#S&B Chapter 7 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

7-deadly-cats · 1 month ago

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killing me softly | 18

K M S M A S T E R L I S T | <- P R E V I O U S | N E X T ->

✿ G E N R E ✿ she fell first, he fell harder | slice of life | drama

✿ P A I R I N G ✿ s1!rafe cameron x overthinking!reader (f)

✿ C O N T E N T W A R N I N G ✿ swearing, suggestive language & themes, hints at jjpope, cursed chat pics, mention of abusive household (aka rafe's), hints at reader getting turned on lmao, gentleman!rafe, reader one sec away from hyperventilating, slightly jealous!reader, awkward!rafe (um.. you'll see why), also FLUFF

✿ S U M M A R Y O F L A S T P A R T ✿ after rafe dropped you off at the beach, cara dragged you to meet sarah, kiara and cleo. everyone was nice, though kiara questioned what was going on with you and rafe. in the restroom of bob's iceshack, cara admitted she wasn’t sure if she wanted to hook up with jj. your conclusion: she was torn between him and topper. later, rafe texted saying he saw sarah’s story and wanted to pick you up an hour later. after some back and forth, you agreed on 7:30pm. still, you couldn’t help but wonder why he was suddenly so eager. after hanging out with the pogues for a while, you dipped. john b offered a ride for tomorrow’s open air movie night. back in rafe’s car, he called them losers but backed off when you questioned it. after some pushing, he finally admitted he felt like everyone was choosing sarah over him. you tried to reassure him and concluded (internally) that ward cameron was the root for his issues. during your late night drive you got mcdonald’s, and finally, he dropped you off with a surprise: a my little pony bracelet from a gas station to prove he wasn’t playing you. in bed, you showed the bracelet to the girls in the new group chat. last surprise of the day: the mirror selfie from rafe aka the same one you’d stared at earlier.

✿ W O R D C O U N T ✿ 13.5k+ (longest chapter yet help + max use of chat screenshots so prepare for a LONG reading session)

✿ A / N ✿ GUYS I TRIED WITH THIS ONE BUT i kinda feel like the second half sucks, and also it feels extremely rushed if we take the pace of the other days of the week into consideration but well guess it wouldn't have made sense to drag out sunday for no reason. i also feel like i fucked up the ending by the direction i've chosen but i kinda gave up lmao. i probably could've explored the full potential of this setting and, IDK AHHHH. dw there's gonna be a part 2 of the event. anyway, have fun reading and PLEASE lmk what you think, this chapter gave me sm anxiety <3

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a little warning: avoid the comment section bc of spoilers 🤣

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W E E K O N E // S U N D A Y 1 1 : 1 7 A M

"Okay, where did we leave off again?" you asked Cara as you made yourself comfortable in your little windowsill nook. "My brain is so full, I can’t keep track of anything anymore."

Cara chuckled. "Oh, I know exactly what it’s full of. Mr. ‘Let me give the girl I like a friendship bracelet so it’s not too obvious that I’m completely down bad for her.’"

A giggle slipped out and your cheeks instantly flushed. "You're gonna lose it when I tell you this next part."

“She’s already losing it,” came a voice, and your heart dropped to your stomach.

OH MY GOD, now that you saw the wall behind Cara… NO WAY. GIRL ACTUALLY SPENT THE NIGHT IN JJS WONDERLAND OMGGGG.

Cara scoffed, amused, and turned her phone to show JJ pulling a shirt over his very bare chest. You were so glad he at least had boxers on.

“Say hi and get out,” she said.

JJ looked up with a “Hey, my room,” and winked into the camera with a big-ass grin when he spotted you. “She’s even louder in bed.”

Too. Much. Information.

You just stared, stunned, and gave him an awkward little smile.

Cara rolled her eyes and turned the phone back to her face. “Chop chop, Dig’s waiting for his morning walk.”

“Not sure the leash’s even usable anymore.”

GUYSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

Cara stared flatly into the camera. “He's joking.”

OKAY THEN.

“Okay, okay. The leash only almost came into play,” JJ called out, followed by a loud “Hey!” as Cara threw a pillow at him.

“Out. Now. This is a girl-to-girl talk,” she said. “Village idiots not allowed.”

JJ chuckled. “More of a jester anyway.”

Then came a soft thud, which you took as him finally leaving the room.

“Okay, where were we?” Cara looked into the camera with a blinking smile.

You blinked back. “So, I guess, you don’t wanna—”

“Nope.”

“Aight.”

Cara cleared her throat. “Sooo, the last update I got from you and Loverboy is basically just what you'd said in your voice memo last night. He brought your bag back, then you guys spent the afternoon together. He dropped you off, picked you back up later, and by the end of the night practically proposed, right?”

Um… something like that.

You’d obviously left out a lot in that memo. As sweet and welcoming as the Pogue girls were, you’d literally only known them for a day, and you didn’t exactly feel comfy going full overshare just yet. And considering one of them was Rafe’s sister, you weren’t gonna bring up his little hate-rant about her or start gossiping about him behind his back.

But Cara was different. She was your best friend. You could tell her everything.

And you did. You told her about lunch with your parents, your trip to Bulk & Bloom and Barry’s pawn shop, your full-on spiral that you and Rafe had talked through in the car, and of course your evening trip to McDonald's and how he'd walked you to the front door like a freaking gentleman.

You did leave out his angsty little moment in the car, though. He’d opened up to you so honestly, you didn’t want to betray that trust. Plus, it felt… special. Like something just for the two of you.

But the important stuff? Oh, you shared that.

Your parents basically already adopting him, Barry’s well-meant warning, OH and obviously the insanely awkward moment when Rafe had caught you scrolling through his chat with Kelce.

AND OF COURSE, the most insane, messed-up, crazy thing he’d said: that you were a cute chick and he’d (quote) bend you over in the backseat of his car if you said the word.

“WHAT!?”

Your phone speaker peaked just a little.

You chuckled, cheeks flushed. “Well, yeah, he—”

“WHAT?”

Another laugh escaped your mouth. Cara stared at you, eyes wide and jaw dropped like you’d just told her Harry Styles invited you to his private villa.

“GIRL, I—” She exhaled like she’d just sprinted a marathon. “I don’t even… holy fucking shit, like, oh my Jesus Christ, good Lord and all the heavens above.”

When Cara started praying, you knew shit was actually insane.

You giggled. “Now imagine what was going on in my head. The fact I managed to function after that is honestly one of the seven wonders of the world.”

"The fact that you didn’t immediately jump him and rip his clothes off—that is the miracle," she shot back, still staring at you like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. "I MEAN WHAT? Like, my kitty would’ve gone straight to—"

“OKAY!”

Cara shook her head like a madwoman. “Y/N! That boy is so down bad for you, how do you not see it?” She sighed, shaking her phone. “Like HELLO? Rafe Cameron said out loud that he’s into you.”

"Sexual attraction and having a crush are two completely different things," you argued.

Cara frowned dramatically. “How oblivious do you wanna be? Yes.” You heard frantic tapping sounds as she smashed at her screen. “He gifted you a fucking bracelet. Rafe Cameron. The guy who’s known for doing absolutely nothing for any girl, like, ever. What more do you need? He said you’re cute. He said he likes you. He said he ENJOYS spending time with you. And what else? OH RIGHT, that he wants to hang out even after your little project dates are over AND THAT HE WANTS TO CLAP YOUR CHEEKS.” She shook her head like she was malfunctioning. “THIS SCREAMS GET READY TO BE MY GIRLFRIEND.”

Did it?

UM, YEAH, KINDA DID.

Fucking hell, Cara could really make even the most chaotic shit sound like it followed cold, hard logic.

But here's the thing: Rafe was a direct guy. If he had no problem saying he’d sleep with you, surely he wouldn’t have a problem saying he was into you like that (hypothetically speaking, of course).

Which kind of threw her whole argument out the window again.

You shook your head. “This sounds more like, ‘I’ve never had a female friend before, and now that I do, guess I’m gonna keep her around.’”

“So you do realize he wants you,” Cara replied.

You let out a tired sigh. “Yeah, I guess, but not like that. I don’t know how to explain it… I just think he likes the idea of having a girl around.” You tilted your head. “Like with Topper and Kelce, he’s this kinda toxic-bro-masculine-alpha type. And I guess he misses the fun flirty energy." Then you remembered his emotional outburst last night. “And I feel like with me, he also doesn’t put on a front. I don’t know.”

Cara stared you down, deadpan. “That is literally the ideal foundation for a relationship.”

“Or for a really good friendship,” you countered.

How were you supposed to explain to her that this poor boy probably just wanted someone to see him for who he really was? Like, the frustration he let out last night—the way he basically admitted, without saying it directly, that he was scared of being abandoned.

And that could always happen in a relationship. In a short-term hookup? Inevitable. But a good friend? Ideally, that was someone you could have for life. And the fact you were a girl—just a side note in the whole equation.

“Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah.” Cara rolled her eyes. “So what you’re telling me is, he puts in all this effort just so he can call you his friend and still flirt for fun? Make it make sense.”

"Yeah, but, C," you said with a chuckle. "That's literally how our friendship works too. We both put effort into each other, that’s what friends do, and don’t even get me started on the flirting. Like according to your logic, I should question your intentions as well."

Cara curled her lips. "... okay, you kinda have a point there."

You nodded with a See? look on your face.

"But," she continued, "we’re girl best friends. You and him? That’s a whole different thing."

You raised an amused brow. "Are you seriously trying to tell me that a guy and a girl can’t have a platonic relationship?"

Cara scowled. "No, of course not, but—"

"But I’m okay with the way it is," you said with a soft smile. "I have no problem with just being friends with Rafe. Honestly, it might even be better this way. I don’t have to worry about screwing it up, or God," you chuckled nervously, "all my other insecurities."

Cara let out a sigh. “You really are the biggest mystery to me, girl. You’ve been crushing on this guy since fifth grade. And now, when you finally have the chance to actually make something happen, like, he’s literally offering you the perfect foundation, you just settle for the easiest option.”

Less risk of being disappointed. Less chance of embarrassing yourself. Less chance to lose whatever it was you two had built in just a few days. Accepting Rafe as a friend was the easy choice, yeah, but it was also the safest.

But you knew exactly what Cara would say to that: she’d start pushing you to take a chance, make a move, break out of your shell for once.

"Okay, look at it this way," you said with a playful eye roll. "A relationship can always grow from a friendship. Does that help?"

You doubted that would actually happen, but at least it would shut Cara up for now.

She chuckled and wiggled her shoulders. "Friends to lovers? Uhh, now you got me." She raised her eyebrows with a lopsided grin. "So… does that also apply to us, orrrr…?"

You quickly steered the conversation back to her. More specifically her evening with the Pogues, dinner at the Chateau later on, and eventually the magical night she had with JJ. Kiara, Pope, and Cleo had left at some point, leaving just Cara, John B, Sarah, and JJ behind.

The exact details and noises from that night, however, Cara could gladly keep to herself.

Anyway, her dad called a little later to tell her to come home—her grandparents were visiting to celebrate her mom’s birthday belatedly. With a quick "Oh shit, we’ll text later", your little call came to an end.

You’d barely touched the ground with your feet, just getting off your windowsill corner and ready to change out of your sleepwear into something actually wearable, when your phone buzzed again.

And what greeted you? Yeah…

Geez, it wasn’t even noon and your pulse was already at 180.

First Cara fueling your delusions, then Rafe and his newfound hobby (or more like obsession) with your reaction pics (UM THE FACT THAT HE'D DOWNLOADED PINTEREST FOR IT???) and how he instantly went into full-attack mode just at the mention of you being in the girlies’ group chat, like bro, we get it, you’re terrified of abandonment but PLEASE CALM DOWN I AIN'T GOING NOWHERE. And then back to Cara, aka the fact that you’d now have to endure the drive to the open air event without her.

Honestly, that last part was the least of your worries because if you'd managed to survive half of Kelce’s party solo (okay, with Topper, Molly, and Rob), then you could totally handle a short car ride.

No, what really had you spiraling was how comfortable Rafe had gotten with you in just one day. Like, hello? First the mirror selfie last night, and then those reaction pics this morning (okay, more like noon, oops), AND THEN THE FACT THAT HE STRAIGHT UP ADMITTED (or hopefully joked) that he'd had a little private session this morning, DUDE COME ON.

HELP AND THE FACT THAT THAT SENT YOU INTO INSTANT BRAIN CINEMA MODE OF A HALF NAKED, HEAVY BREATHING RAFE, BOXERS AROUND HIS ANKLES, EYES CLOSED, HEAD PRESSED BACK INTO THE PILLOW OR DESK CHAIR (WHO KNEW), HAND AROUND HIS—NOPENOPENOPENOPEHELPPP

Jesus Christ, suddenly there was a tingling sensation in your lower body and the urgent need to open the windows to cool your body down because your cheeks? On fucking fire. Not even mentioning the heart rate and that warm, funny feeling between your—OKAY ENOUGH HOLY SHIT.

You gotta be ovulating or something because that? What the actual fuck.

HAHAHAHHAA ANYWAY.

Lunch.

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"How's Rafe?" That was one of the first questions your dad asked once you all sat down in the dining room.

Great. Not even here you could escape the topic.

To make things worse, both your mom and dad were giving you this smirky look that screamed You were out late last night: Should we be getting excited about our future son-in-law?

UGHHH. It was so awkward, and if you even dared to give a shy smile or deflect it, it would only make everything ten times worse.

So you just shrugged and poured yourself a glass of water. “He’s doing okay, I think.”

Your dad let out an amused breath. “And his cheek? That looked pretty nasty yesterday. He should’ve iced it right away, then it wouldn’t have swollen like that.”

Trust me, I told him.

“Yeah, it looks worse than it is,” you said, adding, “he popped an ibuprofen yesterday.”

He had, actually. Swallowed it right in the McDonald’s parking lot with a Coke Zero. Like seriously, how was this guy even still alive?

You half expected them to hit you with a “You two were gone a long time—what exactly were you doing?” or some other nosy questions. But instead, the energy at the table shifted.

Your mom raised her brows slightly, concern (???) flickering in her expression. “And… at home? Is everything okay there too?”

um… what.

Your dad seemed to catch the confusion on your face. “It’s just, we've been wondering...” he let out a dry chuckle, “I’ve seen bruises, cracked ribs, busted faces—pretty much everything—my whole career. And that bruise? If he’d actually been hit with a golf club, I probably would've been patching him up in the ER Friday night.”

Oh. So your dad had seen right through Rafe's lie.

Well, of course, he had. Taking care of people was his job. He had to know the difference between different kinds of wounds and bruises.

But from the way your parents were hinting at it… did they actually think Rafe was getting hit at home? That was… wow.

But telling them what really happened aka Rafe almost starting a fight—you really didn’t want to paint him in that light. Didn’t matter that he’d stood up for you.

“No idea,” you said, furrowing your brows as you poked around your plate. “I think things are fine at home too.”

Your mom tilted her head with a soft smile. “But you don’t know for sure?”

Your overthinking, spiraling, constantly-needing-answers issue? Mhm, yeah, you definitely got that from her.

“No, I mean, I barely know him,” you replied. “Are you seriously thinking he’s getting abused at home or something?”

Then again… okay, you didn’t know Ward personally, but something in your gut told you there was something off about him. Especially after the realization you'd had last night: Him probably being the root of Rafe’s issues.

Your dad leaned back. “Well, speaking as a dad, I’ve got a feeling there’s tension at home. I’m not accusing Ward of hitting his kids, I’m just guessing Rafe’s relationship with him is… strained.” He shifted in his seat. “And my gut? It’s never been wrong.”

O-kay. So apparently your parents had picked up on the same thing after interacting with Rafe once. Wow.

“Ward’s always been a difficult person,” your mom added. “Back in college, he was super ambitious, driven, competitive. Always pushing. Expecting the best results from himself and everyone around him. And anyone who held him back or got in his way? Didn’t stay in his way for long.”

Obviously he hadn’t killed anyone, so you just assumed he either threatened, manipulated, or schemed his way around people.

Your mom sighed. “And truth is, I know Rafe’s not exactly an easy kid. Rose told me he often takes off for hours and doesn’t come home until midnight. And school? Apparently not going so great either.”

Something about talking about Rafe behind his back like this… it just didn’t feel right.

“Rose isn’t his mother, though.” Shit. What a dumb thing to say.

Your mom furrowed her brows. “She tries to be. It’s not easy for someone like her to reach someone like Rafe.”

"Someone like him? "You raised your brows.

What the hell was that supposed to mean? And why were you suddenly feeling so defensive, HELP.

“Y/n,” your dad’s voice was gentle but firm. “Rafe seems like a good boy, I’m not doubting that. But it just feels like… something’s off. And the most likely explanation is that things at home aren’t exactly stable.”

He pressed his lips together, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. “I’m not trying to accuse Ward of anything or scare you, but… when I wanted to check the skin on Rafe’s cheek, he flinched when I raised my hand to do so. Not a dramatic reaction, just this quick startled blink, but in my head, every alarm bell went off.”

And that made your heart clench in the worst, most painful way.

Sure, maybe your dad had misread a harmless blink or twitch but deep down, you knew that wasn’t it. And the thought that Rafe might actually be getting hit by his own dad… GOSH, THIS BOY.

Drug problems, anger issues, and a toxic household? This guy didn’t need a girlfriend, he needed a loving family.

No. He needed a real dad.

“That doesn’t mean the bruise had to have come from home,” your dad continued, and his tone softened a little. “Honestly, I just assume he got into some testosterone-fueled fight at whatever party you were at.” He chuckled. “Thinking back to the way I used to look after I boxed with the guys from the 44th… that bruise is practically a scratch.”

Not your dad just casually dropping new lore.

Your mom rolled her eyes, mock-annoyed, the corners of her lips twitching with a smile. “I was the one who had to play nurse back then.”

OKAY NOPE YOU DID NOT LIKE THAT SMILEY LOOK ON HER FACE. DID NOT NEED TO KNOW THAT.

Luckily, your dad circled back to the actual point: “We’re just concerned. We’re both parents—we notice when something’s off with a kid. As a doctor who’s seen lots of children with seemingly perfect parents, I can tell you: eyes never lie. And Ward may be a great family man, but that doesn’t automatically make him a great father.”

He let out a heavy breath. “Abuse can show up in so many ways, not just physically. So if you ever notice anything, please don’t hesitate to come to us, okay?”

Well, this sunny Sunday just got very not sunny, very fast. Like… how did we go from “How’s your hopefully-soon-to-be boyfriend?” to child abuse—HELLO??

You didn’t even know what to say.

You were touched by their concern, the way they weren’t judging Rafe in the slightest. But also overwhelmed by how heavy the topic had just gotten. Sure, your parents did always notice this kind of thing right away but now that your suspicions had basically been confirmed by them...

Yeah, that didn’t sit well with you at all.

Of course, none of you really knew what was going on in the Cameron household. But if all of you had arrived at roughly the same conclusion, then either you were all operating on the same overthinking, assume-the-worst type of brain…

Or something was actually going on.

Both, you thought bitterly.

So all you did was nod with a somewhat forced smile and said, “Okay.”

Your parents nodded, seemingly relieved. And of course, since you were already on the topic of Rafe, they circled back to yesterday. Asking questions like, “So where did you guys go afterward?”, “How’s your school project coming along?”, “Did Cara give you that cute bracelet?” and dropping comments like, “He seemed very smiley around you,” and “Feel free to invite him over for dinner again.”

And just when the conversation was dangerously close to veering into the Safe Sex territory, you excused yourself from the table, mentioned that you’d be going to the Open Air tonight, brought your plate to the kitchen, and thanked Mary for the food.

Back in your room, you exhaled.

Wow. Apparently, there was no such thing as a break this week. But the fact that your parents thought you and Rafe would look cute together? AKCKKANFALJKD.

Also, the whole thing about how you both apparently glowed around each other? If Cara had said that? Yeah well, no, delusional queen just back again with her delusions. But your parents? Who were basically professionals when it came to reading people—your dad being a literal doctor, and your mom a CEO in sales, aka someone who had to be good with people—If they said Rafe liked you?

Fuck, then it had to be true.

Okay okay, he had kinda already said it twice himself—once just yesterday in the car—but STILL OMGMGM.

Okay okay, calm the fuck down.

You just became friends, no need to start building your wedding Pinterest board.

You played with the bracelet around your wrist as you sat down at your desk, smiling to yourself like a damn idiot at the soft rustling sound.

The way it fit just right around your wrist and how FUCKING CUTE IT LOOKED. Gosh, the fact that Rafe had thought of you when he'd spotted it, and then actually bought it for you and gave it to you AHHHHHH. AND JESUS, THEN HE'D BEEN ALL CUTE AND AWKWARD AND NERVOUS WHEN HE'D HANDED IT TO YOU.

HELLO??? Rafe fucking Cameron being awkward AND nervous around you??? As much as that made the butterflies in your stomach go into full freak-out mode, more than anything, it made you feel like a total winner lol.

I’m fine. I’m cool. Completely chill.

SMNJXWNDVHSJDKMXOIASJCDAVLSAÖ.

You would never get over this.

Well, you had to at least try for the next few hours. Because more important than giggling to yourself in your room like some hopelessly lovesick little girl was actually getting ready for tonight.

Okay, it was barely past 1 PM, buuuut you’d gladly take all the time you could get.

Sooo, Cara was probably busy with family stuff right now—spending the day with her grandparents and parents and all—so yeah, no chance of calling her.

Molly maybe? You knew she was also coming tonight because you’d heard her talking about it at Kelce’s party. AND HOLY SHIT YOU DESPERATELY NEEDED TO KNOW WHAT WENT DOWN BETWEEN HER AND KELCE OGMGMGM.

Never mind. Her little Bitmoji was currently chilling at Kelce’s place on the map, so there was your answer.

So Molly was out too. Sure, she’d probably be happy to chat with you—hell, Kelce too probably—but you didn’t want to interrupt these lovebirds (hookup partners??? soon-to-be-married??? WHO KNEW).

Hm. Okay.

Six hours until the boys were picking you up.

Well, you could always sit out on your balcony and sketch a little. You hadn’t really had the chance lately. The past few days had kept you on your toes so much that you'd barely had the energy to sketch a stick figure. And on top of that, the art project with Rafe had kinda sucked most of your creative brain juice dry too.

Senior Year was already a lot and it had barely even started yet. And now The Gloaming was right around the corner—next Friday, to be exact—and well, you were really not looking forward to that.

Midsummers was at least really nice, casual and fun. Dressing up in cute summery dresses, getting tipsy on overpriced prosecco and wine, giggling over boys in suits, and it just had this soft, fairycore kind of vibe to it.

The Gloaming, on the other hand? A school event.

Unlike Midsummers, it wasn’t held at the Cameron Estate, but at a big event venue on the North Side near the beach. One the mayor himself dubbed “Garden Eden.”

It was purely a Kook event, which… yeah, made sense, since it was organized by the Kildare Academy, which was technically a Kook school. But like, couldn’t they have at least teamed up with the South Side High School?

Sure, some Pogues would show up but only as workers. Bartenders, cooks, waiters, janitors who had to clean up everyone’s mess the next morning.

Anyway, this whole class division thing was deeply rooted in the Outer Banks. No point in getting all worked up about it.

And the worst part about The Gloaming? The absolutely RIDICULOUS amount of GOSSIP surrounding it. Gossip at KA was always present, but for some reason, this event turned everyone into real-life Gossip Girl contestants or whatever.

Who went with whom, who cheated on who, who wore the cheapest dress, whose parents were getting divorced, which guy bagged the most girls, and a bunch of other completely braindead nonsense you honestly wanted to stay far, far, far away from.

Unfortunately, your parents loved going. Catching up with old classmates, schmoozing, socializing, and Cara did too. So yeah, they always dragged you along. Plus, it was basically an unofficially mandatory high school event. No way you were risking a dip in your GPA just because you skipped it.

SPEAKING OF GPA.

SHIT.

Shitshitshitshitshit. THE MATH TEST TOMORROW.

Fuck.

You’d completely forgotten. Mrs. Richman had even given your class a friendly reminder last Monday.

Shit.

Well yeah, of course you’d blocked it out. Right before that class, Mr. Smith had put you in a project group with Rafe, and that had basically hijacked your entire brain.

Okay, okay, okay. No panic.

You’d sit down now, study a bit for the next five hours and thirty minutes, and then you’d still have half an hour to get ready for the Open Air.

HAHAHAHAHA TOTALLY DOABLE.

That was, if Rafe wasn’t constantly sending you random reaction pics slash memes slash kinda very suggestive fairycore-slash-emo-wolf pics.

Apparently, Pinterest was his new hobby.

Good for him (and honestly, kinda cute), but not for you. You had a math test to prep for.

And as much as you wanted to send stuff back because RAFE USING THOSE PICS IN THE FIRST PLACE AHHHHHH, you really couldn’t afford to fail math.

