act differently, people judge.

Because people are who determines what kind of children they are. 

This was the mindset of these two teenagers. 

Teenagers soon to learn what life is. Learn to love themselves as they are. Teenagers who were to learn how to truly love others. Learn to not care about what the world thinks of them. They would soon learn that as long as they were good, honest people, that it’s okay to cry if they feel like it. Cry happy tears, sad ones and all the other kinds. 

But at that moment, they were just teenagers full of feelings and dreams.  

And those teenagers were willing to do anything… right or wrong, to fulfill those feelings and dreams.

They talked for hours after. The typical things best friends talk about. 

Both of them were known for their way with words. Perhaps the lack of it. But that night, they talked about the most mundane things for hours on end, while keeping a lump in their throats. 

━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━

They said their goodbyes. 

Wooyoung watched Seonghwa walk away.

Nothing was going to break the friendship they had. 

Nothing except Time, Distance and somebody else.

━━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━━

Mondays.

Everyone hates those right? 

Wooyoung biked to school that day. It was sunny and cold.

His mind was filled with a thousand, million thoughts as he swept through the cool winds.

An envelope tucked safely inside of his bag, he parked his bike and made his way into the classroom.

He stopped himself by the classroom doors, at the sight of you. 

You were sitting by the window as usual. Enjoying the warm sunlight hitting your face. Not aware of how heartbreakingly beautiful you looked. The small crack in the window blew wind across your face making you look even more breathtaking. 

“There it goes again,” He thought.

That feeling in his heart, every time he saw you. 

It always started in a blur…

Everything would go quiet and then, like a train getting faster and faster, his heart would start pounding like crazy. 

Ji Yeon came up behind him and put her hand around his shoulders. At that instant, he snapped back to reality. The classroom was full of noise once again and he began to notice the people around him. 

“What are you looking at?” Ji Yeon asked jokingly. 

“Hm?” He asked without making eye contact and pretending to be clueless.

Everyone knew about his feelings for you. Everyone but you and Seonghwa. 

“Nevermind, let’s sit down the class is about to start,” Ji Yeon said with a smirk on her face. 

He went to sit at the desk behind you, while Ji Yeon sat beside you.

You turned to Ji Yeon, “Do you know where Seonghwa is? I didn’t see him in the morning and he’s not picking up my calls.”

“Did you try texting him?” Ji Yeon asked.

“Ya, but he’s the type to rather call than text you know,” you talked with a concerning tone.

“Don’t worry, he’s probably just too lazy to drag his ass out of bed” Ji Yeon, being herself, tried to make you feel at ease. You let out a laugh only to bring yourself back to worrying.

Wooyoung saw that you were worried. He tapped you in the shoulder while calling your name. 

“Y/n…”

You looked behind at him with the same expression. “Hm? what is it?” “Do you know where Seonghwa is?”

Wooyoung didn’t know what to say. Nothing was coming out of his mouth. He managed to say just one thing.

“Can you meet me after school? There’s something I need to give you.”

You looked at his face in confusion and curiosity, only to agree to him. 

“Sure… of course,” You said while nodding. 

The teacher entered the classroom. You and Ji Yeon went about the day thinking that Seonghwa was just saying home for the day. You were planning to call him after school. Maybe drop by his house to see if he’s okay. Not in a million years, you would have thought that he left his friends. That he left you. 

The last bell rang. Students were rushing out of the school. 

Wooyoung was standing by the gate, waiting for you. 

He was holding the envelope in his hands. This time he looked at it carefully. It was white in color and had a pretty border around the corners. Your name was written on it with Seonghwa’s handwriting. 

He noticed you walking towards him. 

Thoughts began reeling in his mind, all the while he stared at you from a distance. 

“What did he wanna say to you?" 

"Why did he only tell me?" 

"Why am I the one delivering this to you?”

“It’s not fair,” He looked at the bright blue sky only to turn his head back your way.

 Those feelings came back. 

He was a teenager after all. A teenager that was willing to do anything for his feelings. 

 Wooyoung was a good student. A good person. 

But it only took a split second to ask those questions. 

“What if you never get it?" 

"What if you never find out?”

“Will things be different… between us?”

He thought, watching you getting closer and closer to him. 

When you approached him he was looking at you. Although it seemed as if he was staring into another world. 

“Earth to Wooyoung!!” You said while waving your hand in front of his face. 

He looked at you once again as if he looked at you for the first time ever. 

The envelope was no longer in his hands. 

It was yet again safely tucked away in his bag… never to end up in your hands. 

Or so he thought. 

“Oh hey," 

Wooyoung said under his breath. 

You held out your hand expecting something.

"You said you were gonna give me something”

“Huh?” he said as if he was caught off guard. 

He’s doing something he shouldn’t be doing. Yet he thought that this was his only chance to make anything happen between the two of you. 

“Oh…” he put her hand away gently. 

“I wanted to treat you today…” He said. 

“Treat me?" 

"Yeah… let’s go get some food. Do you want to call Ji Yeon too?" 

 He said, trying to sound less suspicious than he already does.

"No, she said she wanted to go home early today.”

“Something to do with her mom.”

He nodded, “Okay let’s go then”

“What do you wanna eat?” He asked looking straight ahead while walking out of the gates of your high school.

“Anything… as long as you’re buying,” You said, sounding like the happiest person on earth. 

It made him laugh. It made him happy, to see you happy. 

 But he knew that your happiness wasn’t going to last long. He knew that you were never going to see Seonghwa after that day. Never in a way that would able for you and Seonghwa to truly be together. He had to find a way to tell you all about it. Any other way that wouldn’t involve you seeing that letter.

The air was cool that day, but not cool enough to restrict him or you from buying ice cream. He knew you loved ice cream. No matter how cold it was out, you would never refuse to buy your favorite ice cream. Let along someone else buy it for you. 

You noticed the worry in Wooyoung’s face. He has been like this all day. He knew you were smart enough to figure out that something was wrong, but never acted upon it. Even while paying the cashier, he was thinking of the things he should tell you. 

You two were walking on the sidewalk, next to each other, when you suddenly jumped in front of him and said, 

“Jeong Wooyoung… is there something you want to tell me?" 

You weren’t expecting him to be serious about this but when you said those words, he stopped dead in his tracks. His head lowered and then he looked at you with his soft eyes like he was sorry. 

”But what for?“

You thought.

"There…” he pointed to a park that was nearby. 

“Let’s go over there and talk,” he said.

They walked over to the park. You kept looking at his face but he had his head steady and looking straight. 

A part of you knew that this was about Seonghwa. You had been worrying about him that whole day.

Still, you weren’t ready for what you were about to hear.

“We’re here now… just tell me.”

“You have to promise me that, you won’t freak out... o-or cry...”

“Okay sure, get on with it already”. 

“Seonghwa…”

You kept staring at him, as though you didn’t want him to speak anymore. 

“He left the city,”

Wooyoung said under his breath. He didn’t want you to feel this way. He thought you were about to break down in front of him. 

Instead, you showered him with questions that were pouring out of your mind.

“What do you mean?" 

"Where did he go?”

“Why?”

You didn’t move. you kept staring at him with teary eyes until you got the answers you wanted. 

Wooyoung kept quiet. He didn’t know what to say. He knew that you would find out soon enough. He knew that it was better to just tell you at that moment. But all that came out of his mouth was, 

“I’m sorry”

“What do you mean you’re sorry?”

“You’re supposed to know these things!!”

There was no one at the park. You could’ve screamed at the top of your lungs if you wanted to but you didn’t. No one would understand the frustration, the anger and the sadness you were feeling inside. Yet you kept yourself composed. 

“You’re his best friend… How could you not know?” You said finally.

Wooyoung tried to speak. 

“He didn’t-”

“I don’t wanna be here anymore," You cut him off.

You stood up. 

"Thank you… for the ice cream,” you spoke.

At that moment he knew that you weren’t angry at him. 

You were angry at Seonghwa for leaving. Perhaps leaving without a word. For disappearing into thin air like your friendship meant nothing.

You went home that day resenting everything about Seonghwa. You assumed that he didn’t want to be contacted by you or anyone he knew. 

So you didn’t. 

It was emptiness more so than anger or resentment. 

You felt betrayed and cheated… 

From the wrong person. but you didn’t know. 

Wooyoung watched you walk away that day. 

He felt ashamed and guilty but he didn’t want to lose you.

If he were to tell you what he had done then, he knew that it would be the end of it all. It was too late.

Although it wasn’t forever, he knew he had to live with it, until one day. 

What he didn’t know was that this would be the day when everything will be destroyed between everyone he loved.

 ...

Months went by before the time you learned about Seonghwa’s whereabouts. You were at home cleaning the living room and there was a music show playing on the TV.

That was the day you found out. 

Where he had been all this time. 

You saw him on TV for the first time… in months. 

At first, you couldn’t recognize him. 

 “How can a person change in such a short time,” you thought.

You thought while staring into the TV.

It read “ATEEZ” at the bottom of the screen. 

“What a weird name,” You thought.

“Was this his big secret?” You thought.

You thought and you though… 

You couldn’t stop thinking.

His hair was peachy blonde. It looked unfamiliar and yet, he looked like the same old Seonghwa, the longer you looked. His built was familiar and beautiful as always. 

He looked like he was having the time of his life. 

“He seems happy…” You thought.

The emptiness you felt for the longest started to fill with sadness. 

You felt your legs giving out and fell onto the ground. 

“Why is this affecting me so much?” You wonder. 

You felt emotions you’ve never felt before. 

You felt your heart getting tighter at every breath you took.

“He could have just said goodbye…" 

“ If you just said something to me…”

"We would have been fine…”

 You thought.

 ...

You were no longer the same person you were before. 

You went to Wooyoung and he was there for you. 

Everything you wanted… he had.

He was there to make you laugh when you were sad. 

He was there to take you to places when you needed it.

He was there to bury you in his arms when you felt like you were alone in this world. 

He was there when you were crying your heart out because of Seonghwa at that time. 

That was the reason for this endearing relationship.

The endearing relationship that was built on a lie. 

  ━━━━━━༻ p r e s e n t ༺━━━━━━

Today,

Wooyoung sits on the empty beach at midnight. 

The place you two kissed for the first time. 

