#Or a bottle keeps falling on my foot as I pack it away

[so-sangthearcher]

The Lovers, The Dreamers, And Us || Josh kiszka x F!reader

Warnings: recreational drug use

Pure fluff, crack treated seriously tbh

wc: 1.7k

-

Josh had invited you over for a night in with him and the boys.

You knew what that meant. Getting high off their fancy, expensive weed, and getting loose with each other while step brothers plays on the large screen in the background. Ten minutes after getting the message, you were in a soft sweater, grabbing your bag that was full of snacks, and heading out the door. They only lived about 15 minutes away, so you decided to send Josh a text, letting him know you were on your way. Upon your arrival, you noticed that Josh’s jeep was the only car in the drive way. This made you raise your eyebrow, but you figured they were still on their way.

You parked and made your way to the door, knocking with the jaunty tune of “shave and a haircut,” alerting Josh to your presence. You stood back, shifting from foot to foot while you waited for him to let you in. In true Josh fashion, he took his sweet time. Just as you were about to knock again, the door came swinging open, a slight plume of smoke making its way out onto the porch. “I see you got started with out me,” you hummed, eyeing him as you pushed your way past him, making yourself out home with no hesitance. You met his eye as he grinned at you. “You sure keep me in check, don’t you,” he laughed, making his way over to the couch that you had settled yourself on. You let your head fall back against the plush cushion, watching as Josh reached for the bong, making sure the cherry was still bright, and producing smoke. He took a deep inhale, smirking at the way the water bubbled, before letting the smoke settle in his lungs and pushing it out. He thrust the glass object towards you, shaking it lightly. You rolled your eyes and grabbed it, taking a decent hit to get yourself started. “I usually wait for the others, y’know,” you teased, the last little bit of smoke flowing through your lips as you talked. Josh shifted in his spot next to you, “Yeah.” He signed, letting his head roll to the side so he was facing you. “They aren’t coming.”

“What?” You asked, a little startled, “Why not?”

Josh groaned, “Danny roped the other two into going out tonight, after I had already invited you. But I didn’t want to cancel on you, so… I figured you and I could keep up the tradition.”

It wasn’t uncommon for this type of thing to occur. Though, there was something different about getting high with just Josh. Something… Tender, secretive, yearning almost.

You giggled and sighed, letting the weed make its way into your psyche. “It’s fine, they’re a bunch of weenies. We’ll just get high enough for all of them.” You said, matter-of-factly. Josh nodded in agreement, your glassy eyes meeting each other for a second that was just too long to be platonic. You tore your eyes away, grabbing your bag and plopping it down in between the two of you. “We feast,” you said, tone flourishing, as you grabbed the copious amount of junk food you had stuffed in there. “Ugh, you are, an angel,” Josh groaned as he packed another bowl, eyeing the selection you had laid out in front of him. He held the flame under the bowl, letting the glass heat, small plumes of smoke rising from the bowl. He took another hit, letting the smoke permeate his lungs before grabbing a bag of hot Cheetos and tearing it open. “The heartburn is gonna be wild,” He sighed, releasing the smoke from his lung. You rummaged around in your bag before pulling out the tums, slapping the bottle in his hand, “I came prepared,” you said, watching the dopey smile spread across his face. “My angel,” he sighed, repeating the term of endearment from earlier. Your cheeks burned, there was that yearning feeling again.

The peaceful atmosphere and your altered state heightened these feelings, making them harder to ignore. It wasn’t like you were ignorant to your feelings about Josh, it’s just that they were that much more obvious in this room alone, with your thighs pressing against Josh’s. You allowed yourself to feel, letting your head fall onto his shoulder, cheeks heating once more as he pressed a kiss to your forehead. You sat up, grabbing the bong, taking a few more deep hits, letting your head spin. “Jesus, y/n, we have plenty to go around, it isn’t going anywhere.” Josh laughed, you laughed too, for a reason unbeknownst the the both of you, before you were laid over in his lap in a fit of giggles. You let your head rest against his thighs as your laughter settled, his hands tangling themselves into your hair.

You could feel the way his stomach rose and fell with his breath.

You shifted so you were looking up at him, only a little bit surprised to find him looking back, eyes glassy, a wide smile across his face as he continued to play with your hair. You smiled at the feeling of his hands, letting your eyes fall shut, laughing softly at the familiar sound of Will Ferrel and John C. Reiley arguing about drum kits. “That’s Sam and Danny,” You stuttered out, laughing at your own joke before it even finished leaving your lips. You watched as Josh threw his head back and laughed loudly, body moving as he did so. He wiped his eyes, taking a breath, before spluttering into laughter once more, you following suit, tears pricking at your eyes.

You loved these moments, blissful, unashamed belly laughs, were sure to cure the things of the world. You quited down, eyes still on Josh, as they always seemed to be lately. He bent over slightly, face resting just above yours. “You are one of a kind, angel.” He breathed, you could feel his breath hitting your lips. “I could say the same thing about you, Mr. Kiszka, super famous rockstar.” You sighed, eyes flicking down to his lips, and back up to meet his eyes. “Please, you’ve always been the better singer. Writing those songs, just for you to sing them to an empty room. Though, no body would be worthy of hearing a voice as beautiful as yours,” He said softly. You looked away, lips parting. “Sing to me,” Josh said, leaning back, head falling against the couch once more as his fingers resumed their movements in your hair.

“Why are there so many, songs about rainbows…” You started softly, holding back the giggles, “and what’s on the other side,” Josh finished, voice coming out strained and nasally in a poor attempt to mimic kermit the frog. “Rainbows are visions, but only illusions. So we’ve been told and some choose to believe it. I know they’re wrong, wait and see.” Your voice was soft, “Some day we’ll find it, the rainbow connection…” Your voice slowed as Josh leaned back over you, returning to the close proximity. “The lovers, the dreamers, and me,” you finished, blinking slowly at the man above you. You shifted, sitting up, before maneuvering yourself into Josh’s lap. “Am I reading this wrong?” You asked, feeling suddenly bold, the weed taking away your inhibitions. Josh shook his head slowly, leaning in ever so slightly, inviting you to close the gap, and so you did. Your lips met softly, kiss deepening as you got used to the feeling of each other.

The door swung open, banging against the wall, “WHERE’S THE P-“ Sam’s voice bellowed, stoping at the sight of you and Josh in a somewhat compromising position. You pulled away from him, startled at the new presence. “Hey guys,” Josh giggled, “Y/n its supposed to go ‘the lovers, the dreamers and ME’ not ‘the lovers, the dreamers and SAM,” Josh choked out, smile practically breaking his face in half. You squawked, laughter bubbling up from your chest, you leaned into Josh, head falling on his shoulder.

You caught your breath, just for your eyes to land an a semi drunk Sam, Danny, and Jake who were still awkwardly standing in the doorway, making your laughter start up again. “I think we need to be on their level,” Danny says, walking deeper into the house before settling next to you and Josh on the couch. “What so were going to start kissing each other? Revealing deep-seated feelings for each other?” Jake laughed, flopping down on to the rocking chair in the corner. “You have feelings for me?” You whispered, searching Josh’s eyes. “You haven’t told her? Josh what the fu-“ Sam started cut off by Jake and Danny simultaneously shushing him. Josh rolled his eyes, “Way to ruin it Sammy, but yes. Y/n, I like you,” he sighed, “Love, he means love,” Sam interrupted. “Jesus, Sam! We’re having a fucking moment, pack a bowl or something!” You hissed, earning snickers from Jake and Danny, before turning your attention back to Josh. “Yes, I love you. I would give up everything if It meant I would be able to just sing kermit the frog with you, I’d never smoke again if it meant I get to hold you, I’d smoke every day if it meant I get to hold you like this again. Even if it was just for a second,” Josh rambled. You giggled, quieting him with a kiss, “I love you, so much, Josh. I alway have.” You admitted, planting one more kiss on his plush lips. Cheering erupted from the other side of the room. “Finally!” Jake cheered, fake British accent making an appearance as the weed and alcohol mixed.

You smiled and rolled your eyes fondly, resting your forehead on Josh’s. “Can you believe those guys,” Josh scoffed before smirking, “C’mon babe. Pack us another bowl.” You flushed at the nickname, knowing the truth it held. You moved from your straddling position, grabbing the extra bong on the table and packing it, before flopping back down into Josh’s lap, throwing your legs over Danny’s.

That secretive, tender feeling, was now filling up the room, and you couldn’t be happier about it. You and Josh should’ve gotten high together without the boys a lot sooner, but you were looking forward to the new moments you two were going to share, rather than the ones you may have missed out on.

-

hehe i hope yall liked this

[phoenix--flying]

pjo characters as things my friend group has said

Hazel: I just kinda radiate towards caves

Nico: Breathing has been taken out of Nicos software

Connor: I can speedrun to your house when you're home alone

Cecil: raisins are dehydrated rats

Percy: It's a roller coaster where the only option is to die

Will: I just goooot- my jugular sliced open by a cat

Nico: We're going out tonight and killing all the homophobes. Call it a date

Will: Why am I so much taller then- Oh its cause im standing on a dead body

Connor: You're sooo welcome. I literally did nothing

Hazel: Just because your trash doesn't mean you can't do great things. It's called a trash can not a trash cannot

Piper: Cut my hair, I'll cut your throat

Thalia: Sometimes I do slap kids

Travis: When I grow up I'm gonna be a legal drug dealer

Beckendorf: I’m going to drop kick myself into space

Malcom: Briefly describe three applications that make use of the total eternal reflection of light Connor: The colour seven

Grover: Percys reaching old age, we should put him in a retirement home

Piper: Leo what did you do Leo: I may have burned down an orphanage and it may have spread to this site.

Lou Ellen: Travelling, usually done on the ceiling

Will: Imagine sitting on your couch watching TV and your phone buzzes. Reminder: Breathe

Austin: i just broke an acorn.. panic whY IS THERE AN ACORN IN MY ROOM

Nico: i feel like today happened yesterday and i just slept for all of tomorrow and woke up in the evening

Malcom: yeah i fell down the stairs and broke my spine in 3 places Connor: that's hot

Jason: Nitroglycerin. The forbidden smoothie

Will: I always look like trash. Annabeth: I know that's why I hate looking like trash

Travis: well we only have a few minutes left of class.. y'all wanna watch something explode

Piper: It sounded like you smoked 10 packs of cigarettes and then hit puberty

Jason: Imagine you get fired the day after you die

Nico: My stomach just like...started learning German

Nyssa: Leo if you don't leave, i'm shoving this desk fan up your ass

Jason: I slammed my foot on the accelerator, running multiple red lights at 220km/h, because I wanted to drive safe

Nyssa: When you go through the car wash but you forget the car

Drew: *points at trashcan* That looks like you

Nico: I only want chemistry between me and a coffin

Jake: Gotta put your wheelchair in 4Wheeldrive. Outdoor mode. Off-road mode

Leo: Murder is ok as long as its fine

Percy: Maybe if I fall asleep on my textbook I'll wake up with all the knowledge

Connor: Let's play spin the bottle but it's only you and me

Leo: Now how do we calculate the density if swiss cheese

Clarisse: I have to ask one of the experts Chris: Who are the experts? Clarisse: I don't know

Piper: Your mom is on vacation Leo: well- she's on a permanent vacation

Michael: AYO BITCH YOUR FOODS FLAMIN THE FUCK

Silena: If you're slow I'm a fucking snail

Jason: We need to hold a funeral! Percy: Here comes the bride

Beckendorf: Have you ever died? No??? Well here you go!!! Death simulator. It’s permanent!

*Annabeth and Percy sitting on a bench with drinks and a cop drives by* Percy: What if they thought we were drinking and driving Annabeth: We're not in a car

Will: I'm so smart Nico: Oh my god since when

Piper: *gives Leo a singular goldfish* Piper: Feeding the poor

Lou Ellen: Bless your soul Nico: What soul? Lou Ellen: ...good answer

Sherman: an apple a day keeps the doctor away, and anybody else if you throw it hard enough

Connor: I can see the veins in my eyes

Ellis: Whatever sinks your boat!

Cecil: You can't kill the gays if the gays kill you first

Will: dude sorry there's a knife in your grandma's face it grew wings and flew there :( Cecil: I’m sorry my knife flew out of my hand and slit that guys throat then burned it so he wouldn’t bleed

Silena: *playing Minecraft* I walked into your house and your birds started aggressively dancing at me

Lee: That's just so unfortunate for me. That is just so- oh I died

Percy: Wanna go to Toronto? Why drive just take the Earth Quake on natural disaster

Travis: The roof is just caving in on us it's fine

Michael: My arms are broken, my legs are broken, my lungs are broken, my knees are broken, I got decapitated when I was five

Connor: We're gonna die? No we're gonna beat the speedrun world record

Cecil: Hell to go down I there

Will: Mask to mask resuscitation

Travis: I may or may not have accidentally dropped a match in the building on purpose

Nico: Minecraft but I accidentally sets a school on fire

Percy: Minecraft but I die of hypothermia

Piper: Minecraft but I left my eyes at home

Jake: Minecraft but my legs are broken

Jason: Minecraft but I died

Lou Ellen: Minecraft but we're all gay

Will: If I die the game is homophobic

Cecil: Minecraft but I run my best friend over

Nico: I wanna hit a citizen with a baseball bat

Michael: Hey sir, you have Alzheimer’s. Would you like a side of bronchitis?

Silena: Why can't this be straight? Lee: Because you're not

Lou Ellen: mmmm i love my jesus fish Cecil: bro jesus fish Lou Ellen: ikr, jesus moment

[minki-moo]

♡‧₊˚ 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙥𝙩. 2 ♡‧₊˚

pairing ♡ mingi x f!reader rating ♡ e for explicit tags ♡ office au, boyfriend!mingi, long distance, petnames (mingi calls reader baby, pookie, slut), smut, phone sex, toys, f!masturbation, m!masturbation w/c ♡ 1.9 k pt. 1

a/n ♡ here's part 2! this is loosly based off of that one mingi post (the one with the suit iykyk ;) )

mingi, wearing a gorgeous pant suit, pins you against a wall. staring at you, he says nothing as he leans in closer, kissing you ever so gently. you kiss him back, slowly adding more pressure against mingi’s lips as you feel his hands slowly move towards your chest. a silent moan escapes your lips as he takes your clothed nipples in between his fingers, pinching them ever so slightly. 

the kiss started to get more heated as mingi parts his lips and licks your bottom lip, asking for entry. you comply, letting his tongue explore your mouth in ways that make you weak in the knees. in an attempt to keep yourself upright, you put your left arm around his neck. with your other hand, you reach down in between mingi’s legs, trying to find his growing bulge.

a sudden vibration jolts you out of your sleep. you grab your phone and look at the time. 6:20 am, a few minutes before your alarm is set to go off. deciding to get up early, you roll out of bed and wash up for the day ahead.turning on the shower, you sink down to your knees, pulling your hair in embarrassment as you recollect the mess of a dream you had the night before. making sure the water is as cold as you can handle, you stand under it for a few minutes, trying to calm down the ache in between your legs.

after drying your hair and getting dressed for the long day ahead, you check your texts.

minki <3: gm pookie <3

minki <3: hows my lil ray of sunshine?

minki <3: i miss uuuuuuu

minki <3: pls dont ignore meeeeee </3

minki <3: im sowwy for falling asleep last night

you feel your heart skip a beat when he mentions last night, but you regain your composure quickly as you answer.

you: gm mingi! 

you: im getting ready for work now

you: i miss u too &lt;3

after sending the last message, you pack up your things and head out the door, your head still full of thoughts that can only be described as scandalous.

it’s friday, meaning there's a slight buzz in your workplace. everyone is ready to leave, either to head home and sleep through the weekend, or to party like there is no tomorrow. 

but for you it means something even more special: your first video call with mingi.

when he first left, mingi promised that he would free up his fridays and weekends for video calls, since 5 minute calls every day just wouldn’t cut it for the new couple. so, just until you two could be together again, a video call would have to do. 

time seemed to move so slowly as you worked aimlessly, your foot tapping in anticipation for what was to come.then finally, 5 pm hit, and you could not have left any faster than you did. 

on the way home, you pass a store that has always intrigued you, and after slight hesitation, you walk in, overwhelmed by the products, but sure of what you were looking for.

after a long shower, you put on a long sweater and shorts, wanting to be comfy for your impending call with mingi. he was supposed to call you at 8 pm your time, and it was 7:30, so you had some time to open your latest purchase: a 5” long purple vibrator and some lube

your boyfriend was miles away and at this point, your other methods weren’t cutting it anymore.

you needed more.

after opening the packaging and reading the instructions, you put in the batteries, and lean on the headboard of your bed, shorts now pulled down to your ankles. you start by touching yourself slowly, thinking about all the thoughts that have been plaguing your mind the past few days. you remember the soft moans coming from the phone, the ones that made you so, so needy beyond comprehension. 

slowly building up your arousal, you stop touching yourself to open the bottle of lube and pour some on the vibrator. spreading a good amount over its length, you put the vibrator in between your legs, and turn on its lowest setting. you jolt a little, a small moan escaping your lips as the new sensation rocks your body.

the more time you spend using the device, the more you increase the settings, and the more pleasure you feel. how were you so ignorant to this pleasure before? your moans get louder and more frequent as you feel yourself getting closer to your climax. twisting your body, overwhelmed by the waves of pleasure, your body longing for release. you start to crave something more. you needed mingi. you needed him to touch you, to call you pretty, to make you feel good. you needed him to use you, and make him yours. all this fantasising tips you over the edge, as you call out mingi’s name over and over again as your orgasm crashes over you like a wave.

reality sets in as you realise what just happened. cumming to the thought of your boyfriend was not something you expected to do.

and in almost comedic timing, mingi decides to call you.

still experiencing the after shock of the most intense climax you’ve ever had. you scramble to clean yourself up, pulling your shorts back up and wiping up the sweat that had gathered on your face.

taking a deep breath, you answer the phone, feeling your heart tighten as the smiling face of your boyfriend pops up on your screen.

“why did you take so long to answer?’, he exclaims, sounding slightly disappointed but still sporting his signature smile.

he’s sitting in an armchair, his white shirt unbuttoned on top, revealing a tasteful amount of skin. the rolled up sleeves have his veiny arms on full display.

god, your boyfriend is so sexy 

moving your damp hair away from your face, you smile.

“i was just busy. i didn't expect you to call so early”.

mingi squints his eyes. “you were busy? doing what? you look really sweaty and i know you don't work out”.

you give him a look of mock offence. 

“i-i can work out, you know”.

“mmhmm”. he gives you a sceptical look. “of course you can. but seriously, what were you doing?”

“nothing. seriously. it's not important”.

mingi still wasn't buying it. he knows you tell him every little thing, even if it seemed small and insignificant; you loved talking and he loved listening.

“what, is it so embarrassing that you can't tell me”, he asks, smirking a bit.

your face starts to heat up, still thinking about the orgasm you had earlier thinking about him.

“n-no!”

“oh really? then why do you seem so flustered?”.

“i’m not!”.

his coy smile starts to annoy you. god, why does he know you so well?

“aww, come on, it's not like you were, i don't know, touching yourself or anything”.

the silence after his statement is almost deafening.

mingi’s eyes narrow. “you weren't touching yourself, right?”.

even more silence. you don't dare to speak as your embarrassment takes away your ability to defend yourself.

“show me”.

your head shoots up, looking at your phone screen in shock.

“w-what do you mean ‘show you’?”.

mingi leans back, crossing his arms and smirks at you.

“i want to see you make yourself cum”.

those words alone were enough to make you shudder in arousal. this new side to mingi was a welcome yet surprising development. you loved the way he looked at you, as if your neediness amused him.

“well, are you going to show me, baby?”

once again, his words made you shudder as you nod your head slowly.

“i can't hear you. use your words, doll. can you touch yourself for me?”

if you weren't ready to die of embarrassment before, you are now. you manage to take a deep breath and mutter a small “yes”, which seems to satisfy mingi.

“go ahead, baby, i'm watching”.

slowly removing your shorts, you realise you had forgotten to put your panties back on. mingi also seemed to notice this, as he let out a long whistle.

“fuck, that’s so hot.”

you sudder again, not from his words but from the air that hits you in between your legs, the wetness from your earlier “fun” still very much present. mingi’s eyes glistened, and an expression you've never seen on his face came to light.

hunger.

your sweet, gentlemanly, goofy mingi had become someone you had never seen before. some who, if he could at that moment, would take you and make you his in an instant.

the thought of him rushing home, striping you and fucking you sensless makes you even more aroused than you were before.

taking a deep breath, you start touching yourself, slowly caressing yourself the way you were before. your poor clit still throbbing from earlier was extra sensitive, making you whimper.

looking up at your phone, you see mingi staring at you with his hungry gaze, palming his growing bulge. seeing him so turned on by you makes you shudder, as you slowly get closer to release.

“m-mingi, i-”

“are you close baby?”.

you quickly nod, as your fingers move faster on your swollen clit.

“such a good girl. making yourself cum for me. my cute slut”.

another shiver wracks your body at the nickname. you didn't know why such dirty words affected you the way they did, but at that moment you didn't care. all you cared about was cumming for mingi, making him watch what a few words from him could do to you.

“baby? can you do something for me?”, mingi asks as he continues to rub his cock, now free from his pants but still clothed in his underwear 

“nng, y-yes?”.

“can you finger yourself for me?”.

you pause, your mind still foggy from chasing your orgasm. did he just ask you to finger yourself? you, who could barely buy a vibrator?

at this moment, however, you didn't care. you wanted to listen to mingi. you wanted to obey him, to cum for him. so, cautiously pushing one finger inside your needy pussy, you slowly start to move it in and out, feeling nothing at first. 

you hear a groan come from mingi, as he stares at you pleasuring yourself. keeping his eyes on you, he pulled his now fully hard cock out of his underwear. 

oh, he's big.

you watch as he starts slowly stroking his cock, using his thumb to catch the precum that had started gathering. if you could get more aroused, you definitely did. you made mingi like this. you turned him on to the point where he had to relieve himself, in front of you no less.

watching this scene unfold in front of you, you quickly pick up the pace, fucking yourself with your finger while using your other hand to play with your clit. your moans became more laboured as you grew close to your orgasm again.

“m-mingi i-i’m gonna-”.

“cum for me”, he pants, stroking faster as he chases his release. “cum for me princess, please”.

those words were enough to tip you over the edge, cumming all over your fingers as you scream his name. after coming down from your high, you look at mingi, his flushed face and panting making you feel slight horny again. seeing your boyfriend like this made you feel so satisfied.

without thinking, you say in a small voice, “i miss you.”

mingi looks at you and gives you a small smile.

“i miss you too, beautiful”.

[hollybee8917]

Blueprint for Romance

Chapter 1: Sparks on the Fourth of July

Characters: Chris Evans, Bekah Baker (OFC)

Plot: Chris, an actor, meets Bekah, an architect, and falls faster for her than he does for anyone else.

Word count: 2321

Warnings for this chapter: Language

A/N: Big thanks to @joannaliceevans-fanficblog and @cevansbaby-dove for proofing this! Y'all are awesome!