So you decided it was time to shut down his spamming.

With a laugh, you switched your phone to airplane mode and set it on the edge of your desk. No reply, because this would go on forever if you didn’t put a stop to it yourself.

This seriously required your maximum amount of self-control not to keep texting him, because GOSH, this felt like some kind of cute little silly version of Rafe.

You basically had the privilege of witnessing firsthand how he discovered Pinterest for himself—or, well, the cursed side of it—and all that just because of you. It was kinda wholesome. Like a dumb little boy realizing for the first time that dinosaurs were cool.

GIRL, STOP DRIFTING OFF.

You seriously needed to focus now. (Well, not your fault Rafe kept spamming your phone hihihihi.)

So you kinda half-focused, somehow managed to study your math book, worked through a few exercises, and even half a practice test until you finally gave up around 5:30—because, in the back of your mind, Rafe and the Open Air event kept spinning in loops.

You’d totally have some more time to study later tonight or tomorrow morning.

Hahahaha. Yes. Definitely.

You turned the airplane mode off again and—Jesus Christ. 200+ messages from the girls' chat and 33 from Rafe.

You quickly skimmed through both.

The girls were just discussing plans, departure times, pre-drinks yes or no, who should be picked up first, some opinions on the movie choice for tonight (Barbie), and other stuff you kinda just skimmed past (sorry girlies, I'm in a rush).

And Rafe? A bunch of cursed and weird-ass pics that just got progressively worse, him complaining about not being able to get rid of them, plus some teasing about you being a nerd because you were studying on a Sunday, bla bla. You left those on read too. (Not sorry about it.)

You jumped in the shower, dried off fast, and dumped a whole load of clothes onto your bed. Because—

WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU SUPPOSED TO WEAR TONIGHT AHHH.

Okay okay, the basic facts:

Occasion: Open Air Movie Festival When: Evening/night Movie: Barbie (main movie) and then Transformers Weather: Actually nice, sunny, warm, but a little breezy People: Both Kooks and Pogues, maybe even some Tourons

Conclusion: I DON’T FUCKING KNOW.

Something casual and chill would be the smart move, considering you’d probably be sitting or lying most of the time. Best to throw on a jacket too, just in case. There’d probably be blankets, but still.

And of course, no sweatpants look.

You kinda wanted to dress up a bit, but still keep the vibe right. OKAY NO YOU JUST WANTED TO LOOK PRETTY. With Rafe being there and... yeah. Just Rafe.

Shit.

Now it’s official. You were picking your outfit based on a guy.

A guy you didn’t even need to impress, because, well, technically you were friends now. And you didn’t dress up for friends… right?

Okay, maybe you did it for special occasions. But you didn’t hope that said friend liked your outfit and maybe... MAYBE gave you a compliment.

NOOOOOO I’M FALLING BACK INTO MY DELUSION HOLE AHHHH.

HOW COULD YOU NOT? HIM SAYING HE’D BE DOWN TO BEND YOU OVER KIND OF IMPLIED HE’S ATTRACTED TO YOU AT LEAST A LITTLE SO…

…SO WHAT NOW?

Were you the one sending mixed signals now by dressing up a little even though you’d made it clear you weren’t into short-term hookups?

...maybe.

Anyway. HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA (i’m going crazy.)

You tried on some different outfits, scattering your clothes all over the room, and in the end, narrowed it down to two options—both of which included a dress. Because YEAH WHY NOT.

One was more chill and the other a little cuter, but both showed some leg hihihi.

You took pics of both and were just about to send them to Cara for input when Sarah beat you to it:

These girls, dude. Feeding into your delusions without a single shred of shame.

Also, holy shit, they all looked so fucking gorgeous in the outfits they’d picked out. Now you had an even harder time choosing which one you should go with.

Okay, no time left. It was already almost 6:30.

So, a coin toss it would be.

You assigned each outfit to one side of the coin, then flicked that thing up into the air, nearly smacked yourself in the forehead trying to catch it, but managed to trap it between your hands and…

That should do.

✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿

"Shiiii, look at you." Kelce was the first to speak as you opened the door of the white Range Rover parked outside your house.

Rafe had called you 10 minutes earlier to say they were on their way. You’d thrown your things together in a rush, said goodbye to your parents (who wished you a fun night), and waited in the driveway because no way were you risking one of them ringing the bell and getting wrapped into some awkward parent chat.

You smiled shyly and gave them a soft “Hey” as you slid into the seat behind Topper’s, next to Molly. Kelce was next to her, and Rafe sat in the passenger seat up front (of course, sitting in the back would’ve probably bruised his ego).

"That dress suits you so well," Molly said with a warm smile, and you chuckled.

She looked so unbelievably sweet herself. Her red curls hung wildly on her shoulders, and her red lipstick made the whole color pop even more. She was wearing the cutest pastel green skirt and a white corset blouse you'd ever seen and KELCE’S HAND WAS RESTING ON HER THIGH AJDNJKWNJDKW

And Kelce? Wearing a pink shirt, probably to match the Barbie movie but honestly, they looked like COSMO AND WANDA and it was just SO SWEET.

"Thank you," you said, unable to hide your grin. "I love your outfit too."

Kelce squeezed her thigh (AND SHE CHUCKLED) and added, "I deserve half the credit, I helped her pick it."

You could practically feel how much Rafe wanted to gag. Also… you felt a little (a lot) disappointed that he'd only turned his head once to glance at you without saying a word, BUT NOT GONNA LET THAT RUIN YOUR MOOD RIGHT :))))))

"So, Cara’s already gotten a ride, I heard," Topper said, the bitterness in his voice slicing straight through the mood.

You fiddled with your bag strap and nodded. "Well, yeah, she’s..." Shit. You didn’t actually know what excuse she’d given Topper, considering she was riding with John B.

"She prefers hanging out with little Pogue rats now," Rafe finished for you, dry amusement in his tone.

You couldn’t help but frown. If it was already starting like this…

"Ayo, bro," Kelce said with a chuckle, kicking Rafe’s seat. "You better behave tonight. Keep going like that and you’ll end up with a Dalmatian face full of bruises."

Wow, how was Kelce the voice of reason here? Internally, you were thankful because it meant you didn’t have to address it yourself.

Rafe scoffed and shook his head. "Not holding back if one of those fuckers starts provoking me."

Are we sure you’re not the one starting things, boy?

“Dude, don’t make me play peacemaker tonight,” Kelce shot back. “Gotta concentrate on my date.”

Molly chuckled, and you did too. THEY WERE SO CUTE.

Then your heart sank as Kelce leaned forward, pointing toward Rafe with his thumb while looking at you. "Your job tonight."

…What?

You blinked and smiled awkwardly.

“It’s not hard,” Kelce went on with a grin full of white teeth. “Keep him hydrated, stop him from talking to people, and bring up golf every now and then. That usually distracts him.”

Topper and Molly both laughed, and oh god, it was so hard not to laugh too as Rafe turned around with a scowl—first looking at you, then at Kelce.

"You’re gonna be the first fucker I beat up tonight," Rafe said, crooked grin on his lips.

Kinda cute how he always acted like Kelce pissed him off when in reality they had this weirdly wholesome friendship behind the scenes.

Kelce held up his hands as Rafe turned back around. "Ayy, thought you might appreciate the company of a pretty lady."

PLEASE.

Your cheeks heated up because that sounded dangerously like Kelce trying to play wingman or matchmaker, and somehow that made the whole situation SO FREAKING AWKWARD.

"I'd appreciate if you shut the fuck up," Rafe said, still frowning as he looked straight ahead.

This boy was so dramatic, holy shit.

THEN AGAIN, HE HADN’T DENIED WHAT KELCE HAD SAID, SO CLINGING TO THAT FACT HAHAHAAH #goingmoreinsanebytheday.

Topper cleared his throat. "So, uh, back to Cara..."

That earned a round of groans from everyone.

After some teasing of Kelce and Rafe, and some attempts at cheering Topper up by Molly and you, you all got tired of that topic (thank god because you just felt so bad for Topper), and a few minutes later you arrived at your destination anyway.

The huge gravel parking lot was already filled with cars. Some girl was directing Topper in and assigning him a spot for his big-ass Range Rover, which, as you’d found out, happened to be his mother’s.

As the engine shut off, everyone got out. Kelce helped Molly out of the car, and Topper held the door open for you while you struggled a little with your dress.

"Thanks," you said with a polite smile and slung your bag over your shoulder.

Topper looked like he was about to say something (judging by his expression, probably trying to get a moment alone with you to talk about Cara), but Rafe suddenly appeared at his side, grabbing his shoulder with a crooked grin.

"Aight, enough whining about Hall," he said, nodding toward the entrance. "Cheer the fuck up and go find another chick inside. Or go annoy Kelce and Molly, I don't give a shit, but stop dragging us into it."

Such tact. Truly award-worthy. Though, to be fair, that actually sounded like Rafe’s version of wanting his friend to feel better.

Topper pressed his lips together, clearly debating whether to argue, but in the end, he just sighed and nodded. "I'll go join the others."

With that, he walked off.

As much as you felt sorry for him, it wasn’t your place to speak for Cara’s feelings, so you were actually kinda thankful for Rafe’s little lifeline.

SPEAKING OF RAFE.

Dude was eyeing you with the smuggest grin ever, blue eyes locked on yours before letting his gaze drop down your outfit (and soul, the way his stares always felt so intense) for a second.

And the way he just nodded, his eyes landing back on yours, DUDE WHAT.

"What?" Heat rose to your cheeks and you smiled sheepishly.

Rafe shook his head, lips tugging into a downward smile. "Nothing. Just curious who you dressed up for."

HUH. NOT HIM CALLING YOU OUT LIKE THIS. THIS WAS SO FUCKING EMBARRASSING BYE.

You let out a nervous chuckle and shook your head too. "Myself?"

Somehow, you both seemed to know that was bullshit, and now you just kinda wanted to curl up into fetal position and stay there for the next one billion years.

"Bold choice for a self-date," Rafe said with a shit-eating grin.

You couldn’t tell if that was a compliment or a smooth way of saying, “Next time, pick something else.”

Hey, I kinda wanna die right now.

"Shit, don’t look at me like that." Rafe chuckled boyishly. "You look good, alright? That dress suits you."

...

EDNCSKJDXCHNFEWJSKLFCHNVDLAKGSNJVSÖKLFDHXUVWDIUEOPSAXM;POSWLSCKUCJGFKD

Cheeks hotter than the sun, but you didn’t care because OH MY GOD. You couldn’t even hide your smile, and you also didn’t care that you probably looked like some stupid fucking idiot while doing it, but WHO CARED.

"Thank you," you said, gripping the strap of your bag.

AND THEN you mustered up the courage to look him over as well. Not as obviously as he had, because that guy just seemed to have zero shame, but well, you did appreciate the view.

Even if he was wearing one of his probably thousand polo shirt variations again, it suited him just as well as the other 999. Paired with some more or less basic white shorts that really showed off the tan on his legs and some matching white Dior B57 sneakers.

Kinda low effort but that guy pulled it off like crazy. And him deciding to wear his hair as curtain bangs again BECAUSE OF YOU (yes, you'd never forget how he’d admitted that yesterday) kinda made your heart rate shoot up even higher.

Rafe raised his brows when you met his eyes again, and you felt caught and awkward, but still, you managed to say, "Looking fresh yourself."

That made the cutest laugh escape his lips, and you could literally feel the butterflies in your stomach dancing to that soft sound.

"I'm just gonna assume that’s a weirdly executed compliment and you're not just making fun of me," Rafe said with a lopsided smile.

You shrugged. "Maybe it’s both."

"Aight." Rafe then eyed your jacket. "Might wanna take that off though. They’ve got blankets and stuff in there, you know."

You let out a soft laugh, raising your brows. "And I’m just gonna assume this is your weird way of caring about me being comfortable and not just a way to get me undressed."

DID YOU ACTUALLY JUST SAY THAT OMMGMFMMF.

Rafe himself was the biggest confidence boost you could get, and his boldness kinda rubbed off on you.

He chuckled. "It’s both."

ALRIGHT, DUDE.

Okay, honestly, you were kinda starting to sweat under the jacket. First, it was still super warm despite the time, and second, Rafe’s flirty comments (yes, let’s just call them that) were turning your entire body into a heatwave.

With flushed cheeks, you let out a soft giggle and awkwardly tried to take off your jacket while still holding onto your purse without dropping both.

"Jesus, give that shit to me," Rafe said, grabbing your purse with one hand while helping you out of your jacket with the other.

"Ayo, you lovebirds coming?" Kelce’s voice boomed from a few steps ahead. "Seats are filling up, you’ll have to share one soon!"

UGHHH PLEASEEEE DON'T MAKE THIS EVEN MORE AWKWARD.

"Gonna kill that fucker someday," Rafe muttered as he handed you your purse back, eyeing the bracelet on your wrist with a silent smile.

You chuckled sheepishly and slung your bag back over your shoulder, blinking in confusion when he kept holding onto your jacket.

Rafe's gaze drifted over your now-exposed upper half for a second before he looked back at you with a smug grin, tilting his head toward the others. "Come on, before I lose interest in the movie altogether."

DUDE. You REALLY had to get used to this kind of apparently harmless flirting without immediately spiraling into that one very specific overthinking rabbit hole. Like—he couldn’t just make comments like that and then--

The sudden touch of his hand on your back yanked you out of your thoughts, a buzzing warmth settling over your whole body. He gave you a gentle nudge forward and you fell into step beside him, already missing the heat of his hand the second he let it fall away.

As soon as you reached the ticket booth, it found its place again as Rafe softly guided you past the grumpy-looking line toward Kelce, Topper, and Molly.

"Finally," Kelce said with a wide grin as he took two tickets. "Thought you—"

"Shut your ass and keep moving," Rafe cut in, softer than usual.

Topper was up next and followed the other two through the archway. Muffled voices and soft music already drifted from inside.

You reached for your wallet automatically, but Rafe had already stepped in front of you, placing your jacket on the counter. "Two tickets, and this to coat check."

You blinked. "You don't have to—"

"Yeah, yeah," Rafe said, eyes focused on his wallet as he handed the cashier forty dollars. "Keep the change."

No way. He was paying for you again AND tipping the kid behind the counter twenty-five dollars?? First the McDonald’s food and now this? What, why, how.

Plus, um ... you kinda needed that jacket later…

Rafe took two pink tickets and a tag with the number 69, grinning like a five-year-old (grow up please), and handed you one. "Just shut up and take it."

And you did (with a "Thank you" nonetheless) while your heart practically exploded in all directions. Then you followed him through the archway onto the event space.

Dozens of people were already scattered across the area—locals and even some tourons—chit-chatting, laughing, lounging in groups or pairs. Some had already claimed a spot in front of the massive screen on floor cushions or deck chairs. A few had even brought their own blankets and pillows.

To the side were the restrooms and food stalls selling popcorn, nachos, and other snacks, plus all kinds of drinks from water to vodka-energy, and a variety of rental blankets and pillows.

And strung up between trees and posts were dozens of fairy lights and pink paper lanterns (clearly Barbie was the more anticipated movie tonight). It looked gorgeous, and cozy, especially now with the sun halfway down the horizon.

Which, as a matter of fact, made the whole setting feel... a little too intimate.

The others were nowhere to be seen, and it was just you and Rafe now, standing near the entrance. And the fact that he'd been all gentlemanly earlier didn’t help—THIS ALMOST FELT LIKE A FUCKING DATE, JESUS CHRIST.

OKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOK CALM DOWN. JUST LOOK AROUND, MAYBE I CAN SPOT--

"I guess you'll want some snacks and shit like that."

Your head snapped back to him, suddenly very aware of how exposed you felt without your jacket, without Topper, Kelce, or Molly AROUND AND AHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAH.

The only thing grounding you was the bag on your shoulder, which you were now holding onto like your life depended on it.

"Um, yeah, sure," you said, internally begging your brain to chill the fuck out.

WHY DIDN’T HE CARE WHERE THE OTHERS WERE THOUGH??? HELLOOO YOUR FRIENDS ARE GONE, PLEASE LOOK FOR THEM.

With a simple "Aight, come on" from Rafe, you followed him toward one of the snack stands, trying to maintain a respectful distance.

This time, there was no one for Rafe to cut in front of, so the two of you just stood there AND YOUR BRAIN COMPLETELY BLANKED ON EVERY TOPIC KNOWN TO MAN.

How was he so chill while you almost debated asking him what brand of microwave he’d recommend because you LITERALLY had nothing else to think of HELP.

Nervously, you hugged yourself, trying to ground yourself by gently pinching the skin on your upper arm.

"You cold?"

You met his raised eyebrows and instinctively dropped your hands, giving him a small, smiley shake of your head. "Wh—no. No."

Rafe eyed you for a long second before saying, "You're being weird."

NOT HIM CALLING YOU OUT OH MY GOD.

"You're always weird, but this is weird-weird," he added, dry amusement in his tone.

You let out a strained chuckle. "Okay, maybe I am kind of cold."

ughhhhhhhhhhhh. Please believe me, please believe me, please—

"Well, then we’ll buy a fucking blanket. Jesus Christ, you gotta chill."

oKAY.

WAIT—WE?!?!?!?!?!

You had zero time to spiral over that because suddenly, you two were up. WAIT—YOU TWO??? NO. RAFE. RAFE WAS NEXT. HELP. WHAT’S GOING ON.

He ordered some nachos with salsa dip and a large diet coke and then turned to you with an expectant expression.

WHAT. NO FUCKING WAY.

No no no no no no. Him paying AGAIN felt so insanely weird for no reason. You stepped forward and grabbed your wallet, and he looked at you like you just insulted his entire bloodline.

"That's some disrespect," he said, raising an eyebrow, though the amusement in his tone was undeniable.

You couldn’t help but chuckle. "I just... you really don’t have to—"

"Shit, only thing I wanna hear right now is your order," he cut you off, and the cashier's barely hidden smile just made the whole thing ten times more awkward.

And because you really didn’t want to drag this painfully awkward situation out any longer, you just told her your snack and drink choice.

Rafe placed two twenty-dollar bills on the counter and added, "And a blanket. Large."

The pretty cashier girl glanced between the two of you, lifting a brow with clear amusement. "We only have small ones left."

YOU’VE GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME.

PLEASE ASK FOR TWO. PLEASE FUCKING ASK FOR TWO.

"Yeah, well, one of those then."

[Insert brain explosion sound here.]

You could literally feel the adrenaline flooding your body, nerves tingling and buzzing, butterflies flying around all confused and bumping into each other like WHAT DO YOU MEAN ONE.

You kinda felt like hyperventilating but all you did was smile with the most strained expression because what :) else :) were :) you :) supposed :) to :) do :)?????!?!??!!

Rafe took the change and shouldered the blanket bag over one strap, then reached for his snack order.

You grabbed yours too and followed him, your nerves shot to hell. You honestly felt like some helpless prey knowing it was about to get devoured but having no idea when.

Your cheeks burned hot and you were pretty sure your blood pressure was sky-high, except you had no idea why you were freaking out so much. All you could hear was your own heart pounding in your chest and ears.

You almost didn’t even notice that Rafe had stopped, or rather, that he’d been stopped.

Wait, no. Rafe had stopped because you’d been stopped.

Cara had grabbed your arm, halting you in your tracks, a huge grin on her face as she greeted you both.

Shit. And JJ was next to her, waving with a smile.

Your half-panic attack vanished instantly, now replaced with a new, different anxiety: Rafe freaking out, saying some dumb shit, or worse, starting actual shit with JJ. Or JJ not keeping his mouth shut. Or even worse, the other Pogues showing up.

But they didn’t. And all Rafe did was...stay quiet, other than giving Cara a casual "'Sup."

WHICH MADE YOU ALL THE MORE CONFUSED BECAUSE WHAT THE FUCK WAS UP WITH HIM TODAY.

"Already said hi to Kelce and Molly," Cara said, eyeing you with a grin that basically screamed I-see-one-blanket-and-your-jacket’s-missing-soooo-wink-wink. "Also spotted Topper, but didn’t wanna interrupt his chit-chat with Ruthie."

RUTHIE’S HERE? OF COURSE SHE’S HERE.

Rafe scoffed. "He’s salty 'cause you turned him down."

Cara blinked, genuinely looking a little guilty. "I didn’t turn him down. I just already promised someone else I’d join their group. And last I checked, his car only has five seats anyway."

"Could’ve thrown Kelce in the trunk," Rafe shrugged.

Dude.

"Or someone could’ve gotten cozy on a lap," JJ added with a smirk. Directed at you.

DUDE.

Rafe finally tensed and you found yourself relaxing (girl, are you okay???) because that was a sign he wasn’t some polite and gentleman-programmed clone of himself.

But before he could snap at JJ, Cara stepped in. "Or Topper could stop acting like a drama queen just because I turned down his invite," she said with a frown, though you knew better. She felt bad.

Rafe tilted his head, and the air shifted in a way you did not like. Great. Now you had to de-escalate this?

"I’m sure he’d still appreciate it if you say hi later," you said with a smile that was clearly meant to signal pls-this-is-getting-weird-fast.

Cara, thank god, got the message and sighed dramatically. "Guess you’re right." Then she looked at her wrist like there was a watch. "Oh no, movie’s starting soon. Gotta grab our snacks before we miss out."

Oscar goes to her for sure.

You just nodded, smile still strained. "Right."

"Okay, see you two later!" she grinned at both of you, then grabbed JJ by the arm and dragged him off toward the food stalls.

Bomb successfully defused.

You turned back to Rafe and he looked at you with a boyish grin. "Didn’t know she had piercings."

Wh—OH. WHAT.

You stared at him blankly.

Had he seriously checked out her tits? Okay, no judgment, like Cara had gone braless today and her boobs looked legitimately perfect—like GODDESS-LEVEL—in that pink dress of hers, and even you couldn’t help but notice the second she'd walked up but...

You didn’t like that Rafe had.

Of course, of course he could look. He was a guy after all, and what else did they ever see beyond tits and ass, and yeah, Cara was an absolute bombshell, but…

Hm.

HM.

A weird feeling spread through your stomach and the butterflies just kinda sat there now, not sure what to do or how to feel.

"Well, yeah, I guess," you said, and it was so painfully obvious how the slight bitterness in your voice still came through. So you tried to compensate with a smile, but you probably looked like someone being held at gunpoint. "She got them a few weeks ago."

Rafe seemed way too entertained by that and just nodded with a wide grin. "Bet that hurt."

"It’s a sensitive area, so... yeah," you replied, trying to sound casual and failing miserably.

An awkward silence started creeping in, adding to the sudden clenching in your chest, and you felt huge secondhand embarrassment for yourself. For being JEALOUS of your own best friend, especially when you and Rafe weren’t even a couple in ANY WAY and just UGHHHH.

Can I be normal for ONE FUCKING SECOND, please.

"Ayo, Rafe!" Kelce’s voice suddenly echoed from somewhere deeper inside the event space.

You and Rafe both looked up and spotted him somewhere between the seating area in front of the screen, waving with both arms.

Relief washed over you, and without waiting for any comment from Rafe, you started walking toward Kelce through the rows of bean bags, lounge chairs, and picnic blankets.

You found Kelce sitting on one of the lounge beds in the back rows… and Molly on a different one (?). A second later, you felt Rafe’s presence beside you.

Kelce patted the spot next to him, a huge grin on his face. "We saved you one of the best spots. Didn't want you sitting on some uncomfortable floor pillows. Bad for the spine, you know."

...no. Just. NO.

NONONONONONONONO.

There was no way you were gonna lie down on a damn shared lounge bed with RAFE, barely wide enough for two people. NOPE. NO. NO THANK YOU.

OKAY YES HOLY SHIT YES, BUT ALSO NO NO NO.

And Rafe—this NONCHALANT FUCKING GUY—didn’t give a single fuck. After Kelce had gotten up and moved over to sit with Molly, Rafe just dropped the blanket bag onto the bed and placed his nachos and Coke on the holder on the left side like this was the most normal thing ever.

You just stood there frozen, your heart SCREAMING AT YOU TO JUST SIT DOWN while your brain was spiraling, throwing thoughts and questions around, with the two big monsters called fear and anxiety looming over everything like a cold storm—

“Come on, Y/n.”

Molly. Her voice was soft and quiet next to you. “Enjoy yourself a little.”

She looked up at you with her sweet smile and kind eyes. There was a gentle understanding in her expression, and beneath it, this warm encouragement—like she got it. Like she really understood what was happening inside your head. The panic, the confusion, and mostly the sheer anxiety about this whole... situation.

And somehow, just that little sentence and her sweet smile were enough to bring a tiny bit of quiet to your brain.

YOU COMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD WHY KELCE HAD IMMEDIATELY FALLEN FOR HER BECAUSE DUDE.

“You waiting for an invitation or what?” And then there was Rafe with his passive-aggressive bullshit, already lying back with his legs up, shoes off, sipping his stupid Coke Zero.