There is a bottle of alcohol by his side and a worn-out envelope in his hands. It didn’t look white anymore… and the corners looks folded and messy.

Yet it was unopened. 

Unopened and still waiting for lingering feelings to be freed into the world. 

The feelings waiting to be read to you.

Still waiting to land in your hands. 

He recalls the phone call he made to you as he gets sober into the night.

The moonlight reflects on the ocean. 

It looks beautiful and blue and yet his head is down. 

 ...

“Fine! I cheated on you!!” He remembers saying. 

Except he didn’t. 

“Maybe it would be easier for you to hate me if I said those words,” He thinks.

“You would have met him by now,” He thinks

“Maybe its time to tell the truth,” He thinks.

His phone starts vibrating on the ground. 

Making it sink more in to the sand with each vibration.

He finally looks at his phone. His eyes are red from crying.

He sees his phone lighting up with your name on it through the tiny sand rocks.

He tries to brush up his hair that sticks to his face.

Amid the sounds of waves crashing the sand, 

Despite the dark yet beautiful scenario he sits before, He only thinks of you.

He reaches for the phone.

As Wooyoung answers your call, and as he brings it onto his ear, he thinks…

“Maybe it’s time to let you go…" 

The beach was empty that night. 

Yet there was the sound of ocean waves rumbling onto the sand only to fade back away at his feet.

The beach was empty that night because people were too busy to admire the moon light reflecting on the calm waters on a Tuesday night.

The beach was empty that night and his remorse, shame and regret managed to fill the air around him. 

Making him lonelier than anyone could ever know.

Part 8: If I Leave Now… (back to “second person”)

If we only saw what we wanted to see…

What would we see?

If we only heard what we wanted to hear…

What would we hear?

“Right now all I see is the ground at my feet. I see the two years I spent with Wooyoung flashing before my eyes." 

"Right now… all I hear is the sound of the wind. My mind… is immersed in the sounds of laughter from those times I spent with him…" 

"Were they real to him?”

Your back faces Seonghwa. You were about to leave, thinking you said what needed to be said. 

…

“Wooyoung… I  gave it to him…”

“Did you ever get it?…” Seonghwa asks, not taking his eyes away from your sight. Expecting your answer to be “Yes” and nothing else. 

But his voice… You could hear the little trembles of insecurity and doubt.  

It’s been years since you hear Seonghwa’s voice. You can feel his gaze on you for the first time in forever.

You can’t stand to hear his shaky voice. 

You can’t bear to turn around to look at his face.

All you could think about is running away.

Runaway to find the answers. 

Runaway only to run back to the person you don’t want to see.

“I have to go…" 

"I have to talk to Wooyoung.”

You say.

You could only imagine what Seonghwa’s face looks like. Eyes wide and his soft hair brushing across his creased forehead. You knew Seonghwa enough to know that this isn’t what he wanted to hear at this moment. 

Would anyone?

You hear things you don’t want to hear.

The last thing you want to hear is that the mundane yet wondrous two years you spend with Wooyoung was a lie. 

Despite the severed feelings, you were willing to carry those memories with you because it made you happy in a puzzling way.

But now those memories, tainted with regret and bitterness. 

Just because at the start of it all, there was a lie. 

Countless thoughts go through your mind and you still can’t wrap your head around what happened today. 

Although you knew that closing your eyes, does not make this day any less real, that’s all you can bear to do. 

You close your eyes… 

You close your eyes and hope to wake up from this nightmare.

 …

“If I leave now…”

“If I leave now, when will I see you again…”

“If I leave now… will I find my way back to you.”

The wind sweeps past you as you take a deep breath. 

You open your eyes facing the sky full of stars before letting yourself do whatever your heart desired at the moment. 

You want to see his face before you leave. 

Your eyes wander at his direction and the body carried the rest. 

Your footsteps are reaching him as he stares at you hopelessly. 

…

There you are… standing in front of him. 

The familiarity lingers as you step closer to him. 

He has changed so much but in your eyes, the same old Seonghwa stands before you with his hair black as the midnight sky. Eyes shimmering with tears, so close to trailing down his cheeks. 

You can’t stand to look at his face.

“I didn’t need a letter…” You speak. 

“I didn’t need a letter to know what you felt about me." 

Your voice trembles as you speak.

Your hand finds its way to his face. Cupping his soft cheeks while your fingertips touch the ends of his hair.

your face tilts as his hand traces up yours overlapping yours. He held it tight as if he’s been waiting to hold your hand forever and as if he never wanted to let it go.

"I know…" 

"I wanted to say goodbye… I’m sorry.” Seonghwa spoke with his, oh so handsome voice. 

“His voice… It’s different now." You think.

Not a care for his apology because it’s not his fault. 

It was never his fault. 

"It’s not your fault,” you say. 

Your eyes shut tight as you feel tears creeping up.

…

You think…

“Till next time”

“I have to go”

“What am I supposed to say?”

“If I leave now… I want to kiss you goodbye”

You think and you think, all the while your eyes wander all over his face. 

You find yourself moving closer and closer to him as he holds your hand tight. 

A kiss on his temple… 

Unable to pull away, your face lies on his cheeks as you feel his eyes close tightly. You feel his teardrops falling on to your face and trace down your neck.

“Stay,” He says. 

A kiss on the cheek. Boundaries and unspoken feelings. 

A kiss on the cheek. It makes you want more.

As if you were saying that you will be back. As if you were saying that 

“If I leave now… we will see each other again.”

“I’ll be back… I promise.” You say.

He wraps his arms around you as you were about to pull away.

“If you leave now… I promise… I will find my way too you again.”

...

You think about the words he said as you look outside the car window. 

Ji Yeon is at the driver’s seat. Concerned as usual.

Refreshing air is coming in as you drive past countless fields on a lonely road. You immerse in the way you felt in his arms and his comforting words that gave you butterflies. 

“What are you gonna do about Wooyoung?” Ji Yeon asks breaking your thoughts while keeping her head on the road. 

You run your fingertips through your hair, taking a deep breath. 

“Hmm… I don’t know." 

"I have to call him.”

You say with no emotion. 

Ji Yeon didn’t say anything. Maybe she knew you wanted space. 

The whole drive back to the hotel was quiet. Except for the sounds of horns and the city noises once you entered the highway. 

One problem goes away while another creeps in. 

Love is blind they say...

Maybe in another universe, we could have been together…

Maybe in another universe, he never lied to me…

Maybe in another universe, the four of us could have still been friends…

But this is the real world and If I leave now… I will find my way back to the right person.

 Part 9: I’m Okay

Sitting on the passenger’s seat. You wait as you reach your hotel room, suffocating in this silence that somehow comforts you. The sky is as dark as ever, yet the stars shine through, making you hopeful despite everything that happened today.

Is it ignorant, to feel hopeful now?

Is it selfish to feel like my future is somehow going to be better from now on?

“Hmmm.”

A life without that person?

Ji Yeon is driving and you looking outside the cracked open windows. Looking at other passengers waiting to pass through traffic.

“They have no idea what happened today at the venue. They have their own lives to worry about.”

"Why do I even care about this?”

You look at Ji Yeon who is concentrating on the road.

“I’m not alone."  You think.

"Despite everything that happened today… despite everything that will happen when I finally call him, I will not be alone.”

It’s hard to look around only to realize that you’re alone. But you always had Ji Yeon. The friendship you two had was rather complicated but she was always there. Like she is now. Even though it may not seem like it.

“She has her own life… Just like those passengers waiting in traffic. Each with a story to tell on their own. Mundane, Adventurous, Tragic, Exhilarating, whichever it may be… at this moment, we’re all waiting for the traffic to pass us by.

I’m not alone… I have Ji Yeon, I have Seonghwa and the rest of the world.”

Just like those people, Ji Yeon has her own story and you were glad to be a part of it.

You let out a chuckle because of these ridiculous thoughts reeling in your mind when you should be thinking about that phone call.

“Is something on my face??”

Ji Yeon asks, not taking her eyes away from the road.

“…Oh? What do you mean?” You say whist being startled and snapping out of these absurd thoughts.

“Well for one, you’re looking at my face AND laughing- is something on my face- are you thinking about weird stuff again?” Ji Yeon says while finally looking at your direction with narrowed eyebrows, after stopping the slow-moving vehicle.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN WEIRD STUFF??” You ask as you look away, not being able to maintain eye contact.

“I don’t know… you think about one small thing and go off on meaningless ‘thought trains’ She tries to make air qutes with her hands while driving. 

“And then you space out and STARE at things LIKE MY FACEEEE jUST nOw and THEN you start smiling like some creepy- that’s weird honey-”

You can’t believe she just said that. That she called you out like that. In disbelief, you look at Ji Yeon with your mouth wide open.

Before you know it, you both start bursting out into laughter. It echoes throughout the car and out onto the highway.

“Thank you…

For being on my side.

For being in my life.”

“Like everything, this will fade away.

Just like the waves crashing onto the words scribbled on a lonely seashore… Reality awaits to crash and take away our laughter.

But I hope we can do it again.

Laugh like everything is just fine.

Laugh like our stars are aligned, exactly how we want them to be.”

……….

You two finally reach the Hotel room after what anyone would call a quiet car ride.

You threw your phone and purse onto the bed along with yourself.

Ji Yeon placed her stuff and the car key on top of the nightstand.

“I’m gonna hit the shower, those Atinys were so damn sweaty jumping around and screaming in my ear.”

Ji Yeon says waving her hand in the air while walking into the washroom.

You let out a laugh “yeah right… Like YOU didn’t jump around and scream in MY ear”

“What do you have for Yeosang anyway? Let me guess… He’s your bias?” You say while staring on to the ceiling of the hotel room.

“Whatever.” You hear Ji Yeon say along with the sound of the shower turning on.

You were exhausted and drained of energy but you managed to sit on the edge of the bed. Your phone lays on to your side and it lights up with notifications. Notifications from meaningless advertisements and people you’d consider acquaintances. It lights up again and again as if it is inviting you to do the very thing you’ve been wanting to do when you parted ways with Seonghwa.

You hear the sound of the shower running in the background as you pick up your phone. It feels heavy. Everything… feels heavy now. The most recent phone call was from Wooyoung.

You were tired to think anymore… To deliberate whether to call or not to call him.

