#So Why have they especially recently been doing nothing but add unnecessary fluff

[shiroselia]

Today on “Hmmm that’s not very optimizy of you, SSE”

Why do you per automatic see the exp gained glitter + level up animation for. Other players?? And you can’t turn that off in the checkmark menu either but like what’s the point. That’s just unnecessary amount of fluff.

[just2bubbly]

The Dinner!

Masterlist

Rumors and Affairs: Chapter List

// This is an update of Breaking the News..

Kai’s Persective: 

“Your Majesty, are you okay?” the American President Vargas asked.

“Yeah, just Emperor Kaito would do.” he said as he had learned the hard way that the President liked to use his title of ‘Emperor’ wherever possible.

“Okay. As I was saying it’s time for dinner so we both can walk together to the dining chambers”

Kai nodded his head. President Vargas had interrupted on his comm with Cinder and he did not look ashamed about it as well. He was angry after realizing why Cinder seemed so dejected, but could he really shout at the President of the USA because of Cinder’s mistake, a big fat NO.

Cinder.

 What was she thinking today? He was excited to go home now that he would finally be seeing Cinder after like 9 days 21 hours and 58 seconds-now it becomes 59 seconds. He was definitely not counting. Now he was looking forward to going home back for an entirely different reason. He had to solve this mess that was already looming on his head before he had come to England. He was trying to postpone addressing the rumors for his own sake and sanity. He was happy in his own bubble- where everyone was happy as the royal couple was expecting a child. Alas! Fantasies were not made for Emperors especially not for Kai. His life with Cinder felt like a dream but the press ruined it all the time. The first thing he would do after going to Eastern Commonwealth was put restrictions on the press.

“Emperor Kaito, are you listening?”

Kai zoned out. He should pay attention to avoid saying something wrong like Cinder.

“My apologies President, I got distracted. Could you repeat what you were saying?” he asked with a polite smile.

“Nothing much actually, I was just asking how you feel about the meeting that took place in the morning?”

“Oh, About that! I must say I agree with Queen Camilla for once. The prospect of abolition of cyborg needs of guardians is very much acceptable to the Eastern Commonwealth. It is actually done in the Commonwealth thanks to Cin-my wife you see. It would be good if the Earthen Union follows lead. ”

“I agree as well, Emperor. It seems your mind is in the Commonwealth where your dearest wife Selene is.”

“No President, I am wholly involved this conversation.” Kai replied, his ears becoming pink. Why did he have to blush and get flustered so easily, he could read Cinder cliché love letters and she would not show a sign of blushing and here he was getting all flustered at the mention of his wife.

“I was just kidding, Emperor. Remind me how far along the Empress is?”

“She is 7 months along” he said, feeling quite happy now that they had reached the dining chambers. He would be able to avoid talks with President Vargas, never his favorite one.

“Here you are Emperor Kaito and President Vargas. I would request you to take a seat so that we can commence with dinner. We were expecting your arrival.” addressed the Queen.

He and the President took their seats. His seat was adjacent to Princess Sophie, Queen Camilla’s daughter.

Feeling a bit out of his element, he avoided talking with any of the world leaders. ‘Out of his element really huh, Kai!’ he said to himself. He had been raised to be presentable at such meetings and political dinners, how could Kai be out of his element, then again when did he ever feel out of character at Rampion even when he had not been raised to have friends who were criminals for a time- being.

He could not really avoid any talk for Princess Sophie was sitting next to him, she was rather known for her talkative nature. Not only this but the sitting arrangement was awkward for Kai who had recently learned that the princess had some royalty-crush upon him. He really had no idea how to sit beside a person who might have a crush on you. Besides he was a married man, expecting his first born child.

Someone coughed a bit too loudly to seek his attention.

“Emperor Kaito, are you enjoying yourself?”

“Well, Queen Camilla I certainly am, why would you ask that?” he said evidently lying.

“No, Emperor you seemed a bit too lost in thoughts.” Kai wanted to shout at her if a man could not maintain a calm face through an idiotic and might he add unnecessary delay of dinner, but he would not to that because he was THE Emperor.

“Don’t disturb the Emperor, Camilla.” President Vargas said with a hint of mischief in his tone.

“And why would that be Vargas?” talking as if they were friends since college, they seemed to forget that a few hours earlier Camilla wanted to chop down his head.

“He was distracted with me as well. His mind is somewhere else.”

“And where would that be?” asked Africa’s Prime Minister Kamin.

“Don’t you get it Kamin, the Commonwealth.” The Governor-General Williams from Australia replied.

“Obviously, Empress Selene has stayed behind.” President Vargas said in a way of confirmation.

At this remark of the President, both Princess Sophie and Queen Camilla looked crestfallen. After the Lunar Revolution, Torin had told him about how Camilla wanted her daughter to be married to Kai, in order to form an alliance but his father never acceded and Kai had already fallen for the Queen of Luna later. He was watching the conversation going around him, royally failing to keep a straight face. Kai had become uncomfortable and it was evident that he was trying his hardest to not blush. With the ongoing talks around him and in an effort to change the topic he said, “May I know why the diplomatic dinner is used to discuss my marital life?”

“Oh! Emperor we don’t do diplomatic talks at the dinner table here in Europe but I guess it’s a common practice in the Commonwealth.” The Queen replied.

Why couldn’t she understand that he did not want to talk about his life at this dinner. Could he ask her about her plans to marry her daughter at the dinner hosted by him? NO RIGHT! The old queen could not evidently think this through.

“It appears that the Emperor is feeling uncomfortable, we should really not talk about his feelings for the Empress in such a teasing manner”, Princess Sophie came to his rescue.

“Yes, it is not diplomatic of us to make fun of the Emperor. Besides, tell me Kaito, how far along is your wife?”

If Kai would have not been used to the gossip attempts made by the Queen he would have taught her a lesson. Did she not hear what her daughter just said? Maybe he should gift her some hearing-aids for Christmas.

”She is seven months along, could not ride a plane so far in pregnancy. Hence, she could not come otherwise she would have definitely loved to attend the meets on cyborg rights”

“Cyborgs that she is.” European Prime Minister Bromstad said. He always had some sort of prejudice with Cinder and her cyborg-ness. It got on Kai’s nerves every damn time.

“Yeah, she would be better able to give suggestions regarding the changes after being a first hand victim of cyborg prejudices you see.”

The Prime Minister nodded. Kai must have been a little too outspoken and protective of Cinder against cyborg prejudice recently.

“Besides that, how are you and Empress Selene taking the news of the baby? “The Queen asked.

She was really getting on his nerves now. Was it so hard to understand that she was testing his patience and already crossed all boundaries of professionalism?

“We are very much excited to receive the child. I personally was delighted with the news.” He replied, a new sort of emotion feeling his heart and warming his soul at the mention of his child.

“Parenthood is a demanding role, Emperor”

“I know that and I am ready to accept it wholeheartedly, Queen Camilla”. He said, putting much authority in his voice. If not for his royalty status he would have told her ’Shut up, I already know that.���

“And what did the Empress think about carrying the royal heir?” she snubbed her way into his train of thoughts again.