Remember: he’s just a dumbass. Sure, he might be the biggest crush you've ever had, but deep down he's just a dumb little stupid boy. You had absolutely no reason to feel intimidated or nervous around him.

WELL YOU HADN’T—UNTIL HE'D DECIDED TO BE A GODDAMN GENTLEMAN TODAY WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK.

Okokokok whatever, I’m gonna move now and just sit down. Yeah, yeah, a little smile, mm-hmm, that’s it. And now I’ll set my stuff down on my side. Okay, done. Oh shit, my drink nearly slipped hahah. Whatever, it’s fine. Now I’ll hang my bag on the hook at the side and then I'MGONNATAKEAPLACEJUSTINCHESAWAYFROMRAFEOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOK.

DONE.

KJDEWFBGVJKWRBGFVWSJKBHFCSKWHBFESQHRL.

You smoothed out the fabric of your dress, let your hands fall into your lap, and leaned not at all tensely against the pillow backrest, staring straight ahead like a normal person because everything about this was completely normal.

:) yes, normal :)

Oh, wait. Your shoes.

You kicked them off and tossed them into the grass, and because you could feel Rafe’s burning gaze on you the whole time, you finally met his eyes—and he looked so fucking done with you it was almost hilarious.

He didn’t even look pissed. Just straight-up The-Office-style deadpan, like he was staring directly into some invisible camera, and that camera was your eyes.

"You know, at this point, you might as well just sit in the grass," he said, walking that fine line between annoyance and amusement.

And okay, he kind of had a point. You were sitting so far to the right your right leg was basically hanging off the edge of the bed.

I’m so fucking embarrassing holy shit.

You gave him a sheepish smile, and your heart sank when his brows furrowed.

"Are you seriously scared I might try some shit?" He actually sounded hurt beneath all that faux offense, and now you felt like the biggest idiot alive.

You shook your head instantly, heart racing. "No, no, of course not." An embarrassed smile crept onto your face. "I just—"

"Some minion fucker said shit to you," he stated, voice and expression softening just a little now.

Nodding at that painfully accurate guess felt humiliating. Sure, by now he knew your brain was a little fucked up, but not being able to just sit next to him? So fucking ridiculous.

You forced yourself to scoot a little closer, away from the edge, feeling like the most embarrassing human being on earth.

“Okay, stop,” he said, clearly trying to keep his frustration in check. He motioned to his chest. “I’m not gonna sit here with you acting like I’m holding you at gunpoint, alright? So if you’d rather go join Hall and her lapdog,” he made a shooing motion with his hand, “go for it.”

Your heart clenched at how disappointed and lowkey sad he sounded rather than mad or annoyed. And he’d been so nice today anyway, all smiley and chill, and now he looked like someone had popped his favorite balloon. Or, more accurately: like you had.

Of course you WEREN’T scared he’d try anything. Not in the slightest, oh my god, no, it was just…

NOTHING. There wasn’t a single damn problem except you and your own damn head.

Fuck that. Seriously, fuck your brain and every thought it ever created. Just—fuck it.

Shaking your head, you said, “What? No. No! I’m fine here. It’s… I’m just being stupid, okay?”

Rafe gave you a look like he was considering getting up and sitting somewhere else, but his gaze softened into a smile. He tapped his head. “Nah, it’s your fucking asshole brain feeding you stupid shit.” He sighed, then shook his head again. “Can’t believe I even have to say this shit, but if it helps you chill the fuck out: I’m gonna keep my hands to myself, alright?” He picked up the blanket bag and moved it toward you. “And this was meant for you anyway. I don’t need it.”

Okay no.

You did NOT want him feeling like he needed to explain himself just to not be seen as a creep because YOU KNEW DAMN WELL HE WASN’T.

JESUS CHRIST. You were the one putting people into shitty situations like this. And Rafe, of all people—this guy probably had to put up with your bullshit more than anyone else these past few days.

Furrowing your brows, you scooted closer and grabbed the blanket bag, opening it up and tossing that stupid thing to the side. You tried spreading the fluffy pink blanket across both your legs, but it was so awkwardly rolled together you kinda failed and a giant ball of fluff just landed squarely on both your laps.

“The fuck are you trying to achieve here?” Rafe said, half annoyed, half amused, watching you struggle with the small-ass blanket.

You leaned forward, trying to figure out which side was up. “Proving to you that I’m not uncomfortable around you.”

“Jesus Christ,” he muttered, letting out a strained breath as he gently slapped your hand away from awkwardly fumbling with the blanket. In one smooth motion, he spread it lengthwise across both your laps.

Then you realized—it was still too warm for a blanket, especially a fluffy one like this, and you could already feel sweat creeping onto your skin. Thank god, Rafe felt it too.

“Okay, point proven,” he said with a soft scoff. “Now can we ditch this thing before I get a fucking heatstroke?”

You let out a chuckle and nodded, pulling the blanket off and tossing it to the foot of your seat.

As you shifted positions, the background music faded and the sound of the movie started. Wait, no, just some commercials. The voices around you gradually died down anyway, and the last people were finding their seats.

The air between you and Rafe finally settled. Back to as normal as it could get. And so fast too, like, you never really had to be afraid of anything with him, because even if you got into a dumb little argument, you two always somehow figured it out right away.

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw him tilt his head toward you, hands resting on his stomach. “Have you seen the movie before?”

You tilted your head toward him too, adrenaline spiking the second you realized how close you were. Elbows just a few inches apart, his face still at a respectful formal distance but close enough for you to see the blue pattern in his stupidly pretty eyes.

And god, his cologne in the air between you.

You smiled and shook your head softly. “You?”

“Nah,” he said, and Jesus, his gaze was always so intense. “Didn’t even wanna see this crap, but Wheezie insisted I come.”

A soft chuckle escaped your lips. “She seems more and more likeable every time you talk about her.”

The corner of his mouth twitched, and he scratched his jaw. “She says the same about you.”

OH MY HOLY FUCKING GOD. HE TALKED TO HIS LITTLE SISTER ABOUT YOU???? AHUJCHDNSKCHNKEHVBSFD WHAT.

His gaze drifted back to the screen as the actual intro to the movie started playing. A woman’s voice narrated something over the scene of girls playing with dolls, but you weren’t really listening.

You were too aware of Rafe sitting right there, the scent of his cologne, how relaxed he seemed—and still thinking about that almost hurt expression he had earlier.

You stared blankly at the screen, biting the inside of your cheek. He’s actually trying to make me feel comfortable, and I made him feel like I was grossed out or scared of him.

Your heart pounded in your chest as you tilted your head toward him, eyeing his calm profile for a second. The softness of his skin, his cute little lashes, the focused look in his eyes—and the violet-tinted bruise on his cheek that almost looked like a blossom.

“Rafe,” you said quietly.

You almost melted at how soft he looked when he turned his head toward you. Big blue eyes staring at you, almost scared of what you were about to say.

"I’m sorry about earlier," you said with a soft look. "I acted like an idiot. Probably made you feel like one, too."

Rafe shook his head and waved it off. “Nah, it’s alright. I’m used to your shit by now.”

Nope. That didn’t sit right with you.

You pressed your lips together, turning your body to face him in a sideways position, legs pulled up toward you. His eyes flicked briefly to the curve of your hip before meeting your gaze again, clearly trying not to smile.

A rush of adrenaline surged through you, but you kept your gaze steady, your expression serious. “Still. I didn’t want to make you feel like you had to explain yourself.”

Rafe let out an amused breath. "Chill, okay? Seriously, I didn’t mind."

How was he sometimes so chill, and other times made a whole issue out of something that wasn’t even one?

"Or do you need me to shut up the asshole minion in your head?" he said, lips tugging into a downward smile.

You let out a quiet chuckle and fidgeted with the bracelet on your wrist. "I think I managed that myself, but thanks."

He pulled a mock-pained face. "Sucks. Would’ve loved to smash that guy’s face in."

Another soft giggle slipped from your lips, and with that conversation wrapped up, you turned back to your original position. The fabric of your dress had ridden up slightly, giving a peak at your thighs and you quickly tugged it back down with an awkward motion.

Barbieland was now being introduced on the screen, showcasing all the different Barbie variants.

And then it was Rafe who shifted, leaning forward to grab the blanket.

You eyed him with a confused smile as he pulled it back over both your legs. “So you are in fact cold” you said, amused, heart racing at the sweet gesture.

Rafe looked up, almost startled, as he pulled the blanket over his lap as well. “What? Yeah, no, just... feels more comfy.”

…

Oh.

You just stared at him in slight disbelief, then amusement, then full-on embarrassment, knowing exactly what the two of you were now sharing under that blanket.

"What," he said quietly, brows furrowed with an almost accusatory tone. “It’s not like I control that shit.”

You should probably be weirded out. No, actually—FREAK OUT, PANIC, stand up and leave. But instead, you just pressed your lips together, trying not to chuckle at how genuinely awkward he looked. And probably felt.

Shit, you actually felt sorry for him.

So, in a weak attempt to make him feel better, you mirrored his movement, pulling your side of the blanket over your lap too and quietly shifting your gaze back to the screen, where the stereotypical Barbie was just being introduced.

Your heart was racing nonetheless, because like... not Rafe getting hard at the most random-ass moment during a Barbie movie. And not you lying just a few inches away from him and OKAY MAYBE KINDA PANICKING A LITTLE.

nONONONONO. Stuff like that happens all the time. He probably felt just as embarrassed as you did. Honestly, maybe even more.

Okay. Just ignore it. It'll probably go away soon, right?

Keeping your focus on the movie was kinda hard though, with how uncomfortable you felt in your current position, neck all tense because you were lying too low, and being on your back felt awkward in general.

So now you had two options: either turn on your side, facing Rafe, or turn your back to him. And given his current…situation, you weren’t really sure which one was worse.

Shit, but you really couldn’t lie like that anymore, and you didn’t wanna risk a cramp or something just because you were too scared to move. So you decided to turn onto your side—facing him—because, well… you didn’t wanna make him feel bad by turning away.

Grabbing the pillow behind you, you slid one hand underneath it and rested the other next to your face. There. Much better.

"You doing that shit on purpose now?" Rafe asked, and your head snapped toward him, catching him glancing at the curve of your hip again, now hidden under the blanket.

You let out a baffled little laugh, shaking your head. "What? No. This is just more comfortable."

“Yeah, shit. Not for me,” he muttered, and poor boy actually looked like he was suffering.

Nerves buzzing, you just stared at him cluelessly, your heart racing at the possibility that you were the reason for his current situation. "I... what do you want me to do?"

"I don’t know, stop moving." He looked so genuinely embarrassed, wearing that little scowl, that somehow it didn’t feel that weird. Okay, it did, but not as much as you'd expected. And honestly, right now, you just wanted to make him feel a little less awkward.

"Well... maybe turning on your side might help," you said quietly, with a barely hidden smile. "Might ease the pressure, considering—"

"Please just shut the fuck up," Rafe muttered, his face contorted in the most dramatic frown possible. On screen, stereotypical Barbie was now getting ready for her day. Then, after a beat, he did in fact shift downward a bit and turned to face you, mirroring your position.

For a moment, you just stared at each other. A respectful distance between you, but still close enough to feel his breath on your hand. He looked at you like he might actually murder you if you dared open your mouth, and you tried your absolute best not to laugh.

“Did you know,” you whispered, trying to keep a straight face, “Mr. Martin’s buttcrack always peeks out when he tries to write on the upper half of the board.”

Rafe stared at you, deadpan, very obviously trying to suppress a smile. You decided to go one further: “Looks like a dark hairy caterpillar from afar.”

His features softened almost immediately as a baffled chuckle escaped him, the blanket on your side lifting a little as his body shifted onto his back. He dragged a hand over his face in annoyed amusement, letting out a quiet, "What the fuck."

You held back a smile, glancing up at him with raised brows, feeling a little proud for getting those soft chuckles out of him from time to time. “Did that help?”

Rafe looked at you with a crooked smile, amusement glimmering in his eyes. "Shit, yeah, it did. I’ll probably never get hard again with that cursed image now burned into my brain."

“Imagine him in a tankini, that should do the trick,” you offered, and Rafe’s face twisted in disgust.

He tapped a finger against his temple. “That weird-ass minion in your head is worse than the shit-talking one.”

You let out a soft giggle, and your heart did a little jump when you saw him smiling along too.

Rafe then fully shifted onto his back again and tried adjusting the blanket higher up, but since it was stretched lengthwise over both of you, your feet ended up exposed. A soft breeze hit them, now that the sun had finally dipped below the horizon.

"Okay, you gotta scoot closer if we both wanna fit under here," he said, scoffing at your expression. "Shit, relax. Thanks to your overly detailed description of Martin’s wrinkly, hairy caterpillar buttcrack, I'm probably gonna be impotent for the next few weeks."

NOT RELAXING IN THE SLIGHTEST RIGHT NOW.

“But I can get up and grab my own blanket if you want,” he added more seriously, catching your baffled look.

WHY WAS HE SO SWEET TONIGHT OH MY GOD.

Okay. This is your chance for SOME CLOSENESS WITH HIM. He might’ve had a boner just now HAHAHAHAHA and you were still kind of shocked at yourself for how weirdly chill you'd reacted, BUT LET’S JUST IGNORE THAT AND USE THIS FUCKING CHANCE GIRLLLLL LET’S GOOOO.

Quietly, you shook your head with a nervous smile, grabbed your pillow, and scooted closer to him. While you kind of struggled to figure out how exactly you were supposed to lie next to him that close, Rafe grabbed the blanket and turned it so that the long side actually covered the length of your bodies.

Okay, lying on your side wasn’t really possible here, so you turned onto your back. But now your upper arms were awkwardly pressed together, both of you with your hands resting on your stomach, and your hips were touching, too, AND JESUS CHRIST HIS BODY FELT SO WARM.

But hey, at least you were both covered now, even if you were pretty sure he could hear your heartbeat, with how loud it was pounding in your chest.

Barbie was now at the beach with her friends, the Kens were doing some beach stuff or whatever BUT YOU COULDN’T REALLY FOCUS.

Also, his elbow was digging uncomfortably into yours, so you tried adjusting yours, which made him move again AND JESUS CHRIST THIS WAS AWKWARD.

“Shit, wait,” Rafe said with a quiet scoff and leaned forward. “This isn’t working.”

You just blinked at him, afraid he’d actually get up now to grab his own blanket.

Instead, he gently grabbed your shoulder, signaling you to lean forward for a second. Which you did—letting him take the lead because your brain had gone completely blank at THIS ABSURDLY CLOSE PROXIMITY.

Rafe grabbed your pillow, scooted into a more upright position, then leaned back again, his right arm now resting on the low backrest, his head supported by his hand. With the other, he placed the pillow in the now empty space, half on his shoulder and under his armpit, and gestured to it.

GUYS.

“There,” he said. “You okay with that?”

JUST SAY YES AND LIE DOWN, NO SECOND GUESSING.

So you did. Heart hammering so loud you didn’t even hear yourself speak. You smiled—half anxious, half excited—and leaned back again.

Since he was lying slightly elevated on his back, you had to scoot down a little, your head pressing against the pillow, your left shoulder half resting on his chest, and you folded your hands comfortably on your stomach. Your elbow ended up resting against the side of his hip because of that, and you expected him to shift away...but he didn’t. And NEITHER DID YOU because acknowledging it would just make it worse and—

GIRL. RELAX.

Your body was relaxed. Rafe’s warmth helped you ease into it, and the fact that he was so chill made it even easier. BUT YOUR MIND? YOUR MIND WAS SCREAMING, RUNNING IN CIRCLES, SETTING EVERYTHING ON FIRE BECAUSE YOU WERE BASICALLY HALF-CUDDLING WITH RAFE RIGHT NOW.

It’s fine. It’s cool.

Everything’s completely chill.

Actually, yeah, literally chill. Your skin had goosebumps, both from the situation and the drop in temperature over the past half hour.

And then a whole firework erupted on your upper right arm as you felt Rafe’s arm behind you shift, to pull up the blanket on your side and cover the rest of your upper body, AND HIS FINGERS BRUSHED YOUR SKIN AS HE DID SO AND—

You held your breath.

Because.

THIS FUCKER just left his arm there. Not back on the armrest, not casually elsewhere—no, right there, lightly resting on your right shoulder, his fingers playing with the sleeve of your dress.

OKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOKOK.

You bit the inside of your cheek so hard you tasted blood because WAS THIS EVEN REAL?! WAS THIS ON PURPOSE OR WAS HE JUST SO FOCUSED ON THE MOVIE HE DIDN’T NOTICE? AHHHHHHHHH

But you let him.

You let him because you wanted this. Being close to him, feeling the warmth of his body, all cozied up. Your heart was racing, fluttering like it didn’t know whether to panic or melt. Every brush of his arm sent little sparks down your spine, too much and not enough all at once.

Because, as a matter of fact, it wasn't enough. Now that you’d had a taste of this feeling—of how it felt being so close to him—it was like something inside you had been lit up. There was this deep urge and longing to completely turn toward him, fully cuddle up, put your hand on his chest, drape a leg over his, bury your head in his chest and just inhale his scent and UGHHHH.

But you were a coward. A scaredy cat, too afraid he’d push you away. Especially because this right here? It was toeing a fine line between “we’re just cold and sharing a blanket so obviously we scoot closer” and “considering we’re just project partners who happened to agree on being friends, this was way more intimate than necessary.”

Hey, funny thought here: what if you just did it? :)

Because HE clearly never gave much thought to how his little flirtations affected you. He made it damn clear it was all just for fun. So maybe you could just… cuddle with him. For fun.

Worst case? He’d say something like “You wanna get into it now or what?” and then you’d just awkwardly laugh and go “Sorry, just felt more comfy like this” and scoot back into your old position.

Remember? With Rafe, you never had to be afraid of doing some dumb shit or embarrassing yourself.

FUCK IT.

You pressed your lips together and pushed yourself up on your elbow, ignoring the pang of disappointment as his arm slipped back onto the backrest, his expression confused. DOESN’T MATTER, PUSH THROUGH GIRL. Adrenaline shot up as you grabbed the pillow that had been under his arm and silently placed it across his ribs, READY TO LAY DOWN—

—only for him to stop you with a crooked smile, your heart dropping straight through the floor.

You froze. Completely. Like your body had hit an invisible wall. Eyes wide, breath hitched, you just… stared at him. You didn’t dare speak, didn’t dare move, afraid that even the smallest word might expose you in the worst way possible.

“Shit, you're gonna suffocate me with that thing,” Rafe said with amusement and moved the pillow to the side. Then he gestured toward the now free space on the side of his chest. “There.”

Your whole body buzzed as his right arm returned to your upper arm, now gently nudging you toward him.

Ignoring every voice of reason and panic in your head, letting yourself be guided into him, turning your body toward his, resting your head against the side of his chest, your shoulder naturally tilting in, your arm daring to settle on his upper stomach.

Every nerve lit up, hyperaware of the rise and fall of his breathing beneath your cheek, the heat of his skin seeping into yours through his shirt. It was terrifying and euphoric, like stepping off a ledge and realizing, just for a second, that maybe you liked the adrenaline you felt while looking downward.

And then you almost exploded, because this guy took it a step further. His left hand remained casually on his thigh, but his other arm wrapped around your back, HIS HAND NOW RESTING ON YOUR BLANKET-COVERED WAIST.

Okay. You were officially done for :)))))))

Your heart was racing, pounding so loud it felt like drums in your ears, pulse probably skyrocketing, and let’s not even talk about the adrenaline—you’d probably need the ER in the next few seconds.

And the craziest thing was how he'd just accepted it. He'd let you do this. Hadn’t said anything dumb, hadn’t made a joke. Instead, he just laid there, snacking on his nachos and sipping his Coke Zero occasionally, the only things he said being how stupid Ken looked and acted and how weird his rivalry with the other Ken was.

But you didn’t have the heart to tell him that, actually, that was exactly how you saw him and Kelce. So you just stayed quiet, chuckled softly whenever he made another snarky remark, and soaked in this surreal moment that would be over again in about 60 minutes.

And when his left hand absentmindedly started playing with the bracelet dangling from your wrist, you didn’t say anything either—too afraid to ruin whatever this was.

Because somehow, it felt like the little agreement of friendship you made just yesterday was already, very slowly, starting to slip away into something you were too afraid to name.

Or maybe. Maybe, this was just what it looked like when two people, thrown together by coincidence, trusted each other enough to get this comfortable without needing to put it into words.

Little did you two know—it was both.

✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿

✿ A / N ✿ imma be real, i feel like i fucked up their whole dynamic with the last scene aka them lying on the bed and cuddling and ughhh, and i also feel like you can feel through the writing how impatient i grew with the ending of this ch. idk maybe i should've postponed this and actually think it through but i kinda lost my mind with this one and now it seems like i skipped over some steps. idk maybe i'm just tired or biased bc of how long this chapter is so what do you guys think? bc i'm srsly considering reworking the last part HAHAHAHAH #heart'sactuallyracingrn

✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿

K M S M A S T E R L I S T | <- P R E V I O U S | N E X T ->

✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿

T A G L I S T F O R M (taglist for this series is CLOSED but you can sign up for my other stuff through this link)

@ursogorgeous13 @my-name-is-baby @moneybaby07 @jjasmiineee @sttaejoon-blog @vogueprincess @princesspeaxhh @wtfisastiles @wefelldowntherabbithole13 @rafes4 @kathryn-maraudersversion @wuluhwuhmaster @torturedtypewritersdept @sfotiegiuls @ltristessedureratoujours @stoned-writer @lunaleah @akobx @cokewithcameron @b00klvrs @rafesdrew @mattyskies @yktayy9669 @beabafreakbee @c1gsafterwhat @drewstarkeyswife-7 @wtfdudesblog @akobx @wintercrows @miaaaoa @setmefreemyg @pogueprincesa @chimchimjiminie16 @drewstarkeysrightarm @wtfdudesblog @wolfstarsimpxx @emmiesummers @brycesfav @ayy1234567 @rgeraldg @stanseventeen @louvrgirl @chaoticromantic @drewstarkeysrealwife @drewstarkeyswifehoe @psychicnatural @mysticbby2009 @oreocheescake-12 @miniiminie @drunkinthemiddleoftheday @drewstarkeyywife @persiar9

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uzumaki-rebellion · 3 months ago

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"Choose One" Masterlist

Choose One by Uzumaki Rebellion

Characters: Elijah "Smoke" Moore and Elias "Stack" Moore (characters in the Michael B. Jordan movie "Sinners"). Lena Blackwell (OC).

Warning(s): Mentions of Hoodoo, Explicit Sex, Supernatural Elements, Romance, Some Violence, Polyamory, and Angst. Pre-Sinners movie.

Summary: Lena Blackwell works in an illegal after-hours Black & Tan club in Bronzeville where she seduces twin brothers Smoke and Stack. Each brother has qualities she likes and she embarks on an illicit affair with both. All is well until one of the twins starts catching feelings.

Chapter 1 HERE.

Chapter 2 HERE.

Chapter 3 HERE.

Chapter 4 HERE.

Chapter 5 HERE.

Chapter 6 HERE

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

#sinners fanfiction #Sinners #smoke and stack #Smoke Stack Twins #smoke x black oc #stack x black oc #sinners smut #smokestack twins #Choose One #Uzumaki Rebellion #smoke x annie

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 4 months ago

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book 7 chapter 13 part 2 (book 7 finale!!) thoughts

***THIS POST CONTAINS MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR BOOK 7 PART 13 OF THE MAIN STORY!!*** This spans part 328 to part 349.

This (finally) conclude book 7!!

Please note: this is NOT meant to be a summary or a translation; these are only my initial thoughts on the events that roughly unfold. There may be details overlooked or misunderstood in this post, so PLEASE do not use this as a translation.

ALRIGHT FELLAS, LOCK IN.

We open with a scene of the final confrontation against Malleus (like one of Yuu’s dreams/visions).

Everyone is slowly waking up. UHHH it’s not a pretty sight though, Malleus has grown into his full dragon form and crashed through the ceiling. His voice is becoming distorted. (No live 2D sprite, only a blacked out version of his OB form.)

Mob students panic and almost trample themselves to escape. Us first years brace for impact but suddenly…?! CROWLEY saves us?! YEEEEEEAAH DAD CAME BACK WITH THE MILK LET'S GO 🥛

Crowley commands the staff and dorm leadership to help the students get away. Crewel and Trein use ice magic but it’s instantly melted. (Sam tends to their wounds!) Vargas is knocked back trying to protect students with his body. (Kalim flies him to safety!)

The dorm leaders command their vices to lead their students out. Some notable ones: Jade leads, Floyd is in the back chasing them. Jamil takes charge and tells Kalim to guide people on the magic carpet. Because Ignihyde has no dorm leader, Ortho tells some of their students to be the leaders for the others. Ruggie leads Savanaclaw.