You take a deep breath and without a second thought, you call him. You close your eyes and open your eyes and the phone rings with Wooyoung’s name lighting up the screen.

“Wooyoung… It’s me.” You speak.

Your heart drops as you hear him say your name.

Your heart drops as you hear the waves crashing and the sound of the wind through the phone.

You know exactly where he is.

“Are you sober now?” You ask, with the most impassive voice you could muster to mask.

“How did you know-” Wooyoung stops himself realizing that you knew him better than anyone.

“So you met him… Did he tell you about it?”

“Did you figure-”

“Wooyoung… 

When I hang up this phone, It’s over”

You can’t listen to his voice anymore. The voice that brought so much pain to you just a few hours ago… You want to say the things you want to say and hang up.

“I’M ending this. I’M breaking up with you… Not you…

I think I deserve at least that much.”

It’s quiet on the other side, yet you could almost hear his thoughts.

There’s no need to explain why. There is no need to explain what caused all of this. He should know that better than anyone else.

After a few seconds of silence, you hear him speak.

“I’m sorry.”

Sorry doesn’t cut it.

But we’re adults now. Shouldn’t we be more mature?

We make mistakes when we are young, and carry those mistakes into adulthood.

Some people forget.

Some people forgive.

Some people grow out of them.

Is it ignorant to forgive somebody?

To forgive somebody but never want to see their face again?

Is it the “mature” thing to do?

To be okay with something that cannot be fixed?

To let go and cut ties?

To know when somebody regrets the things they’ve done?

To know that living with such regret is punishment enough for them?

For him?

The friendship, the deep-rooted bond between the four of you went above and beyond lies and secrets.

That’s what made you say…

“It’s okay.”

It’s okay because now you know.

It’s okay because maybe, he is sorry.

Because now you can end it.

And move on.

For good.

“One last thing… When I get back, I’ll come to find you…”

“Not for you… but for that letter.”

“Goodbye, Wooyoung.”

…

“When I hang up this phone, It’s over”

Words you say lingers in your mind as you lie on your bed once again.

You hear Ji Yeon turning off the shower and come out of the washroom.

“That was an awfully long shower Ji Yeon,” You say with a tiresome voice.

Ji Yeon nervously laughs and says “yea… sorry were you waiting for a long time?”

“No.. You’re just on time”

You get up and make your way into the shower.

“Hey, are you okay?…” Ji Yein stops you and asks.

“Yeah… It’s been a long day... I’m just tired.”

… … …

“Yeah… I’m okay.

Maybe it’s time to start believing those words.”

 Chapter 10~

To be continued…?  :) 

[tommynikkivincemick]

three way call — part 6

Summary: Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx find themselves in the frustrating predicament of being infatuated with the same woman. This calls for a competition.

Author’s note: I am so sorry this took so long!! Firstly, I’ve been very busy this week with things for my cousin’s wedding (who as of last night is happily married) and secondly I have no idea why this chapter was such a bitch to write. As for the ending of this chapter, SOME OF Y’ALL BOUT TO BE REAL MAD AT ME, but fear not, for three way call is far from over!! Without further ado: three way call part 6. Enjoy xx

Warnings: Language, smut, alcohol consumption.

Once they got out of Los Angeles, it took Tommy and Y/N just over an hour down the scenic pacific coast highway to arrive in Malibu at the mountainous state park— just far enough out of the city to see the stars. Once they got to a someone secluded place they could park, the pair climbed into the back of the van and Y/N looked up.

“Since when do you have a skylight in your car?” She asked amusedly.

“One day Nikki sawed the roof off my car and obviously I can’t drive around without a roof on my car, so I took it into the shop and asked if they could replace it with glass and they did,” He explained as he went through the cooler for drinks.

“It looks cool,” She complimented as he handed her a bottle of beer, “Look at all the stars...”

“Yeah... beautiful,” He smiled softly, not looking at the stars at all but instead looking at the girl who was staring up in wonder at the celestial bodies.

She was gorgeous like this; mesmerized and starry eyed. Her lips were parted and painted red, her cheeks were rosy, her eyes were sparkling, and her long lashes added an ethereal effect. He remembered he stole some votive and pillar candles from Nikki’s room to set the mood and went to get them, abandoning his own bottle. He moved around the van, setting out candles and lighting them until the van looked something like a small cathedral with all of the flames illuminating it.

“Hey, Tommy?”

“Yeah?”

“Not to kill the mood, but where’s the food? I’m starving,” She giggled and sipped her beer.

“Oh! Let me get it, I think I’m done setting up anyway,” He said sheepishly, realizing how carried away he had gotten in setting the mood.

He dug through the cooler until he found two hot dogs, handing one to her.

“Mulholland dog, right?” He checked.

“Yes sir, I’m impressed you remembered,” She smiled and took a bite.

“I don’t see how you can eat mushrooms on a hot dog,” Tommy said, scrunching up his nose in mild disgust.

“There’s guacamole on yours, I don’t wanna hear it.”

She carried on as she ate about how good hers was and how she couldn’t believe the toppings he got on his. Tommy, of course, argued that she had the grosser toppings by far and that she shouldn’t knock it till she tried it. She rolled her eyes and finished her food before leaning her head on his shoulder and placing a hand on her stomach.

“I am... so full,” She groaned and laid down on the soft floor of the van, “I feel pregnant.”

“I sincerely hope that I never make you feel pregnant unless it’s with food or you want me to,” He joked and joined her on the floor.

“You should be so lucky to have me mother your children,” She laughed, “But I don’t want kids for a long time. I’m too busy taking care of the Crüe.”

“Some of us more than others.”

“Yeah, but I don’t mind it. I love you assholes... some more than others.”

She rolled onto her side and kissed the drummer’s cheek.

“Yeah, Vince and Mick are your favorites, you’re really obvious about it,” Tommy deadpanned, also turning on his side to face her and placing a hand on her waist.

“Yeah, totally, Vinnie can get it any time.”

They laughed and moved a little closer to one another, listening to the music on the radio in silence for a few minutes.

“Why do you love Nikki?” He whispered, not wanting to completely shatter the silence.

“Well, I’ve never really thought about it. I’ve known him for a long time and he’s always been so nice to me; even when he’s being an asshole he goes easy on me. He’s smart and creative and funny... And I mean, he’s pretty easy on the eyes, you know? A lot of the same reasons I love you.” Y/N replied in equally hushed tones.

“Yeah, but what’s unique about him that makes you love him?”

“Well... I know his story. He’s gone through a lot of shit, you know? And I think that’s made him a lot stronger than he would be otherwise, and has shaped him as a person, and all that. And he’s got a dark side— the other day I was cleaning his room because someone’s got to, and I found witchcraft and satanic books and candles and ritual knives and stuff. It’s fucked up but it’s kind of hot.”

“Okay, and what about me? Why do you love me, too?”

“You’re a little rowdy and kind of a pain in the ass, but you’re a sweetheart. You’re like owning a giant Great Dane; you’re big and obnoxious and loud and destructive and sometimes I wonder if keeping you is worth it, but you’re so sweet and cute and lovable that I could never get rid of you. And you make me want to come out of my shell, you know? With Nikki I just wanna chill, but you make me feel like I could take on the world every time I’m alone with you. I could fight every girl in every bar in Hollywood, I could drive to Venice at four in the morning and go skinny dipping in the ocean, I could do anything with you. You’re fun and exciting and spontaneous. You’re the funniest, sweetest guy I know. And you’re pretty, which always helps,” She listed, “I mean look at these cheekbones!”

She reached up to caress his sharp jawline, running her thumb over his cheekbone. He smiled and she gazed into his eyes to see what she could find in the hazel pools. There was trouble in Tommy’s eyes of many different kinds; there was the usual kind that meant he wanted to get into some trouble, but there was something underneath that. Tonight he wasn’t just trouble, he was troubled.

“What’s wrong, T-Bone?” She asked quietly.

“Everything, sweetie. Fucking everything. But I don’t want you to worry about me, you make me feel alright just by laying here with me,” He said reassuringly.

“Talk to me, Tom. What’s wrong?”

“Well, in short, I love you and I love Nikki, but you love Nikki, too, and I feel like I can’t love you without hurting Nikki and we love that you love us but it hurts us that neither of us can have you fully without hurting each other. And you know, when I think about it, it makes so much sense to me just to both have you and maybe even have each other and let me tell you, thinking about that awakened some crazy feelings inside of me that scare me and that I do not like. And no I am not going to talk about those crazy feelings because they’re gross and make me feel like I’m going insane,” Tommy said quickly, pouring his soul on the floor of the van.

Y/N took a moment to process everything. She understood the painful love triangle they were in and Tommy was absolutely right; it made perfect sense to her to be in an actual love triangle where all three partners participated and were in love. But those wild feelings the drummer was having were news to her. She thought both twins were as hetero as they came; Nikki and Tommy loved the ladies and the ladies loved Nikki and Tommy, simple as that. But in retrospect, they had been practically married since they met. They could have any kind of relationship, be it best friends, lovers, brothers, or band mates, as long as they were together. Because the connection they had was tangible; Y/N could very well be the love of the Twins’ lives, but the Twins themselves were soulmates. Tommy would do anything for Nikki and Nikki would do anything for Tommy.

“I get it,” She nodded, “I kind of feel the same way, aside from the crazy feelings. If Nikki weren’t such a jealous bastard, I bet that would be the case. But, you know, it’s not. So we just have to live in the little moments like we have now.”

She smoothed a few strands of hair out of his face and moved her hand to rest on his shoulder instead of his cheek. The hand on her waist pulled her closero to the drummer until they were lchest to chest and nearly nose to nose.

“I love you,” Tommy whispered, glancing down gs

to her lips.

“I love you,” Y/N repeated, her eyes fluttering closed as she leaned forward to meet their lips.

Tommy squeezed her tight against him as they kissed, almost as if he was trying to fuse their two bodies. While Tommy didn’t have the depth and darkness of Nikki, he had the same fire and passion; when either of them loved, they loved hard. The younger Twin displayed this as his lips moved in sync with Y/N’s and his tongue played gently with hers. She couldn’t help but softly moan into the kiss and wrap her arms tightly around him. As they kissed, she thought about how fucked it was that she had just hooked up with Nikki the night before. The two were practically brothers; it was wrong, sinful, but it felt so deliciously right. Tommy kissing his way down her neck and across her collarbones felt just as good as Nikki doing it. The drummer rolling her onto her back and pulling her top down felt so similar to Nikki pushing her shoulders into the mattress and taking her shirt off. Both of them were their own original brand of paradise.