“Hey, Chris! Come on back, man!”

Chris Evans stepped through the gate and grabbed his buddy Jason’s hand and pulled him into a hug, “Thanks for inviting me.”

Jason nodded, “Of course! The party is just starting. Tara, Carly and Ryan are in the back with the kids. Your mom pulled got here about five minutes ago with Shanna. Lisa is currently talking to Tara’s parents. My parents should be here soon. There are a bunch of other people coming too.”

Chris nodded and made his way to the backyard. Music was playing and the kids were splashing in the pool. Carly waved, “Chris! I’m so glad you finally got here! Tara has a story to tell you!”

He laughed and grabbed a beer from the cooler. Tara began her story but Chris didn’t really listen. Zach Jarvis, Jon Leonard, Mark King and their families all wandered through the gate and with each arrival, Chris’ face fell a little more.

“Hey, you okay?” Tara wrapped an arm around Chris and he returned the gesture.

The actor sighed, “Yeah. I just… Sorry, it’s a bit ridiculous.”

The woman shook her head, “Not at all. I know it’s hard seeing everyone so happy. You’ll get there one day.”

Chris could only exhale lightly. Tara hugged him once more, “You wanna talk about it?”

“Not really. I’m gonna go get another beer. You might wanna keep an eye on Winnie. She’s about to go jump in the deep end and I know she doesn’t know how to swim yet.”

“Oh shit.” Tara turned and ran toward her young daughter.

Chris laughed as he watched Tara grab her child. Isaac Harden approached him and handed him a Stella Artois. Isaac smiled sheepishly, “Hey man, I hope you don’t mind but my fiancée invited a friend to come. I ran it by Jason and Tara and they said it was okay. Just wanted to give you a head’s up. I doubt she will cause any trouble but just in case, do you want me to keep her away?”

“No, it’s okay.”

The friend tilted his head, “I hear she’s cute. And single.”

A scoff escaped Chris, “Is that why Alaina invited her? Is it a set up?”

Isaac laughed, “Naw man. I wouldn’t do that to you. That’s some shit Jon or Kath would do. The friend’s name is Bekah.”

Chris shrugged, “Okay. So?”

With a sniff, Isaac replied, “I haven’t met the girl before but Alaina says she’s gorgeous and sweet. She also says that Bekah has like 7 properties around the world.”

Cocking an eyebrow, Chris bit back, “You think that impresses me?”

“Did I mention that she has a master’s in architecture from Oxford University? Alaina tells me that Bekah is amazing. I haven’t seen it yet though. Whenever she gets here, I’ll have Alaina introduce you to her.”

“Whatever. I’m gonna grab some food. You want anything?”

Isaac shook his head, “I’m good right now.”

Chris nodded and made his way into the house where people were milling about the table grabbing food. His mother pulled him aside, “You okay, baby boy? You seem a bit down.”

“I’m fine, Ma. I’m just hungry. You want anything?”

Lisa replied, “I’m okay. I’ve been snacking a little bit here and there.”

He smiled back at her, “Once I have a little food, I’m going to head back outside.”

“Okay baby.”

He walked around the table and piled his plate full of cheese, crackers, fruit salad and a couple of sandwiches. Then he went back outside to mingle,

Chris was sipping on his drink and talking to she walked through the gate. He stopped mid-sentence and could only stare. Her chestnut hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and the sunlight made her green eyes shine. She was a bit taller, maybe five foot and seven inches tall and lean. In her hands, she held a twelve pack of Stella Artois beer, a container of homemade cookies and a bottle of wine. Alaina greeted her and her smile took Chris’ breath away.

The woman wore a light red and white sundress with a polka dot ribbon in her hair and white flats. Her sun kissed skin perfectly contrasted with the shade of red in the dress. Things started to grow dark for Chris and he realized he had been holding his breath. Now, though, he couldn’t start letting air into his lungs. The actor started to tilt.

“Chris!”

As he hit the ground, he felt his nose being pinched closed and air being pushed into his lungs. Slowly he took a deep breath then began to cough. His eyes opened and he saw her leaning over him. He sat up and tried to catch his breath. Lisa sat down next to her son, “Are you okay, Chris?”

With a gentle smile, the woman before him said, “Easy. Your lungs are hungry for air. Take slow deep breaths.”

The woman’s voice was soft and melodic, “Hi Chris. I’m Bekah.”

He slowed his breathing, “Thank you, Bekah.”

Jason extended his hand and helped Chris to his feet, “You scared us pal.”

Bekah stepped back, “You are feeling okay?”

Chris gulped slightly, “I’m better now. Thank you for helping me.”

She smiled again, “Of course. Take some water. I would slow down on the beer. Just my recommendation.”

Then she walked away. Chris’ eyes followed her the entire way. Tara tilted her head and looked up at her best friend, “I think she’s the one, Chris. Go talk to her.”

“It’s embarrassing. I just passed out in front of her, Tara. There’s no way that she’d ever consider me.”

His best friend of over twenty years bit back, “Just give her a try. You never know. I saw how she looked at you. She’s interested.”

“Not after what just happened.”

“Give her a fucking chance, Chris.”

“Honey,” Lisa broke in, “She’s glancing at you. I don’t think it’s out of concern either. She seems curious and interested. Go talk to her.”

Reluctantly, Chris looked over to where Bekah was sitting. His eyes met hers and he dipped his chin as if he was asking permission to approach her. Bekah tilted her head with a smile and nodded.

The actor made his way over to the brunette and she motioned for him to sit down, “I was talking to your friend about your time in the theater. I’m a bit of a thespian myself. Were you more musical or non-musical?”

Chris bit his lip, “I was more into musicals. You did theater too? What plays did you do?”

Bekah laughed again, a melodic sound, “It’s easier to say what plays I didn’t do. Honestly, I didn’t do a whole lot of theater. I was too busy with my acting career.”

“Acting career? I thought you were an architect.”

Bekah glanced away for half a second then focused her attention back to Chris, “I’m an architect now but I did some acting from the ages of eight to fifteen.”

Leaning back, Chris scratched his cheek, “Anything I might have heard of?”

A short pause filled the air then Bekah waved her hand, “Oh just small things. My first gig was a reoccurring role on a little show called 7th Heaven.”

“No shit? I knew someone on that show. And that’s not exactly a little show.”

“Yeah, I know. You dated Jessica Biel for five years. A couple of those years, I was on the show. It’s a small world because Jessica is a good friend of mine. Or she used to be before she went off her rocker with the anti-vax stuff.”

Chris let loose a long laugh and Bekah joined in, “I’m kidding of course. Jess is a great person and a good friend.”

The man beside her stood, “Do you want anything to drink? I’m gonna go grab me a beer.”

Bekah followed his lead and stood up, “I’ll join you. I could use a Stella right now.”

As the pair approached the cooler, Chris turned to Bekah, “So what other ‘small’ things have you done because I doubt they’re small.”

The woman beside him rubbed the back of her neck, “A cult following series called Harry Potter, a fantasy trilogy no one has heard of called Lord of the Rings and a little known sci-fi movie called Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.”

Chris all but dropped his beer, “Say again? Those aren’t small things!”

“Oh and I did this silly little superhero film starring some guy named Chris Evans as the Human Torch. I can’t quite remember the name of it. The Incredible Quad? The Fabulous Foursome?”

“The Fantastic Four.” Chris cocked an eyebrow in amusement.

She smiled broadly at him, “That’s it! I never had any scenes with the guy but I hear he’s lovely to work with.”

Chris smirked, “I wouldn’t know.”

Retreating back to the shade of the trees, Chris and Bekah sat at a small table that had been set up for the party. As they talked, Chris found himself completely enamored with this girl. She made him laugh so easily and it was obvious that she may be interested in him so he pushed a little further, “So why did you quit acting?”

Bekah sighed, “Honestly, I was tired of the lights and the cameras and the exposure. I went to my parents when I was sixteen and told them I was tired of the limelight. I didn’t want to be a child actress anymore. They accepted it with grace. I was about to graduate high school so I wanted to focus on other things like college and relationships that were crumbling.”

“You graduated high school at sixteen? And you went to college after?”

“I did. But I feel like we are talking too much about me. I want to know more about you.”

Chris shuddered a bit, “My life isn’t all that interesting.”

“Nonsense. I’m sure over your twenty plus years of acting, you have seen and experienced some stuff. What is the most exciting place you have filmed?”

The actor leaned back and raised the bottle to his lips, “I filmed in Costa Rica once. South Africa and Namibia were cool too when I went there. As for most exciting? I would probably say filming in Costa Rica. How about you?”

“Oh, most definitely New Zealand. I went to a set in Auckland and shot on a green screen. I also went with a couple of others to the area of the Shire. It was beautiful. I have filmed in London as well and that’s quite the city. If you have to pick a comfort character that you have portrayed, who would it be?”

Rolling his eyes to the sky in thought, Chris thought a moment then answered, “I know the most logical answer is going to be Steve Rogers but as my comfort character, he doesn’t quite make the cut. If I really had to choose? Fuck, that’s really hard. Hmmm. I’ll have to think about that. What about you?”

Bekah opened her mouth to reply but her phone rang. Glancing down at it, she threw Chris an apologetic glance, “I’m so sorry. I have to take this.”

As she walked away, Chris heard her say, “Hallo, das ist Frau Baker. Was brauchen Sie?”

Chris sat in shock unable to comprehend the fact the woman knew German. Tara and Lisa wandered over. Plopping down in the vacated seat, Tara smirked, “So, how’s it going?”

The man looked between his best friend and his mother, “She speaks German.”

Lisa spoke up, "Well, that's new. You’ve never been with a girl who knows German before."

Tara gasped "Chris, she's amazing! You have to ask her out."

He looked over to the side of the yard where Bekah was speaking animatedly on her phone. Tara poked him, “Earth to Chris. Pay attention to us.”

Lisa shot Tara a look, “Take it easy. He’s obviously interested in her. He just needs time.”

Tara made a face, stood and walked away. Chris turned to his mother, “Do you think I actually have a chance with this one?”

His mother put her hand on his arm, “It will only happen if you make it happen. Whether or not you have a chance is up only to you.”

Bekah returned to the table just as Chris was about to respond to his mother. With a smile, she addressed Chris and Lisa, “I’m sorry for interrupting but I just wanted to say how lovely it was to meet you both. I’m afraid I have to dash. I wish I could stay for the fireworks but something has come up with my Germany office. I have to leave in the morning to handle it.”

The older woman returned the smile, “It was nice to meet you too. I hope we see each other again.”

But Chris stayed silent. Lisa prodded him in the ribs and he yelped. Bekah’s lips twitched for half a second, “I hope so too.”

She turned and wandered over to Jason and Tara where she said her goodbyes. As she walked to the gate, Lisa poked Chris again, “If you don’t do it now, you’ll never know.”

He jumped to his feet and followed Bekah around the house, “Bekah, wait.”

She turned and almost hopeful asked, “Yes?”

“I wondered if you would like to go on a date.”

A wide grin spread across her face, “With you? Sure.”

“Great! Um, when?”

Bekah tightened her ponytail, “How about Friday of next week?”

“That sounds amazing. Do you wanna do dinner or..”

“Dinner sounds wonderful.”

His heart soared, “I’ll see you then.”

Bekah tilted her head, “Hand me your phone.”

“Why?”

“How else will you get ahold of me, silly?”

Feeling a hundred feet tall, Chris did so and Bekah input her information. As she turned to her car she stated, “I like pizza.”

[skzoologist]

Okay so similarly to that ask you got, the chan comfort one, what about some miho, like you said they dont seek eachother out, but they can often be seen together (I think thats what you wrote..?)

So what about some Minho/Bae moments, comfort either way would work! (Minho being comforted by or comforting Bae, don't matter to me! 😌)

word count: ~1.1k

warnings: none

genre: fluff, comfort

a/n: Hey-ho anon dear, you're right, these two are like sassy cats, you'll see what I mean haha. None of them are the 'let us talk about this problem' kinda person, which doesn't really help with the whole situation 😅 Either way, they still find ways to rely on the other, so I hope you'll enjoy this!

Please let me know if I left a warning or anything out, I will add it in! Reblogs, likes and feedback are greatly appreciated!

!I don't condone anyone stealing my work and posting it anywhere without my permission, or feeding it to AI!

!This is just fiction, my interpretation of Stray Kids. By no means is this how they are and how they behave in real life!

‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹‧˚₊꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒷꒦︶︶︶︶︶꒦꒷‧₊˚⊹

It was a regular day for the worldwide known idol group, every member busy with their individual schedules, their day fully packed with different interviews, practices and photoshoots. Bae was no different, having just set foot back in the company building, his previous appointment having required him to go to a different location to be used as a background for his photoshoot. The shooting had a more natural, gentle theme, all the clothes Bae had worn woven with pastel coloured silk and cotton, wonderfully complementing his long hair, the dark strands left freely flowing in the soft breeze.

Through busy hallways he went, slipping free from a packed elevator efficiently, having mastered the art long ago, despite his ridiculous height.

The moment he had stepped foot into the practice room he knew something was amiss, the air shifting around differently, compared to its usual, cheery self.

Two pairs of eyes met with each other, one searching the other carefully, not wishing to accidentally set off a landmine and cause irreversible destruction. Yet, the taller dancer had no time to fully worry about that, his hyung looking away much too fast, not even slowly blinking at him in his usual, silent greeting.

That was the first red flag Bae had noticed, something that settled heavily in his stomach.

The younger took his bag and hoodie off, already fully changed into some loose clothing he could freely dance in long before having arrived at the company. Although, he had to say, even after so many years, he still couldn’t get used to changing in the car hastily, usually not having enough time in his tightly packed schedule to do so in a proper locker room or even a restroom.

Minho silently waited for the otter to be done, eyes watching him through the mirror like a hawk, something sharp in the older’s gaze that usually didn’t reside there. It caused a slight crease to nestle itself into Bae’s forehead, its presence uncomfortable.

Still, Bae pushed through the feeling, opting to instead keep a watchful eye on the older as they started practising an older choreography of theirs.

As the day went by, so did Minho’s patience thin, the man clearly frustrated over something, bottling the emotion up and letting it simmer inside, only to inevitably blow up in everyone’s faces like a devastating bomb.

Bae wasn’t blind, he had noticed the little signs. How his hyung’s moves were more forceful than usual, how his lips dipped down just a tad bit further into a barely noticeable scowl, or how he kept carding a hand through his hair, the strands on the verge of falling out from the repetitive, forceful motion. The younger noticed these easily, having carved everyone’s habits into his very soul. 

The two idols were similar when it came to things like this, never seeking help on their own. Which was also the exact reason Bae knew, he knew Minho wouldn’t just open up to him or to anyone, the man too stubborn for his own good.

A reason that created an interesting dynamic between the dancers, as if they were two temperamental cats, only going to the other on their own terms, allowing the other to catch little glimpses of vulnerability only occasionally. It was a never ending cat and mouse game, only, sitting down and never chasing that mouse being the sole winning condition of this infuriating game.

And so, Bae waited patiently, staying by his huffing hyung’s side silently, even as the man’s aura screamed pure violence and murder, scaring everyone else away and rightfully so. Nobody doubted that Minho could end someone’s life with a single spoon alone, one he was eating his beloved pudding with.

Time crept by as the two just sat there on the sofa, a space left between them that would be considered much too wide on any other day. A stupid little show was put on the TV, a mere background noise no doubt, since none gazed at the device securely mounted on the wall. Instead, they were both scrolling on their phones, a rare occasion for the artist, the man quickly using it to check as many fanarts as he could, all created by their beloved STAY.

Shuffling of clothes could be heard, the little ‘thunk’ following it as the now empty plastic container was placed onto the table, its delicious contents already eaten long ago.

A soft touch reached Bae’s hand, a limb he had purposefully left resting on the pillows closer to his hyung, not fully tucked into his side.

By the time he had locked and put away his phone -not like he had been actually paying attention to it the last 5 minutes-, another hand had snaked itself into his, a head heavily falling onto his lap. That same, clutched hand of his was led to a nest of fluffy hair, no request needed to be gently buried there, drawing little symbols into the skin.

Bae could feel the tension leaving Minho’s body, those hunched shoulders sagging, taut muscles resting at last. A barely audible sigh could be heard, but the younger knew better than to comment on it, letting it silently disappear in the peaceful silence enveloping the two.

With every stroke and every gentle scratch the other melted more and more into him, practically turning into putty in his hands. Not a single word was exchanged, the serene atmosphere never broken, only enhanced by the quiet, satisfied hums that occasionally left the older’s mouth.

The moon was high up in the sky by the time Bae had finally fallen asleep, Minho curled up by his side, head still comfortably laying on his dongsaeng’s thigh. When Chan had noticed this scene, having come back from another long session of songwriting, a smile so soft sat onto his face that it seemed unreal. He gazed at his dear members, his family, for a few more minutes before grabbing a blanket from his room, covering the two as much as he could. The cat stirred, making the wolf still in his place, earning a relieved sigh once he had settled back and started softly snoring once again.

Even the strong needed some time to recuperate, to rest and gather their strength, and Bae felt honoured to grant that for his beloved, cat-like hyung, the one who always cared for him quietly. He would always be by his side, to provide some silent support, no matter what.

[s0xthef0x]

Theoretically Speaking

Ness accidentally stumbles into the life of Mike Schmidt, and in all honesty? He doesn't mind staying.

When a trip to the mall goes awry, Ness finds himself injured and in the arms of a security guard. With no friends or family to turn to during his recovery, Mike Schmidt enters the picture to lend a hand.

(Split/Alternating POVs)

SEE MASTER POST

CHAPTER 1

NOTE: This is a revised version of a securitywaiter fic I just completed on a03 (under the same username) so if you don't want to wait for revised updates here, you can read the original through the link at the end! Enjoy <3

Also this fic started out as a joke but I got really into it and it's lowkey my magnum opus

Chapter 1

NESS

Ness never would’ve imagined that things would've played out the way that they did, especially not at the mall. It was only meant to be a short trip, but the line at Macy's was much longer than he had anticipated. Especially for mid-morning on a weekday. As he stood in line, Ness couldn't help but think; don't any of you have jobs? Because he was going to be late for his own if the line didn't move any faster.

Ness was eager to get out of the store and far away from the clashing scents of perfumes and colognes. He had thought about getting a quick spray of something that smelled of sandalwood in hopes of covering the smell of bacon grease that seemed to perpetually linger on his uniform, but the store itself did a thorough job of making him smell like anything and everything on earth other than a diner- which wasn't exactly ideal either.

He absentmindedly swung the plastic Macy's bag in his hand as he walked out of the store. Ness felt his mind turn to static as he tuned out the people around him. It was the kind of mental numbness in which you can't stop your thoughts from wandering off wherever they want, until suddenly you're thinking about the kind of stuff that you normally dwell on at night. There was no repressing any of it now, and it sure as shit didn't help that he was surrounded by advertisements for Mother's Day sales. 

Ness didn't expect a bottle of low-end perfume to magically resolve anything, but maybe it was worthwhile enough to at least remind her that she had a son.

His head felt foggy. Everything had become blurry, and all noises were muffled. It was just him and his thoughts, which was why he didn't immediately realize what was happening. Ness's brain tuned back into reality when he was abruptly shoved from behind. He barely managed to gather himself before several more people rushed by. They moved in packs. It was a stampede.

Ness stumbled forward while scanning the crowd, in search of anyone who could explain what the hell was going on. He was drowning in a sea of pure chaos, and he could barely keep his head above the water. From the other side of the mall, Ness could see police officers rushing into a store, urging everyone to make for the exit.

People were pouring out from escalators and onto the first floor. Ness stumbled along with the crowd, all while behind jostled by the shoulders and feeling a pair of sneakers repeatedly stepping on the backs of his ankles.

Near the back of the second floor, three officers were restraining a man in a mask as they wrestled a gun out of his hands. Telling by the man's distance from Macy's, Ness was certain that he had been walking merely a couple of feet within his proximity. He felt a chill rush down his spine.

Ness had been so distracted from the chaos, he hadn't yet processed that he was falling. His foot had missed a step as he was nearing the end of the escalator. The crowd parted to make room in order to move past him, but no one made an effort to help him up. Ness clawed at the floor, pulling himself out of the way before he could be trampled. He leaned against a wall as he tried to catch his breath. His vision went blurry again, this time from a surge of adrenaline.

Once the rush of the crowd had dwindled, Ness began to push himself up. He immediately felt a terrible pain in his lower leg. He didn't want to look down. He felt sick as his brain conjured the image of his leg looking mangled and twisted like one of the pretzel sticks in the display at the Auntie Anne's just a few feet from where he laid. The only thing anchoring him to consciousness was the scent of daisy perfume as the last few drops leaked from the broken bottle. He laid back down against the wall and groaned. He looked to the other side of the mall, where the last of the officers were questioning a few witnesses. 

Ness was tucked away behind a large, plastic plant, blocking him from everyone else's view. He cursed under his breath and gripped onto the side of the escalator to try to lift himself onto his uninjured foot, though it seemed to be in vain. The pain was too much. He lowered himself down, groaning again as he fell back onto the hard tiled floor.

Ness looked to his left at the sound of the men's bathroom door swinging open, revealing a security guard. The man tucked something into his jacket, probably a pack of cigarettes from a not-so discreet smoke break in the midst of the chaos. As he stepped into the open, his face formed a rather clear "oh shit" kind of expression. 

The security guard began to walk towards the remaining police officers. Seizing the opportunity, Ness frantically threw a hand in the air to signal for help. The man stopped in his tracks and turned his gaze to where Ness sat.

"Are you okay?" The guard stayed standing at a distance, probably hoping that his assistance wouldn’t be necessary. Ness wouldn't have blamed him.

The pain made it difficult to form a full thought, let alone a full sentence. Ness didn't know how else to communicate other than gesturing down to his injury, which was getting harder to not look at. The security guard took a step, made another "oh shit" face, then hurried over.

Ness had a habit of slipping into his customer service voice upon interacting with strangers, and this time was no exception as he forced himself to speak up, “can you call nine one one?"

It took a moment of stunned silence for the security guard to react. "Yeah, yeah.” His voice was borderline monotone, which didn't match the sudden flash of urgency in his eyes. Ness stared after the guard as he ran to a door marked STAFF ONLY.

All he could do was lay there looking up at the ceiling. There were a few remaining customers wandering around the first floor, none of which noticed Ness laying there, like a crumpled up napkin that didn’t make it into the trash bin. He was once again alone with his thoughts, but this time he was painfully aware of his reality, literally speaking.

The worst part of it was knowing that if it hadn't been for a random security guard, there would be no one to call for help. The smell of the Daisy perfume served as a strangely cruel reminder. 

He thought he'd be used to it by now. He began to wonder if he ever would.

MIKE

Mike had witnessed his fair share of wild shit during his time working at the mall, but this morning had managed to beat a new record. It wasn't even noon yet.

Mike never had to call 911 before. It was daunting to dial just those three digits. He leaned against the cinderblock wall of the break room and waited. For an emergency line, it was taking a surprisingly long time for someone to pick up. At least it bought him a little time to think of what to say. Hey, some guy broke his leg, I think?

