#To follow their love story through these little snippets

[burningembers91]

The Beginning of Something Beautiful - Hwang In-Ho x Fem!Reader (NSFW)

Follow up piece to: The Girl Next Door Kimchi Stew

Synopsis: When Hawng In-Ho's past is revealed, he must decide whether to continue living with his demons, or run towards the light.

Warnings: mentions of deceased wife, sexual content, 18+ only!

It’ll get easier over time. That’s what Hwang In-Ho had been told countless times by friends, family and even strangers after the death of his wife. He hadn’t believed them at first, hadn’t wanted to think of a world without her. But lately, he’d started to understand what they meant. Yes, the pain was still there, and maybe it always would be, but each day he found it a little easier to get out of bed. He’d started making friends at work, had begun exercising again and taking runs through the park he’d spent so long looking at from his apartment window. He was learning to laugh more, to smile at the small things and to find beauty in the everyday. He was slowly letting himself open up to you, showing you small snippets of the man he’d once been; the man who liked to tell jokes, who loved vintage cars, and who got overly competitive when it came to board games. He still hadn’t opened up about his past, but he was showing the man he truly was, not the grumpy hermit who shut himself away from the world.

In-Ho was still an enigma, some kind of handsome riddle you hadn’t been able to solve yet. He was spending more and more time at your apartment but stopped coming over under the guise of fixing things. He started to come over just to hang out, to watch TV or to go for a walk. He’d even invited you over to his apartment. The once bare room was now full of furniture, the walls repainted and decked out with paintings and prints. He’d cooked for you, proving himself to be an excellent chef. There were so many things still unspoken between you, but you were happy.

You could still hear him crying through the thin walls though, could still hear the turmoil he faced when the lights went out. You’d sworn you’d heard him say your name at times, his strangled groans as he fought with himself between his lust for you and his undying devotion to the woman he’d married. He was finding it harder to resist you, falling into an anguished cycle of dreaming about your touch, and punishing himself for thinking about another woman. You had slotted so nicely into his new life, the woman who had brought him back from the dead. He wanted to repay you for everything you’d done for him, but how could he when you didn’t know how much you’d saved him?

He was stacking shelves at work when you arrived, basket in hand as you did your weekly shop. You both smiled when you saw each other, In-Ho offering a small wave as he added another loaf of bread to the shelf. “Poor man,” an old lady tutted next to you. “Such a shame.” “I’m sorry?” you asked, looking at the wizened figure next to you, her head shaking as she watched In-Ho. “His wife died,” she explained, “liver failure. Killed her and their baby. It almost killed him.” You stared open-mouthed as she walked off, leaving you shellshocked. If it was true, it would explain so much about the man you’d come to care for so deeply. You had to force your feet to move you around the store, filling your basket in sickening silence as your mind reeled.

You couldn’t bring yourself to ask In-Ho about it, to ask whether his family had been so cruelly taken from him. it just wasn’t something you could casually slide into a conversation. You found it hard to concentrate at your next dinner, trying and failing to feign laughter at a story you hadn’t even heard him telling. All you could you see was a man whose family had been ripped from him. You wanted to hold his hand, to tell him everything would be ok. You’d spent so long thinking about whether your relationship would become something more than a friendship, and now you understood why it hadn’t.

Hwang In-Ho sensed the change in you, saw the pity in your eyes. Someone must have told you, must have tipped you off about his broken past. He knew it was Mrs Park. That old bat had never been able to resist gossip. He didn’t want to lose you, didn't want to risk you pulling away. he knew he needed to tell you about his past, knew he needed to come clean before you heard anything else. Every day he was finding it harder to remain alone. He was beginning to see a future with you, to see something other than the crushing loneliness he had resigned himself to.

Catching you one night as you entered your apartment, he invited you over for dinner. “You know about my… my wife,” he said, and he watched your eyes plummet to the floor. “Yes, sorry,” you admitted, “it was Mrs Park. You know what she’s like. Can’t resist a bit of gossip.” “I want to explain. There are things…” he didn’t know how to finish the sentence, didn’t know how to encompass his feelings into words. “Please join me for dinner,” he whispered. He hoped the desperation in his voice hadn’t been apparent. He didn’t want you to pity him, he’d spent enough time pitying himself. “Ok,” you smiled, “I’ll see you later.”

When you arrived that evening, In-Ho could feel his hands shaking. He’d prepared a feast, his small apartment filled with the scent of cooking and pine scented candles. You were so beautiful in your burgundy dress, clutching a bottle of wine in your hand as you entered. The dynamic had changed between the two of you yet again, and he was hoping tonight he could steer it in a more positive direction. He’d spent many a sleepless night wrestling with himself. He would always love his wife, but he couldn’t deny the life he wanted with you; the life he hoped you wanted to.

You drank wine, and ate dinner, and laughed as you both relaxed. He’d filled out over the last few months, his taut muscles visible through the fabric of his shirt. His smile and his eyes were a little brighter, and you found yourself getting lost in him as he told you story after story. “I’ve been so alone for such a long time,” he confessed. “I punished myself for something that wasn’t my fault.” He looked you dead in the eyes as he spoke the next words. “I love my wife, very much.” “I know you do,” you smiled sadly. You braced yourself for what was coming next, for the heartbreaking crush of rejection. “But… these last few months, they have meant more to me than you will ever know.” He downed the last of his wine for Dutch courage before continuing. “You have brought me so much joy, you’ve given me a reason to get out of bed every day. I had to keep finding reasons to see you, I had to keep pretending things in your apartment were broken because I didn’t know how else to tell you that I liked your company.” You laughed, your eyes glistening as you watch In-Ho expose his vulnerability. “I love my wife,” he repeated, “but you, I have feelings for you. Feelings I never thought I would feel again. I don’t want to deny myself happiness anymore. My family isn’t coming back, but I would be a fool if I didn’t try and make the best of my life. I’d like to try doing that with you, if you want me.”

Taking a deep breath, you braced your hands on the table. Tears streamed down both of your faces, both of you finding the courage to take the next step. “Yes,” you whispered, your voice hoarse with tears. “Yes, I’d like that.” In-Ho laughed, a sound that came from deep within his belly. He stood, pulling you from your chair and into his chest. He smelled of fresh shampoo and cologne, his breath warm on your face as you looked into other’s eyes. Brushing your lips against his, you couldn’t deny the electricity between you. it had been bubbling for so long, from the moment you had turned up soaking wet on his doorstep. Your lips met once more, harder this time, more sure of yourselves. His hands snaked up your shoulders, his fingers coming to rest on the back your next. You tasted like Merlot and shea butter, and In-Ho couldn’t deny himself anymore.

He made love to you on his sofa, your bodies pressed together on the tiny 2-seater. Every atom of his body burned for you, your moans spurring him on as he explored you. He’d spent so many nights wondering how it would feel to be inside you, but nothing compared to the reality. You were so soft, so warm, and you fit so perfectly against him. It was like you had been made just for him. He held you as the sun came up, his fingers tracing sweet, delicate circles over your nipples. You could taste yourself on his tongue, your body still tingling from the pleasure he’d inflicted. You didn’t want to part, didn’t want to head back to the emptiness of your apartment, but you had to get to work. “When can I see you again?” He asked, pulling you in for one last kiss. “Tonight?” you smiled, brushing the tip of your nose against his as you leaned further into his arms. “I’ll be counting down the minutes,” he whispered, watching you disappear into your apartment.

For the first time in over three years, In-Ho felt weightless. He whistled as he showered, hummed to the radio as he prepared breakfast. He’d taken a huge step last night, one he never thought he’d be ready for. He heart would always hold love for his wife and child, but now it had space for you too.

[artist-issues]

They did a really good job with Shadow in this game.

They got him back to who he was in the first game he appeared in—while adding in how his experiences since his time as a naive test-subject have changed him.

I missed the Redeemed Shadow from the Final Story of SA2. That version of him, those moments where he’s decided very quickly who he is, “I must destroy all the evil the Professor has created!” Or “How are you doing, Sonic?” Or “I’ll take care of this, while you run to get the Chaos Emeralds!”

All the lighthearted confidence in who he is now and what he has to do—all the concern for his comrades who just a second ago he was claiming to be so much better than—all the humility of ‘you get the Emeralds, I’ll hold ‘em off’ and ‘maybe you’re the Ultimate Life Form, Sonic’—I loved that snippet of Shadow we got to see.

Then he falls and “dies,” and from that point on I got treated to angsty I-Don’t-Know-Who-I-Am Shadow. Closely followed by Grimly-Passive-Agressively-Duty-Bound Shadow.

No more humbly completing a mission for the good of others. Very little demonstrative concern for others. No more compliments to comrades. Made me sad.

But you know what, it made sense. Because even though he’s learned that he’s supposed to be living for others, he doesn’t get to have his family. So that’s sad. He essentially has to live for people he doesn’t feel close to. Add on top of that the Dark Side, the fact that a sadistic race of monsters is in his blood, and of course he’d be bitter.

But in this game Maria speaks directly to Shadow who’s been through all that. All that garbage with the Black Arms, all that garbage with almost destroying the world himself out of revenge—Maria talks to that Shadow and reminds him of who he is.

So now he has anger and he has reason to be detached, and bitter…but he’s also been reminded to choose not to be detached and bitter.

That’s a much more fleshed-out character than I thought SEGA would develop him into, after everything

[leahsgf]

MAMMY'S GIRL - mcfoord

mcfoord x child!reader | a snippet of a chaotic travel day

“don’t run too fast now kid, stay with me.” your auntie teyah huffed, gripping onto the reins attached to your beloved ‘special’ backpack for dear life as you charged your way through the airport, with an alarming amount of strength for a just turned three year old - giggling as she visibly struggled to keep up with you.

bringing their toddler on an over twenty hour flight to the other side of the world for one football game was potentially the last thing on earth that your mothers had wanted to do.

however, with both of them being named in the squad for the friendly in australia, and your auntie ella barely being trusted to look after coopurr on her own - here they were.

katie cackled as teyah accepted defeat against you after tripping over her feet one too many times, shaking her head and letting you be scooped up by no other than kyra, who repeatedly threw you in the air and proceeded to chase poor steph most of the way to the gate with you in tow, making you squeal with laughter, and caitlin wince ever so slightly - knowing that after katie flew back to ireland for international break she’d be stuck with this alone.

getting to the plane with everyone in one piece alone felt like a win in their eyes, even as you clambered all over vic and pulled at teyah’s compression leggings (copying exactly what kyra had told you to do) and then dropped alessia’s phone down the side of her seat beyond reach within the first five minutes.

steph had pretty much been following your every move for her little vlog that she was doing, knowing that the fans always loved seeing bits of you and the chaos that ensured, and also - that nobody not present would believe the stories of everything you got up to without video proof.

you toddled behind her as she made her way down the aisle, stopping as you reached your parents.

“c’mere then, my little monster. it’s sleep time for you”

you allowed katie to scoop you up into her arms with no fuss whatsoever, instantly being calmed as she held you to her chest.

and with your dummy being passed over by caitlin, and a featherlight stroke of your cheek - you were out like a light in seconds, bundled in your mother’s arms, and looking so peaceful that it was almost hard to believe how much carnage you'd been causing for the last few hours.

“how do you do it? she was just charging around like she’d never settle - you’re a miracle worker!” steph exclaimed, looking into the camera in complete disbelief at what she’d just witnessed.

“nah, she’s just a mammy’s girl through and through!” katie chuckled, smoothing the back of your mini arsenal jersey as you sprawled out on top of her, praying that the rest of the flight goes this smoothly.

-

this is what i like to call a random little blurb because i had no inspiration to finish it

in the process of setting up a masterlist finally

[cheynovak]

TikTok Trouble

Jensen Ackles x Y/N f/reader girlfriend

English isn't my first language.

Did not proof read, mistakes are possible

This amazing idea/ request is from @deanwinchestersgirl8734

'Hi do you think when you get time you could do a story about Jensen finding out his wife or girlfriend reader was making secret TikTok videos about him and his characters and liking others videos on TikTok lol"

Please do not copy my work. likes/sharing/comments are appreciated

The roaring energy of the convention was intoxicating. Jensen was seated on stage alongside Jared, basking in the enthusiastic chatter of their fans. As the Q&A portion unfolded, Jensen caught snippets of laughter and whispers among the audience that left him curious.

A fan with a devilish grin stepped up to the mic, clutching their phone.

“Hi Jensen, hi Jared!” they beamed. “Okay, this is a little different. So Jensen, have you seen Y/N’s TikToks?"

The question hit Jensen like a freight train. His brows knitted together in confusion, his lips parting slightly. “Her TikToks?" he repeated. "Wait…she’s on TikTok? What…what kind of TikToks?"

Jared burst into laughter beside him, throwing his head back as if he’d been holding in the knowledge for weeks. "Oh, man, you haven’t seen them? Dude, they’re hilarious!"

Jensen’s ears flushed a faint shade of red as the fan’s grin widened.

“Um, so Y/N has been making these really fun videos about you and your characters. And also…she, uh, likes edits and stuff that people make of you. She even…” The fan trailed off with a giggle, holding their phone up. “Want me to show you one?”

Jensen leaned forward with intrigue. “You better show me now, because clearly, I’m the last to know!”

The fan swiped through their phone and played a video. On the screen, there was Y/N, subtly filming from the corner of the makeup trailer. Jensen was seated in the chair, half in-character, as the crew styled his hair.

The camera then panned dramatically to him. She overlaid a dog ear and tongue filter and captioned it with: “Who's mommy's good boy, you are! Yeah you are!"

Followed by a video of him in a hydrating mask. "Babe... What are you doing." Jensen asks jokingly "I'm batman."

"Of course babe... I support you!"

The crowd roared with laughter while Jensen’s jaw dropped. He let out a strangled laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. “Oh my God, that woman! That…that sneaky…”

Jared, not helping in the slightest, chimed in. “Oh, wait, the best one's coming. Show him the Walker one!”

The fan gleefully skipped to another video. It was Y/N’s most recent post: on the set of Walker, where Jensen had been directing. The video began with a close-up of Jared leaning casually against a truck, all smoldering Texan charm.

“Hot damn!" Y/N narrated jokingly. Jared turned his head, raising an eyebrow, clearly aware of the filming. With a playful grin and exaggerated Texan drawl, he said, “Want to hop in my truck for a ride, sugar?”

Y/N’s laugh echoed through the video as she turned the camera so she could join in. “Hmm, I don’t know, Jared," she teased, tilting her phone to capture more of his smirk. “Think your truck can handle all this?”

Jared leaned closer to her and the camera, his grin widening. “Darlin’, my truck’s seen plenty of rough rides, but you might just be the challenge it’s been waiting for.”

The audience erupted in cheers and laughter, completely eating up the playful banter. Y/N’s laugh rang out in the video again as she panned the camera away from Jared, who was still smirking behind her.

“Nah, I’m saving my ride for that man," she quipped, and the camera panned dramatically over to Jensen, looking sharp as ever in his cowboy attire. As she got closer to him, she joked, “Save a horse, I’ll ride that cowboy," and winked at the camera.

Jensen groaned, burying his face in his hands as Jared cackled beside him. The audience was in hysterics.

“Oh my God, she’s going to be the death of me,” Jensen said, voice muffled from his hands.

“Nah, you love it,” Jared teased, clapping his shoulder. “Just admit it—she’s out there making sure you’re appreciated by the entire internet.”

Jensen straightened, his eyes glittering with a mix of amusement and faux indignation. “Yeah, well, I guess I need to have a talk with my girlfriend about sneaking around on set with her phone.”

The fan couldn’t resist adding, "She’s basically your biggest fan, though! You can’t be mad!"

Jensen smirked, folding his arms. “Oh, I’m not mad. But let’s just say, if she’s going to film me…she better be ready for some payback.”

The fans erupted in cheers, already anticipating the behind-the-scenes TikTok war that was bound to ensue.

--

Taglist -> Click here to add

@jackles010378 @libby99hb @winchesterwild78 @suckitands33 @mostlymarvelgirl @deans-baby-momma @ancles @tulipsvanilla

@thesilmarillionblog @jays-bonnie-on-the-side @kr804573 @kamisobsessed @hobby27 @globetrotter28 @kindollss

@muhahaha303 @shadysoulangel @lyarr24 @spxideyver @impala67rollingthroughtown @panickedbitch @deansimpalababy

@livya99 @yvonneeeee @ladykitana90 @stoneyggirl2 @imsiriuslyreal @panickedbitch @roseblue373 @n-o-p-e-never

@ariasong11 @lmpala1967 @sherlockstrangewolf

[muffinsin]

I just had a thought, how would the Dimitrescu sisters react to being pulled by the choker during fun time 🤭

Haha this is a fun one!👀 Some HCs and a snippet coming your way!👀 slowly tryina work through my writer’s block and write on anything else but my story haha

Let’s get into it🙌

Masterlists

Bela

In all her time, she’s just rarely been in a situation where she was even remotely manhandled in bed

No hair pulling, no pulling her, no pushing, not even as guiding touches

Now, to be fair, she isn’t the most sexual person outside of a relationship anyway, though, being far too busy with her work

You can’t help but think of it, though

She wears her collar, always, and often even adorns it with a second necklace

You find yourself wondering about moving her by it, occasionally

Hooking your finger underneath it, tugging it forwards

You wonder, would she follow?

Would her beautiful, golden eyes go wide?

Would she gasp in surprise?

Would she snarl, protecting this particular choker fiercely?

Would she do nothing at all?

Be entirely unfazed by it?

Still, you’re curious

And when you kiss her and cup the back of her head or neck, and when you guide her along with you…

You can’t help but wonder about moving your fingers to her choker, instead

Then, one day, you decide to dare try it

You moan as you feel her lips move against yours, so full, so soft, so perfect. Her body’s by yours, though not as flush against you as you’d like it to be. You find, this is the perfect opportunity to have some fun.

She merely hums as she feels your hand slide up her body, from her slim hips past her breasts, at first. The faint touch has her shiver, her back arching just slightly, as though it’s her very body wanting to get closer to yours.

Then, you reach her shoulders, feminine and soft, but strong in their own way. You trace them for a moment, then gently raise your hands to her neck.

She only keeps on moaning, humming, the sound a soft vibration against your lips.

You decide, now’s as good a time as any.

“Ha-Ah!”, she squeaks when you suddenly tug her forwards by her collar, a single finger hooked under, enough to move her in this state. Your eyes are wide, just as hers are, and you can’t help but giggle when you see the fierce blush that so quickly overtakes her normally so pale cheeks. She’s a little closer to you now and- it seems- rendered completely speechless.

Her lips part multiple times, but no words seem to form. When you tug at her choker again, pulling her completely flush against you, you hear it at last; a breathy, loud moan that comes with even more shade to her already warm cheeks.

You raise your eyebrow, but cut her off with your lips just when she’s about to speak, likely hoping to come up with some excuse.

You notice another thing, though; her cute, short breaths against your lips, her little moans and gasps. Her eyes are closed again, but her body language has changed.

You confirm this so very easily when you push your tongue in her mouth, drawing more moans from her. Unlike before, her tongue now no longer battles for dominance, but slides against yours eagerly, whereas she parts her lips a little more, too.

You hum, curious; it seems, tugging her by her choker is enough to coax your headstrong, beautiful girlfriend in a more submissive state.

You can work with that…

Cassandra

It’s no surprise that Cassandra has never been touched overly much

As a predator in just about every way, none would dare get too close

And even you, her trusting and loving partner, know for a fact it isn't the best idea to reach towards her choker

Or more specifically, her throat

A sensitive, vulnerable part of her body. One any predator, including her, would see to protecting

And still, you can't help but fantasise at times

Wondering what her reaction would be if you just looped a finger or two by her choker, if you gave it a bit of a tug

The most you've tugged her is when you guided her by her hips, so far

But her choker...you can't help but admire how it clings to her smooth, sensitive throat

You can't rid yourself of the dirty fantasies, of tugging her by it while she's on her hands and knees, crawling to you

Both of you...naked...on the bed

You squirm whenever you think of it for a little too long

You know, it's foolish to think of this, too

That she does not take kindly to you even touching her throat for too long, having to actively go against her instinct to shrug you away

Even as she squirms and moans so breathily and beautifully when you suck at her throat...