UUHHHHHHH the only person that has not woken up is Lilia. He’s still sleeping at dragon!Malleus’s feet. Silver is freaking tf out OTL calling out to Lilia, trying to wake him, but it doesn’t work.

Sebek is terrified and claims he can’t fight Malleus, he is just too powerful! Chevfowrgwiwj ADEUCE KICK HIM AND SEBEK’s SO inSuLTED HE DECIDeS TO JOIN THE FiGHT AGAIN

Malleus is sending thorns after us to “capture the humans”. ASDHHKAHDLA The tone of voice he takes on is scary, it's like we're farm animals that escaped a pen and he's trying to toss us back in there.

We cut to Ignihyde xjsvsjkw IT’/s A PlOT POiNT THAT iDIA iS OUT OF ShApE, he’s struggling to reach the meetup point to collect the sword, shield, and armor to fight Malleus with. Igni mobs A, B, and C run support and provide him with a magical wheel, which Idia happily accepts.

LOL his mom says he looks cool, just like a prince!! (EW WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT MRS. SHROUD... DON'T MAKE ME THINK IDIA IS COOL.)

The vice dorm leaders (minus Jamil) have led the mobs to main street. There, they collide with Idia.

The dorm leaders (excluding Kalim) are staying behind to stave off Malleus. Us first years ignore evacuation orders and come back.

LILIA FINALLY WAKES UP (not sure why he took longer than everyone else; I thought he wouldn't wake at all and Malleus was keeping him asleep as his "most precious" thing to protect???) 😭 but his magic is so weak he cannot even summon a flame. Begins to cut through the briar instead.

The OB boys are close to irl OB and cannot hold off Malleus for much longer. LMAO. Rowley is crying at the amount of physical damage to the school vjsbfiwhfhskdmd

When all hope is about to be lost, HERE COMES THE MOTORCYCLE REVVING SOUNDS— Holding out for a hero moment fr 💀

OH MY GOD THERE IT IS, I WAS RIGHT WITH MY THEROYT

The armor made of mystium changes form depending on the pilot… Silver assumes the Dawn Knight’s armor and Sebek takes on the same armor his grandfather gifted him in Lilia’s dream.

Malleus scoffs at them and says he will melt Sebek’s shield—but Sebek says there’s no way, because this was something made with the strength if both fae and humans!! Malleus feels betrayed learning that even his grandmother stands against him.

Sebek corrects his liege. They are all standing WITH Malleus. Silver agrees. To prevent Malleus from completely losing himself and becoming the “ruler of evil”, they MUST stop him here and now.

Man. This really is mirroring the Dawn Knight and Maleanor battle. (Believe even the dragon sprite used for Malleus is the same form his mother takes.)

Malleus blows away Sebek’s shield and Silver rushes to protect him. DBHLsiflaiyDSLBI THEY'RE REENACTING THE EVETSN OF THE PAST

LILIA GETS IN THE WAY?!?!!!??!

In the moment of surprise, Idia uses technomancy to control Silver’s sword to hit Malleus’s horns.

Malleus post-OB flashback!

Ahhhh, so it begins with the senators blessing him with mighty powers. Then we see some memories of him growing up.

Malleus has a maid doing his hair but he gets hurt by the teeth of the comb or something?? His anger strikes the maid with lightning and he apologizes, but another servant (or was it a senator, I forgot) tells him don't apologize, it was the maid's fault. Maid is escorted out.

Next is Lilia coming to visit Malleus; Malleus is so happy and laughs really loud. This shatters nearby windows and lodges glass in Lilia's ears. Malleus panics, but Lilia reassures him it's fine.

Last memory is of him on his birthday; Malleus sees fireworks outside but isn't allowed to go out. His grandma is away on royal duties, so he has to eat a big dinner by himself. He's so sad he instantly freezes all the food and makes the servants super cold.

His black and white lament allows him to express that he was born with mighty powers, but what he really wanted all this time was to be able to express himself, to be with other people. "I just wanted to get angry. I wanted to laugh. I wanted to cry." One line I found particularly poignant was this: “At the table where everyone shares their joy and their sadness… There is no seat for me.”

And… he calls his blessing(s) a curse. This is a parallel to Idia, who realized that what he thought was his own curse was actually a blessing that allows him to be “powered up” by blot!!

Screen goes white and Lilia appears before Malleus. UMMMMMM I 'M SCARED, DON'T LIKE THIS FRAMING. IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO IDIA IN BOOK 6 TALKING WITH DEAD!ORTHO AFTER HIS OWN POST-OB FLASHBACK...

"I have to go soon, too."

"Lilia? Where are you going?"

"Don't worry about it. Like you said, 1000 years will pass in the blink of an eye."

Malleus finally wakes up from his OB. Idia stops the Ferrymen from advancing to attacking Malleus with their oars (the same ones they used to neutralize the other OB boys in book 6).

HIS HORN?????? IS IT STAYING LIKE THAT FDOREVER?????? ? ? ???

h U HHHHHHhHhhh

LILIA DIED (like these sick fucking devs played a heart rate monitor FLATLINING) and Silver’s hair going back to blonde is proof his blessing is gone 💦💦

Malleus crying sprite, but at what cost… (Surprisingly is able to cry without summoning a storm??)

Malleus, Silver, and Sebek cry (Idia pulls us away to give them alone time 💦 guess he is socially aware enough to understand this.) Malleus tries to use his magic to revive Lilia.

There’s glowing from Malleus’s broken off horn and Silver’s ring???? Magic comes from a strong wish, so he and Malleus wish for Lilia to return. Malleus states “I love you” to Lilia and that’s what does it.

qbfuvILFIsFIPFw IT'S THE DISNEY POWERE OFR LLOVE SAVES THE DAY TROPE

We skip to a few days later. Mobs are chatting about the extent of Malleus’s magic; Maleficia, Ambrose, and Crowley did a press conference appearance about the catastrophe.

UMMMMM

Ace mentions there is now a Fairy Dream Life Association made up of Malleus fans who sdjlbblsaiadbsi actually preferred the dream worlds to their realities???? (IT GIVES ME KINDA CULT VIBES) We learn that it will take Malleus's horns 100-200 years to grow back and he cannot use his UM or other disaster-level magic during this time.

Dorm leader meeting!!

Idia lets everyone know that S.T.Y.X. created a new classification a few days ago specifically for Malleus. He is now being considered the same as a natural disaster, and they've developed a safety protocol + policy for what to do in the case of Malleus again. Basically, he should be treated LIKE a natural disaster (earthquake, hurricane, tornado, etc.). In other words, don't engage or try to fight, just hunker down and wait it out. This label cannot be erased, appealed, etc.

Okay, WHAT 🤡 I know that we were desperate to stop the spread of Malleus's magic + aiming to limit the damage he does, but apparently there were NO deaths at all, NO damage (beyond NRC, I believe), and only SOME NRC students got injured. That's... all OTL REALLY???? ?? ? ??????? ??NOTHING ELSE??? ? ?? ???? ???? Sounds kinda like bullshit to me, but okay.

Silver and Sebek are currently hospitalized, but they're supposedly recovering well and should return to class soon. (Really???? In only a few days' time??? Magic must really speed up the recovery process.)

Damage to Diasomnia dorm was quickly fixed up with fae magic. Maleficia donated a bunch of rare Briar Valley literature and technology to NRC for free as an apology for the trouble Malleus caused.

aASDIUBADBOIAFFIA WOW apparently Lilia is reenrolling??? He somehow recovered some of his magic. Riddle explains it as being similar to medical cases in which a patient spontaneously recovers for no discernable reason.

IULADFBFIYOAAFAFID Crowley drops the bomb that Malleus is also returning to school, which freaks the other dorm leaders out. Idia reveals it's likely because Crowley wants funding from the International Magical Security Organization (IMSO), which has promised to give money to support whatever area houses Malleus during his rehabilitation period or something. asfihloadbyfasyafsi IMAGINE NOT WANTING MALLEUS SO BAD THE GOVT HAS TO GIVE MONETARY INCENTIVE TO HAVE HIM IN TYOUR VICINITY

Crowley excuses this by saying the teachers agree Malleus should return. After all, as along as you wish to learn, NRC will not turn away a student. He also says that this is important for promoting diversity and enhancing the understanding between humans and fae. adihbabilfaifasi SCROWLEY'S ALSO PLEASED BECASE HE;S BEEN GETITNG A LOT FO GOOD PUBLICITY, NRC IS EEING HAILED AS HEROES.

We cut a few weeks later to Ramshackle, where Yuu and Grim are writing down details about their dream with Mickey. This is the only mention of Mickey in the update; Yuu going home and what Mickey is up to is NOT addressed again. Yuu just says they wonder what he's been up to/they want to see him again.

Sebek and Silver pop in for a visit!! Silver's hair is silver again. Apparently he asked Lilia to bless him a second time. Sebek makes a joke that it would be weird if his name was Silver but his hair was gold; then shouldn't his name be Gold?

Other first years arrive!!

Mmmmm... We get some lore about Sage's Island??? There was a powerful master mage that lived here 2000 years ago. But this mage had an apprentice that had trouble controlling his own magic and brought about a great disaster because of it. Instead of banishing this apprentice, the master mage scolded his student and did his best to teach him everything he could. That is why the schools on Sage's Island try to follow this philosophy of welcoming those that want to learn.

First years speculate that there must have been other incidents in the past where powerful mages got out of hand. They must have been forgiven too, right...? Like the sorcerer's apprentice was.

WAIT A DAMN MINUTE

Silver and Sebek claim it took them 1 week to heal from their injuries. Their magic healthcare must be cracked because that recovery time is INSANE.

Suddenly?????? Invites pop up???? It's from Malleus! He's inviting his peers to a party on May 15th (Silver's birthday), to be held at Castle Wildrose (which has been reclaimed and made into an official neutral zone belonging to no country). A carriage will come and pick them up.

The carriage is pulled by a talking direbeast???? FHABFAIBA HE REFERS TO YOU, GRIM, ACE, AND DEUCE WITH -SAMA!!???!

We arrive at the venue at last, and...

WHOA, UM... MALLEUS NEW FIT??????? 😭 King look?????? Emo lookin' ass/j He looks so much like his mother here, but they don't really explain why he's wearing this??? (Up until this point, I believe he was being studied, tested, and monitored in S.T.Y.X. facilities.)

This looks SO weird, I'm not used to seeing his pale ass chest out...

Malleus asks Silver and Sebek to step forth. OFMMAFOJ;IAFLIUAFIEAF OMG ALH HERVURQ3TVOFEVYFSOIfsihadgouvaegipaf hE'S OFFICIALLLY KNIGHTING THEM??? ?? ? ??? ?

Sebek is henceforth known as the Knight of Lightning. Silver will be the Knight of Dreams.

Silver interrupts and asks if he can donate his armor to NRC and S.T.Y.X., as he feels he couldn't have saved the day without their efforts. This way, they will also have something to use in emergencies. For Silver, he says the title alone is enough.

Malleus agrees and splits up the Dawn Knght armor. He asks Silver what does he want instead?

(Silver's new look, after Malleus strips away the armor.)

They confirm that Silver is now 18 years old. So that means the official ages stated on Twst profiles are the ages they are at the start of the school year??? And they "aged up" as the main story went on?

OH MY GOGSH ADSKHLADBSLISDBAIADBSILBIADS IT'S HAPPENIG YOU GUYS, SIVLER'S ASKING LILIA IF HE CAN POSSIBLY TAKE ON HIS SURNMAE AND FORMALLY BEOCME HIS SON

Lilia says he was wary about it because the name Vanrouge sounds bloody + invokes the color red. It was a name given to him by the queen, he doesn't think it suits Silver. But Silver insists, so he relents. ADFLIYOAFADFYPADFAF MALLEUS OFFICIATING IT TO THE ONLOOKERS

Idbskwnkwwk IS THiS THE OMEDETOU EVA SCENE OTL

Lilia and Malleus hold hands and helps Lilia use Far Cry Cradle?? Which revives the memories of Castle Wildrose... including the fae soliders, the Silver Owls, the guardian fairies... INCLUDING Maleanor and the Dawn Knight who once resided there.

adsbihlffuadyoadfiadf SOH???? ? ??? ? ? ? AND SILVER'S MOM, QUEEN LEAH... She looks so gentle and kind, wah... Pretty lady...

Woooow, those memes about book 7 ending on a dance party twistune/rhythmic aren't just memes anymore OTL Somehow they're able to dance with their dead parents even though I'm SURE this isn't possible, realistically speaking.

Context for Dawn Knight Silver's SSR! Malleus and Lilia playfully change the color of Silver's cape between blue and pink. They look like they're having a lot of fun with it!!

Malleus speaks tenderly to the memory of his mother, even though she cannot respond and is just a phantom of the past. Silver does the same to his parents, thanking them for loving him, protecting him, and "not taking Lilia away." I'm SO glad that we got confirmation that Silver has no ill will toward his blood family, he just doesn't have it in him to hate.

asfhulailafiafd SEBEK CRIES BECAUSE HE LOVES HAPPY ENDINGS OTL MY BOY... YOU CAN SEE HIM CRYING IN DAWN KNIGHT SILVER'S GROOVY TOOAW LH ABHFDOVEFUOVQEFUOUfobaegvaegbiFINPdw jCUTIEPIE

Grim grabs us and says let's dance the night away!!! ... And that's what we end on KJBFIUABUIDABIDSGIPAF tTHE FRAKING DANCE PARTY MEME OTL (No preview for what may come next!)

OKAY, that was a whirlwind of an update 😭 As much as I screamed this entire post, it was mainly from shock and not because I necessarily enjoyed everything presented. I feel like Twst got TOO ambitious and wasn't able to deliver on the follow-through because they set up so much. It definitely feels like there's tons of room to expand because there's still unanswered questions about Yuu going home, Mickey Mouse, Crowley's intentions, Grim's OB (we didn't see him eat a blot stone this update, shockingly), and the upcoming interscholastic magift/spelldrive tournament. What we got this update, considering the length of the book as a whole... It honestly felt TOO short. I know, I know, I've been complaining about the length of book 7--but the problem is that the resolution for all this build-up felt rushed, so it doesn't feel genuinely resolved. I'm sure they'll go more into the fallout and consequences next main story update (again, lots of stuff left to explore), but it's going to hurt knowing this is what we're digesting until then.

Some parts of this update I liked a LOT. Lilia's death, Silver finally taking on the Vanrouge surname, SEBEK SOBBING, and Idia being a badass on a magical wheel!! It was also nice seeing the staff members ADULTING for once (especially Crowley, WOW) and helping out. Same thing as previous update, I loved that each student gets a little time to shine by evacuating students or holding off Malleus.

Other parts... I did not like at ALL. I knew from the start that they weren't going to commit to TRULY killing anyone (otherwise Twst would lose a very marketable character), but it really sucked that Lilia dropped out + died for all of 5 seconds before magically being reenrolled and revived with the Power of Love. Very Disney-esque, but it still sat wrong with me. The party at the end was nice, but it confirmed all the memes about forgiving Malleus with a dance party.

My big issue with this update was how... AFRAID the narrative seemed to be to hold Malleus accountable and to have him make up for what he did. For example, they kept stressing how the damage he did was 'contained', how no one died, how only some NRC students were injured, how the buildings he damaged got patched up easily with magic, etc. What was especially offensive, however, was when they mentioned the history of Sage's Island and how there were other mages who caused disasters like Malleus did; those mages were scolded + forgiven and not exiled, so they should offer the same to him. Okay. But that... that feels like you're trying to say "It's okay that Malleus did this, because OTHER people also did this!" It sounds like you're diverting attention away from Malleus's actions by pointing out that other people did similar things. We're not talking about those other people though. We're talking about MALLEUS DRACONIA, who is responsible for the CURRENT crisis. Don't try to distract us by talking about other people 💦💦

And really, what did Malleus DO to fix things???? I get that he won't be able to use his UM for a long ass time, but what about his relations with the world at large? His grandma is getting on TV to say sorry but why isn't Malleus also doing that??? Why is he throwing a party and ONLY apologizing to NRC when he arguably endangered many more people???? Should he not also be saying sorry to S.T.Y.X., his country, and all other countries????? OTL Like, I don't think he should be thrown in jail or physically harmed as "further" punishment, but I want to know what steps he intends to take to correct what he has done. An apology to everyone is the very least Malleus can do.

I'm also leaving this update confused about how tf Lilia's UM works??? Because previously we knew he could see the memories associated with objects, right??? What object is he calling the memories from, the whole CASTLE???? Is this only possible because Malleus held his hand and boosted his magic or something??? Okay... but then why are both the fae and the humans of the past both there happily (I assume happily because those memories were able to dance with their children without issue)??? Aren't those two separate memories from two different points in time??? Because I cannot imagine a reality in which both parties were in the SAME space, at the SAME time, and NOT at each others' throats. It feels like Twst breaking its own logic and lore just because it would be cute to have this moment between parents and children. And how come we saw Silver's mom Leah but not Malleus's dad Raverne???? Surely Raverne must have bene in Castle Wildrose before, considering that's where his WIFE resides??? And during the rhythmic/twistune I also saw a Silver Owl and a Briar Land soldier dancing together… even though they wouldn’t???? So many questions...

I don't know. I just have so many mixed thoughts on this ending. I always knew in my gut that I would never be completely satisfied with it, because there are limitations with the media involved, expected tropes, an unnecessarily high amount of hype riding on this, etc. Man. What we got in the end was... okay? Okay, but still lacking in certain areas. I just hope a future main story update fills in those gaps.

I guess I don't have anything else to say but... This truly was our Twisted Wonderland 💀

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kabuki-writes · 6 months ago

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Aeternitas Nunc Est

chapter: 7 chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

pairing: emperor geta/emperor caracalla x acacius' daughter!reader

summary: Your wedding night with Emperor Geta.

Note: Yes, i kinda back after it took me nearly an eternity before i was able to present this smut-heavy chapter. I am not super-experienced with writing smut, but i tried my best and hope you'll like it! :) Also big thanks to all the sweet beans, who sent me well-wishes over the last weeks!

word count: 2.8

You watched the lights of Rome in the dark veil of the night, which had layed itself upon the hills of the eternal city. The royal palace sat upon one of those sacred hills, watching over the gigantic capital of the growing Empire, just like the Greek believed that the Olymp watched over their lands. This palace here was not only the residence of the Emperors Geta and Caracalla anymore, it was your home now too. You'll never get back to your families home, to your parents. With this marriage now, you were no longer in the hands of your father, but became the property of Geta. He was able to do with you as he pleased, which included an order to kill you or your family in an instant. A sword that was over your head from the day that your father betrayed the Emperors - and somehow you needed to find a way for yourself in this dangerous situation now. No privilege would save you now, your mind and your wits were your only weapons left.

Empress. It still felt surreal that this was the way you were called now. The title felt heavy on your shoulders just as the golden tiara crown of Empress Poppea on your head, while you listened to the footsteps of your husband behind you, echoing on the clean marble floor of his personal chambers as he approached you. Just as it was tradition, he'd taken you away from the celebration at one point, so that you to were able to seal this bond off with the mandatory wedding night.

Geta's hand reached out to you, taking one of the strains of your hair between his fingers, while his eyes lingered on your form, your curves hugged by the fabric of your beautiful wedding dress. Even though the thought of simply ripping your gown off your body and taking you right here right now, was an urge in his mind, he knew quite well that he had to treat you different like he did with his concubines. He needed you to surrender yourself to him, so that he could shake off the feeling of desperation he had, when he thought of you. Geta wanted you as a whole, not just your body, but your mind as well - an Empress that served him and loved him like no one else did.

„You can hate me as much as you want now. It doesn't matter", he whispered, standing close to you so that you were able to feel his hot breath against your skin. "I could kill you and your family, everything is in my hands, depending on how you play your part." Your eyes went silently to him, but you were not backing off in any way. "Then why don't you do it right now, my Emperor? Kill me and we're done with it. This wedding celebration becomes nothing more than dust and ashes then."

It were those words in this very moment, when Geta understood that he wasn't able to get you through fear. It surprised him, his irritation clearly written on his face. No one ever dared to speak with him like this, no one ever defied him in any way and yet you did - without hesitation. And while it would usually anger him, somehow in your case, he found it intruiging. Yet it also reminded him about the fact that he didn't just married you because he was able to bind General Acacius to his and his brother's rule.

His hand reached out and he traced the details of your jawline, before he placed his thumb and index finger at your chin, the tall young man basically towering you as he stood right in front of your form.

"That would be too easy, don't you think? I just presented Rome its new Empress. But let me remind you of the fact that you're nothing without me now. When my brother and i fall, so do you, which is why your father should follow our hand instead of chasing a dream that is long forgotten."

His thumb slowly ran over your lips, touching them softly as if he couldn't wait to simply kiss them. You stood still, eyes locked with him, as if you waited for him to make the first move. Maybe he thought you were a sheep, something to easily pray on like all the other women he usually got with one snap of his fingers, but despite your situation, there was still pride in you - hope even. "My father serves no one but Rome", you answered, but suddenly Geta tightened the grip on your chin. "Then you should hope that his definition of Rome is right this time. But let us stop talking about him, shall we? This is our wedding night and we both waited enough."

With those words his hands went to the brooches that held your dress together. Even though your body tensed, you knew you couldn't do anything about him being the first man to lay hands on you as he was now your husband. His dark eyes lingered on you like a wolf ready to consume his prey, especially once your dress fell from your shoulders to the ground, revealing the beautiful curves of your body.

"From the very first day i saw you, i was sure that you were the incarnation of Venus...", he mumbled, while his pale fingers traced your collarbones, the curves of your now exposed breasts, down to your hip. He took his time with it, as if he was looking at a marble statue in front of him. "Perfection."

His words rang in your ears and although it was an honor to hear those words from the mouth of an Emperor, it felt different. Otherwise, you instantly thought about the fact that his attention, his desire for you could be something useful. And you should at least try to keep him pleased if you didn't want him to think back to your father's betrayal. So out of a sudden, your hands went up to cup his cheeks, while your eyes met his. For a second he even froze in place, surprised by your sudden action. From the day you knew that a marriage with Geta was inevitable, you had to befriend the thought of induldging into something you couldn't change in any way. It was better to adapt in order to survive, better do play your part in order to gain peace - and through this, you might find a way to change the course of history?

Maybe this idea in your mind fired your bravery as you swallowed your pride and placed your lips on his. It was almost a provocation, rather than a romantic form of showing your devotion. "I might not change so quickly into the woman you expect from me", you whispered against them, his lips curving up into a wide smirk, amused by your tone shift. "Why should i want this? I enjoy our little game way too much..."

His hands suddenly grabbed your neck at the sides as he hold you in place, forcing you into another kiss, a more intense one this time. He quickly broke your hesitation with a straight entry of his tongue into your mouth, invading it like a conquerer and pushing you into a dance. You couldn't step back, you couldn't turn your head away, his fingers, the cold metal of his rings, drilled themselves into the skin on your throat and neck, imprison you in this position. It felt like an eternity until he released his lips from yours, before he brought them to your ear. "If i'd wish to fuck a submissive servant, i simply fuck one of my concubines, or a slave. You however,...", he whispered with a devilish grin on his face, which sent shivers down your spine. "It brings me much more joy, when you fight me... although i know you'll come to the point of loving me soon enough. And i will wait for it".

He didn't waste any time as he grabbed your arms and pushed you down on the the four poster bed, which was prepared for you two. A sea of pillows and blankets under the sky of heavy velvet drapes. Geta pinned you down onto the mattress as he placed kisses all over your neck, marking you as his own by leaving dark bruises on your skin. His words weren't a lie, because every time you tried to push him away with the way your body moved, he only took it as a motivation to continue in an even more craving and demanding way. There was no reason for you to keep this up for long, as it was not changing anything. Slowly his one hand creeped between your legs before he touched your sancturary, which was never been owned by any man before. With a grin, he coated his fingers with the wetness on your entrance, as he felt how your body shivered under his touch. "So you are not devoted to me yet? Then why are you wet like the ocean down there?", Geta whispered teasingly into your ear, while he pushed two fingers into you, causing you to gasp.

In fact, Geta was no brute. He could come off as a cruel man, but he knew that you were untouched, so he took his time to enjoy your body, while also preparing you for what's to come. In a way, he didn't want to hurt you, even though it was hard for him to hold back. His lips found their way from your neck to your breasts, while he stimulated your clitoris slowly with his fingers. There was no doubt that Geta was experienced, no surprisingly given the horde of concubines he called his own. But none of those women ever gave him the same satisfaction as you did in this moment. The feeling of your soft, skin under his lips was electrifying for him, while he went down to place kisses on your chest and lick over one of your nipples before he teasingly bit it with his teeth.