“Nine-one-one. What’s your emergency?”

Since the station had already gotten the report about the active shooter, it didn’t take long to explain. Mike relayed the location and address of the mall, and that was that. He hung up the phone and heaved a sigh. 

The break room was empty, except for him. He was tempted to take a seat in one of the folding chairs, but decided against it. He was probably already on thin ice if there was any chance that his manager noticed his absence in the past forty five minutes, the time he spent reading in the bathroom when he should've been doing his job.

Mike’s approach towards work had always been to simply match his performance to his paycheck. You know what they say, you get what you paid for. Today was the only exception to his usual mentality. This wasn't just another kid throwing up outside of the candy shoppe, or another man having a heart attack in the food court. For once, Mike felt guilty for not doing the bare minimum.

Mike exited the break room and looked toward the escalator. Sure enough, the man was still there. It's not like he could've left that easily. 

"How are you holding up?" He hoped his question came out sounding more genuine than it did in his head, but the man didn't seem to care, and for obvious reasons.

The man barely glanced at Mike when he replied, "fine.”

"The paramedics are on the way."

"Great."

It probably wasn't a good sign that he was only responding with one syllable at a time. Mike looked around in search of anyone who could possibly be more qualified to deal with this. He wasn't paying attention when the man said something. Mike turned his head and looked at him with a lifted brow. "Hm?

"The bench.” The man’s hand trembled as he pointed to a set of benches near the bathroom, not too far from where Mike stood. It was hard to tell if he was annoyed or just tired, but it was probably both.

Mike, once again, looked around for anyone else who would be willing to step in. Did he feel like kind of an asshole for not wanting to bridal carry a stranger? Yes. But in his defense, it was clear that the stranger wasn't entirely keen on the idea either. Lucky for him, guilt quickly outweighed Mike's pride.

He wanted to move quickly to get it over with, but sooner realized that sudden movements weren't the best idea for dealing with a broken limb. The man had to wrap both arms around Mike's shoulders to steady himself until he made it safely to the bench. 

Mike crossed his arms and took his time to scan his surroundings, avoiding unnecessary eye contact. His job didn't normally require that much interaction with customers. The only times he spoke to anyone other than his co-workers was when someone needed directions to a store or the restrooms. All he could think to say was, "better?"

"Beats the floor.” The stranger wasn't doing a great job at selling his fake smile. It didn't help that he was still struggling to speak in full sentences without gritting his teeth.

They remained silent amidst the echoes of footsteps. Even during a public emergency, the speakers continued to play the same pop songs on a loop, all the same earworms that had been stuck in Mike’s head for months. He didn't go out of his way to listen to music other than what he was subjected to via public radio. He felt indifferent to most of it, despite his tendency to subconsciously hum Avril Lavigne in the shower.

"Shit."

Mike's attention snapped back to the stranger. The man was suddenly more alert. His arms frantically reached around the bench.

"Are you looking for something?"

The man rubbed a hand across his face and muttered something into his palm before speaking up, "it's nothing- it's just. . . I dropped my bag.”

Mike looked to the escalator, and a stray Macy’s shopping bag. "That?"

The stranger nodded as Mike lifted it from the ground. He could hear the faint clinking of broken glass. He looked further down to find that his shoe was in the center of a pinkish-orange puddle. A flowery smell filled his nostrils like a punch to the face. Mike dropped the bag into the trash and made a mental note to mop it up later. 

"Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it.” The stranger leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling. 

Mike’s thoughts were cut short by the high-pitched wail of an ambulance. Outside, two paramedics were already on foot with a stretcher before the ambulance had come to a full stop. Mike took a brief glance at the stranger before leaving to meet the paramedics.

"We got a call about a broken leg?" 

Mike nodded and pointed over his shoulder at the bench. “That way."

And with that, it was out of his hands. Mike stood by the water fountain, watching as they escorted the stranger towards the exit. He wondered if he should've waved or forced a sympathetic smile, but it didn’t matter. The stranger had been safely transported into the ambulance, which was already racing off, out of the parking lot and into the distance. 

The pop music somehow sounded louder now, as did the echoing footsteps of the few customers that roamed the building. No more horrified screams or running footsteps, just distant laughing and sounds from the nearby arcade. It was as if nothing had happened, like today was just any other ordinary day at the mall. And like any ordinary day, Mike had work to do.

NESS

Hospitals brought on a strange sense of nostalgia. Even years after his last visit, Ness was still accustomed to the smell of clorox wipes and latex. The atmosphere was by no means comforting, but familiarity prevented him from completely spiraling.

Despite the heavy doses of medication to alleviate the pain, Ness still couldn't sleep. Fatigue held him in a firm grasp, but there was too much on his mind to give in. There were too many things to worry about. For one, his manager. Calling to explain why exactly he missed his shift was a nightmare waiting to happen. Breaking a leg in a freak accident at the mall hardly sounded any different than “my dog ate my homework”.

"Mr. Sansfield?” 

The sound of the door pulled Ness out of his state of half-sleep. He lifted his head to greet the nurse with a half-hearted smile. 

"You have a guest."

The nurse stepped aside to reveal a complete stranger. Ness squinted. He blinked twice, wondering if maybe the drowsiness was affecting his vision. The stranger stepped inside and the nurse left without another word. Ness sat up. He wanted to protest, or call out to the nurse to clarify that he had no idea who this person was. For all he knew, he had just been left alone at the mercy of a serial killer.

"Hey.” His voice instantly sounded familiar. It took Ness another moment of staring blankly until he recognized the uniform shirt, then the Macy's bag.

"What. . .uh," Ness's voice came out in a mumble until he cleared his throat. "What're you doing here?"

"I figured you might want this back." The stranger lifted the bag. 

"Oh, that," Ness shook his head, "it broke when-“ He stopped when the man reached into the bag to reveal a perfectly intact bottle of perfume, still in its packaging. "I could've sworn-"

"I got it exchanged.” The man took a seat in a chair near the foot of the bed. "I gave them the receipt and told them what happened."

Ness wanted to smile or show some sort of display of gratitude, but he was still overcome by pure amazement. "You really didn't have to do that."

The man shrugged. He sniffed and stared absentmindedly around the room. 

"Well. . . thanks. . .” Ness trailed off, raising his eyebrows, waiting for the stranger to pick up on the implied question. When he didn’t get an answer, Ness finally took the initiative. “What’s your name?”

It took the man a second to realize he was being spoken to. He barely turned his head enough to make eye contact, as though the effort was too much of a hassle. “Mike.”

"Thanks, Mike." Finally, Ness managed to smile. "I'm Ness, by the way."

“I know.”

Ness’s eyebrows furrowed at the response. Before he could ask, Mike nodded at the clothes in the chair beside him, where his name tag was lying face-up.

The corners of Mike’s mouth lifted slightly into a somewhat passable smile, while his eyes remained stony. His stoic expression made it all seem less like a selfless gesture and more like a chore. 

Ness's smile wavered. He cleared his throat and waited for Mike to leave wordlessly, the same way he entered. Probably slamming the door on his way out. Instead, Mike sank a little deeper into his seat in the same manner as a middle-aged man preparing to take a nap in his prized recliner. 

"Question," Ness spoke up again after a moment of silence, "how did you get in here?"

"Hm?"

"How did you get in here? Isn't there a policy-“ His question was cut short by the opening of the door. The doctor stepped in, with a clipboard in hand and a stethoscope dangling at the neck. Mike sat up in his seat, posture suddenly straight as a pole.

"How are we holding up?" the doctor asked with the click of a ballpoint pen.

Ness answered with a half-nod, half-shrug. "Could be worse."

The doctor nodded and scribbled on the clipboard. "On the bright side, you're free to head home now. You can rest in the comfort of your own bed."

"Right," Ness said with a weary exhale.

"I'm assuming Mr. Sansfield will be your ride?"

Ness felt his brows knitting together in confusion, and even more so when the doctor gestured with the pen, pointing towards Mike, who was now sinking deeper into his chair, gripping onto the armrests like a passenger preparing to endure turbulence. To Ness's surprise, he nodded.

"In that case, it looks like everything's settled." The doctor handed the clipboard to Ness. "Just sign here at the bottom and you're free to go."

Ness, in a daze, took the pen and scribbled his signature as a single, wavy line. The doctor was gone in the instant that the pen left the clipboard.

“Mr. Sansfield?"

Mike's eyes widened slightly as his face suddenly revealed a new emotion, a cross between panicked and defensive. “They asked if I was spouse or family.”

Seeing the flustered expression spreading on Mike’s face, Ness quickly jumped in to do some damage control, though it might've already been too late depending on whether or not Mike could see the redness in his face. "I didn't know I had a brother."

Mike chuckled under his breath. His eyes flitted to the door, glancing out the narrow window. "You don't think I'll get in trouble, do you?"

"You should probably get out of here before you blow your cover."

Mike stood up and placed the Macy's bag in the chair, safe from being stepped on or otherwise shattered all over again. His hands dug into the pockets of his jacket. "Is there anything else?”

Ness raised his eyebrows, unable to understand the question.

Mike let out a long exhale as he gazed around the room. His head rolled back to look at Ness with bored eyes. “Do you need anything?”

"Uh. . .” Ness wanted to kick himself for even thinking about taking advantage of the offer, but he knew he was in no position to decline. "Yes, actually. I need a ride. I left my car at the mall- but, I mean, it's not like I would be able to drive it in the first place," Ness continued rattling on and on. He couldn't help it. His nerves kicked into high gear, and the words kept coming.

"Sure,” Mike's answer was as sudden as it was blunt, “No problem." 

Ness had to force his mouth shut to cut off the rest of the word vomit. He would have hesitated before gladly getting in a car with a stranger, but this was different. This technically wasn't a stranger anymore. This was Mike. Besides, even if he was a serial killer, Ness was short on options.

_____________________________________________________________

NEXT CHAPTER >>>

MASTER POST

If you don’t want to wait on updates of the revision on this blog, you can binge the original on Ao3 or wattpad ;)

[jinlizz-dragondrama]

Ninja Squad

Chapter 10

Operation Sneak into the underground Foot Clan base was in motion. April, Splints, and I plan on sneaking in with the boys to assess the current armor completion situation. April and I are waiting on a rooftop adjacent to the Foot Clan headquarters when Splinter crashes into them in his flying squirrel outfit. Jumping down to meet him, April exclaims while removing her Foot Clan disguise mask. "You didn't leave any goons for me!"

I give her a look of feigned hurt and clutch my heart. "I mean us," April corrects. I giggle and poke one of the goons with my foot.

"We got all jacked up to kick some foot butt and you can't put that feeling back in the bottle!" April angrily says while taking her anger out on an unconscious Foot goon by jumping on him.

"Do not worry, you two, there is plenty more inside," Splints says while gesturing towards an open window.

We made our way toward the location of the dark armor, which was deep underground in a dark and eerie cavern that was illuminated by candles that were placed in a walkway towards the altar that held the dark armor As I peered over the ledge just looking at it made my skin crawl.

Spotting my dads and Draxum admiring the armor, we see that it's almost complete. But one thing is missing-well, I mean four somethings....are missing the boys.

"Where are the boys they should be here by now?" Splints asks while looking around for them

"They know how important this mission is. They'll be here," April says, reassuring Splints

*Meanwhile, at the lair*

Raph is happily dancing towards the fridge and singing about some cake, but as soon as he touches the delicious morsel, he is thrown into a wall from an explosion and is stuck. Mikey starts laughing and congratulations himself on a job well done with his prank. Leo also congratulates his brother and gives his little bro a high five to celebrate... but surprise!! It was a dummy Leo 😏....hehehe and once Mikey's hand makes contact with it, it explodes and sends him flying into a pike of pizza boxes. Leo is sitting in his dad's recliner belly laughing, and the cushion under him explodes, and he's sent skyrocketing into the ceiling and lands hard onto the grated floor.

"And victory, that gentleman is why I am the king of -" Before Donnie can finish his winning monologs, Raph falls onto him, effectively crushing him.

"OK guys, enough messing around, we need to train for Friday's Foot mission," Raph says in his leader's voice

"But today is Friday," Mikey says while emerging from the toppled pike of pizza boxes

No, it's not. It's Thursday. " Leo matter of factly says

"No, it's Friday," Mikey counters

"But the mission is on Friday," Leo says back

"Wait if today is Friday then..." Raph says as he reaches out to touch the teddy calendar, but Leo tries to warn him not to touch it. But it was too late, and an explosion occurred, sending Raph into the projector screen,

causing his panic button to go off.

*Back to the cavern*

We see Splinter's panic button alarm go off, and Splinter wants to retreat, but April and I suggest that we stay to keep an eye on the armor. Once he leaves, a new development happens.

"Start packing up the dark armor. We are moving it to its final location for grand the ceremony," Papa Brutus says

"Moving? Final location? Grand ceremony?" We both look at each other in horror as they place the armor in bubble wrap and boxes.

*Back at the lair*

Splinter arrives at the Lair and sees the destruction the pranks have caused but thinks his sons have been fluffed to pieces. But no, the boys appear from behind the wreckage of the comfy recliner and feather pile with looks of sadness and embarrassment.

Splinter expresses to them...oh no, I can't even say it...his disappointment in the boys 🥺. He walks away defeated towards his room, and one last prank goes off. The boys all go into hiding except for Leo, who claims that he made that one.

While Splinter is wallowing in his shame and disappointment, he gets an idea to look for wisdom in his ancestral scrolls. Once he opens the scroll it glows a florescent green and the Hamato Clan ancestors appear to help guide him on what to do if as he put "What to do if you live your whole life as an action star Lui Jitsu and now the dark armor is almost complete and your sons aren't ready chapter", Phew that was a mouthful.

The boys are in the skateboard room discussing what just happened.

"You know I'm not too worried, I mean, what's the punishment for missing a life-threatening saving mission anyway?" Gotta be pretty lenient," Donnie says, trying to hide how scared he is but trying to come off as confident.

"Relax, everyone has a calendar mix-up now and then," Leo states, reassuring

"Yeah, well, just say sorry, I'll give him my puppy dog eyes, and -" Mikey shows off those gosh darn cute puppy dog eyes, but he's interrupted by Raph

"Puppy dog eyes won't work, Dad isn't mad....he's disappointed," Raph says, defeated

*At a Mystic Grand Central Station*

April and I still in our Foot subordinate disguises are in a line carrying boxes of armor to what looks like a spider train. April turns to see Big Mama in her human disguise and Draxum discussing something. Draxum hands Big Mama now in her original spider form a glowy orb thingy. The line starts to move in front of us while we are distracted trying to pick up what they are saying.

"HEY, YOURE HOLDING UP THE LINE" Cass shouts at us, I'm about to sucker punch her like I used to do when she'd scare me but I hold back and we continue moving towards the train.

"I swear, the greatest threat to this ancient mystic Clan is LINE INEFFICIENCY. now move, PLEASE!" The rest of the line starts moving as she commands.

*Back to the lair* (Anyone else getting whiplash...cuz I am)

When Splinter comes out of his room, the boys are kneeling before him with apologetic looks on their faces.

"Dad, we're sorry, not like our normal, sorry, like for real sorry. Will you let us make it up to you?" Raph says

"Yeah, it's time we grew up and accepted our destiny as descendants of the Tamato Clan," Leo says

"It's Hamato," Donnie corrects

"It is, it is Hamato," Leo says, embarrassed

"We're ready to become the ultimate ninjas dad," Donnie says confidently

"Starting right now," Mikey says as he rips off one of his stickers, and he screeches so loud that astronauts could hears him. Withtear-filledd eyes, he recovers and shows no reaction to the pain he was feeling. Effectively putting a game face on. Splinter takes it as a sign that his boys are finally ready to take the next step.

*Insert training montage*

"This will require great focus and sacrifice. It is time to get serious. You must let go of your childish ways. You must become more than turtles. You must think as one. You must become an extension of the Clan, ready to sacrifice all. Only then will you be ready to fight. The old versions of you will be gone, shed like a skin you will be remade in the image of your ancestors are you ready my sons?" Splinter says in his dad and mentor voice.

"Yes, sensei," the boys say in unison.

*On the mystic Spider Train*

April and I sneak around, but before we could get anywhere, Papa Lui spotted us and took our boxes. I hid behind April, trying to make myself as small as possible just in case he somehow recognized me.

"Uh, where are you moving it?" April asks, and I face palm myself, knowing how Papa Lui cares about people asking what the goings on are and knowing he might go on a tangent. But it's slightly not what happened.

"Thank you for asking. People take very little interest in our work, and I'm quite proud of it. Now then, I'm putting the armor in the front car where it will be safe." He gestures to the circular door at the end of the train car that next to Papa Brutus, who is sleeping soundly.

April and I share a knowing look suggesting that we regroup with the boys and Splinter. But before we could leave the doors to the train, slam shut, and a bunch of locks appear on the doors and windows.

No escape 🥺

He pats us on the head, and the train starts to move.

"Don't panic, don't panic," April says

"I'm not panicking you are," I say while biting my nails nervously and thinking of a plan

April gets an idea and hits her panic button, Donnie's voice is all but screams that our panic is very important to him. The force of his loud message rips off our Foot Clan disguises, leaving us I'm our everyday clothes. Which is just a black hoodie, purple leggings, and white sneakers for me with Mt hair in a long braid down my back. The bits and pieces of our clothes fall onto Papa Brutus, which wakes him up. We try jimming the door open to no avail and look for a place to hide.

*On top of a building*

The boys land Onto the building greeting Splinter in a very ninja way, which brings tears to Splinter's eyes. He quickly wipes the tears away, and Donnie alerts the team that April's panic button is going off, but he turns off the notification.

Splinter realizes that we are in trouble

"OH no, April, Aqua, the armor! Training over you all pass, graduate, you are ninjas now, hip hip horray, we go!"

*On the train*

We successfully found a hiding spot... too bad it was up against the ceiling of a moving train! April's panic button was left on the ground,and Papa Brutus found it and alerted Papa Lui to its findings. My legs and arms start to jiggle from the strain of holding an awkward position, and sweat starts to trail down April's face.

The boys have caught up to us with the turtle tank. Splinter instructs them to climb onto the top of the tank and wait for his command to jump. Once he gives the command the boys land on the now unshimmered sleek metal frame of the train and a green portal opens which slightly causes them to panic.

We are still hiding in the ceiling but April's sweat droplet want to poke a little fun and land on Papa Brutus head. He sees us and reaches up to grab us while doing his evil laugh. Luckily he couldn't sew my face due to a well placed shadow, before he could grab us the boys jump through a hatch and Mikey hits him with his kusari-fundo knocking him out cold. We jump down landing on my Papa, when we look up we realize that the boys look different....more ninjaish. I was kind liking the new look on Donnie. But snapping myself out if it while April is having an EXE brain error Donnie asks about the location of the dark armor which I explain its at the front car. We make our way through a dining car and are stopped by a door with a bunch of colorful eyeball buttons.

How do we get to the front with no doors?" Raph says while trying to push the door open. But he gets an idea to touch one of the buttons to see what happens. We pile onto him and get sucked into the door. They land gracefully while April and I land Onto of each other with a thud. I see that the car we are on is a relaxing spa one and inhale the refreshing scents with a gleeful sigh.

"Okay, let's stay calm keep our minds clear and think of a plan" Raph says while they sit crisscross apple sauce while thinking.

That's when the rose-colored glasses break from my scent induced namaste and I start freaking out with April about the boys thinking about a plan.

Donnie well being Donnie figures out that each button is tied to a different car. I look at Donnie with a "no really" kind of look. So it was then decided that we will try them all. Raph instructs Donnie, Mikey and I to take a shot,both of us holding onto Donnie we go from car to car.

"Here"

"No not here"

"Here"

"Not here either"

"Here"

"Negative"

"No dark armor"

"Nope"

We ended up in a exercise room car where we spot both Papa Lui and Cass.

"Turtles you must be the infiltrators" Papa Lui says while I sneakily make my way to the other side of the car to figure out wgivh button to push next.

I'm gonna enjoy breaking every single bone...is there something different about you two? Cass questions

"Yea they are even lamer than before" Papa lui says while high fiving Cass

I roll my eyes at the horrible attempt at a burn, Donnie throws a huge heavy weight disk at them that misses them and barely misses me as I move out the way.

"Watch where you're throwing stuff Donnie!" I shout while clutching my chest trying to calm my thumping heart.

"S-sorry Y/N" Donnie says while slightly panicking because of my reaction but he knew it wouldn't hit me....like 98% sure....

This drew the attention of Cass and Papa Lui.

"Y/N?" They both say shocked

I slowly and awkwardly pull up my hood to hide my face as I turn around to look at the buttons again.

Mikey throws his kusari-fundo and tn all four start fighting. Meanwhile April and Leo are having their own situation and Raph is playing inie minie mynie mo (probably spelt it wrong) but before he could hit the one he lands on he's intercepted by one of the macho knight fighter.

Back to Donnie, Mikey and I as soon as I'm about to choose one myself Cass gets knocked into a gravity leaver and we start floating around.

"HEY, HEY! You guys are gonna pay for this!" Cass shouts as she floats around.

I couldn't help but not laugh at the situation, in the middle of my chuckle fest Mikey grabs Cass with his Kusari-fundo and sends her flying into the door with buttons and she gets portaled to another train car. The chaos ensues everyone is being thrown around from car to car. And each person fighting or not fighting *couch cough* Raph and Cass I'm talking to you. Leo and Raph end up in a train car where a Mysrit Taxes presentation is being held...big yawn. But apparently talking isn't a option or you'll face dire consequences which may or may not involve broken limbs. Soon a plan was made with Raph and Leo making it back to April in the freezer car. They ninja mind meld which mind boggles April. Leo and Raph send the Foot Clan main Trio and the two macho knight fighter guys into the Taxes presentation and Papa Lui makes the mistake of calling it boring and they get sent to oblivion.

We finally make it to the front car with the Dark armor. But a scary and evil voices bellows from the darkness that surrounds us and we all freeze with fear. The boys turn around and purple tentacles appear behind April and I.

"April!" Raph shouts as he reaches for her but its too late and she's pulled into the darkness.

Then I'm grabbed next but Draxum now knowing to some extent how strong I can be he quickly and tight grabs me and his a nerve blocking area that makes my body go limp. But before I get pulled away I quietly say "Donnie..." my vision goes dark and I feel myself being pulled back. Donnie attempts to run after me but they are captured as well.

