#UM IF I MADE ANY MISTAKES OR ANYTHING.......cringe.. i am tired and i can only do so much

[elfdyke]

HAHA OK UM. ivy exposition time hehe… come read my thoughts i put down in text for you all to read about what i perceive this fictional woman’s backstory to be (this is a lil more cohesive than my harley one but. YEA)

smal cw for VERY brief mentions of abuse (ivys dad + the joker r mentioned)

Ivy grew up in an emotionally vacant house. Her father was very emotionally abusive + occasionally physically. Her mother was hardly around. This caused her to have to take on a lot of responsibility for herself and basically grow up way sooner than she should have

She put a lot of effort into her schoolwork. She had a very caring and helpful science (either biology or environmental science) teacher, she nurtured Ivy’s love of botany

She got a scholarship to acclaimed college and essentially got a free ride? she worked on the side to pay for any spare expenses.

Woodrue was one of her teachers, he was academically lauded for his work in botany but hadn’t been very relevant in the recent scientific discoveries, essentially he was a big shot who got kind of washed up, but Ivy had studied his research extensively and found him incredibly inspiring.

They end up fostering a very intense relationship STRICTLY focused on their scientific research. (SHES LESBIAN.) They’re trying to prove a hypothesis Ivy’s presented about idfk.. accelerating plant growth. Harnessing toxins certain plants create for their healing properties…IDK I DON’T KNOW SCIENCE <3</p>

Their entire work relationship and all the shit they do feels like going 120 mph down a road the wrong way and she loves it. This is truly the first time she’s had full control over her own life and has someone who actually (as she believes) sees her as an equal and recognizes her intellect.

They end up escalating things because they’re both so desperate to prove Ivy’s hypothesis, and Ivy volunteers her own body for them to test their work on. She refuses Woodrue’s offer because its her theory, so she should be the one to suffer if things go wrong…

WHICH THEY DO. Shit goes sideways and Ivy experiences adverse reactions which cause her to become bed stricken (she refuses to go to the hospital because she’s afraid that the toxins could be extremely dangerous, and doesn’t want anyone to suffer because of her science).

She also tells Woodrue to keep his distance, because she wants him to be safe from it too, and he essentially just ghosts her. She’s upset about it but first blames herself because she feels like she’s done nothing but prove everyone right about what a failure she is.

She starts noticing changes affecting her, and its all kinds of fucked up. I can elaborate on this later <3. But essentially her physiology starts warping due to the green encompassing her, growing up from her hands and feet. I think the green parts of her body are cool to the touch, have a plant like texture, and MAYBE? Have plant cell structure ingrained in them vs animal cells.</p>

Also, the green initially starts slowly spreading up her body but she’s able to halt its progression, in order to lose herself completely (think of the kinda deal in annihilation, instead of sexy green plant lady ivy).

She catches wind that Woodrue had HER research published and is taking full credit for her hypothesis, without naming her whatsoever, and it essentially breaks any semblance of humanity she had left.

At this point she’s kind of crazy powerful and can control plantlife as we all know and love <3 She figures out that Woodrue is having a conference where he’s holding some kind of really important lecture on ‘his’ hypothesis, and plans to unmask his deceit in front of the entire scientific community. </p>

She also discovers that he’s warped her discovery from something she wanted to benefit humanity and the environment, to something to gain profit from, essentially going against everything she believed in.

She bursts into the conference and when she sees Woodrue, she essentially blacks out and next thing she knows she’s essentially pulled a Carrie…. NOT EVERYONE DIES!!!! But its brutal and fucked up and she 100% absolutely slaughters Woodrue and makes an example out of him. This is the point in her story where she officially loses any chance she had of her past life as Doctor Pamela Isley.

She uses his desecrated corpse to warn everyone in Gotham, in the world, that the green has woken and will no longer stand by and be desecrated by humanity.

Ivy does a lot of work trying to collapse industries that harm the environment across the world for a while but it’s also hard for her to much alone, and she almost gets bested a few times @_@ She’s absolutely a formidable threat, but she’s also one person with a massive weakness to fire

She ends up slinking back to Gotham to recover after a particularly nasty encounter

Something abhorrent happening in Gotham catches her eye and she can’t stop herself from making an appearance and attempts to wreak havoc before ultimately getting caught and shipped to Arkham for her “extremist beliefs”

Dr Harleen Quinzel is paired with her for weekly meetings.

Harley realizes very quickly Ivy is most certainly Not insane and repeatedly tries to get it appealed, but no one will listen to her. (Ivy was locked up in Arkham specifically bc of her environmental activism/terrorism)

Ivy’s very snide at Harley at first, looking down on her for being so bright eyed and bushy tailed about everything. She’s very much bitter about how she’s repeatedly been wronged, and always cast as a villain despite her believing she’s doing what she can to save the earth.

Ivy and Harley argue about if women can ever achieve anything in this world, the way its built. Harley says she’s sad ivy feels that way but knows she’s going to make a difference. She’s different and she’ll change things.

Ivy doesn’t entirely believe her but seeing someone so downright full of life and hope really does spark something in Ivy that never really dies down.

Eventually Harley gets reassigned and taken off Ivy’s case. They didn’t have a lot of time together but I think that Harley makes a worthy impact on Ivy. This is also before Harley has interacted much, if at all with the Joker

Time passes, Joker’s manipulation ensues, Harleen becomes Harley.

Ivy sees Harley Quinn during a run in with the Joker but doesn’t recognize her at first.

Until she speaks.

Ivy gets hit with a wave of nausea upon realizing how Harley’s fallen from the proud and bright girl who was sitting across from her in Arkham.

After that she uses the green to try and keep tabs on Harley and one night after a particularly bad beating, Joker kicks Harley out and Ivy manages to swoop in and rescue her from near death.

ALSO, IMPORTANT! Ivy struggles a lot with her disgust toward humanity vs her desire to protect Harley. It’s the reason it takes her a while to actively seek a hurt and broken Harley out and rescue her. (she resents herself a lot for not acting sooner, when she realizes how extensive Harley’s injuries are)

TOSSING THIS HERE . about Ivy’s sexuality. I can’t see her ever really opening herself up to any romantic relationships any time during her school life. She’s very driven and focused on her studies and her research. She never really gave her attraction to anyone much thought, so I think that she just expected she would never feel attracted to anyone? Until she meets Harley. I think that meeting Harley kind of opens her eyes like. Wait I can feel this? I deserve this kind of love? With a woman?… she has to work through some shit but she is a big lesbian in love with her weird little clown girlfriend

um i think thats all hehe…. i have more but i kinda wana write a fic about harls and ivy getting together from my interpretation so…… TUNE IN NEXT TIME <3</p>

[hauntedflamingo]

Hold Up! What Happened?

Credit to whoever owns the picture.

Brian x fem!reader

Warning: kinda controlling boyfriend

A/N: on Imbd it doesn’t have his last name so the hashtags might be messed up. That is also going to be a problem whenever I finish my Ace one from Nancy Drew. Some of this sounds okay. The rest of it, I’m not so sure. Sorry for any mistakes.

“Ready to eat?” You boyfriend calls from across the way when he spots you waiting outside the restaurant. As he walks closer to you, he stops in his tracks, touching his back pocket to check for his wallet. “I left my wallet!”

Here we go again. “What do you do with your money?” You shout, narrowing your eyes at his ‘sudden realization’. “You never pay for anything.”

“I told you I don’t have my wallet.” He reiterates as his voice becomes louder while he starts his trek towards you again. “You should be more worried about my wallet than me not paying!”

“Yeah right.” You mutter to yourself. “I’m tired of this.” Briefly looking up at the sky, you make your decision. “I’m breaking up with you.” This had been a long time coming and you were finally at your breaking point.

“Come on. Let’s go talk about this.” He wraps his hand around your wrist, holding you close. “You are being irrational.”

“No! I’m not!” You yank your arm out of his grasp. “This is the last straw. I’m done!” You shout as you start to walk backwards. Spinning on your heel, you walk face first into a disaster.

“Oh my gosh!” You shriek as leftover food and drinks are poured onto your body. It feels like you were hit by a freight train.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t see you.” The busboy apologizes over the sound of shattering glass.

“Can this day get any worse?” You ask yourself through clenched teeth.

Out of nowhere, he grabs his towel, trying to mop up the liquid trailing down your outfit. His effort to save your dress is useless as the liquid continues to spread. Why did you decide to wear a new dress today?

“Just. Stop.” You beg, your eyes shining with tears. You were humiliated enough without any more of his help.

He drops his hand as registers your plea. When he lifts his head, he notes the panic on your face and starts to speak softly. “Look. I have some clothes in my car. You can borrow them.” You slightly nod your head, knowing that if you tried to speak you would be done for. He runs to his car while you stand still, working on controlling your breathing before you burst into tears.

The busboy returns a few minutes later, handing you a shirt, sweatpants and a pair of flip flops. “Thanks.” You whisper, holding them at arm’s length so they don’t get dirty. Another wave of embarrassment hits you as you walk inside. You can feel everyone staring as you pass them so you keep your sights on the bathroom, not wanting to see their cruel smiles.

Your shoes don’t help with the situation. They are filled with someone’s drink so they squish with every step which makes your voyage to the bathroom excruciating slow. And you are pretty sure that is part of the reason everyone else is staring at you. As you enter the bathroom, you set the clothes on the counter and grab a million paper towels. Carefully sliding your purse off your arm, you inspect it closely. “My purse is unharmed.” You mutter as you set your it on the counter next to the clothes. Looking at yourself in the mirror above the sink, you check out the damage. Miraculously, your face and hair were also missed by the barrage of debris. One less thing to worry about.

But your dress is a totally different story. Ketchup and coffee stains are splattered across your chest along with some other things you can’t make out. The rest of your dress, well, it is just as bad and everything is making it stick to your skin.

Turning around, you lean against the counter and slip off your heels. Wiping off your feet with a wet paper towel before sliding on the flip flops. You check your legs for any blood in case the broken glass hit them. “Good thing I painted my toenails last night.” You whisper, picking up your shoes and looking inside of them. How am I supposed to clean these? What if they get moldy and start to stink? I guess these are garbage now. Placing them back on the floor, you move on to the next part of your dilemma.

“Eww.” You cringe as you start to pick off particles of food from your arms and legs with a paper towel. Unbuttoning you dress, you peel it off and look down at your bra. The liquids managed to soak through your dress and into your bra. How many cups were in that bucket?

“My bra too? Great!” You sarcastically talk to yourself as you unhook it and pull it off, throwing it into the sink. You rinse it out and try to wring it out without disfiguring the whole thing. “I can’t even wear it. How am I going to do this?” You mutter to yourself. “How many people are out there?” Thoughts run through your head as you look at yourself in the mirror. I can’t wear a shirt with no bra. Please let this shirt be big enough. You already embarrassed yourself enough, why not continue. At least my underwear is dry enough to still wear.

You use wet soapy paper towels to wipe off the excess that soaked through your clothes onto your body.

Drying yourself off with another paper towel, you quickly pull on the clean shirt and catch a whiff of something. Is this what he smells like? He smells nice. Cool it, Y/N. You barely broke up with your boyfriend.

You lean down and pull on the pants before someone walks into the bathroom. Dropping your dress in the sink, you let the water run on it as you walk over to the soap dispenser. In the middle of slamming the button on the soap dispenser, the bathroom door swings open. Two women share a look before walking past you to the stalls. You think they would be nice enough to give you some sort of advice on how to clean your clothes, but nooooo.

After desperately rubbing the soap filled paper towel on your dress and getting nowhere, you let out a growl. “This isn’t working!” You twist your dress to get out the excess water before folding it up along with your bra. You grab your purse and shoes, letting out a breath before pushing open the door with your shoulder.

As you step outside the bathroom, you are greeted by none other than sabotage boy.

“Can I make it up to you?” His eagerness intrigues you. Is he genuinely being nice or is it only because he is at work? "No. Thanks-." You scan his chest, looking for a name tag. He picks up on your cue. “My name is Brian.”

Brian. You mentally repeat. Looking back up at him, his eyes catch you off guard. What color are they? You were too in shock earlier to notice them. “Um…” You clear your throat. “I was thinking about throwing the dress away. I was trying to clean it in the bathroom but I made it worse.”

“At least let me buy you lunch.” He offers, leaning against the wall. “That’s why you were coming this way, right?”

“You already let me borrow your clothes. I don’t want to put you out any more.”

“It’s my fault.”

“Maybe if I was watching where I was going.”

“Well, it sounded like you were too busy having a fight to pay attention to what you were doing.”

“How do you know that?” You wonder out loud. “Everyone heard you screaming at him.” His explanation as to why he was even listening to your conversation in the first place. “I wasn’t screaming.” You scowl. “He is selfish among other things. So, I broke up with him. He deserves it.”

“Brian!” His boss yells the man’s name to grab his attention. Brian jumps, standing up straight. “Gotta go.” He walks away, heading over to the table he was cleaning before you exited the bathroom.

The stares continue as you walk over to the line to buy your lunch. Doing your best to ignore them, you look for a table inside, keeping far away from the windows. You didn’t want to be reminded of your incident. Setting your clothes on the chair next to you and hooking your purse on the back of the chair, you sit down waiting for your food. After a few minutes, your food is delivered to your table and you can finally start eating.

Every chance he gets, Brian stops by your table to check up on you. One of the times he stops by, he lifts up an empty paper bag, laying it on the table across from you. “This is for your clothes.”

“Thanks.” Picking up your drink, you take a sip. He lingers for a moment, longer than the other twenty times when he stopped by. “You never told me your name.”

“Oh. My name?” I didn’t know we were doing this. You already planned on never returning to the restaurant no matter how much you liked the food. “It’s Y/N.”

“Hi, Y/N. I’m Brian.” He gives you a little wave.

“Hi.” Doing your best to hold in your giggles as you set your drink back on the table.

“That’s a relief.”

“What?”

“I made you laugh. I thought you were going be angry forever.”

Finishing your lunch in record time, you dump your clothes in the bag and grab your purse. The accident already took up enough time and you needed to get to work.

As you exit the restaurant, Brian spots you, walking over to you again.

“You cleaned up the mess?” You state the obvious.

“I have to. It’s my job.” He smiles at your observation.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.” He insists. “You look nice in my clothes, by the way.”

“Thanks.” You mumble, waving and walking away before he can say anything else.

Grabbing your jacket off your office chair, you slide it on and zip it up before anyone else can look at you. Sitting down at your desk, your coworker spins around in her chair to greet you. “What are you wearing?” She gasps, astonished by your choice of clothes. ”I ran into a busboy when I went to go eat and ruined my dress and shoes.” You state as turn on your computer and stare at it while you wait for it to load.

She scoots her chair over to you. “Was he cute?”

“Yeah. But I broke up with my boyfriend today so...” You spin around in your chair since she wasn’t going to let this conversation go.

“Finally. How did that go?” She changes the subject, more interested in the new boy than your previous flame. “Did you get busboy’s number?”

You point to the clothes you were wearing.

“That bad huh. Well, now you can date the busboy.” She scoots her chair back over to her desk. “How were your classes?”

“They were okay. I have some homework and studying for a quiz that I need to do later.”

Your boss happens to walks by and stops at your desk. “What happened to you, Y/N?” Did everyone have to comment on your appearance today? Your coworker answers for you without missing a beat. “A cute boy dumped food on her.” You shake your head at her comment and answer your boss. “I didn’t have time to go home and change.”

As you turn back to your computer, you mumble to yourself. “I’m going to have to return his clothes sooner or later.”

“Those are his?” Your coworker squeals as she scoots back over to you, lightly smacking you on the arm. “He gave you his clothes after he bumped into you. That is so sweet.”

“I don’t think he had a choice.” As you continue to doubt his sincerity, you log into the computer and start working.

Once you get home, you eat dinner and start on your homework. Before bed, you change out of Brian’s clothes, throwing them into the hamper and change into your pajamas. Lying in bed, your eyes snap open as you remember your conversation from earlier. Oh. No. That means I have to go back over there to return his clothes. Or maybe he won’t miss them.

Tag list: @writingformany, (@lovesanimals I didn’t know if you wanted to be tagged in this so I tagged you anyway sorry)

[impala666]

The One With Mrs. Bing Part Four (It’s All Alright)

 Last Part (Part Three) Series Masterlist  

It was the next day and it was into the early evening, but as you made your way from the store to the coffee house the city was already dark. When you walked into Central Perk you saw Monica and Phoebe talking about something while Rachel sat at the counter with a notepad and a pen. After you hung up your jacket by the door you noticed Joey and Ross sitting over on the couch. “Hey, Rach,” you greeted her as you walked over to the counter. “Hey, Y/N/N. How was work?” She asked as she got up from her stool and walked back around to get whatever you were about to order. 

“It was okay, you know. As okay a job can be when you work with people all day everyday. But at least I’m surrounded by things that I love.” You answered as you received the drink that you ordered. 

“Oh, believe me, I get it on the whole working with and for people, but as for the thing I love. You can only love coffee so much when you don’t get to drink it.” Rachel told you which made you smile for the first time in a while since the whole thing with Joey lying to you about Ross kissing your mom never left your mind. “Oh, Pheebs, you’re on.” Rachel told her as she led Phoebe over to the stage to introduce her. 

“...Oh come on! Just try to not picture her pregnant that’s all.” Joey said to Ross as he held up a picture for him to look at. But considering that was what you heard when you walked in on the tail end of their conversation, they had you a little confused. You weren’t totally sure if you wanted to know what they were talking about, though. 

“Central Perk is proud to present Miss Phoebe Buffay.” Rachel announced, as she left the stage Joey noticed that you had made it back from work and were actually sitting near him. Last night you had slept on the pull out bed, and whenever you actually talked to him you answered with a single word, or you told him that you didn’t know what you were feeling so you didn’t want to say anything yet. But to Joey, it was killing him to not have you talking back to him. 

However, for Ross this was his first time seeing you since he told you what he did. “Hey, Y/N,” he cautiously greeted you with a shy smile on his face. 

“Ross,” you neutrally greeted him. You had no expression on your face, so to Ross it was hard to tell what you were feeling. 

“Oh so you are mad.” Ross mumbled to himself, but slightly hoping you would hear it. 

“I’m getting over it.” You mumbled under your breath like he did, and a little smile came on your face when you made eye contact with him and he had the same smile on his face when he realized that the both of you were going to be just fine. 

“Does that mean you aren’t mad at me anymore?” Joey asked, perking up in his seat just the smallest bit. 

“I’m still kind of mad at you, now watch Phoebe.” You told him quickly before quickly looking away from him again. 

“Hi, um I’d like to start with a song that’s about a man that I recently met, that has become very important to me. 

“You don’t have to be awake to be my man. Long as you have brain waves I’ll be there to hold your hand. Though we just met the other day, there’s something I have got to say...Okay, thank you very much. I’m going to take a short break.” Phoebe abruptly stopped when she noticed Monica slowly inching her way to the store, and Phoebe in a rush to follow her knocked the microphone stand down to the ground as she rushed her way out the door to beat Monica. While your eyes were glued to the door wondering what happened, you saw your brother walk through the doors as he watched two of his friends race out of the building.

“What the hell was that?” He asked, looking at only you and Joey. But when Ross tried to answer, Chandler was having none of it. “I believe I was talking to Y/N and Joey. All right there, mother kisser?” Chandler brought up as his mad face came back. Joey couldn’t help but burst into laughter, repeating what Chandler had just said. While couldn’t control the slight cringe on your face for how cold Chandler was being to one of his friends. Ross glared to Joey who just kept laughing. 

“I’ll shut up,” Joey told Ross. Immediately becoming serious. 

“That’s probably for the best,” you joked but slightly jabbed. Sitting forward and lightly tapping him on his knee. As you looked at your boyfriend you just saw his serious face drop to slightly sad and a little hurt at what you said. But that was less of your worries right now when you saw Ross get up from the couch and walk over to Chandler to talk to him more. 

“Chandler, can I just say something? I know you’re still mad at me, but I just want to say there were two people that night.” Ross spoke. “Okay? There were two sets of lips.” After he spoke that, you weren’t sure if it was going to help or not. 

“Yes, well I expect this from her, okay? She’s always been a Freudian nightmare.” Now, you weren’t a huge fan of your mom either, but you couldn’t help but think that the way Chandler tried to defend the situation was a little harsh. 

“ Well, if she always behaves like this why don’t you say something to her?” Ross couldn’t help but ask. That was always the difference between you and your brother; you never had any problems telling your parents what you and think and actually tried to have a conversation with them sometimes. Whereas, Chandler was concerned, he just always chose to see your parents as evil people. You would admit that they had screwed you and Chandler up quite a bit, but you would at least like to have them in your lives a little bit. It’s not like you had another set of parents waiting to welcome you with open arms.

“It’s complicated. It’s complex. It..Hey you kissed my mom!” Chandler yelled again when he was starting to get uncomfortable like he was getting backed into a wall. Which caused everyone in the coffee house to look over at the group of you. 

“We’re rehearsing a Greek Play,” Ross brushed them off which made you roll your eyes. 

“That’s very funny, are we done now?” Chandler asked as he tried to take a seat next to you. 

“No. You’re not gonna talk to her? You’re not gonna tell her how you feel?” Ross asked him.  

“That would be a no. Just because you played tonsil tennis with my mom doesn’t mean you know her. Trust me you can’t talk to her.” Chandler was just starting to grow tired and irritated from this conversation. He did not want to talk about his mom of all people. 

��‘You’ can’t? Or you can’t?” Ross asked him while pointing his finger at Chandler. “Okay, that’s my finger.” Ross chuckled when Chandler grabbed his finger and squeezed it way too tight. “Okay, that’s my knee.” Ross sank to his knee when Chandler pushed his finger harder. “Still doing the play.” He told the onlookers again. When he started groaning when Chandler pressed again you couldn’t help but get to your feet and walk over to them. Chandler was taking this way too far.

“Chandler, knock it off.” You whispered loudly at him as you placed a hand on the arm that held Ross’s finger.

“Oh, so you’re okay with mom and him kissing now?” Chandler looked down at you.

“No, of course not. But you and I both know that it’s nothing new for her, and Ross is right maybe it’s time we both called her on it. On all of it.” You were a little scared to bring this up to him, but she wasn’t going to change unless the two of you told her. 

“Oh come on, not you too. I thought you moved in with me to get away from her because you were on my side.” Chandler complained now turning his anger on you as he let go of Ross’s finger.

“Oh come on, Chandler. That’s not why and you know that.” You couldn’t believe how much of a baby he was being right now.

“You know what, whatever.” Chandler rolled his eyes, deciding that if none of you were going to see things his way, then he was just going to walk away. So that’s what he did, he just rolled his eyes and walked out of the coffee shop. Leaving you there with Ross and Joey just feeling frustrated. When were you the older sibling all of a sudden?

*******

It was a little bit later in the day and you were at the apartment with Chandler while your mom came to say goodbye before she left again. “Before I go downstairs I just wanted to drop off a few copies of my book for your friends. Anything either of you want from Lisbon?” Your mom asked the both of you before she said her final goodbyes to the both of you. 

“No,no. Just knowing you’re going to be there is enough.” Chandler joked, which earned him a light hit in the arm from you. 

“All right. Well, be good.” She said looking at the both of you. “And Y/N I know we left off on not the best terms, but I am so proud of you for how hard you’re working for everything.” You couldn’t really believe the words coming out of her mouth. You thought she had just wanted you out of the house, but maybe she just wanted you to find your own way. And little did your family knew, that Chandler was going to be so much help with that. 

“Thanks, mom.” You smiled, feeling so touched. You didn’t know your mother could make you feel that way. 

“I love you,” she said as she reached up to place a motherly kiss Chandler’s cheek, “and I love you.” She said again as she placed another kiss on your cheek. But it seemed that when your mom opened the door to leave, Chandler just couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“You kissed my best Ross!” He yelled, but when he noticed you looking at him like he was crazy he realized the mistake he made. “Or something to that effect.” You nodded at him once he finally realized that what he said was weird. 

“Okay,” your mom started as she closed the door again and made her way back into the living area where the two of you were. “Look, it was stupid.”

“Really stupid.” Chandler added.

“Really really stupid.” You couldn’t help but also add.

“Really stupid and I don’t even know how it happened.” Your mom said honestly to you both with a shrug. “I’m sorry, honey, and I promise it will never happen again. Are we all okay, now?”

“Yeah,” both you and Chandler said with a slight nod and a shrug. “No,” the both of you decided at the end.

You weren’t sure how long the three of you had been at it. But you and mom were finally able to talk about what happened and about you leaving and everything, which then caused Chandler to add to the fact to her that all of your lives she had never acted in a way an appropriate mom would. But finally, as the three of you walked to the door and all you wanted to do was find and talk to Joey. “You okay, kiddos?” Your mom asked when all of you were in the hallway, you smiled slightly over at Ross when you noticed him across the hall. 

“I’m okay.” You told her with a small smile as she placed both of her hands on each side of your face and pecked you on the forehead.

“Yeah, I”m okay.” Chandler also smiled his answer down at her. 

“Alright, be good.” She kissed his cheek again. “And watch out for your sister, alright?”

“Oh, I know. She’s just too wild.” Chandler joked with your mom as he wrapped an arm around your shoulder as you couldn’t help but smile mockingly. 

“Fly safe.” You told her as Chandler and you started following your mom down the hall, but all of you stopped when you all saw Ross awkwardly standing in the hallway. 

“Mrs. Bing.” Ross greeted her, not really looking her in the eye.

“Mr. Geller.” Your mom repeated before turning back to the two of you and winking to you for the progress that she was already making before she finally left. 

“Have you seen Joey?” You asked Ross as he knocked on Monica’s door. You just wanted to see him after giving him the cold shoulder, that you think you have gotten over. Plus you wanted to leave Ross and Chandler alone after the hellish week they both had. 

“Yeah, I think he’s downstairs somewhere.” Ross let you know. You smiled at him.

“Thanks, I’ll go find him.” You looked from Ross and to your big brother before you patted him on the back lightly and then made your way down the stairs to find Joey.

When you had found him, Joey was standing on the steps to the entrance of the apartment building. When Joey turned around to see who was walking out the door, he smiled when he saw it was you. You didn’t say anything right away, you just walked up to him and wrapped your arms around his shoulders and brought him into a hug. “Hi,” you said. Your voice muffled from hiding your face in his shoulder. 