And still, you cannot stop giving into the thought over and over again, when you lay in bed below her, your arms wrapped around her, your eyes finding the choker easily. She always wears it, after all

You decide, you must try it

Of course, you are no fool. Despite how you want your actions today to be a surprise, you did warn her and ask for her permission to move your hands to her throat. You know, doing so out of nowhere with no warning would likely cause her to swarm away automatically in the best case, or swipe at your hands with sharp, claw-like nails in a worse scenario.

You hum as you watch her undress, her body, smooth and strong and pale, slowly revealed to you. Her dark hair, so beautiful as it falls from her shoulders and to her upper arms.

You lick your lips at the sight, feel a familiar light sensation at your stomach. She's beautiful, seducing. You're happy to be seduced.

Then, your eyes find the choker again. You've never quite approached topics that have her be in extreme submissive situations, never even mentioned a possibility in which she might wear things like chokers and collars and leashes, another way for you to tug her to you.

You can certainly make do with the choker, if only to sate your curiosity regarding her reaction. You're sure, it varies depending on her mood, and wonder whether she feels dominant, or more submissive today, which is rather rare.

Licking your lips, you move closer towards her, your hand raising to her cheek first. She doesn't flinch from your touch as she used to in the beginning, so adorably unused to human touch, and leans into it almost greedily.

You hiss when she parts her lips and her sharp, fang-like tooth slices against your hand, but find yourself moaning soon when her lips wrap over the cut, her tongue dragging against it, eager for blood.

She usually tastes you at least once, her eyes wide, the dark gold a beautiful sight. You know, only you get to see her like this, and it is only you who gets to touch her, too.

Only you, who she trusts.

And it is this touch that has her stay still even when your free hand moves towards her neck. Of course, she's aware of it, even as she acts like she doesn't notice the movement.

Ah, but you see it.

You see how her dark golden eyes flicker towards your hand for a moment, feel and watch her tense up momentarily, then relax, as though urging her to ignore her natural instinct to keep areas like her throat, back and stomach safe.

She knows, you won't hurt her.

And as such, even when your finger hooks under her choker necklace, she does not move, trusts you to be careful.

And you are, even as you tug her forwards.

And momentarily, you feel your own cheeks heating up when the cutest squeak comes from her.

In all your time with her you've rarely been able to really surprise her, if ever. This certainly did, and the squeak it earned you is enough to make you laugh loudly, giggling to yourself while she grumbles, her flies buzzing in irritation as she finds herself flush against you.

Alas, her frustration does not last, not when you tug her close again, her lips and nose brushing right against your throat, now.

An invitation.

Daniela

Unlike her sisters, Daniela is no stranger to being collared, nor leashed occasionally

She’s experimental, really

And you found; on certain days, she quite enjoys it, even

She’ll be content, humming and moaning below you, her lips lazily moving against yours, the collar snug around her throat

And still, none of the collars she wears are quite like her choker necklace

She wears it always, save for the times she has a proper collar on

And you can’t help but wonder what her reaction would be to be tugged by that

Daniela is, generally speaking, very open to being challenged

She’s playful, and trusting

Perhaps a little too trusting, seeing as there is far, far too many maidens at the castle and hunters outside with malicious intent, willing to harm or even kill her

Even between the two of you, she’s trusting

She’s open to trying new things

And she’s especially eager to try new things in bed

As such, you’re not discouraged, per say, to indulge in your curiosity…

Daniela’s cooing and giggling below you, her hands greedily sliding from your hips to your back, warm beneath your shirt. Her own dress is tight, tight enough that it clings to her figure perfectly. And still, you practically smell her arousal, and see it in the flicker in her beautiful, golden eyes.

She hums as she leans up to kiss you, her body soft against the sheets, her dress halfway tugged off, leaving her chest and thighs exposed while it pools by her hips. She didn’t have time to take it off, and you didn’t want to take the time, far too eager to have your hands on your sweet, seductive girlfriend at last after the day you’ve had.

You know; it isn’t her fault she catches so many maidens’ eyes. She is, despite also being the source of some of their fear, stunningly beautiful, naturally flirty, and quite seductive even without trying to be.

Fortunately, she also doesn’t mind when this causes times like now, when you’re a little rougher, holding her a little tighter, like a dragon clutching their treasure to them.

She merely moans below you, melting in your arms, basking in the warmth of your attention and affections.

You’re sucking at her soft jawline and throat when your chin brushes against the choker necklace and just briefly you remember what you’ve been yearning to do for a little time already now.

Daniela only hums when your hand snakes away from hers, even whines a little at the loss of your warm fingers, but stays otherwise quiet.

Her eyes are closed, even when your hand gently caressed her neck, full of love marks already.

She wouldn’t have it any other way, even pouts when they heal far, far too fast and demands you place new ones.

As you lean down to kiss her again, she eagerly parts her lips for you, moaning and giggling in delight occasionally. When you hook a finger under her choker, she doesn’t react, though when you tug it forwards, pulling her a little off the mattress and closer to you, she does squeak in surprise.

“Hey! Stop that!”, she complains, but there’s hardly any heat behind her words.

You giggle when she swats away your hand, then, soon, find yourself humming against her lips, and other body parts.

[ara-the-great]

Savage Kisses

Tw: slightly mentions of gore(?)

(This was originally a snippet from a story I was writing. So i thought why not turn it into Sylus fic.)

You remember when you first realised how much physically stronger Sylus was than you. Of course you knew he was strong but it hadn't really crossed your mind to compare his strength to yours since he was always controlling his strength around you. You didn't know what you expected when he had handed you the package. You had pestered him to let you help him carry the boxes and with much hesitation he had agreed. you had considered youself strong- at least stronger than the ladies your age- and seeing Sylus lift the boxes with ease made you sure that you could help speed along the process. What you didn't consider was the actual weight of the boxes. They were much heavier than they looked - than Sylus had let on. You nearly stumbled trying to pick one of the boxes up.

"Are you sure you want to do this sweetie? I would want you to break your back, at least not like this" Sylus 's brow had furrowed and his brown eyes gleaming with worry and mischief while his hands carried two boxes with ease. He didn't even break a sweat.

Your eyes had strayed to his arms peaking from underneath his folded sleeves. And only one word thing crossed your mind- strength.

And that's all you could think of now. Snug in those very same arms. He held you with such tenderness that it shook you. You wanted more. You wanted wanted to be closer to him, even though you was flush against his body. You could feel each cord of muscle running through him, winding around his bones like the roots of an ancient tree. They were warm, they were close but both of them seeked more. While Sylus feared that he might mistakenly hurt you- treating you like a rose made of thin iridecent frost, you wanted nothing more than to let Sylus rip into you chest and take his place beside you beating heart. You could feel his heart mirroring yous -hammering in his chest right beneath you palms. Just a bit more and you could hold it in you hands. A little more and sh-

"Y/N" with the tender call of you name you looked up at him. He was nothing but tender love and adoration at that moment yet when you looked at him, he looked as if he himself would break apart in the way he restrained himself. They were close enough to feel the the other one's breath fan across thier face. Like some heady drug their heads were dazed, nothing but instinct guiding them on.

As his eyes flickered to you lips, you leaned forward capturing his lips with you own. Urging him silently to let go of his restraints and control. To lose himself. And following you command he did. Like a man dying of thirst, he drank down every single bit of you. The desperation in the way he held you was clear as day. From the way he cradled the back of you head to the way he pull you impossibly close by you lower back. Both of them would either be incapable of feeling or lying to themselves if they had not felt how their veins seemed to be carrying molten lava along it. How each of them has no thoughts in their head except for the other. How all they now felt was the spark from eachothers skin. He swallowed each and every sound you had relinquished to him and heeded every tug you gave. They were a formidable clash of tongue and teeth. Fighting- no, dancing in unison.

you had steadied yourself by grasping his arms, your nails digging in to them in the process. But that didn't deter him, instead it ushered him further, just like you intended. You wanted to consume him whole and you intended to let him do the same.

"Sylus " you called out breathlessly, breaking off the kiss which felt nothing short of being electrocuted and drowned at the same time. You peered up at his eyes, dark, unmoving from you own. It felt like that little tint of red he had in his eyes was swallowed up entirely by darkness- by need. He leaned closer again but instead of you lips he set a kiss on you forehead. You whispered a silent prayer to the heavens for you knew you would not survive long if this man were to love you. Though you was athletic, you heart had never beat so fast. It felt as if it would explode to a million pieces Infront of him.

"You terrify me." He whispered his confession breathlessly by pressing his forehead on yous. "I have never felt so much, and yet felt so helpless. You terrify me Y/N . I fear I become nothing short of a beast at your command. You have my heart in one hand and my mind on the other. You have shaken me to my core. And you have made me loose any sense of sanity for all my thoughts are filled with you.... Look what have you done to me" he bought up a shaking hand to you fluyoud cheeks to caress it. "Y/n what have you done to me?" He smiled

[gothamhappiness]

Being in a relationship with Bruce Wayne: a journey - Your new family (Part VI)

It's a big series about an afab!reader who doesn't like Bruce Wayne and who still falls in love with him (he fells quicker and harder)

Reader's origin story // Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4 // Part 5

Warnings: no proof reading, mentions of stress, not a lot of plot here but little snippets of moments with all the kids

You were a little bit stressed out to meet all of Bruce’s children but you also felt like it was going to be alright. Jason was there, always by your side. Dick and Tim liked you and they had said only good things about you to the others. Especially Dick, because he was well aware that Jason wouldn’t agree to spend time with him again without you. The fact Bruce was much nicer since you were together was also working in your favour. Alfred was approving of you too and he had personally asked all of the children to treat you well.

The children were also aware that Bruce would be very unhappy and disappointed with them all if things didn’t go well. It was obviously very important for him.

At first, everyone was a little bit silent and awkward. It was the first time a civilian was introduced to the whole family. And technically, they already knew a lot about you without knowing you, so they weren’t too sure how to act around you. They didn’t want to scare you off by showing they made research about you… and stalked you.

After a little while, you gently teased them all, saying that for vigilantes they were quite shy. It quickly put them at ease.

Things went actually a lot better than you thought and you could tell no one really believed you would that easily get along with the family. You felt Bruce relaxing through the dinner, his hand on your thigh under the table. His warmth helped you feel safer around everyone as well.

Soon enough they all were chatting around and asking you questions. It was a true interrogation but you didn’t mind. For once, you were the one answering questions and not the other way around. It was fun.

Damian was the only silent one. He wasn’t too sure how to deal with you. He didn’t need you. He wasn’t used to seeing his father around someone. He wasn’t too certain how to react when his father kissed the back of your hand with such love shining in his eyes. 

You noticed his uncertainty but you weren’t too worried about it. You knew you were fitting just right in there. You had never felt like that before, or just with your grandma. It was a nice change in your life. And you were really eager to start spending some time with all of them, like you were doing with Jason already.

You went to concerts with Dick. He wanted to go to those classic piano concerts but no one was eager to follow him. He had asked you, half certain you would politely decline his offer. But on the contrary, you had been more than happy to agree to come with him. Your eagerness warmed his heart. It had been a long time he hadn’t had a motherly figure in his life, and he knew you were fitting perfectly. Since then, whenever one of you wanted to go to a concert - no matter what kind - you had to go together. It was your thing. None of you went to so many concerts before, but it was a pretext to spend time together. You talked a lot before the concerts too and Dick could only agree with Jason: you were easy to talk to.

You played video games with Tim. You were waiting for Bruce to come back from patrol one night and you were bored out of your mind. You found Tim playing in the living room. At first, you just asked him if you could hang around. He agreed without thinking much of it, before offering you to play with him. He needed another player and no one else was around at that time. It appeared you were a gamer and you enjoyed fighting against one other. But you enjoyed working together on co-op games even more. You spent a lot of evenings with Tim on the couch, screaming together when you were losing or winning. Everyone knew better than to annoy the two of you when you were gaming.

You watched movies with Stephanie. Stephanie was clearly not too certain how to be around you. Things weren’t always easy with Bruce and after the way her parents betrayed her, she felt like she couldn’t trust adults any longer. But Jason loved you so much that she thought she could give you a chance. Watching movies allowed the two of you to bond, without having to interact too much at first. Then you started to talk a lot about what you just saw, and then about everything else. Watching movies snuggled up against you started to become Stephanie’s comfort zone and you were more than happy to give her that. Even though you were a tease, you never said anything when she fell asleep on you.

You took dancing lessons with Cassandra. It was clear the girl was a classic dancer; she was really amazing to watch. You loved to dance too, even though you never really took any kind of lessons, so you thought it would be a nice activity to do together. Cass instantly agreed. It allowed her to observe you and your body language. She had more fun than she thought, and she offered to keep going dancing together. You improved a lot thanks to her help and she liked to discover other kinds of dances thanks to you. You also came to watch her repetitions and her representations. She started to always look for you in the spectators, happy to be taken care of that way. 

You did puzzles with Duke. You started to spend a lot more time at the manor, even when Bruce wasn’t around. You were currently doing a mind game on the living room table as Duke went by. You started to chat around and you saw Duke was quite eager to play with you, so you invited him to settle by your side. Once you were done, he looked for a puzzle he hadn’t finished yet so you could do it together. When the weather was pretty bad in Gotham, you quite liked to get some hot cacao and to do puzzles with Duke. Because you both were pretty good with puzzles, you had to always find more challenging ones. Looking for them was also part of the fun.

For Damian, things were a little bit more difficult, as he made it clear, he had no interest in spending time with you. It hurt you a little more than you wanted to admit but didn’t say anything at first. You eventually went to an animal care centre open to the public with Damian and Bruce. Bruce offered for you to come with the two of them so his son could get used to your presence. He had noticed he was the only one who was avoiding you. Damian stayed cold to you for a long time, eyeing his father holding your hand with a frown until you let go of Bruce’s hand to come closer to the lions. You really loved the animals and Damian thought you couldn’t be that bad then. That evening, Alfred the cat fell asleep on your lap, so Damian started to be more polite to you. It was the first step. You started to bond over taking care of his pets.

You also met Barbara, Kate, Luke and Lucius. 

Kate and you instantly became friends because you were seeing things quite similarly. You also loved to tease everyone together. You had a real complicity between the two of you, and you often hang out together just for the sake of being together. And annoying everyone.

Barbara needed some time to trust you but she could tell you were a good addition to the family. She slowly warmed up to you. You didn’t take it personally and you showed a lot of patience. You were happy to be part of this group of amazing people, and Barbara couldn’t deny how kind you were to all of them.

Luke trusted Duke’s approval of you. You talked a lot around a drink in a bar in Gotham after Dick invited everyone for his birthday. You asked him questions about the army and the way veterans were taken care of. You promised him to do an article about it, which touched Luke a lot.

Lucius and you enjoyed talking together, as ones of the only civilians of the family, with Alfred. For Lucius, it was quite refreshing to be able to discuss with someone who was also shaking their head at the Batfamily’s antics. Lucius quickly saw how much of a good asset you could be for Wayne Enterprises as well and he hoped that at some point you would agree to help Bruce with it.

As months went by, you started to all know each other a lot more. And to start to love one another quite fiercely. You were their Batmon. You got confirmation of it when the children playfully and yet tenderly brought you a bracelet with the bat logo on it. You swore to always wear it.

--

PART 7

--

Taglist for all my work <3

@blublock404

@wind-canoe

@silverklaus

@couldeatthatgirlforlunch

Taglist for Bruce Wayne <3

@alishii

Taglist for this series <3

@Esposadomd

@moraxussy

@resident-cryptid

@legendarypiratecheesecake

@randomnamedmira

@elleclairez

[moonlitcelestial]

Chapter 19

Beyond the Lens - Logbook Videographer!Reader x OT8 Ateez

W/C 16,739 

🎥 Series Masterlist 🎥

☽ Masterlist ☾ 

Inspiration Pictures

Pinterest Board Masterlist

Previous Chapter (Chapter 18)

Disclaimer: This story is purely a work of fiction. It is not meant to assume or mock anything about Ateez, Atiny, or anything relating to what I do not know about being a videographer. This story will follow several of the events that Ateez has done in the past year for Golden Hour Part 2, that being said I will not be able to include everything. 

Contains she/her pronouns.

The logo in the center is mine. Please do not reuse or copy.

I strongly recommend looking at the inspiration pictures and the Pinterest boards linked above (which will be updating as the story goes on).

General Warnings: slow burn, cussing, conflict, angst, fluff, and obliviousness. 

CHAPTER WARNINGS - A little bit of embarrassment, CUTENESS (that will give you aggression)

Author's notes - Long chapter, new nickname drop, trying something new, and special guests!! You are in for an exciting chapter!! Shout out to @breadedloafs for one of the cute snippets!! Let me know what you think! <3 Moonie

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

You woke up the next morning in San’s embrace. In the night you must have shifted because now your back was to Yeosang who was clutching you tightly and you were buried in San’s chest. Both of them were absolutely dead to the world and you didn't want to disturb them by getting up. You laid there for a few minutes before your alarm went off which startled the two men out of their deep sleep. As quickly as you could you grabbed your phone to turn off the alarm. Reaching back up you also grabbed your glasses and put them on your face. The two of them settled back against you and murmured their good mornings. You smiled at their sleepy deep voices. 

“Loves, I have to get up and get around for the day” you said quietly, the both of them squeezed you tighter and didn't let you move an inch. 

“Just a couple more minutes?” You sighed against San’s chest and agreed to Yeosang’s plea. A few minutes later you heard someone shuffling around in the hallway. Picking your head up you saw Wooyoung standing in the doorway. He smiled at you and approached the bed. 

“Youngie, will you trade with me so I can go get ready for the day?” He nodded and helped you separate yourself from the two that were trapping you. As soon as you were up and away from the two of them Wooyoung slipped into your place. Immediately San and Yeosang curled up tightly with him in the middle. 

“Go back to sleep sweetheart,” you reached down and ran your hand over Wooyoung’s hair before reaching over his head and handing him Wooyonyang. He smiled sleepily at you and closed his eyes, tucking his baby under his chin. You moved toward your closet with quiet efficiency. Grabbing one of your long skirts with a slit up the leg and your flowy sun and moon shirt you made your way over to your bathroom. You turned to look at the boys curled up on your bed with a smile before closing the door. Making your way through your morning routine you turned on the shower and did a full body care day. As soon as you were finished you did your skin care routine and got dressed. Deciding you wanted to be a little extra you applied some light makeup to suit your features. Once you finished that routine you peeked through the door and saw that the boys were still asleep on the bed. You tiptoed across the room and out the door.

When you made it to the kitchen you gathered some of the things you could to make some smoothies for the boys to wake up to. Knowing how loud the damn blender is it would be best to just go down into the basement to do it. If you did that you would also be able to listen to some music as you got ready for the day. Grabbing most of the fruits and some vegetables you made your way down the stairs. Thankfully for you the giants weren't running around quite yet so you didn't have to worry about getting your ass knocked over again. 

A little while later you had prepared several kinds of smoothies for the boys. You had a faint idea of what they might like but you made several variations just in case. Just as you were about to walk back up the stairs you heard someone coming down. Jongho appeared at the base of the stairs. He must have been up for a little while because his hair was damp like he took a shower. 

“Good morning Jjong, I've got several smoothies if you want one for breakfast.” He greeted you, gave you a gummy smile and made his way over. You gave him the general run down of what each of them was, he gently took one of them and tried it. If his hum was anything to go by he liked it. Just as he was about to take another sip of the drink the song playing over the speakers changed. (listen to it as you read, it'll make the next bit so much better)

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

The first thing I heard was the music coming from the basement. Letting curiosity get the best of me I peeked down the stairs and heard Jongho singing. Taking a few more cautious steps I was met with the most heartwarming sight. Jongho was dancing in the middle of the basement floor with Y/n. They both were staring at each other like the other hung the stars; a rare moment of vulnerability from him. 