What will happen to us? Fund out in part 2 😋

[softskiesahead]

4 days of lukeyaya 3/14.......<3 <3 <3 ^ᴗ^ <3 <33

high school luke had no plans on confessing yet, but he wasn't about to let valentine's day roll by un-celebrated. he had to do something, right? he didn't care much for how anyone else wanted to celebrate it... but he knew yaya wanted to. he knew she loved this time of year, and he was determined to be at least a small part of that.

it had seemed like a good plan at the start. he called in to place an order for roses a few weeks in advance, making sure there would be some when the day came. he looked into whatever chocolate brands seemed the cutest and the tastiest. he spent days on end folding together tiny little origami stars out of pink, red, or white paper, piling them in a little jar until they totaled 100. he packed the chocolates and jar into his backpack, content with what he had made. everything was going to be perfect.

it rained that morning. february 14th rolled around, rainy and dreary. his alarm didnt go off. he overslept so bad he barely had the time to throw on his clothes and shove down a piece of bread. he hadn't even noticed when his foot landed on a portion of his backpack as he stumbled around in a hurry.

he flew down the sidewalk as he ran to the flower store, racing against the time so as to not be late for school. the rain pelted his face and drenched his clothes, his eyes half-shut as he squinted against the harsh, wet winds. he nearly slid into the flower shop with how slick the sidewalk was. paying in a hurry, he thanked the little old couple behind the counter before taking off again.

he was out of breath by the time he got to the schools front gates. yaya was still sitting out front beside rosa, as if the two were waiting for him, thankfully out of the rain. she brightened up when she saw him, running out to greet him with merely a hand held above her head to shield her from the rain.

it was nearly automatic the way he pulled off his jacket to hold up above them both, above her. "I brought these for you!" he said, fighting against the roar of the wind. she looked down and he followed, only horrified to see some of the petals had been ripped off and blown away in the wind. the roses were drenched, looking a little worse for wear. they didnt look at all like the gorgeous bouquet he had picked up only a few blocks back.

he pushed it into yayas hands for a moment in horror as he dropped his backpack to the ground, other arm still holding the jacket above her head. he fished around in the bag for a moment before finding it... the crushed box of chocolates. one side was almost smashed in... he must have accidentally stepped on it that morning.

an awful feeling was piling up inside of him, like a mix between horror and bile. he reached inside once more, pulling out the still intact bottle of stars. a small feeling of relief nestled inside, though the burning pang of tears still threatened the corner of his eyes. "i brought these for you," he repeated, his voice weaker and shaky.

even still, her hands gently took all the gifts from him, cradling them as if they were precious. there was no disappointment waiting when he finally brought himself to look her in the eye, only that same gentleness she always offered him.

"thank you, luke. i love it."

WRITING CHAPTERS IJ MY INBOX . MAKING ME CRY . your power . the details in this one??? he instantly wants to keep her dry :((( the stars :(((( yaya absolutely keeps them forever. they’re treasures to her and she’s so so happy :((((( he gets so sad but she’s so so happy she absolutely gushes about them and carries the flowers around with her ALL day and keep them in her bedroom until they’re falling apart in the vase

“be a small part of that” he’s all of it she’s so grateful for him always. she’s always loved him even if she wasn’t fully aware of it <3

[aoicourier]

November 14th, 2281

Hi, Pip. Sorry it took me so long to write again. It's been a day and a half since my last entry. I hope you weren't worried about me. As much as a block of unthinking metal strapped to my wrist CAN be worried, that is.

Fear not, I'm safe and I'm back in Goodsprings. Back in the same bed that I woke up in after Benny Boy shot me in the head, actually. I can hear Doc Mitchell moving around the house.

Let's get you caught up. So, the day before yesterday, I arrived at the Legion's stronghold on Fortification Hill after several hours of travel along the Colorado River. Upon arrival, they stripped me of all my weapons and gear, the Platinum Chip, and they even tried to take my stash of alcohol. If the Legion takes over New Vegas, the booze will be the first thing that gets poured down the drain, right before the rights of women and people's personal freedoms in general. Nightmarish, in more ways than one. I'm not sure exactly when I went from being a courier on a path of revenge to a central player in an escalating ideological war, but now that I'm here I need to do what I can to ensure the Legion does not emerge victorious.

I span the soldiers some lie about needing the alcohol for my heart condition, and they reluctantly allowed me to keep a few bottles of beer. Then I was marched up the hill towards their leader, the mighty Caesar. They all pronounce it KY-SAR, like Mr. Fox did in Nipton. Rows of crucified bodies lined the hill, many rotted away to black skeletons. There were trenches dug, and gun emplacements watching the river. Hundreds of armed guards. Trained attack dogs. Assaulting this place would be impossible without an overwhelming force. Young children in red armour ran about, playing. They'd grow up to think this a normal way of life. The only women I saw were slaves, struggling up and down the steep hill carrying packs of heavy supplies, not even permitted to wear shoes. I could feel countless eyes on me, wondering who this woman was, how she dared even walk upright. I was convinced that I would be led into a cage and never see the light of day ever again.

Instead, I was shown into a spacious tent, and there he sat, in his throne, an older man with a shaved head and a weathered, unsmiling face. Caesar himself. He didn't look like a legendary warrior. But he didn't look like someone to be taken lightly, either. When he spoke, he spoke with complete conviction. He knew exactly who I was, listed off all my accomplishments: tracking Benny across the wasteland, killing him in his own casino and getting away with it, being the first human in recent memory to gain access to the Lucky 38. As he said himself, I haven't exactly been keeping a low profile. It's gotta be the blue hair. People just seem to remember a dame with blue hair.

He wasted no time in telling me what he wanted from me: he wanted me to work for him. To kill Mr. House before the Legion staged their invasion of Hoover Dam. At least that means they're not quite ready to cross the river yet. He knew about the Platinum Chip, knew it would open the bunker at the bottom of the hill. He'd been unable to pry the hatch open, or blow it up. He didn't know what was in there, but he was convinced it was a weapon of some sort. He wanted me to destroy it.

Night was falling as I left the tent and made my way across the camp. The wind was cold and biting at this altitude. A little girl was upset that her teddy bear had been taken and given to the dogs. At the weather station at the foot of the hill, my weapons were returned to me, alongside the Platinum Chip. There was a metal hatch in the floor, and a computer console. I inserted the Chip into the slot on the console, and the hatch slid opened smoothly, like it had been waiting all these years for someone just to ask politely.

I descended the stairs. Caesar's men did not follow. Their leader didn't want any of them to see what was inside. Said he'd have to kill them if they did. I wondered what that meant for my chances of survival. The door at the bottom was painted with the logo of the Lucky 38 Casino. Beyond it, the bunker was irradiated. I climbed into the radiation suit I carried with me, and made my way inside. Mr. House was waiting for me, or rather, his green-tinted face on another monitor. He trusted that I wouldn't destroy this place, as Caesar had asked. It was a barracks of sorts, he said. Said that the Securitrons he had in New Vegas were only a tiny fraction of the total he'd manufactured. This was where the real army was. He needed me to upgrade them all with the Mark II software stored on the Platinum Chip. Then they could defend New Vegas, keep order.

I made my way through the bunker. Crude sentry bots and laser turrets attempted to stop me, but were easily disabled by a few well-aimed bullets. They were nowhere near as sturdy as a Securitron. I found the power regulators, that if destroyed would take out the entire bunker. I am fully aware that handing House the keys to an unstoppable robot army is a plan that may have future repercussions. But I'll worry about those when the time comes. For now, I just need anyone, or anything, that can stop the Legion in its tracks.

I inserted the Platinum Chip into the operations console in the deepest part of the bunker, and unseen machinery whirred into life. And then dozens, hundreds, perhaps thousands of Securitron Mk II units slowly came to life, in warehouses that stretched as far as the eye could see. Each one showing the face of a soldier on their screens; not a protector, but a trained killer. When I returned to the surface, Caesar believed that the booming he'd felt beneath his feet was evidence of me destroying the bunker, and I did nothing to dissuade him of that notion.

Having proved my worth to him, Caesar talked all through the night about himself, about the Legion, about his plans. He'd grown up as a Follower of the Apocalypse, learning about warfare from ancient Pre-War books, until he'd gotten involved in a conflict between seven small tribes at the Grand Canyon. With his guidance, one clan had defeated the others, absorbing their strength and purging the weak. Then they began to conquer larger and larger tribes. Men would fight to the death for their positions, and weakness in any form was not tolerated. Soon it was a mighty army, controlling several states. Unlike the NCR, who emulate 21st-century American politics with all their corruption, the newly-appointed Caesar modelled his Legion after Imperial Rome. He believed that a society such as this is the only one strong enough to survive the harsh realities of the wasteland. Individuals and other cultures have no meaning. Only the Legion itself matters. By defeating the NCR and making New Vegas into their Rome, the Legion will become a military empire that can protect itself and its citizens. A brutal nation for a brutal world.

Mr. Fox was there, too. They call him Vulpes Inculta. He told me about the leader of Caesar's army, the Legate Lanius. They call him the Monster of the East. A barbarian who wears a metal mask into battle to cover his maimed face. He cares nothing for his own men, only for destroying his enemies. When the Legion assault the Dam, his own soldiers will be more scared of him than of the NCR. The army's previous leader, who was outsmarted by the NCR Rangers during the first Battle of Hoover Dam, was set aflame and cast into the Grand Canyon as punishment. His true name was erased, and now he is known only as the Burned Man. Some in the camp were whispering that he was still alive, somehow.

Reiterating that he expected me to kill Mr. House upon my return to New Vegas, Caesar finally permitted me to leave. And so I boarded the barge again, back to Cottonwood Cove, arriving in the early hours of the morning. I left unmolested, and wearily began the journey back. A crucified man called out to me - he'd been sentenced to death for smuggling chems - and I set him free. Otherwise, the roads were quiet. It was as if the entire wasteland was holding its breath in anticipation of things to come. I was in dire need of sleep, but I didn't dare stop moving anywhere near an area controlled by the Legion. Instead I walked all day, back to Goodsprings, where I drank whiskey in the Prospector's until I passed out. Then I woke up here, the next morning, at the Doc's place.

My mind is made up. Lady Luck has been on my side so far. Until that luck runs out, I will do everything in my power to stop the Legion from taking power. What happens after that, I don't know. I'm just a simple courier. But there are some things that only I can do.

Yes Man told me before that a chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel are encamped in a place called Hidden Valley. It isn't too far from here. That's my next destination. I need to find out where they stand in this conflict.

[taylincolnhq]

thread title: shake it out

thread location: mckinley high, outside bleachers

thread date & time: friday september 12th, after school

tagging: marley rose @marlcyhq

triggers: none

summary: marley falls for taylor (literally and figuratively) at the soccer field. adorableness ensues. another new beginning

marley rose marley had been spending more time outside as the weather had warmed up around campus. her mother was finding a routine at the cafeteria and didn’t need her daughter’s help as often which had been leaving the high schooler with a bit more free time, especially on the days she didn’t have glee. a change of scenery helped her focus and the noise of folks practicing on the field below her provided an almost white noise if she sat far enough away. after typing up the last sentence of an essay due early next week, the small dark haired woman packed up her things and carefully maneuvered her way down the bleachers, her phone and a book in hand. marley was so focused on making sure she was stepping down correctly that she hardly noticed the other in her path, stumbling forward. “oh! I’m so sorry.” the shorter woman muttered almost as quickly as she caught herself.

taylor lincoln there was nothing more that taylor loved than running around on the field and the freedom it brought her. it had been a pretty intense practice, their first few games slowly creeping up on them, but she didn't really mind. as the coach said to hit the showers, something taylor was very grateful for, she headed over to where she had left her water bottle on the bleachers. taking a swig, she turned back to watch her team leaving not paying any attention to behind her. as she felt someone bump into her she whipped around. normal there would be something snarky or sarcastic on the tip of her tongue, but she soon realised it was her fault the other had stumbled. instinctively a hand came up to touch the arm of the other, steadying them. "I'm sorry." taylor said, dropping her bottle to the floor and raising the other hand in case there was a fall. "are you okay?"

marley rose a soft yelp escaped her lips as she felt herself start to fall. She flailed her arms, desperate to regain her balance, and just as she was about to hit the ground, taylor’s strong hands caught her on her forearms, steadying her.

“sorry!” marley’s cheeks flushed bright red as she looked up at taylor, her heart pounding in embarrassment. “I-I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

she straightened up, still feeling the warmth of taylor’s hands on her arms. marley’s voice was barely above a whisper. “I’m okay, really. thanks for catching me. I hope I didn’t distract you from practice. ”

marley tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes darting to the ground. “I guess I need to be more careful.” She attempted a small, shy smile, hoping taylor didn’t think she was a complete klutz. “oh gosh did I keep you from your practice. I, I was just leaving.”

taylor lincoln taylor praised herself for her quick reflexes as she held onto marley. "woah seriously are you okay?"

she gripped marley's arms a little tighter, but not enough to hurt. "you don't have to be sorry, it was my fault. I was blocking the way."

taylor shakes her head as she smiles softly. "nah we were all done. I'm just an idiot who left my water over here." she knocks the bottle slightly with her foot and looks back up at marley.

"hey, hey, breathe okay?" she takes a deep breath herself, hoping marley would copy her. "you didn't keep me from anything. I was just heading for a shower that's all." she couldn't help but smile at her though. "one last time - are you okay?"

marley rose marley felt her heart race even more as taylor’s grip tightened slightly. she nodded, finding her voice. “yeah, i’m okay. just a little embarrassed, i guess.”

her cheeks still felt hot, but taylor’s calm demeanor helped. marley took a deep breath, mimicking taylor. “thanks. and really, it’s not your fault. i should’ve been paying attention.”

she glanced at the water bottle taylor had knocked with her foot, then back up at her. taylor’s smile was so genuine, it made marley feel more at ease. “i’m glad i didn’t interrupt anything important.”

marley managed a small smile of her own. “yeah, i’m okay. promise. thanks for catching me, taylor.” she hesitated for a moment, then her eyes lit up with curiosity. “so, um, how do you think practice went today? those new drills were kinda fun.”

taylor lincoln taylor's brows furrowed slightly. "you have no reason to be embarrassed, all the best people have fallen down bleachers I'm sure." she shrugs. "have you ever seen princess diaries? anne hathaway takes a hell of a tumble."

once she feels marley relax, taylor slowly moves her hands away. "let's agree to disagree, we're both a little clumsy and distracted right now I guess."

she leans down to pick her bottle up and takes a long drink, finishing it off. "you're welcome." then taylor grins. "just try not to fall for everyone you meet." she laughs.

taylor turns her head back to the field where all of her team and left now and shrugged. "it was good. we need to maybe step it up another gear before our first game, but we'll be fine." she turns back to marley and raises and eyebrow. "you know the drills are new? have you been watching us marley rose?" she smirks and nudges marley gently with her shoulder

marley rose marley’s blush deepened at taylor’s words. “yeah, i’ve seen princess diaries. but i am no anne hathaway that’s for sure,” she said with a shy smile.

as taylor moved her hands away, marley felt a mix of relief for her stability and a new longing for the touch to return strange she thought . “let’s agree to disagree,” she echoed softly, her eyes flicking to taylor’s face and then back down.

when taylor laughed and mentioned not falling for everyone, marley couldn’t help but giggle, her blush intensifying. “i’ll try my best.”

taylor’s question caught her off guard, and she bit her lip nervously. “um, yeah, i’ve been watching your practices. you guys are really good,” she admitted, feeling her cheeks warm even more. “i just… like seeing how the team works together. you’re all so impressive out there.”

marley hesitated, then looked up at taylor with a small, hopeful smile. “do you think maybe i could watch you-and uh, the team from the front of the bleachers? even just to watch more closely? i am so not an athlete and i like to spend the time outside.”

taylor lincoln taylor wasn't really sure what to do with her hands now that she'd let go of marley and finished her drink. she awkwardly folded them across her chest. "i don't know, if they ever did a reboot, I'd put your name forward."

as taylor watched marley mainly stared at the floor and she tilted her head to the side as she observed her. maybe she should turn her teasing down a bit. she took a step to the side just in case the girl wanted to bolt at any time.

but then she watched marley blushing and giggling and she couldn't help but smile softly at her, it seemed like marley was coming out of her shell more. and she was kind of cute.

"oh…" taylor paused as she took in marley's compliment. "thanks." she replied sheepishly. brushing some hair behind her ear she looked back over at the field. "i just hope we can go all the way this year." she muttered

then her head whipped back suddenly to marley. "uh, yeah. of course you can." she smiled and waved her arms about. "you can sit wherever you want. well apart from when the weather starts to get worse, i wouldn't recommend it then."

marley rose marley looked up, making more eye contact with taylor, her cheeks still warm. “thanks, taylor,” she said softly, feeling a mix of shyness and excitement. “i love watching soccer, especially watching you practice. you’re really amazing out there.”

she bit her lip, her eyes flicking back to the field and then to taylor’s face. “it’s inspiring to see how hard you all work. you do this and glee? that’s wild. i usually just go to rehearsal and help my mom out. what do you do when you’re not at practice?” she asked curiously.

marley’s heart continued to thump loudly in her ears as she stayed put as she spoke, but she couldn’t help but smile and maintain her eye contact with the other. “i’ll definitely take your advice about the weather, though. don’t want to catch a cold.” , feeling a bit more at ease. “i’m really looking forward to seeing you, and the team play more. i usually am just doing homework out here and now i am learning so much. ”

taylor lincoln as marley keep compliment the team, and mainly her, taylor could feel her cheeks flushing. "thank you." she cleared her throat and shuffled her feet a little awkwardly.

she gave a shrug. "its not a big deal." she smiled softly. "this is my life." she gestured to the field. "glee is just a hobby." taylor hummed to herself as she thought about everything she did. "well i skate, love skateboarding. i work part time at the movie theater. i help my mom out by babysitting my sister. oh i go running a lot, usually with sam. play video games." she stopped abruptly. that was actually a lot of stuff. and she was talking about herself too much. "what about you? surely you do stuff for fun?"

taylor shakes her head. "I'd hate if you got a cold and I was the one responsible." she unconsciously steps forward towards marley and lifted a hand, nearly placing it on her arm, but she stopped herself at the last second. her cheeks burned red and she moved her hand quickly down. what was she /doing?/ she wanted to touch her. nodding quickly and looked away, desperate to change the subject. "yeah anytime, drop by. we're a cool bunch, super friendly." there was a slight awkward pause, but she couldn't help but look back over at marley and smiled softly. "if you ever want any pointers or tips about soccer, just ask, I'm more than happy to explain."

marley rose marley nodded almost too enthusiastically. she felt the now constant blush creep up her cheeks. “thank you, taylor. i’d love to learn more from you,” she said, her voice soft and sincere.

she hesitated for a moment, then decided to open up a bit more. “after school, i usually help my mom in the cafeteria. we have a small garden out by our apartment so i support her with cleaning all the veggies and keeping the house in order if she’s stuck at school. after my dad died, we came back here to lima so, so yeah. she works in the cafeteria. she’s the lunch lady.” marley confessed, surprisingly prideful and not awkward as she usually was, when she was afraid of the judgement and ridicule about her mom’s profession at her old school. “and i love working in it. it’s really calming, you know?” she smiled, feeling a bit more confident. “and i assist at the kids section of the library on the weekends . the kids are adorable, and it’s so rewarding to help them learn and grow. books were my first friend.” she rambled vulnerably even as the words came out.

marley noticed taylor’s hand nearly touching her arm, and her heart skipped a beat, she moved her arm up, allowing the others hand to touch it, a welcome invitation, another rush of energy as she blushed deeper . “i think it’s amazing how much you do, taylor. you’re really inspiring,” she said, looking up and making more eye contact. “and don’t worry, i’ll be careful with the weather. i wouldn’t want to miss any of your, or the team’s practices.”

she felt a warm connection between them and couldn’t help but smile back. “i’ll definitely take you up on those pointers. your team is incredible, and you’re a big part of that. I can’t promise you I’ll be running around on the field. I’m hopelessly uncoordinated.” marley’s eyes shone with genuine admiration.

taylor lincoln taylor grinned. "awesome. but just never ask to watch a game with me, i can get a little intense and passionate about my team." she laughs. "they're pretty important to me."

her hand gently grazed marley's arm her fingers trailed slowly down and taylor swallows hard. but then she frowns when she hears the other talk about her dad. her jaw clenches at the mention of a father, but this wasn't about her, and her heart was breaking for marley. "i'm sorry." she says genuinely. and this time she is braver and wraps a hand around marley's arm and squeezes softly. "if you ever want to talk. i'm here." she takes another step forward. "your mom sounds amazing. and if she's the same lovely lunch lady that served me today, i think i can see a resemblance." she grins. "well, you've got lots of friends now right? including me." and taylor winks at marley.

at the inspiring comment, taylor scoffs. "it's really really not a big deal." her cheeks flushed more. "i just hope it's worth it in the end." there's a bit of a weak smile, but she quickly changes focus back to marley. "i'm sure you're not that bad. but i wouldn't put any pressure on you to join in if you didn't want to."

marley rose marley felt her heart nearly leap out of her chest as taylor’s hand gently grazed her arm, sending a warm shiver down her spine. she couldn’t help but blush deeper, trying to remain cool as she felt the softness of taylor’s touch. what was going on with her? “thank you, taylor,” she said softly, her voice full of genuine appreciation. “i really mean it. it means a lot to me. i also don’t talk about it a lot with anyone so thank you for making the space for me, well, outside aha.”

she took a small breath, feeling a mix of bravery and shyness. “i’d actually love to watch a game with you sometime,” she said, her eyes shining with excitement. “even if you get intense and passionate, i think it’d be fun. i think it’s really important to be passionate about the things you care about. .”

marley’s heart swelled with warmth at taylor’s words about her mom. “yeah, that’s her, she’s mentioned you before. you’re always so sweet to her which some people aren’t., she’s amazing. and yep, that’s her,” she giggled softly. “she’s the best.”

feeling bold, marley stepped a little closer to meet the other where she was standing , her eyes meeting hers with a hopeful look. “It’s definitely worth it, taylor. and i’d really like to be there to cheer you on, both at practice and during games. can’t promise ill be as coordinated, graceful and put together as the cheerios are but ill be there. i write my essays outside best anyway and maybe you could come hang at the library sometime?” she smiled, her cheeks still flushed. “so, what do you say? maybe we could hang out and watch sport tv event or show of your choosing together sometime?”

taylor lincoln taylor nods slowly. "any time. i mean it." she hesitates for a second, but then ducks her head before she replies. "i get it. family stuff that you don't always want talk about." she leaves it at that, that's all marley needs to hear. there's a little shrug and then she squeezes marley's arm one more time before pulling away again. "you would?" taylor was confused. no one ever wanted to watch soccer with her, not even her sister. she's speechless for a moment before nodding dumbly. "i'd love that." and she means it. "and yeah you're right. i do think that's important." her eyes shine and she grins brightly.

"oh she has?" she smiles shyly. "well i'd love to get chance to talk to her now i know she's your mom." she frowns. "yeah i've heard some of the comments and stuff… i'm sorry i try everything i can to make them stop." she kicks the empty bottle on the floor. "there's some real fucking jerks in this school."

marley steps closer and taylor's breath hitches a little. "i'll let you know our schedule." she manages to say. nodding frantically she smiles. "i'd love to hang out in the library. i need to read more… and probably study more honestly." she knows her cheeks are red. "yeah next time my team plays i'll let you know."

marley rose marley bit her lip nervously, then decided to take a small leap. “i’d really love that, taylor., yes really.” she said softly, her voice filled with warmth.

reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her phone and handed it to taylor with a little smile. “maybe you could text me the schedule? that way i won’t miss a single game.” her fingers brushed against taylor’s as she passed the phone, sending a small thrill through her.

she took a small step closer, her eyes meeting taylor’s with a hopeful look. “and yeah, hanging out in the library sounds perfect. we can study together once i'm done shelving , and maybe you can tell me more about the team.” her cheeks flushed a bit more, but she felt a growing excitement.