“As I already said, she was very delighted and protective of the baby.” Why were all the world leaders suddenly so interested in their baby, as far as he could remember Queen Camilla had not even congratulated them upon the news.

“Have you revealed the gender of the baby?”  Princess Sophie asked curiously.

“It’s our decision to keep it confidential till the birth of the baby.”

“And? ” asked Prime Minister Bromstad.

“And what?”

That’s when it hit him like a train. These people are world leaders and they know the world happenings. Obviously, they know about the rumors regarding Cinder and Thorne and that’s the very reason everyone especially Queen Camilla is so interested in the discussion of his baby. He felt like an idiot to not have realized this beforehand. It seems they wanted to add salt to the injury. Were they really so foolish to fall prey for such rumors? Like hell they have seen him and Cinder doing the lovey-dovey stuff from up close, he was much convinced that they were blind.

Before any of them could ask him anything, he decided to leave the dinner.

“Excuse me, but I have some important business to attend to.”

“It appears that the Emperor would enjoy the company of someone else other than us.” Well a good time without them, he certainly would.

 “Very well emperor Kaito, it was an honor to receive you as our guest.” If looks could kill, everyone at the dinner would already be dead.

Nodding his head, he headed towards his room. He needed to talk with Torin at the earliest.

__

A/N: Needless to say, There is more!

( I also have an another Kaider fic named ‘ Nightmares’, if you like Kaider fluff you can check it out!!  🖤 )

Likes, Reblogs and Comments will be much loved!  🖤

P.S Can you suggest some baby names for Kaider child, both the gender please.  

[minah-delacroix]

At any price (Part I)

Universe: Dynasty AU

Characters: Minah, Sungjae, Tyler, Jane, Tara, Ashleigh 

Word count: 4,6k

The Costume

“You like it when I pretend to be someone else, don’t you?” Minah asked over the Madonna song playing loudly in the background, hips matching the beat of the music as she twirled around Sungjae. She smirked at the way he could barely hid how much he was enjoying the show. Or the costume, Minah couldn't place her finger on what it was yet.

“I don’t care who you are as long as I get to help you pick the costume”   Sungjae replied, a trace of a smirk on his face.

“Maybe we should get you some leather pants.” Minah said, plopping next to him on his bed, where clothes ket piling for her to try on “That’s 80s, right?

“Yeah, except that I’ve never been officially invited to the Delacroix Foundation Gala,” Sungjae said with a bit of an eye roll as he pronounced the last three words and then pulled Minah toward him with one confident move.

“I know” Minah giggled “I just think you’d look hot in leather pants and you’d be there anyhow. Either you’re there as a guest or working, I think you should wear a costume”, she insisted, causing Sungjae to scoff as he took her face in his hands.

“And now that you’ve tried this on, what about I help you take it off?” Sungjae’s hands dropped to pull down Minah’s strapless top.

It was probably a bit irresponsible —if not a whole lot— for the two of them to hole up in his house when Gabriel’s face was splashed on every front page of tabloids and gossip magazines; while the Delacroix Group and Minah’s family could barely manage the PR nightmare that had broken out the previous day when Gabriel was taken into custody after being linked to an embezzlement investigation. In Minah’s defense though, she had quit from her family’s company right after Gabriel’s appointment party and she’d spent the last couple of weeks preparing to launch her own company with the backup and support of Tyler Lee. There was no reason for her to help with the self-inflicted crisis her grandparents were going through and given the fact Aurelie had never supported her father’s decision in the first place, there was no reason for Sungjae either.

There were no reasons for Minah to worry about her cousin either. 

Yet, they say blood is thicker than water, so she still pulled away from Sungjae when her phone started vibrating on his bedside table, her arms untangling from him rather harshly.

“There was definitely no texting in the 80s,” Sungjae said, his breath a little ragged and the slightest hint of a pout forming on his lips. 

“I know, I know,” Minah said, reaching to grab her phone “I’m just waiting to know what happened with Gabriel’s bail and if-” She stopped in the middle of her sentence and moved to sit properly on the edge of the bed “Oh, it’s Tyler.” She said distractedly, her attention focused on reading the rest of the message “he says he has a surprise for me”

“Somebody sure moves fast for Tyler Lee” Sungjae commented, disdain twisting the corners of his mouth as he pronounced the name of Minah’s new business partner.

“I move fast for business” Minah corrected, standing up to pick her clothes and sending a cold glare in Sungjae’s direction.

“That’s it? Just business?”

“Look, there’s really nothing between me and Tyler.” The woman chuckled, sitting on Sungjae and wrapping her arms around his neck. “Just work-”

Ignoring whatever it was she was going to add, Sungjae lifted her so that she straddled his lap and pressed butterfly kisses to the valley of her breasts.

“Work which I have to get to” she clutched at his shoulders, trying to push him away, but Minah knew she was a goner when she looked down and found Sungjae smirking at her.

The Pool

“How could you not remember Ashleigh?” Tyler Lee asked. He turned his face into the sun with an incredulous scoff escaping from his lips as he leaned back on the chair.

It was a bright Saturday morning of lounging lazily by the swimming pool at the Delacroix manor. A tradition for Minah and his girlfriends and most recently Tyler Lee. He had a different excuse to crash every time. Last week it was making sure Mark Yang was nowhere close to his baby sister and the week before that Minah had forgotten to sign some important document. This week he “needed to” catch up on Minah’s (and by extension, his company’s) first meeting with the legal advisor of IN-ECO Corp, a green textile company they were trying to get into business with. 

However, Minah didn’t deliver good news. Tyler fought back the desire of rolling eyes as he listened the story on how his business partner had mistakenly —or not— confused Ashleigh Hastings, newly appointed Legal Director of the company, for an assistant. A bad start, by any standard, but the fact they had gone to school together and Minah had no recollection of it whatsoever only made things worse.

“Well, I do now” Minah replied defensively, looking away from the magazine in her hands “Didn’t she have a weird obsession with Hello Kitty?” She asked, turning to face Tyler, who only plopped a grape into his mouth amused.

“You still don’t know who she is,” He said in disbelief “Maybe I should’ve been your wingman after all” he chuckled.

“I’m glad you find this funny, but I’m not losing this contract, Tyler,” Minah said seriously as she picked a flute of champagne from the side table. “Especially not because of a few hurt feelings”

“Do you really think this is just about high school?” Tyler asked sternly, pushing his Gucci sunglasses up the bridge of his nose.

“Obviously” Minah replied naturally.

“Why don’t you let ME try? Tyler asked, putting an unnecessary emphasis on the pronoun, which made Minah frown “Maybe I can smooth things over and remind Ashleigh you’re not the whole company”

“Ashleigh Hastings?” Tara interrupted, scowling as she approached them clad in a one-piece swimming suit and a pair of oversized sunglasses that matched her brother’s.

“Seriously, T?” Minah questioned. “You too?”

“Minah had a meeting with her yesterday and didn’t know who she was” Tyler explained as Jane Durand joined them, water dripping down her body.