Tommy left a dark mark on the side of her neck and licked and kissed his way down until he got to the topmost hem of her top. The only thing on his mind was making her feel good, so he pulled it down and exposed her breasts, kissing the tops of the twin globes.

“No bra? God, you’re perfect,” He groaned and took a nipple into his mouth.

Y/N moaned softly and tangled a hand in his hair. His lips were soft against her skin and his hands were a little rough, but in a good way. He slowly lifted her shirt off and kissed down her stomach until he got to the waistline of her pants.

“Can I eat you out? Please, I’ve been wanting to forever,” He pled with big doe eyes.

“Oh, that’s subtle, Tom. I bet you tell that to all the girls you bring to your van,” She teased.

“Only the ones who look like you,” He laughed, “But can I?”

She bit her lip and nodded. His fingers deftly unbuttoned her skirt and hooked his fingers in her fishnets, dragging them slowly down her legs, her boots having already been kicked off so she could comfortably sit cross legged. When she was fully undressed and Tommy had a chance to marvel at her for a second, he went to dive in but was stopped by a small foot pressing against his chest.

“What?” He asked, confused by her halting the proceedings.

“I don’t wanna be the only one naked,” She said simply, “Strip.”

His jacket had been abandoned long ago, seeing as the car was warm enough, so he pulled his shirt off and began the strenuous process of unlacing his leather pants. Y/N rolled onto her side and admired the drummer as he undressed. He was the tallest and lankiest of the boys, but his build suited him. Mick always said Tommy was skinny for a drummer, and maybe that was true, but it really worked in his favor. She thought he was attractive almost in the way one would think a thin model is attractive; he had a thin waist she could comfortably wrap her arm around (because if he was standing, putting her arm around his shoulders wasn’t an option), slim hips that made every movement look obvious and exaggerated, and long legs that somehow made him look graceful and clumsy at the same time. His shoulders were broad and paired with his slim hips, gave him a desirable inverted triangle shape. His collarbones and hipbones jutted out and if he hadn’t eaten that day, sometimes his ribs were slightly visible, but this wasn’t to say that he was skin and bones; he was skin and bones and muscle. He had nice biceps for his build, his flat stomach was toned, and what shape his thin thighs had was all muscle and no fat. He would always say that he didn’t know how he hadn’t gained thirty pounds with the way he drank, and she would always say that the coke and cigarettes kept him skinny. But she thought he was beautiful, anyway.

One of the great things about leather pants, in Y/N’s opinion, was that the boys never wore underwear with them. As soon as Tommy loosened the laces on the pants and pushed them down, her eyes widened at the view before her.

“Jesus Christ, Tommy!” She gasped.

“What?”

“How did I not know you were that... that big? Holy shit,” She stared unashamedly, her eyes full of wonder.

“Babe, it’s not like you haven’t seen my dick before. I’m pretty sure I‘m naked like forty percent of the time,” He laughed.

“But not when you’re hard, fuck, I can’t get over this,” She giggled gleefully.

“Well you can have it in a minute, I’m just getting started with you,” He smirked and parted her legs to get a taste.

He began torturously teasing her with his tongue like he had done to so many girls before, but he enjoyed it a little more this time. Y/N was a little sweeter, and he wasn’t sure if it was because she just was or because he was desperately head over heels in love with her. But at the same time, he didn’t care why she was so sweet on his tongue; he just knew he could eat her for the rest of his life and die happy. Tommy understood in that moment why Nikki had to go in for seconds.

Shit, Tommy thought, what about Nikki? He really wanted to sleep with Y/N tonight, and he knew that would allow him to win the bet, but he couldn’t help but think to himself that it was unfair to the bassist and unfair to Y/N. Nikki hadn’t gotten a fair shot yet and Y/N hadn’t gotten to fairly weigh her options. He wished she didn’t have to choose. It had only been a few days and the drummer was growing tired of this stupid game they were playing with her heart; he loved competition and he loved to win, but at what cost? Nikki would be heartbroken and would probably physically fight Tommy, and if Y/N found out about the bet, she would probably beat them both within an inch of their lives. Either way, something was getting broken, whether it was hearts or bones. But as Y/N came undone on his tongue, he had to think hard about if he really cared.

“Oh my god, Tommy, that was amazing,” She panted and leaned up to kiss his lips, “Can I return the favor?”

“I mean, if you want,” He replied, kissing her again.

“Or do you just want to get right to it?” She asked and bit her lip as she climbed into his lap.

No, Tommy thought, he did not care.

The drummer nodded eagerly and looked around for a condom. Surely he had one in here—

“I’m on birth control, you know,” She said, noticing his eyes frantically moving around the van.

Tommy could have died right there.

“Jesus Christ, you’re perfect,” He smiled like a kid on Christmas morning

She lifted off of his lap and he positioned himself underneath her, leaning back against the wall of the van and keeping one hand on her ass to steady her. As she lowered herself onto him, they both moaned loudly and once he was bottomed out within her, they both looked each other in the eyes with the same thought: wow. Tommy was a good sport so he fully intended to give his fellow competitor a fair shot. Nikki would give him hell tomorrow, but got damn it—

He won.

Taglist: @jayprettymuchomw @kayladurin @crazysaladchopshop @iamtiber-andtiberismusic @loveofmyloif @saints-of-the-universe @tommyfuckinlee @oh-well1 @cranberribread @princesadeltoro @prostidudes-for-justice @miriampraez @tarahell @n-osebleed

[rdmfavcpls]

Pray For the Fish

Title: Pray for the Fish

Category: Digimon

Pairing: Ami/Arata

Rating: M - language

Summary: Ami suddenly wishes that her knowledge of the English language wasn’t so great.

Prompt: “This is a totally inappropriate soundtrack.”

Disclaimer: I don’t own any right to the Digimon franchise or the song.

Author’s Note: If you wish to listen to the song then look up Pray for the Fish by Randy Travis

~~Story Begins~~

Have you ever went to a place that you didn’t want to go to because your friends were going? That proverbial question ‘If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you jump off the bridge with them?’ Have you ever went with your friends because you know someone responsible needs to watch them so they won’t do something stupid and illegal and you were the responsible person in the friendship?  Have you ever went to a place that you had no desire of going to, but you went because your love interest was going and you didn’t want them to be ogling someone else and they forget all about you?

That is the position Arata was in right now.

It was a last-minute plan of hanging out which was supposed to be a girls night out. Nokia wanted to go out and enjoy being single after she broke up with her most recent boyfriend. So, she planned on going to the popular and hottest party place with Ami and Yuuko at the last moment.

By last minute it meant that Nokia planned it an hour before they opened and it was a thirty-minute subway ride from Kamishiro Enterprise HQ. It also took Nokia and Yuuko thirty minutes to get ready.

Yuuko instantly agreed. She loved parties as much as Nokia and she needed to relax. Ami didn’t agree right away but knowing that the two party animals were crazy when drunk, she agreed to go.

Yuugo called Arata and asked him to go with the girls. That’s when Arata found out they were going to a male strip bar and Ami walked out of the room. She wore a black cocktail dress.

He was not going to sit back and let Ami go to a male strip bar. He had no desire to go there, but Arata wasn’t going to let someone else get close to her, even with the fact that they are roommates who were also friends with benefits. 

Especially since he actually wanted a relationship with her.

“So bored,” Ami said from beside him. 

He watched her out of the corner of his eye. She was sitting at the bar next to him. She held onto a margarita glass that held pink colored liquid with a yellow umbrella that was standard for her cocktail.

“I thought you females liked this sort of thing,” Arata said.

Ami rolled her eyes. “If I enjoyed this sort of thing that I could just ask you to perform for me.”

“Haha,” he said sarcastically. He took a drink of his water “Good luck with that.”

“I would do it for you if you asked,” Ami said.

“I didn’t realize that one of my kinks was watching people fall on their face.”

Ami laughed. “No, that’s not the reason why I’m uninterested. None of the dancers are my type.”

Arata watched as Ami sat her glass down and lifted her hands above her head. She stretched and Arata took a glance at her long legs.

“You have a certain type?”

“Yes. All of the strippers have short hair. I much prefer to have my hands grip long hair.”

Arata scoffed. “So picky. I wasn’t asking for details. A simple yes or no would have sufficed.”

“Sure it would’ve,” Ami said. “Any sign of the two?”

Arata scanned the crowd. “Yeah, they are by the dancing arcade.”

“They’ll be safe there,” Ami said with a smile and took her drink. She played with the umbrella.

“Isn’t that your first glass still?”  Arata asked. 

“Yeah, I didn’t want to leave the apartment, but someone has to watch Nokia and Yuuko.”

“You know,” Arata said. “You need to relax. I can see the stress just burying you.”

“What do you think I am doing?” Ami said and raised her glass.

“You haven’t even allowed the drink to touch your lips.”

“I thought Yuugo asked you to watch Nokia and Yuuko?”

“He said girls so all three.”

Ami crossed the leg closest to him over her other leg. “And I’ve been a good girl so no need to watch me so closely.”

Arata took a drink of his water to hide his swallow as Ami grabbed the umbrella out of her drink.

“I know how you get when you’re drunk,” Arata said once he finally found his voice.

“I don’t recall you complaining about it,” Ami said spinning the tiny umbrella. “If I recall, you actually enjoy it.”

“No one is going to deny a sexy lady’s wish to walk around the apartment in their lingerie while talking about sexual fantasies and demonstrating it.”

Ami moved the paper umbrella up the side of her leg that faced Arata. He watched the slow journey it made as it touched her dress. 

Damn him and his love for her long legs. For her, in general.

“What are you doing?” he asked as the umbrella was moved over the dress.

“Keeping my mind active, I believe I did say I was bored.”

Everybody gathered where the river runs wider

Arata brought his face close to hers, a primal look in his eyes. “You know you shouldn’t tease me like this.”