“you know,” marley continued, her voice softening, “i'm sure my mom will be really excited to meet you. she talks about how sweet you are whenever you come through the lunch line. she’s always telling me how you’re one of the few polite students she sees every day.” marley’s eyes sparkled as she spoke, feeling a mix of pride and joy.

“i am excited to learn more about the game on tv.” marley added, her voice full of genuine admiration. “it'll help supporting the team. would it be okay for me to bring my mom sometime? if that’s okay. she’ll be a big fan when she knows you’re on the team.” the team, sure, the team

taylor lincoln taylor's brows raised as marley handed her the phone. a girl, wanted her number, what? honestly she'd been waiting for this moment for a long while. struggling to find words she just took the phone, a shiver up her spine as their fingers brushed. she tapped it in and passed the phone back, still speechless.

finally managing to open her mouth again, she replied to marley. "as long as i don't annoy you with all the talk about the team, that would be cool." as marley started talking about her mom again taylor grinned. "yeah you'll have to introduce us properly. it'll be good to actually talk to her about stuff other than tater tots."

"watching it on tv will help you understand better because at least i'll be there telling you stuff. and can answer your questions better than when i'm on the field." smiling brightly, taylor nods. "yeah of course, i'd love for her to come along. we need more fans."

[taxidermied-writings]

Dance on Ice

Words: >1000

Summary: Jun was not excited about what his boyfriend had planned. Quality time with Hiyori? Yes, he loved it, but doing something he’s never done before with someone who’s practically a pro? Nuh-uh. Get him out.

Characters/Fandom: Jun Sazanami x Hiyori Tomoe

Ensemble Stars

Jun was not excited about what his boyfriend had planned. Quality time with Hiyori? Yes, he loved it, but doing something he’s never done before with someone who’s practically a pro? Nuh-uh. Get him out.

The older had planned an ice skating date for the two of them. In Jun’s upbringing, his father never let him do something fun like that. It wasn’t even something that crossed his mind in recent years. What’s fun about running on ice and slipping on your ass? He enjoyed watching the occasional hockey game, but that was it.

“Wear different socks Jun-kun,” Hiyori said as he finished packing a bag for the two of them. There were water bottles, fruit snacks, and Hiyori’s wallet in the bag so far. “You’re going to get blisters if you wear those.”

Jun frowned and took his socks off and went to look for a different pair.

“Thick, long socks are best.” The blonde hummed.

“Gotcha.” Jun grabbed a pair of thick gray socks to put on.

“Do you want an extra sweatshirt in case you get cold?”

“Nah, but you might need it Ohii-san~”

Hiyori rolled his eyes and packed his favorite sweatshirt of Jun's. A large white tennis team hoodie with “Sazanami” on the back.

“Ready?” Jun hugged his boyfriend from behind as he glanced inside the bag.

“Mhm, mhm~” Hiyori leaned into the touch.

The couple finished up at the dorms and went to the ice rink. They got their skates and put their belongings in a locker then made their way onto the ice.

“Ready Jun-kun?” Hiyori held his boyfriend's hand. Hiyori was on the ice, but Jun was wobbling on the solid ground.

“M-maybe not-” He stared at the floor.

Hiyori went back on solid ground and picked up a skating aid for Jun.

“I’m going to look stupid as hell using that-”

“Then have fun falling on your ass~” Hiyori set the helper in front of Jun and skated off.

Jun remembered Hiyori mentioning something about skating lessons and ballet when he was younger. That story was told a while ago though so Jun didn’t remember specifics.

His princess looked amazing on the ice. He skated so gracefully, looking like he belonged on the ice. He came back after a loop around the rink with a big smirk on his face. “Come join me Jun-kun~”

With a heavy sigh, Jun grabbed onto the aid and stepped onto the ice.

Gliding one foot in front of the other, Jun wasn’t bad on the ice. He put most of his weight onto the helper and that’s solely why he was doing amazing. In his eyes at least. Hiyori was trying to hold back as many giggles as he could from seeing Jun like this.

Around thirty minutes passed, and Jun was confident enough to lose the crutch. “Are you sure you got this Jun-kun?” Hiyori walked with him to put it away.

“Yeah, I got it.” He took a deep breath.

“Okay~ I’ll be right next to you if you need my hand.” Hiyori got back on the ice with his hands out. Jun took them and squeezed tight as he started sliding. Goddamn. It was so much harder without that thing.

Jun rested his elbow on the rink's half walls, putting his weight on there. "Fuck… How the hell-?"

"Balance Jun-kun~" Hiyori let go of one hand. "You keep holding the wall while I guide you, okay?" The younger one nodded and squeezed Hiyori's hand. He felt so shaky without solid support.

Hiyori pushed forward slowly. "You're doing good, baby." Jun shuffled forward, keeping his balance with the wall.

Two laps around, Hiyori released his hold on Jun's hand. "Try without me~ You got this~" He left Jun behind as he skated again. He looked even more graceful this time. Hiyori spun in little circles, he looked so natural while skating.

Jun pushed forward again. Once again, harder without his support. He was able to keep himself standing straight…ish… pushing himself forward with small thrusts. He was upright, that's all that mattered. Jun didn't care how stupid he was looking, he hasn't fallen yet!

Once Hiyori made another lap around, he came up behind Jun and clapped. “You're doing amazing!”

Well… The clapping startled Jun, the bluehead slipping and falling, staring up at Hiyori with wide eyes. “You scared me!!”

Hiyori couldn't help but chuckle, helping Jun up and kissing his head. “I’m sorry dear… Are you okay?”

“My ass hurts… You better kiss it better when we get back home.” Jun held onto the wall again, taking those small strides forward.

Hiyori blushed at the statement, unsure about how serious his boyfriend was being. “If I must~”

They continued to skate, Jun slowly getting more used to the ice. Though he wasn't perfect yet, that would take too long to do.

“I've missed that…” Hiyori took the skates off and returned them, grabbing their things.

Jun was slowly taking his shoes off, his feet feeling sore. He took the bag from Hiyori as they started walking to the car Ibara had let them use for the day. “My feet are killing me…” He mumbled, putting the bag in the back seat.

“Let me drive then. You rest your feet.” Hiyori kissed his head as he moved into the driver's seat. As much as Jun enjoyed doing things for his boyfriend like driving them places, he couldn't be more thankful for him flipping their roles.

“Thank you…” Jun got in the passenger's seat and held Hiyori's hand. “Let's get some food before we go home.”

Hiyori smiled at that, driving them to his favorite restaurant.

[beauvibaby]

You’re ok – J.Seresin “Hangman”

Summary: Hangman and reader are dating but it doesn’t come out until after the mission

A/N: this is my first time writing for anything Top Gun Maverick so please be nice okkkkk

Word count: 1.1K

“Oh, Penny.” You heard a voice call from the bar behind you, the guy went blank when you turned around, he clearly hadn’t looked over here as he spoke. “Penny’s off today, but I’m more than happy to help you out, pilot.” You retorted, quirking a brow when he gave you a smirk. “Three for me and my buddies, darling.” He spoke smoothly, you wouldn’t lie, it hit you just how he wanted it to, but you could dish it right back. “Call me darling again and I’ll be ringing that bell for you.” You gave him an innocent smile as you pointed to the sign behind you as you went to pop the caps off their bottles. When you turned back, he was staring at you in amusement, “thanks, darling.” He remarked, you waited until he was beginning to turn around before you reached up and rang the bell, the bar erupting into cheers at the free round of drinks. He whipped back around, “can’t say I didn’t warn ya.” You shrugged when he opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water.

And that’s how met your boyfriend, better known as Hangman.

***

“How long will you be gone?” You asked as you watched him pack into his duffel bag, “four days.” He answered, glancing over from his spot at the end of the bed, you were sitting in the chair in the corner, nervously tapping your foot. You’d been with him for a few months now, just starting to tell each other “I love you” and you’d sent him off countless times, but never had it been a mission that you couldn’t even know where he was going. “Jake, how worried do I need to be?” You couldn’t keep the words from falling out of your mouth, and when you saw the way he froze mid movement, you knew this was a dangerous mission. He took long strides over to you, “it’s no different than any other time I’ve gone away.” He tried to sound confident but he broke when you looked at him with teary eyes. “No, baby please.” He sighed, pulling you into his chest, he never thought he’d feel this way over seeing you cry, but here he was, head over heels for you and willing to do anything to make you feel better.

“Y/N, listen.” He demanded with a gentle tone, “it’s about the pilot, that’s what Maverick said and it’s true, I’ve got this, we’re going to be ok.” He assured you, making sure you were looking directly at him when he spoke, you nodded slowly, “ok.” You sighed, allowing yourself to soak up his comfort as he kissed your forehead. The two of you were so different with each other than with the rest of the world.

***

Four days had come and gone, and you were on high alert every time a new crowd walked into the bar, it was a busy night which was good because it kept you somewhat distracted while waiting for Hangman and his team to show up, most of them had ties to this bar so it was always the first stop after a deployment. Penny was working alongside you when the music cut off abruptly, your head snapped in the direction of the piano, seeing Rooster take a seat at the piano and begin playing his song, Penny gave you a nod when you looked at her, she was the only one who knew about you and Hangman.

You untied your waist apron and slammed it down behind the bar, quickly moving into the crowd, the tan uniforms surrounding the piano. You were trying to spot him, Maverick had made his way to the bar to see Penny with ease. For a second you thought maybe Hangman did the same, but you knew he was afraid to let the team see his caring side. You tried to keep a neutral face when you nearly face planted onto Rooster as you got through the crowd, “hey guys.” You spoke, not seeing a sign of Jake anywhere. “Glad to see you guys back here.” You had to play stupid, like you didn’t know they’d just gone on a suicide mission and survived. “Hey, Y/N.” Bob smiled, absolutely oblivious to why your eyes were darting around, meanwhile the rest of them had begun to piece it together. “I’ll be going now.” Your voice betrayed your nerves, shocking them as they’d never heard you anything but confident and snarky.

You were nearing the bar when you saw him, uniform and all, his back towards you as his head kept going back and forth, scanning the room for you. Relief hit you like a truck, so much so that you hadn’t realized the bar was returning to normal, the crowd spreading out back to their spots and the team gathering around the pool table now that Rooster plugged the jukebox back in. “Jake.” You called, watching him turn around quickly, his smile spreading the farthest you’d ever seen. “Told you I’d be back, darling.” He chuckled as you launched yourself on him, he didn’t care anymore, that he realized while on the ship, he knew that everyone else there had people who cared for them, who wanted them to make it back safe. They deserved to know that you were that person for Hangman.

Phoenix grinned when she saw the way you clung to him, and the rest were slightly shocked that their suspicions had been confirmed. “You’re ok?” You asked in his neck, before leaning back and searching for any injuries, his hands rested on your lower back, “I’m ok, not a scratch on me.” He assured you, “now can I have a kiss? I’ve fucking missed my girl.” He mumbled, stumbling when you pressed your lips to his in a searing kiss. You smiled against each other as the team started hooting and hollering, while Hangman simply flipped them off while kissing you again. Penny flicked the back of his head, making him jump away from you, “ow?” He turned to her in confusion, “it’s a bar not a hotel room, keep it in your pants, Seresin.” She chastised, making him look away nervously, he wasn’t scared of many people but Penny definitely was one of them, especially with how close you and her were.

“Penny, can I–“ “You’re done for the night, get outta here.” She cut you off with a smile, she knew how smitten you were, she’s been there. Jake grinned and tucked you under his arm as he led you through the bar, “don’t we get introduced to your girlfriend, Hangman?” Phoenix called, you laughed as he cussed under his breath. “Let’s stay for a bit, deal with the questions, then you’ve got me all to yourself.” You whispered, kissing the edge of his jaw, “you’re no fair.” He complained as you dragged him to his friends.

The teasing was relentless, even though everyone knew he would be the same hard ass with them, but they knew you were his soft spot.

Tagging: bestie @eberles & @srry-itshockeyszn since she wanted this fic 😌

[curlynerd]

Dean Winchester hates mornings.

It might have something to do with the four hours of sleep that precede them. Or perhaps the lingering memories of dragging a grumpy, petulant 12-year-old Sam out of bed for school when he was still an equally grumpy, petulant kid himself. Or maybe he just isn't wired to handle the early hours.

Whatever it is, Dean Winchester hates mornings.

And yet, he still wakes up early every day.

Drags his ass out of bed with a grumble and a sigh. Keeps his curses as quiet as possible so he doesn't wake Cas beside him. Scrubs at the sleep making his eyes gritty. Shuffles into a pair of pajama bottoms and his slippers with a disgruntled huff, like having to deal with the early morning chill is one of life's greatest inconveniences.

At the doorway, Dean pauses and looks back. Cas is still blissfully unconscious, his breathing slow and heavy and relaxed. The second Dean got out of bed he snagged all the blankets and cocooned himself in them, but by now his hand is out, searching for Dean so he can wrap his arm around him again. When it fails to find him, it curls around Dean's pillow. Cas buries his nose in it and lets out a tiny coo of contentment.

Dean smiles, his heart so full it aches. For just a second, he considers crawling back into bed with Cas. Succumbing to his hatred of mornings and going back to sleep with Cas nuzzled up against him like Dean is his personal teddy bear.

But he doesn't. He shuts the door behind him as quietly as possible and shambles down the hallway.

Dean's not quite firing on all cylinders without coffee in his system, so he bangs his shoulder on the doorway as he rounds the corner into the kitchen, and he swears a blue streak on his way to the sink. He's still grumbling under his breath as he grabs the lid of Sam's shaker bottle from the side of the sink and washes it with as much malcontent as he can muster. Sam always forgets to wash it when he rinses out his bottle, and Dean always has to clean it the next morning so Sam doesn't get yesterday's nasty protein shake crap mixed in with today's. He sets it beside the clean bottle and makes himself some coffee.

It's not long after the smell of fresh coffee fills the kitchen when Sam walks in, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and wearing running clothes like the health freak he is. "Hey."

Dean grunts in acknowledgement. Words are for after coffee. Sam starts making himself a protein shake without so much as a 'thank you' for cleaning his lid. Hell, he's probably not even aware Dean does it for him.

"Oh, can you do extra spinach in my omelette? Gotta use it up; it's getting kinda wilted," Sam asks on his way out the door, like it's a given Dean will make him an omelette. Because it is a given. Five people in the bunker and someone needs to make breakfast for them all. Might as well be Dean. "And tomatoes?"

"Yeah yeah, have it your way, Burger King," Dean grouses as he pours himself a mug of coffee. He dumps what's left and fills the carafe with more water.

"Awesome, thanks." And then Sam's gone off to do horrifying morning activities like jogging.

Dean, however, is doing something even more horrifying. He fills the coffee maker with pumpkin spice flavored coffee and grimaces. But God help him, Cas loves the stuff. And Dean loves Cas, so he'll make him some freakin' pumpkin spice coffee. Though this is the only point in the entire day when he questions his love for Cas. Just a little bit.

As nutmeg and cinnamon fill the air, Dean chugs his respectable cup of plain ol' dark roast and browses the contents of the refrigerator.

Blueberries. He should use those up too. Dean plucks them, some eggs, some butter, some milk, and all of the stuff for Sam’s atrocious vegetable omelette from the fridge.

Jack comes shuffling in while Dean is mixing up blueberry pancake batter, looking sleepy but chipper. He looks even happier when he sees what Dean’s cooking. “Excellent timing! Chop Sam’s tomatoes for me,” Dean commands before Jack even has a chance to say a ‘good morning!’ or grab some juice. The coffee is finally kicking in and dragging him into full wakefulness, but the patient parts of Dean’s brain don’t come online until at least 9am.

Eileen isn’t far behind Jack, but she takes one look at Dean with his spatula and Jack at the cutting board and immediately backs out of the kitchen. “Sorry! Dunno what you’re saying!” she shouts as she retreats, as if she expected Dean to try calling out orders after her. “I’m gonna shower!” Dean sighs and shakes his head. Probably for the best. She handles produce and a chef's knife the same way she does with vampires and a machete.

“Hello, Dean. Jack.” Cas drags himself into the kitchen with half-open eyes. His sleep-rough voice is adorable. The wild shock of hair standing up on one side, even moreso.

“Mornin’ Sunshine!” Dean croons at full volume, like he does every morning, because he’s kind of an asshole and secretly likes the way Cas scowls at Dean’s energy as he makes a cup of his terrible pumpkin spice coffee.

Cas comes up behind Dean and rests his chin over his shoulder to watch him cook, like he’s too tired to even bother holding up his own head. Dean has to be careful how he moves his arm so he doesn’t burn himself on Cas’ hot mug, but he’d be lying if he said this wasn’t one of his favorite parts of the day. Cas tucked up against his back, sleep hazy and warm from their shared bed, those beautiful blues blinking owlishly as Dean makes food for their family.

“Sure you don’t want any?” he asks, pointing down at the griddle even though he knows the answer already.

“No, too early to eat,” Cas grunts by his ear. “Coffee is enough. It smells delicious though.” He tilts his head down to press a gentle kiss to Dean’s shoulder before he pulls away to slouch down in a chair and finish waking up.

By the time Dean finishes breakfast, Sam and Eileen have filtered in too, completing their packed table. For a brief moment it’s utter chaos as everyone grabs plates of food and cutlery and coffee and juice, but before Dean can blink everyone is settled, chowing down on their breakfast or quietly drinking their awful flavored coffee. Dean lets out a weary sigh and sinks down into a chair next to Cas with his own stack of pancakes. It’s way too early to feel this tired.

Almost immediately Cas tilts sideways until he’s using Dean as a headrest again. "I don't see how you can stand getting up so early," Cas says around a slow sip of his coffee. He closes his eyes in appreciation and hums softly.

Dean glances around the table. At Sam, his overly long hair plastered to his sweaty forehead, scrolling through his phone as he shovels egg white omelette into his mouth like he's starving for it. At Eileen, a pleased grin on her face as her closed fist moves in a circle in front of her, her thumb pointed down over her stack of pancakes. At Jack, watching her intently as she teaches him a new sign, his fork suspended halfway to his mouth until a bite of pancake falls off it and smacks onto the table, making Eileen laugh.

At his family, fed and caffeinated and content, ready to start their days because Dean took the extra time to get things off on the right foot.

"I dunno," Dean says with a shrug as he passes Jack the bottle of syrup. He grins. "I kinda like mornings."

[jungshookz]

smitten: y/n's note is in jungkook's bag and she needs to get it back like, right now

➺ pairing; jeon jungkook x reader

➺ genre; smitten!miniseries!! bff!kook & smitten!y/n!! university!au!! honk honk humour!! the boo hoo angsty wattpad-energy fic of your dreams!! unrequited love!! it hurts so bad but that's what makes it so good!!

➺ wordcount; 7.1k

➺ summary; y/n realizes her meticulously written i love you note is burning a hole at the bottom of jungkook's bag and the mere thought of him finding it is enough to make her feel sick to her stomach.

➺ what to expect; "well, maybe the reason why you're just friends is because the two of you won't allow yourselves to be more than that."

➺ smitten: part one [the almost confession]

»»————- 🖤 ————-««

[previously, on smitten...]

what?

where the hell is it?

you reach into the side pockets and you're disappointed when you end up pulling out old tissues and empty gum wrappers

it's not in the front pocket either — just your keys, a pack of bubblegum, and a small bottle of hand sanitizer

your brows knit together in deep thought as you settle back against your seat, your eyes flickering to the side as you-

you immediately pale

oh my god.

you're positive that your heart stops beating for three whole seconds the moment you realize where exactly the note is — because no, you idiot, you didn't shove it into your own bag earlier-

the note is in jungkook's bag.

»»————- 🖤 ————-««

the next thirty or so minutes of class seem to drag on at a snail's pace and you find yourself checking the time on your phone every five seconds to see when you can finally dart out those doors

your first instinct was to immediately get up and leave because of course you wanted to immediately get up and leave, but with only twenty-ish people in the class and the fact that you're seated near the front... well, it would be a little awkward to just pack up your things and trek up towards the doors without a legitimate excuse (you were tempted to tell your professor that your stomach wasn't feeling very good but the thought of your peers associating you with explosive diarrhea quickly changed your mind)

so, you decided to be a good student and wait it out — but, being perfectly honest, you haven't really been paying much attention to the professor since the thought of you shoving your hi bestie, i'm head-over-heels in love with you note into jungkook's bag instead of yours contaminated your mind five minutes ago

...

you let out a little huff before shaking your head to yourself

how could you be so careless?!

you don't even know how it happened

your bag was sitting on your right thigh, jungkook's bag was sitting on your left thigh... so how the hell did you manage to shove it into his bag??

on the bright side, at least you know where it is, right?

it's in the right side pocket of the bag, so all you have to do is unzip it and stick your hand in and out really quickly without jungkook noticing you rummaging around in his belongings

...but what if he's already read the note?

your foot taps impatiently against the carpeted ground and you reach up and start tugging at your earlobe anxiously, your eyes flickering up towards the dusty analog clock hanging on the wall

c'mon... c'mon...

your grip tightens around your pencil as you continue to trace circles aimlessly on the page, the paper crinkling slightly from the amount of pressure you're putting on it

the stress that's currently eating away at you is probably going to take ten years off your life

"-so, that's pretty much it from me for the day!"

you don't think you've ever been so happy for a class to end as soon as the screen goes black at the front and you waste absolutely no time in packing up

you probably look insane trying to shove your laptop and your notebook into your bag at the same time but you couldn't care less at this point because you need to get the hell out of here

"-please remember to contribute to the discussion threads online... at least four responses, please, and none of those bullshit 'yes, i agree!' responses. i'm definitely not going to count those as participation marks-"

you close your bag with a sharp ziiiip! and you hurry to fold the squeaky desk back into place, a couple of people turning to glance at you for the sudden abundance of clattering and knocking coming from your direction

"excuse me, pardon me-" you pull your backpack on as you step over multiple sets of legs, trying your best not to trample on any feet or knock anyone's tooth out with your bag, "sorry! excuse me-"

you can feel the adrenaline pumping through your veins as you jog up the steps two at a time, your brain immediately mapping out the route to the library jungkook said he'd be at

best case scenario: he hasn't found the note and your friendship with him is still very much in tact

worst case scenario: he found the note and is currently reading it at this point in time and your friendship with him is starting to crumble but you still have a chance to swoop in and pick up the pieces

the absolutely worst case ever in the entire world scenario: he's found the note, he's read the note, he's processed the note, and your friendship with him has been completely annihilated and now he's planning to change his name and leave the country so that he doesn't have to confront you about it

you use your shoulder to shove the doors open before bursting out into the open air, ignoring the concerned glances you're starting to receive from your obviously frazzled state

"oh god, oh god, oh god-!" your backpack flops wildly against your back as you rush down the narrow brick steps leading towards the main boulevard

realistically, jungkook's probably found and read the note, so all you have to do is come up with a short monologue about how all of it was fake and that the note was just a sick, twisted prank of some kind

i know that the note makes it seem like i'm telling you that i'm in love with you, but that's not the truth at all!