You couldn't clench your teeth together forever, while you tried so desperately to resist. There was still a form of resistance in you, as you didn't want to surrender your body so easily to the touch of a man that had threatened your family and force you into marriage. But it got harder, when the first sounds of pleasure escaped your lips, which incited Geta to keep going. The way your nipples grew hard under the touch of his tongue and the sucking of his lips was a divine example for him how you would soon tear down your wall freely. Out of a sudden, he reached for your wrist and forced your hand to the hem of his robes. "Go on, take them off", his demanding whisper catched your ear and you couldn't explain why your body simply followed his orders. Maybe a twisted 'excitement' guided your hands as you shoved his toga off his shoulders, following his belt and his tunica, the heavy brocade fabrics falling down to the white marble grounds, before you were able to see his body for the very first time.

Geta was the embodiment of the dissolute Emperor, whose main role from his early childhood was to become the most powerful man in all of Rome. The days his father had forced him onto the battlefield where long over, he hated the mere thought of dirt, hard work and the smell of a camp of legionaries. His body was pale as if he'd never seen the sunlight, a reminder how priviledged the Emperor's truly were in difference to the rest of Rome. Even though he wasn't seen as a strong man, who could fight against a gladiator, his slender body was still decorated by light and defined muscles. All those parties, the drinking and whoring aside, Geta did care for his body out of the fear to end up ill like his damned father, who died pathetically in his bed. But the most present part for you now was Geta's hardened erection, ready to have his moment, pre-cum already glistening in the dim light of the oil lamps that surrounded you. Your heart pounded against your chest, almost as if it would rip out of your skin at any given moment - like a prey in front of a predator and yet you stared into his eyes in defiance.

Oh how he was turned on by this beautiful defiance in your eyes, the thinking that you will never surrender yourself to a God. It motivated him to turn those tables, to make you scream his name as he would fuck you to elysium. And with that in his mind, he grabbed your wrists and pinned you down, bringing his body between your legs as he spreaded them. His hips blocking your possibility to push your legs together again. His face went down to your face, as he forced a hungry and predatory kiss onto your lips, your tongue fighting against his, before your suddenly bit his lip during the battle of dominance. Geta's head shot back, his dark eyes staring at you before a laugh escaped his lips again. "I have a pretty bold wife, so hesitant!"

"Call me your wife, but i will never love you!", you quickly hissed back, showing him the hate that had built up in your stomach with every second passing, but he didn't care at all. His grin spoke more than a thousand words. Without a warning, he slowly pushed himself into you. He could've simply thrust in you, not caring for your pain in any way which was hard to avoid when a woman lost her virginity. But it was softer than he inicially intended to be. You wanted to curse him, but all you were able to get out of your mouth, when you felt how the stinging pain got replaced with a different feeling, something more carnal, was a moan through your clenched teeth. Geta didn't need to hold himself back, the dark moan that came from his lips only mirrowed the pleasure he felt, when a tight cunt held his hardened cock. "I don't need your love, it'll come sooner or later. What i want now is your body, surrendered to me... and trust me, you will stop fighting me". With those words, the young Emperor began to thrust into you, starting with slow movements, while his one hand was still holding his position beside your head, the other was holding your wrists above your head to avoid any form of resistance.

Not that you could resist anyways, there was never a way out from the day your wedding got announced. Seeing his lust shimmering in his dark eyes, which were focused on your face, watching how you tried so desperately to not show him any form of pleasure, it felt like a torture. Geta knew what he did, he knew how to treat your body to get his desired reaction. And once he felt your resistance cracking down under the deep thrusts, while your bodies were starting to move in unison, he loosened the grip around your wrists. "I might've made a mistake... you're not so bold as you think you are", he groaned, before your eyes shut open and you grabbed his shoulders. Not bold enough... His voice haunted your head. You didn't surrender, maybe it was time to set new rules. With a devilish grin, he wrapped his arm around your hip and switched the positions with one movement. You found yourself on his lap, but one of your hand already found its way in his short gingerblonde hair, which you grabbed and pulled, before your hip moved against his. In this position, you were the one to look down on him, while he was able to easily hit your deepest core with his dick. "Now you got claws?", he whispered, but you didn't fall for his provocation and continued to ride him with a newly fired self-esteem, that even surprised him. But it wasn't as if he was able to think more about it in this very moment, when his fingers pressed into the skin of your ass, while he hold you down, the moment he shot his load in you. The semen that may carry an heir into your womb, a legacy Geta wished for himself - and not for his brother. A lineage that started from him and him alone. It was a good timing as your body 'surrendered' as well, your moan filling this room with your shared high, the only true implementation of a marriage.

Now you were truly his wife. Married to an Emperor. An Empress.

____________________________

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To get on the taglist, please write a comment under this chapter :)

#gladiator 2 #gladiator ii #emperor caracalla #emperor geta #geta x reader #caracalla x reader #joseph quinn #fred hechinger #gladiator ii fic #kabuki writes

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stromuprisahat · 1 year ago

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stromuprisahat:

Even of we look at it through era-appropriate lens- there's no GOOD memory. Sure, slap your kid a little- this is 19th-esque century- but screaming and punishments shouldn't be the ONLY thing they remember! How much more interesting could Alina's relationship with AK be, if she remembered switch AND warm hugs. It could be more complex, nuanced- loving "mother", still subjected to age-appropriate mentality and values! But no, we got Anne Cunt, Baghra 2.0...

Hello! I loved your post about Baghra and how she is a glorified egoist and super toxic!!!

I would like to know your opinion about Ana Kuya, the terrible woman who screwed and oppressed Alina when she was still a child!!!

⚠️TW!: Domestic violence and abuse!⚠️

Thanks, anon!

Apparently that's a similarity that they share, the Darkling and Alina. They both had shitty, abusive mothers. And in Ana Kuya's case it's pretty much the same. She was physically abusive and Alina and Mal remember her fondly. And that's the problem. Instead of having the characters admit that she was a horrible mother figure, we have them look back on her punishments as something...worth to be remembered fondly??

Let's dive in her most fucked-up moments.

Talking shit about the children she's assigned to look after. Alina and Mal both heard her but she's still an icon in their eyes! 😍

No 'cause imagine comparing your mother figure to some blood-thirsty creatures with sharp claws and teeth that live and thrive in darkness.

Uhh...

Excerpt No. 1, in which the protagonists talk about Ana Kuya's physically abusive behaviour.

A LETTER?!

Girl, if I were you I would say adiós and never look back. What letter are you talking about?? 😭

Ana Kuya being responsible of Alina's shame for wanting to get it on with a man. This woman and her morals are imprinted in her mind.

Imagine having to spend your last day with your love and choosing to talk about her. And the memory is again toxic 🥹

Other couples: "Let's talk about our happy memories"

Malina: "Let's talk about how our mother abused us"

They have literally zero good memories from her. Only shouting and beatings.

Now that's a woman to admire!!

Do you hear that Alina?? You must kiss their shoes otherwise you would be like that poor girl on the road! 😠

Excerpt No. 2, in which the protagonists talk about Ana Kuya's physically abusive behaviour.

Excerpt No. 3, in which the protagonists talk about Ana Kuya's physically abusive behaviour.

Excerpt No. 4, in which the protagonists talk about Ana Kuya's physically abusive behaviour.

If a child refuses to eat a food, beat it!

Aha! So she does acknowledge it, huh? But what does it matter? We forgive her in this house😍❤️

(also can we talk about how they wanted one of their friends to meet her? Like guys whyy??😭)

Thank the heavens actually.

In my opinion, children need mostly love and understanding. But they also need discipline, yes. But NOT through physical violence. NOT through constant screaming. This is wrong but it's very possible that in Ravka it's accepted and forgiven? Because I also remember reading somewhere that when Nikolai was a child and misbehaved, they were punishing his best friend physically (I haven't read the duology so please correct me if I'm wrong). So even the royal family found it normal.

But having the characters look back to it as something that was okay? And they adored her?

I'm sorry but I didn't shed one tear when she died. Botkin's death affected me more than hers ever did.

Alina when she died: "Oh my God!"

Me when she died: "Oh thank God!"

#Grishaverse #grishanalyticritical #Ana Kuya #Alina Starkov #S&B Before #S&B Chapter 1 #S&B Chapter 14 #S&B Chapter 21 #S&B After #S&S Chapter 2 #S&S Chapter 11 #R&R Chapter 7 #R&R Chapter 13 #R&R Chapter 15 #books #quotes #Leigh Bardugo

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stromuprisahat · 10 months ago

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Six of Crows- Chapter 19 (Leigh Bardugo)

Yeah, since it stopped being unique, so ~anyone~ can conveniently do it. It was probably forbidden by the Darkling as too effeminate or generally useless skill or something...

Shadow and Bone- Chapter 7

#Grishaverse #SoC Chapter 19 #Tailors #Corporalki #Matthias Helvar #grishanalyticritical #S&B Chapter 7 #Six of Crows #Six of Crows duology #V #books #quotes #Leigh Bardugo #anti Leigh Bardugo #fucking retcons

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bbkoolkatz · 7 months ago

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𝖋𝖆𝖙𝖊 𝖈𝖍𝖔𝖘𝖊𝖓!

comment to be added to the taglist for this story!

»»————> presenting;

pairing: barbarian!prince! Katsuki Bakugo x chief!daughter! reader.

synopsis: an arranged marriage to the prince of the barbarian clan to save your kingdom from being wiped out... cliche innit. stem's off the MHA fantasy au!

content warnings: FEMALE READER! strangers to lovers! slow burn! MHA fantasy AU! adult themes! arranged marriage! sexual content! rough n gruff Katsuki! mentions of blood in a lot of scenes! rituals! dub-con in some scenes! (for caution, because y'all can't understand each other) if u're religious, PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION!!! angst! fluff! smut! WARNINGS APPLY TO ALL CHAPTERS!!! and are there to exercise caution!

updated on Wednesdays and Saturdays!

𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖑𝖔𝖌𝖚𝖊↓; 2.5k+ words

»»————> LORE! [you can continue without reading all this]

the barbarian clan is known for conquering any village, kingdom and/or empire. they are brutes, usually settling anything by waging war and desecrating the land.

the barbarians speak in old Norse! conversing is difficult...

Katsuki is the only son and prince of the barbarian clan.

barbarians are stronger and bigger in size than regular humans.

your kingdom is ruled by your father—called cheif instead of king—who's a big softy and doesn't see the point in things like war... he prefers to talk things out and leave casualties to a zero. even if that means marrying off his only daughter...

you are the only daughter of your father which only makes you more precious and worthy of bearing the heir of both your kingdom and their clan.

tetsugami; a huge, semi intelligent crab. [there are few now as people have hunted them down to the double digits.]

crimson dragons; giant flying lizards. [they are very friendly despite their mean looking faces & their scales are extremely valuable.]

(more coming soon)

Old Norse Alphabet;

1. A/a- Pronunciation: ah as in "father."

2. B/b- Pronunciation: b as in "bed."

3. D/d- Pronunciation: d as in "dog."

4. Ð/ð (called eth)- Pronunciation: Soft th as in "this."

5. E/e- Pronunciation: eh as in "bed."

6. F/f- Pronunciation: f as in "fox." Between vowels, pronounced as v.

7. G/g- Pronunciation: g as in "go." After certain vowels, it softens to a y sound.

8. H/h- Pronunciation: h as in "house."

9. I/i- Pronunciation: ee as in "see."

10. J/j- Pronunciation: y as in "yes."

11. K/k- Pronunciation: k as in "king."

12. L/l- Pronunciation: l as in "lamp."

13. M/m- Pronunciation: m as in "man."

14. N/n- Pronunciation: n as in "name."

15. O/o- Pronunciation: aw as in "law."

16. P/p- Pronunciation: p as in "pen."

17. R/r- Pronunciation: Rolled r, like in Spanish or Italian.

18. S/s- Pronunciation: s as in "see."

19. T/t- Pronunciation: t as in "top."

20. U/u- Pronunciation: oo as in "moon."

21. V/v- Pronunciation: Often interchangeable with f, pronounced like English v.

22. Y/y- Pronunciation: Similar to ee but with rounded lips, like French u in lune.

23. Þ/þ (called thorn)- Pronunciation: Hard th as in "thorn."

24. Æ/æ- Pronunciation: ai as in "air."

25. Ö/ö- Pronunciation: ur as in "bird" (without the r).

M-LIST!

𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖑𝖔𝖌𝖚𝖊 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 1 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 2 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 3.5 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 3.5

marriage. the best thing that could ever happen to a girl. all your life, you'd imagined being a bride; delicately decorating your hair with wild tulips, adorning your body in silver and white silk. spending the rest of your life with the person you love most.

now you're here, kneeling in front of a bonfire beside a complete stranger, cloaked in boar fur and animal skeletons, as the thick, warm blood of a lamb is poured over you. your marriage ceremony... filled with unfamiliar faces—including your now-husband—and traditions. drinking, dancing, and celebrating the union.

"nú ger hana konu þína!" a spiked-blonde woman, with an uncanny resemblance to the man kneeling beside you, announced, raising her hands in the air. you looked around confused as ever, as he leaned in, blood-stained fingers pulling you in by the back of your neck. your nose scrunched at the metallic taste of blood that his tongue shoved past your teeth. you push him away, gasping at the foreign feeling.

"hvat í helvíti, kona!?" he frowned, turning away from you, mumbling something under his breath, that you didn’t quite catch. not that you'd understand what he was carrying on about anyways...

the spiked-blonde woman—whom you guessed to be some sort of priestess or elder—shot you a sharp glare, her arms lowering slowly as she spoke in a hushed yet commanding tone. her words were incomprehensible to you, but the crowd seemed to murmur in agreement. your husband huffed, his frown deepening as he looked at you over his shoulder. you were kneeling there, with eyes pressing on you from all directions. the fire crackled in the silence, and the warmth of it did little to ease the chill settling in your chest.

two women approached you, their faces painted with intricate swirls of red and black. they tugged you to your feet without a word and began guiding you toward a tent decorated with bones, animal pelts, and dried herbs hanging from the entrance. inside, it was dimly lit by a few small lanterns. the air smelled of earth, smoke, and something sweet but unfamiliar.

they gestured for you to sit on a low stool and began pulling at your ceremonial garb, their movements quick but not unkind. your protests fell on deaf ears as they stripped you of the heavy fur cloak, wiping the blood from your skin with damp cloths. one of them muttered something, shaking her head as she scrubbed at your face. it was clear they didn't understand you either, but their disapproving looks were universal.

by the time they were finished, you were dressed in a simpler gown of rough-spun fabric, a far cry from the silks you were used to and had imagined for your wedding night. the older of the two handed you a wooden cup filled with a thick, bitter scented liquid. she pointed to it, then your mouth, her expression stern. reluctantly, you sipped it, grimacing at the taste. the woman nodded, seemingly satisfied, before they left you alone in the tent.

you sat there, staring at your hands, trying to gather your thoughts, but instead, they drift back to just a few mere hours ago...

"arranged?" you seethed in disbelief, looking at your defeated father, seated across from you at the council table, surrounded by old wrinkled elders.

"yes, daughter," he affirmed, voice devoid of emotion. "war against the barbarian clan would destroy everything we've built—"

"so they made a proposal, a very very rare one," one of the wart ridden elders interrupted-

"to make an arrangement," another continued-

"one that cannot be broken once forged," -

"a marriage,"-

"your sacrifice would save us all, child," the eldest croaked, concluding the proposal, "and as the chief's daughter, it is your duty to your people." one after the other, they all slowly turned their heads toward you, kneeling at the center of their godforsaken grey gazes.

your eyes flickered between them, their crinkled foreheads making you feel sick to your stomach as their words wrung your heartstrings. "marriage is sacred... it can only happen once. i don't know this person that you'd like me to be bound to for the rest of my life..." you snarled, stating the very obvious to those expired raisins.

"i'm afraid you misunderstood us, girl," the eldest fumed, weakly slamming his fist down, "it is arranged. you will wed the heir of the barbarian clan. that is why you have been summoned." firmly raising from his seat to intimidate you.

"that is my daughter you're speaking to, elder... as old as you are, mind your tongue." your father shifted his attention to you. "unfortunately, he is right, my dear. it's already been arranged, and you are to be wed at sundown."

dumbfounded... that's the look on your face. they we're giving you away to complete strangers... and at sundown!? despite all the colorful words that wanted to fly out your mouth, you grit your teeth and settled with a curt nod. you do have a duty to your people.

though it wasn't supposed to happen like this. it was supposed to be the happiest day of your life. you only get married once in your entire life after all.

the sound of heavy footsteps outside the tent snapped you out of your thoughts. the flap was pulled aside roughly, and your husband stepped in. his presence filled the small space, his broad shoulders and wild blonde hair almost brushing the top of the tent as his crimson eyes bore into you, a mixture of frustration and curiosity in his gaze.

he said something, his voice sharp and demanding, but you could only blink up at him in confusion. "i don't understand you," you said softly, shaking your head, as your voice trembled, despite your efforts to stay composed.

he huffed, combing a hand through his hair before pointing at you and then gesturing to the pallet of furs in the corner of the tent. his tone suggested he was giving you an order. when you didn't move, he groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"leggjask. sofa." he barked, his frustration very much evident. when you still didn't respond, he crossed the space between you in two long strides, grabbing your wrist and pulling you to your feet. the roughness of his grip made you wince, but he didn't seem to notice as he guided you toward the furs. he pointed again, his expression leaving no room for argument.

you hesitated, thinking that maybe he wanted you to lie down, and slowly you lower yourself onto the makeshift bed. he stood over you for a moment, his intense gaze making your skin prickle, before he turned and left the tent without another word.

you let out a shaky breath, your heart pounding in your chest. you were alone in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by strangers who you couldn't even get to know, married to a man you didn't understand. tears pricked at the corners of your eyes with the overwhelming thoughts, but you blinked them away, refusing to let yourself break down on your wedding night.

the two women that cleaned you up earlier came back with him, and they began to remove his furs. you quickly averted your eyes, feeling a heat crawling up your neck, as the thought of them removing more than just his cloak tainted your mind.

"nei!" the old one scolded, "Þú verður að líta!" ... why are they babbling their jibberish when they know you don't understand them... "she said, 'you must look'," the younger translated, seeing the confused wrinkle in your brows. oh thank the gods! you smiled briefly at the familiar words before coming back to your senses.

"must i?" you blush, slowly turning back to them.

"yes," she smiled, cleansing your huge husband before your eyes, "if you do not, you give chance for another woman," she carefully rubbed the damp cloth over his bloody forehead while you let the thought sink in.

"leave," you softly ordered, "I'll take care of my husband," and without hesitation she whispered to the old lady, they dropped everything and left. ain't no way you were about to let your husband be seduced away on the night of your union...

gently, you wrung the cloth of most of its water and brought it back up to his face, wiping away the dust and dried blood that covered little scars freckling his almost perfect face.

his eyes burned through your skull with his staring, slowly scanning over the curves and dips of your body as you moved. your finger danced over his skin, tracing the scar on his right cheekbone, moving down to brush past his thin lips, wiping away the remnants of dirt on his well built, chest. he seemed to relax against your touch, closing his piercing crimson eyes, and hanging his head back to let you do your work.

so soft... and smooth... the texture of his skin isn't what you expected. who would've thought that such a rough looking barbarian had the skin of a baby? would explain all the scars though. like this one running down his neck to his collarbone, and these over here trailing down his firm biceps. you almost forgot you were supposed to be cleaning him up... you've finished the upper half and tugged at the leather holding his pants up, struggling to get them undone.

a low chuckle rumbled in his throat and your eyes shot up up to his smirking face, "what's so funny?" you quiver, frowning, as he shifted to stand, undoing the leather and dropping his pants to the dirt floor. "þar," he rasped, smug at your flustered state.

having those women clean him up was starting to seem more and more reasonable now... nevertheless, you dippied the cloth in the bowl of warm water and squeezed it, before wiping at his lower abdomen. you're so adorable between his legs like that, avoiding his eyes at all costs, while you wipe your way down and around, to his back. again, your hands moved of their own accord, twitching along the scupletd bumps on his back.

he grunted softly as your fingers worked over the knots in his shoulders, his broad frame shifting slightly under your touch. emboldened by the lack of protest, you continued, pressing harder into the muscles along his spine. his head dipped forward, and a low sigh escaped his lips, sending a wave of warmth through you. he brought a large hand up to yours on his shoulders and guided you in front of him.

both your eyes reflected in each other's for a long moment before you tried to break the silence, your words sounding like nonsensical ringing in his ears. he pulled you into his chest, just holding you there in an attempt to shush you, closing his eyes as his brows pinched over them.

"what's your name?" you asked softly, your voice barely audible over the crackling of the distant bonfire. you paused, waiting for a response, but he didn't seem to react, his eyes still closed as if savoring the moment. you tried again, a little louder this time, "what is your name?" you pointed at his chest.

he peeped through his eyelids, a sliver of vermilion meeting yours with a flicker of confusion. "nafnið mitt?" he asked, the foreign words rolling off his tongue. he tilted his head, as though trying to piece together what you were asking.

you frowned, gesturing to yourself. "i'm…" you said your name slowly, pointing at your chest, then gestured to him, raising your brows expectantly.

he blinked, mildly confused, before a smirk tugged at his lips. "Katsuki," he said, his voice low and rough. he tapped his chest, meeting your eyes again. "Kat-su-ki," he repeated, in the same manner you pronounced yours, ensuring you understood.

"Ka-tsu-ki…" you tested the name on your tongue, the unfamiliar syllables feeling oddly satisfying. his smirk widened slightly, pleased that you had caught on.

you nodded, offering a small smile in return, then gestured to yourself again. "my name is…" you repeated your name slowly once more, hoping to bridge the language barrier. his brows furrowed, lips moving as he attempted to mimic the unfamiliar sounds. his effort was clumsy but endearing, and you couldn't help the small laugh that escaped you.

his frown deepened at your amusement. he murmured your name under his breath a few more times, his pronunciation improving with each attempt, until he finally said it with enough accuracy to make you grin.

"that's right!" you cheered softly, nodding in approval.

he held your gaze for a moment longer, his expression unreadable, before his hand came up to gently brush against your cheek. his touch was surprisingly tender, his calloused fingers rough against your skin, but warm.

"sofa," he murmured again, his tone softer this time. he gestured toward the furs, his crimson eyes watching you closely.

you hesitated, unsure if he was commanding you or simply suggesting something. this is it. you thought, heart racing, as you slowly nodded, giving him a glance over your shoulder, before crawling onto the makeshift bed.

he stood for a moment, watching as you adjusted yourself among the furs, before he joined, sinking beside your head with his weight on his palms, caging you in under him. his hair fell beautifully over his narrow, glowing eyes, his nose brushing against yours as he lowered to your quivering lips, sucking them between his, tugging at your plump bottom lip with his teeth.

footsteps thumping right outside your tent made your heart race, thinking someone was coming, but he didn't stop, nor did he care, he hiked up the thin fabric of your dress, his large hand caressing your upper thigh as he shed the leather covering his— good god... you look down and your eyes widened. he smirked and hooked the strap of your dress with a finger to pull it down, and expose your heaving chest.

"Katsuki!" the blonde woman from earlier yelled, barging into the tent, "Tak hendur þínar af henni, þú þarft at vera við ráðsafn. núna!"

"För Guðs sakar, kona!" he yelled back, moving himself off you to sit. he looked up at her worried frown... "Ek kem..." you had no idea what was happening... eyes darting between them as their words flowed out of their mouth and their hands moved in frustration as they spoke.

katsuki looked back at you, a worried expression overtaking the lustful one he had mere seconds ago. he kneeled down kissed you, then threw on his cloak and left. the woman rested a comforting hand on your shoulder, gently smiling before she too headed out, leaving you alone, following behind your husband.

»»————> 𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖘𝖑𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘; <————««

❈ "Nú ger hana konu þína." - now make her your wife

❈ "hvat í helvíti, kona!?" - what in the hell woman!?

❈ "þar" - there

❈ "nafnið mitt?" - my name?

❈ "leggjask" lie down

❈ "sofa" - sleep

❈ "Katsuki! Tak hendur þínar af henni, þú þarft at vera við ráðsafn. núna!"- katsuki! take your hands off her, you need to be at the council gathering. now!

❈ "För Guðs sakar, kona!" - for gods sake, woman!

❈ "Ek kem..." - I'm coming...

hope u enjoyed and look forward to more! don't forget to comment to be added to the taglist! mwah~♡

mlist!

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clairewritesfanfics · 1 month ago

Text

Villain Creation System Chapter 7

Pairing/s: Invincible x Reader x Invincible Variants

Author's note: I'm still tipsy so there may be some errorst that I overlooked. I'll edit them tomorrow.

CHAPTER 6: Square Root of a^2+b^2 Series Masterlist <<read the synopsis and trigger warnings first>>

You were not in the mood for a party.

You were hardly ever in a mood for a party, but today you had a good reason. Between meeting the alleged soulmate of the man you’re tasked with destroying, almost getting roofied, stopping a rape attempt, and breaking down in the arms of Mark Grayson, you wanted to spend the rest of today buried in the sheets while random clips of old sitcoms played on your phone as you dissociated.