Pulling out my phone I silently hit the record button and set it down where they couldn’t see it but it could see them. After getting it settled like an absolute ninja I took a seat just at the bend of the stairs. Peeking my head around the corner I watched them silently. The two of them moved in simple harmony with Jongho taking the lead. Her beautiful hair was slightly swaying and her eyes were sparkling with something akin to awe as he sang to her. In the quiet moments is when Jongho tends to shine; and be the most romantic. He may put off being a tough person but in reality he is so kind and attentive. The two of them fit so well together, like something out of a movie. Their smiles were both shining as they looked at each other. These moments are the heart of the love we shared. Being able to share that with her is going to be one of the most rewarding things in life.

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

Jongho paused mid-motion, his eyes turned distant as if he was internally debating something. Your eyes widened as he looked up at you while setting down his drink and holding his hand out to you. You took his outstretched hand and he pulled you out to the middle of the basement floor. He gently settled your hand on his shoulder and took your other one in his. His other hand settled itself in the middle of your lower back and he pulled you closer as he started slowly swaying in time with the song. The smell of orange blossoms and jasmine with something else wafted over you as he pulled you close. He started to softly sing to you as you swayed together. His eyes held yours the entire time, there was an intensity behind them but not the normal intensity you saw from him; it was something softer.  This was the first time you got the opportunity to study him up close. His beautiful lips as they formed each syllable; the soft skin that just barely had laughing lines surrounding his eyes and mouth. Your eyes trailed back up to his, the brown of his eyes was like a rich black coffee and the lights made them twinkle. They were calm but held adoration within their depths. 

This was the Jongho you hadn't seen very often; one that you hoped you would see more. His voice was carrying across the basement and it sounded absolutely angelic. You couldn't stop the smile that split across your face as he kept singing to you and leading you around in a small circle with the melody of the song. As it came to an end you expected him to pull away from you; he just watched you without saying a word. You leaned your head against his shoulder and after a moment’s hesitation he set his head on top of yours. The music you were once focused on faded into the background, a mere memory from the present you basked in with him. The both of you just stood there in the middle of the basement for a few minutes. Your hand was still intertwined with his, he held you with a firm but gentle touch. You pulled your head away from his shoulder and looked at him. 

“Your voice is absolutely breathtaking, I could listen to you sing all day.” He smiled fully at you before leaning in and capturing your lips. You froze, the initial shock wore off quickly as you closed your eyes and melted into his warmth. His lips moved in perfect sync with yours as he leaned back into you. He let go of your hand and brought it to rest between your shoulder blades. You brought the hand he just released behind his head to run your fingers through his slightly damp hair. The kiss was blissfully intense. He had you tilted back just slightly but was supporting you fully. Your stomach and heart were fluttering all over the place as he held you as close to him as he could. He separated himself from you and immediately moved to hide himself in your neck. You could feel the heat radiating from his face and saw the red tips of his ears. Someone  approached down the steps and you saw Hongjoong with his cute bed head. He raised his eyebrows at you and Jongho which you smiled bashfully at. Shaking his head he walked past the two of you and to the bar where the several colorful smoothies were. 

“They are for everyone, you can try them all if you want. As long as you have something on your stomach I don't care.” Just as you started speaking Jongho had pulled away from you to move over to his smoothie before Hongjoong got a hold of it. You missed the warmth of him already. 

“You look beautiful by the way,” Hongjoong said between sips of the smoothie he chose. “Are you doing anything special today?” 

“Thank you Joongie, I kinda just wanted to look nice. But, I also need to do some last minute birthday party shopping. Maybe a day out on the town with the team too, two birds one stone y'know.” He nodded and the both of them watched you as you walked over to your smoothie behind the bar. You grabbed your phone and paused your music and shot off a message to the team.

Once you had the drink you walked over to Hongjoong and started trying to fix his bedhead with the hand you had available. He closed his eyes and let you mess with his hair until you were satisfied that it looked halfway decent. Once you stepped away he smiled at you, one of his absolutely disarming smiles. You returned it and took another sip of your drink. 

“Yah you fluffy little monster where is your mom?” As soon as you heard Wooyoung ask one of the giants that you snorted and the smoothie almost came out of your nose. Hongjoong watched you with wide eyes and moved to rub your back while trying to hold back his own laughter.

“Hyung we are down here,” Jongho responded between quiet giggles. Quick footsteps made their way down the stairs. Wooyoung appeared with a large smile and a curious look at you. Holding up your hand you signaled for him to wait a second.

“Which one is the fluffy little monster?” Wooyoung bit his lip and looked at the other two who were smiling at him. He raised his hand and ran it across the back of his neck before muttering a curse at himself. 

“It was Toothless, I didn't think you would hear that, that's why I asked him.” The three of you standing in front of the bar burst into laughter at the response. There was red moving down his face and neck the longer he stood there. Hongjoong had grabbed a hold of your arm to steady himself. Jongho was leaning heavily on the bartop. 

“Aish,” Wooyoung muttered before passing you and grabbing one of the smoothies. Shortly after San and Yeosang made their way down the stairs hand in hand. The both of them looked happy as could be as they greeted the room. The after shower glow was still lingering on their skin. Yeosang and San both approached you and gave you twin kisses on both of your cheeks. You felt your face flush and tried to hide your smile at the simple affection. 

“Sannie the strawberry smoothie is the one on the far side of the bar if you want it. Sangie, you're welcome to any one of them, they are all different flavors.” They both nodded and moved to grab one. 

About thirty minutes passed and you were chatting with the group of boys before an alarm went off. Everyone’s eyes fell to Hongjoong who was turning off the alarm. 

“We need to get to KQ for our schedule.” Whines echoed around the room from the other boys. You chuckled at them and their pouting faces, you were the first one to get up and put your glass into the small sink. As soon as you started moving the rest of them did; not without complaints though. You moved up the stairs and saw Beans stretched out on the floor in the middle of the living room in a ray of sunlight. Making your way over to her you ran your hand over her back, specifically making sure to avoid her stomach, but it still earned you a small smack to the back of your hand. 

“Don’t be mean,” you huffed walking away from her and to the mudroom to put on your shoes. You settled on the small bench and started putting on one of your favorite pairs of shitkickers. 

“Yah! Don’t swing at me you menace! How dare you!” A chorus of laughter followed Wooyoung’s yelling. You peeked around the corner to see him messing with Beans. She was happily half assed swinging at him while he tried to scratch her belly.

“You fell for the oldest trick in the book Woo.” He turned to look at you and smirked then started sauntering over to you. When he made it to you he tilted his head at you and grinned before placing a chaste kiss on your lips. Your eyes widened just lightly as he walked away from you and into the mudroom. Hongjoong approached next and squeezed your hand as he walked past. Turning into the room you watched as he surveyed the select few hats you had on the hat rack. He plucked the wide brimmed hat that was on top of everything and approached you. You were smiling at him as he approached, he gently took your hand and led you to sit down on the bench. 

“Stay there.” You nodded at him and he stepped away from you to walk up the stairs. Seonghwa came into the mud room next and looked curiously at you. 

“He told me to stay here, I dunno what he is up to but I would rather listen than incur his captain scolding,” he snickered at you and placed a kiss on your head before grabbing his shoes and sitting next to you. Wooyoung dramatically plopped on the other side of you and laid his head on your shoulder. 

“I could stay here forever, it's so nice.” You leaned your head on his and smiled at the notion that you created a safe space for them. 

“You are all welcome here any time, the door code is the same as the gate code which Sannie has.” He nodded against you. The other boys were shuffling about and some of them had walked out to San’s car to leave their bags in it. Hongjoong appeared a minute later with a couple of bobby-pins and a large grin. He waved Wooyoung off of your shoulder and moved to stand between your legs. You looked up at him while he gently put the wide brimmed hat on your head and started affixing it with the bobby pins. He was so focused, his tongue was just barely sticking out between his lips as he put the final bobby pin into your hair. Taking a step back he surveyed his handwork, under his gaze you could feel the heat rush to your face. His eyes met yours and a smile spread across his face. 

“There you go, Nae Sarang (My Love).” You stood and turned to look in the mirror that was in one of the hidden cabinets. He had settled the hat more on the back of your head making it look almost like a halo crown. You beamed at him through the reflection. 

“Joongie, this pulls together the outfit so well, I need to come to you for fashion more often.” He attempted to hide the smile that was going to split his face. The apples of his cheeks were turning a cute shade of red at your praise. You turned around, stepped forward to get closer to him and gently leaned down to place a kiss on his cheek. If he could have gotten more red he would have, the smile he was attempting to hide broke out across his face. He couldn't make eye contact with you, just choosing to keep his head down. 

“Y/n-nie. Joongie. We need to get going if we are going to make it on time.” Seonghwa was peeking his head into the mud room. You nodded and stepped into the garage, the rest of the boys that rode with you the other day followed you in. You pushed the garage door opener before stepping up to Aria. Just as the door fully opened you heard a shout of your name. Turning to look who was yelling, Wooyoung, San, Mingi and Yunho approached you. Mingi beckoned you over to which you shook your head at him and approached. Just as soon as you got into range he grabbed you into a tight hug and left you with a peck on the lips. 

“Have a great day Y/n-nie,” he whispered as he pulled away. The other three followed a very similar pattern. Once you knew they were happy with their goodbye you headed back into the garage to get into the car. When you were settled in you smiled at the four in your car and started pulling out of the garage. Along the forty five minute drive Seonghwa’s hand ended up in yours over the center console. You pulled into the KQ parking garage and headed to your normal parking spot. As soon as you had the car in park Seonghwa left a light kiss on your lips. The three in the back settled with kisses on your cheek. You watched as they walked into the building, Yeosang was the last one in and he gave you a small wave before going in. You smiled at him and returned the gesture. 

When he was out of sight you took a minute to yourself. Leaning your head against the steering wheel you let a large smile split across your face. Holy shit. This is real life. You are dating Ateez. A squeal left your lips before you could reign it in. You started celebrating, you were dancing in your car like a maniac but you didn’t have a fuck to give.

 As soon as you recovered you realized that you had to go in to grab your computer bag. You shut off Aria and made your way into the building smiling at some of the people you recognized. Maddox approached you with a smile, you and he had a quiet understanding and a blooming friendship. 

“What's got you all smiley?” You looked at him and grinned wider. 

“I just had a really good past couple of days.” 

He looked you over again with a squint. “Sure,” He dragged out the ending of the word suspiciously, “Either way you're absolutely glowing, it looks good on you.”

“Thanks Maddox,” Eden yelled his name from somewhere behind you. He turned around and when he looked back to you he gave a mock salute before leaving your side. You hadn't even realized that you made it to your KQ office. Stepping into the room you looked over everything, The others must have come to get their things some time before because the room was void of any bags and the Harnesses were hung up on the small rack you had for them. You grabbed your shoulder bag and camera before making your way out the door. As soon as you turned around you caught a glance of Yunho, his eyes met yours and he gave you a wink before returning to whatever he was doing. You chucked at him and made your way back out to your car. 

You made it into the studio and just barely got settled before Aurora burst into the room with one of the largest grins on her face. She was wearing a cute dark blue summer dress with her dark hair in a half up half down style showcasing the blue peekaboo she had underneath. You could really tell what her favorite color was today. 

“Bestie, you have some piping hot tea to spill!” She was nearly shouting as she plopped herself onto the couch next to your desk. Willow and Forrest both appeared in the doorway. Willow was wearing a cute light blue off the shoulder blouse and some ripped skinny jeans. Her hair was braided down one side and the rest of it had been curled with an iron, that must have took her for fucking ever with the mane she had. Forrest was wearing a black tee under a deep green shirt with matching green pants. His copper wolf cut was styled and had a small ponytail. All three of them looked absolutely amazing.   

“Yes, I do but we have expensive things in here and I would rather you not have a big freak out like I know you will in here.” You got up out of your chair and led them to the round table. You sat down and motioned for the rest of them to follow. As soon as they sat down you clasped your hands together in front of you on the table. You started to fiddle with the dragon ring you had on. 

“Girl, it's just us, you don't have to be nervous.” You looked over each of them and couldn't hold back the small smile that spread across your face. 

“As of a couple of days ago I have eight boyfriends.” Right as the words left your mouth Aurora leapt up with a frantic squeal, Willow let out some of the loudest laughter you had heard from her, and Forrest stood up from his seat and lammed his hands on the table in a dramatic motion, “No fucking way!” 

Aurora ran around the table and hauled you up to your feet. You were laughing the entire time as she threw her arms around you and started jumping with you. Willow and Forrest joined in on the hug effectively almost stopping the bouncing. The four of you stood there giggling like little girls hearing the juiciest gossip there ever was. As soon as you separated you wore a bashful smile. 

“Tell us absolutely everything!” Willow sat you back in your seat by the shoulders. When they all sat down and made themselves comfortable you launched into the story of the past two days. Each time you spoke of kissing one of the boys you could feel the heat burning on your face and the butterflies return to your stomach. They always cooed at you and lightly made fun of how red you were. 

“They're all so whipped for you already and you haven't even been together for that long” You glared at Forrest, he was wearing a smug grin while he leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed. 

“They were whipped before they were even dating. This is nothing new.” Shooting your glare to Willow she started laughing at you. Rolling your eyes you slumped into the seat farther.

“Alright, enough of teasing me, I mentioned going to the mall earlier, do we want to go? Aurora I need to at least buy your lunch for the polaroid pictures.” She rolled her eyes at you for even offering but eventually nodded. You all came to an agreement on where you should go and made your way to your car. As soon as you were settled you took off and made your way over to the mall. 

“You guys go ahead, I have to make a call,” they all nodded at you as you pulled out your phone and tapped on the contact name, it took a couple of rings before he picked up with a large smile. 

“Hey, Y/n-nie!” You smiled back at the blonde.

“Hi Lix! I have some interesting questions for you.” He raised his eyebrows. 

“Okay shoot!” 

“First, are you doing anything today? Like any kind of schedule?” 

He shook his head, “nope, we all have the day off, in fact Jinnie and I were about to do some baking. Well more me doing the baking and him stealing bites; but I digress.” You heard Hyunjin’s whine in the background before he popped into the frame. 

“Hi Y/n-nie! Long time no see!” 

“Hi Jinnie! It has been too long, one of these days we need to get together and do lunch or something, I have so many photos you would love!” 

“I’d love that! Also, how is your garden going?” 

“It is doing amazing, lots of the trees are starting to drop fruit, the koi are out in full force this year, and the peonies are absolutely huge; it's quite a sight to behold. I also finally got the fairy lights up in the willow tree! You would love it, it looks like something straight out of a fairy tale.” 

“I might have to come back over and repaint it! I really loved just being out in the middle of nowhere where no one could disturb us while I painted and took pictures.” Felix was just watching Hyunjin talk to you with a lovesick grin on his face. They were such a cute couple. 

“You are welcome any time, just let me know and I can clear my day for you to just come and be yourself in the forest.” 

“Deal!”

“Okay,” you chuckled, it is too easy to wander into a completely different conversation with the fellow artist. “We are totally getting off topic, I have a request for you, if you both are up for it that is.”

“Sounds suspicious but I'm listening,” you let out a laugh as his Australian accent got just a little stronger. 

“So, you know Ateez right?”

“Yeahh?” Both of them tilted their heads at you with furrowed brows.

“So, I’m going to be throwing a surprise birthday party for Yeosang at my house and I was wanting to know if you would be willing to bake him a cake and make some other sweets. We are going to be celebrating tomorrow. I already have some reference pictures for the theme, all I need is a good baker with a little bit of time on his hands.”

“Oh that's so sweet of you! I am totally down for that, I'll need to get some ingredients but other than that I should be able to get them done by the end of the day!”

“Yayy!! Thank you Lix! I'll send you the pictures!”

“Of course! Thank you for thinking of me! I am so happy I can help.” 

“Who wouldn't think of the kindest Aussie baker when they need a cake and sweets. I’m just happy you have the time, I know you and the other kids are crazy busy here recently.”

“Yeah, but we love it. We’ll let you go Noona, I've got some baking to do!” 

You let out a laugh, “Bye Lix and Jinnie, see you soon. Thank you again!” you hung up the call and celebrated, things were falling into place for Yeosang’s birthday. The only thing you needed to do was get the decorations and a gift or two. 

You made your way into the mall and started looking for your team. Walking into the large building you felt like a million bucks. This was the happiest you had been in a long time. 

You were making your way over to one of your most frequented stores for all of your jewelry. On the way you ran into the team, Willow, Forrest, and Aurora were talking and laughing at some of the ridiculous things Aurora pointed out to them. Smiling as you walked over to join them Aurora spotted you immediately and beckoned you over to see what she was pointing at. As soon as you made it over to her you looked in the window, there was a frog butler holding a tray with toilet paper on it. 

“What in the fucking world?” You burst into giggles. Willow and Aurora joined the giggle fest, the three of you sounded like cackling hyenas.

“I have no idea but I kinda want it” You turned to look at Forrest with your eyebrows pinched together while you tried to hold back your laughter. He shrugged his shoulders and started walking off toward your favorite jewelry shop. You followed him into the store and started browsing the many pieces. As you walked around one piece caught your eye. It was something you would have never even fathomed wearing. Behind a glass case was a silver body chain with a moon that would land below your sternum. From the moon there were three chains hanging on either side that would go around your hips. It was stunning, and would go well with the dainty hand chain your Granny got you forever ago. You looked at the price and cringed, it was at the very top of the price range you were comfortable spending on a single piece of jewelry. Maybe another time, you grabbed your phone out of your small bag and took a picture of it and the tag so if you had the opportunity you could come back for it later. 

As you continued to browse around the store another thing caught your eye, this one was more costume jewelry than anything but it was definitely your style. You peered into the case and looked over the ring, it was a set of what looked like vampire or werewolf teeth. Just as you were going to grab someone to inspect the ring closer an employee popped up out of nowhere and grabbed it for you. You thanked the woman standing behind the counter as she handed you the box. It had been carved with such detail you knew you had to have it. You looked at the price and smiled, this was something that you could do, and it was a steal for genuine silver. 

“I'll take it,” you handed her the box and followed her around to the checkout. She had you done and out the door in record time. You bowed to her as you left and walked out to be met with Willow watching as the other two entered a perfume shop. Her nose was too sensitive to go into some of those shops, she would be a sneezing mess by the end of it. You stood next to her and watched as Forrest and Aurora took turns spraying different smells on the small cards. Forrest handed her one and she immediately sniffed it and made one of the most disgusted faces you had seen from her. She held it out and away from her like the damn thing was on fire. Both you and Willow fell into quiet laughter at her reaction. 

Several minutes later they both came out of the store with large grins on their faces, one bag each. Forrest was grinning like a madman and pulled out a small roller of something and handed it to you. As soon as you looked it over you smacked him, maybe a little too hard, on the shoulder. He had bought you the pheromone perfume. 

“You dickhead.” His and Aurora’s responding laughter echoed off the tiles in the large open area. You glared at the two of them before shoving it into your ring bag and walking away. They all muttered behind you and you heard Willow burst into laughter as well. You held your middle finger up above your shoulder as you walked away from them. Following the familiar path you went to one of your comfort stores. As soon as you spotted the Lego store you practically jogged into it to hide away from those loving assholes. They knew you well enough that this would be the first place they would come looking for you. 

You were browsing through the isles around the store, your eyes caught on some small keychains. There was a pair that made a heart and just a little farther past those you saw Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy linked together. You snagged both of them immediately knowing who you would be gifting them to. 

Turning around you looked to see if any of them followed you, not seeing them you started meandering farther into and around the store. As you walked you resisted the urge to buy a second Millennium Falcon to give to Seonghwa; even if he had to keep it at your place. You browsed around and decided to grab the Beauty and the Beast castle; which you had been wanting for a while. Making your way over to the check out you smiled at the young cashier. She recognized you and smiled back, as she was checking you out she asked how everything was going. You stood and spoke with her for a few minutes updating her on what had been happening; as best you could without giving too much away. She told you about her schooling as an engineer and how she was almost done and she was excited to move on to her next adventure; much like you were when you were her age. Another customer approached and you bid her goodbye. 

As you were walking out of the store your phone pinged. You made your way over to a small common area and settled on a chair that was farther away from most of the people. As you were setting down your larger bag Aurora and Willow came out of the store adjacent to you. They sat on either side of you in their own respective chairs. You pulled out your phone and looked at the notification, it was from Captain. As soon as you opened it your jaw dropped and you let out a flabbergasted noise before shutting your phone off and all but throwing it back into the bag in shock. Both of the women next to you looked at you curiously. 