“I might’ve also asked her to get me a coffee” Minah confessed.

“What?” The incredulous voices of her friends echoed the disbelief, amusement, and irritation in their eyes.

“I just thought she was an assistant” Minah groaned, moving to recuperate her magazine. “I’m fixing it, there’s nothing-“

“No, Minah, you did enough” Tyler sat up and removed the sunglasses from his face. “I’m calling her” he added, reaching for his phone and navigating through his contacts.

“Good luck with that” Jane whistled, draping an Hèrmes towel around herself “You know Ashleigh doesn’t change her opinion easily”  

“Present tense?” Minah raised a brow “As in you’re friends with her?

“I wouldn’t call it friends, but she’s helped Chloe with some contracts” Jane shrugged. “We meet every other day at Home House, I told you about it”

“How does she even afford Home House?” Minah’s cheeks flushed slightly, but she decided it had nothing to do with the fact she had completely ignored Ashleigh’s very close existence and instead blamed it on the blistering hot weather.

“It’s just 2k a year” Tyler replied impatiently. “Anyone can afford that”

“Actually, Jane, what if you invite her out tonight and Tyler just happens to be there?” Tara suggested. Tyler’s brows knitted together “She might be more receptive then”

“Well, with all due respect, T” Minah glanced toward Tara before draining the rest of her drink “I am the one who knows about fashion

“Ok, but let me butter her up” Tyler’s hands fumbled for his drink and tipped it back. “I set the stage and then you can come in and-”

“And do all the heavy lifting” Minah interrupted, a grin crossing her face “Not that your part isn’t heavy too”

“Now, that’s what you’d like to think” Tyler ever so confident laughed before standing up and pulling his shirt off, revealing a sculpted chest and washboard abs that Minah pretended not to notice, but that unknowingly made her mouth salivate. “Girls, you’re swimming or what?” He asked before executing a show-off dive into the pool.

Minah made sure to think of that image for the rest of the day in hopes her brain stored it in her long term memory.

Club Libertine

Sungjae opened the backdoor of Minah’s Porsche, revealing a massive building illuminated by unnatural-looking turquoise lights and flashing neon lighting that seemed to be filtering through the upper floors. There was pounding electronic music that made Minah feel the ground might as well be trembling underneath her pair of Zanotti shoes.

“Be good in there” Sungjae reminded her as he closed the door behind her.

“I’ll try,” Minah said, but the low-cut, backless black dress she was strategically wearing made it difficult to believe she was up to good. “Why don’t you come in with me? I might need someone to keep me company before Tara and Tyler get here and make sure I behave” she said, her voice taunting as her hand reached for his.

“I’m not really dressed for a club” Sungjae hesitated, pointing at his black suit pants and cotton shirt.

“You’re with me” Minah winked at him “No one will be looking at you”.

For a brief moment Sungjae doubted before sliding his fingers between Minah’s, but he eventually did, a small frown forming between his eyebrows as they made it through the crowd of people waiting outside. 

“Do you see Tyler or Tara?” Minah asked with her nose scrunching up in disgust “This place smells like someone poured Chanel Number Five on a package of cigarettes and then set it on fire” she complained, making Sungjae laugh.

“VIP is over there” he yelled to be heard over the loud music, to which Minah pouted, disappointment crossing her features once she realized Sungjae was trying to keep a safe distance between them and didn’t dare to lean into her so she could hear him better.

“Well, I don’t want Ashleigh to see me yet” She commented, spinning to face him “Not until Tyler fluffs her to feel a little bit more generous” Sungjae only nodded at her. “We can get a drink at the bar”  

“Sure”

One of the downsides of the night was that Minah didn’t know how to do normal, so she stood in line, waiting to be served with the most disgusted look on her face. “How can people live like this?” 

“Your Delacroix is showing” Sungjae laughed “I’ll bring you your drink, you go sit” He shook his head, pushing Minah toward the lounging section. “Rosé, right?

“No, just ginger ale, I’m working tonight”

Another downside of such crowded space was that there was no place to escape if you bumped face to face into someone you’ve been actively avoiding. Minah discovered it when Luke Thomas materialized in front of her, smiling seductively as though he’d spotted his next prey. She didn’t even bother on schooling her expression, her upper lip automatically going up in disgust.

“Minah Delacroix. Hi”

“Luke,” Minah said, her voice as unemotional as it could get “What a surprise” she added with a forced smile.

“Yeah, Ashleigh Hastings texted me to come here. You remember her, right?” He asked while Minah pretended to look around to hide the massive eye roll and the scoff that escaped from her lips. Of course Luke would know her, after all birds of the same feather flocked together “I didn’t know you’d be here tonight”

“Well, yeah, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Minah replied only not to appear rude. Though that was exactly what she had intended when she left Luke on read a couple of weeks ago. And all the times before that. He just didn’t get it

“Like seven months and a half,” The man said.

“Oh wow, you’re keeping track” Minah had to make her best effort not to frown or point out how utterly disturbing it was he knew that.

“I’ve been texting you and I know you’ve been receiving my messages” He went on “About Saint Tropez?”

“I thought that already happened”

“It did, but we can always go back” Luke offered, not quite getting Minah’s obvious rejection. “What’s your schedule like these days?”

Sungjae who had been watching the scene closely, stepped right on time for Minah not to respond. He slid an arm around her waist, causing her to hum pleased as she grabbed her drink and their hands touched. “Luke, this is my boyfriend Sungjae,” Minah linked an arm through Sungjae’s and said proudly. “Luke and I went to school together” 

“It’s like a school reunion over here” Sungjae smiled unnaturally. Looking in between Minah’s pleased expression and Luke’s confused face.

“Did you go to Le Rosey as well?” He inquired a bit taken aback.

“No, I went to a public school,” Sungjae said confidently. Minah smirked, feeling thankful Sungjae didn’t let just anyone intimidate him.

“Oh” Luke didn’t even manage to hide his surprise. So much for a life of etiquette classes in a 150k school. Money surely had gone to waste in his case. “Wow... Well, good for you, man” Luke said, still looking confused. “And good to see you, Minah” he waved his hand childishly before walking away, turning to look at them a couple of times before completely disappearing amid the crowd. Minah laughed, but Sungjae didn’t look particularly happy.

“Boyfriend?” He asked once Luke was out of earshot.

“Oh, come on, let’s dance” A clear downside for Sungjae was that he didn’t seem to know how to say no to Minah Delacroix. Especially not when her hips swayed to the rhythm of the music and she sexily grind into him.

“Minah, did you see this?” Tara asked, tapping the link on the screen of her phone.  Sure enough, Minah had, that’s why she was currently leaning against the bar of the VIP section, scrolling down her phone and not kissing Sungjae in some obscure corner of the club. 

It was probably a borderline masochistic behavior to follow a blog that aired her family’s dirty laundry all over the internet, but she had signed up for these notifications the day after Gabriel’s arrest. And right when she was having a good time, making sure Sungjae couldn’t help but blush, a new post had been uploaded. There were two pictures positioned side by side. On the left a picture of Gabriel the day he was appointed COO of Delacroix Group. The picture on the right showed him being taken into custody, hands cuffed as a police officer walked in front of him and another escorted him to the patrol. Underneath those pictures, there was a sensationalist headline and a blurred video of something suspiciously similar to a penis.