"woah, watch it-!"

you accidentally knock into someone's shoulder while sprinting down the lane and you turn around for a second just to hold a hand out while flashing the stranger a sheepish smile

"sorry! so sorry-" you turn back around, reaching up to keep your glasses secured on the top of your head as you continue to sprint, your sneakers slapping down against the pavement

as you read in the note, i made a point about how since we're friends, we should be honest with each other... and honestly, there are nothing but lies in the note! and there's a lesson in that, you know? words can be full of lies but we, as human beings, should be full of truths-

"nope, hate that-" you shake your head and immediately scrunch up that mental piece of paper before tossing it into your brain's garbage bin

you'd sound like an obnoxious philosophy student if you hit him with that explanation

it was a prank! i want to start a prank war with you and this is how i'm kicking things off!

that... that could work, right?

that's not bad!

just tell him that you wanted to start a prank war with him so you decided to go big or go home with an i love you, best friend note to see how he would react!

"so stupid-" you mutter to yourself, slowing down to a jog as you approach the doors to the library, "so, so stupid-"

the Super Epic Prank War ROFL XD™ explanation isn't the greatest excuse but it's the best you can do on such short notice

thankfully, it doesn't take you very long to track down jungkook considering the fact he always sits in the same area every time the two of you come here

your feet come to a screeching halt the moment you spot him and you quickly step to the side to hide behind the wall

you slowly lean over a little to peek at him

he has his headphones on and he's busy typing away at his laptop and you can tell he's concentrating really hard because he has that cute frown on his face and occasionally he'll mutter something to himself

jungkook in intense focus mode is something you find to be very endearing :-)

...

you quickly shake your head to snap yourself out of your daze before focusing on jungkook's face again

he certainly doesn't look like he just read an explosive love letter...

hm

you could still be safe!

...for now, that is.

"okay, y/n-" you stand up straight and let out a breath, giving yourself a mental pat on the head in an effort to calm your nerves, "better sooner than later, right? just- you just have to rip it off like a bandaid-"

your anxiety seems to build with every step that brings you closer to jungkook and you can almost hear the jaws theme song playing all around you

da-dum

jungkook, i swear i have a perfectly logical explanation for this...

da-dum

i know the note does a very convincing job of making it seem like i'm in love with you, but that couldn't be farther from the truth!

da-dum, da-dum

consider this your initiation into our very serious prank war, my friend!

dadumdadumdumdumbdumbdumbthisissuchadumbdumbidea-

"hi!" you greet a little too enthusiastically, trying your best not to make it seem like you just sprinted across campus to get to him even though you very clearly did

"sorry, seat's reserv- y/n?" jungkook looks up from his laptop before frowning, quickly glancing back down at his screen to check the time as he pulls his headphones off to hang around his neck, "aren't you- didn't your class end, like, literally a minute ago? why are you so- did you run here??" he asks incredulously, getting up from his seat as his brows knit together in concern

"no, no! of course i didn't run here, silly- oh, god, give me a sec-" you wheeze, bending down and gripping onto the back of the wooden chair in front of you as you try to catch your breath, your chest still falling and rising at a concerning pace from the physical stress of sprinting and the mental stress of the current situation, "it was more of a- of a brisk walk, if you think about it- jesus, i think i'm gonna throw up-"

"okay, you need to drink some water- come and sit next to me-" jungkook reaches out to help lead you around the table towards him, "god, i don't know why you thought you had to run over, it's not like i was planning on going anywhere-"

"i'm fine, kook, it's fine-"

"you're, like, literally radiating heat," jungkook turns you around and pulls your bag off your back before pulling out a chair and helping you into it, "and your face is all red!" he frowns, setting your bag down on the table and unzipping it to pull out your water bottle

"my face is always this red!" you force out a casual laugh, waving your hand to dismiss him as you lean back against the seat, "i'm fine, it's fine-"

"shut up and take a sip-" jungkook untwists the cap of your water bottle before shoving it into your hands and gently lifting it up towards your mouth, his head tilting up a little so he can check and see if you're actually drinking anything, "c'mon, hydrate yourself-"

you swallow a couple gulps of water before pulling the bottle away and reaching up to wipe your mouth with the back of your hand, "god, i love water-"

"yeah, i bet." jungkook chuckles, visibly more relieved now that he knows you won't be passing out from exhaustion anytime soon

as you put your water bottle away, your eyes lower towards jungkook's backpack slouching against the leg of his chair and almost immediately the anxiety that you thought you'd just swallowed down bubbles right back up

"so, are you going to tell me why you're acting like the cops are after you?" jungkook jokes, taking his seat before pulling his headphones off and setting them down next to his laptop

"i just, um-" you press your lips together as you slowly start to lean down, stretching your arm out towards the pocket, "i just wanted to see you, buddy!"

"i don't believe that for a second." jungkook snorts, turning to look at you

you shoot straight back up and pull your arm up and behind your head as if you're in the middle of a good stretch, "hey, what's with that tone? it's not a crime for me to want to see you-"

"you saw me at lunch! and that was only like an hour and a half ago-" jungkook turns his head to look back at his screen and you quickly revert back to your mission impossible secret agent mode

the forced smile drops from your face and you lean back down, your fingers blindly feeling for the cool metal of the zipper

"you know, you actually came at just the right time-" jungkook speaks up again and you pause just in case you need to pull away from his bag, but he makes no move to turn and look at you, "ji-eun was about to leave for her class but now you can meet her before she goes off!"

"uh-huh..." your tongue pokes out in concentration as you unzip the pocket in one swift movement, immediately sticking your hand in and feeling around for the balled-up piece of paper, "sounds gre-"

hold on, what did he just say?

you shoot back up

"did you just-" you choke and reach up to pat your chest gently, "i'm sorry, did you just say that ji-eun was here?"

"uh-huh!" jungkook nods, "i didn't know she had a spare at the same time as i did so i was surprised when she came over to say hi- it turns out our schedules are, like, sort of similar which oddly makes me kind of happy-"

it's at that moment that you notice the cherry-patterned tote bag slumped in the chair sitting across from you and you let out a nervous chuckle as you shift in your seat, "great! great, that's so- great, it's great that i'm meeting ji-eun today, out of all days..." you trail off, glancing around warily as you try to come up with some kind of an exit strategy

you're just really not in the mood to meet the love of jungkook's life today

you've already been hit with so many blows and it's only two in the afternoon-

"sorry that took so long! i couldn't find a bin but i bumped into my friends and they said they'd throw it out for me-"

oh, you have got to be kidding me.

your eyes widen in mild panic upon immediately recognizing ji-eun to be the girl who had overheard your entire monologue in the bathroom earlier today — and from the way her eyes flicker, it seems as though she remembers exactly who you are as well

"oh, no worries!" jungkook beams at ji-eun before pointing to you with his thumb, "this is my friend, by the way. the one i was talking about earlier! y/n, this is ji-eun."

you stay quiet as you continue staring up at ji-eun, your mind racing a mile a minute as you consider your current options

you can pretend like you've never met her before or you can make things awkward by telling jungkook that you met her today after she'd emptied her bladder

"...y/n?" jungkook lowers his voice, nudging you with his elbow before letting out a nervous chuckle, "please say something."

"i- yes, hello!" you blurt out, the feet of your chair scraping against the rough carpet as you get up from your seat to stick your hand out towards ji-eun, "it's- ah- it's- it's so nice to meet you! i'm y/n."

ji-eun stays quiet for a second before her lips turn up in a polite smile and she reaches towards you, gently taking your outstretched hand in hers (for the record, her hands are shockingly soft and supple), "it's lovely to meet you... as well, y/n. i love your glasses!"

you can't help but notice the immediate warmth that seems to surround ji-eun and suddenly it makes a lot more sense as to why jungkook's attracted to her

you're about as comforting as stepping into a puddle of water while wearing socks

you feel a slight sense of relief seeing that ji-eun is playing along but your new concern is whether or not she's connected the dots that your monologue in the bathroom was dedicated to jungkook

you didn't actually say his name when you were talking out loud, so you might be able to get away with this...

"oh, these old things?" you reach up to feel the glasses sitting on top of your head before flicking your hand at her, "i bought them on amazon. they're blue-light glasses- i can totally send you the link if you want."

"that would actually be great!" she gasps, nodding enthusiastically, "i desperately need a pair of blue-light glasses- seriously, i stared at my laptop screen for, like, ten hours straight today and i really feel like they're about to roll out of my head-"

"oh my god, don't even get me started. at this point it'd probably feel better to rip them right out of their sockets-"

"ji-eun, you ready?"

"let's gooo, i wanna get an iced coffee before we head off to class."

you and ji-eun don't get a chance to continue bonding over the pain of sore eyes when you're suddenly interrupted by two new voices

you look up to see two guys approaching the table and you subtly push your seat back a bit as you prepare yourself to say hello again

"oh! yeah, i'm ready, sorry-" ji-eun gestures towards you with a smile, "this is- this is jungkook's friend, by the way. y/n, these are my friends."

"hi, hello-" you get up from your seat again to stick your hand out, offering the two (very handsome, might you add) strangers a friendly smile, "i'm y/n, jungkook's friend- but you- you already knew that because that's what ji-eun just said-"

"i'm taehyung! you can call me tae-" the corners of taehyung's mouth immediately raise in a bright grin and he gives your hand a firm shake before nodding next to him, "and this is jimin!"

"hi..." you trail off, turning to give jimin a handshake as well, "so nice to meet you!"

"oh, i just- i actually just washed my hands, so-" jimin chuckles, looking down at your hand before taking a small step back, "but it's nice to meet you... jungkook's friend."

ooh

is it just you or did it suddenly get a little icy in here?

"oh, no problem! um, yeah, you too." you pull your hand back before swallowing nervously and forcing the polite smile back on your face, "i like your jacket, by the way! it looks really cool."

maybe it's because he's wearing giant sunglasses indoors but you can't help but feel slightly intimidated by jimin

you can't see his eyes but you can certainly feel them on you and you're definitely getting the vibe that jimin is already not the biggest fan of you for some weird reason

"thank you." he responds curtly, smoothing a hand over the leather before looking down at ji-eun, "so can we go now?"

"mhm!" ji-eun gets up from her chair before pushing it back into place, pulling her tote back up onto her shoulder before flashing a sweet smile at jungkook, "see you later, alligator."

"in a while, crocodile!" jungkook responds enthusiastically, watching with twinkly eyes as she turns and heads off towards the exit with jimin and taehyung glued at either side of her

god

she even walks prettily

and you were literally clomping down the boulevard like a feral caveman a second ago

you wait until they've disappeared to turn and face jungkook with a raised eyebrow, "...jimin was kind of a bitch."

"hey, play nice!" jungkook frowns, reaching over to give your arm a gentle whack, "he's a fashion major! ji-eun says being snooty is part of the degree requirements-" he grins, shaking his head slightly before leaning back against his chair, "she's, like, super funny."

"mm." you hum, still feeling a little uneasy about your interaction with jimin

you just hate it when first meetings don't go well and that first meeting definitely wasn't super great

but it wasn't like you did anything wrong, right?

you were great!

snooty jimin was the one who was being rude

whatever

hopefully you won't have to hang out with him too often if jungkook and ji-eun become an item

maybe you can just stick with taehyung!

he seems to be a lot friendlier

"oh, by the way, i-" you're suddenly reminded of your main mission and you turn to point down at jungkook's bag, "it's not a big deal, but i- i accidentally shoved something in your bag earlier and- could i just get it back from you?"

"you did?" jungkook frowns, leaning down to pick his bag up before unzipping it all the way and pulling both flaps open, "what was it?"

"it was- uh- just some notes on a scrap piece of paper!" you immediately feel the weight lift from your shoulders at jungkook's cluelessness to the situation, "i put it in the right side pocket-"

"wait, are you talking about, like, a balled up thing of paper?" jungkook pauses before looking up at you with wide eyes, "oh, shit- was it important??"

"um, i wouldn't call it important-" you snort, shaking your head, "is it not there? i swore it was in the right side pocket-"

"no, no, it was there! it was there, i just- ji-eun needed to spit her gum out and i thought it was one of my scrap pieces of paper-" jungkook winces, grabbing his phone and unlocking it with fumbling fingers, "i'm so sorry, y/n- let me text ji-eun and ask her which garbage can she threw it into and i can go dig it out-"

"no, no, it's okay!" you nearly let out a screech of delight knowing that your note now has a slobbery wad of gum in it and is living at the bottom of a trash can, "it's fine, i just- they were just boring notes for something. i just wanted to see if i had really shoved it into your bag or not."

"oh, okay-" jungkook's shoulders immediately slump and he sets his phone down on the table, "you're sure it wasn't important?"

"100%." you hold both hands out with a chuckle, "i needed to throw it out anyway so i guess ji-eun actually did me a favour-"

"okay, phew." jungkook sighs, zipping his bag back up and plopping it back down on the ground next to his feet, "anyways- i'm actually glad you're here because now you can help me plan out my date! i was working on it but then ji-eun came and obviously i couldn't have that google doc open in front of her-" he turns his laptop to show you all of his hard work with a grin, "check it out! i have a list of things i need to buy, i have outfit ideas, i even went on pinterest for inspiration-"

"wow, kook-" your eyes bulge out for a second at the sight of the extensive and shockingly organized google doc before you reach over to pull his laptop closer towards you, "i... i really don't think i've ever seen you... even make a google doc before-"

he even has the sunset time written down for the date

why would he need to know what time the sun is setting??

"i have everything planned for next week." jungkook pulls his laptop back to him as you settle back against your seat, "i already emailed my landlord to ask if i would even be allowed to hang out on the rooftop and he said it would be fine! he also reminded me to keep a brick wedged between the door so that i don't lock us up on the rooftop-"

"so you're definitely going with the rooftop picnic, then?"

"oh, i'm actually changing it to a rooftop dinner instead of a picnic." jungkook shakes his head before giving you a half-hearted shrug, "i think a picnic is cute but i really wanna try to impress her, y'know? i ordered this thing on amazon just now- basically, it's a medium-sized inflatable bubble tent! the description says it's perfect for two people and- i'm gonna, like-" he pauses and looks away from his screen towards you with a smile, "well, you know, i'm gonna do what you said and i'm gonna stuff it full of blankets and pillows and... hopefully i can string up fairy lights and stuff on the inside... so that after the date we can go in there and just talk and not have to worry about getting attacked by mosquitos!"

"wow, that's-" you cross your arms over your chest before leaning back and looking up towards the ceiling, "huh. that's actually a cute idea, kook. i wouldn't have been able to come up with something like that. i didn't even know transparent tents existed."

"i know." jungkook gives you a smug little smile before bursting into a grin, "but yeah, that's it! all we have to do is go and pick up all the supplies and stuff."

"we?" you frown, looking back down at jungkook, "i... wasn't aware i was part of this plan..."

"what? of course you are!" jungkook snorts, looking at you as if a third eye just sprouted from your forehead, "obviously you have to help me-"

"well, i just don't know if that's-" you chuckle uneasily as you rub the back of your neck, "i really- i don't wanna get in your way, you know? maybe you should- maybe you should just take care of all of this yourself! i mean, you basically planned everything already-"

"what? but- but you're my-" jungkook deflates and you instantly feel bad upon seeing his eyes suddenly turn sad, "okay..."

you press your lips together and wait for him to say something else but the next few seconds are filled with nothing but awkward silence and the faint buzzing of the fluorescent lights hanging above you

you'd jump off a cliff if jungkook asked you to but helping him prepare and set up his date is something that you,.., definitely would not enjoy.,.,

but then again, this isn't about you, is it?

this is about jungkook, your friend, and he needs your help to set up this very important date that-

oh, damnit.

"i'm-" you clear your throat as you sit up in your seat, reaching over to give jungkook's hand a pat, "no, of course i'll help, kook. i just thought that- well, this date seems so important to you that i thought you wanted to take care of all the details yourself!"

the bright smile immediately returns to jungkook's face and you resist the urge to call him out on so blatantly guilt-tripping you like that-

"yes! you're the best!"

"i know."

»»————- 🖤 ————-««

although you and jungkook are practically inseparable on campus (and some would say it might be healthy for the two of you to give each other a little bit of space) — you don't think you'll ever say no to hanging out with him downtown

of course, hanging out with jungkook downtown would be a lot more fun if it weren't for the fact that the two of you have basically spent the entire day shopping for all the things he needs for his date

and if it weren't for the fact that he paid for lunch and treated you to a cake pop and a venti-sized iced coffee, you would probably be livid about having to carry everything for him because you really feel like your arms are about to pop right off in about two seconds

fancy cutlery, porcelain plates, fluffy throw pillows, a giant blanket, fairy lights... at this point he might as well buy an entire house for ji-eun

and look, you know you probably sound bitter and that-should-be-me about this whole situation, but that couldn't be farther from the truth!

it's just that listening to someone you like gushing about the person that they like for an entire day while you're carrying bags full of things for their date can get a little mentally and physically exhausting so if you're grouchy right now it's really not your fault

"i think we might have to call an uber back to your place, jungkook-" you mutter, adjusting the hefty tote bag over your shoulder with a grunt as you trail behind him on the sidewalk, "bringing all of this on the bus is going to piss people off-"

you stumble over your feet a little when the bag in your right hand knocks into a garbage can and you curse to yourself while resisting the urge to kick the damn thing over

"okay, grumpy, we'll call an uber home-" jungkook spins around with a smile before raising the notepad in his hand and tapping against it with his pen, "i just have one more thing i have to take care of and then we can go!"

"okay, well-" you set the bags down onto the ground with a fwump! before rubbing your sore palms together, "what else do you have to get?"

jungkook offered to help carry a couple of things but you insisted that you'd take it all and that he should just focus on ticking off all of the items on his list

you wince at the sight of the pinkish-red imprints now embedded into your palms from the straps of the bags

obviously you've now come to regret your generous offer

"flowers!" jungkook chirps, using his pen to point to the flower shop a couple of shops down, "i have to greet ji-eun with a bouquet of flowers as pretty as she is-"

"yeah, i understand-" you adjust the two bags on both shoulders before bending down to pick up the other two on the ground, "also, i'm not a genius or anything but i'm pretty sure the flowers aren't going to survive until the date if you buy them now-"

"duh, obviously not- i'm going to place an order now and then pick them up on the day of the date!" jungkook tsks, waiting for you to join his side before he begins walking towards the flower shop, "thanks for doing all of this for me, by the way. you really are the best." he hums, hurrying over to open the door for you

"i... yeah, of course, kook." you feel yourself soften slightly as soon as you see the sweet little smile on his face and you quickly scold yourself in your head for being so curt with him all day, "that's what friends are for, right?"

"mhm!" jungkook slaps his hands down on your shoulders from behind before giving them a squeeze, "and i am so letting you choose whatever you want for dinner tonight-"

"hello!"

"oh, jesus-" you and jungkook are immediately greeted by an overenthusiastic employee as soon as you step into the shop and you honestly probably would've knocked him out with one of your shopping bags if they weren't so heavy-

"are you two looking for anything in particular?" he smiles kindly before gesturing towards the large selection of flowers all around you, "we have flowers of all kinds! roses, tulips, lilies- i can even show you flowers from our new tropical selection-"

"actually-" jungkook nudges you aside before glancing down at the employee's nametag, "seokjin, i'd like to place an order for a custom bouquet, if that's okay."

"ah, a custom bouquet!" seokjin claps his hands and rubs them together enticingly, "what are you celebrating? i need to know so that i can help pick out the perfect flowers for your bouquet."

"well, i don't know if it's a celebration-" jungkook chuckles, his cheeks pinking slightly as he reaches up to rub the back of his neck, "it's for a first date."

"a first date!!" seokjin gasps excitedly before turning his head to look at you, "you must be so-"

"-oh, not for me!" you let out a laugh before shaking your head quickly, "it's- it's definitely not for me. i'm just here to provide moral support and-" you lift one of the bags to show him, "muscular support."

"ah, i see... okay, well- why don't i take you around and introduce you to the different candidates you could consider for your bouquet?" seokjin turns back to look at jungkook, "each flower you choose will be very important in showing your future lover how much you care about them-" he pauses when he notices you hovering behind jungkook and he leans over a little with a bright smile, "why don't you go and wait by the front counter, darling? you can put everything down there and take a little break. there's some cucumber water and fresh puff pastry apple roses up at the front if you're interested!"

"well, i can't say no to free food." you snort, nodding before turning to head towards the front counter, "i'll just wait for you over there, then..."

you nearly let out a moan of relief as soon as you set all the bags down and you twist your upper body to the right and to the left until you feel the a satisfying pop! of your spine cracking back in place

your body was not made to carry heavy things

in fact, you'd like to argue that your body was made to lie down and do nothing

you take a seat on the wooden stool before turning to look at the apple roses sitting prettily in the display case and you almost feel like you shouldn't touch them even though seokjin offered them to you

even the pitcher of cucumber water looks too nice to touch

this place is awfully fancy

you didn't even know flower shops could be this fancy

you prop both elbows up on the counter before leaning back comfortably, your eyes lazily scanning around the store

"$15 for a single rose?" you gawk at the little wooden sign poking out from a large bouquet of neatly wrapped long-stem roses before making a face, "god."

you can't even imagine how much a custom bouquet is going to cost if a single rose is fifteen bucks

"-also write a note for you and attach it to the bouquet, if you're interested in that. it'll be an additional five dollars, but we handwrite it on the highest quality card stock with the most beautiful calligraphy and we even spray it with perfume-"

you perk up when you hear seokjin's voice and you look to see him and jungkook coming over to you

you have to admit that seokjin is great at his job because he's doing a good job at milking every dollar out of jungkook-

"yeah, that would be great!" jungkook nods enthusiastically, pulling his backpack off before unzipping it to grab his wallet, "i think a small note might be cute-"

"oh, that reminds me!" seokjin stops in his tracks right as he's about to lift the wooden slab to get behind the counter, "would you be interested in purchasing a teddy bear as well? if you add a teddy bear to your order, i'll give you a slight discount on the flowers."

"ooh, a discount!" jungkook gasps and you turn your head slightly so seokjin won't see you rolling your eyes at how much he's forcing jungkook to buy

you respect the hustle but this is too much

"where are the teddy bears?"

"right by the flowers!" seokjin smiles, wrapping an arm around jungkook's shoulders and spinning him around, "we can round back and take a look-"

"okay, i think i have to cut in here-" you chuckle, reaching out and grabbing the back of jungkook's elbow, "you don't- you don't think a bouquet of flowers and a teddy bear is a little too much for a first date?" you clear your throat quietly before offering a shrug, "i feel like that's just... a lot, kook. i mean, i would be overwhelmed if-"

"well, i guess it's a good thing i'm not taking you out on a date then, right?" jungkook teases, wiggling his arm out of your grip before turning back to look at seokjin, "onward to the bears, my good man!"

ouch

"yeah." you can't help but frown as jungkook and seokjin head back towards the flowers, "thanks for the reminder."