“I will be right back, I need to make a call right quick.” You stood up, set your small bag down in your seat and wandered away. As soon as you got out of earshot you grabbed your phone back out of your bag and called Hongjoong. It took a couple of rings for him to pick up. 

“Hey Shutterbug, what's up?” There was general chatter in the background as he asked. Some of the boys who were with him echoed their greetings loud enough for you to hear. You nearly popped a vein out of your forehead, he was acting like nothing was out of the ordinary. 

“Hi Songbird—“ you took a breath in and out to get your heart under control, “—Is there any particular reason I just got a notification that you sent me a large sum of money?” He chuckled at you.

“I wanted to spoil you.” You rolled your eyes; this man. Some of the chatter in the background stopped. Knowing them, they all gathered closer to Hongjoong and were listening to your conversation.

“I hope you can feel my eyes roll from here.” You muttered under your breath before speaking up “You did not have to send me that much money, or anything at all. I am absolutely fully capable of spending my own money.”

“I know you are, but I wanted to treat you to getting your nails done. Think of it as me helping you get ready for fashion week.” He paused like he was contemplating his next words very carefully. 

“Just let me spoil you” his voice was almost pleading, but it held an undertone of finality; like he wasn’t going to let you out of this. 

After lingering for a minute and debating the risk of the possible scolding you would get if you sent it back to him you huffed, “fine.”

“Treat the rest of your team as well. All of you worked hard on the MV.” 

“Thank you, you really didn't have to do this but I appreciate it, and I am sure they will too.”

“It’s my pleasure, our treasure. If you need more, let me know” In the background you heard several noises of agreement; of course they would take his side. 

“The amount of money you sent me will be plenty for all of us.”

“Y/n. Let me know if you need more, even if it isn't for nails.” His tone left no room for arguing; it may have also sent a shiver up your spine. He even pulled out your government name, which momentarily surprised you; that was something he did not do often. 

“Yes Captain.” You were rolling your eyes so hard you thought they might disappear into the back of your head. Through the phone there were some small snickers of the other boys. You could also practically feel his eye roll through the phone; which prompted a small smile from you. 

“Good, I love you, send me pictures when you are done.”

“I will, I love you too.” 

“Oh, and Shutterbug.” 

“Yeah?”  

“Get something black and white.” Before you could respond or give him some sarcasm he hung up on you. You looked at the screen in disbelief before putting it back into the bag. This was going to be a power struggle. An independent woman and a man determined to spoil the living shit out of you. Actually, if you knew the others it would be several men determined to spoil the shit out of you. You made your way back to where you left the girls, Forrest had plopped into a chair right as you were approaching. 

“Alright, so change of plans, we are getting mani pedis, then lunch, then party shopping.”

“Why the sudden disappearance and change of plans? Is everything okay?” Willow was looking you over in that motherly assessing way. 

“Everything is fine, just my boyfriend being a stubborn man is all.” The three of them exchanged glances and looked back at you. Their eyebrows were raised and they were failing miserably at hiding their smirks.

“Don’t look at me in that tone, let's just go and we can discuss it further later without people listening in.” You glanced over at the girls that had appeared a little ways away from you. They were chatting quietly but you knew that they would absolutely freak out if you mentioned even one of your boyfriends names out loud. The reason you knew, they both had Aniteez strapped to their bags; one of them being a very good representation of said stubborn boyfriend. 

They nodded at you and Aurora took the lead. Her and Meadow both absolutely love to get their nails done any time they can; and it just so happened her favorite place to go is in the mall you chose today. You followed her to the opposite side of the mall and entered the very green shop. The windows and most of the walls were lined with plants and various art and photos.

“Aurora!” The girl behind the counter squealed. You chuckled at the enthusiasm they both shared as they hugged. They started speaking quickly back and forth and motioning around, a couple of times they motioned to you.

“Come on guys! Let’s get set up for Mai.” The three of you made your way back following the two chatterboxes to one of the more private rooms. As you stepped into the room the scent of potting soil and fresh air overtook you; it was just like walking into your greenhouse. You immediately knew you would like this girl. The art that hung on the walls was all black and white, and then you noticed it.

“You did fucking not,” you stepped toward the canvas hanging in the center of all of the other art on the wall. Aurora was looking at you with one of the largest grins. You didn’t just recognize the photo, you were the one that took it. For a minute you just stared at it, this picture was one that you hadn’t seen in a very long time. It was of a woman who was perched on a stool with her legs crossed holding a skull while she shook her head. This shoot was one of your prouder moments from college in the states. Admittedly you absolutely hated the assignment that produced that picture, even if it had been one of your favorite photos to this day. 

“Mai, this is Y/n. She is the one that took the photo I gave you.” Your eyes flicked to the woman standing there, her eyes were comically wide as she took in the information. Immediately she bowed deeply to you, as soon as she came back up you started waving your hands in front of you trying to stop her many thank yous and praises of the picture. 

“I am so happy you like it,” you approached and took Mai’s shaking hands into both of yours with a smile. She was grinning ear to ear before offering you another bow. You shook your head at her, the smile never left your face. Aurora broke the small moment up by gently taking Mai’s hand out of yours and bringing her over to the colors lining the wall. You turned to make your way over to Forrest who was watching you guys carefully. 

“What are you going to get done, tree man?” You bumped your shoulder against his and he scoffed with a roll of his eyes. 

“I was just going to get a basic mani pedi, nothing too extravagant, what about you? Anything spark your fancy?” 

“I was just going to get a mani pedi too, but it was requested I get something in black and white so I have to do something at least a little fancy.” Just as Forrest was opening his mouth to speak, your phone pinged. Grabbing it out of your bag you checked your messages to see the name of the group chat you had with the boys changed. 9 Makes 1 Team. The grin that escaped you was of absolute adoration for the men on the other side of this chat. Forrest was looking at your phone with you and you heard a small huff of laughter.

Just as you got into the actual chat the notifications started exploding. All of the boys were sending black and white nail art designs. You turned your phone fully toward Forrest and he let out a loud laugh at the several messages that kept popping up. There was a range of various options they were supplying you with, some longer and pointier than you knew you could tolerate. Some were short and sweet but most of them were very intricate with the designs. They kept pouring in, just as you were about to silence your phone one caught your eye. You quickly tapped on the photo before it disappeared in the flurry of messages.

Taking time to just look at the photo you decided this was it, it was simple and elegant without being too flashy. The majority of your nail was going to be styled like a French tip but instead of a normal french tip it looked like clouds or smoke. It would alternate between black and white and on each finger there were going to be designs of stars and maybe some moons. Forrest let out a hum of approval before you were called over to the chairs to start. 

You sat there for a few hours while Mai did your nails. Conversation flowed between the five of you naturally, Aurora even told you you could talk about your boys with her as she was within the community. You chatted with her animatedly about anything and everything under the sun, from your boys to her partner. Even when the conversation drifted you weren’t in an uncomfortable silence. All of you were just content to just bask in the calm atmosphere in the room. 

When it came time for you to pay you followed Mai to the register, and as soon as you tried to hand her the card for everyone she adamantly refused you. You battled back and forth with her about it saying you got a lot of things and used her products. She still wouldn’t let you pay, she just made you promise that if you were going to get your nails done that you would come to her, and possibly bring the boys she heard all about. When you finally reluctantly agreed, after about five minutes of bickering, she smiled wide. You thanked her with a small bow and made your way out of the store, a loud grumble came from beside you. Turning toward Willow you were met with her staring down at her stomach like it was alive. 

“I guess it is time for lunch then, Where do you want to go?” She looked at you and smiled sheepishly. 

“Honestly, the small seafood place we walked by earlier smelled really good.” You linked arms with her and made her lead the way. Just as you were about to sit down at a table someone tapped you on the leg. Turning around you smiled as you were met with a shy young boy. You assumed his father was the one standing not too far behind him with a smile on his face. You crouched down to be on his level. 

“Yeosanim (Ms. or Madam), your tattoos are really pretty.” The little boy wasn’t really looking at you and you just barely caught his words. Your heart melted and you reached out to him. His eyes snapped up to yours as you laid a hand on his arm. He had just barely seen the tattoos you had because of the long flowy sleeves; and yet he still liked them. 

“Thank you so much, would you like to look at them a little better?” He was frantically nodding while you checked that it was okay with his dad; who had many tattoos of his own. A small nod and a quick smile was all the confirmation you needed to gently roll up your sleeve to show him your arms. His eyes sparkled with wonder as you showed him the various intricacies of your sleeves. He gently traced some of the lines on your right arm. You were watching him with a large smile. 

“Alright buddy, eomma is waiting for us back at the table.” His eyes looked up at yours and he jumped into your arms to give you a hug.

“Thank you yeosanim (Ms. or Madam).” He whispered as you wrapped your arms around him. You were looking at the dad, the smile never left his face as he mouthed thank you. 

“Of course, I am very happy you asked me about them, they are my pride and joy” he stayed there with you for a second before he released you. With a quick polite bow he ran back toward his dad. A hand presented itself before you and you accepted the help up from Forrest. Aurora and Willow were watching you with smiles as you sat down next to Willow. 

“If that didn’t give me baby fever I don’t know what would. He was absolutely adorable.” Willow gushed leaning her head on your shoulder. You giggled and laid your head on top of hers.

The majority of the time was spent giggling at your stupid inside jokes and chatting. The food got to your table and it went quiet, the only noise surrounding the four of you was the clinking of silverware and chopsticks. When you finished you discreetly handed the waiter your card before any of them could even think of protesting. You had almost perfected this throughout the years with them, but you might have to change up your ways if you would be able to pull this over on the boys in the future. 

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

Once he was finished helping with the track Hongjoong looked at his phone. There were a lot of notifications that he swiped through but one caught his attention. Clicking into it he was met with a video of you squatting in front of a small boy who looked to be about four. He pressed play and watched the interaction unfold. You were so gentle with him as he looked at your tattoos in awe. He could feel his heart melting at the sight, if seeing the other boys with children didn't absolutely melt him into a puddle this definitely did. 

“Yah, why are you so distracted hyung?” Hongjoong didn't look up from his phone as he continued watching the video. The little boy had thrown his arms around you after someone off the screen spoke to him. He watched you rest your head against the boy’s for a brief minute before he separated from you, bowed and took off. Hongjoong’s eyes flickered up to Yunho who was watching him intently patiently waiting for an answer. He figured it would be best to just show him. With a smile he handed his phone to the tall man. As soon as Yunho noticed it was a video of you he started smiling. Mingi approached and set his head on Yunho’s shoulder and watched the video as well. Both of them were smiling from ear to ear as they watched. 

“She is so good with kids, some people would have just waved him off.” Hongjoong nodded and took the phone that Yunho was offering him. 

“She is, I wonder if she has any nieces or nephews or maybe even siblings.” Mingi was still resting against Yunho as he spoke. 

Hongjoong nodded, “She’s just an amazing person overall, her being good with kids doesn't surprise me in the slightest.”

“Who’s good with kids?” All of their eyes moved to San and Wooyoung who just walked back into the room. Hongjoong wordlessly handed San the phone. They all watched as Wooyoung grinned and started smacking San in excitement. He was just grinning at the video before watching it again.

“That’s our girl” he muttered as he handed the phone back to Hongjoong. It didn't even make it back into his hand before Yeosang spoke.

“What did Y/n-nie do?” Everyone turned to look at Yeosang, Seonghwa and Jongho who just walked back into the room with some food tins. San looked over at Hongjoong to make sure it was okay that he handed them his phone. Hongjoong smiled at San and nodded. He handed the phone to Seonghwa who immediately set the food tin down to hold it in both hands. Yeosang and Jongho got close and watched the video. Yeosang was trying to hide his smile and Jongho was absolutely beaming. After the video finished Jongho gently took the phone from Seonghwa and started tapping on the screen. A few seconds later all of their phones simultaneously dinged. He moved over to Hongjoong and handed him his phone back with a smile. Wooyoung and San let out small twin squeals as they rewatched the video on their own phones. 

“This side of Y/n-nie doesn’t entirely surprise me. I figured she would be good with kids because of the conversation she had with us a while ago about helping teach the kids at her dojang.” Everyone’s eyes fell to Yeosang who was watching the video again. Everyone seemed to forget that he listened to everything, even if recalling it may have been an issue; apparently that fact wasn't the same when it came to you.

“That's right! I forgot that she helped with them, now I want to see it in person.” It was San who spoke up after Yeosang. 

“Aish, you just want to see her in the dojang kicking people's butts like a badass, don't be so innocent.” Yeosang deadpanned. Everyone burst into laughter as San turned as red as a tomato. 

“She can throw me around any time and I would totally be okay with it.” All  eyes fell to Wooyoung who was grinning like a mad man. Some of them laughed while most of them rolled their eyes at him with fond smiles. 

★☆☽ Timeskip ☾☆★

After you got some red and black decorations all of you were weaving in and out of the stores on the second floor of the mall. Then It struck you, you still needed to get Yeosang a present for his birthday. You spent all this time finding and picking the perfect decorations for the party but you didn't even have presents yet; the fuck were you thinking? 

“Rora, does Mai’s place have self care things for sale? Like face masks and the works.”

“Yeah, she has some of the best things I have ever used, I almost exclusively shop with her when it comes to that stuff. Do we need to go back?”

“Yes, I have a birthday boy to buy things for and what better way to do that than spend some money at a friend's salon who didn’t let me pay earlier.” Aurora was beaming at you before she started dragging you back to Mai’s. You were almost jogging across the mall when a cute souvenir shop with lots of different keychains stood out to you. You halted in your tracks which made Aurora, who was hanging on to you, almost fall. Before she could even say anything your roles were reversed and you were dragging her into the small store. 

Immediately you saw the ones that had all kinds of dogs on them. You made your way to it and started looking for a Doberman. After just a minute of looking Aurora pulled two off the rack and showed them to you. One was a 3D silver Doberman charm with a claw hook and the other she was holding was a cute tag that says ‘I love my Doberman’. You burst into laughter and gently took them from her. She was grinning at you as you looked them over. 

“These are perfect!” Aurora ended up bursting into giggles with you as you walked over to the counter to pay for the trinkets. The cashier was looking at the two of you like you were crazy; a small price to pay for the absolute happiness that was radiating from you. As soon as she handed them back to you you stuck them in the ring bag and walked out arm and arm with Aurora. This time she wasn’t dragging you but she did have a skip to her step as you were walking. 

When you made it back to Mai’s shop the other woman approached you with a large smile. “Back so soon?” You nodded at her and exchanged a grin with Aurora. 

“I need one of every skincare, facemask, and any other things similar that you have please.” Her eyes widened and she gave you a skeptical look. 

“Are you sure? We have a lot here.” 

“Yes, I have plenty of people I can share with and it’ll pay you guys back for the services we got earlier; just don’t tell Mai.” She laughed with a nod at you before wandering back to the room you assumed they were stored in. It took her several trips, even with full arms, to get everything. Your smile only grew at the thought of making each of your boyfriends participate in something Yeosang loved. She told you the total and you immediately gave her your card. 

“Thank you!” You chirped as she was handing you the bags. Once you had everything situated across your arms you gave her a large smile and a polite bow before leaving. 

“Bye Hana! See you soon!” Aurora was animatedly waving her hands before turning to walk with you. 

“I think we need to make a trip to the car, I don't want to walk around like this.” She hummed her agreement. While you were walking you had to readjust your arms a couple of times so the bags wouldn’t cut into them. Aurora took the opportunity of you shifting some of them again to take a couple of the bags from you. 

“Y’know, a self care night is something that wouldn't be complete without matching outfits.” Your eyes widened, you hadn't even thought of that, it would be so much fun. 

“This is why we are friends,” you felt the smile on your face get wider. She started laughing at you while you continued on the pathway to drop the shit ton of bags off in Aria. 

“What in the world did you do? Why do you have so many bags?” The closeness of Forrest’s voice made you jump out of your skin. Willow let out a snort and hid behind her hand. 

“I wanted to get some things for the boys, sue me.” You continued walking after recovering yourself.

“I don’t think that is some, it’s more like everything.” He was most likely trailing behind you like a puppy.

“Fuck off.” You rolled your eyes at his teasing. 

“So, I assume since you are literally at least ten pounds heavier than normal because of these bags we are heading out.”

“I’m just dropping things off and coming back, I still have some more things to buy. All of this is gifts, activities and decorations.” The trio followed you out to Aria as you were speaking. Before you could ask Willow had pulled the keys out of your small bag and was popping the trunk for you to put all of the things in. 

As soon as you were finished settling things in the trunk you pushed the button to close it. Looking down you saw the red marks from how heavy the bags were. You rubbed your forearms and started making your way back into the mall, just as you were approaching the threshold you felt your phone buzz. Stopping in your tracks you pulled out your phone, the team paused but kept going as you waved them off.

You put your phone back in your bag before resuming on your mission. You had an idea of matching PJs to get for everyone; if you could find it it would go perfect with the theme. As soon as you made it to the clothing store you made a beeline for the comfy clothes section. As you were scanning over everything your eyes caught exactly what you were looking for. You approached the rack and grabbed nine pairs of the red and black buffalo check pants before grabbing just some plain black t-shirts. This would work out well, they could leave these at your house and have clothes to change into if they unexpectedly stayed the night. While you were walking to the front of the store you got several weird looks for carrying that many pairs of the same thing. You approached the cashier and set all of the clothes onto the counter. She gave you a look like she wanted to ask about it but she didn't. When she was finished she handed you the bags of clothing with a small smile. 

“Thank you,” you bowed to her before taking your leave. She said something under her breath about weird foreigners, you shook your head at her and continued on your way. As you walked out of the store you caught Willow and Aurora in a lingerie store. You snickered at the two of them looking at the lace before moving toward the bench Forrest was perched on. 

“You really spoil these men, you know that?” 

“I haven't had anyone to spoil other than you goons for the past several years, I have the spare money, why shouldn't I?” He shrugged at you and continued looking at his phone. You settled on checking in on yours as well. No one had messaged you but you assumed Felix would be getting finished soon as it had been several hours. The rustling of bags caught your attention, when you looked up you were met with Aurora and Willow standing there with new bags in their hands. Their partners were in for some fun tonight.

“Do we have everything? Anything else that any of you can think of I might need for the party?”

“You have decorations, presents, activities and matching pjs. I think you are covered.” Aurora nodded along with Willow as she listed the things off. 

“Okay, are we ready to go? Do you guys have any other stores you want to go to?” 

“I hit all of the things I wanted to so I’m good.” 

“Me too,” Aurora chirped

“Me three, in fact, I'd like to head out, Asher is home and making dinner.”

“Oh boy, we better get going before you turn into a rabid monster.” You snickered at Aurora’s comment before getting up and motioning for someone to lead the way. Willow was the first to move, you followed her and heard a snort behind you. Fucking children.

★☆☽ Timeskip ☾☆★

You pulled into the garage and immediately started moving to get everything out and into the house. It took you several trips up and down the stairs to get everything relatively where it needs to be in the basement. As soon as you sat down on the couch in the basement your phone started ringing. 

“Noona!! We are heading to you with the sweets! Also, I may have mentioned your cats around Minho hyung while he was helping me in the kitchen and he demanded that he come with us. And Binnie hyung is just tagging along for the fun of it.” His voice dropped to a whisper “I think he needed to get out of the studio cause he was going crazy.”  There were some muffled shouts of protest in the background. You snickered, no wonder he and Woo were besties.

“That is perfectly okay Lix, the more the merrier! I just got home and settled so you couldn't have had better timing.”

“Yayy! Okay, I'll let you go. I just wanted to let you know we were on the way! See you shortly!”

“See you soon boys, drive safe. The code is still the same, just come on in when you get here.” 

“Sounds good Y/n-nie!” 

You hung up the call and immediately started dialing San. He picked up almost immediately. 

“Hi Jagi (sweetie)!” 

“Hi Sweetheart! Are you near any of the other boys?” 

“Yeah but I can leave for a minute if you need me to.” 

“If you wouldn't mind that would be great, I have some top secret information for you.”

“Okay, give me just a second.” There was some rustling in the background and the click of a door. 