“Hey.” Joey smiled to himself as he rubbed your lower back. “So you talked to your mom? He felt you nod against his shoulder. “How’d it go?”

“Long.” You answered with a long sigh as you stepped back but when you felt Joey take both of your hand you smiled as you looked up into his eyes. “But I wanted to come find you and tell you that I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry? I’m the one who lied to you,” Joey chuckled smiling down at you. 

“I just felt bad for being mad at you, sometimes you’re too cute to be mad at. But sometimes I can’t help it. But if you lie to me again I will kill you.” You told him as you placed a kiss on his lips.

“I love you.” Joey told you before he kissed you again. If you didn’t know better, Joey would look like he was drunk based from the look he was giving you, but you knew that it was because he was beyond happy. 

“I love you, too.” After kissing a little bit more. Joey had asked if you wanted to go to bed, and you couldn’t say no to that, so Joey opened the apartment building door for you and ushered you inside before grabbing your hand a quickly dragging you up the stairs. 

[yukeri]

[YURI&Co. Headquarters]

THIS PIECE CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE AND ARGUING - Starring: Hong Yumin, CEO Na Deokhyun - Synopsis: Yumin, feeling as if she has nothing left to lose, makes one last attempt to save her career. - Year: 2019 - Length: 1,867 w.

Yumin stood in the elevator nervously wringing her white linen top. Just go in and make your demands. Don’t take no for an answer.

A chime signaled she’d reached her destination, and the following robotic voice confirmed it. She could feel the temperature drop as she stepped out of the elevator and into the frozen tundra that is the CEO’s floor. But it didn’t discourage her; it’s no secret that the CEO is very sensitive to warmth and keeps his office floor cool. It also serves as a cheap ploy to subconsciously intimidate any industry adversaries coming to meet with him and make them more susceptible to his coercion, but it won’t work on her. Hong Yumin was on a mission that she had been psyching herself up for over the past several days. Nothing could destroy her resolve.

She strolled up to his secretary. “Hi, Jeongho,” she said as sweetly as she could without cringing, “Is the CEO busy?”

He glanced at the man's schedule; “Uh, not right now,” he said hesitantly, “But he has a meeting in 10 minutes.”

This is your chance.

“Sorry, do you have an appointment? I don’t see one--”

“That’s all the time I need,” Yumin said, strutting right past Jeongho and approaching the CEO’s office. She could hear the secretary’s stuttering protests as she reached the door. She paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and entered the breach.

I did it, she thought as she closed the door behind her. Yumin slowly turned around. She had only seen the eggshell walls and cement flooring of the CEO’s office on two occasions: the day she signed her contract with Tastemaker and about a week ago when TM Girls was disbanded. Such a rush of emotions came over her that she almost forgot why she had committed this career-threatening faux pas in the first place. Flustered, she swallowed her feelings and greeted the CEO politely: “Good afternoon, CEO.”

“Yumin-ah...good afternoon,” the CEO replied curiously, looking up from his thick-rimmed glasses. He glanced at his iPad confirming what he already knew, “According to my schedule, you don’t have an appointment with me.” Yumin stood visibly trembling as he looked her up and down. “So either my secretary just lost his job, or you’ve lost your mind,” he said with a dry chuckle.

Then he stared at her with that look, his eyes fixed upon her and his eyebrows raised. The look was not openly nefarious as he is the CEO and must keep the appearance of approachability even behind closed doors, but to anyone who knew him that look was just as effective as a gorgon's stare.

Just like that, Yumin froze. She felt all that hard-earned conviction drain from her body and immediately realized the grave mistake she had made. Stop freaking out! You got this, Yumin’s inner motivation coach called out trying to preserve the last ounces of confidence she had left. You’re already here; you might as well speak! She opened her mouth, not particularly sure as to whether coherent words or her breakfast would come out, “Yes-- I mean, no. I don’t have a-- er, an appointment.” Alright, looks like we’re getting somewhere. She started regaining her confidence and spoke again with a voice significantly less shaky; “But please, if I could have a moment of your time--”

Suddenly, Yumin heard the subtle tones of the CEO’s phone. She looked down at the cellphone on his desk, then back at him as he pressed the tip of his AirPod. “Hello,” he answered, “Oh, Kyungsoo-ya! How’s filming going?”

Then it hit her: all the emotions she'd swallowed. The years of anxiety facing the possibility that she might never debut; the anger from the relentless hiatuses she had no choice but to endure; the devastation when she was told for the second time that the group she cherished more than anything in the world was no more. They were all festering inside her and had amalgamated into a feeling she rarely experienced: pure rage.

“Are you fucking kidding me,” Yumin thought. The CEO jerked his head up to look at her with an expression of plain shock. Oh, wait...no, she said that. To the CEO.

Before he could utter another word, Yumin’s hand had snatched the phone off his desk and ended the call with whoever was on the line. She clutched the CEO’s phone in her hand as he stared at her in disbelief. Yumin didn’t back down; she stared right back.

“Okay, I’m listening,” he said flatly, breaking the silence.

Yumin took another deep breath and finally spoke her mind, “The only reason I signed a contract with this company was because you guaranteed that I would debut within 6-8 months. That was over two years ago; I--”

The CEO groaned and rolled his eyes as he reclined in his chair, his folded hands on his chest and his eyes fixed on her. Sorry, am I boring you?! I can’t believe this smug bastard...

His phone began to vibrate in her hand, but she swiftly declined the call. “I-- I am tired,” she said in a tone louder than what she had intended. “I’m tired of getting calls from my grandparents asking me to come back home because I have no future here; I’m tired of training trainees half my age that debut before I do; I’m tired of being the oldest trainee I know that isn’t anywhere near a debut; and I’m tired of putting my faith in old men who so easily crush the dreams of young, hardworking trainees because they’ve never had to experience this disappointment in their life.”

The CEO glared at her with his eyebrows furrowed, clearly offended. She decided it would be better to switch up her argument: “Look, when I left JYP...I was devastated. I worked so hard and all I got in return was a cancelled debut. Looking back, I can see that if I had debuted then I would’ve left the group almost immediately. I wasn’t ready; I would’ve been torn to shreds for my lack of ability. But I am a thousand times better than I was all those years ago because of Tastemaker. I was an alright rapper when I got here; now I’m the rap instructor. I can out-rap any trainee under this label, male or female. I was a good dancer before, and now I can out-dance our choreographer-- her words, not mine.”

The CEO chuckled lightly at her claim before she continued, “I have leadership quality, an attractive personality, and great visuals...but what good is having those attributes if no one sees them?” The CEO nodded thoughtfully.

Now we’re here, she thought, the hardest part. She took one final deep breath and gave her ultimatum, “I’ll always be thankful to you...and to Tastemaker for making me better...but if you don’t plan on debuting me, then...then just let me go. This way, we can stop wasting each other’s time.”

There. Yumin had said her piece and now it was time to listen.

The CEO cleared his throat and began to speak: “Wow…how dare you speak to me this way?! You have absolutely no idea why I make the decisions I make, and I will not be told what to do by some little bitch who thinks she’s talented because she can rhyme two words together.” Yumin was speechless; she could see what could’ve been a successful career flashing before her eyes...now it’s all gone. She felt her heart sink as tears welled up in her eyes. “Give me my phone!” He snarled at her, snatching his phone from her extended hands; “By the time I’m done calling every agency and talent scout in my address book, you won’t be able to open a fucking YouTube channel! You’ll have to go back to your grandparents’ and become a turnip farmer, shoveling shit to make a living.” He pulled her contract from his drawer, “You want me to ‘let you go’? So be it.” He pulled out a lighter from his pocket and set it ablaze. Yumin could only watch and cry as her dreams literally went up in smoke. The CEO threw the remnants of her contract in the garbage, “Now get the fuck out of my office,” he hissed, “You’re done.”

But no, he did not say that. In fact, he did not say anything. The CEO simply glared at her without a word and all Yumin could do was glare back. Say something, dammit! She thought. Yell, scream, something.

After what seemed like hours of deafening silence, he finally spoke, “Wow...that was impressive,” he stated flatly while opening his iPad. “Tell me, Yumin, do you remember Moon Yuri?” She was still reeling from the thought of what could’ve happened, but responded, “Uh...yes. Wasn’t he involved in THE FUN FACTORY?”

“Correct,” the CEO replied while checking some emails and notifications, “That call that you declined a few minutes ago? That was him. ” He gestured towards the phone that was still in her hand; she’d almost forgotten she had taken it. “Moon has made a request to establish his own label within the company. I just needed him to confirm some last-minute details.”

Yumin clearly didn’t understand, so the CEO attempted to clarify as he reviewed some charts and graphs, “Yuri is planning to debut a new girl group next year and he’s looking for 6-7 girls to be in it. Tastemaker isn’t planning on debuting any other groups as of right now, so any Tastemaker trainee may audition for him. Whoever is accepted will have their contract transferred to his label. No hassle.” Yumin finally realized what he was saying.

“But-- when is the audition?” “That was one of the details he needed to confirm. I’d say about a month or two?” “And...I can audition?” “I recommended you personally,” he said, making eye contact with her for a moment before taking out a pen and flipping through some important-looking documents. “I was in the middle of drafting a memo with all the details.”

Yumin stared into space, feeling like a complete idiot. If I had just waited a little longer...

“Um, may I have my phone back?” the CEO asked politely, but sternly, “I do have some important calls to make.” Yumin snapped out of her trance and hurriedly rested the CEO’s iPhone on his desk. The CEO continued to split his attention between the graphs on his iPad, the documents on his desk, and now the iPhone which was connecting to no doubt some other big name in the industry.

Yumin didn't know what to say. “CEO...I’m--” The CEO started chatting with someone on the other line. She averted her gaze as she pondered what to do next, eventually deciding to leave. She turned and walked towards the door. “Oh, Yumin-ah,” he innocently called out just as she was about to exit the room. She turned back to him, “Yes, sir?”

“Don’t pull this shit again,” he calmly ordered, “Because next time you won’t be so lucky.”

Slightly unnerved, Yumin nodded in agreement and exited the CEO’s office with another chance. Fourth time’s the charm, I hope.

[toutallyahoe]

Bad Start, Good End ~ Aziraphale (Good Omens)

Requested By: --

A/N: this sucks

but i am too lazy to do something about it hnnnn anyways, might rewrite it but we all know i wont so... fuck

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Today was an awful day.

Simply awful, that's what [Name] had concluded as he quickened his pace to not get caught by the cries of the heavens above pouring down to the earth. But alas, he was already soaked to the bone. His used to be clean and dry suit already ruined with the fabric clinging onto his skin which annoyed him greatly. His [Hair color] hair was a wet mess. The sloshing sound of his wet sock covered feet inside his shoes made him cringe from how wet and disgusting it is.

And not to forget that the [Hair color] haired man clearly knows the paperwork he had done earlier inside the brown briefcase he was holding is absolutely ruined and thinking about it, he will restart his report again. What a pain...

Muttering curses on the heavens above on why was he being cursed with this awful bad luck right now. [Name] was so done.

Was it because he did not help that kid in the park earlier that day on getting his ball off of the tree? That brat deserves that crap! That little brat was being a dick from messing with those poor ducks that was passing by to go to the lake.

Sighing, the [Hair color] haired man looked around where he was going to and saw no one on the streets, well, it was quite obvious with the pouring rain. Another sigh left his lips as the man looked at the heavens above, the rain hitting his face as he glared at the sky. Anger can be seen in his [Eye color] eyes yet also just tiredness and despair.

"God, why do you make me suffer today?" [Name] had asked to no one in particular as he then looked back in front of him to find whatever to help him shelter from the weather.

Continuing his walking  the [Hair color] haired man would look around to find any shops that were open to atleast shelter his soaked form until the rain pass. But none seemed to be that welcoming. Especially how every building seemed to make him be like the plague as they locked their doors.

Clack

Clack

Clack

The sound of his shoes hitting the wet pavement as the droplets of water continue to hit his [Skin colorp skin. It was honestly annoying as the [Hair color] haired man often cringe when he had stepped on a very large puddle on the street. His already soaking wet shoes and sock making him shudder.

"I should have paid attention to that weatherman," [Name] grumbled, thinking back earlier when he was still groggy and tired that he zoned out from whatever the newscaster were saying in his television when he was about to start brewing some coffee to start the day, only to then realize the time was ticking and panicking on it.

Sighing, the [Hair color] haired man was clearly wishing he did bring his umbrella to work but the day did not went his way. Going to work three minutes late which that one person who seemed to have some bone to pick with him (he didn't know what ever he dont to them but they're an asshole to him) won't stop ranting on how he was a disgraceful worker for being late. It did not help how [Name] had not drank his coffee nor had eaten breakfast which his mood was very thin. Causing him to snap at that pompous prick and it lead to him getting a warning for it.

"I hate this..." [Name] [Last name], the name of our poor man, had said as he stopped walking. The rain hitting the earth and him aswell, yet he didn't know what to do now. He was already wet and everything. This was not his day.

Looking at where he was, [Name] let out a sigh of relief to see a building that maybe he can hide away from the rain. The [Hair color] haired male prayed to whatever deities that was looking at him from the clouds above that he won't get kicked out for being soaking wet and not get yelled at with probably soaking the whatever tacky carpet in the shop he would come in to shelter for a bit.

Approaching the building, [Name] took mind that it looked rather homey, on the outside it is. [Name] was never one to judge in appearance... most of the time. Looking at the building once more, [Name] did not seem to recognize the building. Well, it was a bookstore. The door had a sign that said it was open which [Name] was thankful for and hoped he won't be disturbing anyone when he comes inside.

Opening the door, he stood there with a bit hesitation clearly seen in his form. Was this considered rude to come in being soaked to the bone? God, he hoped not. The [Hair color] haired man sighed, let's hope the owner or the clerk gives him some slack and sympathy to atleast let him shelter until the storm passes or only had drizzled left.

  

Aziraphale did not expect anyone to come in inside his bookstore. His little bookstore was something not many would go to, really. Often times, he gets people coming in his little bookstore for they had mistaken his with the other bookstore in the next street from his.

Aziraphale did not mind though. In fact, the sole reason he had this bookstore was merely an upfront for it was only a place where he could store his books that he collected from the centuries he had lived. After all, being an angel who looked after the earth had it's perks and one of them is getting to see how humanity evolved. May it be good or not, he saw a lot. And also collected a lot. In form of books, that is.

So, angel of the Almighty, Aziraphale did not expect the door of his little shop to have the bell's jingle, stating that someone had entered. The white haired angel was confused. Who on earth would come inside in such a weather to get a book? But whatever he had thought, the angel had to welcome the newcomer and also say that none of the books inside the shop was for sale. Only be looked but never to be sold. Ever.

Rounding up the corner, Aziraphale looked mildly shock and perhaps a bit miffed on what he saw. A [Hair color] haired man, soaked to the bone. His suit was wet and in no doubt that the briefcase he was carrying that whatevers inside that was ruined. But what caught the angel's was that the man looked so helpless. It made the angel's mood quickly change for shock and annoyed to pity and compassion.

Aziraphale saw the man's eyebrows were furrowed as he looked around like he was looking for something, occasionally shivering as he stayed at the door. Not really coming inside and the white haired being didn't know if he should be glad or disappointed. Especially how the man may be dripping on the floor of the shop but he still stayed there on the door to not cause more. Clearly, the man was hesitant to come in inside to damage the flooring of his quaint little bookshop.

"Um... hello?" There was shakiness on the man's voice that Aziraphale noticed. The poor fellow was in no doubt shivering and soaked, the angel decided to help the poor man. He need to as the [Hair color] haired man was shivering a lot and Aziraphale remembered that humans were weak creatures who should not be exposed in these types of weather or else they would get sick, or worse, die.

"Hello?" Aziraphale had softly said as he smiled warmly at the [Hair color] haired man as he calmly approached the man. The angel saw the [Hair color] haired man had sent him a shaky and apologetic look. "Welcome, what can I help you with?" Asked the angel. Knowing what the human really needed but Aziraphale wanted to be a good host, and also to not cause any misunderstandings.

"Well... um... sorry for the inconvenience," Aziraphale was surprised with the man's words. Why would he apologize? "But, I just needed to shelter for the rain for a bit. I'll be gone when it lessens but if you want to kick me out, umm, I'll go," the [Hair color] haired man sent a smile. Nervous he was and the angel knew that. It caused Aziraphale's chest clench a bit. This poor man.

"Ah! Nonsense," said Aziraphale. A welcoming smile in his lips as he approached the man on the door. "Please come inside, you are soaked to the bone!"

The man let out a hearty laugh but shakes his head in disagreement. "It is alright... I don't want to inconvenience you any further sir," he had said. The angel would have none of that though.

"No, it is alright! I insist," Aziraphale had said as he saw the [Hair color] haired man hesitate.

"A... are you sure? I don't want to ruin this shop's flooring," the [Hair color] haired man frowned as he looked around then settled his gaze to Aziraphale's form. "I can just stand here... to... not cause any more problems..." Aziraphale heard him mutter.

"No, no! It is alright, you need assistance and I am happy to assist you," Aziraphale urged and the man bit his bottom lip, thinking his options but nodded, albeit a bit hesitant. The white haired being saw him placed his briefcase on the floor as he fully went inside and closed the door. The angel knew that whatever was inside was in no doubt ruined.

"Should I take my shoes off to not cause more problem...?" Aziraphale couldn't help but smile at the man's insistence of not causing more inconvenience. Shaking his head in disagreement, he smiled at the man.

"It is alright," Aziraphale had said. "Now come, I think I can help dry you up for a bit," the man seemed to be hesitant and Aziraphale seemed to realized why.

"Oh! Do not worry, I will not do anything to you," the angel assured as a he felt his cheeks heat up. Was he to straight forward for that? Maybe he should just offered to give the man a towel. Thoughts muddled with his mistake, the angel did not noticed the man's amusement... but the angel did feel it. A bit that is.

"Thank you..." Aziraphale heard the [Hair color] haired man softly muttered. The angel's eyes soften as he brightly smiled at his visitor.

"It is no problem," Aziraphale had said. "Now come, you looked soaked to the bone!"

 

[Name] sat comfortably in one of the white haired being's couch as he took a sip from the tea the other had brewed. The [Hair color] haired man in a different clothing than his soaked suit that the other had lent him. Insisted on him wearing until his clothes dry off in the washer. Surprisingly, the clothes that the kind owner was to his own taste of style and also fits well with his form. It was a miracle to have clothes fitting for him, oddly enough. [Name] brushed it off as coincidence though.

The [Hair color] haired man, although felt guilty with practically mooching off with this nice owner of the small bookshop he stumbled on, felt glad too. This was probably one of the good things that had happened to his day as he watch the other man (named Aziraphale as what the white haired had introduced himself when he realized he never did) talking about one of the books he has.

[Name] had to admit, Aziraphale had an impressive collection of books. It honestly baffled him to see a very old yet still well preserved copy of William Shakespeare's books. Aziraphale had told, well, more so bragged, about how the books of the store were the very first copies and very rare edition of books from the centuries of past writers. And [Name] in no doubt believed Aziraphale's words.

The [Hair color] haired male had hung to every word that left Aziraphale's lips with awe plastered on his face. Aziraphale was currently telling a story about this one particular book he had that one costumer was so adamant on buying. Few chuckles leaving his lips when Aziraphale's face would show annoyance and irritation on that person who had shouted at him for not selling the book. It was amusing. [Name] had a smile on his face as he listened to Aziraphale's tales.

  

Aziraphale felt himself be happy and content on the bright and calming feeling he felt from the [Hair color] haired male he had helped. It was a nice feeling to help someone in need as the angel also did not miss the smile that never left [Name]'s lips as he told some amusing stories that happened in his quaint little bookshop or how he obtained some of his books.

The white haired being couldnt help but appreciate the [Hair color] haired man's presence. [Name] had a calming aura surrounding him and the aura of joy just radiating him was something Aziraphale welcome wholeheartedly. It was nice.

Aziraphale was worried for the [Hair color] haired human when he entered his shop. He was a shivering mess and he looked absolutely tired and done with life. The angel fully knew that [Name] had an awful day, but even so, [Name] didn't projected that anger and tiredness out to anyone. The [Hair color] haired man acted like a proper gentleman and Aziraphale was both happy and also rather sad about that.

Aziraphale was happy, in no doubt. [Name] had thought of others before him (not like a certain demonic friend of his who would blow off to anything to inconvenience him) but the angel was also sad because the poor man looked so done and tired when he entered the shop. Aziraphale knew [Name] was so hesitant on coming inside through his mannerism and the human's constant worried glances whenever he walks inside the shop in his soaked up form.

When Aziraphale had miracled some fitting clothes to the [Hair color] haired man and assured him that it was fine, the angel couldn't help but think on things to help [Name]. Aziraphale saw [Name] was a good man and the white haired being just wanted to help. After all, Aziraphale is a servant of the Almighty, and the Almighty would be happy to see her servants are helping her beloved creation. Not to mention Aziraphale just felt that [Name] needed something good to happen to him with all the things he had been through.

So here the two now, sitting comfortable in the white haired being's couches. Having tea and talking to each other with the air of calmness and content. Both [Name] and Aziraphale had smiles on their lips as they talked on things they had like. Spending time until the rain passed.

[smoljamswrites]

all is fair in love & war | bts x reader | chapter two

pairing: bts x female reader

genre: mafia!au, series fic, angst, fluff, (eventual) smut

warnings for this chapter: stalker-ish kinda? y/n is uncomfortable, mentions of abuse, my bad writing!!

a/n: hey, I’m trying my best to make the chapters longer than the previous and including more things, so please stay tuned!!

the fic playlist is here, if you wanted to hear it x

He flew down the stairs, eager to find the two at the bar and fulfill his ‘mission’. Well, if there’s anything Taehyung is good at, it’s distracting people. He was regularly sent out to divert people’s attention, and boy was he quite the distraction. With his boxy grin and beautifully sculpted face, it was hard to leave him. He couldn’t wait to see you properly! With all these years of staring at old photographs of you, he couldn’t believe this was his chance to finally talk to you. This, of course, only made him run faster. And it was at this great speed that Taehyung could barely see what was ahead of him and bounded straight into Jungkook.

“Watch where you’re going-“Jungkook started, “What? Why are you looking at me like that for?”

“Did you let her leave?” Tae deadpanned.

“…yeah, but I got her number!” he smirked, walking up the stairs smugly.

---------------------

Your last 3 days have consisted of three things; sleeping, eating, and texting the bartender. He keeps asking when he’ll see you next and you want to see him too, you really do, but it’s too risky to leave again.

The lights behind you are blaring, good at hiding the blush forming on your cheeks. He leans in, mouth by your ear. He smells quite musky, with a touch of vanilla. It’s so sweet and hypnotizing and God do you love it! With his lips ghosting over your ear, he whispers “do you want me to take you back to your home later? Saves you paying for a taxi, I can drive you?”

You begin to fidget in your seat, squirming at the idea of him taking you home. Not because its him that would take you home - actually you find yourself trusting the bartender more as you continue to speak to him - but rather because what would happen if he did. Would he expect to come into your house? What if they notice he’s there? Would they hurt him? You can’t even get caught coming back in, let alone sneaking in another person! God how long have you been out for?

A small cough interrupts your inner dread, and you notice Jungkook beginning to stand up straight. After you quickly realise that he must have thought you had rejected him, you subconsciously reach out and grab his arm.

“um I’m sorry but I live in a dorm and you see the, um, university is very strict on having strangers on campus and so it’s not-“

“Hey, don’t worry about it, I completely understand!” he says, rather gently “but can I at least have your number?”

----------------------

Your mind wanders back into reality as you hear footsteps heading towards the kitchen. Immediately your hands move to play with your bracelet, your eyes darting to the door of the kitchen, fingers twisting the metal on your wrist. 3 of the main members of Sin Syndicate enter the kitchen as an uneasy feeling sets in your stomach. You look up expectantly at the men, and they look down back at you. The one member, who’s name you know to be Ju-Won, walks around the table and stands directly behind you; as for the other two, one stands in front of you, on the opposite side of the table, and the other stands at the door. A tingly sensation creeps up over you, as you feel Ju-Won touching and twisting strands of your hair through his fingers. You hide the urge to cringe, as you think about the things those hands have done – the lives they have taken.

“So sweetheart, Yunseo says that you can’t keep scrounging off us anymore. You’re a big girl now, and we can’t keep paying for you, can we? You have to start working for your life now. Ju-Won suggested you could work in one of our brothels, but we don’t want you too tired for us when you come back home, so we have decided you’re going to be working at ‘Angels’. You start tomorrow!” the greasy smile in front of you makes you want to throw up.

As Ju-Won lets go of your hair, and you nod politely at the 3 members (much to your resentment) you head back into your room. It seems really out of place in this big mansion of the Syndicates. The room has a cream colour scheme and is filled by a single-bed and a small chest of drawers. Reaching around your socks in your drawer, you search for the one that hides your phone. The phone springs to life, with the brand logo flashing on the screen when you turn it on. Sitting down on your bed, notifications begin to come through.

Jungkook: Hey, how are you today? [11:34✓✓]

Butterflies arise in your stomach as you lie back onto your bed, smiling to yourself. Your fingers move faster than your brain, and before you know it you have already replied.

You: Hey, I’m alright thank you, I’m actually starting a new job tomorrow! I’m a little nervous about it to be honest, but I’m so glad to be getting out the house more! [13:26✓]

You reread the message you sent and panic. It definitely sounds like you’re being held captive, you think.

You: Yknow, getting out the house more than usual because of college and everything haha! [13:27✓]

You put your phone away in your drawer, feeling calm now that you had saved your little mistake.

-----------------------------

“Um Joon?”

Jungkook, adorned in a complete black outfit, enters the living room, phone in hand. His eyes search the 6 other pairs in the room, until he lands on Namjoon’s. He nervously walks over to the couch and sits on the arm of it before continuing,

“as you know, I’ve been texting Y/N for the past few days, and well...she says she has a job?”

“A job?”

“Yeah. She said she starts tomorrow and she’s nervous. You don’t think-“

A shorter man, but equal in fierceness and determination, interrupts Jungkook’s fretting, ”Well they aren’t going to let her go and work for a legitimate place, that’d be stupid. And as the Syndicates only run drug chains, strip clubs and brothels, then she’s obviously working in one of them.”