At the edge of town

“Arata,” Ami said with a chuckle. “I’ve been teasing you. I may not be as smart as you, but I can read people better than you.”

To see if that Eddie Lee Vaughn baptism

“What?” Ami said looking at the stereo set-up on the ceiling.

Arata growled but pulled back. As much as he would love to take Ami to a dark corner and trap her there. He needed to be responsible. He promised Yuugo that he’ll watch Yuuko and he didn’t have time yesterday or today to go buy condoms even though Ami was on the pill.

Was really gonna go down

“What’s interesting about the ceiling?” Arata said.

“No, the song,” Ami said. “I think it’s some type of Christianity song.”

Folk bet their hard-earned money that water wouldn’t change a thing

Arata coughed. “What? We are in a strip bar.”

“I know! That’s why I’m confused.”

Arata tried to listen to it, but he couldn’t understand it. “It’s an English song.”

“Yeah, but the word baptism has been said,” Ami said and looked at Arata. 

“Funny,” Arata snickered. “We are all sinners in this place and they play a Christianity song.”

They set the odds at a hundred to one his soul would never come clean

“I envy you right now,” Ami said with a pout. “I ruined the mood because of my English.”

Arata shrugged. “We need to watch our two friends anyway.”

She kept pouting at him.

“Stop pouting,” Arata said. “The bright side is that I’ll never look at this place the same way.”

The preacher said, “People take a moment or two”

“I mean that’s a plus, but you’ve been under a lot of stress at work,” Ami said and uncrossed her legs as she noticed one of the dancers kept looking at her legs. Arata noticed it too, but he didn’t know which dancer it was so he could send them a death glare. “Yuugo shouldn’t have you babysit when the workload he gives you is too much for one person.”

Arata watched as Ami looked down. 

“He wants it to be done right so it’s fine. You have a bigger workload than mine and that’s just from your cyber sleuth job.”

Ami bit her bottom lip. 

There’s something we need to do

“Kyoko fired me,” Ami said quietly.

“Wait what? Why did she fire you? When did she fire you?” Arata said.

“I’m going to go find Nokia and Yuuko so we can leave,” Ami said.

Arata grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. “Why did you get fired?”

“I got injured on a case and was considered a liability,” Ami said. 

“Where?” Arata said with a growl. 

“Hey, it’s nothing serious. I can actually focus on Mom’s translations and edits,” Ami said with a smile. 

“That right there is already a workload but,” Arata said only to freeze has Ami grabbed his jacket. “Ami?”

She pulled herself to him and kissed him hard.

Pray for the fish

She pulled away, but Arata tugged on her arm and pulled her back to him. He covered her mouth with his.

Kami, he was already addicted to her body and while he’s been busy with work, he never realized how much he missed her.

He pulled away from her to sit his glass down and got out of his chair. He helped Ami down from her chair and started to pull her towards the farthest and darkest part of the building.

“Arata,” Ami said when she was pushed against the wall. He blocked her escape with his hands on either side of her head.

“I thought you had a type,” Arata said as he nipped her neck.

“I do,” Ami said. Goosebumps formed on her skin when his hair skimmed against her bare skin.

They won’t know what’s coming

“Do you want to know what - AH! - they are?” Ami asked and blushed when Arata bit her shoulder after moving the thin straps of her dress.

“Yes,” Arata growled into her skin.

When the sins starts rolling off the likes of him

“Long black hair,” Ami said as she tangled her fingers in Arata’s hair. “Grey eyes. A genius who tries to hide that they are a nerd-”

Arata rested his forehead on Ami’s shoulder. 

“Someone who is like a big brother to everyone and a terrible cook.”

He pulled his head back and looked at her at her. “I feel like all those details fit me.”

“Then you would be right,” Ami said with a smile. “Because I only know one person that fits my type.”

Lord, be with ‘em, they ain’t done nothin’

Arata kissed her. He moved his hands down to her hips and held her close to him. Why did he wait so long to kiss her again?

“Kami, I missed you,” Arata whispered against her lips. “What do you say about going to dinner with me?”

“When?”

“Tonight.”

Please, won’t you leave them just a little bit of room to swim?

“What about Yuuko and Nokia?”

“Fuck them,” Arata said. “Especially since now we are exclusive and no more of this friend with benefits.”

Pray for the fish

“Sorry. It’s just that,” Ami said with a laugh. She wrapped her arms around Arata’s neck. “This is a totally inappropriate soundtrack for a strip bar.”

[jj-ktae]

Game Six : Breathing

Title : Survival Games Genre : AU, Angst, Fluff, Romance Pairing : Taeyong x You (reader) Summary : A deserted island and no hope left. There is only despair and this boy, Lee Taeyong, who seems to be the only survivor. You both were on the flight KAL134, from Auckland to Seoul. Words : 4386

Go to my masterlist for previous chapters! 

Game Six : Breathing

Mark runs back at full speed while the tall guy kneels, the sobs surprising you in the middle of panic.

He then turns to you and stares for a long time, his legs fidgety. He stops moving, fresh tears staining his way too clean face. “What happened to him?” his body starts shaking, like he actually knows Taeyong and is losing someone precious to him.

You think for a while, your mind foggy with anxiousness yet restless with adrenalin. Taeyong did mentioned his friends quite often, but them being alive is something you never thought would happen.

It’s been days since you arrived and after being alone with Taeyong for so long, you thought you were the only two survivors.

“Are you okay?” The tall boy sniffs loudly when he sees you stare into the void. “Taeyong is our friend. Can you tell me what happened?” you can see he is trying to be gentle with you and you are glad he is using this method instead of freaking out.

You wouldn’t be able to handle another moment of madness without fainting, anyways.

“There’s a cut on his stomach, it’s infected. It’s been so long since it happened. I tried to clean it, but we had nothing- we couldn’t do anything-” It’s hard to focus. You think about all the moments you’ve spent looking after Taeyong, all the moments he chose to feed you and find food for two people.

You feel guilty, so damn guilty.

“I’m Johnny. I’m his friend. You were in the plane, right?” The guy asks, stopping to look behind you in case someone would come. “Doyoung is a doctor. He will take care of him.”

You sigh and fall to your knees, relief working like a sedative. Maybe Taeyong could be saved. Maybe he will wake up and once he opens his eyes, he’ll find his friends back. He will be so happy. You start crying too, your body suddenly back and your muscles in pain from the tension they have been put under recently. “I was. I was.” You whisper, your breath too short.

Johnny looks at you and wipes his own tears, forcing a smile on his face. “Everything’s going to be alright. I’m sure he will be fine, don’t worry.” It feels weird to comfort a stranger when he knows Taeyong had nothing to do with you before this, but he is glad someone was there to keep him company. Taeyong hates being alone. “We have everything you need to take care of you, too.”

You nod, not in the mood for more questions. These three survived on their own for all this time? What does he mean by “everything?”. Maybe she is dreaming after all. Maybe she fainted and his imagining people.

“What happened?” You hear someone yell from behind you and jerk, turning around to meet Mark who came back with another guy.

He is carrying a... first aid kit?

He quickly glances at you and rushes to Taeyong, not believing his eyes. “What happened to him?” he sounds worried yet angry and the Johnny boy takes a step back to let him work.

“A cut on his stomach. It’s infected.” He answers as his friend starts lifting the fabric, wincing.

He opens the kit, taking out a bottle of antiseptic and wetting compresses. He takes gloves and starts working as soon as the dirty clothing is out the way. “Jesus Christ, when did this happen?” He looks at you, intimidating and hurried. “Did you take care of this?”

You nod, fresh tears still falling because you don’t know if Taeyong can be saved and you are devastated because his friends are alive yet he might die any minute. “A couple of weeks ago? I don’t know exactly.” You hiccup and sniff, hoping that this Doyoung guy is skilled enough to save his friend.

He doesn’t answer, his attention back on Taeyong and the compresses. He cleans it thoroughly, grabbing saline solution from the first aid kit and filling the cut. “Johnny, pour some antiseptic.” He orders, already focused on another pack of compresses.

He cleans it numerous times, satisfied when the cut is entirely cleaned and dries it. “Get the biggest Band-Aid you can find and give it to me when I tell you to.” He stuffs clean compresses into the cut and puts another one on top to cover the wound. “Now.” He says and the Johnny boy complies, giving it to his friend who can now close the wound for good. “Do you think you can carry him? He needs intravenous medication but everything is at the camp.”

He helps his friend and soon, Taeyong is on his back.

You jump when a hand touches your shoulder and a worried mark is barely smiling at you awkwardly when you find his eyes. “Let’s go.”

You get up, puzzled and too exhausted to deal with the change of situation. A couple of hours ago you were about to be alone in this jungle and now there’s a camp with a doctor and the other guys seem quite nice.

You don’t expect to find that type of camp, though. You thought Taeyong’s friends were the only survivors but what appears makes you stop, shocked, bewildered, confused.

What is the plane doing on the beach? And why are there so many people?

Johnny walks fast, hurrying to put Taeyong down so they can heal him and Doyoung follows, already ordering him around. Some people gather around them, asking about what happened and trying to help while you’re frozen.

“Are you okay?” Mark’s voice is soft, just like his eyes who are trying to hide the fact that he too, is freaking out. “You should rest for now.”

“No,” You stop him, your body shaking violently and you refuse to admit you are shocked beyond words. “I thought- I thought we were the only two people left. I thought I was going to be all alone in that bloody jungle.” You start sobbing, not believing the fact that maybe things could get better from now on.

Only if Taeyong survives.

“Not everyone is alive,” the boy starts, putting a hand on your back to make you walk deeper into the camp. “A lot of people died because the plane got destroyed at numerous places.” He points at the engine, huge on the beach and half resting into the water. “Some people were thrown out of the plane while we were still at high altitude, but some people got thrown out right before landing near the beach. I guess this is how they could have no injuries. The water stopped their fall without hurting them.” Mark explains like he knows what happened. How come you have no memory at all?

“I don’t remember what happened. I was sleeping and woke up by the beach.” You explain, looking around the camp and ignoring some people’s glances. “I think I hurt my head because I woke up feeling dizzy.”