“More than seen it” Minah said, unable to hide a flush of satisfaction invading her. If only her grandfather was a better judge of character the family and the company wouldn’t have to deal with the shame of having Gabriel ruining their last name with scandals, crimes, and sex tapes. “Do you think he sent it to Jane?” She asked. It was a genuine question, but Tara’s face morphed into a grimace.

“Ok, don’t be a perv”

“Speaking of pervs, did you see Luke Thomas?” Minah asked, still distracted by the notifications blowing up her phone.

“On his way out” Tara spun and stared at her friend “And he was under the impression you introduced him to your boyfriend” She continued, giving Minah a long, serious look.

“And here I was thinking you’re not dating because you’re a workaholic…” someone said from behind her. Minah wasn’t surprised when Jane materialized holding two glasses of somethingthat she recognized as tequila “…but apparently you’re just multitasking with your assistant” she smirked as though she was in good spirits and Minah thought to herself that her friend looked too pleased for someone whose ex-boyfriend’s sexual escapades had just been exposed.

“God no” Minah shook her head fervently “I just told him that to get him off my back”

Both Jane and Tara looked at her skeptically, their eyes looking at her with something she assumed it was silent judgment.

“I am serious, girls” Minah went on. The last thing she needed was Tyler going after Sungjae or Jane letting everybody know about Minah’s relationship —or whatever sleeping with someone for years was supposed to be called—, which could potentially get them exposed and Sungjae fired. “I would never date someone from the staff” She added shrugging it off nonchalantly. “My grandparents would cut me off their will without a second thought and I wouldn’t risk that for a nobody”

Another downside for Sungjae was that despite whatever he’d say, he knew deep down he actually cared about Minah in ways he wasn’t ready to admit yet. That’s why his heart, he realized, was wrenching in pain when he accidentally overheard her talking to her friends.

“I know Minah has her blind spots” Tyler offered a charming smile as he served Ashleigh a flute of champagne.

“I hadn’t noticed” The woman replied with an eye roll.

“But I am telling you, the one thing she does know is fashion” Tyler insisted, shifting on the bright leather couch he was sitting on, moving closer to Ashleigh so she couldn’t focus on her hatred for Minah and instead diverted her attention on his very kissable lips. He knew she had a crush on him when they were teenagers and he would take advantage of it if that meant saving his investments and his company “It’s in her blood”

“Of course, she is a Delacroix” Ashleigh groaned “But that’s exactly the problem. Our company is not gonna be a pawn in her family’s feud. We are loyal to our values and I can’t trust a Delacroix to think of them when it counts,” she said, barely affected by the fact Tyler had leaned forward and was placing a hand dangerously close to her thigh.

“Don’t you trust me?” Tyler asked, cocking his head,

“Tyler, you went into business with her” Ashleigh replied as though the obvious answer was no.

“That means it’s my business too,” Tyler said gently “You know I’ll do the right thing for you and your company. If you at least hear her out, I promise she will hold her word”

Ashleigh let out a defeated sigh.

“I will, but only because of you”

“You know what? I think my sister said she was coming tonight too” He quickly noticed how Ashleigh's expression fell. “But that doesn’t matter, I’ll get us another bottle” He added with a lopsided smile. “DomPe?”

___

Tyler was not pleased to find Sungjae at the bar downing a glass of something that smelled like three-quarters tequila and one-quarter rum.

“Where is Minah and why are you drinking? Aren’t you supposed to drive her home?” Tyler inquired scathingly.  

“Not anymore” Sungjae ran a hand through his hair, a pained expression on his face.

“Well, tell your girlfriend I am looking for her,” Tyler said, not even bothering to look at him.  

“She is not my girlfriend” Sungjae raised his voice enough for Tyler to hear him clearly despite the loud music blasting at hundreds of decibels.

“She looked like she was the other day at the gala” Tyler countered back, his voice ice-cold as he let Sungjae know he’d found out about his and Minah’s affair then. The events of that night were still etched in his mind although he’d try his best to forget the haunting image of the woman he’d loved for years tangled in the sheets with another man. Rage washed through him at the recollection. Tyler had bid 1 million pounds for a diamond necklace he intended to gift Minah as a sign of his undying love for her, but when he went to look for her, he found her having sex with the man standing in front of him.

Sungjae stared at him blankly, refusing to confirm that Tyler was achingly close to the truth. “Talk to Minah, ok?” Sungjae was about to leave, but he felt his determination falter and suddenly he didn’t give a shit anymore. “You know, I’ve actually never gotten a straight answer from her”. He said, jaw clenching “Maybe you will” Then he turned around.

Tyler Lee was no stranger to Minah’s rejections so he felt the tiniest bit of sympathy as he watched the man walk away.

“Hey! Wait up!” Either it was real commiseration or just another step-in his carefully staged plan to get Minah, but Tyler didn’t really recognize his voice when he spoke, asking the man he loathed so much to join him and Ashleigh for a drink.

The rustic home

Sungjae’s home was a cozy yet elegant wood house that resembled the chalets Minah was so fond of because they reminded her of her teenage years spent in Switzerland and the winter campus of Le Rosey. Its interior of heavy beams, architectural finesse, and edgy modern furniture contrasted with the classic exterior. It was Minah’s comfort refuge and the first place she visited that morning as soon as she changed into a pretty dress she’d bought with Sungjae's preferences in mind.

Unfortunately, Sungjae didn’t seem particularly pleased to find her walking into his lobby, his face slightly swollen and his hair unkempt in a savage way.

“Oh, someone went a bit too hard in the club last night?” Minah asked, walking into his kitchen and picking a cup from the cupboard.

“No” Sungjae grumbled, watching her move to the coffee machine with a frown. “I’m just tired”

“Me too” Minah whined, her voice softening “That’s why I’m making us some coffee. I assume you just woke up” She said eying him up and down. He stood in his boxers and an oversized hoodie she’d seen way too many times. “I’ve had a dreadful morning. If I have to take one more call to comment on this video of Gabriel-” Minah scoffed. “It’s not even news anymore. Even I’m over it” She said pressing her back on the kitchen counter and smiling at Sungjae.

“Are you?” There was a crease on Sungjae’s forehead and he was crossing his arms over his chest as though he couldn’t believe a word that came from Minah’s mouth.

“Sorry?” Minah ignored the sound the coffee machine made and raised a brow.