"that's gotta hurt."

"god-" you jump at the sudden appearance of an employee standing behind the counter and you place a hand over your chest before letting out a breath, "you scared me!"

"sorry." he shrugs, "we polished the floors this morning so my shoes are making, like, no noise."

"oh."

a moment of silence passes while you turn to face away from him again, but all of a sudden-

"so he really can't tell that you like him, huh?"

"you-" you immediately straighten up and your head spins around so fast that you're surprised you didn't complete decapitate yourself, "excuse me??"

"what? it's obvious." the employee snorts, spraying cleaner onto the counter before reaching up to yank the tattered rag off his shoulder, "it's painfully obvious, actually-"

you can feel your entire face starting to go red as this complete stranger continues to rip you a new one and you hold a hand out to shut him up, "no offense, but i-i don't think this is any of your business, sir-"

"it's yoongi." yoongi looks down at his apron for a second before frowning, "huh. i forgot to put my dumb name tag on again-"

"well, yoongi-" you place emphasis on his name in an effort to intimidate him and make him go away, "you don't know what you're talking about and i suggest you mind your own business-"

"you should tell him before it's too late." yoongi doesn't seem to be all that affected by your biting tone and you roll your eyes at the way he rounds back to the topic

"what are you even talking about?"

"well, i assume you're going to be his best man at his wedding. from the way it's looking, you're certainly not going to be the bride," yoongi purses his lips as he folds up the rag into a neat little square, "you don't wanna wait until you're fixing his tie at the wedding to tell him that you love him."

"what makes you think i lo-" you cut yourself off quickly before that word slips out of your mouth, "like him?"

"if you didn't, you wouldn't be here right now." yoongi points out with a tilt of his head, "and from how smudgy your eyeliner is, it looks like you've been working hard all day."

your jaw drops slightly and you can't help but scoff

the nerve of this guy!

"who do you think you are?!"

"i'm yoongi." yoongi raises a brow, "i told you that like a second ago- wow, you are not a good listener-"

"do you usually do this with all of the customers who come here?" you interrupt, crossing your arms defensively before leaning in slightly, "you're awfully nosy-"

"i only do this with the ones that seem to have something juicy going on." yoongi hums, leaning down to put the spray bottle of cleaner under the counter, "this is a flower shop. the most exciting part of my day is watching a bumblebee choose which flower to land on."

"well, nothing juicy is going on here so-" you twist back around before sticking your nose up in the air slightly, "sorry to disappoint."

"alright, fair enough." yoongi nods to himself, letting out a sigh as he slowly backs away from the counter, "i guess i'll just leave you to... wallow in self-pity... and continue staring at your friend with cartoon hearts floating around your head-"

"'you should tell him before it's too late-'" you swivel around and slap both your palms down on the counter, "why would you- why would even say something like that?! i can't tell him. are you insane?!"

a smirk twitches at the corner of yoongi's mouth at your sudden confession and he lets out a sigh before stepping back up towards you, "and why can't you tell him?"

"because- i just can't! he's-" you clear your throat before leaning in and lowering your voice, "he's literally taking someone else out on a date- we're here to buy flowers for his date-"

"so what?" yoongi interrupts, "it's just a date. it's not like you're stopping his wedding."

"so what? because he doesn't like me back, so what's the point?" you hiss, resisting the urge to reach over and smack some common sense into this very nosy and very stubborn stranger, "this isn't a romantic comedy- and even if it was, i'm very obviously not the main character-"

"you don't know that he doesn't like you back."

...

well now he's just toying with you

"i... i can't tell if you're kidding or not-"

"do i look like i'm kidding?" yoongi asks, pointing to his poker face before shaking his head, "you don't know that he doesn't like you back. you've obviously never asked him."

"oh, please." you scoff, turning around to lean back against the counter again, "trust me, i know it."

"well, did he ever explicitly say that he didn't like you?" yoongi leans over to peek at jungkook over your shoulder, "do you have a definitive answer to this particular question?"

"no, but he doesn't have to... we're just friends." you frown, your eyes wandering over to the back of jungkook's head, "he doesn't like me. i know he doesn't. we're just friends."

we're just friends.

(saying it out loud is a lot more depressing than you thought it'd be.)

"well, maybe the reason why you're just friends is because the two of you won't allow yourselves to be more than that," yoongi suggests, your head tilting to the side slightly as you force yourself to consider his surprisingly wise words, "it's obvious that you have a solid friendship so it would suck if a relationship ruined that- so maybe he does like you and is only asking someone else out to try to force himself not to like you..."

you feel your heart skip a beat when jungkook turns to glance at you over his shoulder with a soft smile while seokjin continues rattling off about the vast choice of teddy bears available for purchase

you bite back a giggle when he mouths a desperate 'help' at you before raising his hand and twirling his finger next to his head to tell you that seokjin is fully crazy

"...so i guess what i'm trying to say is that you're never really going to know how he feels about you if you don't ask him," you tune back in to the end of yoongi's little speech and you turn your head slightly to glance back at him, "but what do i know, right? i just polish counters at high-end flower shops."

🎙️tell jungkook he's being an idiot or tell y/n to get a backbone (send in an ask!)

✨why don’t you explore the rest of the library while you’re here? (full fics!)

💫or perhaps you want something shorter to read? (drabbles and mini series like smitten!)

🌟or something even shorter? (teeny tidbits!)

[rinstars]

𝘠𝘖𝘜 𝘔𝘐𝘎𝘏𝘛 𝘓𝘖𝘝𝘌 𝘏𝘌𝘙 𝘕𝘖𝘞, 𝘉𝘜𝘛 𝘠𝘖𝘜 𝘓𝘖𝘝𝘌𝘋 𝘔𝘌 𝘍𝘐𝘙𝘚𝘛.

PAIRING: Gojo Satoru X Reader

GENRE: Angst

TAGS/WARNINGS: Hurt/Comfort (or not you decide hehe). Break-up. Falling out of love. Just hurtful shit. He loves someone else now but he didn't cheat. Can't explain shit omg just read sorry

NOTES: Listen to Madison Beer's new song Reckless while reading, the title is from the lyrics of this song !!

Hard as you try, there seems to be no anger in your heart. No burning rage that makes you want to set the whole world on fire. The urge to inflict the same kind of pain he's caused you not even making an appearance in your heart and mind. If it's resentment on the other hand, maybe you do bear some. Pain, too, if you're being completely honest. But you don't really feel like acting on it. Don't feel like looking for ways to release the negative emotions bubbling inside you. You just wanted to be at peace, wanted to cry everything plaguing your heart.

Maybe it's because he said it in such a soft voice, like he didn't want to hurt you but then not telling you at that moment will only make it worse, so he decides to. His palms were rubbing the back of his neck, eyes looking anywhere but you when he announced the feelings he's been desperately trying to contain.

"I'm in love with somebody else."

He wouldn't cheat on you. To the very bitter end he endured for you, and you knew that. He must've seen how desperately you were trying to save the relationship. How you still try to melt the cold that blankets over your relationship with your warm hugs, kisses lingering on his cheeks just a little bit longer than usual so you can make sure he feels the love that still blooms so beautifully in your heart.

"I understand." No matter how hard you swallow, the lump in your throat doesn't seem to go away, straining your voice. "I'll pack my things tonight and leave tomorrow."

"You don't have to go right away, Y/N," He looks at you sadly, almost pitifully, and you hated it—the fact that you're faced with the reality that it's all beyond saving.

He wouldn't run after you. Not this time.

You realized your high school days were over. He's not going to chase after you, hands on your waist saying sorry and kissing your neck under the rain every time you run away after an argument. He's no longer going to bring you flowers, thrusting it straight to your chest when he gets home because it makes him too shy to be even more sentimental than he already is.

Gojo Satoru is no longer yours.

"It's fine, Gojo." you smile at him, not missing the way he winced at the mention of his last name. Nothing like the usual "Satoru" he's been used to hearing for years. No baby's, no love's, just Gojo. Perhaps he deserved that. He's always been stupid with words, constructing sentences doesn't seem to be a thing of his. Yet this one request he was sure he would beg you for, if you were ever to refuse.

"Will," he begins, closing his eyes shut shortly after then taking a deep breath. "Will you share the bed with me?" He smiles at you sadly, guilt plaguing the beautiful frosted eyes you've always loved. "For the last time?"

Biting your lip to prevent it from shaking even more than it already it, you nod at him, heading to the kitchen as he looks at you with a confused expression. A sigh escaping his lips when you turn around to answer him.

"I'll cook us dinner before bed."

That night in bed, when you couldn't keep bottling it up anymore, you ended up crying in his chest. His arms around you as he runs his fingers through your hair. None of you spoke a word. After all, what do you say to a lover you'll be losing tomorrow? To another woman you think you probably will never be.

He assures you, though. It's not the fact that she's prettier, not that she's kinder, sweeter, or more well-spoken than you could ever be. It's just that he doesn't feel it anymore, doesn't hear his heart beat with you the way it did before—and he hates it, God, does he despise the realization. Yet, while he couldn't imagine his life without you, he thinks he also couldn't imagine a future without her.

You look up at him and he stares down at you, with eyes full of warmth and melancholy—but no longer of love. His frosted lashes almost a painful reminder of what your relationship has gone to—cold and unforgiving. His eyes speak to you the words he somehow couldn't bring himself to say.

He's sorry for hurting you, but he's not for loving her. After all, he just loved. Just started to harbor the same feelings he once did for you.

The morning was both harder and easier than last night. The closure you got before the separation more than you could have ever asked for—a temporary solution to your breaking heart. However, the pain persists as you get closer and closer to leaving the house you've spent so many years with him so he can stay in it and make new memories with her.

The door is heavy, heavier than the luggage he's helping you to carry. Turning back to him when you've stepped a foot outside, your eyes catch the sight of the necklace hanging around a chain on his neck—your present to him for your first anniversary. He must have noticed, delicate fingers suddenly wrapping around the ring.

"I'm not taking it off," Gojo Satoru smiles, goodbye dripping from every syllable of every word coming out of his mouth. "So never take yours off too."

You reach up to him for a last hug, arms wrapping around his neck as you let your tears fall the moment your face is out of his sight. He was your best friend, your anchor, your life support. He was everything to you and you like to believe that once upon a time, you were too.

You whisper your last I love you before driving off in your car, the response you were used to hearing every single time not echoing in your ears this time.

Gojo Satoru was more than a lover to you. He's taken up more memories in your mind than the thoughts you have for yourself, your heart filled with nothing but a space for all the love you would have given him for the rest of your life, had you been given the chance. You spent years experiencing the beautiful kind of love he could give and maybe, this time, it's time for others to experience it too.

The same fantasy you once did.

The sun shines down through your windshield, reflecting on the ring shining on your finger as it grips the steering wheel. The shimmer a bittersweet reminder that while he might love her now, he still loved you first, and you guess—no, you believe, that it's enough.

To be loved by Gojo Satoru and bask in the affection he once offered.

[luimagines]

Could I pwetty pweashe have a scenario for each of the boys where reader is loopy with fever or from poison and the whole time they are just laying the compliments on real thick and going on and on abt how much they love their boys 🙏🙏🙏

Masterlist

Yeeesssss!!! Will do!

Here we go. Boys under the cut! Immediate Reader!

***

You were trying to go and find some food for dinner at Wild's request and found some interesting looking berries. They looked like blueberries from your world but there was purple thorns on the bush instead, with yellow trimmed leaves.

You grabbed a few and retraced and marked your steps to find your way back to the bushes. You thought that maybe one of the boys would be able to identify the berries and know if they were actually edible or not.

You stashed them away and grinned to yourself. It was a possibility that they were good but if they weren't- there was other ways to use the berries.

You still needed to find food that your group actually is able to eat if the berries aren't worth anything.

You hear your name being called and it startles you enough to take a step back and look behind you.

You trip on a root and crash against the forest floor- falling onto a separate patch of the same berries. Pollen and dew shoot up from the impact and you're forced to inhale it all in.

There's instant discomfort in your lungs and in your head, and you can already feel the multiple places where the thorns have pierced your skin and ripped your clothes.

You take a while to pry yourself out of the bushes, pain littered in all places you didn't even know you could hurt.

You cough and inhale more of the pollen that hasn't settled yet.

A massive headache begins pounding against your temples and back of your head.

You hear your name being called once more but this time in concern and blink away what you can. You groan and try your best to stand, falling to one knee in a coughing fit with pain and discomfort all throughout your joints and muscles.

You look up and smile despite it, a slight giggle of hysteria on your lips. "Hi Link! Guess what I found!"

Warrior "Oh sweet name of the three, what happened to you?" You see Warrior walk up to you and reach out his hand.

You giggle again and reach out to him. He grabs you and tries to lift you back onto your feet but your legs gives out from beneath you and you fall again.

"Hello~!" You lift out your hand and show him the berries. "You know if theses are good or not?"

"Nope." Warrior smacks them out of your hand with a backhanded swing. "Those are known for being highly toxic in.... depressant... components... Don't tell me you ate them?"

You grin and shake your head. "Nope! I didn't know if they were good or not...but I fell~!"

Warrior's face does that thing where he looks concerned but is only marginally capable of hiding it. "On the plant?"

"Link, you're so smart!" You get to your feet and fall nearly on top of him. Warrior is quick to catch you and hold you with his hands on your waist and you grin up at him, adoration pooled in your eyes. "That's what I did~! Man, you're so strong. You're stronger than I thought you were. Your arms are so toned too. I didn't think you had this much muscle."

"Ok. Let's get you to Sky." Warrior rolls his eyes and begins to more or less drag you away from the plants and back to where you think the group is. "Or maybe Four, this is his Hyrule anyway. Maybe he'll know how to get you fixed up."

"See, this is why I like you so much. You're always so fast to come up with a plan and you're so caring. You're so smart. You're so great." You giggle and try to follow his footsteps but find it really hard to put one foot in front of the other.

After what felt like a few seconds, (but was really ten minutes of Warrior fighting you and gravity (not successfully) to keep you upright), Warrior gives up on your non cooperative limbs and picks you up bridal style and begins to carry you away from the infested area.

"Link, I love you."

"I love you too." Warrior waves you off with a playful roll of his eyes.

"No.. but I really love you!" You insist, getting loud for no reason and place your hands on his face. You give him a squish and lean into his space. "You have to understand this. I would do anything to you."

"I know you would." He laughs. "I'd do anything for you too."

He shakes his head out of your hands and grins at you. "I think you're a little drunk from the plants toxins."

"Nuh-uh." You pout. "I'm too strong for that. I'm completely........ ok."

"I believe you." Warrior bites his lip trying to keep his cool before he absolutely looses it. He's both touched by your words and concerned for your well being. He supposes you're more or less drunk and loopey. It's not the most desirable circumstance but he's sure that those cuts on your skin and tears on your clothes can be handled more easily than the up coming hangover.

You fall silent after a second and look up at him. You poke his cheek and his nose and grin, hugging him close and snuggling into his chest and neck. "Has anyone ever told you that you're very handsome?"

"I think that's the more common compliment." He admits.

"And your eyes are very pretty and very blue and you have very long eye lashes and it's all very pretty. And you have a strong jaw."

"Do I?"

"So strong and sharp- it could cut glass." You say seriously. "And your hair always looks very soft and shiny and silky and I want to play with it but I don't want to make things weird. And you're so cool! You're so smart. You're so nice. And you're great with kids and people and everyone likes you so much, so quickly and it's so cool to watch you work and fight and-"

"You're going to keep going forever unless I stop you, aren't you?" Warrior swallows and tries to fight his upcoming blush. He had thought that you were joking for a moment but the more you talk the more it hits that you're being genuine.

You furrow your brows and hit him with the most innocent doe eyes you don't know that you have. "Do you want me to stop?"

Warrior almost trips at that way his heart skips a beat and he chuckles awkwardly. "Actually... No. It's ok. I don't mind."

"You deserve the world, Link." You say finally and go back to resting with your head in the crook of his neck. "I just wish that you could see that, you stubborn man."

"I'll... try my best."

"Good."

Time "Oh no." Time sighs and makes his way over to you. "What happened? Are you hurt?"

"My head hurts." You admit and drop the berries from your palm to cradle your temple. "I was trying to look for food... I think I found it but I also... don't."

Time kneels in front of you and places the back of his hand on your forehead. He hisses at the temperature and places his hand under your chin. "Why do you keep finding yourself in situations like this?"

"You boys keeping putting me situations like this." You mutter and try to stand. Your legs fail you and Time lurches in front of you in order to catch you.

"Do you see me as a boy?" Time raises an eyebrow.

"NOT that I'm complaining." You ignore his question and pat his face. "I love you guys, so much but like...This is what happens when I care about people. I end up in stupid situations."

"Maybe Four will have somethin to help out this." Time admits and picks you up without any further thought. "Let get you some help."

"Link, you're so great." You sigh and press your forehead against the crook of his head. His heartbeat is strong and he's cooler than you thought so you sigh in contentment.

"You're so calm and I always feel safe around you and you give the best hugs." You grin against his ear and Time has to stifle the upcoming chuckles from his chest.

"Do I?"

"The best hugs." You reiterate and snuggle closer. "You can ask Wind, he'll agree."

"I'm sure he will." Time let's a snort pass and he nods to Four as he passes. "They fell in a berry bush."

"Blue berries! With pretty leaves and thorns!" You cry out with an arm outstretched to the sky. "Not good for food, no no no, but good."

"Well... I'll start the antidote." Four sighs and walks away to his pack, immediately digging through it for the ingredients that will help you out.

"Four!" You sing and turn your head back into Time's neck. "Isn't Time the best? He's so strong and gentle and nice and he's so great."

Time lets more laughter fall from his lips as he places you on the ground next to his supplies. He says your name with a slight whine and begins to beg. "Please."

"Beeeeeesst hugs." You ignore him.

Four snickers from the other side of the camp and pulls out a bottle.

"I adore you Old Man. I don't think you get told that enough." You continue. "Like, you always try so hard to be a good person. You've gone through so much and you had no reason to start your adventure or to keep helping people and doing stuff but you care so much so you're here still and I think-"

Oh no, Time thinks, you're crying.

"Ok, ok, it's ok." time kneels next to you and puts your hair behind your ear. "No need to be upset. I'm here and everything's ok."

"But you've been hurt so much!" You pout, tears pooling in your eyes. "And yet you're still here and no one thanks you and you try so hard to watch over all of us and even then-"

"That's enough." Time frowns slightly and shakes his head. "I'm just doing what I'm supposed to."

"No one is making you." You pout and lay down on the ground. "You're not listening to me."

"Believe me, I am."

"Here." Four comes up to you and hands you a little bottle filled with viscous green liquid. "Drink this."

"I don't wanna." You pout. "I don't feel good."

"It'll make you feel better." Four tries again, before Time takes the bottle from his hands and uncorks it.

"Drink it." He says, in a tone which means there no room for argument.

"You're such a dad." You complain and grab it from his hand, placing it to your lips and begin sipping it slowly.

Time shakes his head and runs a hand through his hair. "What are we going to do with you?

Wild "Oh boy, I don't think these are good for eating." He says with a slight grimace. "We should probably not get near these. Let's go clean you up, yeah?"

"WIILLDD!!" You grin and reach your grabby hands in his direction. "Beautiful boy, how are you today~?"

Wild coughs a little and tries to hide his discomfort by avoiding eye contact. "I'm... fine... How are you?"

"Everything hurts~" You admit and look up at him with pleading eyes. "Carry me?"

"Oh boy, sure, why not?" He sighs and wraps around your shoulders and hooks the other under your knees, carrying you effortlessly through the thicket.

"How did this even happen?" He asks out of curiosity.

"I heard you call my name and fell."

"Fell where?"

"In the bush." You mumble with a pout and cross your arms. "It's all pokey and my clothes are ripped and I think I'm bleeding."

Wild bite his lip and hisses. "Sorry."

" 's not you're fault." You look up at him and pat his face. "You're too nice. I just wanted to help and got hurt like stupid me tends to do."

"You're not stupid." Wild scolds you gently. "You are incredibly smart."

"You're the smart one."

"Think so? I think some of the other will disagree."

"Well they can eat my shoes."

Wild coughs out a laugh again in a vain attempt to hide how uncharacteristically serious that was for you and how the unexpectedness of it made him lose it on the inside. "I don't think those would taste good."

"No.... But I need them so maybe they eat my hat instead." You nod to yourself in full serious before gasping slightly. "They should eat Legend's hat instead, then they'll really be sorry."

"Oh my god." Wild snorts and goes to cover his face before remembering that he's holding you.

He jostles' you in the process and the movement cause your headache to flare up. You whine and put a hand to your temple. "It hurts."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Wild frowns and puts the information away for later. "We'll get you back to camp and figure something out ok, maybe you should take it easy for a little bit."

"Link, you're so good to me. I don't deserve it."

"I think you do- I say you do and I'm going to tell Time to keep you down until you feel better."

"Noooo."

"Yeeesss."

"But you're always doing something for someone else, who's going to help you with dinner?" You complain and flop your arms around- regrettably because your head ache flares up once more. "Oh, ouch, ouchies..."

"I think I'll be fine." Wild rolls his eyes. "I've done it before I can do it again."

You hum sadly and shimmy your way into his arm to get more comfortable. "You're a good person. You're so smart. I love hanging out with you. You know that? You're so fun to be around and talk to and you're always so.... good."

Wild looks down on you momentarily before returning to the the forest ahead of him. "Thank you."

"I wish..." You start and cut yourself off. "I wish there was more I could do help you. You help so many people- I think there's someone in every stable in your Hyrule that you've helped... not to mention all of Hateno Village and like- you built Terry Town... It's so good-you're good. I wish more people were good."

"Are people not good?" Wild asks you as he walks through the green.

"I like to think that some are. I don't get to meet a lot of them." You admit and settle your head against his shoulder. "My home's not as nice as here."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"I'm going to miss you guys."

"We're going to miss you too." Wild replies automatically.

"I think I'll miss you most." You hum and close your eyes. "Good people should get good things and you didn't get a lot of good things... Someone should fix that. I want to fix that."

Wild doesn't respond.

Twilight

“Oh!” Twilight winces. “I should have warned you about those. Four told me they’d be in the area and that we’d have to avoid them. You ok?”

“I fell... in the bush.” You pout and begin to sag your shoulders. Guess they weren’t edible after all.

Seems like they’re quite bad actually.

“I’m sorry.” You sniffle and try ignore the tears beginning to pool in your eyes. “I didn’t mean too. I’m in trouble, aren’t I?”

“Well no, not exactly.” Twilight rushes to your side at the side and brushes off whatever leaves and twigs he can see from your clothes. “Does anything hurt?”

“A lot of things hurt Twi.” 

“Can you be a little more specific?” He tries, with a small tilt to his head.

“My head... and I think there’s a lot of tiny cuts on my arms and back.” You try to stand again and Twilight is quick to help you with a stabilizing hand on the small of your back. “There’s more thorns in the bushes than I thought there’d be.”