Mark hums, nodding. He leads you to a makeshift table. “You should eat something,” You’re about to protest because you need to know what’s happening to Taeyong, but he cuts you, his face trying to be as comforting as possible. “Doyoung will take care of Taeyong. Focus on your health first. There are a couple of luggage in the plane, we opened a lot of them because we needed supplies, but you could look for yours later. Maybe there are things that belong to you.” He nods and walks away when another guy calls him, leaving you in front of fruits and water bottles.

They have been living quite well.

You feel disgusting, body sticky and stained with dirt. You notice it from the way everyone else is immaculate, like they just had a shower. You eat a couple of fruits and gulp down a whole bottle, praying that no one would come and talk to you.

People don’t.

They seem wary, like you’re a threat to their well-being. You don’t care, you’ve been dealing with things on your own for the past weeks, you don’t need them anyways.

You sit on the beach, away from the ruckus and trying not to worry too much about Taeyong’s health. He has his friends now and you were useless anyways. He probably doesn’t need you anymore. You doze off, head against a tree and body strained. You hear laughter from time to time, along with people running around and the smell of fire fills your nose after what seems like eternity.

It’s already dark but everyone is busy, either doing their stuff or taking care of food for the night. A girl stops when she spots you, her feet aiming for you and lips tugged up in a wide smile.

She kneels before you, offering a hand. “Found you!” her voice is cute and she looks genuinely happy to see you. “We’re about to have dinner but Doyoung is looking for you, he would like to examine you.”

You blink at her, almost forgetting about the fact that you are not alone anymore. Are you dreaming?

You stay silent, mind foggy and slowly turning into a madwoman. The girl laughs, getting up. “I’m Solene. I was on the plane, too. You are on a camp with the other survivors while the person you were with is being taken care of. Do you remember?” She sounds cautious, bringing up memories like a slap in your face and you gasp.

This is fucking real.

You slowly get up, a hand reaching for the tree behind you to stand up. “Is Taeyong alive? Is he okay?”

She nods, her smile never leaving her face. “I didn’t see him, but I heard he is stable. He is still resting for now.”

You want to cry but stop yourself from doing so. This girl here might think you are crazy. Maybe you are crazy.

She grabs your hand and tugs on your arm, pulling you out of your hiding place. “Come on, you need food. I’ll show you around.”

She doesn’t wait for you to answer and pulls you next to her. “Here is the place where we eat. Some of the guys are good at hunting and found a wild boar. This is what we will get for dinner.” She walks past a huge fire, where women are working on the thick meat. “How is it going?” she speaks loudly, getting everyone’s attention. They stop to stare at you.

How uncomfortable.

“Everyone, here is another survivor, her name is-” she stops, looking at you and leaning so you can tell her that precious information. “Y/N.” You whisper, feeling shy under everyone’s eyes.

Solene claps her hand, satisfied. “Her name is Y/N! Please treat her kindly!” The women eye you cautiously, but one of them welcomes you and soon, everyone greets, smiling.

The girl pulls you away before you can bow to everyone, her smile as wide as ever. “Everyone here fear what is happening so it’s hard for them to deal with new things. I’m sure everyone will welcome you warmly, though.” She pulls you away from the beach and shows you numerous blankets positioned over large leaves and covered with a makeshift roof. “This is where some of us sleep. It’s mostly for people who are alone because it’s better to stay together. I sleep here. Some of the families and couple have their own place to rest, but consider it a dormitory!”

You nod, a tiny smile forming on your face when you see her beam at you excitedly. She is so damn friendly.

“There’s a waterfall near the camp. We all shower there because the water is abundant and very clear. We made wooden torches so if you want, we can go there after dinner. When we first arrived, we checked the area around here and apparently, there are no dangerous animals except snakes and other biting insects. Oh, also, spiders.  There’s no real danger around here and we are enough to make sure everyone is safe.” She keeps on talking, walking toward another part of the camp.

You can only look, astonished by how organised everyone is and amazed at their survival skills. You’ve been dealing with nothing for the past weeks but everyone here had food and clothing and stuff from the plane. Some of the people smile at you, but you are too overtaken by the events to even smile back. You can only follow Solene who seems proud to have a friend now. She brings you to the forgotten luggage but you don’t find yours and she seems excited to share her clothes and belonging with you.

“How many people are we?” You ask after a while, making Solene turn around and put a hand on her chin, pensive.

“Hm…Around 50? Maybe more? We never counted.” She proceeds on walking again, stopping when she notices Doyoung going out of a tiny hut. “She is here!”

The boy finally smiles, walking toward you. “I’m Doyoung. We met earlier and I would like to make sure you are fine. Is that okay for you?” he seems more peaceful than the last time you saw him, and you understand Taeyong isn’t in danger anymore because he seems relaxed before you.

“I’m fine.” You whisper, but Doyoung shakes his head, pointing at your leg.

“You’re limping.”

Oh shit, it’s true. You hurt your knee. You almost forgot about it, your mind too busy dealing with your crazy life to care about your own bones.

He leads you into the hut where a lot of medical supplies are gathered.

“I’m not a doctor yet, but I’m on internship. I think you need a splint and anti-inflammatory medication. I don’t have a lot of these but here, this should do for the time being.” He lifts your leg to raise the pants’ fabric, revealing a rather swollen joint. Hopefully it’ll make you feel better. Use a stick if it hurts when you walk. I’ll look for something to make a splint and I’ll put it on you tomorrow.” He concludes with a sigh before getting up. “You’re safe here, I’m sure Solene showed you around already. Eat something and rest, okay?” He walks toward the exit but you grab his arm, hopeful.

“Is Taeyong okay? How is the infection?” You almost beg for positive news and Doyoung notices how miserable you seem to be.

He smiles tiredly, grateful that his friend was with someone who really cares about him. “He is resting. I don’t know when he will wake up but he was dehydrated so he has an IV drip with antibiotics and water.

“Where did you get all this?” You ask, wondering if a plane is supposed to carry all these medical supplies. “Is there enough for him to recover?”

Doyoung chuckles for the first time ever since you met him. “This airline company invested in a lot of things thankfully. Plus, we gathered everyone’s medication. I also tend to travel with a lot of things.” He feels proud for bringing so many medical supplies and smiles, before reaching for the door. “Solene must be waiting for you, I’ll let you rest for tonight.”

He leaves and taps on Solene’s shoulder as he goes to check on his friend. She takes your arm as soon as you go out of the hut.

“So, are you hungry?”

--

The first day is quick to pass. You wash up the next day, pleased with how clean your hair turn to be. Solene insists on putting conditioner on your hair and you finish with a contented sigh.

It feels great.

Doyoung puts the splint around your knee, adjusting it. The medication helps and when he asks how you are feeling, you thank him for the painkillers.

You get some strength back from all the food you gulp down. The elderly women insist on feeding your skinny body and give you food every occasion they get. They are in charge of preparing everything and even though they are only three, they do a great job.

You try to think positively because things are turning out quite well. Solene tells you they sent a couple of guys looking around the island a day before they found you and Taeyong, which means they are supposed to come back with information about the island and maybe find help.

You don’t want to tell her you wandered the island and found no one because she seems so optimistic and decide not to crush her hopes.

She is a caring girl. She helps you with everything you need, getting food when your knee hurts, helping you wash yourself because you needed someone to rub the dirt from your skin and giving you her spare blanket the first night you slept next to each other.

But something bothers you.

Your mind never drifts away from Taeyong. You wonder how he is, if he will wake up any time soon, if he will make it out alive. At the end of the day, you ask Johnny if you can see him and he takes you to him, patting your shoulder in a comforting manner.

His friends seem nice. There is another boy you haven’t talk to yet but whenever you see them in the camp, they smile at you and bow. You didn’t get to tell them what happened but they don’t force you to, aware it might be traumatising to think about such harsh moments.

You notice how happy they are to know that their friend is alive, because they goof around. You guess they were feeling down all this time judging from how close to cry Taeyong was every time he mentioned them.

You thank him and enter the plane, where Doyoung placed the injured boy in one of the only first class bed suite that survived the crash.

He is laying there, sleeping peacefully with an IV drip and he seems less pale than yesterday. You kneel next to the bed, a hand reaching for his to grip it tightly.

“I hope you’ll wake up. Please wake up.” You stay next to him until you fall asleep and when Doyoung arrives to check on his friend he finds you, head against his friend and hand clasped around his.

He lets you spend the night here.

--

Even though you decided to help around the camp, you always end up staying around Taeyong. You tell Solene that you feel responsible for what happened and she doesn’t insist.
 It’s been almost a week and you don’t even sleep around the others anymore, your mind too stressed to stay away from Taeyong for longer than necessary. Each time he looks healthier and Doyoung seems to be very attentive, for he checks on his pulse and blood pressure every morning.

You feel relieved when he tells you Taeyong made it out of the most critical phase and might have gotten rid of the infection.

You almost cry, hugging Solene who does her best to comfort you.

It keeps on going for two more days, two long days in which you wonder when the heck will he ever wake up.

So it’s only natural that it feels like a dream when someone grips your hand in the middle of the night.

You stir, back a tad sore with the unnatural position and head dipping further against Taeyong. You feel some shuffling against the sheets, too groggy to understand anything.

“Y/N…” a soft whisper makes you shiver and you feel a hand into your hair. They comb the locks softly, brushing them away from your face.

“Y/N…?” the voice says again and you frown, not in the mood for false hope tonight. You’ve been dreaming about Taeyong waking up so many times that even your sleepy state had enough.

“Where are we…?” The voice says next, finally pulling you out of your sleep. You jerk from the bed, eyes blurry into the dark plane.

You sit straight, stirring and trying to pull away from Taeyong.

But your hand is stuck. A light squeeze makes you look up and you freeze.

Taeyong woke up.

You almost yell, jumping on the bed and hugging his shadow. He sighs, hugging you back and nuzzling his face into your shoulder.

Surprise leaves and emotion appears in the form of fresh tears. You are so happy. “I thought you were going to die. Shit, I was frightened.” You cry uncontrollably, your body shaking. Taeyong chuckles silently, rubbing your back and hushing your sobs.

He waits for you to calm down before pulling away from your trembling body. You can’t believe it; he is alive and well. Taeyong tries to observe you, his mind still foggy from the very long sleep. His hands blindly reach for your face and he finally notices the IV drip stuck on his forearm.