“Okay, I’m out on the balcony, what top secret intel do you have for me?” 

“So, I have recruited a couple of people to help me with the sweets for Sangie’s birthday, and I know Hwa and Woo would absolutely love to see them. I was wondering if you would be able to wrangle them away for the rest of the evening and come to my house, you can even stay the night here if you want.”

“Yeah, that shouldn't be an issue. Who did you recruit?” 

“So it started as just Felix and Hyunjin but it evolved into Minho, who was helping Felix bake, and I guess Changbin is just tagging along for the hell of it.” 

“Wait, like Stray Kids Felix, Hyunjin, Minho, and Changbin?” 

“Yep! I've known them for a little bit, I was one of the freelance photographers they used on several occasions for promotions. Felix and I have been good friends since his runway debut with LV, he actually baked me some goodies for personally giving him the pictures I took instead of making him go through LV. He and Hyunjin have also been out to the house after Felix decided to surprise him with a cute picnic date and paint out by the greenhouse and garden.”

“Wow, I didn't realize you knew them, that's awesome! I will see if I can get Hwa and Woo out and around” 

“Perfect! I am so excited, don't tell them, I want to see the surprise on their faces when they get here. The other boys are already on their way so as soon as you can get them out and around that would be great”

“I'll do my best, but you can't expect Wooyoung not to blow up your phone with questions about this,” You laughed at the thought of the dozens of messages he would send. 

“That's okay, I'll just leave it somewhere and conveniently find it when you get here.” It was his turn to laugh.

“Alright I'm going to go get them around, I'll see you soon Jagi (sweetie). I love you.”

“See you soon! I love you too Sannie.” he hung up the phone and you couldn't help but to kick your feet in excitement. You get to see some of your friends that you haven't in a while and simultaneously surprise a couple of your boyfriends. It's a win win. Peeling yourself up and off the couch you made your way upstairs to turn on some of the lights. When you got up the stairs you were met with Beans laying in the middle of the floor playing with one of her kicker toys. She was rabbit kicking it so violently that she was practically scooting across the floor. You snickered and left her to it, gently stepping around her as you continued to move toward the kitchen. If you knew the boys that were coming over here they would love to have some snacks so you started prepping a charcuterie board. As soon as you started opening things up and getting the things set out Mocha appeared on one of the stools closest to you at the island. 

“I know exactly what you are here for and you are absolutely shameless, your toots are going to be so rank” you broke off a part off the cheddar block you were cutting up and held it out to her. She immediately took it from you and started chowing down. With a shake of your head you started cutting things up again and arranging them to look pretty. When she was finished she got off the chair and made her way into the nook presumably to curl up on the large bed. 

As you were slicing everything up you came up with a million dollar idea. With quick footsteps you made your way over to your office. You grabbed one of your spare cameras, the small remote that connected to it, and the small tabletop tripod off the shelf connected to your desk. With the push of a button it came to life and you did a little dance of celebration that it was almost fully charged. Making your way back out to the kitchen and great room you looked for the perfect spot to place it without being too obvious. You settled on putting it on the far corner of the island, you placed it and started looking at the viewfinder to see where it would be best angled. When you were satisfied that it would capture everything you left it alone. You tucked the remote into the small pocket on the back of your hip inside the skirt. Resuming your earlier cutting you smiled to yourself, this was going to be perfect. 

A little while later you heard the door alarm ding letting you know that it had opened. Thankfully you just finished setting everything out on the board. 

“Sweets delivery for Y/n-nie!” You peeked around the corner, standing there with a large smile on his face and a box in his hands was Felix. He quickly walked over to where you were situated by the island, set the cake down and gave you a huge hug. You wrapped your arms tightly around him and laughed. 

“Hi Lixie! It's so good to see you.” He squeezed you and you swayed with him as he kept you wrapped in a hug for a minute. Right after he let you go, Hyunjin approached you and gave you the same treatment. 

“Hi Jinnie!” He squeezed you gently and pulled away from you with a grin. The smile that was on your face just got wider; if that was possible. You turned to the other two boys that were standing there. 

“Hi,” you bowed to them. “It's wonderful to officially meet you both outside of a professional environment.” After you straightened back up you walked over to Minho to gently take the two boxes from him. He gave them to you with a small smile. You made your way to place them and the other box into the fridge. Then you moved the small plates and charcuterie board into view. 

“You are welcome to anything, I've got some fresh fruit as well if you would like some of that.” 

“You know the way straight to that man’s heart,” Felix muttered. You snickered and watched as Changbin approached and filled his plate. 

“Thank you.” He said with a small bow before sitting at the corner of the island.

“Of course, I always try to have some kind of snack when having company over. He nodded at you and sat down to start eating. You turned to look at Minho who was surveying all of the pedestals scattered around the living room and ceiling. With a few clicks of your tongue the giants appeared from various parts of the house. Toothless peeked his head out of the top of the treehouse, you didn't even know he was in there; the camouflaged heathen. Mocha waltzed in from the nook and the padding of her feet caught Minho’s attention. He turned around to locate the sound and saw Mocha first, his eyes got comically wide as he saw her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some of the squeezable tubes of cat treats before approaching her and sitting in the doorway of the nook. Hyunjin burst into laughter and Felix followed. You were trying very hard not to do the same. She approached him, sniffed his outstretched hand and then headbutted him. 

“That’s Mocha, the resident gentle princess.” He opened the treat and gently squeezed it to offer her some. As soon as Beans heard the familiar sound she came bounding in from up the stairs, she narrowly missed Felix and Hyunjin as she drifted over and butted in. 

“That’s Black Eyed Beans, or just Beans for short, she is the crazy one in the house.” A choked noise came from the corner of the island Changbin was sitting at. You looked over to him with a tilt of your head, he waved you off before he started coughing. Felix and Hyunjin moved over to sit on either side of him and started to pat his back. Quickly you made your way around the island to get him a glass of water. You set it next to him and he nodded at you in thanks. He gulped down the water and almost immediately seemed better. 

“You okay Binnie?” he looked up at you and nodded.

“Sorry, I haven't heard a name like that before it took me by surprise,” his voice was raspy as he spoke. 

“That’s okay, I completely understand, my boyfriends had the same reaction the first time I said it around them too.” 

“Boyfriends? Plural?” Your eyes flickered to Felix who was looking at you curiously. Hyunjin was looking at you in an almost identical way. They spent entirely too much time together.

“Yeah, it is fairly new that's why you haven't heard about it yet.” They both nodded and started snacking off of Binnie’s plate. The door dinged again and put your hand up to your mouth to hide your smile while moving your other hand to your back. You took a small step back and to the side, making it seem like you were checking who was at the door, while you moved you pushed the record button and heard the subtle click alerting you that it started. All of the men sitting at the island whipped their heads up to look at you. Minho quickly stood up, effectively sending the girls scattering. 

“My Rose! We are here. What did you need help with?” Wooyoung was the first one to burst through the door, he took his shoes off and made his way over to you with a large smile. The four boys in the kitchen were perfectly hidden at the corner of the island. As soon as Wooyoung got close enough he glanced over and then looked back at you. You watched in real time as his eyes widened and he slowly looked back at the boys sitting at the island. Both Felix and Changbin stood and stared at Wooyoung who was frozen. Nothing could have prepared you for the screaming that started. They started pointing at each other and asking what the other was doing here. Hyunjin stood up and moved away to be out of the middle of the screaming match, he ended up just behind you. Minho stepped away as well but he stayed behind the island to watch everything unfold, he briefly looked at you with a smirk; he figured it out. Now It was comically like the spiderman meme. 

San and Seonghwa approached quickly when they realized Wooyoung was yelling in almost gibberish. You watched as Seonghwa realized that Minho was standing behind the island, his eyes widened and he turned to look at you before looking back at Minho. San made his way over to you and wrapped his arm around you before placing a gentle kiss on your temple. Felix’s eyes widened as he saw the gesture. 

“Weh Weh Weh, hang the fuck on. Noona, for the love of god please explain yourself.” Everyone’s eyes fell to you and a snicker bubbled its way up your throat as his accent changed back and forth between Korean and Australian several times. 

“Lix, Hyune, Binnie and Minho, this is San, Wooyoung and Seonghwa. Three out of the eight of my boyfriends. Sannie, Woo and Hwa, this is Felix, Hyunjin, Changbin, and Lee Know. My friends who helped me with our Sangie’s sweet treats for the party tomorrow. I could have sworn you knew each other, my mistake.” You shrugged your shoulders with a wide smile. Felix’s jaw dropped and he looked between all of you. As soon as the shock wore off everything turned into a hug fest. All of them were chattering with each other and it made you extremely happy that you could put something like this together for everyone. Reaching behind yourself you grabbed the small remote and stopped the recording. Hyunjin ws close enough to hear the click of the recording turning off, he turned to look at the camera and back to you. 

“You recorded that entire thing didn't you?” He was whispering just loud enough for only you and San to hear. Both of you looked at him and you nodded with a smile. 

“I figured that it would be absolutely hilarious to share with the rest of your groups. And it is a good memory to capture, something we can all look back on and laugh about, especially when it comes to the faces all of them made when they realized everything.” 

“You are a genius, I didn’t even think anything of you having a camera out and on a tripod, I thought you may have just been recording yourself cooking or something.” 

“And that is exactly why it worked out so well.” Hyunjin shook his head at you with a smile. San squeezed your hip, you turned to look at him and he was smiling at you, his dimples making their glorious appearance. 

“Y/n-nie” you turned to look at Felix “You said something about your willow tree being lit up with fairy lights earlier, can we see it?” 

“Of course! Get some shoes on and I'll take you to it.” The boys scattered and went to put on their shoes. As they walked away from the central location you went to your office to grab a neck strap for the camera. Once you had it you made your way back to see the boys hanging out by the back door. Wooyoung and Changbin hadn't stopped talking since they stopped screaming at each other. You moved to the camera and gently took it off the tripod before attaching the neck strap and handing it to Hyunjin. 

“I know you will want to take pictures, take as many as you want and I will get them to you.” His responding smile was radiant as he gently took it from you and put it around the back of his neck. Felix gently took his hair out from under the strap before placing a kiss on his cheek. You watched the interaction with a smile before you stepped past all of the men and opened the door, as soon as you did the motion sensor lights kicked on. With a flourish you herded them out to the porch. When all of them were out you made sure to completely close the door so the giants wouldn't get out. You started leading the way out, as you moved past some of the lanterns started lighting up. San caught up with you and intertwined your fingers together. You led the boys out around the pool and down toward the winding cobbled path. As you were walking you heard several shutters from the camera which made you smile. 

After walking for a few minutes the willow came into view. You stopped and turned to look at Felix and Hyunjin, the latter let out a very loud gasp and immediately moved to start taking pictures. 

“Wahh, that’s so pretty,” looking around you saw Changbin staring at the tree in the distance. 

“Y’know what makes it even better is that is where Lix and Hyune had their first ‘official’ date. They sat under that tree for hours before it got too dark to see each other.” Changbin moved to look at the couple in question, they were beaming which was all the confirmation he needed. “They were actually the reason I put the fairy lights in the tree” 

“Come on, let's go see it!” Felix was bouncing excitedly. They both started following the familiar path to the willow hand in hand. The other groups followed them. You and San ended up bringing up the rear right after Minho and Seonghwa who were locked in conversation. 

You paused with a flinch as you stepped on something, there was a lightning bolt of pain in the soul of your foot. Picking up your foot you inspected what happened, it was just a small twig but it ended up catching you just right to cause a small spot of blood to well. 

“Why didn't you wear shoes?” You looked over to San who had stepped closer to you before kneeling down to inspect the small spot the twig left. 

“Generally I don't wear any when I come out here, it's no big deal Sannie it just caught me off guard.” 

“Nope, I’m not taking that.” He turned his back to you, “Get on princess.” He was looking at you over his shoulder. You acted like you were going to accept so he turned back around to face the front, but before you got close enough you picked up your skirt and bolted down the pathway. You barely caught the shake of Seonghwa’s head as you ran around him and Minho with a giggle. You heard San yelling for you to come back. You were laughing in spurts while you were running, Wooyoung and Changbin had stopped in the middle of the path to see what was going on. As soon as they caught sight of you running straight for them with San behind you they separated to stand on either side of the path. 

You ran past them with a large smile. You caught up to Hyunjin and Felix who were a considerable amount ahead of you in the beginning. You waved as you ran past them and took the left turn in the fork of the path to head toward the willow. There was somewhere you could break his line of sight; you just had to make a sharp turn to be able to get to it. When it came into view you sped up and dropped your skirt, thankfully because of the slit that went up to your upper thigh it did not hinder you too much. You pumped your arms and flung them out to fling yourself to the left around one of the lantern poles. You executed it perfectly and started running through the trees.

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

“Where did that ninja go?” Wooyoung asked Felix who was laughing at your hasty exit. San was almost out of breath as he approached the rest of the men in your company tonight. 

“Woo, she gives you a damn good run for your money.”  San was hunched over slightly trying to catch his breath. 

“She is probably headed to the other side of her property which I assume she hasn't shown you guys yet.” Seonghwa, Wooyoung, and San’s eyes moved over to Hyunjin who was just grinning at them. 

“Do you guys know where it is or are we playing hide and seek with her now?”

“We know where it is, but you probably are going to be playing a little bit of hide and seek with her anyway.”

“So what I am hearing is we have to play hide and seek with an actual ninja?” 

“Pretty much” Felix agreed with a large grin.

“Come on, we will take you to her,” Hyunjin grabbed Felix’s hand and started walking toward where you disappeared. 

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

Once you were satisfied that you had enough of a lead on San you slowed and started walking. You hadn't had the chance to get this completely paved yet but it was on your list. You knew Felix and Hyunjin would show the others where you were, now it was just a waiting game. As soon as you saw the moongates you smiled. The smell of peonies was strong as you approached the first of the five gates. You continued through the rest and you let your hand travel up to touch the small flowers that were hanging from them. The small lights of the gazebo came into view and you smiled. You sped up just a little and walked in to plop on one of the chairs.

You listened to the sounds of nature as you leaned your head back. You caught sight of the huge ginkgo tree situated behind the gazebo, it was the entire reason you made this garden. You saw it and knew you had to showcase it. 

Closing your eyes you basked in the beginnings of the moonlight. Today was a really good day, and tomorrow would be better. You were going to get to spend some more time with your boyfriends before you left for Paris. And you would get to spoil them too, they deserved it for how hard they worked. You smiled to yourself at the thought of their faces when they realized you technically got all of them something. Bringing your head back to its normal position you looked over the garden. The peonies were toward the first moongate, as each moongate passed it transitioned into forsythia, azaleas, hydrangeas, and then roses; all of which were large bushes. However the biggest thing you were proud of over here was the young cherry blossom and plum blossom trees flanking the gazebo and making an arc from the ginkgo.

You heard steps and light banter in the distance. Time to play a little bit of cat and mouse. You got up and started moving toward the first moongate with silent steps. You rounded the side and hid between a couple of the largest peony bushes. The steps got closer and you watched San, Wooyoung and Seonghwa creep slowly past you. You reached out your arm and poked Seonghwa in the leg as he passed. You quickly retracted your arm so he wouldn't spot you. He leapt up and away from you with a small squeak. Being in all black was really going to work to your advantage here. You decided to move your hat so it would be able to cover more of your face. Gently you took out the bobby pins, you held them while you adjusted the hat. You peaked out of the bush you were in and looked back toward where they came from. 

Changbin, Felix, Hyunjin and Minho were all standing a little ways back. Minho’s sharp eyes caught yours immediately. You gave him a grin like Joker before putting your finger up to your lips. He nodded back at you and pointed you out to the rest of the boys. As soon as Felix saw you he slapped a hand over his mouth. Hyunjin was already smiling at you with the camera in his hands, you could see the small red light indicating he was recording this for you; just like you had for them. Changbin was wide eyed, he wouldn't have seen you if Minho hadn't pointed you out to him. Turning back to your targets you saw Wooyoung was close, they all seemed to be looking for you throughout the garden. You looked at the bobby pin in your hand and snickered before launching it at him. It hit its mark perfectly, his hand flew up to the back of his head before he whipped around with a yell. You leaned back and put your head down so he wouldn't catch the white of your grin. 

“She has to be around here somewhere, where the hell could she be hiding?” You picked up one of the decorative stones close to you and threw it toward the third moongate surrounded by azaleas. All three of them jumped and whipped toward where the sound was. You quickly and silently made your way around and to the opposite side. You situated yourself on the other side of the small brick wall lining the garden. You peeked your head over the side and looked to see where they were. San was the closest but he was looking the other way. You took the risk and vaulted yourself over the wall, as soon as you landed you hit the deck and scooted so you couldn't be seen. The small amount of noise you generated caught his attention as you expected. There was a small stick within your reach, you grabbed it and prepared to poke him with it as he got closer. As soon as you could see his shoe you reached out with the stick and poked him in the ankle which you dropped immediately after so it seemed like he just stepped on it. You could have sworn he made it at least three feet off the ground, he let out a squeal that was a half whine. 

He moved quickly over to Wooyoung and started clinging to him. You took their distraction as your next chance. You scooted away from the base of the huge bush and got up onto your haunches. You bounced a couple of times to get your momentum going before you launched yourself the best you could out and over the Forsythia. You hit the ground and immediately got up to hide behind the large stone moongate. You hid there for a minute watching the faces of the boys across from you. Minho was smirking at you, a few seconds later he gave you a subtle thumbs up. You tipped your hat to him and moved quickly to vault over the other small brick wall. You crouched and moved as quietly and quickly as you could toward the big tree behind the gazebo. You made it close enough and rounded the end of the wall and to the huge tree trunk.

“I haven't seen her even once, do you think she went back up to the house?” Wooyoung’s voice was the one that seemed closest, if he was so was San. 

“That is a possibility, let's check out the gazebo before we leave.” Seonghwa was most likely not too far behind them, they all seemed to be relatively in the same place if their voices were anything to go by. You crouched close to the ground and practically crab walked around to move the swing in the gazebo. The responding squeak was exactly what you were looking for to catch their attention. Footsteps approached and right as they stopped you leapt out from behind the swing and yelled, “Boo.” 

All three of them jumped and let out ear piercing squeals. If Seonghwa had pearls on he would be clutching them, Wooyoung was standing there just staring at you with wide eyes. San, whose shoulders dwarfed Wooyoung's, was cowering behind him. Sitting on the banister of the gazebo you threw your legs over it and stepped between the chairs to stand next to Seonghwa. You heard the echoing laughter of the other four boys as they approached. Felix was laughing the hardest out of them with Hyunjin right behind him. They were absolutely thrilled that it wasn't them this time. 

“Woo, you were right she's a damn good ninja. She got you guys good.” Changbin had approached the duo and slapped a hand on Wooyoung’s shoulder. 

“I couldn't have done it without some help,” you glanced over at Minho and he was genuinely smiling at you now. You held out your hand in a fist bump motion and he leaned over to return it with a shake of his head. 

Seonghwa looked over to his friend “you traitor,” he grumbled.

“I have no alliance, I am just here for the cats and the chaos. Which she executed flawlessly.” You doubled over and let out the laughter you had been holding back the entire time. All of the boys looked at you like you were absolutely crazy before joining you. You were laughing so hard you had to reach out to Seonghwa to keep yourself from falling over. He gently steadied you and stepped closer so you could lean on him. 

“Alright, now that I have officially shown my boys what I am capable of, do we want to head back up to the house?” All of them echoed their agreement and you started leading them back the way you came. On the way you paused to gently grab and separate one of the peony stems, you made sure there weren't any ants on it and then handed it to Hyunjin. He was smiling at you and he pulled you into a quick side hug. 

Once all of you made it back to the house you started bidding Minho, Changbin, Hyunjin, and Felix goodbye. 

Felix was the first to approach you with his signature large smile. He pulled you into a hug and practically squeezed the life out of you. You let out a breathless giggle, “we really need to do this more often, maybe we can get both groups together and have a pool party sometime soon.” 

I agree, but you have to promise me that we start going out for lunch more regularly

“Deal, schedules permitting.” He nodded and released you, you held out your pinky to him and he linked his with yours. Hyunjin approached the two of you and handed Felix his peony before he handed you the camera back with a large grin. You took it and set it to the side before pulling him into a hug. 