“Don’t pretend you’re not secretly happy about your cousin falling off grace. Proves your point and makes you look good in comparison” Sungjae snarled, his voice and tone almost unrecognizable to Minah. There was not a time she could remember Sungjae had previously talked to her like that.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sungjae. If you’re mad about yesterday I texted you and let you know I had to leave, I had paparazzi-“

“You’re like a human bulldozer” Sungjae interrupted Minah mid-sentence “You’d crush anyone if that benefits you, even if that’s your own family”

“Please, Sungjae” Minah scoffed, unsure of what was she was even supposed to reply to that. It was a first for her. “Gabriel is a grown-up man, I didn’t ask him to send me racy videos of his dick. This has nothing to do with me and even if it did, he doesn’t need you defending him”

“Maybe someone should defend the world from Minah” Sungjae replied harshly. “And the way you treat everybody, the way you treat Gabriel, Ashleigh, even your so-called friends”

“Ashleigh?” Minah repeated, increasingly confused by the whole conversation. Nothing Sungjae was saying made sense to her.

“You don’t really see what you do to other people, right?”

“Sungjae, I don’t get what you’re trying to say” Minah felt her chest physically ache “Ashleigh just hates me because I was popular in high school. And I was popular because for some reason paparazzi found me shopping in Paris and my pictures blew up. There was no other reason” Minah explained, trying to make sense, but completely losing the point. “I’ve never had any privacy, I don’t think anyone would want that for themselves. It’s ridiculous. I’ve had to learn how to defend myself and protect what I love by all means” Minah added stonily, her eyes staring straight ahead, unable to look at Sungjae.

“That is heartbreaking” Sungjae shot “But maybe you should stop blaming everyone and try to figure out why you’re so selfish and messed up now”

“You know what? I think I should leave” Minah announced, her voice wavering as she turned on her heels to leave. Nothing Sungjae could’ve said or done would’ve ever prepared her to find Ashleigh Hastings, scarcely dressed in one of Sungjae’s shirts, smiling at her when she turned around.

The apology —or lack thereof

“There you are” Minah walked into Sungjae’s home. The entrance hall smelled liked apples and lavender and there was a bottle of Minah’s favorite rosé waiting on an ice bucket on the marble table she had gifted Sungjae when he first moved into the property.  There was also a tray bearing cheese and petit fours. Sungjae moved around the living room placing and arranging things as though he was expecting someone. “I’ve been texting you non stop for like twenty minutes”

“I’m off work” Sungjae answered, gesturing to the food that sat on the coffee table as though it was supposed to mean something to Minah.

“I’m late for a meeting and I lost my keys.” She said, ignoring the fact that the place was plastered with memories of her and Sungjae from a past that seemed to have never happened. “I need to borrow the spare set”.

“They’re on the bowl over there, golden tag” Sungjae pointed lazily across the room. Minah glanced around and much to her dismay, realized the house didn’t feel anymore like the place she’d run to when the world seemed to be against her.

“And that’s it?” Minah crossed her arms over her chest, the shadow of a frown on her face

“Do you want me to start the car for you?” Sungjae asked patronizingly.

“You really don’t have anything you would like to say to me?” Minah said with a forced laugh, suddenly irritated by Sungjae’s attitude. “An apology, maybe?

“What for?” Sungjae asked in disbelief.

“For sleeping with the enemy?” Minah blurted “Ashleigh Hastings ruined a ten million dollar contract”

“If you want me to apologize for Ashleigh you’re gonna have to wait for a long time” Sungjae’s voice was strangely cold. “As a matter of fact it’s you who owes me an apology,” He said, letting the sofa cushions he’d been arranging fall to the floor and placing his hands on his hips. “For a lot of things, but we could start with the little game that you played at the club the other night.

“Excuse me?”

“You told that douche I was your boyfriend,” Sungjae said shrugging.

“Yes, but I just said that-“ Minah started, but was immediately cut by Sungjae.

“To get away from that idiot” He snapped “I know. I heard what you told Tara and Jane” he nodded, looking at Minah with a mixture of hurt and anger.

She swallowed hard, feeling a guilty twinge “Is that why you slept with Ashleigh?” She asked, barely able to speak “To get back at me?”

“I don’t use people to hurt others, Minah” Sungjae scoffed, then picked the cushions from the floor “That’s you,” He said, eyes meeting hers once he was standing straight up again “That’s why we two are so different”

His words caused Minah to froze although it was actually hot in Sungjae’s place, she’d later realized it was the magnificent fire roaring in the fireplace, that she’d never seen on before because Sungjae was not particularly fond of fire —or at least the Sungjae she knew, wasn’t.

“Sungjae, look, I had no idea-“

“That the nobody has feelings?” Sungjae spat “Don’t worry. That’s what you pay me for.”

Minah tried to say something but no words would leave her mouth.

“From now on we’re keeping things strictly professional,” he said, signaling the door “Right now I’m off the clock”

Minah headed toward the door feeling tears in her eyes. She turned back when the need to talk it over and try changing Sungjae’s mind, to apologize probably, washed over her. But when she did Sungjae was nowhere to be found.

Minah’s mind strangely strayed to that Baccarat heirloom she broke when she was a child and how not even the finest joaillier in Paris could fix it. This felt awfully much the same. 

...

[fanfictionisvalid]

Loki x reader

Prompt: Person A laughing and joking through the horribly traumatic story of how they got one of their scars. Person A stops suddenly when they see the reaction of tears leaking out of Person B's eyes.

Content: ouch and fluff.

Word count: 2261

Alternate Universe where there was another Hydra experiment before the Maximoff twins and Loki had come with Thor to help defeat Ultron.

Author's Note: this is my first try at something like this. Constructive criticism is more than welcome, and please try not to leave hate Haha. If you like it, be expressive about it and reblog!

So here goes...

It had been a couple of months since the whole incident at Sokovia had happened, and a couple of months since I had found the Avengers. I was one of the initial experimental subjects at a secret Hydra base that shut down soon after several failed attempts at making something out of willing, or sometimes unwilling, human subjects. The tests performed on me had failed a little too badly which led to the shutting down of the whole base. They shifted to somewhere else where they continued their research and experimentation and two of their last remaining subjects turned out to be a success – the Maximoff twins. After being left to die in the Hydra laboratory, everyone had fled the scene. Everyone who was alive anyway. The sceptre's powers and myself did not go along so well, it seemed. Feeding the radiations of the scepter into me did not get any immediate results, except for a pounding head and throbbing veins. It was as if my body was absorbing as much energy of the scepter as it could. But upon continued exposure to the radiation, my body could not take it anymore. A ringing sound screeched in my ears and I blacked out. When I woke up, the facility was empty except for the dead bodies of two guards and one scientist who were in the room behind the glass window.

I was not a willing subject. I was taken against my will and forced down onto the stretcher with my limbs bound till I stopped thrashing about. Turns out, the scepter did not kill me instead it granted me superhuman abilities instead. I was able to absorb other people's energies temporarily and store it in myself only to use it later as my own. I was found by SHIELD and they sent me to help the Avengers take down Ultron. Absorbing the powers of Wanda and Vision, I helped defeat the robot army. Since then, I've been living at the Avengers Base with Tony and the others. I wouldn't consider myself a Avenger, but surely I was an ally (With no other roof to sleep under.)

I didnt speak much to anyone. I liked to keep to myself as much as I could. I preferred to linger by the shadows and listen more than I liked to talk. I was observant, picking up on people's energies and moods and weaknesses and strengths with the gears in my mind turning at all times, thinking about one thing or the other. No one really paid me a lot of unnecessary attention and they gave me my space. I was thankful for the lack of interference.