Jungkook’s face morphs into one of outrage; almost disgust,” A fucking brothel!? They better not be sending her to work there Yoongi, I swear to God, I’ll fucking torch the lot of them”

Taehyung can’t stop himself for giggling at his younger’s outburst, “Why do you even care!? You hardly know her, and be realistic yeah? She’s probably working for one of their strip clubs to get her started, because it’s not like they’re gonna let her run riot on a drug chain. And sending her straight into a brothel? Unlikely.”

“Tae’s got a point. I’ll try and work out which one they have likely sent her too.” Their leader places his hand on Jungkook’s shoulder comfortingly, and then continues to head to his office.

--------------------------------

A bright purple neon sign, declaring the title ‘Angels’ flickers above the bar. The ‘A’ has devil horns above it, completely ridding the name of its suggested innocence. Most of the place looks like it is following an open plan design. Yellow leather chairs meet black shiny counters; tacky turquoise poles stand tall on top of the surface. You are pretty sure, that just in the 2 minutes you have spent here, you have seen every colour existing.

It’s quite busy in here already to say it is only the late afternoon, you think. Men dressed in suits occupy most of the room, but you are surprised to see female clients lurking around. From all the movies you watched, you always gathered it was only men that visited these types of places. Clearly, you were wrong. Your eyes continue to search the place, whilst you are waiting for further instructions from Yunseo. On the opposite side of the room you see a raised platform, with black, leather seats and small, red, circular tables surrounding it. You quickly conclude that this must be the stage where main performances are given. Focusing on that area, you see the a few silver poles coming out of the stage. You gulp, wondering if they are expecting you to be able to pole dance. You could never do that, you muse, you can barely walk in a straight line half the time! As for the employees, they are absolutely stunning. Long hair swaying in sync with their hips, their golden skin hypnotizing every person to watch their every move. You really don’t know how you’re going to fit in here.

As you take a sip of your water, a gentleman joins you at the bar. You can’t help but to take notice of him as he orders himself a drink, engaging in conversation with the Syndicate Bartender.

“You’re new ‘round here, right? I haven’t ever seen you here before?”

“Yeah, a friend recommended me the club, said I should check it out, so here I am” the dark black hair of the gentleman is parted, allowing any lurking eyes a better scope of his handsome face.

Just as you begin to listen to the rest of their conversation, Yunseo taps your shoulder.

“Okay Y/N, you’re going to have to get practicing because I’ve booked you a performance slot ready for Saturday, and you better not disappoint us!”

“Wait? For Saturday? That’s just 3 days away! How am I supposed-“

“You’d watch your mouth if you know what’s good for you sweetheart”

And just like that your head tilts down, hands in lap. Yunseo has always scared you, and has always took advantage of this whenever he has a chance.

“Good girl,” he hums, hand moving to cup your face, “Come with me and I’ll show you where you can practice”

As you get out of your seat to follow Yunseo, through the pungent scent of sweat and arousal, the gentleman at the bar catches your eye once more. It’s the way he is looking at you that you notice the most. With a prominent frown filling his features, he seems to be thinking about something. But you don’t have time to ask him about it or continue to ponder, so you turn back around and walk after Yunseo.

The rest of the evening is filled by your frustration. Yunseo had left you in this room, filled with only a stripper pole, a speaker and leather sofa, and these 4 walls are now driving you insane. It’s not like you’re the worst dancer in the world, it’s just you don’t have enough confidence. Just when you were about to hit play on the music, someone bursts into the room.

“That’s enough for today! Yunseo told me to get you home” a member you recall being named ‘Seojun’ says.

That’s right, you smile to yourself, if Yunseo told him to fetch he’d do it – he’s like a little puppy dog, a follower, and he always has been.

As you exit the room with him, Seojun’s phone starts to ring in his back pocket. As he picks up the call, you can’t help but to watch and listen,

“Hello?......How long did he stay here for?.....I don’t think it’s too strange no…….He could have been telling the truth I guess……bring it up with Yunseo, he’ll know what to do.”

You wonder for a moment who ‘he’ was. But then you remember where you are, and that it literally could have been anyone. Seojun closes the door behind you and leads you out the back entrance to the car.

next chapter update: Saturday 1st February 2020 8pm gmt

tagging: @dearlydreadful @honeydewseoks @whimsicalwoodlands @toddsgirl27 @wendyiiwl @asifetch7 @barbyisafangirl @miraculyfe @btsxdoll @laluzdirectioner​ @slutkoo​ @bubbletae7​ @h5naaa​

let me know if you want to be tagged in future chapters!

Thank you so so much for reading!

all rights reserved © smoljamswrites | 22/01/2020 | reposting my work or modifying of any kind is strictly not allowed. Translations are also not allowed.

[riddleredcoats]

So I just finished AC: Odyssey...

I have thoughts...Many, many thoughts. 

(This is mainly for me so I can remember what I loved about this game when I replay it, or when my friends buy it and I don’t forget anything, but anyone wants to discuss Odyssey is 100% welcome)

Spoilers!!

We’re I’m doing this in parts.

1. The overall

Man, I always loved Greece, I always wanted to go to Greece and I always loved  Greek history... This game only made love it more and it actually made me look up price flights to Greece  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

This game is really, really cool in that aspect - it made me feel like I was there, enjoying the sun, beaches, the killing bears/sharks/fucking boars. It looks amazing, the graphics are awesome and the views are to die for. Aesthetic 10/10

The boat mechanics are practically identical to Black Flag - but hey, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. But the lesbian crew? perfect. talented. inspired. worth the 35$ I paid for the game alone.

The music is decent, but the sea shanties deserve a soundtrack of their own lbr. 

The fighting was really fun, the movements fast and the animation was distinct, really fun feel.  (full disclosure I played on easy settings, cause I enjoy feeling like my character is a badass that can just walk into any fight and you know what, that’s exactly what I got, some enemies fell down with one blow. Super fun experience. Next playthrough Imma do a higher difficulty tho.)

2. The Family Storyline

I actually finished this one pretty quick. Everyone came out alive and well and living on the Adrestia. It was good drama, and I really loved Myrrine - she was incredible lbr, the only woman who can make Kassandra do anything with a single look.

I kinda liked Nikolaos too, in a weird way - even if he’s still an asshole. Spartan’s determination to have/be the best Nation was eventually its downfall, so I think it fits Nikolaos...He is a shitty father, he’s a good Spartan.

 Stentor is kinda meh, but his little spats with Kassie/Alexios are golden.

Deimos!Alexios is such a little shit, and his VA does a good job of portraying the asshole/bad guy, even if there were 1 or 2 cringe moments.

Barnabas is the only valid father figure in the game, there I said it! Y'all can @ me.

Herodotus is the weird and yet boring uncle. I approve of him and anyone who even looks at him funny will have to deal with me. 

Phoibe... Oh, Phoibe. The only moment where I actually felt a tear slide down my eye. I was emotional in other parts, but Phoibe’s death murdered me. 

3. The Cult of Kosmos...

I just wanna say to the asshole who spoiled me who the Cult Leader was... Fuck YOU! I mean honestly, it was a really cool reveal! Luckily he only spoiled it for me when I had done everything with Aspasia and I thought I’d never see her again, LMAO.

So yes, I saw Aspasia and I immediately fell in love with her. Like the second she walked into the scene I was hers. Just like that. 

I already knew of Aspasia - the real one - and like, it never even occurred to me that she might be the Ghost... Real!Aspasia was such a badass woman that needed no man but fell in love with Perikles and I never ever would have suspected her.

That final scene I have 2 complaints:

Why isn’t there an option to talk about Phoibe? I feel like it would be important and the forefront of Kassandra’s mind when she saw Aspasia again.

Aspasia sounded a little crazy? I mean I get HER, I do. The world was a mess - and let’s face it, it still IS - and I get her motivations and ambitions but her voice, her tone was too...dreamy, crazy? The VA for her was super good throughout the game, but I wonder what that part might have sounded like played differently... I dunno, it was hard to take her seriously. But I did let her live (and I kissed her...I am only human after all.)

4. The ‘’Atlantis’’ storyline.

So um... Kassandra dies, which, OUCH.

That part where she speaks Ancient Greek as she dies practically stabbed me in the heart lbr here, cause I imagine she hasn’t really spoken it for soo long (and no one has spoken it in so long). So, she says a prayer for herself cause she knows no alive knows how to do it the proper Greek way and I just... sobs. And as if it isn’t enough she just sounds so tired, so defeated, as if seeing humanity making the same mistakes over and over again broke her a little bit.

Loved going around Greece and fighting all the myths. ISTG, it was honestly one of the most fun parts of the game. The Minotaur is my fav, the aesthetic of the labyrinth was everything and Ardos was such a cute/asshole kid. Really liked the ‘’Medusa’’ too, but more the fighting it part -  it required a little more brain than the others - but that sick looking forest was 10/10.

Pythagoras was an asshole, but I knew that in fifth grade when I had to learn his fucking theorem.

Now we wait to see what Layla does with the staff. It will probably break me and I won’t be able to look at Herme’s staff the way ever again...

5. The Romance...

Kyra was my favorite romance in the game, their scenes were romantic but with a little air of tragedy still. It was well done, really. And the characters - Thaletas and Kyra - felt as if they had a little more thought put into them than some others. 

I really liked Roxana too. They were adorable, by far the best ending for any romance that I saw. 

Odessa was the only one I didn’t romance, mainly cause she gave weird vibes... 

Yes, I felt weird vibes with Odessa - who arguably also ends up with a decent romance ending - but not with Aspasia? I’m hopeless. My love for slightly evil women will be the end of me. I’m at least 30% sure I’ll end up unknowingly married to a serial killer...

But my favorite pairing for Kassandra tho? Aspasia. No doubts, no regrets, no takebacks. Everything about them is bathed in history, drama, and attraction.

We all agree that the first time Kassandra sees Aspasia, she basically has heart eyes. Right? That scene was so gay, I felt straight in comparison... And Aspasia was practically eating her alive with her stare. 10/10 sexual tension. 

The dynamics are really interesting... They both want the same thing but feel there are different ways to get it.  Yes, I know Aspasia was in the Cult that put everything in motion but like that the beauty of it. Aspasia knows its wrong, she knows she did wrong (and she probably wasn’t in the Cult when they interfered with the Oracle to throw Alexios off the Mount Taygetos). 

Also, Kassie is Spartan and Aspasia is Athenian (technically). Two lovers -  a Spartan and an Athenian - in the Peloponnesian War? Yes, please.

So, Drama? Double Check  

The Kiss. Like, don’t get me wrong I loved it and I definitely kissed her (#noregrets), but I wish it would have a little more build up

[promisedangel]

Fresh Meat: Confinement- Chapter 17

First

Previous

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Got VERY behind on this chapter due to plans coming up out of nowhere, helping my doggo recover from dental surgery, and adjusting my Pathfinder game and the room we play in now that we’ve added another player. But it’s done!

Chapter 17- Intruder

Chara found little sleep. Their night terrors came to them once more after a few days of silent sleep. They stirred from their sleep with the sound of Alphys’s distressed voice, “Chara? Chara? Can you hear me?” Chara’s eyes flickered open. Their room was once again alight. Alphys stood at Chara’s bedside, her hands clasped together in worry. Chara felt their sheets tossed around them, tangled at their feet and side. They felt a familiar sting in their throat; they had been screaming. Chara looked over at Alphys, still groggy, “Alphys?… Did it… happen again?” Alphys relaxed her arms and nodded, “Y-yeah…” Chara took a long sigh. They rubbed their face deeply, especially around their eyes. Alphys kneeled down at Chara’s bedside. Her voice was calmer and gentle, “It wasn’t as long this time… only about three minutes, and… your movements were still self-restrained.” Chara let out a dry chuckle, “I am still not sure how that happens.”

Alphys looked away with a frown. She cleared her throat before she looked back at Chara, “Um… anyway. Do you feel okay? Do you need anything? Maybe some water to soothe your throat?” Chara paused. They touched their throat gently. They grumbled before they spoke, “That does sound nice right about now…” Alphys gave a small smile, “Alright.” Alphys stood and wiped down her lab coat, disheveled from accidentally sleeping in it and responding to Chara��s screams. She spoke calmly, “You just keep laying there. I’ll get you a tall glass of water.” Chara nodded slightly as they settled on their bed, “I will try not to fall asleep.” Alphys approached the door. She hit the light switch, the room once more bathed in darkness. She looked back at Chara before she opened the door, “If you do, that’s okay. You need your sleep, too.” Chara let out a noise of affirmation before Alphys walked out the door and locked it behind her.

Alphys yawned as she made her way to the makeshift kitchen she had set up. She gently took one glass from the cupboard and approached the sink. She turned the faucet. After a few moments, the glass was nearly full of crystal clear water, but not enough to spill easily. Alphys gently held the glass with both hands, careful not to scrape her claws against the glass’s surface. She turned to exit the kitchen when she heard distant footsteps. At first, she thought nothing of them; perhaps it was Dr. Gaster coming to check on Chara’s night terror episode? No. These footsteps were heavy, disorderly. Nothing like his footsteps. She raised a brow, curious at first. No one else should be in the lower lab without notice except for Gaster and herself. Especially at this hour. Worry began to build. Was it Serol with an emergency? She shook her head; no, he would have called first. Something wasn’t right. Her worry turned to dread.

Alphys peeked out of the room carefully. The immediate hallway was empty. On her right, she could hear the footsteps just beyond the corner. As the footsteps grew closer, she heard another strange noise; heavy sniffing, tracking. A chill ran down her spine. Her dread grew. Before she could process much more, the figure turned the corner. The being was large, masculine in nature. Its face rounded and its jaw extended out. Its rough skin was a deep violet. Tufts of hair stuck on the figure’s head, elbows, chin, and back of its hands. Its claws and teeth were sharp, as its jaw hung open slightly in anticipation. Behind the monster was a long, heavy tail; much larger than Alphys’s own tail. The monster wore a simple black vest with baggy maroon slacks. No shoes on its feet, revealing its long clawed toes.

The figure saw Alphys immediately. At first, he froze; a small tinge of fear seeped into his gaze. Such fear melted away after a moment as a realization washed over him. He pointed at Alphys. He spoke with a bit of surprise, “You… you’re the human’s caretaker, aren’t you?” Alphys held the glass of water closer to her chest. She leaned forward slightly, her stance was rigid and on guard. She questioned cautiously, “Who are you? Y-You’re not supposed to be down here…” A dark smile curled on the intruder’s face. He took a few steps toward Alphys. Specks of drool made his teeth glisten, “It is down here! Where is it?” Alphys shook a little at his approach. She had begun to curl in on herself slightly. Her suspicions were confirmed; he was after Chara. She had to shake off her fear to protect them. She took a deep breath, a determined gaze returned to her face. With one hand, she began to reach into her coat pocket, “I-if you don’t leave… I’ll have to call the Royal Guard!”

The intruder grit his teeth. Anger flashed on his face. In a swift motion, he charged Alphys. She yelped as she moved to the side, to the nearby wall. The glass of water fell out of her grasp and crashed onto the ground. Water and shattered glass spilled next to her. The intruder turned towards Alphys in a flash. His hands slammed onto the wall just above her. Alphys curled down but still stood against the wall as the intruder loomed over her. For a moment, the two were silent. The intruder bared his teeth towards Alphys, “Hehe… those are some brave words for such a weak monster. You…” His words faded. His eyes widened, yet gained a strange focus on Alphys. He leaned in towards Alphys and began to sniff vigorously. Alphys cringed and curled closer to the wall, but found no way out. After a few moments, the monster took one last, long sniff. He sighed contently and smirked, “You have the human’s scent all over you! I’ll find it in no time at all, thanks to you.”

Alphys shook, her eyes widened in fear. She still had her hand in her pocket and tried to reach in further. The monster quickly noticed her arm move. He let out a ‘huh?’ noise as his eyes shifted to her arm. He spoke with a dark curiosity, “Whaddya got there?” He grabbed her wrist and held it tightly. He jolted her arm up, revealing the item in her hand; her cell phone. He growled, “Trying to call the Royal Guard? Big mistake.” With his free hand, the intruder ripped the phone from Alphys’s claws. Alphys yelled in protest but was unable to reach for her phone. The intruder tossed it aside, it clattered to the floor far out of Alphys’s reach. Before Alphys could see where her phone landed, the intruder struck her in the head, hard. She yelped and fell to the ground with an ‘oof’ sound. Glass shards embedded in her coat, but she remained unharmed due to her scales. The intruder bared down on her, “I’m getting that human no matter what. If our new leader’s not gonna help out his sick people, then I will!” He lifted his foot and began repeatedly stomping on Alphys’s head and back. He turned his body a few times to bash her with his large tail. A few tears began to well in her eyes as he repeatedly bashed her. As he struck her head, her vision began to blur. Her head fell to the ground and her body relaxed. Her eyes closed. She went still and silent. After a few more stomps, the intruder kicked Alphys against the wall. This also had no response. He frowned, “Heh, she was weaker than I thought…”

He turned down the hallway, opposite the way he came. He sniffed the air vigorously. After a moment his mouth watered, “Down this hallway, huh? Well, better hurry before she wakes up and he knows I’m here.” He sprinted down the hallway as he muttered to himself proudly, “Just hang on Susie, your big brother’s gonna help you get better soon.”

Alphys laid in the hallway for a few moments. The sound of the intruder’s footsteps soon faded. She grumbled and groaned. The blows to her head had left her disoriented. She smiled, thankful for the scales that protected her skull, lest the damage be worse. She slowly got to her knees and crawled to her phone. Her hands shook as she fought off her disoriented state. She struggled to dial a number but was able to. As it rang, Alphys spoke to herself, “Don’t worry, Chara; help is on the way.”

——————————————————————————

Chara could do nothing but lay in bed and wait. They felt the call of sleep creep on them, but the soreness of their throat and their active mind kept them awake. Chara was worried these night terrors, but the damage two episodes had done had been minimal thus far. The thought still hung in their mind; what if they did get worse. Alphys mentioned Gaster said they’d have to be restrained in necessary. Chara shivered at the thought of nightly restraints; any restraints in general. Anything that reminded them of that experience. The ringing returned to them as these thoughts washed over.

Chara turned away from those thoughts with the sound of footsteps. The ringing silenced. The steps approached quickly. Chara raised a brow curiously; Alphys didn’t have to rush, it was only a glass of water. Chara sighed and stood from their bed. They took a moment to stretch and yawn. The footsteps had stopped in front of their door. Chara spoke calmly, “You didn’t have to rush. It doesn’t hurt that much.” No response. They raised a brow. Usually, Alphys would respond. Chara shrugged it off; maybe she was tired as well and her rush had kept her awake. Their night terror did wake her up, after all. They approached the door in the darkness. They heard the panel’s lock slide open. Chara sat down in front of the door and waited for the glass to be slid under. The panel door slowly opened. A hand slid under, masked by the darkness. Chara reached for the hand at first but paused. They noticed something; there was nothing in this hand’s grasp. The hand was also larger than they remembered Alphys’s was. But it was too late. The hand blindly touched Chara’s leg. The hand then grasped the bottom of Chara’s gown and yanked them. Chara gasped. The ringing returned. They fell onto their back as their legs were dragged under the door. Chara reacted quickly. They leveraged their other leg against the door. Chara felt themselves stop for a moment. They heard a growl outside the door before the hand readjusted onto their leg and began to pull them through the door once more. As their navel began to disappear under the door, the stress on their propped up leg began to strain. They winced slightly before they curled inward and pressed their hands against the door as well. They heard a dark chuckle just beyond the door from a voice they did not recognize, “You can’t push back forever.”

A chill ran down Chara’s spine. The ringing intensified. They could feel their heart beat quickly in their chest. Chara grunted and used all their strength to pull their leg back under the panel. Chara looked down at the hand that threatened to pull them under the door. The skin felt rough though there were no scales or corse hairs to be felt. Chara kept the tug of war stable for a few moments before they felt the monster pull on them more. They knew at this strength they wouldn’t be able to hold on; they would be dragged out, at the mercy of what lay on the other side. They looked down at the hand that grasped them. A desperate thought crossed their mind. One which they’d only have one shot. They hung their jaw open and breathed heavily. They breathed in sharply before they quickly leaned down and bit down on the hand. Chara heard a grunt on the other side of the door. The hand flew back behind the door and off of Chara. Chara wasted no time; they skittered away from the door to near the center of their room. They heard the voice, shocked, “Damn brat fucking bit me!” The panel opened once more, the arm shot from under the door to its full length, far too short to reach Chara. The arm slumped under the door, completely still. All was still, except for Chara’s breathing. The intruder behind the door chuckled. He crouched down to see under the panel. His eye could be seen in the darkness as it locked onto Chara. He chuckled, “Guess the rumors about you being able to fight were true. You’re a stubborn brat, most humans would panic… Oh… but you are panicking.” Chara scudded to their bed and climbed on it, out of the intruder’s sight. The intruder taunted, “What’s wrong? I thought you were stubborn? Hehe, guess you’ve been beaten down by your capture, huh?” Chara covered their ears, “Stop it! Go away!”

The intruder’s arm slid back behind the door. The door began to shake. The intruder grunted before a slam sounded on the door, “Course they’d have this door locked up tight.” A dark chuckle echoed, “But it’s only a damn wooden door. I just gotta break it before that damned skeleton wakes up.” Chara’s voice wavered, but shouted, “Someone will hear you!” “Heh, almost sounds like you like it here.” Chara was silent for a moment. They hesitated to speak, “I don’t.” “So, why don’t you come with me?” Chara raised a brow towards the door. Go with this monster? Yes, Chara wanted to escape, but they didn’t know what intentions this monster had for them. None other than the obvious. Chara didn’t respond. The intruder began to vigorously scratch on the door around the hinges, “You hate him for killing those traitors, right?” Chara grasped their locket. The whispers returned, though barely heard through the ringing. Chara growled and replied with quiet venom, “Shut up.” The scratches never stopped, at times it was more intense. The intruder replied, “You hate him for locking you up, for taking your blood and giving it to some monsters.” Chara shouted, “Shut up! I know you are trying to taunt me until I go towards the door again! It will not work!” The intruder began to bellow over in a wheezing fit of laughter. He spoke, “Alright, brat. That’s not a problem.” A slam sounded against the door. The intruder spoke darkly, “I ‘ L L  J U S T  C O M E  G E T  Y O U!”

Slam. Slam. Slam. Repeatedly against the door. Chara curled under the covers and shook. They already knew nothing in the room would be useful as a weapon. The most they could use was the bedsheets, and that’d only give them a second at most; not enough time to escape their new tormentor. A few tears welled in Chara’s eyes. They shook. They plugged their ears tightly in an attempt to block the noises. The ringing never stopped, and partially helped to block the sound of the slams. Yet, Chara could still hear. Slowly, the slams became more intense. For a moment, they could have sworn the hinges had become loosened.

A war cry built outside the door. A ‘whoosh’ sound whistled through the air outside Chara’s room. An authoritative shout sounded, “Get away from that door!” Chara stopped their shakes. They unplugged their ears. That voice was familiar. The name… Chara wasn’t sure. They know the name had been said, but their mind wasn’t fully aware at the time. The Royal Guard had come to defend them, at least to the point of not allowing another monster to claim them. The intruder hissed in response. Another ‘woosh’ sounded. Another voice came from down the hall, “Chara! Are you alright?!” Chara stood from their bed. That was Alphys! They took a few steps towards the door before they stopped. The last time more than fresh in their mind.

The intruder growled at the guard that stopped him. Scratches and ridges damaged the door, especially near the lock and hinges. He was so close, and this fish-like monster wasn’t gonna stop him! He spat, “Why you miserable-“ Undyne held her spear out in front of her. She swiftly interrupted, “Shut it, punk! Now, you’re either gonna step away from that door and go to jail, or you’re gonna stand there and die. We got orders to not pull our punches with assholes who try and steal the kid.” The intruder’s eye twitched. He roared, “Fuck your boss’s orders! And fuck his distribution! My little sister is dying and she can’t get any fucking substitute!” He slammed a hand on the door near the knob, “Meanwhile, we got a perfectly good human locked up in this room!” Undyne gave a dumbfounded look for a moment before she roared back, “Because the damn kid’s the source of the substitute, you dumbass! Without it, we’ll all die!” “Fuck off with that crap!” The intruder pointed at Undyne, “I bet you got a batch.” He pointed at Alphys, “And I bet you did, too!” Alphys cowered back behind Undyne but said nothing. Undyne gritted her teeth. She glowered at the intruder, “I gave up my supply.” Alphys blinked and looked up at Undyne in surprise. Undyne gave her reward away? Even though it was an extremely short supply? For a moment, Alphys gave a small smile at Undyne. The intruder interrupted. He laughed in disbelief, “You dumb fucking bitch. No one would fucking do that!”

The intruder lowered his stance, “I’m sick of your lies, and that skeleton’s lies! Help monsters? There’s still sick monsters that he won’t give any substitute to! So I���ll…” He swung his arm down towards the door. His claws deeply dug into the door next to the hinges. He shouted while his claws dug into the wood, “I’ll feed ‘em myself!” Alphys gasped. Undyne growled and acted quickly. She tossed her spear in a flash, another ‘woosh’ sounded. The spear dug into the intruder’s side. The monster grunted and growled as the pain hit them. Undyne readied another spear. She briefly turned her eyes to Alphys, “Alphys, stand back!” Alphys quickly took a few steps back as Undyne began to toss more spears at the intruder. The intruder tried to dodge but found more and more spears dug into his flesh. Soon, he fell to his knees. His vision went blurry. He fell to the floor. He groaned and moved his mouth, as though he had tried to speak. He stopped moving. After a moment, his body dissipated into a pile of dust with his rough outline. All was now silent other than deep breaths. The intruder was gone.

[biaswreckingfics]

Forsaken: Part 10

Author: biaswreckingyourlifefics

Pairing: Chanyeol x Reader

Genre: Angst

Word Count: 2.0k

Previous Chapter  |  Next Chapter

The day after movie night, Baekhyun had come over to your place to apologize for what felt like the hundredth time. You had told him repeatedly that you weren’t mad at him, but that didn’t stop him. Yes, he had made a mistake, but all of you had, so it didn’t matter to you. However, sometimes talking to Baekhyun was like talking to a brick wall.

“I’ve told you I’m sorry, right?”