“You will love the pictures I got," he murmured to you while squeezing you. 

“I always do Jinnie, I'll send them to you as soon as I can, it might be something I do in my downtime in Paris next week.” He nodded against you and let you go before stepping back to Felix who handed him the peony back. 

“Keep him in line, he is a handful.” Changbin was next, you grinned at him and looked over your shoulder to Wooyoung and San. 

“I will try my best, I can't guarantee anything though,” You turned back to Changbin, he laughed at your answer and pulled you into a quick hug. You looked over to the last one of the visiting boys. You knew he wasn't one for much skinship so you settled with another fist bump. He smiled at you and returned it. 

“Let me know if you want to come over and see the children, they love people and would absolutely love another human heater to hang out with.” 

He chucked at you and shook his head, “be careful I might actually take you up on that offer.” 

“I wouldn't have offered it if I didn't mean it.” He smiled at you and stepped back. You paused before remembering the rest of the boys they were going home to. 

“Oh! Can one of you tell the rest of the boys hi and tell Minnie he is a bitch for me?” Felix nodded and moved to grab Hyunjin’s hand. 

“They’ll be mad we got to see you and not them." He laughed, “Seungmin is absolutely going to be causing trouble because he didn't get to see his favorite photographer.” That prompted a laugh from you. You and Seungmin had a quiet understanding; both of you were very similar in the way you saw the world. You were haters together and always caused trouble when you were in the presence of the other; much like you and Wooyoung. The nicknames you gave each other were absolutely horrible and sometimes they got you into trouble. 

“We will see you soon, Y/n-nie, take care of yourself and let me know how the sweets come out.” 

“See you soon Lixie, you know I will. Drive safe.” All of them waved at you as they made their way out the door. You turned to the boys that were standing there watching you say goodbye to your friends. 

“Hi, did you like my surprise?” Wooyoung was the first to move as he trapped you in a tight hug. He was swaying with you and you closed your eyes as you rested your head on his shoulder. 

“Thank you, tonight was so much fun and I am so happy I got to see Binnie and Lixie. You will have to tell us more about how you know them later because you tuckered me out” You pulled back and put your hands on his cheeks while you leaned your forehead against his. 

“I am glad you liked my surprise, I'll tell you everything as soon as we have some more time.” You left a small peck on his forehead before looking over at the other two who were holding onto each other. They also looked fairly tired.

“I have something for all of you, you three are the first ones to know about this but you cannot tell the others at all until tomorrow night for Sangie’s surprise party.” The three of them nodded at you with small looks of confusion. You walked away from Wooyoung and made your way quickly into the basement where all of the bags from earlier were. Sorting through them you found the sizes you got for the three boys upstairs and yours. As you were walking up the stairs you heard them chattering quietly. You stepped into the main portion of the room and saw all of them moved to the couch to lounge against each other. They all looked up at you with sleepy smiles. Making your way over to them you presented the outfits in front of you with a large smile. Seonghwa’s eyes widened as he realized you got matching outfits. 

“These are both for the party, and for you to have here in case you unexpectedly spend the night.” Wooyoung was the first to move to you as you held his out to him. He was beaming and rushed off to change in the half bath, his excitement must have fueled him enough to get him out of his languid state. San grabbed his, kissed your cheek and made his way after Wooyoung. You caught sight of him taking off his shirt before he even made it to the bathroom. You turned back to Seonghwa with a small blush, he was already smiling softly at you. 

“You spoil us,” he got up and gently grabbed the set you held out for him. As he took it from you he noticed that you still had one more outfit. He looked at you with a tilt of his head and you giggled softly at him.

“I may have gotten myself one too, just for the fun of it.” You shrugged, it was his turn to smile and giggle at you. He gently grabbed your hand before leading you toward the stairs. You followed him to your bedroom, he let go of your hand and gently pushed you toward your closet so you would change. With a light shake of your head you turned and walked away from him and into the closet. You made quick work of changing and decided to set out your outfit for tomorrow. You had been planning on wearing this since you thought of the theme for Yeosang’s birthday. When you were finished you stepped out of the room to see Seonghwa lying in the middle of the bed cuddled up with Toothless who was lying toward the edge. 

“That’s my spot you heathen,” you made a shooing motion to Toothless as you crawled into the bed to settle yourself next to Seonghwa; who was watching you with amusement. 

“Yah, where did you guys go?” Wooyoung was yelling from what sounded like the bottom of the stairs. 

“We are in my bedroom waiting on you two.” You heard some footsteps making their way around the house before they started up the stairs. They both appeared in the doorway with matching smiles and outfits. All you could do was grin at the two of them. San’s eyes widened as he took you and Seonghwa in. 

“You got some too?!” You nodded at him and the smile you wore got just a little bigger. He was the excited one that dragged Wooyoung along for once. Both of them got onto the bed and got comfortable behind Seonghwa. You took the covers that were toward the foot of the bed and flung them over all of you the best you could. 

“Thank you for this evening my moon, I really appreciate you doing that for us.” Seonghwa’s voice was soft as he spoke. 

“I’m happy you had a good evening my star.” He nodded at you with half lidded eyes, you placed a kiss against his forehead before you pulled him toward you. He was laying on your arm and you started running your fingers through his hair slightly scratching his scalp. He relaxed farther against you and let out a hum. You looked over to the other two in the bed, They had immediately scooted closer to Seonghwa and made themselves comfortable. You reached out your free hand which Wooyoung almost immediately took. He settled it against Seonghwa’s hip and San put his hand on top of the both of yours. Not too long after their steady breathing and Wooyoung’s constant soothing motion across the inside of your wrist put you to sleep.

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Next Chapter (Chapter 20)

Likes, comments, and reblogs are greatly appreciated!

Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!

Thanks for reading! <3 Moonie

Taglist:

@breadedloafs @a-short-ass-disappointment @ateezswonderland @staytinyluv @cherryangel-coke @11glitch11 @neivivenaj @herpoetryprincess @premverse @starryjoong-jeongcheollie @sol3chu @diouysns @beccaskz @bands-r-my-heros @whatdoyouwanttocallmefor @vtyb23 @juicyjaxxy @latisthegenderfluidwannabealone

[imperfectbeliever]

"Mabel approached the older Dipper, unable to keep believing in a lie anymore.

'Mabel...' Dipper said.

But before the adult could finish his sentence, Mabel rushed towards and threw her arms around him, sobbing violently. It took less than one second to Dipper return the embrace, tears falling in cascade. The legs of both twins gave up and they kneeled, still hugging each other tightly, like their lives depended on it. On that moment, everything came through: the shared experiences that were lost, the joyful moments that could never be lived, everything that was taken from them. But in the sea of tears and sorrow that was forming, there was a drop of happiness and hope. Because despite of painful road they had ahead of them, they still had each other and would always be there for each other. A connection stronger than the worst disasters. An unbreakable bond. A love only twins could understand. So from outside, they were crying. But from inside of them, they were smiling."

Just a little snippet I wanted to write after following @yujateaandpi amazing story of 30+ Years AU of Gravity Falls. Still waiting for the day Mabel opens up to Dipper T.T

[quidell-fics]

New Story "Hearts Over Havoc"

A Black Myth: Wukong fanfic

Sun Wukong x Reader

Summary: When the Monkey King and Reader finally steal some much-needed alone time, chaos still somehow inevitably follows.

A fic about love and shenanigans and Sun Wukong being Sun Wukong.

Snippet: Of all the days to be caught off guard by mother nature, it had to be today. A crimson stain bloomed on my underwear, the kind that drew a resigned sigh from deep within as I sat on the toilet, my neck still slightly damp from a certain someone's…affections before I had to disappear into the nearest bathroom when I felt something appear between my legs.

The bad kinda something, too.

Just perfect.

And here I was, marooned in the wrong bathroom—the half bath, the one devoid of my arsenal of period supplies. Under any other circumstances, this would be a minor inconvenience. I’d do the awkward waddle down the hall, toss the evidence in the hamper, plug-er-up, and move on with my life.

But "normal" had become a foreign concept to me.

Ever since I stumbled into another whole ass world—dragged along on a journey with a mischievous monkey boy, who had the nerve to grow into a full-blown monkey man at the end of his journey—I had to recalibrate everything, including how to handle life’s little awkward messes now that I had a new…well, life.

If it weren’t for said monkey man loitering just outside my bathroom door, eager to demonstrate just how deeply he… revered me… I'd be making that waddle of shame, praying my underwear wouldn’t get any more defiled than it already was. But no, my life was now full of surprises, where blood and flattery and the occasional shenanigans collide at the worst possible moments.

His voice, sharp with a teasing edge, slipped through the cracks of my flimsy wooden door, drawn by the sound of my sigh, “Having trouble, are we?” I could practically hear the smirk in his voice… ass monkey. “Need the Great Sage’s assistance with whatever human nonsense you’re dealing with in there?” He followed his words with a chuckle—light, playful, that familiar monkey-like trill. It always had a way of crawling under my skin, setting my cheeks alight -- in a good way.

“This… isn’t something you can help with, unfortunately," I called out, loud enough for him to catch. Not that I needed to raise my voice—his keen ears could’ve picked up a whisper from a mile away, a lesson I learned the hard way.

It really made bathroom trips a joy .

And yes, that was sarcasm.

"Not this drivel again. You really think I’m powerless against your human troubles? Do you doubt the abilities of your Great Sage so much?” His voice crackled with indignation, and I knew if I didn’t calm him down, he’d do something drastic.

And stupid.

Though I couldn't deny that hearing him say ‘YOUR Great Sage’ made my cheeks burn hotter.

But I had to act fast…

“Trust me, this is something you can’t help with. Not unless you know how to stop blood—wait, no! Oh, shi—”

The word ‘blood’ was barely out of my mouth when the door flew open—literally blasted off its hinges, crashing to the floor near where I sat to my right.

[losers-clvb]

mine // dean winchester

pairing: dean winchester x girlfriend!reader

summary: when the cassette player in the impala breaks during a roadtrip, you and the winchesters are forced to listen to the radio. however, when looking for a station, you come across a song by a certain blond singer and fall in love with it.

content: fluff, reader becomes a swiftie, dean (as a result of reader) becomes a swiftie, no use of y/n, sam is happily third wheeling, smut, oral (female receiving), making out, brief mentions of grinding

word count: 2.5k

note: happy ending for dean and reader this time! i am a swiftie, so it's no surprise that i had to write a fic with taylor incorporated. if it wasn't obvious by the title, the song mentioned throughout is 'mine' by taylor swift. there wasn't supposed to be smut, but the i was listening to 'so it goes...' by taylor and got a little carried away. this fic is very fitting because just a few days after starting to write it your girl secured the lover: live from paris vinyl!!! thank god, because lover is my favorite album. anyways, enjoy this, and look forward to more sam and dean fics coming because i am definitely not done writing!

masterlist

----

“Damn it!” You’d heard that about six times in the last five minutes. It had been a calm day of driving. Windows down, sun shining in, and Dean’s hand in yours. Sam had been in the backseat, laughing along as you told a story from your childhood. The background music to your tale had been the radio softly playing a cassette that Dean had chosen before beginning the journey from Virginia to Michigan. Or it had been the background music until the lead singer had been cut off mid word by a crunching sound. This prompted Dean to slam his hand on the radio a few times before proceeding to pull into any empty lot to get a closer look.

“I can fix this,” he had claimed as he fiddled around with random things surrounding the radio. You watched him with furrowed eyebrows, knowing he had little to no clue what he was doing. Even if he did somehow know how to fix the thing, there was no way he could do it without any tools. After the aforementioned slurry of curses, you finally put the man out of his misery and placed a hand on his arm.

“Dean, let’s just listen to the radio like normal people.” Your words brought a scoff from him and he sat up in his seat. Sam watched the two of you with amusement. It had been enjoyable to watch his brother fall in love with someone who could keep up with him. Though sometimes the stubborn attitude you shared with each other caused brief bickering, there was no one else Dean would rather spend the rest of his life with. He hadn’t told you in all those words, but everything else he had said and done had told you that much. Sam would say that his older brother would take a bullet for you if he hadn’t already watched how that turned out.

“Fine.” Dean grumbled out as he started the car back up. He let you find a station. He was confident in your skills to find a suitable station for driving in the Impala. You knew exactly what he liked and exactly what he couldn’t stand to listen to. And perhaps you did. But that day, when your fingers turned the dial through the stations and you caught a snippet of a song, you were choosing for yourself.

“-believe it?, As we’re lying on the couch,”

“This one!” You perked up as the female voice filled the vehicle.

“No.” Dean’s voice had a finality in it you didn’t like. You frowned and turned in your seat. His eyes were on the road but he watched your reaction from the corner of his eye as he flitted his attention from the road to you. You weren’t happy with him, that was obvious, and he knew you weren’t going to back down. Neither would he.

“Yes.” You pushed back as the song played on.

“No.” Dean repeated.

“Just for this song.” You offered, knowing you probably weren’t going to like the following songs anyways.

“Fine.” Your boyfriend gave in to you far easier than he would have if it had been anyone else. In the silence after, you hummed along to the song, not yet knowing the lyrics. Dean continued to watch you, smiling as he did so. By the last chorus, you could sing along.

“Who the hell even was that?” Dean asked once the song had started to fade out. As if in the car himself, the radio DJ responded.

“That was country music superstar Taylor Swift’s new single ‘Mine’ off her upcoming third album ‘Speak Now’. Next up,-”

You moved the dial again, knowing the song you had just listened to would end up being the only hit you would enjoy from the station. You landed on a station that was playing similar music as what was on the cassette. Dean grasped your hand in his and you interlocked fingers.

“Thank you, baby.” You said to him. You knew he would have given in to you no matter what, but you still wanted to make him feel appreciated. His response to you was a bright smile.

----

The next time the song was heard, it was from the speakers on your laptop. You were strictly a researcher for the boys. No physical hunting for you. There was one time you had attempted to join the boys on tracking a lone vampire. Dean was far too distracted by making sure you were never out of his sight that he had missed the vamp push past the group. It had ended with Sam almost getting his throat ripped out, which had really pissed him off. After that, it was only computer work for you. You hadn’t complained. Historically speaking, you weren’t one for running for your life.

This hunt was pretty easy. A ghost had been terrorizing the residents of town under a local bridge, resulting in car crashes and a few pedestrians being struck. Once you had narrowed down the grave of the man, you sent Sam and Dean to burn his bones. In their absence you found yourself looking for the song from the radio.

There it was. A YouTube video displayed the cover art for the album as the upbeat song played. You wandered about the room, readying yourself for the night while mumbling the lyrics. The song played then moved on to one Taylor Swift song after the next for the next 35 minutes until the door to the motel room clicked open. You looked up from your notebook to see the boys walk in. Sam offered you a smile before going to the bathroom, assumingly having won the rights to the first shower. Dean raised an eyebrow at your laptop as he sat in a chair across from you.

“This the same chick from the other day?” He asked, which earned him a playful pout from you.

“Taylor Swift.” You corrected as you placed your notebook and pen inside your bag.

“My favorite singer.” You stood and took the few steps to reach him before sitting on his lap, your arms around his neck and his hands holding you securely. You placed a kiss on his cheek and grimaced at the smell.

“You stink.” You stated but made no move to get away from him. Your words were met with a pout from him, similar to the one he had received from you.

“I thought Bob Dylan was your favorite singer?” Dean asked. You shook your head and leaned into him.

“Nope. Taylor Swift.” You felt him breathe a laugh out. He continued to hold you until Sam was done with his shower, even if his leg had fallen asleep in that time.

----

“Do you remember we were sitting there by the water?”

The voice trailed out from your phone as you and Dean cuddled in bed. You had figured out how to download the song onto your device and it just so happened the first song you had heard from the blonde girl was your favorite. The lyrics reminded you of your relationship with Dean. It was the morning now and Sam had run out for breakfast. You and Dean had taken the time alone by sleepily making out and listening to music. Your music had been the winner since you were the only one with it downloaded onto your phone and your laptop was across the room.

You could tell, despite his objections to the fact, Dean was starting to enjoy some of the songs. Sure, it was because you enjoyed them, but you could have sworn that he hummed along to some of them.

You grabbed the front of his shirt in a fist as you two kissed. He held his hands on your hips to pull you into him. Your heart was beating quickly and you rolled your body up against his. There wasn’t enough time for what the both of you truly wanted to do, but that didn’t mean you could just turn it off. His response to your movements was to groan and kiss you harder. His hands trailed to your bottom and he pulled you up into him.

“Dean,” You breathed out. The music had been drowned out by the sounds of you and your lover. It was magical. His hands, his lips, all of him. Pleasure erupted where his hands touched you. It had been far too long since you had gotten to be close to him like this.

“I know, baby, I know,” Dean’s words came out in pants in between kisses. His hands were tight on you, fingers digging into your hips. You moaned into his mouth when you brushed up onto him in just the right way.

Fuck it.

That was Dean’s last thought before deciding he would be quick. He could get you off in the time it would take Sam to make it back to the room. His younger brother would have the sense to knock before coming in anyways, right? That didn’t matter in the moment as Dean disappeared under the blankets. The only thing racing around either of your heads was the need for touch. You felt him tug your shorts down, pulling your underwear with them. No time for the usual foreplay, Dean dove right into you.

His tongue dragged along your core. He groaned when he tasted you, just as sweet as he remembered. He used his tongue to lap at your entrance, causing you to curse under your breath. His nose nudged at your clit while he moved, creating an immense amount of pleasure to build up inside you. You moaned and bucked your hips up, trying to get impossibly closer to him. Dean’s response to this was to hold your hips down, his pace never slowing. The pressure from his fingers had pleasure, not pain, rippling through your body. There were sure to be bruises in the coming hours, but that was the collateral for what Dean did to your body.

God, his mouth felt heavenly. You pressed your shoulders into the pillows, needing to move. You were whimpering his name out in between moans. The sound of his name coming from your pretty little mouth only encouraged his actions. He moved his mouth like a man starved, and there were no complaints from you.

Your hands balled into fists, gripping the sheets tight enough Dean thought you were going to rip them, but he didn’t stop. That would be a problem for later Dean. Present Dean needed to feel his girl come apart under his hands. He continued to work at you, knowing when you were getting close when your breaths became shorter and quicker. The coil of an orgasm built up in your lower abdomen. You were right on the edge, ready to fall into the ocean of post-sex bliss, and the tipping point was Dean groaning into you at the feel of you fighting his hold on you. The noise reverberated through your body, making your skin goosebump at the pure desire of it.

You were trying to catch your breath while basking in the high of what Dean had done to you when the door opened. Sam, it seemed, had not known he would need to knock before entering. It was the shared room after all. He carried in a large bag full of fragrant food and a tray of coffees. Confusion bloomed across his face when he hadn’t seen his brother next to you, the emotion only increasing at the sight of the obviously empty bathroom. He turned his eyes to you, apparently not noticing the red of your cheeks.

“Where…?” Sam had begun his question, but let the rest of the sentence trail off when Dean emerged from under the blanket. His cheeks were the same red as your own, though he tried to hide this with a flash of a wide smirk. He had pulled your shorts back onto you before making his entrance, ensuring you wouldn’t accidentally flash his brother.

“Oh, gross!” Sam exclaimed and piled the food onto the table. It wasn’t as if it had been the first time he had walked in on his older brother, but it never ceased to make it less weird for him. You and Dean let out twin chuckles before joining Sam at the table for breakfast.

----

You were back in the Impala. The windows were down and the warm air of summer streamed in the windows. You let your right hand wave up and down in the wind, holding Dean’s hand in your left. His elbow rested on his own open window as he drove wordlessly, letting the music fill the car. Even Sam was quiet as he let the air that rushed into the vehicle to swish his hair around. The song - your song, as Dean liked to call it - was filling the space around your little trio. The cassette player in the car had been fixed, (turns out Dean did know what he was doing, which he boasted about for a good five minutes), but you had been checking the country radio station in between songs in the hopes that they would play the song. After a few tries, there it was, and you had been lucky enough to catch it at the beginning.

“But we got bills to pay, we got nothing figured out,” you sang along with the radio. You looked over to Dean.