Except one person. There was only one person in the building who I would catch looking at me when I had something especially demanding going on in my head. He would look at me with a sort of gaze that made it seem like he knew exactly what I was thinking. Loki. The God of mischief. Another outcast who had recently earned his place in this building as an ally. He was usually a very chatty person; manipulative and flirtatious, always two steps ahead of you. But it seemed to me that he had come to care for the Avengers and didn't busy himself with plotting everyone's death. He was the only one who paid me so much attention. Whenever I was up late at night, staring out the floor to ceiling glass window, he was somehow awake too. On some nights he would just come and stand next to me, and on the others, he would strike up a conversation. Initially the conversations died down easily with neither of us having a lot to talk about, but recently talk started flowing between us like a babbling brook. We started to sit by the window every night after everyone fell asleep, talking or enjoying the silence. He would ask questions about me to keep me talking on nights when he somehow understood my mind was spiralling into a dark place. I started to answer and eventually, I let him in. The night time was our time when we would sit and enjoy each other's company and he would sometimes make me a steaming cup of tea. During the day, around everyone, we did not go back to acting like strangers. We talked and chuckles passed even in the presence of others and I started getting more involved with the rest of the people too. I still mostly liked keeping to myself though.

On one such night, I was sitting with my knees bent and my hands loosely wrapped around them, my side pressed to the glass window, and Loki was sitting in front of me, with his back to the glass, legs outstretched in front of him, crossed at the ankles. He had his eyes closed but I knew he wasn't sleeping. He seemed to be in a particularly quiet and somber mood that day so I probed him. I said, "Hey?" He replied without opening his eyes, "hmm?" "You know everything about my past, about my family - or lack thereof - and where I come from and what happened to me... but I dont know much about you. Except that you're an Odinson. God of Mischief. Rightful king of Jotunheim. And you tried to take over New York."

He opened his eyes lazily and gave me a sidelong glance before shutting them again. "Ask away, human. What do you want to know?"

"Tell me about your childhood, " I said and noticed the tick in his jaw. He eased up quickly though and took a deep breath, opening his eyes completely now. "Hmm.. well.. there isn't much to talk about. Asgard loved me for I was a rather cute little boy. Thor and I used to compete a lot in sword dueling and racing and the likes and he used to win almost every time, except the times I cheated." He let out a breathy chuckle which I mimicked. "Uh.. what else is there. Well, there's the time when Odin took us to watch a play on my birthday and Thor accidentally set the stage on fire. Oh, and that one time," he turned his body slightly to face me with a glint in his eyes, "I disguised as a snake and stabbed thor after he picked me up in a fit of rage when we were 8." He smiled proudly and waited for a reaction.

My eyes slowly widened and my mouth fell open slightly before I exclaimed, "you did WHAT?! Why did you stab him? You'll were kids, jeez, what kind of rage overtook you?" His smile turned sheepish and he slowly slithered back to his original position. He hesitated and licked his lips before saying, "Well. I was jealous. He had won another wrestling match and Odin was so proud of him that he didnt care about the very realistic dragon I could summon with my powers." He lazily moved his right hand through the air and a green translucent figure of a miniature dragon appeared. He lowered his hand but the dragon slithered around and breathed green fire before fading away into nothing. It was like a holographic projection. "It was an achievement for me then. It was the first real figure I could conjure and it was huge. Mother was proud of me and I was so eager to see the same look in Odin's eyes, but he just couldn't care. Thor had won another one of his wrestling matches and Odin was so so proud of him, as If that wasn't something everyone saw every other day." He chuckled and ducked his head. "When I tried to grab his attention again, Odin sent me back to my room after belittling me in front of his councilmen and Thor and telling me how little I had accomplished; how little what I had done meant. I cried myself to sleep that night." Loki's shoulders shook with laughter as he said the last part. He took another moment to stop his silent fit of chuckles before continuing. "I.. I didn't like that I cried. I didn't like that I felt weak and unwanted. I didn't like that Thor got all the praise while all I got was negligence. I blamed Thor. In my rage, and as a prank, the next day I stabbed him. Of course I didn't know I was adopted then. Things add up now." He shrugged.

He had a facade of nonchalance up, a guard of laughter. But I could see by the way his chin was dipped and his eyes trained on his twiddling fingers that it was a sensitive topic. My eyes pricked with tears as I imagined a young Loki, trying so hard to make his father proud but failing everytime. A young Loki being pushed into the shadows of his brother time and again by their very own father. A young Loki being denied the praise and pat on the back he deserved and instead being met with insults. I could bet my pinky that that wasn't the only time Odin proved to be an incompetent and biased father.

"That was the first time I stabbed Thor." He chucked, "Of course it didn't lead to the demise of the God of thunder but it helped release some of my stupid anger." He laughed and said, "it wasn't the last time I stabbed him either."

He turned to look at me, the laugh still on his lips when he drew up short. I was looking at him intently and I knew he could see the tears pooling in my eyes. Every hint of amusement vanished from his lips and his eyebrows slightly pinched together. "I.. did I say something to offend you, y/n?"

I kept looking at him for a long time, an uninterrupted gaze. But I wasn't entirely seeing him. I was seeing the young, 8 year old Loki who cried himself to sleep at night because his father was an ass. After a long pause I sniffled lightly and whispered, "You deserved better, Loki."

He looked taken aback by what I just said. The frown on his forehead disappeared and his lips parted. He opened his mouth as if to say something but didn't. After a couple moments of searching my eyes for something, he swallowed and said, "That's.. that's the first time anyone has ever said something like that to me.."

My heart twisted in my chest and my throat closed up. A miserable wince came upon my features and a tear leaked out of my right eye. I swallowed around the lump in my throat before speaking. "I wish I had known you when you were little. I wish I had known the eight year old Loki who deserved praise for what he had accomplished. I would've held him and told him that I was so proud of him. I wouldve rocked him in my arms if he couldn't stop crying because of what his father had said to him. I would've let him cry and I wouldve told him that it's okay to cry.. that crying doesnt make us weaker. I would've made sure he fell asleep without a frown on his face. I would've hugged him and kissed his forehead and reminded him again and again that he was loved and wanted and worthy.." Another year ran free and I took in a deep breath. "I would've reminded him that I wanted him.. that I loved him." I felt him, more than I heard him, take in a sharp breath. His eyes were turning glossy but he didn't turn away from me. Somewhere along the line he had turned his body to almost completely face mine and he had scooted closer. Or maybe I had. I don't know.

Neither of us said anything for a while, only looked into each other's eyes as if staring into each other's souls. I let him peer into mine and he let him peer into his. This was the first time I had wanted to say that I loved him but now that I had, I realised It had always been true. I just didnt know what it was that I was feeling. I didnt know that it was not mere friendship. Whatever it was I had treated it gently and preciously, and I was glad for that Because Loki and anything associated with him deserved to be treated with care and fondness. After a couple moments, I said in a voice just above a whisper but clear enough for both of us to understand even around the lump in my throat, "You deserved better."