And yet here you were at five p.m., dressed in uncomfortable “casual” partywear and standing in front of Amber’s sorority house, a giant monster of exposed bricks and a symmetrical number of windows on each side of its deep blue front door.

[This system does not encourage procrastination, but if the Host is so exhausted, you could have stayed in your dorm. You managed to raise Mark Grayson’s affection and darkening to impressive levels in a single day, so a small break would not be unreasonable.]

“You don’t understand, maybe it’s your age or the fact that you aren’t human, but being a grownup means doing things even when they’re annoying.” You scratched your elbow, the fabric of your top was needlessly tight, and then you pressed the doorbell. “Besides, it would be rude to Amber.”

[She already told you that it would’ve been fine if you didn’t attend.]

“If I didn’t attend, she wouldn’t be able to enjoy the party entirely.”

[How do you know this?]

“I just do.”

[You are quite full of it.]

You sighed and pulled on your collar. “Amber is a good person, she’s the type to worry. I don’t want her to waste time worrying about me when she can be having fun.” It doesn’t help that you took a rain check on that nacho run with her and the others and went straight home. You also felt bad for not replying to her anxious text messages.

[You barely know her.]

“I know enough.” You pressed the doorbell again.

This time, someone answered immediately.

Amber. Today her dark brown hair was adorned with gold hairclips in the shape of tiny butterflies and she wore a burnt orange peplum top that flared daintily over white skinny jeans.

“You made it!” she exclaimed, pulling you into an abrupt hug.

“I said I will. Here.” You lifted an eco bag full of different brands of chips. “I don’t cook.”

She looked confused but took the bag from your hands. “Thank you, but uh, you didn’t have to bring anything.”

That was odd. You were sure that it was basic etiquette to bring something for the party host. Then again, it has been a while since you’ve been to a party thrown by university students, or by anyone, really.

“Come in, come in.” Amber motioned for you to enter. “Everyone is in the living room, we just ordered pizza. Got any preferences?”

“As long as it’s not drugged.”

She looked startled.

You shifted your weight from one foot to another. “Too soon, huh.”

Realizing that it was your poor attempt at humor, she laughed a little too hard. “Well, the girls and I agreed to always have someone watching the food and drinks.” She started walking and you followed. “We ordered five of every flavor.”

She stopped right before you crossed the doorway leading to the living room.

“Listen, you know, you don’t–”

“Please.” You raised your hand. “I wasn’t the one who was attacked, and I appreciate your concern, I really do, but babying me will only cause me more stress. I’m fine, truly.”

“...All right.”

You smiled. “Now let’s go.”

You wanted to go. Like, leave.

After Amber introduced you to her dozens of sisters and you reassured her that you can make do on your own, you spoke with random people here and there, some of them shared classes with you, others were actual strangers. With forty-five minutes of small talk and laughing at jokes you did not understand while you chewed on triple cheese pizza (which was good), you felt like you already fulfilled your guestly duty and it was a safe time to bid goodbye.

But before that, you wanted to taste the truffle-flavored pizza, so you excused yourself.

On your way to the kitchen, you passed by the bathroom and heard sniffling.

That was none of your business, so you attempted to keep walking, but then came the sobbing.

You sighed and knocked softly on the door. “Hello? You all right in there?”

“I-I’m okay.”

“...Eve?”

No reply.

“I’ll go if you want to break down in peace but if you want to talk, I…” You shut your eyes, regretting this already. “I’m here for you.”

[How nice of you.]

Shut up.

There was silence at first, then you heard shuffling and the sound of the door unlocking. Eve’s eyes were swollen and her nose was red as a cherry.

Yep, this was a mistake.

“May I come in?”

She nodded and stepped aside.

You carefully shut the door behind you and stayed standing while Eve sat on the toilet.

You stared at each other before Eve confessed, “My boyfriend cheated on me.”

Ah. Real or fictional, the universe was never short on scum. “I hope you dumped him on the spot.”

She laughed and then sobbed. “I did.”

“Did you cry in front of him?”

“No, I was too mad, that’s why I broke down here.”

“Good.” You crossed your arms as Eve continued to blow her nose into the tissues. “That’s good.”

After three minutes of nothing else, Eve finally looked at you. “I-is that it?”

“I can quote a philosopher, if you think that would help.”

She gawked.

“No? How about a song? Let me think… ‘A man is a two-face, a worrisome thing, who’ll leave you to sing the blues.’” [1]

That got her to laugh this time, just laugh.

“Look,” you started, “I’m not an expert with relationships or comforting people.”

“And?”

“And that’s it. I already gave you a quote.”

She laughed again. “I can use another one.”

“Um, ‘you’re going to kiss a few frogs before you find your prince’?”

She shook her head, smiling. “That actually helps.”

“Good.” You uncrossed your arms. “Do you want me to get you anything? Pizza? Peach soda?”

She shook her head.

“You gonna be okay?”

“I will be, but I think I wanna stay here and be pathetic a little longer. Besides, I don’t want Amber to see me like this, she’s a worrier.”

You grinned. “All right.”

“And hey.” She pushed a scarlet strand behind her ear. “Thank you. For asking and for staying even though you’re…y’know.”

You shrugged. It wasn’t a big deal. Any girl would worry about another girl crying at a party.

You headed for the kitchen where two of the sisters were arguing which of The Sims installments was the best one. In this reality though, The Sims equivalent is called Live Dolls.

Both girls took a moment to acknowledge you with friendly nods and a smile before going back to their debate.

“How can you possibly say that 3 is the best when it can barely load even with an Intel Core i7 processor?” shouted the brunette with ruby streaks.

“It has the best open world and relationship-slash-memory system among all of them!” defended the blonde with giant hoop earrings. “And there is the customization for both body and furniture, and also the personality traits, need I say more?”

You didn’t know about the best, but if Live Dolls was anything like its real-life counterpart, the fourth would be the worst.

Not wanting to intrude, you opted to silently grab the last slice of truffle pizza on the kitchen island and then book it, but instead of a delicious greasy crust, your fingers hit a familiar set of knuckles.

“I’ll trade you the slice for a kiss.”

You smiled to yourself. You didn’t have to look to know who it was that just stole your slice. “I doubt the pizza’s that good.”

“Fancy seeing you here, princess.”

Mark Grayson leaned over the table, the collar of his white t-shirt hanging lowly as he bent closer to you. From this angle you could see his collarbones and the slopes of his chest.

“Am I distracting you?” His Adam's apple bobbed with each syllable.

“No, I just, I need to discuss–” You looked down. Big mistake.

Mark was a tall guy, and he did not have proportionally sized feet; no, in fact, his feet were bigger. He also liked to wear fitted jeans, you only noticed now, and from where you stood, he had other parts that were more than just proportional.

Rough fingers gently guided your chin upward, leading your gaze to a pair of hungry-looking eyes.

“Up here,” he whispered. “Tell me what you need.”

“I…wanted to have a private conversation with you.”

He smelled so nice–

“You guys know we’re still here, right?” Hoop Earrings interrupted, sounding more amused than annoyed.

You snapped out of it and took a step back, Mark’s fingers sliding away.

Ruby Streaks pitched in, “We’ll order another batch. In the meantime, you kids find someplace more private. Upstairs or the bathroom, please?”

“Sorry about that, ladies,” Mark replied, his hand slipping into yours like it was second nature. “Let’s go, doll.”

“Doll”? That was new. But you didn’t hate it, like how you didn’t hate how he led you so casually up the stairs.

Perfect. It’s best to get this out of the way quickly.

“Is this really okay?” you asked as he entered a random bedroom near the end of the hall, tugging you inside with him.

“They’re the ones who offered.”

“I know, but it feels rude. I can’t even stand letting family inside my room, let alone strangers.”

Mark chuckled. “Trust me, no one’s going to care. This room is reserved for guests.”

“I see, well, that’s good.”

“Do you mind locking the door?”

“Um.” You preferred locked doors for your room, but that was unnecessary here. You were just going to thank him for comforting you during your breakdown. “Actually, no. I want to make this quick.”

“Trust me, babe, you don’t want quick with me, and you deserve better than that.”

“Really, I want to–” One half-glance at him and you instinctively turned back to face the door. “Mark, please put your shirt back on.”

“Oh, you like to do it that way, huh? Okay–”

“Mark.”

“Wait. Are you serious?”

“Yes, I want to have a conversation with you, as I have said.”

“I thought that was your way of asking for sex.”

“I can see that.” You pinched the bridge of your nose.

“But did you really not think I was planning to sleep with you?”

“What the Hell is that supposed to mean?”

“I didn’t mean anything, it’s just…” From the look of his face, you could tell his gray cells were firing rapidly, trying to find the right thing to say. “I believed…that my signals were there, but there seemed to be some miscommunication. I’m sorry.”

“Well, I’m sorry as well. I guess I should have been more clear.”

“No, no, you said what you said, I just heard what I wanted to hear. I thought for sure you wanted to–”

“–to get laid on a stranger’s bed, in a room that seems to be reserved for spontaneous hookups?”

Brown eyes blackened. “You make it sound like a bad thing.”

“It is for me. I don’t do one night stands or random makeout sessions.”

“Oh, because you’re so much better than the rest of us, right?”

That was… “What?”

“I see the way you look at everyone else, like you’re too good to be here, like we’re below you. Newsflash, princess, just because some of us don’t spend ninety percent of our time doing advanced reading and sucking up to teachers, doesn’t mean we’re idiots.”

“I never–”

“Some of us work hard, even if we don’t show it, and we deserve to party and have as much meaningless sex we want because that’s what we need to get through a hard day, and if you don’t get that, well tough. Not everyone can be a frigid loser.”

His words were an ice-cold knife through the heart.

Mark exhaled and backed away, running his hand over his face and hair.

Your jaw slackened, but you forced it back shut.

What else was there to say?

His lips parted but the beeping of his watch made him click his tongue.

You didn’t slam the door, you were tired. You wanted to go home. You wanted to be in your own bed with your weighted blanket suffocating you while old sitcoms played in the background.

[Ding. Affection: 51%. Darkening: 21%.]

[Ding. Affection: 50%. Darkening: 21%.]

[Ding. Affection: 52%]

[Ding. Affection: 49%]

[Ding. Affection: 51%]

Ding, ding, ding, ding–

You bumped into several bodies, and you couldn’t apologize because if you opened your mouth again, you would lose whatever semblance of control you had left.

You were halfway out the hallway when you bumped into a wall of brick wearing a light blue dress shirt.

The brick held your forearms to steady you. “Sorry ‘bout that.”

You nodded in acknowledgement and tried to leave but he asked, “Are you okay, miss?”

“Sorry, I gotta go.”

You retrieved your arms and pushed past him and then past the heavy blue front door.

You sent Amber a message: thanks for the invite, see you in class, and you speedwalked back to your dorm.

***

You did not cry. You don’t cry.

But you did have Golden Girls on full blast as you fixated on the ceiling until dawn arrived.

You took a cold shower and went to Professor Harper’s class looking like a raccoon.

The system informed you that Mark was in the auditorium today, but you didn’t care. You didn’t want to care. You wanted to focus on the history of stoicism and not on Mark Grayson’s furious black eyes when he called you a coldblooded loser and accused you of being a snob.

Easier said than done. You didn’t jot down a single note and you had no memory of anything Professor Harper said in the past two hours.

[Did Mark Grayson’s words truly hurt you, Host?] The system inquired when the bell rang. [His affection is sitting at a comfortable 52% so you are still favorable in his eyes.]

You don’t get it because you’re telepathic and omniscient.

[Nigh-omniscient, and without further authorization, I can only hear your superficial thoughts.]

Whatever. My point is that it doesn’t matter if he likes me or loves me; when he or anyone talks to me like that, I’m going to feel bad.

[But he likes you.]

Well, he has a horrible way of showing it.

[Weren’t you the one who informed this system that humans are contradictory creatures? You have the advantage of knowing his true feelings so why do his words upset you so?]

It’s complicated, little one. You felt like an old lady speaking with a hypercurious toddler. And while I was offended by his remarks, I am not upset.

[How fortunate, because here he comes now.]

Mark approached your desk. “Hi.” His voice was small.

You did not spare him a glance as you organized the contents of your bag. “Hello.”

“I want to talk with you.”

“Go ahead.”

“You’re not going to look at me?”

“I can listen and pack up my things.”

“Right… Look, I’m sorry about what I said, I didn’t mean it.”

“You chose very specific points about me to attack.”

“That wasn’t intentional.”

“So you came up with them on the spot? It’s that easy to find reasons to insult me?”

“No, you’re twisting my words.”

“No, I’m trying to understand them.” You zipped up your bag and finally faced Mark. You crossed your arms. “You called me a frigid loser. You said I was condescending.”

“I never said that you were condescending.”

“You implied it, rather firmly, might I add.”

“Okay, okay, but you need to understand, you were… I just…” He rolled his shoulders. “I didn’t like that you seemed to look down on my way of life.”

“I have never looked down on you or your choices. If meaningless sex means that much to you, then go to town, but my not wanting that for myself does not make me a frigid loser.” You were panting by the time you finished.

[Ding. Affection: 55%]

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Okay.”

“Do you…wanna grab something to eat?”

You turned away from him, suddenly finding the burger charm on your bag very interesting. “I’m not in the mood for burgers, or coffee.”

He laughed. You didn’t.

“That’s fine, we can go to the canteen.”

You slung your bag over your back before he could reach for the straps. “We should leave before the next class arrives,” you murmured, moving ahead of him.

“Professor Harper sounded pretty impassioned about Thomas Aquinas,” he remarked, his long legs taking small, slow strides to match your unhurried pace.

You grunted.

“Did you write down everything? Including his spiel on the seven cardinal virtues?”

You hummed.

“...you think it’s going to rain today?”

You shrugged.

Mark didn’t bother to say anything else, which you appreciated. His usual entertaining and dare you say, even endearing attempts at eliciting a reaction from you have become an annoyance, the buzzing of a fly that cannot be smacked away.

Mark sulked next to you like a six-foot-tall shadow while you kept your chin up and focused on walking. This wasn’t ideal but you can deal, you would take awkward and tense silence over awkward and tense small talk any day.

Thankfully, the trip to the canteen was short.

Mark held the door open. “You go and find us seats while I order–unless you want to go and order.”

You put down your bag on a vacant table. “I’ll go.” You needed to be on your feet for a while longer, to shake off excess tension. “What do you want?”

“Well, it’s supposed to be sloppy joe day today but I think I want something with rice, the staff has been really branching out. I hear the chicken adobo[2] is good. Although the–”

Your increasing lack of patience must have been showing because he clasped his hands together and rapidly spurted, “I-I’ll just have the sloppy joe special.”

“Drink?”

“Bottled water.”

“Okay.”

“Wait, the money…and she’s gone.”

[He’s slumping over the table.]

I can imagine.

[Did you not forgive him already? Why are you being so short-fused with the target?]

It’s complicated.

You approached the counter and smiled politely at the woman behind the cashier. “Hello, one sloppy joe and one order of adobo rice. Can you give me extra rice with that? And some vinegar and two waters? Thank you.”

You paid her and stepped aside to wait for your order.

“It’s you.” A male student stood next to you. The voice was familiar, and so were his arms and chest.

[Ding. Host, this is one of the supporting characters of Invincible. He doesn’t hold as much importance as Amber or Eve, but this system might as well introduce him.]

He shot you a dimpled smile. “I’m–”

You snapped your fingers. “Brick!”

He blinked slowly before chuckling. “Actually, it’s Rick.”

[This character is named Rick Sheridan and he might be gay.]

Might be?

[In the TV show he is definitely gay, but who knows in this universe.]

And?

[And I finished talking.]

Of course.

Hiding your exasperation, you grinned at Rick. “My bad, but I do remember you. Sort of. You were at Amber’s party.”

“Yup. You got me worried there for a second, but at least you look good–fine, I mean.”

He was tall but wider than Mark. He had golden hair and baby blue eyes to complement that All American smile.

For an unimportant extra, he was cute, in that generic young Caucasian man way.

Rick shook your hand and you cringed at your own thoughts. “Yes, I’m fine. Thank you for asking, by the way.”

“Anyone would’ve done the same.”

You rubbed your elbow. “Not anyone did, only you.”

The serving lady called and you went to retrieve your food tray.

“It was nice meeting you, Rick.”

“You too. You need help carrying that?”

“N–”

The food is lifted from your forearms. “No, we have it handled, thanks.”

You didn’t know when he closed the distance but now Mark possessively clasped onto the food tray.

“You were taking forever, princess, I’m starving.” He smiled at you but shot a nasty side eye glance at Rick, who glanced at you, then at Mark.

Then, he chuckled.

“Okay, I gotta go. See you around.”

You bowed your head lightly in agreement before turning to Mark, whose eyes have zeroed in on Rick’s departing form like an eagle to a mouse.

“Mark.”

He blinked and smiled at you. “Yeah, princess?”

“Who’s looking after our bags?”

“Don’t be silly, no one’s going to steal anything from us.”

“And this confidence is based on?”

“Come on, this is a university.”

“Right, because no university student has ever committed a crime.”

“Well–”

“Almost feels like judging a book by its cover, huh?”

“I–”

His smartwatch beeped.

He swore under his breath.

You grabbed the tray. “Go, I’ll be right at our table, watching over our things.”

“No.” He kept holding the tray. “I’m staying, I’ll eat with you.”

“Mark, we can eat later, your boss is looking for you. That is him, isn’t it?”

“At least let me carry the tray.”

You pulled. “Unnecessary.”

“Please let me do this one thing for you.” He pulled back.

The tray wouldn’t move no matter how hard you pulled.

“Would you let go–”

His watch blasted an even louder alarm, yelling like a siren.

An old man’s voice followed, “Mark, do you copy?”

“Shit–”

Mark reached for his watch and you fell backward with the tray, the food spilling on top of you.

Amazing.

For years, your teenaged self feared this exact situation, on your butt with lunch all over you and surrounded by people you barely knew. You didn’t expect you would go through something like this at your age.

Mark’s watch beeped and rang and flashed lights and he looked tempted to smash it into pieces.

He opened his mouth and stretched an arm towards you, but you refused to take his hand.

“Just go,” you breathed, wiping the sloppy joe and adobo cocktail off your sweater. “Don’t want to make your boss angry, do you?”

[Ding. Darkening: 24%.]

***

Mark shot through the fifty-foot reptilian monster, splitting its skull in half instantly.

As the giant fell to its knees, he flew towards the helicopter of Cecil Stedman, his gargantuan buttmunch of a boss. “You called me over for this?” Mark gestured towards his current mission partner, who hovered next to him. “Eve could’ve handled it!”

“You know she can’t.”

“Then send the damn team for all I care. I’m not your damn errand boy.”

“No, you’re supposed to be a superhero, and last time I checked, taking care of kaiju-level[3] threats comes with the job.”

“I have a life outside of this bullshit. I’ve missed over a dozen of my classes!”

Cecil sighed. “Maybe it’s time you make the choice then.”

Mark pushed his face closer to the man who unfortunately paid his bills. “Let’s not go there, Cecil, because you won’t be happy with the choice I make.”

He pulled away from the chopper. “Don’t call me unless it’s an actual emergency.”

He then flew higher into the sky.

Eve and Cecil shared a look.

“I’ll talk to him,” she muttered. Pink sparking between her fingers and under her feet as she thrust herself upward.

“Mark–Mark, slow down!” Eve yelled through the clouds.

There was no one on this planet who could keep up with Mark at his top speed.

He clicked his tongue but slowed enough for Eve to catch up.

“What is up with you lately? You’ve been moody as Hell the past few weeks.”

Mark smirked. He recalled your words last night; “What the Hell is that supposed to mean?”

You said “Hell.” Mark didn’t think you could even physically say “Hell,” but it was so hot when you did. He can still remember it, your voice, your tone, your indignant expression that bordered on disgust.

His cock stirred at the memory.

Shit.

He told himself to focus on Eve. His hormones calmed down in seconds.

“I’m not going to school because I need it. I like having stuff that doesn’t involve the life or death of civilians, but I’ve barely been in any of my classes because of this hero gig.”

“This is not a gig, this is our life.”

There it was again. Holy and perfect superhero Eve. “Spare me the whole ‘great power, great responsibility’ speech, will you?” Mark shivered at the flashbacks of his mother forcing him to recite the story of the Sword of Damocles[4] before he could eat breakfast. And lunch and dinner. And his snacks.

“I understand how you feel.”

“No, you don’t.” He hit the breaks and stilled in the air, catching Eve off guard.

He regarded her angrily. “You have parents who love and support you. You have a boyfriend, you have a future, and this life isn’t even yours. No one is going to look at you differently or judge you if you decide to hang up the hero cape. Me? This is all I get to have, so don’t you ever tell me you know how I feel.”

Eve’s face went from surprised to hurt to calm. Tranquil, like the surface of the ocean, hiding deep and inexplicable emotions. “My dad never wanted me to be a hero. He didn’t even like me getting a scholarship. It wasn’t because he was worried for his little girl, it was because he didn’t want anyone in his family outshining him, especially if it’s his daughter. When I’m home, all he does is talk down to me and mom usually lets him.”

Mark unclenched his fists.

“And,” Eve continued, “Rex cheated on me.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. ‘Oh.’” Her hands flickered pink as she pivoted in the air. “But hey, they’re just tiny problems compared to yours, right?”

She flew away, leaving Mark alone.

“Two for two.” He groaned into his hands. “Nice going, Grayson.”

[1] This is a line from Blues In the Night. The version sung by the Queen of Mars is my personal favorite cover:

youtube

[2] Adobo: a Filipino dish with meat (typically pork or chicken) braised with soy sauce, vinegar, black pepper and bay leaves. They say that there is “no recipe” for adobo because of how much freedom you have in making it. Heck, I once had a tomato (yes, no meat) adobo LOL.

[3] Kaiju: Japanese for “strange beast/creature,” though it is a term commonly associated with Godzilla-sized monsters.

[4] Sword of Damocles: this Greek parable is evocative of the famous proverb “With great power comes great responsibility.” To give you a summary, a man named Damocles was given the chance to live like a king for a day, but the actual king ordered that there be a sword hung above the throne, suspended from the ceiling by a single horsehair. It’s not a perfect representation of the popular take on great power and responsibility, but I’m sure you guys understand why I referenced it.

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Disclaimer: The images used in this post do not belong to writerclaire. They were lifted from the following sources:

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CHAPTER 8: They Call Him– Series Masterlist

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deus-ex-mona · 9 months ago

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pretty minor thing to think about, but i find it interesting how chapter 7 is the first chapter illustration to show chizuutan as chizuru (instead of chuutan)

like, i get it’s a flashback chapter, but we hardly got to see her as chizuru in the previous few chapters thus far… maybe we’ll get to see more of her as her true self after the hiyori fight/make up? only future chapters may tell, i guess…

#there’s like 5 weeks to go till chapter 6 is released into the rest of the world and i m n o t r e a d y—#man. chapter 5 still manages to ruin my mood no matter how many times i read it… man.#i was having so much fun with renren and concon and the 3 stooges and th e n.#imagine putting on a (somewhat) perfect/cute act to hide your true self because you know you’re unlovable the way you are #but then someone else runs along and screws up every step of the way without putting on any airs and is adored for it anyway…#i imagine chapter 6 will be much worse. especially since the start of the flashback begins there…#i sincerely hope the flashback ends in chapter 7 bc aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa #though. considering where we are now in the series. i think there’s a chance that vol 2 will come out at the end of december #ch 8 will prolly start to drop somewhere around the later half of november so it seems about right…#b u t if there’s the preorder bonus manga for vol 2 in dec can we have santa girl chuutan in it p l s—#i think we’ll need an incredibly cute bonus feature to lift the mood from whatever the heck’s going on with vol 2’s chapters #bc. idk. im sensing some self hatred with this one chizuchan… it’s as though she can only love herself if she’s dolled up as chuutan…#like. even in her aizo self-insert delusions she’s thinking of herself as chuutan… maybe im reading too much into this. hm.#but then again she even puts on makeup when she’s at home in her own room…#w a i t a sec what if this wack behaviour only came about bc of what’s about to be revealed in the flashbacks. wait. no. w h a t if—#i hope manga chizuchan will be able to love herself properly soon… we all love you chizuchan~~~~~~~~~~#this. too. is our oshi no—#dammit why is something set in the same universe as the [redacted] anime making me feel things??? i hate itttttttttt #anyways. wh. what if one of the h10w turns out to be an anime adaptation of the chizuchan manga #and they’re just waiting on. like. the final vol to announce it.#it’d make the most sense for an anime series at this point… since chizuchan is marketable and it’s set in the same anime verse #so there’s no inconsistencies to retcon and such…#but!!!! most importantly!!!!!! we’d be able to see animated renren and concon!!!!!!!#…but something like this will only appear in my delusions huh~~~~~~~~~~~~~~#mousou dake no kawaikute gomen anime #ok that’s enough thinking for the day; back to kimikawaii mv g o o d b y e~~~~#chizuutan chizpost

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smoothlikealikeasnake · 3 months ago

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Strong Coffee and Sweet Cakes

Chapter Five ‘Love: redefined’

Genre - BTS FF, a/b/o dynamics, a/b/o BTS and MC, Ot7 x fem MC/reader, so fluffy, little angst, eventual smut

Warnings - uncertainty, tension and little bit of characters being upset, tiredness and exhaustion, lmk if there’s anything to add! x

Summary - A new cafe near the Hybe building will change the 7 members of Bangtan’s lives forever, 7 alphas in a pack? A recipe for disaster. Until a sweet omega starts to stir up their world with a little bit more sugar and slowly their loneliness dissolves

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Author Notes - Okay I STRUGGLED here. I wrote the final scene before I wrote the rest and i worry it doesn’t quite fit in but… oh well. If it doesn’t then imagine it as a bonus scene 😭

Walking into the dorms after the car ride had Jimin hit with a wave of exhaustion, wanting to get to his bed and just crash, half lulled to sleep already. He explained what happened to Yoongi; Yoongi listened intently and gave his comments here and there; mostly he just watched Jimin talk fondly, a sense of calm and satisfaction settling in his bones from it. By the time they were back, Jimin looked lovestruck from recollecting it all.