“When it was hard to take, yes, yes, this is what I thought about,” Dean was, albeit very discreetly, singing along as well. A smile broke out across your face, one that caught Sam’s attention.

“Are you singing Taylor Swift, Dean?” Sam asked incredulously, a teasing tone in his voice. Dean glanced at the two of you, rolling his eyes when he saw the looks of astonishment on them. He knew there was no denying it.

“Yes, now shut up, the bridge is coming.” Dean shot back. Sure enough, the post-chorus just before the bridge was playing.

“And I remember that fight, 2:30 AM, as everything was slipping right out of hands,”

Sam had joined in on the sing-along, having the song practically memorized from the amount of times you played it. You giggled through your singing at the sound of the two men in the car with you. You all must have sounded ridiculous, three voices, four including the radio, blasted from the open windows. It didn’t matter though, you were all happy. You were all family, even if it wasn’t through blood when it came to you. You loved these boys and knew you would never want to live a day with either one of them out of your life. Dean, your true love, your soulmate, if that was even possible. Sam, your brother, your friend.

Dean pulled the back of your hand to his lips before the last line. You locked eyes with him and the rest of the world blurred away. A smile pulled the corners of your lips up. You and Dean sang the last line to each other, and though it was just a song, you both knew the lyrics to be true.

“You are the best thing that’s ever been mine.”

[revelboo]

Rambles/ clarification of my nonsense

• I just wanted to go ahead and clarify something before you guys make the connection between the TF One Megatron fic and the latest Thundercracker bit and start asking. First off, I have a fated mate series I write. I do love that trope, but I have an issue with how it’s handled sometimes so I will gently poke fun at it from time to time.

• I don’t like the insta-love eyes meeting across a room and falling hopelessly in love that some novels incorporate. I prefer love/affection to be earned over time through actions. Insta-love always comes across to me as losing a piece of yourself to another person, losing free will. Instant attraction or lust? I can work with that, tie it to a sense of belonging that keeps dragging you into that person’s gravity whether you want to be there or not. Just because it’s fated doesn’t mean it’s perfect or easy. I want the characters to clash, to fight that sense of need and maybe even resent that bond at first. Slowly building up trust and getting to know each other.

• If I write more TF One characters, I’ll probably use fated mates in that universe because I’m a gremlin and I like writing conflict. I wouldn’t mind writing that version of Starscream, B127, or Optimus Prime at some point.

• This blog started as a venting space. I needed to work on manuscripts, but I was so burnt out and my usual tactic of just swapping to a different project wasn’t working. I’d open the documents and just stare at the screen in dread. So, I wrote a silly little Starscream snippet, because I used to write fanfiction on FFN years ago under a different handle. And I missed writing silly, self indulgent nonsense that didn’t have to be perfect. The quick bullet point snippets I do are actually how I quickly get scenes down to expand later.

• I only meant to make a few characters and scenarios and then go back and start fleshing them out like a properly formatted story. Then you guys started asking questions, asking about different characters. So I just kept going, because I honestly missed writing for fun, for myself. Nothing serious, just telling a story to amuse myself. I needed an outlet for the stress and this is it.

• So, thank you guys so much. I’ll keep these going as long as folks want to read them, because I really did miss the Transformers community. There’s a sense that when you swap to professionally writing, you’re not supposed to keep doing the fanfiction stuff. You’re supposed to grow up and just write novels, nothing else. And that’s why I stopped ten years ago, but this makes me happy. I can do both and it’s not like I follow normal writing rules anyway. I’ve been told my writing can be too visceral, too much like a stream of consciousness instead of a literary work. That used to bother me, but that ship’s not only sailed, it caught on fire and sank with no survivors. Never been great at following rules anyway.

• And maybe someone else needs to hear that. You don’t have to stop what you enjoy because it’s ’unprofessional.’ Keep it separate, but keep doing it if it makes you happy. It shouldn’t be a trade off.

[harstyle]

The Beginning of Something New

Summary: You and Harry Styles could not be more diametrically opposed— so maybe that's the reason you've hated each other from the start. One conversation on a rooftop is all it takes for you to realize that you may have more in common than you've cared to admit.

Word-count: around 3.3k (she's short)

Warnings: they fight a lot lol, mentions of alcohol and drugs

A/N: Hi there! It's been a while. I wrote this short thing on vacation and felt like posting it. It doesn't really follow a time structure or anything, it's just random little snippets of their relationship to the big confessions at the end but I think it's cute, so I hope you enjoy! Both reader and Harry are in uni and Harry is the lead singer of a band that performs in clubs and pubs around the city. I’d say they’re around 20.

credits to the owner of this photo!

You can feel his eyes on you, daring.

You’re trying not to entertain it, to keep your eyes on Luke, to feign interest in his life. But it’s so difficult; it’s so difficult with him standing across the room, this weird hue in the air, this magnetic pull he has on you. And it doesn’t matter that you’re touching Luke’s arm or dragging a finger down his chest— all you care to think about is how hard you’re pushing Harry’s buttons.

And how fucking sweet victory tastes.

Well, aside from… you know, having to actually listen to Luke’s blabbering.

“The hotel’s great but the service is unbelievable. I had to wait fifteen minutes for a guy to bring me an extra towel once and I almost handed in a complaint—“

“Right. Luke, I’m going to get myself a new drink. Do you want anything? No? Wonderful.”

Your rough sigh speaks volumes, wasted air solidifying into something more important as you order at the bar. The bartender smiles at you, almost pitiful, and you writhe in disgust when you think about having to go back in a minute. You suppose it’s worth it to prove your point to Harry that you’re not as undesirable as he thinks, but maybe you should’ve done so with a guy who tells more interesting stories. Or at the very least knows not to speak with his mouth full

“Bored already, princess?”

It does irritate you when Harry sees right through you.

“Were you watching us? How cute.”

He rolls his eyes in your periphery. “You reek of disinterest, is all.”

“As a matter of fact, I’m very interested.”

“Very, you say.”

You lock eyes with him, “very.” Your bartender places the drink in front of you and you’re quick to take a sip. Harry snickers at your side. “What do you want, Harry?”

“Nothing. Are you sure you didn’t pay him to take you out?”

“Are you sure you have nothing else to do with your life? Because it sure is a little pathetic how invested you are in mine.”

“Aw come on, sweetheart,” he pinches your cheek and you recoil in an instant, shoving him back. Harry chuckles like he gets off on it. “Admit that you like the attention.”

“From you? I think I’d rather not.”

His smile never fades. “So this guy, very predictable.”

Your eyebrows pinch together, “what do you mean?”

“Just his look and everything. It makes sense you’d go out with him.” When you don’t reply, simply tilting your head in an even mix of curiosity and disdain, he elaborates. “All of the boys you date, they’re the same. Bet his Porsche’s insurance is under his daddy’s name.”

Your fixated glare could kill.

But he doesn’t mind— in fact, he loves it. He knows he’s struck a cord, that he’s right. “There’s no thrill in it. No excitement.”

“He’s everything you could never be, Harry.”

A beat of silence ensues, you take a sip of your drink.

You probably shouldn’t elaborate, but you do. You find yourself wanting to. “He’s kind, and he cares about me. He opens doors and he holds my hand when we’re walking down the street. So yeah, maybe he doesn’t get drunk tattoos or share a joint with me at three in the morning, but he’s a gentleman. And that’s something you could never understand.”

You don’t even wait for him to interject, because at this point it isn’t fun anymore. It’s true; Harry is exciting, he’s a breath of fresh air. He keeps the chase going— but he doesn’t fucking care enough. So it doesn’t matter how often you’ve caught yourself hoping for him to change and see how good you could be if you didn’t hate each other, he will never be an option for you. He likes the game, teetering on the edge of something more certain and then letting go.

Everything happens at night. By morning time, he couldn’t give less of a shit. You’re not good enough for him. Not exciting enough, not spontaneous enough.

And even though you’re sure you hear him calling your name, you don’t turn back for him. You’re already walking to Luke’s table, and finding yourself happy to do so.

“Everything okay?” He asks when catching wind of your tight expression.

“Yeah. Let’s finish this drink and get the hell out of here.”

—

His eyes are much greener at night, and you hate it.

You hate the rasp in his voice and how smooth it sounds in spite of it. You hate how his eyes close when he’s entranced in the music, when he feels his guitar riff flowing like blood through his veins. And mostly you hate how weak you are, how little convincing it took for you to be here tonight.

By the end of his set, you’re three martinis in and Jessica is poking you in the shoulder.

“Are you okay?”

“Im fucking great, Jess.”

You don’t see why your friends are always walking on eggshells when the topic of Harry comes up. You and Harry can’t stand each other, that’s it.

And yet every time they act like you’ll break into tears when you see him.

Mitch and Harry return to the table in your periphery and you try your best to ignore their presence. Sometimes you feel bad that Mitch seems to be at the receiving end of your cold attitude so often because he’s genuinely a cool guy, but he’s also Harry’s bandmate. It’s aversion by association.

“Great set, guys!”

Jessica and Mitch aren’t officially dating, but they’re fucking. Hanging out. Hence the reason for your frequent visits to this club and to their gigs; she forces you to come and you can never say no to her.

Mitch slings an arm around Jess’ shoulders, kind enough to acknowledge you with a welcoming smile. They’re perfect for each other and you can’t help but let a grin tug at your lips when you see yet again how happy he makes her.

You wish you could have that.

The couple leaves to get drinks, leaving you and Harry alone.

“Didn’t bring your boyfriend?”

Your eyes roll. It’s involuntary at this point how often you do it. “Can you get off of my dick?”

“If you hop on mine.”

Disgust molds your features, “you’re fucking gross.”

He laughs. You don’t find him funny at all.

His grin dims. “Trouble in paradise then?”

“No trouble. He’s just not here.”

You’re lying; you haven’t called Luke in weeks and he hasn’t reached out either. You don’t think that’s going to change.

“So you’re still dating him.”

“Yeah. Does that bother you?”

You watch as his jaw constricts and clenches. Then he shakes his head, surprising you with the silence it’s accompanied by.

And for some reason, it causes a twist in your stomach. A guilty twist, like it’s somehow your fault the air has turned uncomfortable.

It takes you seconds to realize that for the first time since you’ve gotten to know him, he’s failed to deliver a snarky remark or a hurtful comment; anything resembling a testament to the hatred the two of you feel for one another.

It’s like he has something he wants to say, something on the tip of his tongue, but he’s a coward when it comes to relationships and vulnerability, so he can’t bring himself to do it. And you have enough self-respect to not pry it out of him.

“I have a thing in an hour so I’ll get going. Do you need a ride home?”

For some reason, his offer doesn’t surprise you in the slightest. You and Harry can hate each other all you want, but at the end of the day he’ll still care enough to make sure you don’t get harassed on the way home. Somewhat comforting, but only somewhat.

You also know exactly what his thing is, and thinking about it makes you nauseous.

Your first instinct is to say no, but then you pause. Your eyes wander to Jess and Mitch kissing by the bathrooms and you find yourself unable to resist the offer of a ride, as much as you’d hate having to sit in a car with him.

“Yeah, okay.”

Harry’s only confirmation is a subtle nod. He probably hates the idea just as much as you do, but having a death or an injury on one’s conscience can’t feel better than having to endure this.

Most of the ride goes swimmingly, but that’s owed to the silence.

And then you get sick of it, and it all goes downhill.

“You’re the most confusing guy I’ve ever met, you know that?”

His jaw clenches again.

But you don’t stop, probably because the alcohol is finally taking its effect. “You’re mean and as emotionally unavailable as a fucking tree.”

In any other setting he’d probably smile at the comparison, but he’s not in the mood today. He says your name and it resembles a warning.

“I just don’t— I don’t fucking get it. Because you’re nice to everyone else and every one of our friends loves you. But with me you have a problem, with everything I do. I can never do anything right, I’m never right—“

“Do you realize that maybe it’s just you? That you never shut up, that you’re so fucking irritating. You walk around like you’re god-chosen, pretending to know everything better than anyone else. You’re so— it’s so fucking irritating.”

Silence.

He shouldn’t have said anything— least of all anything he didn’t think through beforehand.

But it isn’t his words that terrify you; it’s how he says them. He’s so… genuine. It’s not some halfhearted comment delivered out of spite. No, it’s real, something you can tell he’s kept concealed for a long time out of… what, something he considers kindness?

But you don’t want to self-reflect. You don’t want to open up a can of worms. Instead, your hatred for Harry only flares up. It eats you up and leaves your body in strong waves.

“Pull over.”

You can tell Harry regrets his outburst when he sighs, knuckles turning white as his grip on the steering wheel tightens. “Princess—“

“Pull over, Harry. I want to walk.”

“It’s dangerous out—“

You don’t care anymore, though, his pleas becoming background noise as you’re opening the door and getting ready to step out mid drive. Harry finally gives. He’s not worried about the damage you might’ve caused to his door, he’s worried about your state. How angry you seem and how much alcohol is in your system.

You slam the door shut, hug your blazer closer to your body and start walking.

Guilt spreads in Harry’s chest as he watches you walk away from him. He messed up.

He’s sure there’ll be a special place in hell waiting for him when he sees your shoulders tremble. You’re crying. And it’s all his doing.

His forehead hits the steering wheel.

Fuck this.

—

You’ve always loved watching the stars on your own. You suppose it’s how stuffy the room was that makes this particular viewing significantly more enjoyable, though, the air clinging to your skin in a way that makes you feel protected. The rooftop is secluded, offering a view of the city in its twinkling lights. For a minute, you forget that you’re depressed. You forget that you haven’t spoken to Harry in two months and that it’s left a gaping wanting hole in your chest.

The beer in your hand isn’t cold anymore, your phone has died and your heels are long discarded on the floor somewhere. Your arms are resting on the railing.

You’re a reasonably social person, but the idea of talking to a human being right now makes you want to vomit. And you feel bad, truly bad, because it’s Nina’s birthday. Because you’re having a party in the art gallery she opened earlier this year, because you should be down there celebrating her achievements like all of your friends are doing— and you feel so incredibly selfish for not feeling up to the task. For feeling like you want to fucking cry just because Harry’s here too, and you weren’t expecting him to be.  

You hear your name being called. You know exactly who it is; you would probably know by the pattern of his breathing, really, and that realization makes you want to crawl into a hole and never come back up.

“Everyone’s worried about you. You just disappeared.”

Your frown deepens. You can’t look at him right now.  “Are they?”

He sounds impatient and you don’t blame him. “Yes. Can you come in?”

You sniffle, “in a minute.”

“Princess—“

“I said in a minute, okay? Just— give me a minute.”

He allows you silence for another minute. Two, actually, before walking closer. You can’t see him, but his presence is loud enough for you to know.  

“Are you okay?”

You shake your head, “no.”

“Can I help you with anything?”

“No.” You breathe in deep, readying yourself for something you’ll probably regret later. But the sudden rush of courage is overwhelming, so you’ll take your chances. “I, uh… I’m always terrified of being exposed to hurt. And so I think, as a defense mechanism, I close up around people. At least the ones who show signs of disliking me.” His silence allows you to go on. “And I always got the impression that you hated me. I never knew what I had done, but I knew you didn’t like me, and that sent me into a fucking spiral because I hate when that happens.” You interrupt yourself in a chuckle, watching as lights flicker off in the distance. “And so maybe subconsciously, in the beginning, I made it a mission of mine to make you like me, you know? Which is why I used to try to talk, to keep conversation going, never shut my mouth. And when I realized that wasn’t working, I needed to shut myself off.  Keep you as far away as possible because I knew you would hurt me one way or another.” One last deep breath helps you bask in this feeling of relief. For once in your life, you’re being honest.

“And so I know that I can be overbearingly rude, that I get on your nerves, but it’s because…” you can’t bring yourself to say the complete truth, so you modify it a little, “it’s because if you knew the real me, the version that everyone else knows, then you would know how to hurt me. And I didn’t want that to happen.”

His breathing changes, you hear it. You almost can’t believe you would open up like you did, but somewhere deep down you’re also proud of yourself.

“And I’ve realized now that… that somewhere along the way I got swept up in the illusion of it. The nights we spent together getting tattoos and drinking until morning, I took them for something they weren’t because I wanted it all to be real. I wanted for us to be real, I guess, for us to stop hating each other so much. I held onto the hope, but you would never communicate the same to me. And that scared me because I felt like I wasn’t enough for you. But instead of accepting it, I got meaner and more defensive because I felt played.”

“And I know it’s so… it’s so fucking weird for me to say this to you now like it’s some kind of confession, but… I just can’t shut up, so.”

You find it comical how it all flows out of you like water. How easy it seems now and how much of a big deal you used to make it.

“I never hated you.“ He says after a beat of quiet.

“You didn’t?” You ask as you turn around, pressing your back to the railing. He sticks his hands into the pockets of his washed out jeans and walks closer. He stops next to you, his arms resting on the railing. It’s his turn to watch the lights.

“No,” he shakes his head, taking a deep breath to brace himself. “I… when I saw you for the first time, I felt drawn. I thought you were sweet and funny, and you definitely had me wrapped around your fucking finger by the second time we met. It terrified me, how someone like you could have that effect on me.”

“Someone like me?”

“Someone so caring and deserving of something more than I could offer her. What you said at the bar that night, it was true. It was all true. Because I never had to be a gentleman before, you know? I don’t exactly date. You know that.” You do. “And I knew that you could worm your way in and completely change my life if only you wanted to. You could hurt me a million times over and I would forgive you every time.”

You can feel his eyes on you, studying the curve of your nose like it’s something he wants to memorize. “I was insecure. I didn’t want to get hurt, so I chose to scare you off. But it was real, all of it; the nights we spent together, everything in between. I pretended like it wasn’t, but deep down I knew it would come to kick me in the ass.” You laugh at his choice of words; he smiles in return. “Because you’re… you’re perfect for me, you know? And letting myself be happy was too much to ask, so I resorted to being an arse. I figured if I could control how you felt about me, I could control how I felt about you.”

You always thought you and Harry were complete opposites... you’re talkative, Harry’s quiet. You’re warm, Harry’s cold. You can’t take it when people don’t like you, and Harry couldn’t give less of a shit.

But now you know that it isn’t the complete truth. Beneath that superficial layer you know so well, there are similar fears. At it’s base, you’re both scared of hurt. You’re scared of exploring unknown territory and risking everything in the name of something that could leave you heartbroken. It could all be for nothing.

And yet, could it not still be worth it?

“We’re both stupid.”

Harry chuckles, and you’re convinced it’s the most beautiful sound anyone could make.

He taps his fingers against the metal railing, nodding. “That we are.”

For the first time in a long time, the silence you share is comfortable. It isn’t courtesy of having too much to say and yet saying nothing, instead it’s courtesy of having said everything and agreeing it’s enough. For now, at least.

You smile to yourself.

The door opens, revealing a timid Jess.

“Hey guys, we’re about to cut into the cake.”

“We’re coming,” you say, sharing a short look with Harry. The two of you walk down the stairs, Harry behind you and Jess in front.

Nina embraces you, ushering both you and Harry closer. If she noticed you were gone, she doesn’t mention it and you’re thankful for that. Tonight, you just want to be a good friend.

And although you have more to say, you’re not worried. Because it’ll all be fine— you’ll be fine.

Nina blows out her candles, everyone erupts into cheers. You grin, sharing a look with Harry over the rim of your bottle. It’s longer this time, something worth holding onto. His eyes are daring, they’re sure, and most of all, they’re welcoming.

It’s a guarantee of trust, a confirmation of the beginning of a new chapter. And although you’re eager to explore it, you have no doubt in your mind that the story won’t come to an end for a while.

[radicalreliablerandomness]

Podcast Rec Masterpost

I've been asked a couple times for podcast recommendations so I thought I'd post a compilation of some shows and a bit of info about them. Most shows I talk about are tagged below (I ran out of tags) so you can look through fan content as well if you're not one to care about spoilers. My asks are still open for personalized recs if you send me some others that you've listened to just because I love you, yes that's right! You. The person reading this right now!

Here goes!