You look up at the ceiling and take a deep breath, completely annoyed with the man now. “Baek, I swear to god.”

“Okay, okay, I just want to make sure you know...” He grumbles from beside you. You feel him take a breath like he was working himself up to say something. “Have you heard from him?”

“Nope.”

You were starting to feel like a cosmic force was working against the two of you, like the universe was sending you flashing neon signs saying, “Hello, not him!”.

“I have…” Baekhyun hesitantly says.

You look over at the man who was now holding your full attention. “You’ve talked to him?”

He nods while taking in your reaction. “He showed up at my apartment last night.”

“Last night? After the fight?” You ask, raising your eyebrows in surprise.

“Yeah… He came to apologize… and to tell me that he was leaving for a few days…” He tells you while looking down at the drink in his hand. You couldn’t tell if Baekhyun was happy, sad, or what he was feeling about that piece of information.

“L-Leaving? Where?” You ask quietly, an array of emotions flowing through you. You couldn’t help but wonder where Chanyeol was going.

“I didn’t ask. All I know is that he booked a room somewhere for a few days to clear his head.” He looks up at you and takes in your sad face. “He needs this Y/N. He needs to figure everything out for himself.” You nod, understanding that it was what’s best for him. For both of you really.  “He’ll come back when he’s ready.”

Mulling over Baekhyun’s words, you realize you actually felt relieved. Both of you would get a chance to sit down and clear your heads, away from each other. Hopefully, this break apart would give you both what you needed.

- A week later –

It had been a full week since you had last seen or heard from Chanyeol and even most of the boys. After Baekhyun left your apartment that night, you had decided that it would be nice if you took a week off from communicating with the entire group, giving everyone some space and a chance to breathe.

It was nice. Things were quiet for once, and you got a lot of much needed housework done. You picked up some extra hours at work, and it was relieving to have something else to focus on. The hardest decision you’ve had to make for the past week was what to have for dinner.

Facing that dilemma now, you stare absentmindedly into the refrigerator, hoping something would catch your eye. Maybe you should just order takeout? You weren’t in much of a mood to cook anyway.

While you are heading over to the couch to grab your phone, there’s a knock on your door. You sigh, and walk over to the door, wondering who would be on the other side of it. To your absolute shock, it was Chanyeol standing there. You hadn’t expected to hear from him just yet.

He smiles at you shyly when you open the door, bringing his hand up to rub the back of his neck. “Hey…”

“Chanyeol! Um, hi, come in!” You move aside and cringe at how awkward you just sounded.

“I hope you haven’t eaten yet… I brought dinner.” He says while holding up a bag of takeout from the place you were literally about to order from. You can’t help but laugh at the irony of this situation.

“You have creepily good timing… thank you! That was really nice of you.”

He laughs as he follows you into the kitchen. While he was setting the bags on the counter, you see a thought cross his mind, and then you watch as the smile on his face falls.

“I’m sorry for messing up your movie night…” Then, bringing back a smile to his face, he says, “So, to make it up to you, I brought you food. Your favorite.”

“You didn’t have to make it up to me, but I appreciate the food.” You say with a smile on your face. “But I am sorry too…”

He immediately shakes his head the second you attempt to apologize. “You don’t have to apologize, Y/N. You didn’t do anything wrong, and it wasn’t really any of my business, to be fair.”

You stay quiet, knowing that he is right and because you didn’t really want to talk about it anymore.

“So, when did you get back?” You ask, changing the topic.

“I just got back a couple of hours ago. You were my second stop … Well, third, but only because I had to go to SM really quick. Then, I saw Baek and now you.” He smiles while pulling containers out of the takeout bags.

“You went and seen Baekhyun?”

He nods without looking up. “I asked him before I left if we could talk when I got back, so we did.”

When he doesn’t elaborate any further, your curiosity gets the better of you. “Diiiiid it go well?...”

You watch as a smile grows on his face. “I think it went very well.”

You smile back, enough relief flowing through you that you feel like you can start to tease him again. “Well, good. I’m glad. I was hoping you two would go back to being annoying together. So, how was your trip?”

“Enlightening. It was good to step away from everything. It helped me realize a lot of things.” The genuine smile on his face sent a tingly feeling throughout your body. He looked happy and in a better place than he did before. You couldn’t have been more relieved. All you wanted was for Chanyeol to go back to being the happy, bubbly, sometimes obnoxious, giant that you loved.

“What kind of things?” You couldn’t help but ask.

“Well, it made me realize how much I missed our old friendship. I’ve been such a jerk to you for no reason, and I’m really sorry.” He suddenly laughs. “I’ve apologized more to you this last year than I have to anyone else in my entire life.”

You give him a small smile, wanting to forget all of it. All the heartbreak and drama was wearing on you, and you wanted nothing more than to move on. “Chan, let’s just forget about it, all of it, please? Let’s just start over right now…”

He was quiet for a moment as he thought over your words. “I would actually really like that…”

You spend the next few hours reminiscing about when you were younger and snacking on the food Chanyeol brought. It was a nice change of pace for the two of you. It was easy going and light, with zero pressure.

“Remember when we all went to the amusement park in costumes?” He laughs.

“I still don’t know why you guys thought it would be a good idea to mix costumes with rides.” You groan at the memory.

“Hey, it was working out fine until Minseok’s tail got caught!”

You bust out laughing at the memory. “Oh my god, I can still picture his face. I never knew he could scream so loudly!”

“’Oh god, it’s got me! Someone call Junmyeon! He’s the oldest now!’” Chanyeol imitates Minseok causing you to almost choke on your food. “He was literally stuck in the entrance gate. You would’ve thought he was about to lose a limb.” He doubles over laughing.

You sit up at the thought of another fond memory. “Do you remember when we left Kyungsoo at the movies?”

Never missing a beat with you, Chanyeol knew exactly what you were talking about. “Left? You mean forgot? He gave me a bruise when we went back for him! It lasted for like two weeks.”

You laugh at the memory of Kyungsoo hitting Chanyeol. “He ignored me for a solid three days. How did we forget him?”

“Well, I remember we were talking about wanting to go for a walk on the beach together, and we got really excited and left him.”

Your eyes widen in realization. “Oh my god, that was the first time we kissed.”

“Mhmm… I was so nervous… and then you nearly knocked me out when you bumped your head into mine. It was so romantic.” He teases you.

“Hey! There was a bee!” You shout in your defense.

He smirks at your weak excuse. “I didn’t see a bee.”

“It buzzed right past my ear!” You still couldn’t stop from shuddering at the thought of it getting caught in your hair.

“You don’t have to be shy! You can admit you were nervous.” He says.

You look away from him, suddenly getting very interested in the chip in your hand. “Well, of course, I was. You’re you…” You were quiet for a minute, contemplating if you were going to ask the question that had been on the tip of your tongue for an hour now. Deciding you had nothing to lose, you ask.

“Where do we go from here?”

He’s quiet as he considers your question. You were nervous to hear what he was about to say. “I think, right now, I want to continue rebuilding our friendship. I feel like that’s the most important thing. I want us to be able to figure out our feelings over time… Is that okay?”

You were relieved at his words, completely agreeing with him. Your friendship had taken a hard hit, and it was the first thing the two of you should focus on. You wanted the person you were with to be your best friend as well.

“Absolutely. I think that’s a wise decision.”

“Junmyeon would be so proud.” He smiles at you, making you both laugh.

Now it was Chanyeol’s turn to go quiet, and you were curious as to what was running through his mind. “We’re gonna be okay, right?”

“Always.” You smile at him.

No matter what, you knew Chanyeol would always be in your life. As a friend, a brother, a lover, an annoying asshole. Whatever it was, he was a fixture that wasn’t going away.

He gives you a giant smile back and then reaches down to look at his phone. You watch his eyes nearly bulge out of his head. “Did you know it’s after 2 am?!”

“Seriously?? Wow…” You were shocked that it was already that late. He had shown up at your door nearly 8 hours ago.

He looks down at his hands while fighting off a giant yawn. “I should get going and let you get some sleep…”

You were definitely tired, not realizing it until you heard what time it was, but you were worried about Chanyeol heading back home at this time of night… Knowing people were leaving bars drunk, and who else knew who was out there. Before you gave it any more thought, you blurt out, “Stay here.”

He freezes midway off the couch and looks back at you. “What?”

What?! Your brain yells at you, finally catching up to your mouth. “Um yeah, you should stay here. It’s not safe outside this late…”

You could see him debating over whether it would be a good idea or not. A part of you was torn, also. Chanyeol staying over was something that had happened hundreds of times, but that was before everything that happened this past year, like him admitting his love to you. There was a shift in the relationship, and you weren’t sure what all it had affected yet. You knew Chanyeol was thinking the same thing.

“Well, if it’s okay with you, that’d be great….” He hesitantly says.

You nod, getting up to prepare the couch for Chanyeol to sleep on. Before, he would’ve slept in your bed with you, but not now. You both had to relearn and explore this relationship before you got to that point again. At least that’s what you told yourself before the two of you fell asleep on the couch together.

[storiesabouthumanandthings]

The Martian and The Jilted Lover

Chapter 14

Iris helped Martha to the chair and pushed her to the lobby. There was still a mess and Martha felt guilty knowing Iris would have to clean up. Iris brought breakfast for them and played the new message. Again, it was more instructions but now there was a deadline. The university wanted Iris back in 6 months instead of the 2 years. It was explained that there was just too much data over on Mars for Iris to process alone. Plus they wanted to send better equipment to Mars to get better conversations going between New Earth and Mars as well as better analysis equipment to study the plant life on Mars. Iris was instructed to complete outdoor reports as well as lightening the shuttle to add the original earthling (Martha) and the data files and the seeds. Supplies like food and toiletries were to be left behind as they weren’t needed in cryo. Martha laughed to herself.

 “What’s so funny?” Iris asked. 

 “Well I was just thinking of your joke of me living in the museum. How are they going to react that you let the original earthling injure itself?” Martha did air quotes which she had had to explain to Iris days ago. 

Iris pushed Martha gently, “Oh good point. Do I need to lock you in your room? Or maybe that’s not enough? Tie you to this chair?” Iris laughed at the ridiculous thought.

They finished breakfast and having her new instructions Iris started to clean and catch up from yesterday. 

“I’ll go put the dishes away,” Iris stood up to take the dishes to the kitchen, Martha caught Iris’s arm and pulled her down slightly, enough to cause Iris to bend over a bit. 

Martha quickly kissed Iris. Iris stood there in shock, still bent over. There was a space between their faces, both analyzing the other for the reaction. “I am sorry about that. It just been so long and I really like…” Martha was interrupted by Iris leaning down a bit more and kissing her back. They kissed deeply, hands stroking each other’s hair and back. Iris was the first to break the kiss. Martha almost let slip a disappointed moan, frowning slightly at Iris. 

Iris breathlessly said, “I have work to do, lots of work, especially with you coming back with me. So let me work for now and we will talk about this later, Ok?” 

Martha nodded, “Is there a way I can help for now?”

Iris laughed, “No offense, but you’re not in any shape to help. Just sit here and play some music for us. I’ll clean the mess and start bringing stuff in from the ship.” Martha pushed herself away from the table and put in a new to Iris music disk. It was a song about a girl named after a drug. Returning to the lobby after washing the dishes Iris asked, “Who would do that to their child?” 

Martha was confused, “Do what?” 

“Name their child after a drug and such a powerful drug as Amphetamine?” 

“Maybe cause once you get a taste of her, you’re addicted?”

Iris was still confused but continued to clean as more songs played. She got the broken glass first and then her samples to the lab. Next came cleaning out the ship. This took all day. The lobby seemed to almost overflow with food and things. Iris left one table open for them and grumbled, “Whoever comes next can deal with this mess since they are calling us back early.” 

Iris dropped into the chair next to Martha who was bored out of her mind. There are only so many times you can push yourself around before it gets tiresome and Star is a horrible sled dog. Martha was able to get dinner ready by the time Iris was done. “So what are your plans for tomorrow?”

 “Well, I’ll need to load all data discs, plus a screen and player into the ship. Plus all the seeds I’ve collected and old earth food I saved from you eating.”

 Martha was appalled. “But that’s my food. I can eat it if I want.” 

Iris pointed back, “And you did but I had to save some so somebody else can review it and hopefully remake it. Like with the pie-za you made.”

 “Pizza.”

 “Whatever. The point is that your food is off limits, we have the food I brought and what was grown here to last us the rest of the trip.” Iris poked Martha’s shoulder before starting to eat. Martha groaned at the thought of weird future food. Something she knew she would have to get used to.

They finished the rest of their dinner in silence while watching a tv show Martha put on. It was about a space cowboy that lies, cheats, and steals but is also generous and helps when he can. Martha said it is like a combination of Robin Hood and Billy the Kid with spaceships. None of which made sense to Iris. 

Once the show was over, Iris leaned into Martha and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I like you and it’s obvious that you like me too.” 

Martha cringed, she knew what was coming, “But…?”

 Iris became confused, “But?” 

Martha became a bit defensive, “Yeah But. But what? But I am not your type? I know you are gay cause of Jordan so it’s not like I made that mistake, again. Or is it you’re worried you’ll get some old earth disease? Or”

 Iris cut her off with a kiss on the lips. Holding Martha’s head, looking at her eyes, “It’s nothing like that. If I were going get some old earth disease, that would have happened months ago. I was going to say I worried about you. I want you to feel safe. That if it ever becomes too much, me, the relationship, that you know you can stop it. I also don’t want you to feel pressured to be with me since I am helping you off Mars. Even if there wasn’t this, um, connection, I would still help you.” 

Martha was shocked. In all of her relationships on Earth, never had it been so open. There were always rules involved she could only do certain things or she would get hurt. But here is Iris, letting her off free, giving her a get out of jail free card should anything happen.

Martha began to cry, “Thank you.” 

Iris pulled her in for a hug and held her till she quieted. She then kissed Martha’s closed eyelids. “There, all better now?” 

Martha nodded as her throat still sore and didn’t want to let it show. 

“Good. Now find us a new movie to watch before bed?”

Martha nodded, “I still can’t believe it that you’re here some days. Why are you being so nice to me?”

 Iris fake thought about it, her finger on her chin like she was thinking super hard. “I don’t know, maybe you’re right. Maybe I am not thinking clearly from that first hit to the head. Or maybe that cupid baby got tired of arrows and started using shovels.” 

Martha laughed, “It was a hoe, you hoe.” 

Iris flipped her off as she cleaned the table. 

Martha started the movie once Iris returned. She turned awkwardly to Iris, “Hey, I know this may not be the best idea but do you mind sleeping in my room again? I know the bed is small but I slept better with you last night.”

 “Are you sure that wasn’t the pills?” When Martha shoved Iris lightly she continued, “I’ll  sleep with you as long as you promise not to snore again.” 

“Again?! I don’t snore!” Martha began shaking Iris playfully, poking her armpits, trying to tickle her. “Take it back!”

 Iris pushed Martha’s chair hard to send Martha sliding across the room. “No way. Now settle down and watch the movie.” 

Martha grumbled playfully as she pushed herself back over, “I don’t snore. You snore.”

 Iris wrapped an arm around Martha’s arm and pulled her in the rest of the way, placing a kiss on Martha’s head. “Shush and just watch the movie, Dr. Crazy.”

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[jiminandlemonade-blog]

Penpals / Don’t Leave Me - Part 15 (Finale)

Jimin:  

Series: Fluff/minor angst  

PART 15/15 - FINALE

New to the series? Part 1

Missed the last chapter? Part 14

There was a mixture of silence and shock as he clung to you. "Y-Y/N?" Jinhyun spluttered, grabbing your shoulders and pushing you back slightly to get a view of your face. You nodded, words troubling to escape you. "Why are you here?" He asked, rather confused that you turned up on his doorstep.  

"Jihyun, who is it?" You heard a Korean lady speak from inside the apartment. "Come in, come in" Jihyun said, ushering you in. You were still stood there shaking, not really believing what was going on. You shook your head, refusing to move. "I'm sorry Y/N, but you can't just show up my door and not tell my Mother that you have been here" he exclaimed quietly, trying not to let his mother here.

You took a deep breath and composed yourself, taking your hair from your tear soaked face and wafting it into the air, letting nature take its course. "Eomma, it's Y/N" Jihyun declared as you walked through the next door into the room she was sitting in. Her eyes started to fill up and she took in every inch of you. "I wish to have met you in different circumstances Y/N" she spoke softly, evidently not wanting to get either of you upset.  

You don't know why the next sentence came out of your mouth, it just happened. "I'm in love with your son" you confessed, then putting your hands to your mouth, not quite believing what you have said. Her expression didn't change at all. "I know you do and I know my son is in love with you too, even if he can't do anything about it".

You gulped hard. "Did he ever say that to you? Jihyun said he never confessed but it was implied. If he's in love with me or was, why did he never say anything?" You hurriedly asked, sitting in the chair next to her. "I know my son Y/N. I have never seen him happier than staying up until 4am to speak to you. He would skip family meals just to speak to you. He rescheduled dance lessons. I don't think he would ever stop loving you. I think he thought he was crazy for being in love with someone he didn't know". You couldn't help but let out a loud laugh. "Yeah, I thought I was crazy too" you agreed.

Jihyun walked in with a cup of tea and a box of tissues for your still tearing eyes. "Y/N, I'm sorry to ask this so bluntly but why are you even here?" He questioned. "Oh well um, you see.. Remember the acting audition I said I was going to? Well I got the part. Ta-da" you said enthusiastically, waving your hands towards the end. "So why are you here?" He asked rather confused. "The part. It's for a Korean drama" you responded.  

Jihyun and his mother both were taking a sip of tea at the same time and couldn't help but splutter at your words. "You got a part.. In a Korean drama?!" Jihyun asked. His mother stared at you bewildered. "Yeah.. You knew I always enjoyed acting right?" "No, no. It's not that. I don’t think I have ever seen a non-Asian in a Korean drama before.. At least none that I have ever seen" Jihyun confessed, his mother agreeing. "Wait, so this isn't normal?" You asked. "Not really, but who likes normal?" Jimin's mother spoke. You couldn't help but smile. You knew she was implying yours and Jimin's online friendship.  

"Another spluttery question but do you think if I told him I loved him, he would have taken the job?" You asked. They both looked at each other and said "no" in unison. "Y/N, Jimin had a lot of savings so that he could come and visit you. He wanted to surprise you one day. But when you both started talking about dreams and aspirations, he knew that he had to follow his so that you would go follow yours. I'm not saying he sacrificed his happiness for you to follow your dreams but I know that he'd much rather prefer to be holding you right now than on a worldwide tour. I think he used his savings to attend the auditions to show you that you could do it. All he wants is for you to be hapy" Jihyun explained. Your insides were screaming but you tried to remain calm. "But I would also rather be with him now than have this job. I'm just scared after all this time, I've lost hum" you silently cried. "Y/N, you never lost him and you never will" his Mother soothed.  

After a quick talk, you had to excuse yourself because of the chauffeur waiting outside. Jimin's mother would not send you on your way without some of her walnut pies and a few more bits to eat. You knew your arm was going to hurt from all of the goods. Before you exited, you turned to face them. "I hope the next time I'm here. I'll see him" you smiled, giving hope to the pair of them. "I really hope so too" his Mother smiled back. "Oh, please don't tell him I'm here" you stated. "What do you mean?" Jihyun asked. "Don't tell him that I have been here. Don't tell him that I'm in Korea. Just don't tell him anything okay?". "But why?" Jihyun asked again, still totally confused. You were just as confused but for some reason, you didn't want him to know. You didn't want to meet on forced terms. You didn't want to meet and him not to love you. You didn't want to contact him and him not want to meet you. You ultimately didn't want your heart broken. His mother nodded. "Come on Jihyun, I'll explain" she said, guiding him away from the door.  

The next few weeks flew by. You became so close to the cast and crew and couldn't believe that the filming was almost over for the first season. Yes it had been stressful and tiring but so worthwhile. You couldn't wait to see people's reactions when it finally aired tonight. One of the cast members were throwing a little viewing party around their house but you really wanted to share this moment with loved ones at home so your parents organised a screening party of their own, which you would Skype into.

You were full of nerves when it came to the title song and you could feel yourself blushing as people didn't know whether to watch your reaction or the screen. As soon as your face appeared on screen there was a loud cheer coming from your phone and you couldn’t even hear your dialogue coming from the TV screen.

The next hour was a complete an utter blur. You couldn't help but cringe at some scenes and then laugh at others. There were times where you knew something emotional was about to happen and couldn't help but stare at everyone's faces at your phone. You couldn't help but smile when people expressed how much they loved the show and how much they were proud of you.  

Jihyun was quick to text you.  

Jihyun: The show is amazing Y/N. I can't wait to see more of it. I never knew you were such a great actress!

Before you could finish the message, another one came through.

Jihyun: Jimin will be so proud of you.  

There were no tears, no crying. Only smiles.  

Y/N: Do you think he will watch it?  

Jihyun: Honestly, no. He doesn't watch much TV and when he does, it's foreign movies or cartoons. I can't imagine Jimin watching a Korean romance dystopian drama can you?

You laughed. You couldn't see him watching it at all.

Y/N: Do you think he would recognise me? If he were to see me on the street or in the show?

Jihyun: You're loving these questions Y/N. In the street, yes. I recognised you straight away. From the show, no. Your hair is so dark for the show and your make up makes you look like a different person It completely changed your face shape.. Your Korean pronunication lessons has lessened your accent too. I don't think he would recognise you.

You didn’t know whether to be happy or sad about that. He could be watching the drama right now and not know who you were.. Just another person trying their hand at acting. You were accomplishing your dream but why didn't you feel accomplished? You knew why. You needed Jimin to know. But you couldn't face the repercussions of trying to contact him.  

The next few weeks were a whirlwind. You were getting recognised everywhere you went and even needed a personal body guard when you went to events. Events! Yes, you were invited to a lot of them. You were also asked to a lot of interviews, especially being the first y/nationality to be in a Korean drama. It was at one interview in particular where you made a drastic mistake.  

"Do you like any K-POP groups?" The interview asked all of the cast who were sat around the table. Each cast member took it in turns to reveal which K-POP groups were their favourite and then it got to you. "I really like them all but I'm really loving NCT right now" you replied. All of the other females in the cast had answered with female girl groups and because you had answered with a male group, you were asked if you had a bias. "I really adore K-POP and have for a while since I studied the language. I really like Ten, I think he is my favourite" you smiled. All of the other cast members couldn't believe what you had just done.

It wasn't until the next day when you realised what you had done. Your name was shipped with Ten's and there were even edited photos of the two of you together. "Oh my god, he doesn't even know who I am and look at this!" You exclaimed to your best friend on set, Eun. Eun knew everything about your life, even about Jimin. She was very good at putting the BTS attention onto her so that you didn't have to answer. Even if you had had a bad experience in Korea, you were glad you were friends with Eun.

"Another one!" You sighed to Eun in your shared apartment together, looking at a photo of you and Ten which was obviously photoshopped. "Daejong (male lead) told me that Ten thought it was hilarious. He's friends with him you know" she admitted. You couldn't help but spit out your water. "And you have only just thought to tell me? Why didn't he tell me?" You laughed, putting your head in your hands. "I think he thought you knew if I'm honest" Eun explained. You couldn't help but like the attention you were getting, but it wasn't the person you were wanting it off.

"He still hasn't realised it's me has he?" You asked Jihyun on the phone that night. "No he hasn't. Well he hasn't said anything to me and I think he would have. He would have been asking why I never told him" he explained. "Oh congratulations by the way!" He chanted. You were so confused. "Am I pregnant or something?" You giggled. "Well I don't know.. What have you been up to? I mean on your nomination!" He said. You were even more confused. The silence on the phone was deafening. "You don't know anything about it do you?" Jihyun asked. Your heart was racing at the idea of a nomination. Within seconds, Eun came bursting in your bedroom and said in unison with Jihyun "Best Actress in a drama series!".

You started shaking and slightly hyperventilating. "This has got to be a joke right?" You spoke into the phone, eyes latched onto Eun's. "No, it's very real" she replied back. "Congratulations!" She squealed. The next few moments were a blur. You got confirmation off management, you rang friends and family and were reading reviews of the nominees for the whole of the award show. You were up against some huge names and were no way going to win it but it was an honour to even be mentioned.

The lead up to the award show flew past faster than the filming of the series did. You were busy non stop doing interviews and signings. When the day of the award show came, you were up bright and early to get ready. "I know I'm not going to win, but this is so exciting!" You exclaimed to all of the cast members who were getting ready at your apartments. Daejong was also up for best male actor but was a few hours late due to filming a pilot on the morning.

As you were getting your hair and make up done, you couldn't realise how far you had come. You had believed in your abilities and here you were. Even if you weren't in Korea for the reason you wanted to be. "He'll be proud" Eun smiled as she watched you stare off into space. "I know" you smiled back. As soon as your hair and make up was done, you jumped out of your seat and walked over to the entrance area where the door opened. "Delivery for Y/N" Daejong smiled with two baskets of flowers. "Who are these from?" You beamed giddily. "Well this one is from me" he stated, popping down a beauty blue assortment of flowers onto the glass table. "Thank you so much, I've got you a gift too but we may aswell drink it after the awards show?" You questioned, shaking a bottle of vodka that cost the same as the dress you were about to wear.  

"And these are from.. Well, Ten sent them but they're from all of the members of NCT". You're inner fangirl was going bazerk but you couldn't let it show. Not in front of everyone. "It's okay Y/N, fangirl all you want.. We all know what you are like. Well maybe not the hair and make up artists" Daejong laughed. You squealed so high pitched that you saw a few cast members cover their ears. "NCT SENT ME FLOWERS GUYS, OH MY GOD" you shouted in your mother tongue. You hadn't even met them, but they were so supportive of you ever since you said you loved their music in an interview. You knew that was the only reason they knew about you. Your fans were very loyal and loving and a lot of them were NCT fans so it was inevitable that they would find out.  

After the giddy moment, you looked at your watch and gasped at the time. "Shit, we need to get ready" you let out, laughing as you watched everyone look at their watches and slamming their champagne flutes down in a panic. You couldn't wait to get into your dress so hurried into your room to get changed.  