Yoongi had already begun to think that you’d potentially, most definitely, grow into someone more than just the cafe owner to them; he felt it; he saw it; and he welcomed it.

Jimin’s intent to get in and fall straight asleep was paused when, the moment he stepped into the home, multiple pairs of eyes shot straight to him and steps could be heard rushing in because Jimin smells so heavily of you that it flooded through the house 10x more than his own scent.

It smells like you’ve spent hours scenting him, his own scent mild underneath it all, it’s primarily because he did just spend over an hour in your apartment, completely surrounded by your scent and none else. He’d showered so his scent was mild in comparison too and with your clothes on- Yeah.

What doesn’t help is the droopy eyes, sluggish movements and lovestruck sort of look in Jimin’s eyes whilst Yoongi is standing behind him with a content, calm and satisfied smile.

“Why do you-”

“You smell like Y/n-”

“Jimin where have you-”

The voices all call out at once. Jimin spots the couch and makes his way over, dragging his limbs and ignoring them momentarily except when he gets there and rounds it; instead of simply sitting or lying down, he's tackled. In a split second, he’s grabbed, dragged down and flopped on top of; his yelp is high-pitched, he’s absolutely shocked and he can’t even scramble to get up before trying to work out what’s happening.

On top of him is a heap of muscle, half-asleep, instinct-ridden muscle, pulling him down in his sleep haze, nose taking deep inhales of his clothes and hair.

Jungkook had been asleep on the couch, a nap, when he half-woke up to the ruckus of the other members voices and then his nose began twitching, eyebrows furrowing and that scent-—so close-— So rather than really waking up, his alpha kind of just took over, grabbing onto Jimin’s sleeve when he was in reach and tackling him down, seeking out more and more as he layed pretty much flat on top of him, eyes still closed, ears blocking out most of the noise.

He’s sniffing all over, clumsily trying to find a scent gland, the source of your scent, but since he can’t find one, he’s just scrambling to inhale across the collar of the hoodie and at Jimin’s hair, where the scent glands in your wrists had brushed over and over it, depositing your scent there subconsciously.

“Jungkook-” - Jimin gets out, trying to move the lump of muscle and kicking his legs under him; he's actually struggling because Jungkook's just laying deadweight on him, not even conscious yet. Jungkooks kind of just grumbling, instinct ridden mind so confused on why he can smell that scent so heavily but not find a real source, a raw source; its more secondary but so strong-

Everyone is stopping momentarily- frozen, shocked. Then, cutting through the silence is Yoongi, doubling over in hysterical laughter, as if this is the funniest thing in the world.

Of course everyone knows Jungkook took a very specific liking to your scent from when you first met- it was strange and shocking considering his pickiness, and now he’s desperately seeking it out, so close yet so far away. They just never thought it was to the extent where, half asleep, Jungkook would tackle Jimin and seek it out.

Jimin’s clothes are riddled with your raw scent, not your half-potent, scent-blocked scent. His own is extremely mild, which is why it makes sense that Jungkook’s alpha is confused.

Kind of coming back to himself, Jimin wrangles his arms free and shakes Jungkook a little, waking him up just enough to have his eyes squinting open, and then he’s also freezing, so confused it’s maddening. What is he doing and why does Jimin smell like that-

“Jimin?” - He groggily asks, head tilted and then rolling to the side and consequently rolling onto the floor with a thump that positively wakes him up, rubbing his head and just staring in confusion.

Jimin sits up, finally able to breathe properly, and puffs out an absolutely flabbergasted breath, running his hands through his hair to fix it where Jungkook had rubbed his nose and cheeks all over it and messed it up.

“Yes, Jimin- Not Y/n” - He says with a grumble; he just wanted to come in and go to sleep, but instead he got manhandled down and crushed.

“What?...” - Jungkook asks, so confused. Why is Jimin saying not Y/n and why was he there? It takes another inhale to fully wake up, eyes shooting open and looking at Jimin like he's just murdered someone. He takes in his appearance; he recognises those trousers; those aren’t Jimins, definitely don’t smell like them either…

“Jesus christ, Jungkook” - Jin says, coming over and helping him up from the ground. Jungkook’s hair is ruffled and messy, one of his eyes still trying to shut and block out the bright lights. Yoongi’s on the other side of the room, still laughing; they all just look at him incredulously.

Jungkook is clingy to them; he will happily pull them down or drop down next to them and wrap his arms around them whenever he can, and none of them really mind, Jimin especially since he’s the exact same, but he’s never done that before.

If Jungkook had puppy ears, they’d be pinned against his head right now. He doesn’t understand; he doesn’t understand why they are all looking at him like that and what he was doing.

It’s not like he was trying to harm Jimin at all-—of course not; none of them think that—but he’s never acted quite so instinctual before in front of them all; it’s a thing they’ve only seen in fleeting moments. Jungkook keeps his instincts on a very tight leash; they all do, of course, but he has never taken an interest in any omegas. That's what makes this all so much more shocking. He was grumbling out as if he was going ‘mine, mine, mine,’ smelling that scent.

Namjoon rubs a hand over his face because they’ve not known you all that long, but it seems like you’re taking a big impact on their lives and behaviours without them truly knowing the extent.

“Im sorry…” - Jungkook says, tone like a scolded puppy, looking at Jimin in shame, but Jimin isn’t angry, of course not; he was just- surprised.

“It’s okay kookoo-ah.”

It’s safe to say Jungkook had a long, hard think trying to decipher what was going on with his instincts and mind after that; why does he feel jealous after Jimin tells them all about his evening? In fact, why do they all feel jealous after?

“Okay, so note to self, don’t let Jungkook fall asleep in Y/n’s cafe” - Taehyung says after, trying to brighten Jungkook’s dampened mood. He’s always so in control, so why are you making him feel like this?

Instincts are strange things; many believe that your counterpart is meant to be a guide, that you should oblige with what they are trying to tell you. Of course, you should be in control and be able to resist your instinct at times; it's just hard to differentiate when those times are. If you listen well enough, your counterpart will push you towards fate; that becomes hard when you teach yourself to completely resist everything your instincts tell you to; it makes you confused, nervous, even shameful. Finding a balance is incredibly hard; once you’ve got the hang of it, pushing it away is easier than giving in. That isn’t always the right choice, though. Sometimes you need to listen; sometimes it's right, and things will come for the better.

—--------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Jimin couldn’t get here today so he asked me to return your clothes, ‘sugar’” - Yoongi had come in when it was less busy, a small bag of your clothes in hand, teasing with his gummy smile when he called you by Jimin’s favourite nickname for you. You glare at him half-heartedly, reaching out and taking the bag of clothes. It’s only two days after the day it rained; in that time, Jimin-—and the others-—had absolutely devoured your scent on the clothes even if they won’t admit it, and when it was time to wash them, Jimin couldn’t resist lightly scenting them. They smell of clean and Jimin and faintly of everyone in their pack even without you bringing them up to your nose, and it nearly knocks you clean off your feet, a blush heavy over your cheeks.

“Thank you; would you like anything?” - You try to push down the blush by distracting yourself and speaking like normal even if you did clear your throat; Yoongi knows; he can clearly see the fluster on your face, but he doesn’t prod, not at first at least.

“An iced americano and one of the slices of cheesecake, please” - He’s taken a liking to your raspberry cheesecake, and you can’t blame him; it is good if you do say so yourself. You nod with a smile and begin to work on it; Yoongi waits by the counter, but maybe this is a good time to dig a little deeper.

“Do you wear scent blockers, Y/n?” - Yoongi knows you do, you look at him with a little furrow of your brows; He’s always been blunt, so you should really expect it by now, but it’s not the question you’re expecting.

“I do, patches.” - You touch just under your ear and push your hair out of the way to show him; he hums and nods

“Why? Is it because you can’t smell me?” - You tease, smirking a little and laughing. Alphas, always curious.

“No, in fact, your scent is very strong to me; it’s been stronger since yesterday though” - He says it so casually you nearly drop the espresso you’re holding because that’s not right-—he really shouldn’t be able to smell you much at all, and what does he mean stronger?!

“Maybe you're getting mixed up with the smell of the pastries; they are similar” - You try to reason; that's what your friends always say anyway, that it easily blends in. He shakes his head, certainty in his voice.

“Nope, similar but not the same.” - You falter. Are your scent blockers not working anymore? Do you need to use stronger ones? The girls havent said anything and surely they would-

“But then, I don’t think you’d believe me if I told you we all wear them every day too” - ‘We all’ meaning him and his pack. You turn to him fully this time, cup of ice abandoned momentarily because he’s playing tricks on you surely; you know for certain they don’t wear scent patches, they can’t; you know they are there before they even walk through the cafe’s door; the chime of the bell isn’t even needed to alert their presence because their scents are so potent.

“You’re lying” - You say and laugh it off, regain your composure and continue making his drink, ignoring his next response until you walk over to hand him his coffee and cheesecake.

“Am I?” - And then he's leaning his arms on the counter casually, brushes his hair out of the way, and there it is-—not just on his neck but on the scent glands on his wrist too-—scent blocker patches, almost identical to yours. But that’s not possible because Yoongi’s whisky-like scent is washing over you in waves, just as strong as anyone else who comes in, dare you say a lot stronger than anyone else.

But then again, he could be wearing cologne the same as his scent; some people do that to enhance and strengthen their scent- which would be weird since hes wearing blockers but then again-

You try to reason with yourself, but you can’t deny the way the smell seems to alter your brain chemistry every time he comes in, alongside the rest of the boys scents too.

Schooling your face into one of faux annoyance, you roll your eyes at him and laugh it off again. Place down his order in front of him and jokingly shoo him away; he smirks, knowing he's going to get you to think about it properly, and says his goodbyes over his shoulder while he leaves.

Thinking years and years back, you recall a lesson you had in school, basic counterpart biology. Nowadays, scent blockers are incredibly effective, but if the will of your counterpart is strong enough—your omega, in your case—they can overrule them for certain people, allowing you to smell them even through scent blockers.

It’s something that developed centuries ago, with people your counterpart deems worthy or rather- safe-—even from a first meeting, your scents can almost triple in intensity. Scent blockers make your scent mild to others; they can still identify whether you are alpha, beta or omega and identify some of the notes of your scent, but the effects and intensity of the scents are miniscule.

The intensifying case originally developed in your biology to allow packs and mates to be able to find you even in dire situations, even if your scent has significantly weakened. You know that some parents experience it with their children; mates experience it sometimes too. It’s something that used to be followed in identifying what people often call ‘fated mates’, the other person, or people, your counterpart feels is perfectly aligned with you. In other words, it signifies an incredibly strong, fated or biological connection.

It’s a lot less common now; living in urban environments made it nearly die out too. Therefore, that surely can’t be the case and can’t possibly even be relevant, so you don’t know why you’d even think back to it.

Pushing it out of your mind and refusing to dwell on it is a whole lot easier than listening to your omega whine about it being true and facing that potential reality.

—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later that evening you’ve swarmed yourself in your job so much that it’s slipped out of your mind, just like you wanted it too until its nearly closing. You haven’t seen any of the other boys other than Yoongi today- not that it matters or anything-

Around this time, you turn the music a little louder, for your own satisfaction really, theres usually barely anyone here so it becomes your little heaven, looking more like a jazz club than a cafe when it gets dark from the warm, dim lights and the furniture you had picked.

Right around 10 minutes before closing, Hoseok and Taehyung walk in, waltzing over to the counter, ordering their preferences for the day and you go about it as usual, they ask how your day was, you ask it back, that sort of thing.

“Sit in or to go?” - You don’t see Hoseok look down at his watch and frown, realising how close it is to closing and then you look back up, they had planned to sit in but hadn’t checked the time before coming.

“Your closing soon right?” - He asks, you nod but before he can say anything you quickly add a few words on, you don’t know why but you really dont mind the 7 staying a little after closing if its just them, they are nice company, you enjoy it. In fact, its become a sort of routine for you and Namjoon to stay long after closing together a few times a week anyway.

“I’ll probably have another hour-ish before i leave so you can sit in if you’d like” - Smiling gently, not pushing but you doubt he would of mentioned it had they not been considering staying. Taehyung looks at you in surprise, answering before Hoseok could.

“Are you sure?”

“I am, i really don’t mind” - You nod firmly, you just have a bit of cleanup and then to check on the prep for tomorrow and maybe you’ll bake a few batches of cakes and cookies for tomorrow anyway.

“We’ll sit in then, kick us out as soon as you want too though” - Hoseok tells you, he says it firmly but theres a teasing smile there, you laugh a little and nod

They go and sit down, you make their drinks, a tea for Taehyung and a fresh fruit smoothie for Hoseok, you take it as they don’t have to go back to the studio after because Hoseok isn’t ordering a coffee and it brings a smile to your face, glad they are atleast leaving at a sensible time today.

“Do you think Jungkook’s seen her since?” - Hoseok asks, Jungkooks been particularly quiet since the whole Jimin, you, scent tackle incident. Taehyung frowns.

“I think he’s scared too, you know” - Hoseok huffs out at Taehyung’s answer. Jungkook isn’t going to get anywhere avoiding you, you don’t even know what happened anyway.

“Funny to think Mr Seven Days a Week is acting like this over a girl” - Hoseok tries to lighten Tae’s mood a little, it does bring a smile to his face though.

“Alright, well Mona Lisa is borderline explicit too” - Taehyung defends, laughing out a little now

“Key word: borderline, and- im not avoiding her” - Hoseok gestures to around him and you, as if to say look where we are, to prove his point.

“Everyone in the group with an explicit song seems to get a bit clumsy around her you know” - Taehyung laughs out thinking about how Namjoon, usually confident and bright, acts like a lost puppy around you.

“Are you talking about Mr. Pro rider?” - Hoseok smirks and pushes but then he thinks and adds

“Although, Yoongi is particularly bold with her so maybe those two are just the unlucky ones” - It’s fun to tease eachother, they always do, pushing and prodding at eachothers new songs whenever their even somewhat explicit.

“Well if we are talking borderline explicit you and Jimin seem to do well with her too so maybe they are just unlucky” - Tae shrugs, both of them agree there.

“I get him though, Jungkook” - Hoseok sighs out, he pities Jungkooks current internal battle, hes running from his own instincts because he doesn’t know what to do about his body reacting like this.

“So do I; I don’t think he’s felt like this before, we know hes had his experiences and whatever, but he values that control; he fully pushes away what his alpha tries to tell him unlike you and and pretty much all of us who embrace it a little more” - Taehyung tells him, thinking back to what he knows about everyone and their relationship history. Jungkook is particularly closed off, he likes being in his comfort zone.

“And how about you?” - Hoseok already knows how he is starting to feel about you, how he’s felt pulled to you from your first meeting, he has just enough balance with his alpha to keep himself in check, listen and give in sometimes, hold back at others.

“Im… just… seeing how it plays out” - Tae says, scratching at his neck because although his alpha isn’t having him drop onto Jimin because he smelt like you, your slowly invading his brain more and more, you’re scent driving him a little more crazy every time he sees you.

Before Hoseok can respond, your coming over with their drinks and cakes, your hairs down now, having just turned the sign to closed and you’ve foregon your apron, it lets them see how your t-shirt clings to you in all the right places, tucked neatly into your jeans which Taehyung finds himself really hoping arent uncomfortable on your skin, okay maybe he is more affected than he’s letting on because the thought of the denim being scratchy on you is enough for him to have to refrain a snarl from slipping out.

You tend to douse yourself in oversized clothes and the only time they’ve seen you other that is in your usual jeans and shirt and an apron, it hides pretty much everything about your body but with it off they can see the curve of your waist, the way your thighs pull at the wide-leg jeans and your t-shirt a bit tight around your breasts but they try to rid that thought from their minds- quickly at that. They can’t really think about it any longer without feeling their own alphas rise to the surface despite just talking about pitying Jungkook for the same thing.

You’re just about to leave when you contemplate for a second and look at them both, they wait exptectantly for you to speak

“Do you mind if i turn the music up a bit louder?” - You turn it up close to closing but when you have actually closed, you like to turn it up a bit more and dive into the music whilst you finish up.

“You can do whatever you want, angel” - Hoseok says a bit too fast to stop the nickname from slipping out and he freezes, Taehyung looks at him a bit shocked, you absolutely stun on the spot, lips parted in a silent gasp and cheeks flushing at a record-breaking rate, you puff your cheeks up and merely reply with a little ‘mhm’, a bit too high-pitched to be normal and spin on your foot booking it across the room to distract yourself.

Your hands fall to your cheeks, feeling the heat there and goddamn it your about to purr again- what is it with them and making you feel like this?! Your omegas chanting something distantly in your mind, purring away ‘angel, angel, angel’ like its a mantra you live by. And now, why are you smiling? Scrap that, beaming?! Your hearts racing faster than you can quite comprehend so you quickly turn the music to try and busy yourself.

“I think we should stop talking about Jungkook’s avoiding issue and start keeping it to ourselves because…” - Taehyung trails off, Hoseok agrees with a curt nod and they try and act like nothing happens. Hoseok’s alpha is pushing and growling in content, trying to make him voice it but he won’t.

Luckily for them, and you, as you had said, your music gets louder, a slow song that Taehyung is oh so familiar with ringing throughout the cafe. ‘Strangers in the night’ by Frank Sinatra. He perks up as it begins, looking at you across the room and to his delight, your gently humming and ever so slightly swaying as you neaten up the other side of the cafe, you hardly notice Taehyung’s scent spike in delight and the way he’s just staring at you.

Hoseok watches, amused, knowing Taehyung isn’t going to get up and do anything without a bit of encouragement but he sees a memory to be made, a joy to have. You make your way closer to them after just a moment, they can hear you humming along more clearly now.

“Go, get up” - is all Hoseok says and Taehyung looks at him as if asking him what he’s talking about, trying to play it off but he gets a kick to his ankle under the table and then Taehyung’s jolting up, taking his chance when you’re about to walk past them.

You don’t notice him getting closer as your back is to them both but Taehyung takes his courage and walks behind you, gently taking your hand and spinning you to face him, the touch electric and surprising, you let out a quiet yelp and there he is, standing over you, gently leaning down to your ear and whispering oh so intimately.

“Dance with me” - You stare at him in shock for a moment, giggling a bit and telling him the truth.

“I can’t dance” - Is all you say, he shakes his head at you and whispers again, his warm breath dancing over your air and you feel like your suffocating, in the best way, your heart tight and breathing a little uneven.

“You can, trust me” - He leans back and holds out his hand to you, letting you pick whether to take it, you do. You slowly put yours in his, he brings it up to his neck, wrapping it around and your other hand follows, his skin warm and soft against your fingers, the soft hairs at the nape of his neck tickling you and then he gives you a warm smile, hovering his own hands over your waist and guides you into the same soft sway you’ve been doing subconsciously, but this time, with him. Your both a little clumsy at first, getting used to eachothers rhythm or rather- you trying to replicate his and giggle together until you find a good pace.

Taehyung’s own heart is racing as you wait for his guidance, he settles his hands on your waist softly, your gasp swallowed by the music, theres a small bit of room between you two and its like you’re in a different world, gently swaying and turning, theres a smile you cant hide on your face, your heart in your ears.

One of Taehyung’s hand’s leaves your waist to hold one of yours, his arm guiding you to spin and you do, the turn eliciting a giggle out of you, this time, when you’re back facing his front, you close the distance, your feet between his own and you rest your cheek on his chest, swaying so softly around the cafe. When the song ends you feel disappointed but Taehyung doesnt let go, ‘Misty’ By Ella Fitzgerald begins to play and he simply sways you even slower. You can hear his heart beating fast through his broad chest, hes firm and warm, his hands big and you feel safe, comforted, romantic. Your eyes close, letting him completely guide your every step, arms clinging around his neck and he dips his head to rest it on your own, even if it hurts his neck a little. Your flush against eachother, two souls as one.

Taehyung has never felt so blissful, watching you occasionally, feeling your soft breathing against him and it feels like his thoughts just disappear, your small, soft under his hands and he loves it, your scents even sweeter than normal, he’s sure it’ll stick to his clothes after this. Against his chest, your deeply inhaling his own scent, sighing out in blis and your mind feels a little hazy, you could stay here forever. If there was even the tiniest gap between you, you both lean in to fill it, pressing close to eachother. Your purring, you don’t realise but Taehyung does, so does Hoseok, he can hear it from where he’s watching you two. Taehyung reciprocates your purrs with his own sweet grumbles.

A few songs play after, neither of you are too sure what they were because theres better things to focus on, he spins you occasionally, you giggle everytime, spinning right back into his waiting arms seemingly even closer than before. His arms are wrapped fully around your waist rather than just holding the sides now, when you slowly come to a stop you both just stand there holding eachother, you feel relaxed enough to sleep right then and there, against his chest and you reluctantly open your eyes and look up at him with stars in your eyes, he looks down at you with the same and you break into the biggest smile he’s ever seen on you.

Its hard to break away from eachother but you do, eventually.

“I definitely still can’t dance but its a start” - Is all you can manage to say and Taehyung gives you that boxy smile, the one that cold melt thousands of hearts

“I’ll teach you more” - Its a promise and one that allows you to fully step back and tell him you’re just going to keep finishing up. He nods, and as you pass Hoseok, he gives you a wink, finally setting in your brain what just happened. You’re blushing so heavily it looks like you’re going to blow up, and every step you take feels hazy; your eyes are a little low. It’s the kind of look that makes alphas like Tae and Hoseok want to leap to protect you. You’re a little vulnerable like this, and it’s unfamiliar. A lot of things are unfamiliar lately, but you have to embrace change, especially when it feels this good.

You can hardly get around to the few small tasks you were going to do-—let alone even think about any baking right now. you almost feel intoxicated; you almost feel a little dizzy with it all but you want to stay in this exact state, and- you want to find a nest, build a nest, anything to do with a nest, right now…

You can’t- theres nowhere right to make a nest here… There are chairs and blankets and pillow though… It would be weird for you to make even a half nest here- without knowing, you stand at one of the blanket piles, kneading the top one over and over, deep in your own battle. It’s all you can do to not make any kind of nest.

Taehyung falls into the chair and slumps with a big, almost sleepy smile. Hoseok laughs at him a little.

“I’ll send you the videos” - Is all Hoseok says, and Taehyung’s eyes shoot open because not once did he see Hoseok recording, but then again, he had other focuses.

Under the dim, warm lights, dancing around the cafe with you, his heart beating so fast he could simply pass out, but he’s too happy for that. They both sit in a comfortable silence with your music playing in their ears until Hoseok glances over and spots you across the cafe, your back towards them, but your hands are moving over and over something… the blanket pile. He keeps leaning back in the chair to get a different angle, and from there he can see you staring at the blanket a little conflicted and holding it tight, kneading it over and over.

Tae looks over too, trying to work out what your doing when a possibility flickered through his mind-

“Is she…” - Is all he can say before Hoseok gets up and out of his chair, quietly walking over to you. It doesn’t click at first, but then it does- all of the dancing, so close to Taehyung, the hazy look in your eyes after and now… You're trying to nest, or at least thinking really hard about it, somewhere else in your mind, subconcious. His alpha whispers in his ear, more like screams at him to take you somewhere safe and lead you to nest, but he knows realistically he can’t really do that; he has to do something though because he can’t stand that conflicted look on your face. You’re confused; you look at your hands like you don’t know what you’re doing, and then you remind him of someone, Jungkook.