He wipes the tears, fighting the urge to cuddle some more. As much as he enjoys the moment, he has no idea where he is and how he ended up with an IV drip.

You gasp all of a sudden, making the boy jump. “I need to tell them!” You get up from your spot next to the bed but Taeyong stops you, getting wary.

“Them?” he whispers, looking around the bed suit.

You beam, jumping up and down and trying hard not to cry again. He is going to be so happy.

“Your friends! We are in the plane! They will explain everything but first let me tell them you woke up.” Taeyong blinks, trying to assimilate the sentence and as you dash out of the plane, he stays put, not daring enough to get up.

You run as fast as you can, your knee almost healed by now. Doyoung is munching on a piece of fish and almost chokes when you appear before him, panting.

“He is awake!!!” You don’t even wait for his reaction and run back toward the plane, smiling when you run past Solene and she understands something must have happened.

Your smile has never been so wide.

Doyoung calls Johnny, Mark and Jaehyun on the way to the plane and they follow, excited yet worried. Hopefully Taeyong is feeling okay.

They enter the plane and when Taeyong sees them, he freezes.

“Taeyong!” They approach him, the whole crew turning into a mess of tears and sobs.

You decide to let them enjoy their reunion and go back to a beaming Solene.

You never thought you’d be this happy, someday.

--

It seems like Taeyong feels a lot better. He gets up from the bed the day after and gets fed the same way you were, if not more. Everyone is trying to help him, congratulating his will to live and praising Doyoung for being a great doctor.

Also, his good looks bring all the ladies and the girls around him, all eager to satisfy his needs and he often seems embarrassed with the unwanted attention. His friends make fun of him when he asks for help and he ends up stuck between the ladies who feed him endlessly and try to massage his sore muscles.

You don’t stay around him too much. He has his friends now and you know he did enough for you. You don’t want to keep on being a burden so you let him breathe. He seems to be doing fine around his friends and you catch him laugh from time to time.

It makes you happy to see him happy.

You don’t see how he notices the way you avoid him. You seem eager to walk away whenever he approaches you and it makes him wonder if he did something wrong.

It’s true that the situation is totally different, but he expected more…proximity?

Taeyong decides to directly ask when he finds you by the sea. You seem deep in thoughts as your hands grab handfuls of sand before throwing them in to the sea. It’s so quiet around here, with no trace of a boat or any sort of help.

He hesitates, his steps heavy. “How are you?” He asks before sitting next to you. The beach is paradise-like yet none of you notice the environment.

“Fine. Shouldn’t you be with your friends?”

He shakes his head. “I want to talk to you.”

You let the sand fall from your hands, your attention back on his now healthy face. What does he want to talk about? You hear loud voices from behind you but you’re both too focused to turn around.

Taeyong looks disturbed and awkward. “You seem…distant?”. He doesn’t know how to deal with this but he has to let you know about his worries. After all, you spent enough time together to be able to be comfortable.

You shrug, not getting why he thinks so. It’s true that you miss being around him. The fact that you thought he was the only survivor, along with how he took care of everything for you made you rely on him way too much.

“You got your friends back…” You trail off, your eyes going back to the sea because you can’t bear the way he is looking at you. “You also did enough for me so far. I feel guilty.”

You hear him chuckle, but suddenly he inches closer, his heat somewhat stronger than the sun.

“You shouldn’t. I did it because I wanted it.”

You close your eyes. He shouldn’t say things like these. It makes you want to stick around him way more than you should.

Taeyong doesn’t hear an answer from you so he continues. “It feels weird sleeping in the jungle without you.”

You chuckle and finally turn around to meet his gaze.

“Is that a way to ask me to sleep next to you tonight?” You tease because it’s your only way out of the situation. Taeyong is being too nice and when you thought he would go back to his “usual life” he actually still thinks about you.

You’re glad you’re not the one in that case.

He answers, even though his cheeks turned a soft shade of pink. “Would that be too-”

“Y/N?”

A voice startles you and makes you both turn around.

Timothy is full of sweat and shocked to see you here.

--

[ofwizardsandmen]

Who do you love?

Characters: Minah Delacroix, Tara Lee, Mark Yang, Jane Durand, Johnny Seo, Jung Jaehyun, Lee Taeyong.

Word count: 1,1k

Genre: angst

It’s 10 am on a Saturday morning, but Tara Lee is still half-sleep when she picks the phone from her nightstand. As she pulls herself to a sitting position, the book she had been reading a few nights ago falls off the bed with a loud thud. It makes her groan and rub her eyes with her free hand.

“Hello?” Tara realizes too late she’s made a mistake by picking the call without checking the caller ID first, but on her behalf, she’s still disoriented and every nerve on her head is throbbing.  Vague recollections of drinking too much fire whiskey with Adela and exchanging phone numbers with strangers at Enzo’s party last night flit through her confused mind and she closes her eyes wishing the annoying Darius is not on the other end of the line.“ It’s Tara” She says and automatically she feels like slapping herself, who else is supposed to be picking her private phone, anyhow?

“Hey, T!” Once it dawns on her that the caller is Minah Delacroix, Tara has to bite her tongue to stop another groan slip past her lips. Now, don’t get me wrong, Tara adores her friend. In fact, Minah is probably the closest to a sister she has, but ever since Tara broke up with Mark a few weeks ago, the French girl has been pestering her about acknowledging her feelings and facing the fact she had put an end to the most lasting relation of her life.

It all surely came from a good place, but Tara was just too self-aware to accept the advice of the same friend who had denied her feelings for her best friend, for years. “I hope I’m not interrupting-“ The heiress ventures in an unusually over-enthusiastic manner. Tara raises a brow, finding Minah’s behavior out of character, but she’s too sleepy to point it out.

“Interrupting what? It’s only-” Tara distractedly looks at the white gold watch on her wrist; a gift from her brother, who conveniently enough had been acting strangely affectionate as of lately, smothering her with attention and over-the-top, expensive presents she didn’t want, nor needed.

“10 am?” Minah laughs softly.

“Yes… 10 am?” alarmed, Tara pulls the covers away and gets off the bed. She reaches her wand and opens the heavy velvet curtains to confirm her worst fears. “Shit! I’m late for Tyler’s game” She says, turning away to avoid the bright sunlight filtering through the windows and assaulting her tired eyes “Uhg- I’m so sorry, M. I’ve gotta go before my brother kills me. I promised I would come to his game and I already stood him up twice this week. He’ll go insane if I-“

“I saw Mark yesterday,” Minah says simply, it almost appears as though she hasn’t been listening to Tara complain about Tyler.

“I-“ Tara is taken aback and at a total loss for words, but Minah doesn’t let her friend interrupt her. Not after hesitating for hours before calling her.

“Jane invited me to see the guys’ concert yesterday and well…” Minah pulls away from the phone to let out a sigh, before quickly resuming her speech “Mark doesn’t look good, he seems sick and from what I’ve seen and heard, the rest of the guys are very worried about him too. He almost fell twice and messed up with the choreography so many times I couldn’t even keep track of the mistakes he made. That is very unlike him”

“Minah, you know I love you, but-“

“But you don’t want me butting in, I know,” Minah says before Tara manages to complete her sentence. “I’m not blaming you, nor trying to convince you to go back to him. I just think he’s not handling the breakup as well as it appeared and I think you two need to talk-“ Minah makes a pause, expecting Tara to protest, but she doesn’t. “You know… give him and yourself a closure, you two have come a long way and I don’t think you should end it like this”

Tara rolls eyes as she paces up and down her room, but she has to admit to herself that Minah’s idea is not necessarily bad. She just doesn’t say it out loud.

“Thanks for worrying about me” Tara says after few seconds of pondering. “I really appreciate it. Now I really have to go, maybe I can make it to the game before Tyler notices I’m not there”

“By the way, T…” There’s a hint of hesitation in Minah’s voice. She takes a deep breath and tries to speak, but the words won’t come. For a second she really wishes she could be as straightforward as her best friend. 

But Minah Is not Jane and something inside her tells her that Tara doesn’t need additional stress so early on. She will surely have enough once her brother and their crazy mother find out Tara had made it to the headlines of the weekend edition of the Daily Prophet.

“Uh?”

“Mark and the guys should be arriving in London this afternoon. Their concert is tomorrow”

“I’ll keep that in mind” Tara laughs softly and Minah swallows, feeling a tinge of guilt.

“Good luck,” She says simply, fully aware that Tara will really need it today.

Once she hangs the phone, Minah briefly glances to the newspaper on her vanity. At the sight of the picture of Tara on the cover, she can’t help but wonder if she should be glad about keeping her subscription to the Daily Prophet despite the judgmental way her aunts react to the delivery owl every morning.

At Rive Gauche, the opposite side of the Seine, Jane Durand finds the answer to Minah’s question when her copy of the Daily Prophet falls on the table, crashing with a platter of cheese and landing right in front of Mark, who had joined the group at breakfast, for the first time after weeks of skipping any food and interaction so early in the morning. 

Sitting at each side of the rapper, Johnny and Taeyong exchange concerned looks once they take a glimpse of the newspaper and notice a picture of someone who bores a strong resemblance to Tara. Yet, the woman looks unfamiliar judging by the elaborated curls, the crimson lipstick, the skirt that seems very much too tight-clinging (both for comfort and real grace) and particularly, the platinum blonde man grasping her waist as though his life depended on it.

After days of pinning and replyig to every question with monosyllables, everybody had really appreciated the fact Mark appeared to be in a good mood that morning, so, across the table, Jane and Jaehyun watch him pick the paper and read the small headline with fainting sensation. “Fawley’s heiress, Amiranta Lee engaged to financial tycoon Darius Black?”

¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨

[all-of-the-imagines-for-eve]

United We Stand ~ Sweet Pea (Part 6)

A/n: Finally! I know! lol new parts coming soon!!

"You know, he never..." Sweetpea looked over as Alene spoke up. I was the first time she'd spoken more than a word or two since the Ghoulie attack on her two days ago. "My dad never... penetrated me."

Sweetpea's eyes went wide. "You don't have to say anything, Lee-"

"No I want to. I need you to know, he... he never... I'm still technically a virgin."

It got very quiet for a stretch of several heavy seconds. "Okay," Sweetpea mumbled.

"Okay," Alene whispered back.