Everyone looked amazing when you were sticking your head around the door. You couldn't believe how different all of the cast members looked when they were dolled up. You walked out in your beautiful navy satin dress to match Daejong's suit(dress inspiration - https://www.promgirl.com/shop/dresses/viewitem-PD2216084) and everyone was in awe. "If you don't win the award, you'll most certainly win best dressed!" One of the cast members exclaimed, people nodding in agreement. You couldn't help but blush.

"Everyone listen up" you heard the producer's voice beam from the other end of the room. "To give a run down on what is happening at the event, because our two main characters are up for the main awards, we will be sat front and centre and I will give you the seating plan when we arrive. Lisa and Jisoo from BlackPink will be giving out the male award and Taehyung and Seokjin from BTS will be giving out the female award". You spluttered and everyone turned to look at you. You didn't mean to splutter, but you were in shock. You looked straight at Eun who knew exactly what to do and say. Acting on fangirl, she spoke up "Does that mean BTS will be there?". The producer rolled her eyes. "I'm not 100% sure. All I am sure about is that Taehyung and Seokjin will be there because they are up for an award for their song on Hwarang". You died inside. You were hoping and praying that he wasn't going to be there, you wouldn’t know what you would do if he was.

Pulling up to the awards ceremony, you couldn't believe the amount of people who were out supporting merchandise from the show. Your name was being shouted over and over again and you couldn't believe you had been accepted into the nations arms. You teared up from all of the support but turned on your professional head when it came to yours and Daejong's joint interviews.  

How does it feel to be nominated? Can you believe you are nominated? Can you put it into words? How does it feel to know that artists as big as BlackPink and BTS are giving out these awards? They weren't questions you could dodge, especially when you are asked over and over again. When asked if you were a fan of BTS, you replied "and then some.." Because you really were a huge fan, they just didn't realise why.  

You were glad the interviews were over and were glad to be led to your seat by Daejong. Daejong knew everything about Jimin too, but he didn't like to talk to you about it. He was like your older brother and hated seeing you upset. You were looking around the room, trying to catch a glimpse of people you would recognise. The awards show was such a big deal. You were front and centre on a circle table with other actors and actresses and the idol groups were up on the side of the stage in rows. You looked out for BTS in particular but couldn't see them. It was only when you were gawping trying to eye BTS that you noticed all of NCT looking at you. You wanted there to be a hole in the ground that would swallow you up. Your face must have been a picture. They must have found it very amusing considering 3 of the members sent Daejong a snapchat of them doing your gawping face. You just wanted to die.

As the night was drawing on, your hands were hurting from clapping and you had one too many glasses of champagne that expected, but you were enjoying the evening. The camera always panned over to you as you sang along to Korean songs and trying to imitate the dance moves. You really weren't a dancer. You should just stick to acting.

The whole room suddenly went dark when Lisa and Jisoo from BlackPink appeared. "Daejong, it's your turn!" You squealed, placing your hand on his lap and squeezing in anticipation. "And here are the nominees" Lisa from BlackPink read out. You were watching all of the amazing actors who were nominated but you knew that Daejong was deserving of the award. He played an amazing part and you couldn't fault him at all. "And the winner is.." Jisoo read out from the teleprompter. "DAEJONG!" They both said in unison. There was an uproar coming from your table and all of the cast couldn't help but let out a few tears and hug him before he collected his award. You got so excited that you spilt a glass of champagne, thankfully missing your silk dress.  

Your breathing got faster as you watched the man you acted alongside with going to collect his award. You all breathed a sigh of relief knowing he had won. It was also a special occasion because it was the first award that the series had won.  

"So um.. I don't really know where to begin. I didn't prepare a speech because I didn't think I would win this. I guess I will just have to wing it. Thank you all so much for supporting this series. All of the fans will love to know that season 2 filming will commence next month and will be out at the end of the year. If you support that season as much as you have this one, I hope we can carry on for as long as possible. I wouldn't want to carry on if it wasn't for the amazing cast and crew. They have been amazing and possibly the best I have ever worked with. I want to talk about you all individually but I'm worried I wont have the time but I really want to thank Y/K/N. Not only has she came over from another country to film this series, she's fit in so well. She's an asset to the team and I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else. She is like my little sister and I don't think I will ever be able to share how much this wonderful human being means to me and everyone else on the team. I know this is my award but I really do not think I could have done this without her. She has a talent like no other and I wish her so much luck for the best actress award. Thank you so much for the award. Fighting!" Daejong rhymed off.

You were a blubbering mess. It wasn't like Daejong to be like this. He really was like your older brother. Yes, he listened to you. But he was never soft with you, just protective. You loved seeing this side of him but had to hide yourself from the cameras as you were crying hysterically, even calling for a make up touch up.  

"And now onto the next award" you heard a voice bellow. Even if I die, it's you started to play only meaning one thing. It was Taehyung and Seokjin and time for your award. You couldn't help in that moment feel a sense of jealousy that when you lost Jimin, they were the ones to gain him. You looked at them no longer as BTS but Jimin's friends and you suddenly felt comfortable. Not like a fangirl anymore.  

"4 hours ago, we were told what award we would be hosting. We cannot believe the sheer amount of talent that is in this category and we believe you are all winners." Taehyung read off the teleprompter. "Celebrated amongst these women are different religions, ethnicities, languages, sexuality and ages. We are proud to celebrate the diverse culture tonight. And now for your nominees" Jin rhymed off.  

Daejong arrived back at the table just as nominees reels were being played and you both stood up to greet each other and held one another for a long time. Over his shoulder, you couldn't help but stare back at the woman who was staring at you. You had no idea who she was, but her eyes didn't come off of you, as if she was trying to suss you out. As your reel started to play, you sat down and Daejong put his hand on your lap and squeezed it just like you had done to him. Eun also did it on your other leg.  

*Another part of the arena*

"We've got a problem Bang PD" a woman stated. "Remember that girl who confessed her love to Jimin and we never told him about it? Well, she's here. That's her" she explained, pointing to your reel. Bang PD looked so confused. "You haven't told him? After all of these years?" He asked the lady, who turns out was in charge of their emotional welfare. "No, I didn't think I could?" She stated. Bang PD looked terrifed. He didn't want Jimin to think there was some sort of conspiracy. All he wanted was for Jimin to not focus on girls whilst they were trainees. Bang PD had no idea that Jimin wasn't informed after debuting. "We need to go and find him, fast" he prompted, rushing away.

*Back to you*

"And the winner is... Y/K/N" Taehyung chanted. The room around your suddenly went dark and you felt as though you were the only one in the room. You couldn't work out whether you were dying, fainting, had one to many champagnes or were just shell shocked. It was the last one, but you still felt as though you were dying. "Y/K/N, Y/KN" Eun was chanting, trying to wake you from your shocked state. "I won?" You gasped, looking around the table. The whole arena was on their feet with applause. Not only were you the first person of your nationality to be in a Korean drama, but the first to ever win an award, let alone the first award they were nominated for.

The walk to the podium felt like you were walking on cloud 9. You could feel all of your acting insecurities going away. You could feel how proud your loved ones would be of you. You felt immense pleasure knowing that Jimin will one day know that you achieved your dream. You couldn't help but smile from ear to ear.  

Your eyes set on Seokjin and you immediately turned into a jittering mess. You bowed to show respect and couldn't help but keep your eyes locked on the boys as they handed you the award and walked to the side. You were gawping at them for what felt like 10 minutes. With a shake of your head, you suddenly realised where you were, standing in front of a nation, your loved ones and a crowd of 30,000 people, accepting an acting award.

"Like Daejong, I also didn't prepare a speech.." You scuffled around, playing with your dress. "I don't really know where to begin. I don't know whether a lot of people know about me. I don't really know anything at the moment. To the fans, you are amazing. I will only be repeating Daejong by saying to look out for the next season but I promise it will be a brilliant one. Thank you so much for the support and I hope I will make you proud. Daejong, my older brother, thank you for being my best friend when I needed somebody to vent or cry too. Thank you for teaching me how to use chop sticks and pick the crab out of my meals. Thank you for being the perfect companion to work with and I can't wait to continue our journey together in the future. Eun, for being my rock. You really have been my number one support. You help me dodge a lot of bullets but also keep me grounded. Thank you for being the one who comforts me when I'm down, holds my hair back when I have had one too many champagnes.. Which I think you may have to do tonight, or tucks me into bed when I've fallen asleep on top of the duvet after a busy day. Um, I would like to thank the other cast and crew members who have been so supportive of me and correcting me if I was ever wrong. I don't know whether anyone knows, but this was actually my first acting job. Back where I am from, I was always beat out by that one person who had one quirk that I didn't have. I felt very defeated. I actually gave up acting for a while, but it wasn't until a... um, a friend of mine told me to change paths. But this time, my quirk was being able to speak Korean. A language I fell in love with." You rhymed off. "I think the champagne might be helping with my speech" you giggled slightly. You then had an overwhelming urge to talk more, as if you needed to get something off your chest but you didn't expect what came out of your mouth to come out.

"I fell in love with Korean because I once had a penpal. I say once, he isn't my penpal anymore. I remember the day I picked a name out of a hat in Geography. I really didn't want to do it. I had no interest in having a penpal. I felt so misunderstood and judged at school that I wondered how on Earth a stranger was going to perceive me, but actually, it changed my life. I ended up talking to this person a lot, every day in fact. I fell in love with so many aspects of Korea. I'm really thankful. I know I should be thanking my family and friends right now which you all already know, I love and thank you all so much but I think even you all probably expect this. You have seen what I have went through. I actually was very torn with what I wanted my future to look like. I always wanted to give acting a go but never thought I was good enough so I studied languages. My penpal told me that I was crazy for not going after my dreams. To cut a long story short, I decided to study Korean at university and this opportunity came up. But it's not just me that's went after my dreams is it? I think my penpal is here right now. It's one of you out there, I think. You may not recognise me. I look different with darker hair, a paler face and my Korean is stronger, but it's me. You know that it's me don't you? If you're not here, I look like a fool but I think you are or it could be the champagne clouding my imagination." You spoke all of that in Korean until it came to your final sentence where your mother tongue and accent suddenly sprouted out. "You pursued your dreams. You told me to pursue my dreams so I did. Thank you.. Everyone.. For everything"

*Jimin's P.O.V*

"I don't want to miss this!" He mouthed, looking over to Bang PD who was waving for him to go down. "I don't want to miss Seokjin blowing a kiss to the camera" he laughed to Hoseok. "Can you go down?" He asked. Hoseok agreed and walked down the steps. Jimin could see Bang PD turn away out of frustration, not wanting Hoseok but him but he didn't care. He really wanted to see Seokjin fail. If it were important, he would have come up right? He was probably trying to play a trick on him again like he had at the past 2 award shows where Bang PD had asked him to come downstairs and then laughed for making Jimin move.

Your reel came on but he was looking in the opposite direction. Eun noticed after she clocked him, then squeezing your thigh. You were announced as the winner and Jimin stood up, not really paying attention to his screen but rather his phone as his brother had text him.

Jihyun: I know you're not expecting an award but expect something better than an award.

Was he the one who liked cryptic messages now? It seemed like it. Jimin's face was twisting as he was trying to work out the text. He completely missed Seokjin's kiss to the camera behind your back and most of your speech. "Because I once had a penpal" made his ears prick. His heart suddenly hit the floor and he couldn't help but think of you, like he always did. It had been so long since you spoke, he knew you picked out his name in class, but couldn't remember the lesson. You mentioned the words misunderstood and being judged and his face was screwing up even more, as if his beloved penpal was infront of him.. If only he knew.  

"I always wanted to give acting a go but never thought I was good enough so I studied languages" he heard you speak. It was at this point he was trying to focus on every aspect of you, but he was being put off by Hoseok's hysterical waving in the background. Hoseok realised what was going on after being informed off Bang PD, so came up to inform Jimin. Hoseok knew of you because of Jimin's stories, but even this felt so surreal.  

"My penpal told me that I was crazy for not going after my dreams" you said. "Why does this sound like me?" He laughed, turning around to face Yoongi. Yoongi looked at him with a dead blank stare, realising what was going on a lot quicker than Jimin did who was still yet to fully comprehend the situation.  

"I think my penpal is here right now. It's one of you out there, I think. You may not recognise me. I look different with darker hair, a paler face and my Korean is stronger, but it's me." Jimin looked at every inch of you, took in every bit of you. He only ever saw you on a computer screen but he focused on your Korean too. He seemed like he knew, but he didn't want to believe it. His head tilting to one side, breathing getting a lot deeper.  

"You know that it's me don't you?" You questioned, looking out at the crowd. Jimin's heart practically fell out of his chest. "Oh my god" he let out, so loud that the members of GOT7 turned around to look at him, realising he was the one you were on about. "That's my Y/N" he exhaled, tears coming to the front of his eyes, not believing you were here. Not only could he not believe you were here, but he couldn't believe that you were carrying out your dreams and winning awards for it.  

You then spoke in your mother tongue. "You pursued your dreams. You told me to pursue my dreams so I did." "Hoseok, that's her" he mouthed as Hoseok approached. "I know Jimin, I know" he said, rubbing his back and supporting him as he stood up. "It's Y/N.." He kept saying as he was walking down the stairs, eyes locked on you as you intently stared at your award, blinking back tears.  

"W-what is it?" Jimin asked Bang PD, still with his eyes on you. "We need to talk." He sternly said. This didn't get Jimin's attention. "It's about Y/N" Bang PD stated. That got Jimin's attention. "Explain later, I need.. I need to do something" Jimin declared, running off into the direction of the sound booth.

*Your P.O.V*

You were overjoyed. You couldn't believe the stuff that had come out of your mouth but you felt relief, glad that everything was out in the open. You were thrilled with the award and everyone congregated around you to cheer you on. You and Daejong posed for photos with your awards and even the camera crew came over to you to film a close up of your red and blotchy face but you didn't care. Your phone buzzed and the brightness hurt your face. You had turned off your wifi so your parents wouldn't have contacted you via that method because it was so expensive and the only people who it oculd have been other than Jihyun were with you, so the process of elimination made you realise who it was.

Jihyun: You may have won the award, but I think you'll be a lot more excited soon

What was he implying? You had no idea.  

*Bebe Rexha – I Just Wanna Dance With Somebody* started playing. This was one of your favourite songs and everyone knew it. It was a bittersweet moment though as you always used to sing it to Jimin in a really odd accent. But you couldn't let those emotions get the better of you as your drunken inhabitations started to take over your body and the moves started to flow.. Even if they were terrible.

"Y/N... Y/N" Eun shook you as you were dancing as if you were in a psychedelic mindset. "What?" You bluntly replied, slightly annoyed she broke your cool dancing. You were annoyed in a funny way. She understood. "Um, turn around".

That's the moment you felt your insides tense. Everything in you went to mush. The whole room went to darkness once again but instead of just you being there, Jimin was there too.

"So it is you" he spoke, gesturing to the song. "Yeah.. It's me" you smiled. You wanted to run into his arms. You wanted to kiss him. You wanted to tell him how madly in love with him you were but it wasn't the time or place. "People are realising Y/N.. Get backstage" Daejong announced, pushing you towards the corridor that led backstage as Jimin followed 2 minutes later.

You entered the room first and felt nervous. More nervous than ever before. The love you felt for him was exactly the same as before. You weren't disappointed. Like you ever could be. He was perfect. You didn't want this. You didn't want this to happen at all. He wasn't in love with you. How could he be in your life other than being your one and only? You couldn't picture it.

All of these thoughts were whizzing around your head and then he suddenly waltzed into the room. "Y/N I-" he paused. His head hit the floor. "Jimin, I understand. I know. I know everything" you explained. "How long have you been here?" He asked. "About 6 months" you answered. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked again, looking sadder than ever before. "Why would that have made a difference? I didn't even know how to contact you. Honestly, I didn't want you to know. I was worried that-" you stopped. "That what?" He questioned.

It was now or never. Were you going to tell him? Did you even have the guts. "Jimin, you left me. I told you not to but you did. Why couldn't you contact me? Why?" You cried. You both cried. You both had no idea the feelings each other had, but for some reason, you both couldn't admit it either.  

You were still stood at opposing end of the rooms but your phones buzzed in unison.

Jihyun: Tell him you love him.

*Jimin's P.O.V*

Jihyun: Tell her you love her.

*Your P.O.V*  

"I asked you not to leave me" you cried again, breaking the silence from looking at the text messages. "I never left you. I was always with you, like you were always with me. If I was in your heart, I never left" he responded, walking over to you and taking your hand. This was the first time you touched and it felt wonderful, but this wasn't how you expected your first meeting to go. You thought you would fly into his arms after admitting you both loved each other. You were getting upset.

"Jimin, I told you I loved you and you read it but didn't reply back to me then ignored me for years!" You protested sharply. You tried not to raise your voice. You weren't angry anymore, just disappointed. He looked at you bewildered. "Y/N.. I didn't know" he hesitated. You looked at him. "How did you not know? I voicemailed you the day you went to Seoul" you confessed. Jimin looked straight passed you at Bang PD and the woman who stared at you before, locking gaze and mentally communicating. "Oh my god" he let out. "Is this why you wanted to talk?" He said, walking over to them. "I swear we can explain" the woman apologised.  

He stood there, waiting for them to continue without saying a word. "When you came to Seoul, you know we had to take the phones off you.. Well there was a voice note from this young lady confessing her love to you. As you were trainees, I had to send this information to Bang PD and because of you not debuting yet, he didn't want you to be involved with girls.. Any of you involved in girls." She explained but was interrupted. Bang PD continued "I thought she would end up telling you when you debuted as I only specified not telling you as trainees. You know I'm not involved in that sort of stuff neither do I talk about it. I'm sorry Jimin. I'm sorry Y/N. It's just a break down in communication" he explained whole-heartedly.

Jimin didn't even reply. He grabbed the door and slowly shut it, hoping they would get the message, locking it behind him. "You love me? Wait, you loved me or still do?" He asked, walking over to you again, this time, guiding you towards the sole couch that was in the room. You gulped. You knew the answer, but you didn't want to tell him.

"You don't love me so what does it matter?" You questioned. He looked at you as if you had two heads and then laughed. "Y/N, you think I don't love you? Are you crazy?" He asked. "As a friend.." You responded. "Didn't you get my letter? Oh Y/N.. You were so good at cryptic puzzles back then" he sighed, slightly laughing. "Letter.. What letter?" You asked, looking at him now as if he had 2 heads. "When I left, I sent you a letter explaining for you to wait for me. If you took all of the capital letters from that letter it said I love you, please wait for me" he explained. "I read that letter so many times and nev—wait, you love me?" You questioned. It seemed as though so many questions were occurring in so little time that you were getting yourself all confused.  

"Of course I do Y/N, I have always loved you. I thought you didn't love me so I didn't call" he sighed. "Oh Jimin" you sighed, realised it was all a break down in communication. "Look" he said, pulling out bits of paper from a backpack that was in the room, evidently his dressing room. He handed you the pieces of paper. They were your letters. "You carry these with you?" "Always".

Then after your letters you saw a piece of paper with all of your details on. Skype. Email. Home telphone. Mobile number. Everything you can imagine. "I had to change all of my accounts so I carried these with me if I ever had the courage to call. I didn't want to ruin your life by loving you and you not loving me back. I wanted you to be happy and pursue your dreams" he confessed. "Love" you said. "Love?" He asked, staring. "You asked me if I love or loved. I'm saying love" you smiled.  

This wasn't BTS Jimin you were talking to, this was your penpal. The boy you were always in love with. "You look beautiful" he smiled after gazing at you a while. "you even look better than on the computer screen which I never though possible" he laughed.  

Jimin stood up and went to walk out of the room. "Where are you going?" You asked, not wanting him to leave you again. "Just.. Trust me" he winked. Moments later, he walked through the door and gasped. "Y/N, what a surprise!" He laughed, trying to act. What the hell was he doing? He looked at you with encouragement. Oh, he wanted to relive the moment of meeting. The one you had always talked about.  

You couldn't do it. You appreciated the effort a lot, but it just wouldn't work like that anymore. "Jimin I-" you stumbled. "What is it?" He asked concerned, walking over to you and taking you hand. Your words couldn't form.

"I love you" he spoke, lifting your chin and making your gaze meet his. "I always have". You couldn't believe the words coming from his mouth. It was like a dream. "I love you too" you cried, burying your head into his chest.  

"I'm so proud of you" he confessed, kissing the top of your head and bringing you in for a tighter squeeze. "You have no idea how proud I am of you.. I'm ARMY by the way" you laughed through emotions. He couldn't help but laugh too. "You pursued your dreams" you continued. "Not really.." He replied, pulling you away from him.  

You didn't know what he was getting at. "I am so proud of you for pursing your dreams Y/N.. That makes me the happiest. But I haven't pursued my dreams yet, but I'm about to" he stated. "What do you mean? Did you not learn your lesson from the last cryptic message you told me?" You laughed off, even though the pain of not working out his message crippled your head.

"I can now pursue my dream because it’s you. It’s always been you. The penpal that I have always been in love with.. You wont leave me will you?” He asked. "I will never leave you... but I'm your dream?" You stuttered in shock, even though you saw it coming from the way the conversation was going. "You always have been and always will be" he smiled. "So.. when will I get the kiss I have craved for 5 years?" He asked, slightly puckering his lips.

"Now"

MASTERLIST

[sweetnestor]

You Look Happier | Chapter 5

university au, teamiplier + jack

platonic/romance/angst/(smut at one point but it’ll only be on ao3)

previous chapter

“It was awful!” I rambled, anxiously pacing around my living room. “Oh god, it was going so well and then it just fucking - ah!” I rubbed my hands together, my mind buzzing horribly.

“I didn’t know Hollywood Hills had business hours,” said Jack, who was sat on the couch. “Did you get a fine?”

“No, but I did have an anxiety attack,” I groaned.

“Oh no.” Jack sat up. “What did Ethan do?”

I cringed as I remembered the irrational crying and hyperventilating. God, it was so embarrassing and stupid, I was trying not to reduce myself to tears. “Nothing. He didn’t know what to do! He just rubbed my back and told me to breathe!”

“So he didn’t do anything wrong?”

I shook my head. “But it was so stupid! Everything was perfectly fine until I ruined it!”

Jack then stood up and went to me. “Hey, it’s okay. You didn’t ruin anything, and I’m sure Ethan told you the same thing.”

“Yeah, and how long will it be before he gets tired of it? How long do I have before he starts rolling his eyes at me?” I asked, knowing exactly how insane I sounded, but I couldn’t stop these thoughts from spilling out.

“You need to trust him,” Jack firmly said. “And it sounds impossible, but it’s not. It just takes time.”

I sighed. “I don’t want to be afraid of him. I don’t want to run away from him… I don’t want to be sad anymore…”

“I know. You won’t always be said, you have to know that.”

This was exhausting. How long was I going to be like this? When would I stop being such a stick in the mud? When will everything just stop?

Jack gently hugged me as I started to cry. I wanted all of this bad stuff to be over. I wanted to give up, I wanted to stop fighting. It was more tiring than just being depressed and anxious all the time. At least I know what to expect with the latter; It was easier to stay on the ground.

“No one said recovery was easy,” he told me. “You have to take the good with the bad. And you have to remember that this is only the beginning. You have plenty of time, and you have plenty of people who want to support you.”

I didn’t realize that I had said any of that out loud. I didn’t care. None of this was worth it. It was always going to be this way.

“No, it won’t,” Jack reassured. “And it’s completely worth it. You’ll have your good days and bad days. That’s how you can appreciate the good.”

He kept telling me these things as I cried Things were hard to hear. My knee-jerk reaction was finding a reason to stay in my private, comfy sinkhole of depression. In that moment, I couldn’t believe that I could get better. I was broken beyond repair.

However, once the worst of it was over, I wondered why I acted like that in the first place. Yes, Ethan and I got a stern talking-to by a Hollywood Hills security guard, but it wasn’t that big a deal. Yes, I was trying to get my shit together, I had done this before in the past. I knew from prior experience that I couldn’t just expect everything to be better overnight… as much as I wanted it to be like that.

~

I had forgotten how consistent you had to be when it came to communication in relationships. Ethan sent me a text a few days after the Hollywood Hills incident that made me feel kind of like an asshole.

“Hey, you’re not mad at me are you?”

Of course not. I’ve just been too exhausted and embarrassed to talk to specifically him. How does one say that without sounding crazy or rude?

“No lol I’ve just been kinda busy,” I typed before sending. Then, as an add-on, “Sorry for the silence.” Then I realized how cold and distant I sounded, so I sent some emojis following my two messages. That was three. I just triple texted.

Although, Ethan didn’t take ten years to respond this time.

“Okay, just making sure. Besides that, is everything okay?”

How can he tell? What did I say? Was I really that obvious? Was the storm cloud above my head actually visible? I was hesitating. I didn’t want to lie to him, but I didn’t want to be a burden either.

“Sometimes I’m bad at keeping in contact, even if it’s people I really like.” I sent it before I could panic.

My heart pounded as I read his reply.

“Aww… I’m the same way lol… I really like you too.”

FUCK. ABORT. RUN AWAY!

“Ay, no seas pendeja,” I mumbled to myself, catching my immediate reaction before it could spiral. “We’ve been at it for this long, we’ve already established this crap. C’mon Bella, no seas chillona.”

I sent back the monkey covering its eyes and the blue heart emojis. Then, I filmed a video to distract myself. Thankfully, I was able to be by myself again, which meant that I could film a cover while Jack was away on campus.

While I was doing my makeup, I got another text from Ethan. He was what I was doing, and I told him. Then, he asked if he could listen somehow, and I was convinced to let him in on a Skype call.

“Hey!” he greeted when his face popped up on my laptop screen.

“Hi! Don’t mind me, I’m just putting on my actual face,” I told him. “I’m nearly done.”

“Take your time,” Ethan said, resting his chin in his hands. “Work your magic.”

I took my laptop over to the bathroom and moved my products aside. Then, I continued with my routine, not really conscious of the fact that I was being watched. Strangely enough, I didn’t really mind people watching me do something I knew I was good at. Plus, I was sure Ethan would get bored of me and open another tab until I was ready to sing.

“How do you do the wing?” he asked, much to my surprise.

I paused, letting that surprised feeling pass over. “Um… I’ve had to sacrifice all my babies,” I finally answered. “I also had to summon like, five different demons with the blood of a virgin.”

“And who did you murder to get that contour?” he egged on.

I sighed as I applied highlighter to the tops of my cheekbones. “You know too much already.”