Hoseok finds a blanket on the back of a chair; it's thick and relatively heavy and just right. He walks over to you slowly, unfolding the blanket as he nears you. You don’t seem to hear nor smell him approaching even when he puffs his scent out in a soft wave once he nears you. Your nose twitches, but that's all.

Hoseok frowns, walks up to you, and gently wraps the blanket around your shoulders from behind you; in an instant, your body relaxes a little, and your hands grip at the edges of the blanket, tugging it around your body. He can hear how your breathing is unsteady, and when you slowly turn, the glassy look you have over your eyes and the confusion so prominent pull at his heart, and he really has to resist pulling you into his chest so you can use his scent and embrace to calm down.

“Angel…” - Hoseok speaks slowly, trying to get you to really focus on him; you're deep in another sort of headspace, one that's often brilliant, but should you be upset and confused like you are now, it can be terrifying.

Your heart beating in your own ears is louder than Hoseok’s voice; he sounds almost far away. There’s something soft and heavy and warm wrapped around your body, and you’d quite like to slide to the ground right now. You shouldn’t do that though. You’re so deep in your mind that you don’t notice that Hoseok is fluttering his scent around you in small waves, ones that make you breathe in instinctually and subconsciously and then let go again. He saw you were breathing in a weird pattern, hardly enough to be healthy, and when you didn’t respond to him calling out your name, his alpha clawed at him to let him try something. He did, and the scent waves got you in a lot more regular breathing pattern, although the flushes of his scent make your eyes all droopy again. You are more present now, just a little dizzy.

“It’s time to go home, angel; I’m going to drive you. Is that okay?” - He speaks quietly, firm enough for you to feel grounded but not enough to scare you. You’re still only half here, slowly getting back, but you need to be somewhere you feel comfortable, asap and he’s not letting you walk home like this.

You’re confused; you don’t quite know what happened but you nod because the idea of going home like this alone feels really off-putting right now. Namjoon has begun to walk you home after your evenings like this anyway and Jimin and Jungkook do too-

Taehyung sees it happening, clears up their plates, and grabs both of their bags. He couldn’t see what was happening with Hobi standing in front of you, but he can hear it, and he feels bad for not noticing sooner, but he can’t dwell on that right now.

They make sure you lock up and do anything desperately needed, and then they take a short walk with you down to near the Hybe building, Taehyung helping you into Hobi’s car, and it’s only a short ride to your house, but in that time you slumped to the side, leaning your head against Taehyung’s shoulder, who’d opted to sit next to you in the back. His warmth envelopes you enough for you to half-fall asleep, eyes barely open. He has to gently shake you to wake you up enough to get into your building.

You thank them, and Hoseok walks you to the door, his hand hovering over the small of your back, protectively, maybe a bit possessively, never quite touching but nearly. When you get in, all you can think about is your nest, and you don't even unravel the blanket still held around your shoulders before barreling in and dozing off.

—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“What was that, hyung” - Taehyung slowly realises that while he thought he wasn’t, he might be in a very similar boat to Jungkook because he has absolutely no idea what just happened; he wouldn’t have known what to do- not unless he listened to his alpha- whom he pushed back in that moment.

“Something kind of similar to what happened with Kook, except she was physically awake and he wasn’t” - It’s the only way Hoseok can compare it to something, this way it makes sense, at least more than it did

“Probably being so close triggered her instincts and put her in a less conscious state; i don’t think she is used too it… Most omegas get like that with scenting, and it often forces a need to nest and scent amongst other stuff.” - Hoseok hadn’t yet moved the car, not taking his eyes off the door in case you suddenly came rushing back down. Taehyung furrows his brows because…

“But i didn’t scent her” - Taehyung mumbles out in confusion but Hoseok just gave him a ‘are you serious’ kind of look

“So rubbing your cheek all over her head wasn’t you scenting her?” - Hoseok asks, eyebrows raised in sarcasm. Taehyung slumps; he hadn’t noticed he was scenting you.

“I mean, yeah, it’s probably the mildest form of scenting, but she was rubbing into your chest and your arms too; it probably rubbed off on her a whole lot more than either of you think” - Hoseok reasons. Taehyung frowns because he really hadn’t realised; he wishes he had.

“Anyways, i don’t think she’s used too it, scenting nor her headspace.” - Hoseok continues, shaking his head, finally putting the car in drive and slowly pulling away.

Taehyung’s alpha is full of pride for being able to lead you into said headspace but he’s also internally whining since he wasn’t the one to help you or comfort you and bring you back to being calm when you were so confused.

“It’s only really safe for her to fall into that sort of space when she’s somewhere she can comfortably nest and do anything she needs too, imagine if Jungkook had tackled Jimin and done that anywhere but at home” - Hoseok is conflicted for leaving you alone but also knows you might not have appreciated him staying, he can only hope that you won’t feel upset after you come back to yourself.

Taehyung realises quickly that he isn’t nearly as confident with the relationship you are all slowly beginning to form as he thought he was and the moment they get back he is researching and researching, anything and everything to do with Omegas so he isn’t caught not knowing what to do once again. You’d think he would know, even just instinctually but not quite, their world means they have to learn to get a hold of their instincts and heavily suppress them often.

Scenting is common in packs, they all scent eachother in their pack, some more often than others and they all have their methods, most primarily using their wrists but Jimin and Jungkook and occasionally the others tend to use nuzzling as another form. Its for comfort, calms their instincts enough to be manageable, it’s needed. You on the other hand, only scent your own belongings, of course your friends puff their scent around you when they are out with you but you don’t scent eachother.

A sort of gap, a hole feels a little more full after being mildly scented by Taehyung, a more intense version of the fuzzy feeling you got a glimpse of when Jimin had dried your hair for you and his wrists had occasionally brushed over your head. It lulls you deep into sleep in your nest, laying belly up, strange and different for you- you always curl into yourself or sleep on your front, instinct to protect your belly even if your only in your own nest. You’ll get hung up on what happened tomorrow.

It’s kind of accepted, the slow form of a relationship thats going on between you all, you don’t voice it, in fact you try to ignore it but fate has a funny way of pushing things to happen.

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following night, you’re getting ready for your weekly dinner with the girls, going somewhere a little more fancy tonight. Physical preparation like choosing a nice silk dress and kitten heels with your hair nicely styled is a small part of the rest of your prep, the mental prep of confronting the development of your relationship with bangtan. This night, you’ll speak to the girls about it, discuss what to do, where to go, explain your mind, your behaviours and hope they can bring you some insight, help you get ready.

That begins after you have had your first drink, just a sweet glass of rosé. Your friends arent blind to what’s been going on, they are simply waiting until you are ready to also confront it.

“I’ve been feeling weird lately” - Is how you start off with, the girls turn their full attention to you, already knowing whats coming and fully prepared, excited for you too.

“Weird how?” - Minnie asks, wanting more information as shes one of the unfortunate ones who isn’t at work with you everyday to see it first hand

“Just very… in tune with my omega?” - They hum in understanding, you fiddle with your fingers trying to think of how to put it into words

“Well… that can happen when you experience changes in a relationship you know” - Miyeon tells you and then continuing

“Is there anyone that could possibly be relevant too?” - They already know there is but this is about going at your pace, helping you confront it and go forward.

“Theres a group, i met them a while ago now and it feels like my omega resurfaces everytime im around them but tenfold…”

“The lovesick puppies” - Soojin states, a knowing smile on her face and you blush a little, grumbling about the name shes chosen

“You should listen Y/n, if it feels right then let it happen” - Minnie tells you, nudging your shoulder where she is next to you

“It feels like i should but its so different and im acting strange around them, like… giggly and feeling fuzzy” - You cringe at your own description of it but thats what it is… Some of them laugh a little at your expression.

“Oh Y/nnie, come on, tell us about it”

“I feel safe around them, like a different kind of comfort and then i feel all strange like- when Jimin was at my apartment my omega was telling me to take him to my nest?!” - You whisper yell the end of it, clearly conflicted and taking another gulp of your wine. They coo and fret as if it’s the cutest thing in the world, gushing and practically petting your head like a dog.

“You like them Y/n, or atleast, your omega does.” - Soyeon tells you, looking at you fondly, you furrow your brows because in reality, you know that, you’ve just tried to ignore it.

“Yesterday, i was dancing with Taehyung and after i just couldn’t stop thinking about nesting and having his scent close, i didnt even feel fully present it was so weird…” - You shoot them a look as if to say - dont pry about the dancing - and they dont, even if theres a few wiggles of eyebrows and smirks around.

“Did he scent you?”

“I dont know?-” - You look at her mentally saying, ‘did you not just hear what i said i wasn’t really all there.’ and she puts her hands up in surrender so Soojin takes over

“You might of got a bit of a scent high, your omega being more present than usual and clearly happy by the sounds of it”

“Oh what do i do…” - You put your head in your hands, a little stressed

“Can i tell you exactly what i think you should do?” - Yuqi asks, you shoot up looking at her like yes- tell me right now…

“Just accept it, let it happen, if it feels right then just see where this goes, let your omega be more present around them, listen and i think you’ll find yourself very happy” - The rest of the girls nod and add little comments, mostly just reinforcing Yuqi’s words and you sit a little conflicted because yeah they are helping but its easier said than done…

“Pushing away what you really want will only hurt Y/n, just try it, yeah?” - Soojin says, arm wrapping around Shuhua happily and the image of those two together helps, her words come from a place of experience and after a small moment of contemplation you nod

“Okay… i’ll try it” - The entire table erupts in cheers and tease, you stubbornly push away all their hands, fixing your ruffled hair and Minnie calls thats shes getting another round of wines for you all in celebration

You still don’t know exactly where its going but now, your embracing it.

“Okay now tell us all about the moments your so clearly hiding” - Soyeon pushes, all of them turning to you in agreement, you flush never thinking you’d been obvious but clearly they caught onto your behaviour before you really did yourself.

“Jimin gave me back my clothes and they smelt like him and the pack and i put them straight in my nest…” - You cover your burning face with your hands, smiling beneath them and the girls are loud, teasing and prodding you, pretty much fangirling over your small developments.

“I think they seem very nice, just generally good people” - Minnie says, approving from both the interactions she’s had with them directly and based on what shes seen and heard with you. Yuqi and Soojin agree, nodding and sharing your little secrets about always letting them stay late and reserving their favourite’s for them.

“I think your more whipped than you realise Y/nnie” - Miyeon tells you, smiling and cooing.

“Theres one thing that’s kinda stuck with me though…” - You trail off, they push you to tell them

“I wear scent patches pretty much all the time but Yoongi told me it’s as if i dont and that he can smell me, like really strong even with them on and then he showed me he was wearing them too and that all of them wear them but thats not possible because their scents are so- strong” - You furrow your brows, still hooked on that whole interaction even if you did try to push it down.

“They definitely wear them Y/n, i can only slightly smell them” - Yuqi tells you, Soojin and Soyeon agreeing

“And we can hardly smell you either, only because we know what you smell like can we really identify it” - Okay this has not exactly helped- you wanted them to say that yeah their scents are overpoweringly strongbut no-

“This is probably more of your omega trying to push you towards them Y/n and their alphas the same, if you like their scents then enjoy it” - Shuhua tells you knowing that it happened with one of her friends and her mate, it only slightly settles you but you just huff out, another gulp of wine and you’re all on your second- some third- glasses by now.

“After your scent started to get sweeter occasionally, I noticed it happens mostly around them you know, and didn’t Dr.Kim tell you that you should be fine getting your heat on time so it wasnt that” - Minnie pushes and the girls gush- you definitely feel bad for the tables around you guys.

“Let’s just agree that you let it happen and see where everything goes?” - Minnie asks and you give a firm nod, refusing to dwell on the little details more right now, especially with you starting to get a bit tipsy.

“Okay but do keep telling us about any of these interactions-” - Shuhua pushes, wiggling her eyebrows at you and you blurt that theres nothing to tell-

Your fancy night ends with them teasing and dancing you around the paths on the walk back to your apartment, tey always do this, make sure you get home first even when you insist you don’t need it. You go to sleep with a lighter mind, a new kind of positivity to where this strange and new road is taking you.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few nights later you’re cherishing your slow wind down to closing time. You haven’t seen much of the boys but since your chat with the girls, every time you have seen them it just feels a little more right, easier and you welcome it. It’s been a long day, you’ve felt particularly jittery and a little like you don’t want to be around so many people, just one of those days really.

These are the kinds of evenings you often look forward too. When the air is just right, spring is rolling in and its warming up the nights, the sun looks particularly beautiful in its descent tonight. It may be your favourite time of day, this very particular window of time. The moon is slowly rising, you can’t help but look and smile whilst in-between the few customers that come in at this time. It’s a quiet evening, you appreciate that.

As much as you love the bustle and energy your cafe gets most days, these quieter evenings are the ones you cherish. The lighting of the cafe is always just a dim, warm light, to mimic your favourite time of the day. The music feels distant but oh so present at the same time, blissful. Theres barely a few customers in now, you have 30 minutes until closing and if you get lucky, there will be maybe 1 or 2 more tonight.

He doesn’t disturb your peace, Namjoon, he comes in and no matter what he did, you think he couldn’t pause your bliss. He’s kind of like these evenings, sometimes when you glance over you think he shouldnt be here, not in the heart of Seoul, he should be somewhere in the countryside, rural, delicate, so naturally beautiful.

You find he has a preference for coming in at this time when he can, sits in the same spot everytime, the best spot in the cafe in your opinion. He has his glasses on tonight, a book in hand, this is how these evenings go, you will slowly finish up, making yourself a sweetened fruit tea, sometimes you vary your choice, go for a different kind of tea, most of the time you don’t. Pick out one of your bakes, usually one you’ve reserved for yourself at the beginning of the day before setting them on display and quietly, without a word, you’ll make your way over. Namjoon’s presence is a balm to your slight jitters, you wouldn’t want any other company - other than maybe any of the others in bangtan too.

The silence is always welcomed between you two, always. Neither of you know when it became so routine but he will briefly lift his eyes from his book, even though he knows its you by the doughy, sweet scent that gently fluffs around him like the pillows hes lying back on. A small smile is sent your way, its enough to tell you how his day has been, just by the energy behind that momentary smile. You’ll quietly begin to eat whatever you’ve chosen for the day, Namjoon will read to the end of his chapter.

Only then will he dog-ear the page; he never has a bookmark on hand. He sets it down, you read the title, then you’ll look back up at him, offer a satisfied smile, always because you are usually naturally happy at this time of day. Namjoon always looks especially handsome with his glasses on, then often slip and he gently pushes them back up, the same way he wipes his curtains out of his face when they get a little too long.

Namjoon’s tired today, not upset but just tired. Your presence is welcomed, he appreciates it, you seem to understand without a single word.

You always stare out, daydream of one day residing in what you hope to call your forever home, somewhere with a view that looks especially beautiful at this time of day. You never fret, never push at his shoulders to tell you how hes feeling, never be anything but yourself because as far as your instinct to care and dote goes, this is what Namjoon needs. Your omega settles when you simply accompany Namjoon, let him lead if he would like to talk, guide the conversation when he gets a little frustrated, you know he appreciates it.

Namjoon’s always curious as to how you take your tea, you cycle through a specific few colours of tea each time you end up here - a few times a week at the very least. While you have a preference for your teas, what flavours you pick and the specific levels of sweetness, you don’t have a preference for the mug that holds it, never particular, never the same.

He’s grown partial to a mint tea in the evenings, a half teaspoon of honey when he does it the first time. Every time, you set out the little pot of honey for him to make it to his taste for the first cup he has, the second cup he has is always after you’ve arrived, you do it for him that time. Sometimes you add a singular drop extra, on the days where you claim he needs the extra sweetness with a teasing smile, if he has a third, you do it for him then too. It’s just how it goes.

Halfway through your time together, you will stand to pull the shutter on the door down and flip the sign to closed, then rejoin him. He’d worried the first time, thinking he should leave, you reassured him you didn’t want him too, since then, he hasnt questioned it.

“Do you think about the future often?” - It’s the first thing he says to you today, since you’ve sat down that is. Perhaps you’d think the first thing he’d ask about is your day, thats often not the case, you like this much more. Namjoon’s intelligent in a way far deeper than academics, he’s still learning he says, still growing, and you believe him but wisdom comes with time and care. His intelligence is refreshing, its raw and real, its sometimes clumsy but this is his first time living, its also yours. You’ve claimed he is far more intelligent than he knows, that you can see it, that you’ve heard and seen it, he didn’t agree, he still doesn’t; that doesn’t matter because we all see the flaws in ourselves far heavier than others will, often we degrade and push down our positives in favour for confronting the negatives.

His emotional intelligence is a positive, hes doesn’t see it the way you see it.

“Occasionally” - You say after a moment, he leaves it open for you to continue, you do.

“We are all living in the present but, i have things i imagine for the future, or rather, id like to hope ill get to experience at some time in my life” - You don’t dote on the future every second of the day, fate is a funny thing, it’s unpredictable, you leave the rest of your life open for question, don’t tie it to an expectation but there are things you’d like to imagine one day you’ll experience.

“Tell me about them” - Is all he says in response, he’s not staring, infact his eyes are kind of lidded, as if he might fall asleep but you know he wont, you know he’s listening. He’s inquisitive, always curious, you like that about him. He likes to learn, learn about the people around him, the general and the not so general, you like that too.

“They are the type of things most people hope to experience; i’d love to travel, to explore the world for what it is, find the beauty in both the rural and urban, to paint a picture of it in my mind for every place i’m able to visit” - Namjoon doesn’t respond, he lets you continue once again because he thinks your mind is truly artistic, beautiful, romantic. You live in the realistic, but you speak to romanticise things your passionate about. He finds that differs from your attempt to make it seem like you say the same as everyone.

“I’d like to see love, from anywhere i am able to visit, maybe one day ill be lucky enough to experience it but- im not set on when, we may be able to mold our futures to an extent but fate can sway and push at anything we might think is set in stone. If i ever fall in love, i think ill treasure it, i’ll forever be grateful, i don’t think every attraction is love, i think it’s something different and otherworldly and that’s why i more so want to see it, to slowly form my own definition for what i think love is.” - You take a sip of your tea as if Namjoon isn’t looking at you like you’ve just fluttered down from heaven. He’s not smiling for a moment but then he is,

“Do you think you’ve seen it before?” - It might seem silly to anyone else to ask that but with what you just said, Namjoon, and you, think its wholly justified. Your smile is faraway, dreamy and its enough of an answer even before you nod. You don’t want to redefine love, you just want to find what it really looks like to you.

“I think love can be fleeting moments, it doesn’t always equivilate to long term but if i could pick, id like to experience both, maybe i already have, maybe i just havent quite realised it yet” - Namjoon’s throat feels dry, he doesn’t get to have these conversations often, you could of answered so simply ‘i want to travel and love’ but you told him how, why, where, you told him it so rawly that it couldn’t be simple, he likes that so much more, he likes you so much more.

Maybe you don’t know what you do to him, maybe you do but it doesn’t matter to Namjoon, you’re a different kind of new for him, sure, hes had deep conversations, of course he has but this feels so different and he embraces it. This is how you grow, this is how you learn.

“Am i rambling?” - You ask, you know he will answer you truthfully.

“Never” - Namjoon answers you breathily; it sounds like its almost pushed out of his chest, genuine, pure.

“Id also like a balcony, this chat would be nice on a balcony” - You add, smile reaching your eyes because its random in comparison to all you’ve just said but Namjoon appreciates it nonetheless and agrees, mind drifting to this exact conversation but on a balcony, somewhere in one of the places you’d want to travel, maybe italy.

Most would think its time for you to reciprocate his questions now but you’ve learnt to understand Namjoon, thats not what he wants, he just wanted to learn, he doesn’t always want to have a back and forth, not in the traditional manner, so you’ll wait. You’ll sit comfortably in silence, watching the sun slowly set, you know he’ll speak up if he wants too, you trust that.

He’s the voice of so much, so often, its part of his life that sometimes silence is his remedy, sometimes he wants to be the listener, he always wants to be the listener with you.

“Tell me more, anything” - Namjoon’s voice is once again breathy, the kind of deep that lulls you into calm. You smile, thinking of something random to tell him. It’s not exactly random though, its meaningful.

“My favourite fruit is a pomegranate” - You give him a slightly brighter smile and he returns one, not as full as yours but he knows you have a reason for it, he wants to know it.

“They take a long time to prepare” - Is all he says, you laugh just a little, nodding. He finds he feels a little clumsy when hes with you, more than usual, in how he speaks, he often feels embarrassed for his blunt answers with you but you never do more than a little laugh, not at him though, you like it.

“I like pomegranates for how they taste, I don’t mind spending 10, maybe 15 minutes taking out every bit of fruit, i’ve learnt the best way to cut them so that i dont bruise or burst a single piece, if your impatient and not careful you’ll waste a lot of the fruit. Good things take time, sometimes a little more work but its worth it to me” - Namjoons still giving you that look; he’s finished his tea and you take his moment of silence to walk to the counter and brew a small pot of mint tea for him, giving him a bit of time to ponder.

When you return, fill his cup and put just the right amount of honey, he blurts out the first thing on his mind, its clumsy, he always is, its cute, you really like it.

“Teach me someday- how to do it” - He says, you look up after and your heart skips a beat, he’s looking at you with so much admiration that you breathe out shakily, warm all over, wrapping yourself in a blanket, gently kneading it with your hands and you nod, promising you will. He sits back when you do, his own heart in his ears, it feels like a promise far deeper than just teaching him how to cut a piece of fruit.

Distracted, he hardly notices how the tea is steaming and just as he lifts his cup to take a sip, you reach out, guiding his hand back down to the table slowly so that he doesn’t spill it, your blanket shifting off your shoulder as you do so, you’re half knelt on the chair to reach over, having brought your legs up and under you. Maybe it’s a little too intimate to other people; you’re basically nesting. Namjoon lets you, encourages it, and feels far less tired for some reason at it.

“It’s hot” - Is all you say and he nods, smiling a little sheepishly, noting to let it cool down before you have to stop him from running straight into disaster again. You giggle at his expression, its music to his ears, he finds himself joining.

You continue your quiet push and pull of the blanket you’ve wrapped around yourself, blinking slowly and your eyes drooping a little but theres no where you’d rather be, not even your nest. It’s true that listening to what your omega wants does feel good, a little bit of light nesting right here in his company is bold but you don’t hold back. Namjoon feels like he could be holding you here, speaks the obvious to give you an out but you shut him down.

“You’re tired” - He says, looking at you with mild concern. You’re nearly nesting right in front of him-—surely you’re uncomfortable, right? You’re not, you feel quite content actually.

“I’m happy” - And Namjoon’s melting all over again, he’ll stay right here until you want to leave. A quiet happy grumble rising in his throat as he cant pry his eyes off of your light nesting right in front of him. So intimate. Safe and comfortable.

Namjoon tends to reveal small things about himself gradually, randomly, either in his stories or just in a sentence in the silence. You smile and register each and every one, mentally noting them and, when its right, giving your input.

His imperfections feel so welcomed by you, each and every one, he can be himself, no expectations, no underlying standard.

He’s travelled, to so many places, something about your input makes him want to do it all over again and more, but in your way this time, go where the wind takes him, hes a romantic at heart and so are you. He wants to go with you this time.

When its finally time to go tonight, he’ll walk you home, walk a lot closer than usual, arms brushing and fingers occasionally reaching out to dance over eachothers, you don’t need to confront how you both want to be hand in hand, it’s a silent agreement. For now, you’ll both settle with this. Subconsciously, you lean a little into Namjoon’s warmth, just like your omega wants and Namjoon leans his own body just a little closer for you. Omegas run colder after all, and alphas run a whole lot warmer.

At your apartment building, you’ll be brave, listen to your omega, and reach out, wrap your arms around Namjoon’s middle, press your face to his chest and while your wrap is certain and soft, Namjoon’s arms wrapping all around your back and down to your own waist is tight, almost desperate with how fast he responds; pulling you even closer until your feet are between his own, your move the affirmation he needed to show his appreciation for you. His head is dipped down, subtly nuzzling into your hair, not quite scenting even if he wants too. You feel so good in his arms, they’re strong and protective and you feel so calm, so settled.

You breathe him in deep, he breathes you in deeper, both your hearts pumping in sync. The stars aligned. Not just for you and Namjoon, but for 6 other souls, in the heart of Seoul.

These evenings will later be ones you realise are moments you consider to be love, you’ll cherish them, every single one, every before and every to come. Your last two months have been full of love youll later recognise, from your dance with Taehyung, your chats with Namjoon, Yoongi’s quiet care, your walks with Jimin and Jungkook, the list goes on. You won’t realise it just yet, not so quickly - not to the extent that it is at least - neither, none of you will, but soon, amidst one of your moments of silence, you both will. For now, they are simply, or not so simply, exactly what they are.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed todays chapter

As always my asks are open! Lmk what you think!

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Mwah 💖

ཐི♡ཋྀ

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