That seemed to break him out of his trance like state and he slowly blinked twice before turning his head away from me. He looked down into his lap And collected himself. I let him. When he raised his head and looked at me with those piercing eyes of his, I knew more than he could say. He raised his hand and gently laid it on my hand that was still lightly wrapped around my knees. He rubbed the pad of his thumb over my skin and a more-than-welcome shiver spread throughout my body. He said in a meaningful whisper, "I got my better."

And I knew in the way his hand warmed my skin and his eyes spoke to my soul that not only were my feelings respected, but also reciprocated in the most unfiltered and purest form.

[thedefinitionofbts]

In Your Eyes

Pairings: Jeon Jungkook x Reader ft. the rest of BTS

Genre: Fluff, Comedy, Drabble

Words: 2.5K

Description: Jungkook is not adept at interacting with girls, especially not ones he’s been crushing on for years. 

A/N: Because I really needed this after all the Jungkook angst. 

“Doing 10 more reps is not going to make you feel any better you know.”

Jungkook grunts, before placing the weight back on the rack. 

“You’ve been at it for hours. Take a break man.” Seokjin takes another sip from his water bottle, using the towel draped over his shoulder to wipe the trickle of sweat that’s started to run down from his forehead.

It had only been a couple of weeks ago that Seokjin started dragging the younger male along with him to the gym. He thought it’d take more convincing, but the mention of girls being attracted to fit guys was all it took to get Jungkook off the couch he’s been playing video games on for the past few months. He didn’t expect Jungkook to become this obsessed with weight training, didn’t think the nerd had it in him, but boy was he wrong. 

“I’m this close to hitting my goal body fat percentage.” Jungkook sits up from the bench and grabs his usual blend of protein powder and mineral water, biceps twitching as he lifts the bottle to pour the liquid down his throat.

“Don’t tell me you’re already treating this like gaming stats.”

“You need to have goals in your life.” 

“What’s the point? You don’t even take shirtless post-workout selfies.” Seokjin turns to face the mirror and begins stretching, admiring his self-proclaimed perfect face in the process. “And if you think your newly developed muscles are going to just translate over to your nonexistent social skills, I have some bad news for you bro.” 

“I just want to see improvement ok?” Jungkook defends, walking over to the next station. 

“You seriously think I don’t know the real reason you’re pushing yourself so hard?” Seokjin glances over to eye the sweaty boy who’s now moved on to legs. “You literally hid behind a bush when you saw her walking towards you last week.”

“I was still in my sweaty gym clothes!” Jungkook exclaims, as if it could pass as an excuse. 

“And what about the time you kept laughing after everything she said, even when it wasn’t meant to be funny?

“I was nervous.”

“When are you not when you’re around her?”

Jungkook doesn’t have a response to that. He knows Seokjin knows. There’s no point in hiding the fact that he’s harbored a crush on you since he saw you walking down the halls for the first time in high school.

“Do you want me to just talk to her for you?”

“What the hell? No!” Jungkook snaps back. “I mean, what would you even say?”

“Umm, hey Y/N, I have a friend who’s a couple years younger than both you and I. You know that kid who’s super awkward around new people and especially you because he’s had a huge crush on you for years now. So…you interested in going on a date with him?” Seokjin cracks up, unrestrained windshield wiper laugh reverberating through the gym making some annoyed heads turn.

“Fuck off” Jungkook mutters, rolling his eyes.

“Hey, I’m just trying to help.”

“Remind me why we’re friends?”

“Because I’m in the same year as her, and you kept asking me for updates when I left for college and you were still stuck in high school.”

Jungkook groans, he knew that decision would come back to haunt him, but he just couldn’t help himself back then could he?

 …

 “Dude” Taehyung sighs. “Just ask her out. The worst she can say is no.” He proceeds to pick up his controller after stuffing a hand full of chips into his mouth, talking mid-chew with eyes still glued to the screen.

“I can’t. It’ll crush every dream I’ve ever had.” Jungkook tilts his head up and squeezes his eyes shut. “And not in that way! You know what I mean!” He quickly adds before Taehyung’s eccentric mind can run off to god knows where. 

“You’re acting like her rejecting you is the end of the world.” The older male huffs, leaning back on the couch the two of them were huddled on. 

“It is!” Jungkook cries, burying his face in his hands.  

Taehyung shakes his head. “You’re so whipped. Just look at yourself. Training your ass off with Seokjin, wearing clothes you used to hate just because you think she might like guys who dress fancy.” Taehyung stops playing and turns to Jungkook. “Name brands were always my thing.”

“I borrowed that weird patterned shirt one time!” Jungkook exasperates, recalling how hideous he thought it was; yet still forcing himself to throw it on despite it not being his preferred style. “You’re never going to let it go are you?”

“It was Gucci!” Taehyung exasperates, making a clearly offended face.

 …

 “The way you literally choke on your words every time you try to say hi to her, does not match all of this.” Jimin gestures towards Jungkook’s perfectly proportioned body.

“What?” Jungkook crossed his arms defensively, making his practically see through white button up crinkle near the chest area.  

Jimin huffs a shortened laugh. “In case you actually don’t own a mirror-which sometimes I question if you do, you’re fucking hot.” Jimin’s voice echoes throughout the empty dance studio. He’s stopped stretching his legs and has begun examining his own hair in the mirror, running a hand through his soft locks and making sure they look on point like always.

The door to the studio opens and a sleepy Hoseok walks in. “All I heard is ‘you’re fucking hot’, and I don’t want to know the context.” He says as he drops his bag and begins changing into more comfortable shoes.  

“Hobi! You’re late.” Jimin accuses.  

“I worked an overnight shift.” The older male responds, letting out a long exhale before starting his routine warm-up.

“I see you’re back to Timberlands” Hoseok comments as he eyes Jungkook’s boots, clearly remembering Namjoon’s comment on how the boy is recently changing up his sense of fashion.

“I-I never moved on from them,” Jungkook says feeling a bit embarrassed as he looks down at his favorite pair of shoes. He knew he was going to be in the dance studio all day, so there was no need to dress to impress because he wouldn’t be seeing anyone (especially not you) except Hoseok and Jimin.

“He only dresses up when there’s a chance to run into you know who.” Jimin blurts out, causing the youngest male to run up and tackle him.

“Who? Y/N?” Hoseok asks raising a brow, interest sparked for the first time since he got out of bed today.

“Yeah, he thinks it’ll get her to notice him.”

“Hyung!” Jungkook whines.

“Hey, I wasn’t finished yet. I was about to add how unnecessary it is when you look good in everything anyways.“ Jimin flashes him an angelic smile, making Jungkook loosen his hold on him.  

“Oh, so that’s why you’ve been acting so weird lately.” Hoseok comes to realization. “Can’t blame you though, she’s really pretty and like what, 3 years older?”

“Almost 4” Jimin corrects.

Jungkook feels like he wants to crawl into a hole and never come out. Why were his friends like this? God, he shouldn’t have been so obvious about his crush on you, but he was never good at hiding his true feelings, especially not when his hyungs were all so observant. 