Ethan giggled. “Well, I’ll stop asking questions, Miss Makeup Artist Person Expert.”

“Yeah, stay in your lane, Mr. Gamer Person Man.”

I finished up with my makeup routine by spritzing some setting spray onto my face. For a second, I forgot I was being watched, and I had a moment of… “feelin’ myself.” I turned my head from side to side, watching my highlight catch the light. I appreciated the sharpness of my winged liner and the flawlessness of my eyebrows.

Suddenly, I heard a shutter sound and snapped out of my vain moment. I turned back to Ethan on the screen, my eyes widening.

“I’m not doin’ nothin’,” he said, feigning innocence.

“Oh god. I can only hope I look good in that screenshot,” I said timidly.

“You always look good.”

I rolled my eyes and put on my best “white girl” accent. “Aw, thanks boo!”

Then, I took my laptop back to my room. I set it down on the bed and went to get my keyboard. I stood it in front of my bed, since I didn’t have a proper bench. After, I went to grab my lights that I left in the living room.

“What are you gonna sing?” Ethan prompted.

“I’m thinking Dodie,” I replied as I went to grab my camera and tripod. “Or something else, I’m not sure.”

“Dodie,” he said. “You gotta sing Dodie.”

I hesitated as I turned on the camera and lights. “I’ve been practicing ‘When’ but I don’t know if it’s good enough.”

“Let’s hear it then. I’ll tell you if it’s good.”

It was more nervewracking knowing that Ethan was the one hearing me sing. I always needed to sing for someone before posting on my channel, but since it was going to be the guy I liked this time, I was a little nervous. I also found the song because of him, too. I could only hope I would do it justice.

Nervously, I sat down on the bed and placed my fingers on the keys. After breathing deeply, I played the first few notes of the song, but I had to start over a few times. To be honest, I was just stalling, but I got to it eventually.

“I think I’ve been telling lies, ‘cause I’ve never been in love Everyone falls for the sunshine disguise Distracted by who they’re thinking of”

The vocals were a little too soft for my liking, but the lyrics and Ethan’s persistence are what won me over. The more I sang it, the more lost I got in it.

“Am I the only one wishing life away? Never caught up in the moment, busy begging the past to stay Memories painted with much brighter ink They tell me I loved, teach me how to think”

Part of me wished for the day I would find a happy song that I could relate to.

I sighed when I finished the song. Sheepishly, I turned to Ethan, who had a huge smile on his face. He started with a slow clap.

“You’re so talented!” he exclaimed. “Ah, your voice is so nice! I love it!”

“Thanks,” I replied, blushing furiously. “That should go on my channel, then?”

“Yes! Record it and post it, like, right now,” he excitedly told me.

“Ahh, should I?”

“Do it. Do it, and… then we’ll go out after?” Ethan said the last bit slowly and softly.

Honestly, that was all it took for me to hit “record.”

~

This time, we went to the beach. It was cold as hell, being mid-January. But it was quiet and lacking of other people. It was also getting dark, which only made it colder. I was comfortable.

“Leggings were a bad idea,” I commented as we walked on the sand. “You’re gonna have to cut off my legs later.”

“You should’ve told me sooner,” Ethan replied. “I would’ve brought a chainsaw or something.”

We both stayed silent. Then we looked at each other and laughed. Thank god we had a similar sense of humor. It was easy to be around him.

“Hey, so,” Ethan said, changing the subject. “I… I overheard Mark saying that he was talking to you again?”

Spoke too soon.

“Uh, where did you hear that?” I asked in response.

“He was telling Tyler at the office,” Ethan explained. “I just happened to… be in the room. So, it’s true, then?”

“We’re making amends,” I told him, looking out at the distance. “It’s just that… we were friends before we dated and… we want to get over the things that happened. And, I think if I don’t try to work out these things, then I’ll wind up making the same mistakes in other relationships.”

Ethan didn’t say anything at first, which prompted me to ramble.

“I’ve known Mark for two, almost three, years,” I added. “We have a lot of history. I still want him to be my friend. A-And like I said, I don’t want my past mistakes to happen in this relationship.”

“I get it,” he finally said. “That’s good that you still wanna be friends.”

“Yeah, I probably should’ve told you sooner,” I said. “I feel like that’s something you deserve to know.”

“It’s okay. I mean, he doesn’t know about… this.” Ethan gestured between the two of us. “So I guess that’s fair.”

I wanted to ask what we are but… you know the cause by now. All I knew was that we definitely weren’t just friends.

“You wanna get food and eat in the car?” he asked after a while.

“Absolutely.”

_______

next chapter

[aquabrie]

The mixup

“Okay but seriously, who’s your favorite?!” Nat asked as she and Wanda watched the screen and both turned to you.

You frowned and looked at them confused. “Huh?”

The episode playing on the screen was of your favorite show on Netflix. Nat continued chewing more popcorn as Wanda paused the show.

“Oh… you mean of the show? Oh that’s easy! Sam of course he has the best hair and the sweetest personality!”

“Plus he’s tall.” Wanda chimes in. Nat nods in agreement.

“I prefer Dean he seems more my type.” Nat shrugs and smiles at you and Wanda.

“But Sam does have better abs…” You throw a piece of popcorn to Wanda.

Of course the show you were watching was Supernatural. Being an avenger had its perks but it also meant you never got any down time... which for you was Supernatural, catch-up days. You loved Sam. He was your favorite of the two brothers although you were more like Dean as you ate more pie than even Bucky or Steve with their super soldier metabolism.

Relaxing with the girls was always fun, although you would rather be cuddling a certain super soldier... James Buchanan Barnes. You never thought anyone knew of your hopeless crush until one day Wanda said something about him, teasingly and you glared at her but bit your tongue, trying to not cause a scene. 

 Of course Bucky would go out. Of course he deserved to be happy. You knew that he deserved someone like him, someone perfect, in which you were not.  He was flawless, his metal arm made him even more handsome.  You had witnessed him save a few children who had been trapped under a fallen building.  Bucky acted like it had been no big deal, but secretly he loved that the kids actually acknowledged him as a good guy and not the winter soldier.

Nat and Wanda were the only two who knew how much you cared about Bucky.  You even helped him with his nightmares a few times.  Luckily your telekinesis helped disable his arm, if he would go into Winter Soldier mode, which happened a couple times.

Steve noticed how Bucky was with you, he seemed more relaxed and almost like his old self from the forties.  He had a sparkle in his eye whenever your name would come up in a conversation.

Being friends with you was something that was easy for Bucky.  Having fallen hard for you... well... that was different.  It made him feel lightheaded and fuzzy, nothing would go right.  He would always say something stupid or do something dumb.

You of course never knew Bucky felt the same.  Both of you were too damn stubborn and shy to admit your feelings for each another.

---

Sam was like the big brother that you never wanted.  He was protective of you and didn’t like the fact that you were in love with the winter soldier.

“Sam... he is not the winter soldier.  That is a different person.  He is BUCKY.  that’s it.  Why don’t you like him?”

Sam shrugs and tries to think of a good reason why.  He can only think of sarcastic remarks, so instead of saying anything he just shrugs again.

“Really?  Alrighty.  I will let you know why he is perfect okay?  1. he is kind 2. beautiful eyes 3. he trusts me even when I have trouble controlling my powers... 4...” he stops you.

“STOP. okay you like him, I know.  please just shut up about robo man okay?  He’s a jerk and a pain in my ass.���

You hold your hand up like you are going to smack him.  He raises an eyebrow and smirks at you.  “okay... okay.  just stop making fun of him okay?  I lo--, like him a lot and I know he will never ever ever ever, see me anywhere near how I see him, and it’s okay I realize I am destined to die alone, never being with a man.”  You sigh and start to lean into Sam as you both continue walking around the tower.

Sam shakes his head and rolls his eyes.  There was no talking  to you anymore.  He knew you loved Bucky, he knew Bucky loved you.  Why were you both such idiots that you didn’t notice how much the other cared?

---

The next day Nat and you were watching Supernatural, one of your favorite episodes with Gabriel.  It was the one where both brothers were stuck in tv shows.  You kept laughing and Nat cracked a smile.  

Bucky heard you laughing and went to say something but overheard Nat say something to you.

“I can’t believe you like Sam!  He’s blah.”

“What?!  Sammy has amazing hair!  why not?  He is so handsome.  His puppy dog eyes...”

Bucky didn’t mean to overhear what you said.  His heart stopped when he realized you liked Sam.  Why did he never think of that before?  Of course you prefer Sam, you always seemed to do stuff with him.  He was someone who helped you join the family when you became an avenger, you were under his wing.

Bucky tightened his grip on the cup he was holding.  Suddenly the glass broke into his metal hand.

“Damnit.”  

---

You heard something shatter, and you got up to check and see what it was.

It was... nothing.  You didn’t see anyone in the kitchen and nothing seemed out of place.

(Bucky scurried out of the kitchen as soon as he swiftly picked up all the shards of glass.  He didn’t want you to see him.   He couldn’t breathe.  Why did he feel like this?  it was always you.  you were his... his one.  but apparently you didn’t think he was yours.)

---

The next few days Bucky avoided you.  Sam and you had talked about how you should approach Bucky and you were trying to tell him how you felt, but him ignoring you made it that much harder.  There was no way Bucky would ever love you.  Why would he?  You were messed up.  Broken.  Not enough.

Today you find Bucky in the kitchen reading a newspaper while eating his oatmeal.

“Bucky?”

“Yeah, doll?” He tried to ignore the flutter of the butterflies in his stomach.  He looked up and soon regretted it.  Why did you have to wear that tank top? and those shorts?  Why do you make him feel this way?  Of course he cannot have you, you’re flawless, perfect... beautiful.  And WHY do you always smell like strawberries? or was it something else?

“Are you okay?”

“Eh...” he tries to make a coherent word, but it is not working.  You are too distracting.  Too good, too pure, Sam is a better man for you.  You deserve to be happy and Bucky just has to live with that.

“Buck?  Are you mad at me?”  You ask as you notice that he won’t even look at you.

The question makes Bucky look up to you.  “huh? what?”  He shakes his head trying to ignore the desire to kiss you.

“I uh... I thought you were mad at me, for some reason.  you’ve... um... you’ve been ignoring me and I uh... I just want to hang out with you but if I did something, please tell me what it was so I can fix it.”  You start to ramble and Bucky watches you talk animatedly about everything.

“Are you even listening to me?  Oh god... I’m sorry, I’m gonna...” You look down at the floor and avoid his lingering eyes.  Damn his beautiful eyes and his sinful lips.  “Nevermind.”  You mumble and sprint out of the room.

Bucky frowns, wondering what just happened.  He was too tired to be able to listen to whatever you had said.  He was also distracted by what you were wearing again...

---

Tears form in your eyes.  Once again you fucked up.  You always seemed to do this... get too clingy, too close, too invested, too happy.

You go to your room and lay on your bed.  Maybe you just needed to start the day over again?  you close your eyes and fall asleep.

---

“Hey Buck.”

“Hey Steve.”

“Um... so you and y/n huh?”

“Uh, what?  What about Y/n?”

“Well you like her, she likes you... I thought she was going to say something to you today.  oh... maybe she hasn’t yet.  oops.” Steve cringes at his mistake.  Once again he meddled...

“I heard her say she has a thing for Sammy.”

“Since when does Sam go by Sammy?  And since when does she like SAM?!”

“Um... I don’t know.  She and Natalia were talking in the living room and I overheard her say something about liking Sammy.  I thought it was weird that he would ever let her call him that.”  He shrugs.

“whoa, wait, what?  Wait...  I remember Wanda had said something about Y/n liking Sam on a show that Nat and her watched the other day.”

“Sam from a show?  Well she did mention he had great hair which is weird because birdbrain doesn’t have much of a hairstyle.

---

Nat laughs at something Tony said.  Wanda comes into the kitchen where she thought she would find you.  No one had seen you at all today...

“Anyone seen Y/n today?  I thought she wanted to watch some more Supernatural with Nat and me.”

Nat shrugged and Tony raised an eyebrow.

“No one has seen her... well... I’ll go check her room.  Maybe she changed her mind.”

---

You were sleeping or lying down with your eyes closed, either way you did not want to answer the stupid knocking at your door.

“Go away.” You muffle into your pillow.

“It’s Wanda.  Can I come in?”

You use what little strength you have to unlock your door with your powers.  You barely sit up to watch the door open.

“I’m sorry sweetie.  Why do you not want to come out of your room?  You want me to help?”

“No... it’s just... I know that I shouldn’t feel this way, but I love Bucky and I know he doesn’t feel the same for me.  I don’t want to feel this way anymore.”

Wanda looks at you.  She was very confused.  Steve had said that you and Bucky were supposed to tell each other your feelings today.  

---

Sam chuckled.  Why would Bucky think that you and he were a couple?  You were like his little sister!

“Dude, no way... why would you think that?”

Bucky shrugged and looked angrily at Steve.  Of course Steve had to say something to Sam.

“It’s what she said...”

---

Wanda and Nat realize the mix-up and get you to come join the team in the living room.  They tell you it’s just a girls night again... but Bucky is there waiting for you.

He stands when he sees you come into the living room.  The girls had done your hair and makeup, telling you that it was a spa day for you...

You notice Bucky holding your favorite flowers and you gasp at him.  He reaches for you and you gladly take hold of his hand and you take the bouquet of flowers from him.

“What’s this for?”

Bucky blushes and takes the flowers from you and puts them on the table beside the couch.

“I love you Doll... I... I... don’t want to just be friends.  I’m sorry I wasn’t talking to ya, I thought you were with Sam... I overheard you and the girls talking about Sammy, and how he had great hair or something and I thought that you meant birdbrain.”  He grins sheepishly.

Your cheeks start to burn as you gaze into his eyes.  Both of you are closer to each other, breathing each others air.

“I love you too Bucky.”  With that, Bucky leans in closer and captures his lips with yours.

@bolontiku 

[Yep... that was something I had to write down.  Sorry if there are any mistakes.]

[gemvictorfromtheponyverse]

Love at First Lizard Chapter 2

Finally! Chapter 2 of mine and wonderful @green-love-paternoster gay masterpiece!

Chapter 1 of this Vastra/Jenny Vet AU can be found here: https://gemvictorfromtheponyverse.tumblr.com/post/159010298794/love-at-first-lizard-chapter-one

Credit goes to always lovely @kelticscribe for helping with the Scottish translations in this chapter! ❤

And as promised, here is Chapter 2:

The clock on the kitchen wall indicated that it was currently 8:30 in the morning. Vastra stood there leaning forward on the kitchen counter, already dressed in her regular casual weekend attire, consisting of a simple short-sleeved white button-up shirt, faded gray skinny jeans that accentuated the fine shapely curves of her legs, and black calf-length leather boots. Her favorite studded black leather jacket and plaid scarf were both hung on the back of a nearby chair.

A cold, half-empty cup of green tea was laid on the table beside Vastra’s green, purple, and yellow motorcycle helmet, adorned with three large reptilian-like crests that protruded from the surface. The cup was labeled with the words, “Looney Lizard Lady”, written in a swirly childish font; It had been a gift from her friend and fellow veterinarian, John Smith, at a company Christmas party two years ago. While Vastra had outwardly rolled her eyes at his constant teasing about her so-called affinity with reptiles, she was nonetheless genuinely grateful for his friendship.

It was an extremely rare phenomenon to see the anti-morning Scottish woman awake so early on a Sunday morning when she had no work, yet here she was anyway, nervously fumbling with her phone as she stared at a certain number glowing on her contact list. Strangely enough, she hasn’t been able to sleep properly within the past five days and deep down inside her mind, she knew that it had something to do with a particular young girl whose pet lizard she helped to treat several days prior that week. Watching the girl–Jenny–leave the clinic, Vastra felt as if the whole weight of the world had come crashing down upon her, and she had to resist the urge to go running out after her. Ever since that fateful Wednesday, Vastra has found it to be utterly impossible to focus on anything else because of this accursed beautiful girl, who seemed to haunt her mind without any rest during her every waking hour. The powerful tingling sensation she had felt that day still lingered on her hand where Jenny touched it, an enduring reminder of the profound connection they had shared together. Vastra would mentally replay the episode of Jenny’s visit over and over again, allowing her to fully memorize all of Jenny’s physical details including her enchanting brown eyes, her blindingly bright smile, the little beauty mark located near her left upper lip, the lovely roundness of her face, and the way the light reflected brilliantly off of her dark brown hair. Never in her life did she thought that a creature so divinely magnificent and perfect could even exist on earth.To make matters worse, her infatuation with Jenny was actually the worst kept secret among her other co-workers at the clinic, who would often catch her daydreaming in her office with a spaced-out expression on her face. Whenever she heard someone come in through the front door, Vastra would immediately rush into the reception room with the hope that it was Jenny, only to be severely disappointed each time. It was as if the girl had somehow cast a spell on her, effectively captivating her entire body, heart, and soul, from which Vastra struggled strenuously to break free.Vastra tried her damn hardest to hide her feelings and act like everything was normal by being her usual condescendingly grumpy self, but she knew that it was a completely futile effort on her part. Nothing she do or say could stop John and Clara from continuing their bets and whispering gossips behind her back; For once, however, John and Clara also expressed a benign sense of pity towards Vastra, because they could clearly see just how much Jenny means to her. Although the two of them might be total assholes and drive Vastra crazy sometimes, they were still able to rally at their friend’s side whenever she needed some extra support.

The only small consolation was that Vastra had fortunately managed to get Jenny’s phone number before she left. She honestly had no idea what to do next with that information, which now led her to this present situation of contemplating the pros and cons of calling Jenny that Sunday. A flurry of doubts and contradictions swirled around in her mind: What if she’s busy? What if she doesn’t pick up? What if she thinks I’m a stalker? What if she secretly hates my guts? What if she changed her identity and fled the country???

Suddenly overwhelmed by all the negatively discouraging voices in her head, Vastra angrily shoved her phone away across the table before hiding her face behind her hands in utter exasperation. Vastra felt like a coward and a fool to think that she could just talk to Jenny when even the mere sound of her name was enough to give her a goddamn heart attack. The chances that Jenny would view Vastra as anything more than “the looney veterinarian lady who looked at my lizard”, nevermind sharing the same romantic feelings for her, was far less than one in a billion. Bloody hell, she doesn’t even know if Jenny swings that way for God’s sake! Therefore, it soon dawned on Vastra that perhaps she had made a terribly grave mistake in regards to this whole Jenny debacle.

Then unexpectedly, there was another voice that called out to Vastra from the very deep recesses of her subconsciousness. It sounded rather familiar, and as Vastra continued to concentrate on the voice, she eventually recognized it to be her father’s voice! Her father’s voice was trying to remind her of an important piece of advice that he once gave her long ago, when she was just a wee lass back in Scotland: Love works in mysterious ways, my darling daughter. The best thing to do is simply follow your heart and seize the opportunity right in front of you, lest you miss out on something that can grant you a lifetime of happiness.

Vastra couldn’t help the small, bittersweet smile that crept upon her lips; Good old Papa was still looking out for her even after all these years, she mused. Vastra’s father had always been an incredibly wise man, and she really didn’t want to disappoint him by letting this golden opportunity slip away so easily. Fueled by a newfound surge of fearlessness, Vastra quickly retrieved her phone and proceeded to hit the call button on her phone.This was it, there was no going back from here. The shallow rhythm of her breathing and incessant pounding of her heart filled Vastra’s ears, as she anxiously waited for Jenny to answer at any second. Her foot tapped vigorously along to the ringing tune playing on the other side of the line.

“Hello? Who am I talking to? Hold on” After a few moments, a tired sounding voice spoke up on the other side, falling quiet for a little while before picking up once more. “Sorry Miss McIntosh. Had to check the caller ID. So, how can I help you?” Vastra could almost hear Jenny smiling on the other line, waiting for an answer.

Vastra really hoped that the heavy, relieved sigh that escaped from between her lips wasn’t noticeable to Jenny on the other end of the line. Step one accomplished! God, how absolutely wonderful did it felt to finally hear the sweetly angelic music that was Jenny’s voice again.

The sheer fact that Jenny even picked up momentarily stunned Vastra, who started to speak but hesitated. Vastra had to rack her brain to find a valid response, and uncharacteristically stammered when she said, “Uhh…err…um….H-Hello, Miss Flint, yes it is I, Miss McIntosh, the vet from the clinic in case you don’t remember me. I was just calling you to ask if um….if you’re having a good morning today?”

Vastra’s entire face cringed as soon as she uttered those words. Ugh, you stupid, stupid idiot! Are you trying to make it sound so bloody fucking obvious?!

“Oh. Yes I am having a good morning. I’m sorry I was a little slow earlier, I’m normally an earlier riser. Unfortunately I have not been sleeping very well lately, so I’ve been trying to catch up on lost sleep when I’m not working weekends.” There was a short pause, and then Jenny spoke once more. “And you ? Are you having a good morning?”

“Splendid!” Replied Vastra, sounding a little too enthusiastic than she intended, causing her to wince yet again. Bloody hell, woman, pull yourself together already! “Errr, what I mean,um, is that it’s truly splendid to hear you are doing well this morning. Despite the fact that you’ve been unable to sleep much lately, of course, which I am sincerely sorry about. Although, I do appreciate your kindness in asking me how I am….my morning is also good, thank you. Dare I say, maybe even better now that I’ve finally managed to make your acquaintance.” Vastra unconsciously bit her lip, though she was barely able to prevent a silly, indulgent schoolgirl smile from breaking out across her face. She then realized that she had been rambling unnecessarily, and decided to quickly get on with business by saying, “Well then, Miss Flint, perhaps it would be best if I get straight to the point with you. It was my intention to call you this weekend to ask about Greeny, and I just wanted to be sure that I got the right number. So, how is Greeny faring since your visit to the clinic?”

“Oh, Greeny. Yes…my pet lizard…” Once more Jenny trailed off, before quickly picking up again. “Yes. Sorry, tired. Me brain is being stupid. Greeny is doing better than ever. Your tips about the heat lamp was just what Greeny needed, it seems. I haven’t had time to pick up any more plants for him but it’s definitely on my to-do list. If you want to….and only if you want to….then maybe you could come over and see for yourself?”

Vastra very nearly dropped her phone when Jenny said that, and her hand instinctively tightened its grip on the phone with enough force to break it in half.

“P-Pardon?” Gasped a highly bewildered Vastra, who felt her pulse rate increased dramatically due to the shock caused by Jenny’s words. “Can you repeat that, please?”

Vastra was entirely convinced that her ears must be deceiving her, as she believed that there was no possible way Jenny could have mean what she thought she meant.

“Uh…I just…maybe it was stupid. I understand if you’re too busy and everything, but I just thought maybe you’d like to come over and see how Greeny is doing?” Jenny stumbled over her words and Vastra couldn’t help but think she sounded almost hopeful.

It took a while for Jenny’s words to sink into Vastra’s brain, leading her to reply with,“Oh….Oh! Please forgive my uh confusion, Miss Flint, it’s just that no client has ever invited me to their home like that before. Though if you insist, I suppose that I can make time in my schedule to come over and check on Greeny. You’re lucky that I don’t have to work on Sundays.” Vastra silently pumped her fist in the air at how well she handled that response. Her glee was short lived, nonetheless, for she then realized that she have absolutely no knowledge about Jenny’s place of residence. “Err….however, I’m afraid that I don’t have a single idea as to where you live. An address would be most helpful, if you are willing to provide me with one.”

“Oh…uh…yes I’m sorry if it’s a bother. I normally work on Sundays, but today I don’t, so I thought it’d be a good idea. Greeny could benefit from it, and I’d know that he really is doing better.” She paused to catch her breath.. “Oh! And my address, it’s 222 Great Portland Street, the Armitage Apartment buildings. It’s close to Hyde Park near the River Thames.”

Meanwhile, Vastra had ran to her bedroom drawer and frantically searched around for a notepad and pen. She carefully wrote down the address as Jenny spoke before reassuring her,“Trust me, Miss Flint, this is honestly no trouble to me at all whatsoever. In fact…,”Vastra paused to consult the watch on her wrist, “…would it be okay with you if I come over now, since I am free this morning?”

“Oh yes…absolutely.” Jenny sounded just the tiniest bit hesitant as she spoke. “I’m just fixing some things in my apartment, but you can come over whenever.”

“Excellent! I shall indeed be there shortly, Miss Flint. It’s been a real pleasure talking to you again….goodbye for now!” Thus, with that final farewell, Vastra abruptly hung up the call.

Vastra tucked her phone away into her jean pocket and leaned heavily against the drawer at her back as she tried to regain her breath after talking with Jenny. That phone call could have been a huge utter disaster, but miraculously she was somehow able to pull it off…..albeit barely. God knows that every inch of her body was on fire the entire time, and she felt as though her heart was going to burst out of her chest just from that one simple interaction. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever expected Jenny to suggest that she make a personal visit to her actual home . Damn it, if she can’t even handle a little phone call with Jenny, then how the hell will she be capable of physically seeing the girl face-to-face at her home without totally self destructing on the spot! She was going to fuck up so badly in front of Jenny for sure, and the thought of that really frightened her more than anything. Vastra was beginning to consider potential excuses that she can use in order to not go, but all of them instantly disappeared when she caught sight of Jenny’s address that she had written on a notepad. Her eyebrows became scrunched upon her forehead and she bit her lip, a wave of guilt washing over her as she knew that Jenny was looking forward to their meeting later. Vastra soon found herself painfully torn between growing a spine and going to Jenny’s home anyways despite the risks, or breaking her promise to Jenny like a lily-livered chicken; She wanted to cry out in frustration due to the raging internal conflict that was threatening to effectively tear her apart. Why must this godforsaken girl suddenly walk into her life and completely complicate everything! It was during this dark hour, that salvation then came to Vastra in the form of her father’s disembodied voice once again.

…..Follow your heart and seize the opportunity right in front of you…..

Those words ignited a fiery spark of courage within Vastra’s heart, as she became firmly determined to seize the opportunity right in front of her, just like her father had taught her. Life was too short to waste on worrying over frivolous doubts, and this could be her only chance of at least starting something deeper with Jenny. She would never be able to forgive herself if she had simply let her fears scare her out of pursuing a relationship that could change her life forever. Deciding that there was no time to lose, Vastra immediately went to grab her leather jacket, scarf, motorcycle helmet, and keys, before exiting her house to approach the motorcycle parked beside the sidewalk. Her resolve was strong as steel and absolutely nothing could break it now. The Scottish woman could soon be seen zooming down the street, as she was embarked on a personally sacred mission to heal a lizard and get the girl.