“Ok, we’ll get those looked at ok. Four should have something to help you in the mean time.” Twilight takes a few steps with you, wrapping an arm over your shoulder when he realizes you’re more intoxicated than he thought.

You put your full weight against him without realizing it and place your head on his shoulder. “Twilight?”

“Yes?”

“I appreciate you so much.” You take a breath and sigh. “You’ve been the first person there to help me out with whatever this adventure seem to throw at me. You’re always taking care of others... like Wild and Wind and Legend and I know you look up to Time but so many of us are looking up to you too and I guess I want to say thank you. There’s a lot of good in your heart and I’m glad I get to see it.”

“I appreciate you too.” He says in reply.

“But I don’t do anything.”

“I’d beg to differ.”

“You’re too dignified to beg. I don’t think you’d ever have it in you.” You grin. “I admire the way you hold yourself and don’t let anyone talk down to you- like that guy in that old Castle Town- or where ever we were. And like, you can throw a good punch too. I thought you broke that guys jaw!”

“Admittedly... Not one of my greater moments.” Twilight hisses at the memory. Time gave him a nasty look for that one and he’s still working off the penalty for it.

“It was super cool though.” You cock your head to the side, looking at his profile as you stumble through the forest growth. “He totally deserved it, don’t let Time let you think otherwise. I was tempted to punch him too or get get Wild and let him go crazy against the guy.”

“Wild probably would have set him on fire.”

“It would have been funny.”

“No it wouldn’t have.”

“Not to the guy, maybe.” You giggle. “But see, you’re always thinking about others and how’d they react and how to go about things that makes you so smart and you’re so cool.”

“Thank you.” Twilight stops the two of you for a moment and readjusts his grip on you. “Are you feeling any better?”

“No. My head hurts.”

“Well, we’re almost there and then we can get started on fixing this ok?” 

“Ok.” You mumble and go back to mostly resting against the country boy. 

“You’re really great with animals too.” You say randomly. “I’ve never a horse that close with its rider or how all the cats just gravitate towards you.”

“The cat thing I’ll admit is special to me, but are you trying to tell me that the horses of your world aren’t treated right? Because they bond really well with humans and dogs alike.”

“Why dogs?”

“Uh-”

“Well everybody likes dogs, I guess that’s a given. It's not even a question really. I don't know why I asked.” You shrug.

“Yup. That’s what I meant.”

“And no, well I don’t know... I don’t see a lot of horses in my home world so maybe you’re right and I just have bad examples.”

“Of course I’m right.” Twilight says with a grin. “Horses are great!”

“You’re great Link.” You try to hide your laughter at how genuine and boyish he sounded. “I’d take you over a horse any day.”

“Well I’d hope so.”

Wind

"What is it?" Wind tilts his head and steps into your direction, trying to piece together what happened to you with what little information he has. "You look like you got in a fight... and lost."

"I fell the bush of these berries! Look!" You grin beyond the pain in your head and hold your hand out.

Wind walks up to you and picks one up between his fingers, twisting it around before looking back at you. "Are these safe to eat?"

"I have no idea." You answer honestly. "I was going to as Wild if he knew but then I fell in this bush and got hurt so I gotta go get myself checked out."

"Well that explains why your clothes are torn." Wind snorts a little and holds his hand out. "Do you need help?"

You hum and try to examine yourself from the inside. Your head is killing you but you feel loopey and uncentered.

Maybe some help would be nice.

"Yes, please." You take his hand and let him pull you up. "Thank you Link."

"No problem." He grins. "Can you get back to the camp on your own?"

You hum again and try to take a step forward. But your knee buckles from beneath you and you fall the ground again. "Ow."

"Ok, guess not." Wind is by your side within seconds and helps you back to your feet. "That's ok! I'll just help you get to the others and maybe someone will know how to fix you."

"Yay." You giggle and lean on the boy. "Have I ever told you how great you are?"

"No." Wind grins and starts to lead the way. "I don't think you have."

"That's a shame. Shame on me. Because you are one of the best kids I think I've ever met. Don't let anyone change you, ok? You are.... so fun to be around and I'm so glad I met you and I'm going to miss you when this is all over and I think I'm going to try-"

"You think you're going to cry?" Wind looks up at you.

"No no... maybe." You tilts your head and close your eyes, putting your full trust and weight on Wind's shoulders. "I just... you're so good. And you're so happy and excited to see all these new things and I wish I was like that when I was your age, you know?"

"Uh-"

"And I hope that you get to do and see so many amazing things, Link. You're going to change your world, I know it and I'm sad that I won't get to see it."

"Hey-"

"You can't let anyone bully you, ok? There's a lot of people that would want to break your spirit and your joy and there's a lot of things that we want to do to keep you the way you are but there's only so much we can shield you from. I know you don't like it. I know you think you can't take it. But you shouldn't have to. You should have never had to. You should have had a chance like all the other boys and girls to be young and have a childhood and just be a kid but I'm so proud of you." You say and stop the two of you for a moment, pulling Wind in what you try to be a crushing hug.

"You're incredible, you know that?" You lean back and put your hands on his shoulders. "Link, listen, no matter what any else will ever tell you, we adore you. I think you're everyone's favorite, ok? There's so many things I want to show you myself if the Captain would let me.... I doubt he will because there not exactly things kids your age should know. Like throwing knives and hand to hand combat... But I think we both agree that it's all waaaay past that point. So anything goes!"

"Will you really teach me?" Wind lights up at the thought and be jumps a little on his toes in excitement.

"If you're up for it.. I'm sure that others will try to fight me though."

"I'll fight them."

"I don't doubt that pirate."

"What are you two talking about?" Warrior steps up and places his hands on his hips. "We heard you talking but missed it. What is.... what happened to you?"

"I'm just telling Wind how amazing he is and how much I love him and adore him and how cool he is for a thirteen year old and how I couldn't even come close to that when I was his age so I'm a bit jealous-"

"They fell in some freaky looking berry bush and I think they're poisoned." Wind explains over you. "They're acting a little loopey."

"I am. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT OK." You shout and push yourself away from Wind, staggering on your feet and eventually falling on your butt onto the forest floor.

The sudden movement flares up your headache and your neck muscles stiffen around your shoulders, making it hard to move your head. "Oh, ow.... My head... That was a mistake. Mistakes were made."

Warrior hisses and sigh after watching you suffer for a hot second. "Alright, I'll go wrangle up some supplies. Can you take them back to camp on your own, Sailor?"

"I was already doing that." Wind raises an eyebrow.

"Alright then, then go back to doing that." Warrior smirks a little. "I'll be back."

He then nods a bit and walks away from your duo as Wind makes his way over to where you fell, pulling you back to your feet and wrapping your arm over his shoulders. "Did you mean what you said?"

"What did I say?" You try to twist your head around to loosen up your muscle and it only slightly works.

"Well... everything you said about me. Did you mean it?"

"I don't remember." You frown and furrow your eyebrows. "Probably... If it's all good things, then yes. Because you are good. And you deserve good things. And you might be the little brother I never had... but I wish you were my brother. You're cool. You're great. I love hanging out with you man."

Wind smiles softly and sits you down on a free spot once you reach camp again. "I can be your brother, it's ok."

"Awesome!"

Sky

"And what exactly did you find?" Sky raises an eyebrow when he sees you. He recognizes the plant but can't remember what it does or why he's seen it before.

"Hm... I don't think that's good." He sighs and walks over to you, picking you up with a sturdy hands on your elbows. "Are you ok?"

"A lot of things hurt right now." You admit. "Are the berries not good?"

"Let's assume they aren't." Sky smiles a bit and wraps arm around your waist to keep you from falling. "I think you should get someone to look at you."

"You have really long eye lashes." You blurt out and gently bring your hand to cup his face. "And I've never noticed how blue your eyes are."

"Ok, those berries defiantly aren't good." Sky snorts and picks your hand off of his face. "Let's get you back to camp, ok?"

"You're like... one of the nicest people here, you know that?"

"Well I certainly try to be."

"And you're always thinking of others and you're so good." You lean against him, putting your full weight onto his side. "I'm so sorry that you have to be here instead of your home. You're so important to so many people Link."

"You think so?"

"I know so." You pat his head with what little arm you reach. "You're at the start of this whole thing... You are... the whole reason Hyrule, as everyone knows it, exists to begin with. It all starts with you. Not everyone has that kind of legacy you know."

"Is that really my legacy?" Sky looks over to you and you grin brightly in his direction.

"Well aside from the stories of the hero I've always heard so much about growing up there's also like the hero lineage as well. Not to mention you also father... the whole Hyrule Royal Family Line. So I'd say you're pretty important. and your legacy is pretty big."

Sky stops abruptly and the suddenness of it sends you right onto the ground. "I'm the start of the line?"

"OOOWWW!!! SKY!" You whine and cradle your head with both of your hands. "That hurt! Why did you do that?"

"Sorry sorry sorry." Sky bends down and helps you back up, readjusting his grip on you a few times to make sure that even if he loses his grip again, he won't be sent careening onto the floor. "That was an accident. I did not mean to do that."

"That was mean."

"It wasn't on purpose I swear."

"Promise?" You rolled your head over and rest it on his shoulder.

"Promise." Sky bite his lip to hold in his laughter. "I'd never do that to you on purpose, not like this."

"Ok. I believe you." You nod. "I think if you really wanted to hurt me, you would have sent your army of birds against me or something."

"I do not have an army of birds."

"But you're building one."

"No, I'm not."

"You are though. Maybe not on purpose... Maybe you don't realize it. You do know that birds flock to you right?" You blinks your eyes up at him. "It's a crazy thing to witness. I think you could easily rule to world with nothing but cuccos by your side."

"What is it with you guys and the cuccos? What did they ever do to you?"

"I can't speak for the others but I say with full certainty that my Zelda has a wicked streak sometime and she was mercilessly attacked by them one day."

"Oh my goodness"

"I told her to leave them alone but noooo, she had to keep hittin' the poor thing and look where it got her. Those little things are ruthless and should be feared. She won't touch them with a ten foot pole now." You nod your head to your story as if you were telling Sky some age old wisdom.

"Does that mean the others-?"

"Most likely." You snort. "Serves them right."

"That would explain that."

"Sky, I'm really glad I know you... as a person and as a friend. I think you're really talented and great and good and I'm so happy you're here."

"I'm glad I met you too." Sky grins and waves over someone from the camp to come help him.

"You're my favorite ok, don't tell the others." You wink in his direction and let yourself be taken away from his side.

"Oh jeeze, thanks." Twilight snorts and picks you up bridal style, taking you further into the camp and laying you down by the small fire they've started.

"I'll take that secret to my grave." Sky smirks.

Twilight huffs a little and stands to leave. "You can take care of them then."

"That was the plan."

"Sky is a brave boy." You mumble from where you've been placed and reach out to him. "He deserves better than watching over a sick sack of potatoes. He's good at helping people. Someone has to make sure that he doesn't push himself too hard. He'll over work himself and then there would no more Sky and the world will be to dark to recover. There's no way we can lose Sky. He's too good."

"Have they been like the whole time?"

"Pretty much." Sky shrugs.

"I think I'm going to throw up." You mumble and try to push yourself upright.

The boys then scramble to try and manage the approaching problem.

It's going to be a long night.

Legend

"Oh for the love of- you look like you took a swim through the underbrush. What did you do?" Legend groans and comes to stand in front of you.

"I went for a swim?" You blink up at him, confused and a little disoriented still. "Is that what happened? I'm not wet... Am I?"

"You're joking." Legend raises an eyebrow and and places the back of his hand against your forehead. "Ok, maybe not."

"I can not believe the legend himself has graced me with his presence." You giggle and try to stand- not very successfully. "What a joyous day indeed."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Legend kneels next to you and takes one of your arms, lifting it up and wrapping it around his shoulders. "You're acting weird... weirder than usual anyway."

"But I love you Legend!" You cry and wrap your other arm around him. It's a clumsy hug and Legend almost throws you off. But considering you can barely stand on your own feet with his support, he supposes some more wouldn't hurt.

If he likes it then he doesn't say anything.

"I think you love the idea of me." He grumbles. "I'm not that great."

"See, you say that but it's not true!" You grin and nuzzle your head against his. "You put on this big tough attitude and your defensive but you love us and we love you and I know you sometimes slip more food onto Wind's pate when he's still hungry but he won't go for seconds. Or how you sneak potions and healing items into our bags when we're not looking and I know you gave Hyrule some of those magic rings of yours to protect him. Or how you banter with Warrior because you try to keep his stress levels low because he gets flashback of the war and we all know he feels responsible for us even if he has no reason to be. You're quick to point out any puzzles that Four misses... magic eyes and all that."

"Have you been watching me?" He snaps and tries to make his embarrassment with anger.

"Yes, because I find you interesting and I've been wanting to get to know you better but you're one prickly pear." You poke his nose and try to keep walking. "You don't let me."

It's difficult.

"I know you've been watching what weapons Wild goes through and keep track of what he's been using the most, what he's most comfortable with... I think you want to get him something..."

"I'm an apprentice blacksmith... I want to see if there's something that will survive that wild rat." He grumbles.

"Ooohh!! Even better! you want to make him something!"

"I hope your fever erases this from your memory... Make it into one big fever dream."

You laugh and try to hide the grimace from your pounding head. "I know you've helped Twilight with something- he seems a little lighter but I don't know what. And I know you've been watching how much sleep the Old Man gets and I know you've been helping him with it. I know you're watching how much Sky has been fighting and how much he travels and you're quick watch his health and his breathing problems."

"Should I be concerned that you've been watching me this much? Because if it were any other person I'd be fighting you and getting a restraining order. It's weird." Legend huffs and hoists you up a little more, trying to keep you from falling.

"You help so many people." You hiccup and groan, the pain in your head becoming a little more than you can hide. "You're always watching everybody else's back. You don't watch your own."

"Who says that?"

"You take care of everyone else but yourself." You whine and hide your face against his shoulder. "But I've been watching your back. It's ok. I know you wouldn't like it but I care about you too much to let you hurt yourself. Someone has to take care of you if you won't do it yourself."

"I can take care of myself!"

"But you don't."

"Hey!"

"MMmm... Don't yell please." You wince and grip his tunic tighter.

Legend stops for a moment and finally looks at your face. It's flushed completely red and you're beginning to have sweat roll down the side of your head. Legend bites his lip and hides the pause behind the pretend need to adjust his grip.

He can't tell if you've gotten better or worse but he's going to bet worse.

"I'll go get Time. Maybe we can figure how to fix this, ok?" Legend gulps a little and returns to dragging you across the forest.

"Ok."

"The things I do for you people."

"You're a good person."

"Hm."

"Link?"

"What?"

"Thank you." You mumble, right into his ear. "We don't say it often but thank you."

Legend feel the tips of his ears go a little pink and he scoffs. "Don't thank me for anything. I didn't do anything."

"You're a good person."

"I'll chock this up to the fever talking."

Hyrule

Hyrule hisses sharply and can already feel the ominous foreshadowing of the hours to come. "Did you get in a fight? Are you hurt? You're bleeding, that's a dumb question, don't answer that."

"Rule!" You reach your hand out. "Best booooy!!! Hello sweet heart, how are you?"

"What happened to you?" He kneels down beside you and begins to heal the miniscule cuts around your arms and your back. He can feel the magic go down your legs and heal what was torn there and come back up to work on the worst of it.

It's a little more damage that he'd like to admit out loud and he's a little worried that there's monsters nearby that would have caught the scent of your blood.

"I fell in the bush... trying to get berries to eat... I was supposed to find food for Wild to cook but I don't think I can do that any more. It's not good that there's not much to forage." You mumble, relaxed by the suddenness of your pain being relieved and the cuts you've sustained leaving your body.

Hyrule frowns and stops his spell. It's a shame he can't do anything about your clothes.

"I feel funny." You say and lean backwards, over judging the distance and force and nearly send yourself back into the bush behind you.

Hyrule snatches your tunic before you can do that and pulls you toward him. "Be careful... Did the bush do this?"

"I dunno." You shrug and frown as you feel the pain begin to come back. "Are you here to bring me back?"

"I might have to regardless. I think you've been poisoned by the plants."

"I feel funny, not dead."

"Well, let's hope that it doesn't come to that." Hyrule rolls his eyes and wraps your arm around his shoulders. "Come on. We need to get you checked out and see if there's anyway to help you."

He's trying to stay calm... but he hopes that it's mostly you being loopey and not actually in any danger. He doesn't recognize the plant- but he supposes that's a given since it's not his Hyrule and he doesn't know the scale of the dangers around here.

"I have a headache again." You groan and don't even try to help Hyrule in lifting you up.

"I... can't really do anything about that. Sorry." Hyrule sighs and readjusts his grip to lift you higher.

This time you do put a little more effort in standing up and slowly, you begin to make your way back to the camp.

"I'm sorry you have to deal with me right now." You mumble and lean against him. "There's so many others things you could be doing right now."

"I don't mind. I'd rather you be ok than do anything else."

"You're a good person." You roll your head back and look at his side profile. "I hope you get every good thing the universe has to offer Link. May your life be filled with peace and happiness and all sorts of good things."

"Like what?" Hyrule finds himself asking. It stuns him and for a moment and he wonders if he's asking because he doubts he'll have it or if it's merely to get you to elaborate more.

"Like many friends and family and holidays and puppies and kitties and candy and good food and good company and cupcakes and lemonade-" You begin to list off.

Hyrule looks back on his life and the people he's met and everything that's happened to him up until this very moment. Enough so that he ignores the rest of your list and only tunes back in when you've past onto a slightly different topic.

"There's so many little things to enjoy in life, you know. I know you're humble and underestimate yourself and I'm trying to change that because you're absolutely amazing and there's a lot you should be proud and show off a little more because you deserve it but I wish you'd let us show you that. " You roll your head around again and try to match your footsteps to his despite the fog in your brain.

You keep talking.

"It might be presumptuous to say this but I think this group may have been the best thing to have happened to you. And that makes me a little sad."

Hyrule stumbles a little and you follow suit. "Sorry, sorry."

"It's ok. You'd never hurt anyone unless they deserved it." You mumble and try to fight against the now pounding sensation in your head.

"Hurting?"

"Yeah... My headache got worse."

"I'm sorry."

"You apologize too much." You groan. "I can't wait to see the day where you do something completely outrageous and just own it, just unapologetically decide that this is the hill you're going to die on and fight every one else about it."

"That sounds like a lot of effort." Hyrule snorts and raises an eyebrow.

"I can't to see what is the stick that takes you there."

"I don't think that's how the saying goes."

"It is now. I said so."

"Of course. Naturally." Hyrule snorts.

"Link, we're friends right?"

Hyrule nearly stumbles again but catches himself this time. "Of course we are! Whatever made you think otherwise?"

"Nothing." You admit. "But I'd to be the kind of person that's on the list of good things your life. Like that list I was talking about earlier."

"I say you are." Hyrule nods to himself and sees the camp in the distance. Relief flows over him and he nearly sags from it. A smiles graces his face as he turns to you and lets you lean on him a little more. "And I'd die on that hill."

Four

"Oh no no no no no, not good, not good at all!" Four hisses and runs to your side. "Did you eat any? Please tell me you didn't."

"Are they not good?" You tilts your head and try to keep your vision on Four but it's kind of hard to focus on just one of him. You don't remember there being so many Fours.

"No! You're not supposed to eat them! They're highly toxic!" Four grips your shoulders and begins to look over your face and check your eyes.

"Did you eat any?" He asks again, stressing the question more than you think is necessary.

You shake your head.

"Oh thank Hylia."

"I feel in the bush though."

Four groans enough that it sound more like a subdued scream. "Why?"

"I tripped." You giggle and try to stand up. "I heard my name AND FELL~! Hehehehe.."

"Ok. This..." Four sighs and looks around your surroundings for a second. He doesn't find what he's looking for. "...is not ideal."

" 'm sorry." You say and feel your lip start to wobble a little bit. "I didn't mean too."

"No. It's my Hyrule. I should have warned you guys. This is my fault." Four scoots in your direction and wraps his arms under your knees and behind your back.

He effortlessly lifts you up bridal style and doesn't hesitate to begin carrying you back to camp. "Time is going to have my head for this."

"No, he likes you too much." You blinks away what you can and try to think beyond the simple thoughts in front of you. "Everyone likes you. you're a likable person."

"Well thank you, but believe me. There are people who don't me." Four says with a snicker.

"Who are they? I'll fight them. Just say their names."

"You don't know them." Four furrows his eyebrows and chuckles disbelievingly.

"I can find them. And then I'll fight them. How dare they not like you!" You shout to the sky and wave your arm around like it's nobody's business. "You're one of the coolest people I know! That I've ever met! And I've met a lot of people! I've met this group! And you're still the coolest! Tell me their names, Link. I won't stand for this."

"It's not a big deal."

"I'm about to make it one."

"I won't tell you their names." Four shakes his head. Mostly because they're gone already so who cares.

"Then point your fingers Smithy because I'll find them and you won't have to worry about them any more." You say with so much resolution in your voice that Four has to stop himself from laughing out loud.

"Believe me, I don't worry about them."

"Oh so someone else got to them then. Good good."

He loses and laughs anyway. "No, not like that."

"There should be only people who love Link! Link haters are not allowed or welcome! Begone with those thoughts!" You cling to him weakly and Four has to grip you tighter to compensate for your flailing.

"Hold still, you're making this harder than it needs to be." Four snorts and shakes his head. "I deserve this. I deserve this and everything that's about to come. I know it. This is completely my fault."

"It's not your fault my head's hurting." You argue and frown. Because it's true. Your head ache tat you've been sporting since the start of your conversation has grown and it's beginning to be impossible to ignore.

"It kind of is, considering that it's a byproduct of the brumble bush." Four sighs. "Luckily, the antidote is pretty easy to make. The down side is that I'm not sure if I have all the ingredients and we're a little too far away from town to get more. I wonder if Hyrule can do something with his magic to help out... or at least lessen the effects so that it wears off."

"Will it last long?" You mumble and cradle your head in your hand. "I don't like this, Link."

"I don't like this either." He says. "If you didn't eat any of it than you should be fine in a few hours and it'll wear off on it's own but I don't think you want to be like this any longer than you have to be."

"Man, Link you're so smart. You know so much." You sigh and rest what you canon his shoulder. "I'm so glad I'm your friend... that we're friends and I want to keep being your friend. Can we keep being friends? Is it possible to be friends throughout different lifetimes?"

"I don't know but we can certainly try." Four grins and makes it back to camp a little easier now that you're so riled up. "I'm glad we're friends too."

"Yay!" You giggle and lay on the ground with little fan fair and with little convincing. "There's no much we have to do still... as friends and as a group. I love you guys!"

"And we love you!" Four snorts. "Get some sleep- it'll go faster. I'll wake you up when I have the antidote."

"Ok Smithy." You let your head hit the ground and close your eyes.

Four looked over his shoulder to where you are and smiles a little wistfully.

Until Time make his way to camp and eyes your torn and slightly bloody clothes before turning to Four with a raised eyebrow.

Four hisses again and raises his hand. "I can explain."

"You better."