The outburst had been random and awkwardly placed but now that she clarified she seemed much more relaxed. Sweets moved next to the girl, putting his arm around her and pulling her into his side. He wanted to say something but there was nothing to say and he didn't want to force anything. So he stayed quiet. Honestly, Alene liked it better that way.

-

Toni was ranting about Cheryl again. It had taken quite a bit of seeing how happy Toni was for Lee to learn to bite her tongue about her thoughts about Cheryl, but she was still yet to be convinced that the red head wasn't a dangerous enemy out to get them. Lee could nod and ooh and aw and tease about how so obviously crazy about each other the Blossom girl and Toni were for each other, but in private Sweetpea got to hear first hand how disapproving of the whole thing she really was.

Lee put her phone down, sighing as she rose a hand to massage the bridge of her nose. "Tony again?" Pea asked. Lee hummed a conformation. "Why are you so against it? Honestly, give me a real reason that you should be out at such unease about something that makes your best friend happier than I've seen her in a long time. Maybe ever."

Shooting Pea a glare, Lee let her hand fall. Pea returned the expression with raised eyebrows and a head tilt, as if to say, 'well?' So she gave in. "North Sider are dangerous, Sweets."

Pea guffawed. "You're a North Sider," he pointed out. The mood in the room darkened and Lee looked away. "Lee, you are," Pea repeated. "You're part of my family same as the Serpents are but... but you can't keep living in this fantasy that I'm letting you stay in. At first I just really hated to see you as a Notherner because I hate the North Side and everyone over there, but... that's who you are. And that's okay. I can hate the majority of North Side and still love you."

Lee was too busy fuming to register that he'd said he loved her. Sweet Pea didn't even properly realize because the word had come off of his tongue so easily that it hadn't made any impression to him. "Whatever, Sweets," she snapped, pulling away from him and standing up. She brushed her legs off and began walking out of the room.

Sweet Pea sat up. "Where are you going?"

"Walking," she snapped.

"Lee it's dangerous out there on your own. Lee. Lee! LEE!" He scrambled to follow after her as he yelled as she spun around to face him. Ever since the day she'd almost gotten taken by some freaky Ghoulies, they'd sat down and Sweet Pea had made her shut up as she tried to make him realize her man with the money had been her father. No amount of arguing and insisting and crying and screaming had gotten either to back down and ever since, there had been loads of built up tension. They'd been in this argument for almost a full week now and everyone was aware.

Either the two were pretending nothing was wrong, sleeping in the same bed still and returning to the same home at the end of the day simply because Pea promised he would never leave her again and they craved each other in any moment of separation was murderous for either of them. But if they weren't in truce, they were arguing and their screams could be heard in the other trailers.

She seemed to be pulling away from him and it made him panic a little bit, honestly.

Now, as she seemed to want to be anywhere than the place she'd always wanted to be when she was anywhere else before they fought, Sweet Pea felt full panic surging through him. He caught her arm as she reached for the door and she turned, ripping her arm from his grasp. "Get OFF of me," she snarled. "I just need- space, okay? We need to take a break from each other. I just need... space. And time. I'm not used to people caring about me. Not really, genuinely. And I just need some time to get used to this friendship thing. Okay?"

She wasn't looking at him and his heart fell into his stomach. "Yeah. Sure." She reached for the door knob and he quickly added, "Where are you going? So... so I know you're safe."

"I'll be fine, don't worry about me," she dismissed.

The door was opened and she was gone and it was closed again and Sweet Pea was left alone. His heart ached and he pushed his hands through his hair. "I can't do that," he whispered. "You mean too much to me."

But she was gone and didn't hear the response.

-

The next day, Lee wore her Vixen uniform and she was as calm but confident as ever.

Something was off about her, though...

Oh. Right. No Sweet Pea.

Unsure how to tell if she was still mad at him or not, Pea kept his distance just for a little while longer, even though he was aching to be by her side again. And, unsure how to go from her anger from yesterday to just being okay again and be over whatever was bothering her and return to her friends - her family - and be like they'd been before everything seemed painfully complicated, Alene deduced that Pea was mad at her for her ridiculous, selfish emotions she couldn't seem to control or make sense of so she kept her distance too. And so the cliche returned, both wanting the other but staying away because they believed themselves to be unwanted.

Sigh. Teenagers.

Things were only about to get worse, though. As Sweet Pea sat at his table with his friends at lunch, brooding, Lee sat at an empty table in the corner. The one she'd always sat at before, when she was ignored and invisible and insignificant. Now, though, several people joined her, trickling in lie water through a hole in the roof.

First it was a few people she vaguely recognized from around the halls but didn't know the names of. But then Reggie sat down. RIGHT next to her. Once he joined, the mood lifted and conversation began. And then a few other guys from the basketball team joined, too.

At first the girl who was not used to attention from North Siders was uncomfortable with so many of their eyes on her. But then Reggie laughed, putting his arm around her shoulders and shaking her a bit to get her to lighten up. She managed an awkward smile and then a light chuckle.

It was great. For the first time ever, she felt okay being a North Sider. She realized that the Serpents she so adored and the Riverdale High original kids had something very important in common. They were all just kids, struggling to handle a really shitty town doomed by a shitty situation and act like adults when they were very much... not. Seeing them as humans making mistakes instead of monsters, tainted by the face of her father instead of any actions they'd especially done - though, if we're being honest, there were a few people in that crowd who were definitely deserving of her nasty attitude towards them - made it easier to accept being one of them.

As Alene came to realize how stupid she'd been, seeing everyone on this side of town as echoes of just a few that happened to live here, she accepted who she was. She was a North Sider. That didn't mean she didn't fit in with the Serpents or that she couldn't be part of them and be friends with them. It just meant she wouldn't fit in quite as well. She wouldn't be expected to do certain things and be a certain way. She'd have more lee way and just seen in a better light, in general. But to her core, she was the exact same as any of the Serpents. They were all the same. And she reached a total inner peace about everything and finally, it was okay. It was all okay.

Unfortunately, it was not actually okay.

Alene was innocently making friends and opening up to those who had previously rejected her, laughing and talking as lively as ever, but Reggie was being painfully obvious about flirting with her. To Alene, there was no one but Sweet Pea, so Reggie flirting with her wasn't even close to a possibly. Se simply dismissed it all, brushing him off and laughing at his flirting as if he were joking.

Surrounded by Northerners, wearing her Vixen uniform and grinning like there was no tomorrow- especially with Reggie's arm around her shoulders? She looked so North Side that it physically hurt Sweet Pea to look at.

He had brought her to a place where she was confident and more comfortable in her skin, but with her brilliance came the eyes of boys other than him. It seemed she had become everything that bugged him about North Siders, losing all those little things that had made her stick out and feel so South Side. Her attitude and fire and distance from the North Side. Now she seemed so different. So far away. Out of reach. She didn't seem like his anymore. She seemed to belong with them...

It bothered him more than anything ever had before.

Unable to look at her with them any more, Sweet Pea shot to his feet and left the cafeteria. His movement caught her eyes and she watched him storm out, her concern for his obvious upset state overriding any thoughts of awkwardness or doubt. She stood up quickly, her smile gone as she chased after him. Reggie watched her go, disappearing through the same door he'd seen the annoying tool that was Sweet Pea that Reggie had unfortunately had to deal with ever since the transition of schools. He wondered if there was something between them. Hm. He hoped not, she was cute.

But while he thought about her, she thought only about Sweet Pea. Lee chased him down now, grabbing his arm and turning him around. She expected him to soften upon seeing her as he always did, but the second his eyes landed on her, his anger churned and boiled and spilled over and she recoiled from him.

Sweet Pea didn't process her receding from him. The look on her face as she grew... scared. Of him. "What do you want?" His tone was so sharp that it felt like a knife against Lee's insides and immediately, she scrambled to put her walls up and guard herself. He was angry and dangerous, but he was also Sweet Pea. And how could she be scared of Sweet Pea? But seeing him like this, knowing what he was capable of and also knowing that anger could make people do things they'd never otherwise do, how could she not be?

"I... saw you run out," she began slowly. "You looked upset."

He rolled his eyes. "Go back to your boyfriend and pals," Pea snarled. "I'm sure he's wondering where his pretty arm candy went off to."

Her timidness and doubt melted away as she drew up to her full height, her own anger flaming up at his remarks. She had self respect and no matter who he was to her, NO ONE would talk to her like that. "EXCUSE me?" she demanded. "What are you talking about?"

"Just leave me alone."

He went to turn away but she caught his arm again, tugging him back to her. "No!" she insisted. "Talk to me, Sweets. What the hell is going with you right now?" She paused. "Are you really still this mad about me leaving last night?"

His body moved but not in any specific direction or any certain way. He kinda just twitched and fidgeted, trying to figure out what to do with himself. Unsure what to say to explain how the scene in the cafeteria and the last week had put him on such edge and made him want to scream and cry, because it felt like he was losing her, he said something else that was completely right but he said it in the completely wrong way. "You're a North Sider, I'm a South Side Serpent. You're a Princess and I'm a Pirate. We don't mesh or fit. Can't you see that? It's felt like that for the past week. Like we don't fit anymore, and I knew that it was coming but now it's here and I just want..."

Lee stumbled back. Her heart was shattering, breaking so fast and so intensely that it fell to dust before it even got the chance to settle as pieces. She looked at her feet. 'But I love you,' sat on the edge of her tongue as her mouth hung open just a bit but she never got it out, and Pea saw the ache in her face and body but didn't know how to fix it. How to make her understand. "Fine," she choked out. Messaged received, Sweet Pea. I'll keep my distance from now on."

And just like that, she was gone and everything was insanely, incredibly WRONG. Sweet Pea flinched as he heard her say his full name for the first time in a very long time and as he watched her walk away, she seemed to take every piece of him with her. He wanted to take it back. Moe time and better words to explain what he was feeling in a way she could really understand. But he still couldn't find the words.

Except, he could. 'I love you and I'm scared that I'm losing you because you're so much like them and them and me would never fit. But we could fit. I want us to fit. We could make us fit.'

But she was gone now. And he had no idea how to tell her now that she was gone.

He pushed his hands through his hair, closing his eyes. "Damnit," he whispered, pulling at the roots. He'd really fucked this one up. Big time.