Dungeons And Daddies *not a BDSM podcast

This show is a dnd actual play podcast. The first season is about four dads from our world lost in the Forgotten Realms in search of their lost sons. It’s a comedy but as with all comedies, you will cry by the end of it. It's super easy to get into with great chemistry between all the cast players and the dm, no prior knowledge of dnd is necessary. They do invoke slight horror sometimes so do keep an eye out for content warnings. Season 1 has 68.5 episodes along with bonus content and a mini campaign in between seasons 1 and 2. Season 2 is currently ongoing. Transcripts available.

The Bright Sessions

This is a science fiction podcast. The premise is a collection of clinical recordings of superpowered people's therapy sessions. The plot gets more interesting and convoluted as you get further in. Incredible voice acting filled with emotion. Does have some heavier discussions so be on the lookout for content warnings. It has 7 seasons (the last two are technically not part of the first five seasons' plot) and is completed. Transcripts available.

Hello From the Hallowoods

A post-apocalyptic fiction podcast. A beautifully written and preformed podcast that explores identity, religion, and other themes in vignettes throughout this haunted world narrated by an omniscient being. Some heavier topics are included so check the content warning before each episode. Seasons 1 and 2 are completed and season 3 will be done soon. Transcripts available.

The Magnus Archives

A horror fiction podcast. A well written chronological story told through anthology which seem to be tape recordings from a paranormal investigation institute. Incredible writing and actors that really bring it to life. This is horror so make sure to check the content warnings. The show is completed at 5 seasons. Transcripts available.

Neighbourly

Another horror fiction podcast! An interesting look into all the houses on Little Street and their peculiarities. Some more peculiar than others. The podcast is absolutely delightful with a horribly fun narrator. I would suggest checking the content warnings as some episodes are more intense than others. The show has 2 completed seasons. Transcripts available.

The Fall of the House of Sunshine

A musical mystery fiction podcast. The first season is about an investigation on the murder of a beloved host of a children's tooth-themed show. That's all I can say without spoilers. There are 3 incredible seasons along with short stories in between each season. Transcripts available until halfway through season 2.

Welcome to Nightvale

Possibly the most well known science fiction podcast, it really speaks for itself but I'll do my spiel anyways. Recorded as snippets of a daily radio broadcast, the show details the weird goings on in this strange desert town of Nightvale. Narrated almost completely by the radio host's smooth voice. It's ongoing and is currently sitting at 233 episodes. Transcripts available.

The Two Princes

A fictional queer romance podcast. It takes place in that special part of fiction that always starts with "once upon a time," it feels like a story book almost. The show is based around two boys meeting in the woods. Spoiler alert: they fall in love. It's just a cute feel good show. The podcast is complete at 3 seasons. Spotify auto-generated transcripts available.

What's the Frequency?

A self described psychedelic noir podcast. It's an absolute blast even if it is a bit hard to follow. Takes place in the 1940s in LA when all radio broadcasts were turned to static. You kind of just have to go with it until you get to the end. Completed at 12 episodes. Transcripts available.

Story Break

A writer's room podcast. The basic concept behind Story Break is 3 Hollywood writers in a room together take a prompt and try to make a story for it in an hour. There are many laughs in this podcast and just all around good humor and vibes. The show is complete at 169 episodes plus two full movie scripts. No transcript.

Who Killed Avril Lavigne

A science fiction podcast. It's about a time traveling pop punk loser and that's all you need to know. It's a podmusical so you'll be getting great nostalgic pop punk type songs along with crying from laughing so hard. Completed at 8 episodes. No transcript.

The Behemoth

A fiction podcast. Based around an unexplainable creature emerging from the ocean and how the world, and one girl in particular, deal with this phenomenon. It is pretty short with the longest episode being about 12 minutes. Completed at 20 episodes. No transcript.

Rude Tales of Magic

A dnd actual play podcast. It is mainly focused on the actual roleplay and story telling as opposed to the actual play. A handful of college students from Polaris University fuck the world up by completing a hazing ritual which in this case is a supposedly demon summoning. Obviously now they need to fix the world. Currently 64 episodes and ongoing. No transcript.

Midnight Burger

A very well written fiction podcast. It’s about a time/space traveling diner where the employees try to help solve a problem every place they land. Think Doctor Who adjacent vibes but with more drama. There is an overarching plot that comes together so look out for that. It has incredible characters that are really nicely fleshed out. You’ll somehow like and hate all of them as much as possible in the best way. Currently has 29 episodes of the main feed and a 9 episode mini-series. Transcript available.

Monstrous Agonies

A fiction podcast. It’s an radio advice segment on a station for “liminal Britain” aka the monstrous world to put it plainly. It’s really chill and comforting. There’s very good advice there and the intermittent ad reads will have you giggling to yourself. Episodes are on the shorter side, averaging about 15 minutes each. It does have some heavier discussions so make sure to check the content warnings. The show is completed at 111 episodes through 3 seasons. Transcripts available.

Desert Skies

A fiction podcast. The voice acting in this one is incredible, it’s the same person the whole time. The show as a whole is also just super well done. The premise is that when you die you show up on a highway and get to this astral pit stop. I’m not going to spoil it anymore you just have to experience it. There is an additional show, Desert Skies FM that's a buddy to this one. I recommend listening to both. Season 1 was completed at 12 episodes. Transcripts available.

Wooden Overcoats

A sitcom dramedy podcast. The show is about two siblings that run a funeral home on an island. It used to be the only one, it isn’t anymore. It has a wacky cast of characters and even wackier plot points. The dialogue can be a little hard to get used to at the beginning but once you get into it it flows easily. The show is completed at 4 seasons. Transcripts available.

Greater Boston

An audio drama podcast. It's set in Boston if you couldn't tell from the title and starts with the death of a man on a rollercoaster. It blends real life with some subtle (and at times not-so-subtle) fantasy elements. It's currently at 4 completed seasons. Transcript available.

Gay Future

A science fiction podcast. In a world where everyone is gay in the future we focus on this one straight kid. Following his journey to destroy the government who are making everyone gay. This is a satire by the way. 1 season completed at 6 episodes. No transcripts.

Death by Dying

A dark comedy podcast. The show follows an obituary writer while he does things that are totally under the jurisdiction of his job. A well written and preformed show. There are a lot of laughs and obviously some heartbreaks as well. Currently 1 completed season with season 2 sitting at 2 episodes for a bit now. Transcript available.

Not Another D&D Podcast

An actual play dnd podcast. This one's more mainstream than my other podcasts so I don't talk about it as much but that doesn't mean it's not incredible. The first campaign is about 3 adventurers off to save the world. Obviously. It can be a bit slow in the beginning but anything past the second half of the first season is incredible. There's humor, drama, love, and much more. The DM is also just incredible. 1 completed season, a couple mini campaigns, and the second season is currently at 43 episodes. No transcripts.

Forgive Me!

A fiction podcast. It starts based around vignettes of confessionals in this small town taken by a new father in the local church. An overarching plot is present but it's generally a feel good, sweet and simple show. They have 2 complete seasons with season 3 currently at 9 episodes. Transcripts available.

Real Housewives of D&D

An actual play dnd podcast. This show is based around the concept of a "Real Housewives..." type show but you don't need to know anything about those to listen to this. It's about 4 reality TV stars thrown into a magical fantasy world with no knowledge of how to get home. There's drama, excitement, danger, and lots more. The first season was just completed at 16 episodes. Transcripts available.

The Silt Verses

A horror fiction podcast. Two people who worship a banned god travel together up a river in a pilgrimage. There is incredible worldbuilding in this show along with acting and sound design. This is horror and a very good one at that so make sure you check content warnings. Season 1 and 2 are completed and season 3 is at 2 episodes so far. Transcripts available.

The Land Whale Murders

A comedy fiction podcast. It takes place in the year 1899 and is about a pair of friends? maybe not, that metaphorically explore the world they're living in. It is a commentary on the world we live in and the problems in it through a hilarious and wacky cast. There are currently 17 episodes between both seasons 1 and 2. Transcripts available.

Elaine's Cooking for the Soul

A post-apocalyptic cooking podcast. The show is about a dentist who makes her way through the fallout of an apocalypse while also making a cooking podcast. It does have depictions of violence, war, and dentistry so check out the content warnings. There are 2 completed seasons. No transcripts.

Fawx and Stallion

A mystery podcast. If you hate Sherlock Holmes you'll love this podcast. Also if you love Sherlock Holmes you'll love this podcast. It's based around the detectives who live across the street from Holmes at 224B Baker street. It's pretty goofy. Season 1 is completed. Transcripts available.

The Amelia Project

A fiction podcast. Follow the shenanigans of this death-faking organization as they take in new clients and hear their stories. It does develop an actual overarching plot later on but every second is fun. Seasons 1-4 have been completed and season 5 is in progress. Transcripts available.

A Voice From Darkness

A horror podcast. It's centered around a radio show hosted by Dr. Malcolm Ryder, Parapsychologist. He helps people who call into his show with supernatural problems, gives PSAs and warnings about strange happenings, and more. Season 1 is completed and season 2 is at 9 episodes. Transcripts available.

Station Arcadia

A dystopian fiction podcast. Formatted through a radio show, it tells the story of a world that's slowly dying. There are vignettes of different characters through different areas of the world. Season 1 is completed at 25 episodes. Transcripts available.

Margaret's Garden

A science fiction podcast. It has two plots running at the same time which keeps you on your toes but makes for an intriguing story line. In one plot line, two agents are sent to investigate the strange happenings of a weird little long abandoned town. Simultaneously, we hear from the past of that town as it catches up to the agents. Completed at 10 episodes. Transcripts available.

Camp Here & There

A horror comedy podcast. It's recorded as a set of daily announcements over a loudspeaker at a totally normal summer camp. The announcements are made by the camp nurse and he's also totally normal. I promise. Make sure to check in with the content warnings as some topics are a little mature or graphic. There are currently 34 episodes. Transcripts available.

Wayward Guide for the Untrained Eye

A companion horror podcast. This is actually a bit meta because it is the result of a youtube series. This show is the one the podcast hosts in the series release, it's definitely worth both the watch and the listen though. It's got werewolves and drama. Completed at 10 episodes of video and 10 of the podcast. No transcripts.

I am in Eskew

A horror podcast. It's about a man who's trapped in a city where the buildings always change and the rain never stops. There's a weird monotonous creeping horror in this show that just draws you in. Check for content warnings definitely. Completed at 30 episodes. Transcripts available.

Traveling Light

A comfy cozy fiction podcast. It follows The Traveller on their exploration through space, visiting alien planets and collecting stories to send back to their community. For supporters of the show, it almost functions as a choose-your-own-adventure with choices to vote on and listener submissions. It's made by the same people as Monstrous Agonies so if you enjoyed that, you'd enjoy this and vice versa. There are currently 16 episodes. Transcripts available.

Not yet described but still recommended:

Eeler’s Choice

The Secret of St Kilda

The Endless Ocean

The Department of Variance of Somewhere, Ohio

The Sword & The Stoner

World Gone Wrong: a fictional chat show about friendship at the end of the world

Travelling Light

Waterlogged

Brimstone Valley Mall

[penny00dreadful]

Can't start another WIP she said, bitch she fuckin LIED. Personal Assistant Steve to Rockstar Eddie snippet. Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 AO3

Smoke curled lazily above them in the slightly chilly night air. Neither of them had bothered to put any clothes back on but they were still warm enough from previous activities so it didn’t really matter.

The guy, Jake? John? James? J- Julian! That was it. Julian was standing next to him just out of arms reach now that the horny haze between the two of them had worn off.

Eddie supposed that was to be expected.

The poor guy probably had no idea if he was about to be booted unceremoniously out of a rockstars luxury hotel room after crashing together under a fog of uppers and thumping music at the after party before they both had quickly fumbled their way into Eddie's bed for the night.

He had no idea if fuckin' security or some shit was going to burst through the door and drag him out half or fully naked now that Eddie was done with him.

And it probably hadn't helped that they had been walked in on, they'd barely been in the room a minute before Steve came looking for him, talking a mile a minute about tour schedules and pre-approved interview questions before he'd realised he was looking at Eddie practically humping the guy against a wall.

They'd stopped when Steve walked in obviously but it had been pretty clear what they were doing and Steve, ever the professional had just rolled his eyes and told Eddie he'd be back in the morning.

Julian clearly had no idea if he was safe here now that the deed was done but Eddie wasn't an asshole. He could be a bit callous all right but he wasn't opposed to his hook-ups hanging around for a little bit if they seemed like cool enough people. And the guy seemed nice enough so he didn’t mind letting him stick around.

Julian sighed a little heavily and ran a hand through his muddy blonde hair. “I feel kinda bad now.”

Eddie turned his eyes over to him. “About what? The sex?” He pulled in a drag from his cigarette.

“No!” Julian answered quickly. “No, the sex was great, really. I mean about your... Your assistant? Probably not the easiest thing for him to see.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Eddie shook his head. “Steve’s seen much worse, believe me. The stories that man could tell.” He laughed. “It's not the first time he's walked in and it probably won’t be the last but he’s practically immune to it at this stage. He’s dragged me by the hair out of celebrity drug dens, parties… he’s pulled me out of more orgy piles than I can count so you know… no skin off his back. ”

“That’s not really what I meant.”

“What then?”

Julian grimaced and glanced down with a look somewhere between guilty and sad. “You really don’t see it?”

Eddie ashed out his cigarette, shrugging and headed back inside. He wanted to get back into bed, his feet were cold and his body was aching from the show he’d just performed. Honestly he could do with as much sleep as humanly possible but he hadn't any idea what the guy was talking about. He'd meant what he'd said, Steve had seen him in just about every position it was possible for a person to be in pre-sex, mid-sex and post-sex. This was nothing new to him.

Julian followed him back inside and hovered awkwardly at the end of the bed, trying to pick his words and unsure if he should be picking his clothes back up from the floor or getting back into bed.

Eddie pulled the corner of the covers back. “I’m not going to kick you out, you can stay if you want or you can go. Up to you.”

Julian bit his lip but crawled in regardless, lying down to face Eddie. The darkness of the room and the way the two of them were lying facing towards each other felt like some kind of confessional.

“He’s clearly in love with you, dude.”

Eddie couldn’t help the full on belly laugh that came out of his mouth. “Steve?!” He asked incredulously. “No way, man. He’s my P.A. and one of my closest friends. Plus the guy is straight as an arrow. Your gaydar must be off or something.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“Well… I mean… look at him!”

Steve was… he was the straightest looking man around. All business suits, perfectly styled hair, slightly out of date glasses and ex-jock charisma and physique.

Julian didn’t answer, just cocked an eyebrow at him.

Eddie huffed. “Yeah, okay, I’m stereotyping but like… he fucks women.”

“You fuck women.”

“Rarely.”

“But you still do.”

“Okay… but… he… listen I know Steve, alright? The guy isn’t in love with me.”

Julian shrugged. “I dunno, man. I’m not trying to be an ass, I swear but it was very obvious… to me I guess.” He sighed again then muttered “Maybe I’m just very familiar with that look.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah." He tucked his hands under his head. "See it every time I look in the mirror.”

“Oh. Well shit. Who’re you breaking your heart over?”

“My best friend. Danny.”

Eddie hummed, rolling onto his stomach and shoving his arms under his pillow, rubbing his cheek against the fabric. “Tell me about him.”

Julian broke into a wide but bashful smile, so bright it was practically lighting up the dark room though it was sharply undercut with just a hint of melancholy.

“He’s the most loving, giving person I’ve ever met. He’d only just turned eighteen when both his parents died and out of nowhere he’s got three younger siblings that are now in his care and the guy barely knew how to look out for himself, you know? He once tried to microwave an egg to cook it. But he really stepped up. He grew up. Like, can you imagine being eighteen and having to go to parent-teacher meetings when you’d only just left school yourself and trying to teach his kid brother how to shave or talk his sisters through puberty… he’s just so… you know?”

Eddie wasn’t really sure he did know. This Danny person made him think of Steve, serial adopter of anyone even remotely younger than him. Sometimes older than him, if Eddie was to count himself. The kind of person who seemed to make it their life's mission to take care of others. He could see the appeal of Best-Friend-Danny, honestly. Steve probably had better hair though. He always had better hair.

“And Danny’s straight?”

“No.” Julian frowned. “He’s not. And I don’t know if that makes things worse. Because he could choose me. But he never has. Over and over and over again, he hasn’t chosen me. He probably never will. And I need him in my life. So I’ve learned to deal with just friends. It’ll... It'll be good enough.”

“Fuck, that’s heavy. I’m sorry man, sounds like it sucks.”

“It does suck. Sucks dick and balls, actually.”

Eddie allowed himself a little giggle at that but the whole situation had wound itself around his brain. Not for the first time he was forced to remember that there are other people out there, other people like him and other people nothing like him who use music, use sex, use drugs and drink and anything else they can get their hands on just to alter their minds for a few hours. Just to forget and get away from it all. Unfortunately this poor guy seemed stuck in the kind of tragedy poets have been writing about for hundreds of years.

They didn’t share any more words, both dropping off to sleep fairly quickly, lost in their own thoughts.

The next morning they shuffled around each other, lazy and easy now that any post-sex awkwardness had left, grumbling and sore from the show, the various substances they’d ingested, the after party and the sex from the night before.

They took turns in the hotel room's quite frankly obscenely fancy shower.

Julian slowly pulled his clothes back on, wincing whenever he had to bend his back while Eddie made it easy on himself, just throwing on his usual ancient and ratty lounging clothes.

The things Julian had said to him the night before were all but forgotten. Because it wasn't even something that was worth considering in Eddie's mind.

Steve? In love with him?

It was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard in his life. Steve was like some kind of clean cut poster boy for straightness.

Even if he wasn't straight they'd just be downright incompatible in every other sense of the word. He was punctual, a morning person, he exercised for fun, he watched sports, he was a bitch and he was always so put together.

Eddie... Eddie was none of those things.

Maybe he could be a bit of a bitch.

Sometimes.

Plus, even if it was true and that was a big if, Eddie wasn't in love with him back, so like...

Nothing would ever come of it anyway.

Just before Julian left, Eddie beckoned him back over.

The kiss wasn’t romantic, or heated. If anything it was downright platonic, like closing the book on their short story together.

“For luck.” Eddie smiled and patted him lightly on the chest, watching as Julian turned and left the room, his own small smile on his face.

It was nearly a half an hour later and Eddie was really getting into whatever episode of Real Housewives he’d stumbled upon, he wasn't sure, when Steve walked through the door, carrying a large and violently pink strawberry frappuccino with him.

Eddie made greedy, grabby hands at it from his lounged position on the bed. “You’re a saint.” He said, snatching it up.

“I’m aware.” Steve replied with a dry tone, hands on his hips.

Eddie gulped back two bitingly cold mouthfuls. “No, seriously, you’re the best thing to ever happen to me I swear to god." He gulped down another mouthful, ignoring the sharp throb in his teeth. "You gonna watch?” He gestured to the tv. “I think we’re a few episodes behind.”

Steve scoffed. “While I’d love nothing more than to sit on your dirty sex sheets, I have an actual job to do. Y’know, I have to organise your whole damn life-”

“Excuse you, I have an actual job too!”

“Drugs are not an actual job, Eds.”

“Tell that to a pharmacist.”

“Whatever. Drink your disgusting sugar and cream concoction and try not to get into too much trouble today. We're back on the tour bus at 6am sharp!” Steve started slowly backing towards the door, pointing at him. “And do not watch ahead from the last episode we saw together. We’re catching up on it over the weekend.”

“Can’t make any promises.”

Steve’s hands were back on his hips again and Eddie smiled around his straw.

“You’re the bane of my fucking existence, you know that?”

“Yeah, yeah.” He waved his hand. “Love you too, sweetheart.”

Something flashed across Steve’s face, there and gone before it ever settled. A tightening of his mouth, a clench in his jaw, a pinch in his brows, there and gone. Maybe if Julian had never said anything, Eddie wouldn’t have noticed. Maybe if the thought hadn’t been primed he wouldn’t have seen it.

How many times had he not seen it before?

Steve rolled his eyes, as bitchy as ever. “I’ll be back with the car in an hour. Try to look somewhat human by then, please?” He didn’t wait for an answer, turning on his heel and slamming the door behind him.

Well…

It was probably nothing…

Right?

Part 2 out now! Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 AO3