—-

Hanging up the phone, Jenny felt as though she could hardly breath. She couldn’t believe that she just had invited her pet lizard’s extremely hot veterinarian to come into her home and take a look at said lizard. In her home , where she could observe all of her attractive Scottish glory. Even though she hoped she had sounded collected on the phone, calm and collected was the last thing she was feeling, and she was quite sure that she would explode from pure, untempered desire lest she moved right that minute. She had to get her apartment ready and properly presentable for Vastra, because a good first impression was extremely crucial in this situation.

Quickly, she got up on her feet, trying to gather everything that was out of place and putting them back as sufficiently as she could while still keeping some efficiency. She had been meaning to spend the day cleaning up the apartment anyway, because she hated when it got too dirty, but now she only had an hour, two at most, to do a day’s worth of work. Fortunately, if there was anything Jenny could do adequately, it was cleaning. Her first priority were the tea cups;She searched out all the abandoned tea cups in the house, picking them up from bookshelves and the coffee table and the floor, everywhere she’d abandoned them, before carrying them to the dishwasher, and putting them in there until it was filled.

When she was done with the cups, the books came next. As much as Jenny liked to drink tea, she also enjoyed reading, and therefor, there were books laying everywhere as well. With the speed of a seasoned professional, she picked up one paperback after another, gathering them in her arms and lining them back in the bookshelves. She made sure they were put back in a correctly organized order, and once she was done, she smiled at her handiwork.

Cleaning her apartment always felt great, and it was even better now that she’d done it in record time, too. More importantly, it felt reassuring to know that Vastra would be coming into a clean, neatly organised apartment. Standing there, looking at her beautifully spotless apartment, she suddenly wondered what she should do next. Lifting her arm a little, she caught onto how much her armpit smelled, and decided that she definitely need to take a shower next. Just like her apartment couldn’t be dirty, she herself couldn’t be smelling like a trash can.

Swiftly, she made a beeline for the bathroom, plucking some new clothes out of the drawer with care as she once more thought about Vastra, the gorgeous veterinarian visiting her apartment later. Still completely immersed in her romantic daydreaming, she retrieved a short black skirt and cute white top that might be slightly too tight, before popping into the shower to make herself as clean and sweet smelling as possible.Ten minutes later, Jenny came out of the shower, a towel wrapped tightly around her freshly moist body as she made her way over to her bedroom to get dressed.

Passing by the window, she suddenly caught sight of someone coming down the road on a motorbike. The person driving the vehicle was wearing a frankly ridiculous looking helmet with some kind of lizard-like crests on the top in the most obtrusive colours. Jenny was absolutely positive that such a helmet could even be seen from all the way up in outer space!

Jenny was still laughing about the truly quite flamboyant headgear, when the mysterious rider, to Jenny’s great surprise, stopped outside her apartment. More interested than before, Jenny kept looking as the rider jumped off the motorcycle and removed the helmet and goggles, and….Jenny almost fainted dead in her towel as she then saw that it was Vastra who was the unknown rider. For God’s sake, why can’t this woman just give her a fucking break for once already!

Feeling suddenly panicked, heart caught in her throat as she tried to process the fact that Vastra had a motorcycle and a leather jacket, and was on her way up to her apartment, Jenny rushed to find her clothes and put them on. After blindly fumbling around, entirely unfocused, for at least five minutesl she finally got hold of the skirt and top and put them on, getting dressed just in time to hear the doorbell ringing out in the hallway. Not thinking about anything else but Vastra standing in a leather jacket outside her door, Jenny hurriedly ran across the apartment, almost ripping the door off its hinges in her rush to open it, just a little too excited finally see Vastra again.

Vastra stood in the hallway, hand raised as if she was about to knock on the door, and carrying a small plastic bag in her other hand. All of her earlier bravado seemingly vanished into thin air when she caught sight of Jenny after she had opened the door. She suddenly couldn’t breath as her eyes tried to refocus themselves on the mind-boggling vision that was Jenny, dressed in a form-fitting white tank top that revealed just the right amount of cleavage, a black mini skirt, and thick strands of dripping wet hair hanging down her head. Vastra could feel the lingering steam of the shower practically radiating off of Jenny’s body, which now floated towards her face, hitting her head-on like a sensually humid tropical breeze. Her lips were impossibly dry, prompting her to quickly lavish them with her tongue. Even though the temperature outside had been rather chilly, Vastra found herself getting increasingly hotter with every passing second that she remained staring at Jenny, and she was certain that she was going to end up spontaneously combusting anytime soon. Vastra also noticed the innocently welcoming smile that appeared on Jenny’s face, causing her to wonder if Jenny was somehow aware of the bewitching effects she had on her by wearing such an outfit. Her hair, her cleavage, her curves, her legs…..Jenny was clearly a walking embodiment of lustful temptation and poor, gay Vastra didn’t stood a chance against her. Goddamn it, just when she thought that she had everything under control, Jenny had to come along and throw one hell of a curveball at her! So utterly dumbstruck was Vastra, that she even forgot the words to speak and the ability to move her body. The only thing that her brain could think about was Jenny, who definitely was going to be the death of her as she knew it. Oh, what a strangely idyllic way to die that would be.

Jenny watched as Vastra stood before her, a tingling sensation gathering in her stomach as she admired the smooth, shiny leather encasing Vastra’s upper body. It was so different from what she had worn at the clinic, and Jenny found herself to be intrigued by this new side of Vastra that she wasn’t previously familiar with. She also had never seen anyone who looked that ravishing in a leather jacket, making the normal appeal of leather clothing even stronger. Still, she couldn’t help but let her mind wander a bit trying to imagine what she would look like underneath the smooth, shiny leather. She imagined hard muscles first, then she imagined spider thin, delicate limbs, and lastly she imagined what it might feel like to cup her hands around Vastra’s full round breasts, carefully squeezing the smooth flesh in her hands and enjoying Vastra’s reaction. Quickly dragging herself out of her fantasy, she realised that Vastra was still waiting for her to say something.

“Miss McIntosh!” She smiled, stepping out of the way so that Vastra could come inside. “Come in. It’s good to see that you could come so soon. I do hope it’s not a bother.”

There was no response from Vastra, who merely continued to stand there with a faraway expression fixed on her face.

“Uh, Miss McIntosh? Ma’am?” Carefully, Jenny prodded a finger into Vastra’s side, in an attempt to get her attention. “Are you alright?”

Her prodding seemed to work a little too well, as it startled Vastra and she began to blurt out, “I LOVE YO….oouuuuur wallpaper….that you have here, in your home!” Very narrowly dodging a bullet there, Vastra finally managed to reboot her legs and swiftly stepped into Jenny’s main living room.

Giving Vastra a slightly odd look, Jenny allowed herself to look at her dark blue wallpapers, too. She’d never given them much thought, but she supposed they could be worse. “Thanks. Though honestly, they’ve looked like that since I moved in. I meant to maybe change them someday, but they don’t really bother me and…well, I haven’t had enough time, I suppose.” She shrugged. She really did not care much about her wallpapers.

“They look perfectly fine to me, and this particular shade of blue does seem to bring everything together….,” remarked Vastra, observing the wallpaper for a while longer before ultimately forcing herself to turn back towards Jenny. Trying to ignore the deafening sound of her inner terrified screaming, Vastra flashed Jenny her most genial smile and said, “Well then, aren’t you looking rather properly rested this morning, Miss Flint. I can clearly see that you have quite an attractive, sunny complexion about you.”

Hearing the compliment, Jenny’s entire being lit up like a christmas tree, a big smile on her face as she followed Vastra inside, closing the door behind her. “Thank you! It is very nice of you to say that. Really, I’m glad you think I look better than I actually feel. So…um, what should we do now? Want some tea or coffee? You can put away your jacket if you want to.” She continued to smile, still entirely smittened by Vastra complimenting her complexion and feeling extremely happy as she gestured to the coat rack.

Suddenly feeling self-conscious about her appearance, Vastra nervously tugged at the collar of her leather jacket while switching her gaze in between Jenny and the coat rack. Although she was genuinely flattered by Jenny’s warm hospitality, Vastra couldn’t help but be afraid of what she might think about the tattoos on her arms. Vastra knew that tattoos were a huge turn off for some people, and she wasn’t willing to take that risk just yet, in case Jenny was one of them.

Vastra mentally concluded that the only logical thing for her to do in this situation, was to remain calm, check on Greeny, and leave as quickly as possible to help minimize the probability of her potentially embarrassing herself in front of Jenny. “Err, no thank you, Miss Flint, I’m actually not that thirsty at the moment,”declined Vastra graciously, despite her mouth being noticeably parched as a sun baked dessert in the middle of summer whenever she looked at Jenny. “I assume that you have many plans that you’d want to fulfill this Sunday, yes? Therefore, would you be so kind as to show me where Greeny is? I certainly do not wish to take up too much of your time with this visit today.”

Jenny tried not to show how disappointed she felt as Vastra brushed aside her suggestions, before affirmatively nodding. “Of course. I…ah, yes,Greeny is over here.” Deliberately, she crossed the living room until she was standing by the wall, bending down to retrieve greeny’s cage from the floor. “Where do you want me to put him? Somewhere here or in the kitchen?”

Vastra then peered into Jenny’s kitchen through the entrance located on the left side of the room, and was able to catch a glimpse of a pristine marble countertop. That instantly triggered a series of remarkably vivid images to flick across Vastra’s eyes; Coincidentally, all of them appeared to feature the same marble countertop upon which Jenny was sitting, still wearing her tank top and skirt, her legs wrapped tightly around Vastra’s waist as the two of them ravished each other’s mouths in a sexually passionate embrace. Witnessing those explicitly carnal visual representations of her own deepest, secretive, forbidden desires towards a particular female client was a profoundly alarming experience for Vastra, who felt as though her whole body was being consumed by a ruthless whirlwind of pure hellfire. This was definitely not the appropriate time, or place to be fantasizing about jumping your client’s bones, especially if said client is standing directly in front of you, which only makes it a thousand times worse! Vastra was at least fortunate that Jenny wasn’t a professional psychic mind reader or anything, because she would totally die from mortification if she could somehow see the things that are happening inside her head. Vastra was desperate to find some kind of cerebral off switch that could stop these unwanted thoughts from invading her psyche, but there seemed to be absolutely no end in sight to this annoyingly persistent problem. She remained determined anyways, however, and continued to push herself until she was finally able to break free of that accursed illusion using sheer willpower.

Praying fervently that her inner shame wasn’t too visible, Vastra returned her full attention back onto Jenny and answered with, “The living room is fine, we don’t have to go anywhere else. There is already a table in here and that’s all I really need to be able to work with Greeny.”

Vastra had, indeed, made it a main priority to stay far away from the kitchen as possible, in order to prevent herself from getting entangled among such troublesome hallucinations like that ever again.

“Oh, good. Yes, that sounds good indeed.” Smiling, Jenny quickly put the cage down on the table, opening the door. “And again, thank you for taking time to come by and check on Greeny, Miss McIntosh. It really is awfully nice of you.”

“Really, Miss Flint, you don’t have to keep thanking me for simply doing my job. I am merely following the ancient sacred Veterinarian’s Code of Honor to always help an animal in pain, wherever they may be,” Vastra joked lightheartedly as she approached the coffee table, carefully making sure that there was an ample amount of space in between Jenny and herself. “Additionally, I must also admit that have been missing yo…. Greeny an awful lot lately. I’m truly delighted to be here in your humble abode, so that I can see how my special little green boy is recovering.” She abruptly diverted her gaze towards Greeny’s cage, utterly relieved to have something else to look at instead of Jenny.

“Great! I’m sure Greeny missed you too…Uh…” Jenny’s eyes moved around the room, searching for something to focus on that was not Vastra’s stunningly attractive face and lethal smile. “What’s in the plastic bag?” She gestured to the generic plastic bag she just noticed that Vastra was carrying.

Vastra merely blinked and tilted her head to the side.“What plastic bag?” She asked, momentarily confused before remembering the thing she was holding in her hand, “Oh….yes, of course, it’s uhh….just a little gift that I picked up on my way here.” Vastra was smiling rather bashfully as she proceeded to reveal the content of her bag with great flourish. “It’s a traditional mini Japanese bonsai tree, for Greeny. I have one of my own at home, and thought that maybe you’d like to put it in his cage as decoration.” Even then, Vastra still kept her eyes on the tree and nervously bit her lip while she anticipated Jenny’s reaction.

Jenny nodded slowly, smiling. “Oh. Yes, uh….thanks! I had meant to buy some new plants but I haven’t really had any time…or money…to do it yet. Thanks.” She blushed, ducking her head and looking away.

Glancing at Jenny, Vastra was able to catch a brief glimpse of Jenny’s pretty, cute blushing face, which was more than enough to make her heart stop altogether for several dreamlike seconds. At this particular point, Vastra was almost entirely convinced that Jenny was no ordinary human girl, but must really be a divine angel who had somehow fallen down to earth. There was simply no other explanation as to how someone could ever be so beautiful, pure, and marvelous as Jenny is in her eyes.

“You’re, uhh, very welcome, Miss Flint. Do you want to take the tree yourself, or should I put it down somewhere?” Questioned Vastra, sounding slightly uncertain with the bonsai tree still in her hands.

Smiling and feeling acutely embarrassed, Jenny immediately reached out for the plant. “I suppose I don’t mind taking it off your hands for you. I’ll just…” Carefully, she went in to grab it, but at the same time Vastra suddenly moved slightly to the side and instead of taking the tree, she hit Vastra squarely in the face with her hand, barely catching the tree as Vastra dropped it before stumbling backwards, clutching her face with her hands while her glasses were sent flying to the floor by the accidental punch.

“Oh my god! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I just…oh my god!” Jenny couldn’t even process what she’d done, backing away slowly with the tree clutched in her hands, eyes wide in horror. She could barely believe that her chronically clumsy tendencies had caused her to K.O. the most sexy person in existence by mistake.

The Scottish woman kept reeling backwards until she hit a wall, causing several of the hung paintings to rattle a bit. Vastra released a rather snake-like hiss as she felt the stinging pain spreading across her face from where Jenny had smacked her. Though as tremendously embarrassing as that may be, Vastra still couldn’t bear to hear Jenny blaming herself for something that was truly an accident.

Putting on a brave front, Vastra gradually lowered her hands away from her face and tried to re-establish a stable, composed demeanor. “Oh dear….hehe, that’s quite a strong right hook you got there, Miss Flint,” Spoke Vastra with a humorous tone in an attempt to make light of the situation, while completely disregarding the blood that is oozing out of her nose. “I think I understand why Scotland Yard hired you now…..such bountiful raw power, contained within such a small person. It’s fine, Miss Flint, I’m OK, really, I forgive you.” Vastra gave Jenny her best and most reassuring smile to show her that everything was alright.

Looking doubtfully at Vastra, Jenny said nothing but quickly pulled out a tissue from the box she kept on the coffee table and gave it to Vastra. As soon as Vastra accepted the offered tissue, Jenny then went for the glasses next. She had noticed them falling off Vastra’s face, and now she went to retrieve them, bending over to pick them off the floor.

Having a perfectly good view from where she stood, Vastra’s eyes practically popped of their sockets and her jaw very nearly dropped to the floor at the sight of Jenny’s skirt riding up her rear to reveal a rather provocative glimpse of her silk panties underneath.

As Jenny stretched out to grab them, she noticed to her amusement that there were tiny lizards printed on the glasses. Smiling to herself, she quickly picked them up and stood upright again. “Right. I got your glasses, and I really am so sorry . I can’t even hit that hard!”

“Well considering that my nose is now bleeding, I’d beg to differ on that” replied Vastra without the slightest hint of anger, as she tore off the tissue into smaller pieces and stuffed them up into her nostrils. She was absolutely certain that she was going to die of blood loss by the end of that visit.

“Right. Again, I’m very sorry.” Stepping forward, Jenny carefully tried to put the glasses back on Vastra’s face, her breath catching as she saw the brilliant blue eyes looking directly back at her. They were incredibly beautiful, deep puddles of glittering oceans bringing to life an equally brilliant mind. God, she could easily get lost in them forever and never come back, thought Jenny. As she finished putting the glasses in place, Jenny put her arms back at her sides, carefully taking a step back and suddenly realising how extremely close she had been - and still were - to Vastra.That the Scottish woman had even let her in that close surprised her, and she couldn’t help the blush tinging her cheeks as she realised that she had in fact, invaded the woman’s personal space without even asking for permission.

Taking another step back, her blush deepened, and so did the embarrassment. “I’m sorry. Again. I….you…your eyes are…blue. I like blue. Not blue like my walls but, better blue. Perfect blue . Amazing ocean blue. Really, really blue of the prettiest blue kind.”

Vastra swore that the entire world had stopped spinning in that moment, freezing time in place as Jenny slid her glasses back onto her face with such genuine care and tenderness. Her eyes briefly fluttered shut and she allowed herself to inhale a whiff of Jenny’s sweet smelling peach shampoo that sent all of her senses into overdrive with euphoria. A very small, inappropriate part of her even wondered whether or not Jenny would taste as delicious as she smells. Alas, Vastra had to keep her utter disappointment hidden when Jenny abruptly moved away from her area of range, appearing immensely apologetic for some reason which she couldn’t figure out. Vastra missed being so close in proximity with Jenny, but her dismay was instantly replaced by surprise when Jenny complimented her eyes, albeit in a fairly awkward and drawn out way.

Now it was Vastra’s turn to blush as she nervously adjusted her glasses, scrunched her nose, and bowed her head to avoid the other woman’s gaze. “I….uhh…thank you, how very kind of you to say that,” said a highly flustered Vastra, a shy elated smile forming upon her lips. “Yes, my eyes are indeed blue. I’ve had them since I was born….but nobody has ever seemed to appreciate them like you do.”

“Nobody has ever appreciated me like you do.” Jenny replied, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them, regardlessly not being able to hold back her smile.

“Excuse my forwardness, but I do find that hard to believe,” Vastra responded softly, lifting her head up to lock shining blue eyes with Jenny’s chocolate brown ones. There was a period of inaction where the two of them merely smiled at each other in a sort of intimate silence, before Vastra decided to break it by saying, “Well then, let not this minor setback prevent us from getting on with the task at hand, shall we?”

Thus pushing aside that trivial incident of unintentional violence, Vastra promptly approached the front of Greeny’s cage and proceeded to gently coax him out of his home. As soon as Vastra first saw that little scaly lizard’s head peeking out from the cage, she could already tell that Greeny had been recovering far better than when she examined him at the clinic. His scales appeared to be more colorful, his movements more fluid, his eyes wide open, and there was even a tiny contented smile on his face. Vastra’s smile grew wider when she heard Greeny emit a high-pitched crooning noise as a way of greeting her. Apparently, there wasn’t going to be much that Vastra will have to check on Greeny and she was glad for it.

Jenny watched Vastra tending to Greeny intently, praying that her little lizard was doing alright. Careful not to come too close, she approached the both of them slowly. “I do think he should be doing quite fine now, seeing as I took your advise. He’s seemed to be more energetic lately, but I don’t really know. What do you think? Is there something else I should do?” She bit her lip a little, trying not to sound all worried, thought to be honest, she feared what Vastra might say.

Several long, agonizing minutes passed before Vastra turned to look at Jenny and said,”Congratulations, Miss Flint, your pet lizard here does appear to be in excellent shape from what I can see. I hope that my diagnostic will help to put your mind at ease about Greeny’s wellbeing. Trust me, he is perfectly healthy and lizardy as ever, so I wouldn’t worry too much if I were you.” With that final verdict, Vastra then returned Greeny back into the safe, warm, cozy vicinity of his cage and recast her gaze over to Jenny. “Any more questions that you want to ask me?”

Upon hearing Vastra’s question, Jenny had to bite her lip hard to not let something lewd, or incredibly inappropriate, out of her mouth. Finally, after standing around and chewing her lip longer than she ought to, she then asked, “Can you stay for some coffee, or tea if you prefer, and pastries? I’ve got some cookies I baked just the other week in the kitchen. It could be my way of thanking you for coming here and looking at Greeny.” She smiled, and before Vastra could protest, she added. “Please? I would feel so much better if I gave something in return.” She made puppy dog eyes, and hoped so badly that Vastra would not go. She was not ready to let this goddess of a woman walk out of her apartment just yet.

Those accursed puppy dog eyes seemed to have put a dent in Vastra’s initial plan for a hasty escape out of the apartment. Any argument against Jenny’s invitation to stay that Vastra possessed instantly melted away into those enticingly warm brown eyes that look as though they could pierce right through her very soul. Secretly, though, Vastra’s heart was deeply touched by the fact that Jenny actually desired her company, and was fighting so hard for the chance to show Vastra her gratitude. It was exactly this type of caring nature and moxy that kept pulling Vastra further and further in love towards this utterly majestic young woman. How could she possibly bring herself to deny Jenny this one innocent request, when she knew that it would certainly break the poor girl’s heart if she said no? What’s the harm in hanging around for a little bit of complimentary coffee and cookies? Just play it cool and everything will be fine, right?

Feeling all of her resolve rapidly slipping from her grasp, Vastra finally managed to crack open a slight friendly smile and nodded in agreement. “Fine, you win! But only because I’m feeling rather famished, and your offer of cookies does sound simply too good to refuse,”spoke Vastra cheerfully, even topping it off with a fairly flirtatious wink to boot.

Vastra then walked around the coffee table in order to reach the sofa, where she began to remove her leather jacket and scarf. Vastra didn’t really thought much about what she was doing, until she heard an audibly shocked gasp coming from Jenny. That alone was enough to make Vastra stop, her entire body becoming tense, as she squeezed her eyes shut and mentally reprimanded herself for acting so carelessly in Jenny’s home.

As Vastra sat down on the couch, she finally pulled off her scarf and that incredible, sexy leather jacket that she had arrived in. Taking almost too much pleasure in watching her pull off the smooth leather from her shoulders and sliding her well-toned arms out of the sleeves, Jenny simply couldn’t withhold her gasp as she saw what Vastra was hiding underneath. The entire length of Vastra’s gorgeous , breathtakingly lean and slender arms were covered in stylistic black and green snake tattoos. Jenny followed them with her eyes, greedily taking in every little detail of the extensive, beautifully designed snake tattoo. It went all the way up to Vastra’s firm shoulders, some of her brown hair just barely reaching down long enough to lay across the very top of it, before mysteriously disappearing into her shirt and perhaps continuing underneath. While Jenny did not envision Vastra to be the kind of person to be covered in tattoos, she could not say that she disliked what she was seeing, and she kept smiling as Vastra made herself comfortable on the couch.

This woman was not only hot, she was on goddamn scorching fire!

Suddenly feeling terribly naked without her jacket and with her ink clad arms now on full display for Jenny to see, Vastra blushed bright tomato red as she shifted quite uneasily in her seat. Not wanting Jenny to think that there was anything wrong, however, Vastra then implemented a deliberate demonstration of swagger by stretching her muscular arms high above her head, before bringing them down to rest upon her neatly crossed legs. Hands clasped deftly against her knee, Vastra couldn’t resist leaning slightly forward so that she could hungrily devour Jenny’s most peculiarly risque attire with her keen eyes once again.

“Well then….is the lovely hostess not going to provide the promised coffee and cookies for her guest?” Inquired Vastra with a thickly alluring Scottish accent seeping through her tone, and one dark eyebrow raised elegantly on her forehead.

Jenny truly thought that she would faint on the spot. For a moment, she felt everything swim before her eyes and it felt as though all the air had left her lungs, but thankfully she soon managed to collect herself. It would have been terribly embarrassing if she did pass out, just because this goddess of a woman removed her jacket. Nodding, she quickly set off towards the kitchen, disappearing through the doorway before Vastra could say anything.

“Coming right up! Do you want sugar or cream?” She called out once she’d reached the kitchen, thankful to be out of sight as her cheeks kept heating up like two buns fresh out of the oven. “Also, are you allergic to nuts?” The last thing was an afterthought, because as she reached for the cookie jar she realised, she didn’t know and she always used nuts in her cookies, because she liked it that way herself. Almost frantically, she tried to look for something else to server her guest as she waited for the answer, preparing for the worst.

“Just a dash of sugar and cream is how I usually prefer my coffee,” responded Vastra, who could hear Jenny moving around inside the kitchen due to her rather abnormally sharp sense of hearing. “I am not allergic to any nuts, but my body is badly affected by chocolate!”

Vastra truly didn’t mind waiting for Jenny, and she was able to occupy herself with observing the surrounding area that was Jenny’s living room. The room was considerably smaller than your average house, yet still relatively comfortable, noted Vastra as her eyes swept across the modest sized television set, framed paintings, bookshelves ladened with an impressive quantity of reading material, and a few colorful priceless vases among other things. What really struck Vastra the most was how impeccably clean and well-kept everything was, as far as she could see at least; It was such a stark contrast when compared to Vastra’s own junkyard of a house, which made it nearly impossible to tell where clutter ends and civilization begins. As domestically challenged as Vastra was, she would always attribute it to her busy working schedule at the clinic which left her with very little time to get her home in order. The best that she could do was a little dusting here, a bit of sweeping there, and a whole lot of shoving things into a closet to be forgotten about forever. Though to be honest, it never actually bothered Vastra as much as it would other people knowing that her house will never be as neat as Jenny’s, mainly because she’s already gotten so used to its constantly chaotic state by now.

“Coffee’s here!” Jenny announced cheerfully as she came out the kitchen with the tray, coffee, cookies, sugar and cream loaded onto it, as well as a cup of tea for herself. “I hope they will be satisfactory.” She bit her lip, hoping Vastra would be satisfied by the coffee and cookies. She could already feel her cheeks heating from the disappointment and embarrassment if Vastra were to dislike any of the food or beverages.

Little did Jenny know, however, that the tray of freshly baked treats and coffee weren’t the only things that Vastra was drooling over.

Vastra watched with substantial interest as Jenny placed the tray of refreshments down on the table in front of her, and uplifted her face to smile graciously at her generous hostess. The Scottish woman had always possessed an uncanny ability to accurately detect even the slightest quirk in someone’s body language, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that she was able to pick up on Jenny’s nervously restless aura. Vastra was intensely curious as to the reason for Jenny’s apparent anxiousness, but figured that would be best if she didn’t say anything about it.