 …

  “Namjoon?” Jungkook begins to ask. “You think you could help me, uh, compose a song or something?”

Namjoon glances up from his laptop. “Yeah, sure. But can I ask why you suddenly want to do something I’ve been trying to spark your interest in for ages?”

“Oh no reason, just I, uh, wanted to, I mean…I-I like music?” Jungkook mentally curses for being so non-covert.

Namjoon chuckles lightly. “You want to write a song for Y/N right?” Namjoon grins, hitting the target and getting straight to the point.

“I-I….yeah…I guess that’s what I was considering.” Jungkook admits.

“Of course I’ll help, but you should probably allow her to get to know you before gifting her a random love song.” Namjoon laughs again. “That might just scare her off.”

“Y-yeah, I’m working on that.” Jungkook knows he’s hopeless. He’ll never gather the courage to actually talk to you, not when he’s barely able to look you in the eye when he’s attempting to just say hi. “I’m just bad at expressing my feelings or just talking to girls in general.”

Namjoon smiles warmly, dimples forming on the sides of his cheeks. “Honestly though, the best way is to just be yourself.” He encourages. “I’m sure she’ll find a lot of things about you to be charming.”

  …

  Jungkook’s never been one to strike up random conversations with strangers, but he figures Yoongi was just giving him a chance to practice honing his social skills. That is, until he sees you walking into the coffee shop. He immediately diverts his eyes, training his gaze onto the cars passing by outside and hoping that you’re not actually walking towards their table.

Yoongi didn’t mention who the person joining you guys was, and he prays his horrible instincts are being their normal horrible selves and that you won’t-

“Yoongi!”

This can’t be happening.

“Y/N!” Jungkook can practically see the signature half-smile plastered on Yoongi’s face, but no, he refuses to turn and acknowledge the reality of the situation.

No, this is not happening. Maybe if he closes his eyes-

“You’re Jungkook, right?” He hears the sweet melody of a females voice drift to his ears.

Fuck.

“H-h-hi” Jungkook says, clearing his throat and shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

“Glad you could make it, Y/N.” Yoongi says, smiling as if nothing was wrong, and pretending like this was the most natural situation he could’ve thrown the youngster in, and not purposefully set up at all. “I wanted to officially introduce the two of you. I know you’ve already met, but-”

Yoongi’s phone vibrates before he can finish. Jungkook watches intently as the male looks down and checks the message. “Oh, looks like Namjoon janked up the microwave again. I gotta go fix that shit before the guy starves or burns down the apartment trying to cook.” Yoongi puts on a fake sad face.

Yoongi can’t be leaving. Jungkook’s eyes widen in horror.

“You guys don’t mind if I head out right?”

Jungkook opens his mouth to protest but you reply before he has the chance to.

“Oh yeah, you go ahead. We’ll be fine.” You smile at Jungkook who glances at you shyly before fixing his large doe-eyes back on the empty table in front of him.

Yoongi sighs. “The guy has an IQ of a genius, but he’s a total klutz.”

Jungkook hears you laugh, but he’s sweating so much he wonders why the fucking AC in the shop feels like it’s turned off when it’s actually on full blast.  

 …

 “So you’re a college freshman now, right?” You turn to Jungkook after Yoongi leaves, trying to focus on creating a lighter mood. You’ve always known he was the extremely introverted type, someone who takes a while to open up.

“Y-yeah, starting soon, classes starting-” You giggle at the way he squeezes his eyes shut and mutters something under his breathe when his sentence doesn’t come out coherently.

“Hey, well congrats on surviving high school.” You still remember seeing him in the hallways back then, the scrawny kid who would look away every time you waved at him. You had asked Seokjin about it, but the older male just said he was a shy one. Seeing him act the same way now was utterly endearing, and you liked how his sweet personality hasn’t changed despite the noticeable transformation in his physique.

“High school, yeah.” Jungkook mutters. “Y-you’re uh, almost done with college right?” Jungkook winces at the way the pitch of his voice gradually got higher as he finished that last sentence. Because puberty still likes to pay him random visits now and then.  

You giggle again. “Yup, I’m in my last year, but I’ll be attending grad school at the same university.”

Jungkook’s eyebrows lift in surprise. “T-that means you’ll still be here…”

“Mmm-hm” You hum in confirmation. “So if you ever need help with school, hit me up.”

“Y-you’d do that?”

“Of course. We’ve known each other long enough.” You reply nonchalantly.

“Hehe, y-yeah. Known each other…”

“You know, on the outside you look like the type of guy who would just fuck a girl and leave, but on the inside you’re like super nerdy and a complete jokester with your friends. Am I right?” You give him a knowing look.

Jungkook’s jaw drops.

“Sorry, I should’ve been more refined with that statement. I guess what I’m trying to say is, you totally seem like the type who’s super soft but hides under a hardened shell.” You watch as an astonished expression washes over his face. “It’s the vibe you always given off.”

You still remember the days he was always dressed in a hoodie too big for him or that white shirt he must either continuously wash or own several of the same kind. You briefly wonder why he’s recently stopped sporting the style that you’ve grown to associate him with.

“Always?” He wonders how long you’ve been analyzing him to come up with such an accurate portrayal. He’s usually misunderstood.

“Yeah, ever since I first saw you back in high school. And I totally thought you hated me or something.” You chuckle, recalling how he seemed to avoid you at all costs. “You don’t actually… hate me right?” You slowly lift your eyes to meet his, waiting for a response.

“No!” Jungkook answers quicker than his reflexes can even allow. “Y/N, I’ve actually liked you since high school. Like, like-like. And I’m just so nervous around you and super socially awkward in general, and I didn’t want to come off weird and shit. Uh, fuck.” He blurts out, finally revealing his feelings that he’s kept hidden from you for so long. It’s the most embarrassing thing he’s done to date, and he swears he’ll hide away from society for good after this day. “Haha, wow, I can’t believe I just said that.” He bites his bottom lip, feeling his cheeks blossom into the darkest shade of rose that’s physically possible.

You feel your heart skip a beat as his confession, a feeling that gradually spreads as a soothing warmth throughout your chest. “A-actually, I have too.” You admit, voice soft and shy, much like his is 90% of the time.

Jungkook is speechless at that moment, just gaping at you for what feels like an eternity because this obviously can’t be real.

“W-what?” Jungkook feels like he’s in a dream. How was this possible? There’s no way you could’ve just admitted that you’ve had a crush on him too, and since fucking high school. This can’t be real. This can’t.

“Jungkook, I’ve liked you since then too.” You repeat, firmer this time because he looks like he’s in a daze. 

Jungkook has to swallow before replying because he’s still in the most shocked state he ever been in. “R-really?”

You nod, eyes gazing into his with a sincere resolve.

“Shit. I can’t believe. Wow.” Jungkook doesn’t know what to do with himself in that moment, but he’s so fucking relieved he feels like someone just transported him to heaven. This was actually real. “Wait, d-does that mean you’ll, uh… go out-”

“Yes, Jungkook.” You smile tenderly. “The answer is yes.”

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