Instead, Vastra simply went ahead and picked up a delectable looking cookie from the tray, before taking a tentative bite off of it. “Mmmm…..how exquisitely scrumptious, and I especially liked the delightful crunch of the nuts you added,”commented Vastra, seemingly pleased, whose tongue then briefly flicked out to wipe some crumbs off her lip. “You really ought to consider becoming a baker, because I can happily eat these for the rest of my life.”

That was soon followed by Vastra picking up the cup of coffee, it’s powerfully rich aroma filling her nostrils despite being clogged with blood, and bringing it towards her mouth for a sip, which also elicited the same positive reaction from Vastra.

Jenny watched attentively as Vastra tried the cookies and coffee. To her utter delight, the woman seemed to enjoy both of them, even going as far as to compliment her cookies. Once she felt safe that everything was satisfactory, she carefully sat down on the other end of the sofa, grabbing her cup of tea in both hands and trying to think up something to say. Her eyes scanned Vastra’s body, her gaze continuously being drawn to the green and black tattoos on her arms, still as fascinating as the first time she saw them. “So…” She said tentatively, pausing to sip on her tea. “It is some very nice tattoos you got on your arms. I like the design.”

Vastra abruptly stopped and instantly swiveled her head to look at Jenny, being utterly astonished that Jenny just actually complimented her tattoos.

Gradually, her face then lit up with a brilliantly bright smile, as she could hardly contain her excitement, and said, “Oh thank you, Miss Flint, how very kind of you to say so! I chose this particular design, because I wanted something to help me remember my ancestral Celtic roots while I’m down here in London.” Vastra’s smile continued to broaden even more when a most splendid idea struck her mind. “Also, if you like what you’re seeing on my arms, I have another tattoo on my back which I am especially proud of. Here…I‘ll show you!”

Without giving Jenny a chance to reply, Vastra eagerly pulled out her phone from her pocket and found a picture of herself flexing shirtless while facing away from the camera to showcase the large, intricately detailed tattoo that occupied nearly her entire backside.

The tattoo was absolutely stunning, as it depicts two swords crossing a shield bearing the noble McIntosh clan name, and strewn with vines of wildflowers.

Jenny started at the photo, politely trying to focus on the beautiful, intricate tattoo rather than the amount of bare skin Vastra was revealing in the photo and her strong, flexing arms. “That’s an absolutely amazing tattoo.” Jenny said softly. She didn’t know much about tattooing, but with a highly detailed and creative design being worn by such a gorgeous Scottish woman, Jenny truly felt like she’d fallen in love with the tattoo.

Now suddenly aware of the fact that she has just showed Jenny a very personal and half naked picture out of sheer impulsiveness, Vastra could feel her face blushing a fiery crimson for what would be the billionth time in that day alone. “Err…thank you, I’m really glad that you think so,”replied Vastra, who couldn’t help sounding somewhat bashful. “Yes, my tattoos are amazing indeed, because they hold such a great amount of personal significance to me. They’re a permanently important part of who I am, and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.”

Jenny merely nodded and smiled understandably at Vastra, trying to absorb every single one of Vastra’s words as the Scottish woman was practically baring her soul to her.

It was in that moment that Vastra’s phone suddenly started ringing, which caused the both of them to jump a little in surprise.

“Oh God, it’s my sister calling me,” muttered Vastra as she checked the caller ID before returning her attention back to Jenny. “I’m so sorry if this might be an inconvenience, but um….would you mind if I answer this call real quick?”

Jenny smiled reassuringly, nodding. “If you need to, then sure go ahead.” She thought of her own family, and how she’d never in a million years would have answered a single call from any of them. Ever. But, she guessed not everyone’s situation looked like hers.

Giving Jenny one quick grateful glance, Vastra then pressed the button to answer the call and brought her phone up against her ear. “Hello, Lanah? What are you calling me for this time? Is it your dog, did he eat one of your earrings again?” It was hard for Vastra to keep her tone free of any annoyance that she felt at being interrupted in the middle of her meeting with Jenny.

“Hello to you too, dear sister. How nice to hear you think I only call if something has happened, it does make me feel so very appreciated.” Lanah mocked, her voice overly happy as she spoke.

The Scottish woman groaned internally, but was also secretly excited to talk to her beloved sister again. Resuming with their naturally well rehearsed banter, Vastra said, “So I’m assuming that your dog is OK then? I still remember how poor Capaldi couldn’t eat for a month because of that stupid diamond earing tearing through his digestive intestines. I swear, your insatiable appetite for fine precious jewelry is going to be the death of him!”

“Yes, he is perfectly diamond-free, for your your information. Jesus Christ, that was ONE time! Besides, I do recall you letting your friend feed Billy chocolate last time I let you babysit him!”

“Well, do you think that I don’t regret making that mistake,” snapped Vastra in response, before speaking more collectedly, “ Ahem, anyway…..the past is in the past, so I suggest that you just get straight to the point already.”

“Fine. I can tell you what I want, and I assure you, I will be much straighter than you.” She paused, letting Vastra realise what she just said, before continuing. “Billy wanted to talk to his favourite aunt, who ironically nearly killed him.”

From the sidelines, Jenny watched anxiously as Vastra spoke to her sister on the phone, always ready to come to her help if she looked as though she needed support. At one point, Vastra snapped, the conversation seemingly having turned south, and Jenny was very close to asking if she wanted her to give her an excuse to hang up, but the situation calmed down and Jenny stepped back. Still, as she saw Vastra glance in her direction, she couldn’t help but whisper, ‘Is everything okay?’, worried that Vastra might be caught up in a situation she found uncomfortable.

Vastra could only smile lightly at Jenny to indicate that there was nothing to worry about, and proceeded to reply with, “I can’t say that I’m the least bit surprised, since it’s a scientifically proven fact that every family should have a cool lesbian aunt to keep things interesting.”

At hearing Vastra openly admit that she was a lesbian, Jenny almost couldn’t hold back a gasp that threatened to escape her lips. Of course, she did have her ideas and suspicions, and she had been desperately hoping that it would be the case, but to actually hear it being confirmed took her completely by surprise.

“As long as ‘interesting’ doesn’t mean deadly, I can possibly agree.” Lanah said fondly. “Either way, I’m putting on Billy now. He’s been tugging at my dress for the past half-hour and it’s getting a bit annoying.”

Immediately after she said that, the line went momentarily silent as Lanah passed on the phone to Billy, and before Vastra could even prepare herself, her ears were suddenly bombarded by the voice of a highly overenthusiastic four year old boy.

“Aunty Vasha! Aunty Vasha! It’s me, Billy!” Shouted Billy from the other side of the line without any repercussions whatsoever. “I wanted Mommy to call you because I love the toy racecar you sent me for my birthday! I like to play with it because it’s super fast and it goes zoom zoom and sometimes Capaldi will chase it! When I grow up I will have a real racecar and we will go on awesome adventures together! Maybe I’ll have a flying car that can take us up to the moon!”

There was a broad doting smile spread across Vastra’s face as she happily listened to her adorable nephew’s passionate gushing about his new toy racecar. It was then that she fully realized just how much she missed her family back home in Scotland, who she would see only a few times each year for holidays and whatnot. Since she clearly lacked any children of her own, Vastra was able to compensate for it by loving all of her sibling’s children and spoiling them rotten, including Billy. Billy’s rapidly spoken words helped to draw out old distant memories from the very deep recesses of Vastra’s mind, allowing her to relive all those wonderful times that they had together. Vastra was immensely thankful to at least have this one little connection with her family, and she hoped that it would never end.

When Billy finally paused to take a breath, Vastra promptly took advantage of it to say, “Ah, yes hello there, Silly Billy, nothing ever makes me happier than getting a call from my most favorite nephew! I’m so glad to hear that your crazy wild imagination still hasn’t changed. It sure seems like you were able to put it to good use while playing with your race car.”

“Thank you a lot, Aunty Vasha! I don’t care what Mommy says, you are the greatest, awesomest aunty ever!” Proclaimed Billy zealously, which touched Vastra’s heart in a profoundly meaningful way.

From the couch, Jenny kept observing Vastra in curious silence. She’d said she was fine, but it didn’t help Jenny’s worries much. What did, however, was when she saw Vastra breaking into a huge grin, her whole face practically glowing as she listened to someone chatting energetically on the other end. Seeing Vastra so happy and at ease made Jenny happy, too, and she couldn’t help the small smile resting upon her lips. It was wonderful and amazing to see someone so joyful and content and absolutely at ease in a conversation with family. For Vastra, family was clearly people she cared for and loved, and somehow that made Jenny feel both glad and also sad, because while it felt blissful watching someone else experiencing it this way, it was not something she would ever have.

As soon as Billy was done talking, the line went quiet for a moment, and then the voice of Vastra’s sister picked up once more. “That’s enough Billy, time for us grown-ups to talk again. Thanks for listening to him, Vastra. He’s been going on and on about how he wanted to talk to you all morning, and you know he gets cranky when he wants something.”

“Hmmm….well, I do certainly wonder who he got that from,” Vastra mockingly questioned while stroking her chin, a massive smile still plastered onto her face. “It’s really no problem, Lanah, because I find it quite sweet that Billy wanted to call and thank me for his present. Honestly, I was beginning to worry that he had forgotten all about me. So just out of curiosity….how is the rest of the family doing,” Vastra asked carefully as she bit her lip, craving for more information regarding her the status of her family.

Most importantly, she needed to know if they had been able to recover from her father’s tragic death due to cancer five years ago, because God knows she definitely hasn’t.

After Vastra’s question, there was a short pause on the other end, and she could hear her sister saying something to her son, before she began to reply with, “Well…I guess it’s okay overall. Most of us are doing pretty well, some are in a bit of a low period at the moment but hopefully they’ll be feeling better soon. We miss you, though. Honestly, it would be so nice if we could see you a little more often.”

A biting sensation of guilt stung within Vastra’s heart upon hearing her sister’s downhearted statement, and she shakily spoke, “You know very well I that want that more than anything…. and I would do so, in a heartbeat, if only my schedule would allow it. It’s just that….it’s hard, you know, going back there….and remembering all those things.” Vastra’s voice was barely above a whisper by the time she finished speaking, a tell-tale sign that her emotions were threatening to overwhelm her.

The day that Vastra’s father died was not something she liked to think about often, even going so far as to block it out of her mind completely. His untimely death dealt an enormously heavy blow on everyone in the family, and each of them had their own ways of coping with the aftermath of that terrible event. Immediately after graduating from vet school, Vastra moved down to London because she simply couldn’t bear to stay in Scotland any longer. Really, she was trying to run away from the past where her father still dwelled while his spirit continued to haunt her in the present. A small part of Vastra always knew that it was selfish and cowardly of her to leave her grieving family behind instead of remaining with them during their darkest hour. She never had much trouble suppressing those echoing doubts in the back of her head until now, as talking to Lanah for the last thirty minutes was causing all of her old, painstakingly hidden grief and regret to resurface again. Vastra’s entire body was trembling at this point, and she could feel herself being dangerously close to bursting out in tears, though Jenny’s presence was the only thing that encouraged Vastra to maintain her composure, because it would be most utterly lame if she randomly started crying in front of her crush. No, there will be enough time to have an emotional breakdown later, but in this current moment she must put on a brave face for Jenny.

On the other end of the phone, a deep sigh could be heard, and then Vastra’s sister said,. “I know, Vastra. I’m not accusing you of anything, Little Extra. I’m just saying we miss you, that’s all.”

Still sitting and waiting for the call to end, Jenny could tell that things were getting tense as Vastra suddenly started shuddering, and she decided that perhaps it would be best if she gave her some time alone.

With the efficiency of someone who had their fair share of working in coffee shops, Jenny quickly started gathering the cups and half empty plate of biscuits, piling them up atop each other on the tray that she’d brought with her to the living room.Once she was done, she stood up, taking the tray in her arms and began setting off towards the kitchen. However, as she left, she took one last glance over her shoulder at Vastra, thus neglecting to see where she was going, and tripped on the threshold.Feet hitting against solid wood, Jenny’s entire body was sent crashing to the floor, the tray flying out of her hands, porcelain breaking into a million pieces as they landed upon the floor along with Jenny.

“Fucking bloody hell!” The swear words slipped past her lips as she tried desperately to readjust her bruised and aching body, swearing even more as she realised how much ruined china there was spread out everywhere. “Fucking shit!”

The collective commotion of shattering china and an angrily cursing Cockney woman instantly pulled Vastra away from the phone call, her eyes growing wide with shocked concern at the sight of Jenny’s disastrous wipeout. “Oh dear Lord….are you alright, Jenny?” Blurted Vastra, momentarily forgetting that her sister was also listening on the line.

“ Jenny ? Who are you calling Jenny ?!” Lanah hadn’t been aware that someone else was in the room with Vastra, but then something clicked in her mind and she sang, “Vaaaastra, are you at your girlfriend’s house? Someone named Jenny? Why didn’t you tell me! Finally, someone to take care of your sorry, egotistical arse!” Her voice was gleeful and humorous, and Vastra could imagine her smug smile as she spoke.

Vastra hissed sharply into the phone in retaliation before abandoning her phone altogether on the sofa as she quickly ran to Jenny’s side. “Jenny, oh my God, are you hurt anywhere? Bloody Christ, there’s a lot of broken china over here! Let me uhh help you uhh…..”

It was then that Vastra’s eyes made the mistake of landing on Jenny’s enticing cleavage visibly peeking through her shirt, with only a few inches in between the two of them, and that caused her to swallow hard as her entire bodily system effectively malfunctioned.

“Excuse me.” Jenny said, slightly embarrassed as she caught on to Vastra’s sideway glance down at her cleavage. “Can you please help me up a little? I’d really like to get away from this spot without cutting my hands and feet on all this china.”

“Huh? Oh, yes….the china, of course….sorry,” Vastra rapidly blinked, summoning all of her willpower in order to tear her gaze away from Jenny’s bosom, and generously stretched out her hand for Jenny to take. There was no way to prevent the deep embarrassment that she felt at being caught ogling by the other woman from exploding into varying shades of red across her face. “Pray tell, how in the world did this happen anyway?”

At this, Jenny blushed and immediately became red in the face, awkwardly trying to form a coherent reply that wouldn’t directly reveal she’d been listening in on the phone call. “I…well, you seemed a little upset so I thought I’d….I’d take out the dishes and give you some time to yourself. But then I just…..I looked back at you as I left and hit the threshold.” Finishing her explanation, Jenny held tightly onto Vastra’s offered hand as she ungracefully jumped over the broken porcelain, landing on the floor next to Vastra.

As soon as she did that, Vastra instinctively scooted a few inches away from Jenny, in an attempt to prevent herself from getting too lightheaded while in Jenny’s intoxicating presence. She could have sworn that that she felt an invisible electricity crackling in the air between their hands as she hastily retracted her own, just like when they first met at the clinic. A faint, yet hopeful voice in the back of Vastra’s mind told her that it might be a sign from the universe, that perhaps she might actually have a chance with Jenny who was totally far out of her league. Sobering up again, Vastra immediately dismissed those thoughts as mere wishful thinking, and tilted her head slightly aside while her eyes fixed themselves upon Jenny with the suspicion that she had been eavesdropping on her private conversation. Not that Vastra could hardly hold her at fault, of course.

So without any hint of accusation in her tone, and a gentle smile forming on her lips, Vastra responded with, “You really ought to be more careful, Miss Flint. Although, I can honestly say that this isn’t the very first time somebody had an accident due to my rather distracting tattoos.” Her gaze then flicked over to all the fractured pieces of china, causing her expression to grimace as she spoke, “I’m awfully sorry about your china….I truly am. Will you allow me to assist you in cleaning up this mess? It’s the least I can do, after you’ve shown me such a generous amount to hospitality.”

Upon hearing her first remark, Jenny blushed even more, the redness on her cheeks deepening. As she came to the second part of the sentence, Jenny felt so embarrassed and uncomfortable that she wanted nothing more than for Vastra to leave, to take her things and walk away and never come back so that maybe Jenny could just forget her and move on. Her heart obviously disagreed, however and instead of telling her to go, she found herself nodding in acceptance to her offer. “Yes, please, hat would be very welcomed.” She said, biting her lip hard at how much of an idiot she must look like, and quickly started gathering shards, just to have something - anything - to do.

Vastra’s brows furrowed in confusion, as something about what Jenny said felt kind of…. forced to her, but it wasn’t long before she, too, dropped down onto her knees and began to carefully collect the sharp fragments into her hand. There was only a cold and empty silence as the two of them continued to clear the floor of broken china for what seemed like an entire eternity, each trying desperately to avoid looking at the other. Then by accident, while they were both too deeply caught up within their own contemplation, their hands touched yet again on the last piece of china. That simple incident served as a catalyst that sent powerful trails of sparks burning up the length of their arms until they ultimately reached their hearts and set them aflame with the intensity of a thousand blazing suns. Neither Jenny nor Vastra could comprehend why it must always happen this way, but at the same time it was also getting increasingly more difficult for them to ignore their passionate mutual attraction to each other. Completely aware of all the risks that came with it, both Jenny and Vastra simultaneously lifted their heads so that their eyes became firmly locked, bright blue staring into rich brown. Every single trace of the outside world gradually faded away until nothing else remained except for the two of them, utterly alone with the deafening sound of their seismic heartbeats. Vastra subconsciously licked her lips and stole a tentatively quick glimpse of Jenny’s perfectly kissable mouth, a sudden erotic shiver shooting up her spine when she noticed Jenny mirroring her actions as well. There was a distinctly apparent change among the atmosphere that surrounded them, filling it to the very brim with a heavy and undeniable sexual tension which radiated off of Jenny and Vastra themselves. Slowly, their faces started moving forward inch by inch in order to close the gap between them, though neither was fully capable of registering it, as if there was some unseen mystical power that was pulling them together, whether they knew it or not.

Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, Vastra’s ears perked up to an all too familiar voice that started shouting from the sofa. “Vastra? Extra, where the hell did you go?! Don’t tell me you seriously dropped the phone without hanging up to go get some from that girl of yours!” Lanah called out from the phone speaker, utter amusement and irritation mixing within her tone.

Thus, the mysterious trance that was holding Vastra and Jenny captive had been broken. They blinked rather absentmindedly, as if just waking up from a long slumber, both entirely unsure about what was happening in that particular moment. Then witnessing that their hands were still in the same position, they immediately separated them with impossibly lightning quick reflexes, the final china piece being claimed by Vastra. Nonetheless, the overwhelming heat of the carnal fire that had consumed them earlier refused to go away, but continued to rage within them ever so strongly. Their eyes strictly fixated onto the floor, neither of them could find any words to say, for fear of escalating the already stressful situation even more. Therefore, they decided to simply keep their mouths shut, and wordlessly rose up from the floor before walking over to the trashcan in Jenny’s kitchen where they cautiously disposed all of the damaged china fragments.

Once that was taken care of, Vastra immediately sprinted back into the living room to pick up her phone, and resumed the call saying, “ Ha ha ha ….very funny, Lanah. If you really must know, I’m with a client right now, another lizard case as you can probably guess. So I would highly appreciate it if you can kindly stop spouting shit out of your ass hole, and let me do my job.” Vastra was definitely in no mood to tolerate her older sister’s inappropriate remarks, but she also knew that Lanah was fully capable of enduring her verbal abuses after all those years.

“Well, excuse me! You’re not exactly notoriously known for going out of your way to visit patients in their homes, especially not on weekends! On the other hand, what you are notoriously known for is being insanely, ridiculously, EXTRA gay ! But whatever, blame a woman for trying to make some logical conclusions, it’s fine I don’t care. Either way, I don’t have time to stay talking to you much longer so I’m hanging up now. Goodbye, Vastra!” Immediately, the line went dead as Lanah hung up.

Inwardly relieved that the call was finally over with, Vastra sighed deeply as she placed her phone back into her pocket.

“Hey, Vastra. Are you…are you okay?” Carefully, Jenny approached Vastra, putting a hand on her arm. It was quite obvious that the lengthy phone call had drained Vastra, and she wanted to make sure that she was okay. “I’m here for you if…if you need to talk.”

It required every bit of Vastra’s willpower not to jump off the sofa when she felt Jenny’s delicate hand on her arm. Eventually turning around to face Jenny directly, Vastra tried to act like nothing was wrong as she said, “Thank you, Je–Miss Flint– but I assure you, everything is perfectly well with me. It’s just that, my sister….she enjoys pushing my buttons way too much sometimes.” Vastra chuckled nervously, a wry smile gracing her countenance. “Yes, she can often be a royal pain in the neck, but I still love her anyway.”

Vastra had intentionally stopped herself from addressing Jenny by her first name, because the phone call with Lanah made her self-conscious of the fact that she was getting a little too friendly with Jenny, and that she needed to reestablish some kind of professional formality asap.

While Jenny felt a bit hurt that Vastra refused to use her first name, she kept smiling peacefully, squeezing Vastras arm. “I understand. You are very lucky to have people who do care for you, even if they sometimes drive you crazy. They still love you.” Her smile felt less real with every passing second because seeing the way Vastra and her family worked, made Jenny’s heart ache. She badly longed to have a life and a family like that herself, too, but it was and always will be an unreachable dream, and she knew that. It had never been a possibility. “A lot of people have it much worse.”

Vastra was able to detect a trace of bitter melancholy in Jenny’s tone, which led her to gently lay her hand on Jenny’s knee and asked, “Pardon me if this sounds intrusive, but I’m under the impression that perhaps you don’t get along with your family?”

That was an extremely risky move on Vastra’s part and she mentally kicked herself for prying into the personal life of this woman who she barely even knows. On the other hand, however, Jenny seemed to be so sad and miserable that Vastra just couldn’t help giving her heart out to her in sympathy. There was really nothing that she could do except waiting anxiously with bated breath for Jenny’s response

Upon hearing Vastra’s inquiry, Jenny almost dissolved straight into tears. Her arms wrapped tightly around her own shivering body and she nodded. “My mom is dead. My siblings are God knows where, I haven’t heard from any of them in years, and my dad would probably try to kill me if I ever got close to him again.” At the end she was openly sobbing, unable to keep it all back as it came rushing out against her will, hot tears splattered on her cheeks. “There is not a single person who cares about me. I don’t have anyone who I can truly call ‘my family’ in this world” She knew it sounded pathetic and attention seeking from her side, but Jenny couldn’t help it. Once the dam had been breached, the flood of emotions could not be stopped no matter how hard she tried.

Oh dear….Oh God….Why is this happening….I shouldn’t have done that….Bloody hell I am such a fucking idiot!

Needless to say, Vastra was in full blown panic mode as she realized that she had unwittingly opened Pandora’s box. It’s rather obvious that she has brought this upon herself, because she just had to cross the line and make Jenny talk about a severely sensitive topic instead of minding her own damn business. So as a result of that, Vastra was now absolutely stuck in a most awkward situation with Jenny literally crying an entire river beside her, and there seemed to be nothing she could do to fix it. The real truth is that Vastra has always been the worst at trying to comfort people, especially when they are leaking an excessive amount of salty liquid out of their eyeballs, and would be more likely to distance herself away from them. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that her heart wasn’t actually breaking into a million pieces with every single choking sob that escaped from Jenny’s lips before falling on her ears. Vastra seriously hated seeing Jenny in so much pain and suffering, which she had ultimately concluded as somehow being caused by Jenny’s family. It was strikingly clear to Vastra that Jenny was carrying a lot of heavy, unresolved emotional baggage, and she very desperately wanted to help Jenny in any way she can, but her whole body was currently in a state of complete shock. Vastra was immensely determined to do at least something–anything–and began summoning all of her energy in order to regain her physical functionality.

Miraculously, Vastra’s efforts soon paid off as she was then able to slowly stretch her arm out towards Jenny and started to lightly pat her on the shoulder.

“Err there, there, Miss Flint….everything is going to be alright,”Vastra reassured fumblingly, wincing at how weak that sounded while trying to wrack her brain for more things to say. When she couldn’t find anything that she considered to be adequate enough, Vastra merely sighed and said, “Oh, who am I bloody kidding? Nothing is right about this whatsoever, and it’s all my damn fault! It was a stupid mistake on my part to just drop that question onto you out of nowhere. I really should have stayed in my lane. God, I’m such a fucking daft, insensitive fool!” There was a prolonged pause as Vastra suddenly fell silent, guilt and remorse weighing down heavily against her heart like lead. “I am so, so terribly sorry, Miss Flint….I now realize that it was inexcusable of me to overstepped my boundaries….and I completely understand if you want me to leave.”

Somehow, the thought of Vastra leaving, of Jenny having chased her away because she could not keep her damn mouth shut about things she knew no one cared about, felt even worse to Jenny than the agonizing torment of her mortal soul. Her stomach twisted,and even more tears came pouring down her face, and before she knew what she was doing, she wrapped her arms tightly around Vastra, hugging her and sobbing into her firmly solid chest. “No, please don’t go….I’m…I’m sorry. I…I know I shouldn’t….I’m sorry for being like this.” There was not much else that Jenny could say, still shamelessly clinging onto Vastra for dear life and crying her eyes out.

Vastra was caught completely by surprise when the woman of her dreams suddenly threw herself at her, for lack of a better term, and was refusing to let her go anytime soon. While Vastra was utterly afraid that she might mess things up even more if she made just one wrong move, she also felt a sort of newfound maternal instinct kicking into her system as she simply couldn’t bear to hear Jenny apologizing for something that wasn’t her fault. Eventually deciding to throw all caution into the wind, Vastra carefully encircled her own arms around Jenny’s small trembling frame, propriety be damned! She then proceeded to rub soothing circles upon Jenny’s back, while quietly whispering sweet words of comfort into her ear, because God knows the poor girl definitely deserved nothing less than to be treated with utmost compassion and kindness as she continued to thoroughly soak Vastra’s shirt with her tears of anguish. They remained together in that position for an indefinite amount of time, which didn’t really bother Vastra one bit because she was perfectly willing to wait for as long as Jenny needed.

Finally, Jenny’s tears started to abate after she had all but cried herself dry, embarrassment quickly claiming her and putting her cheeks on fire as she separated from Vastra, scooting to the other end of the sofa and giving her some extra space after having clung to her shamelessly for what felt like hours. Carefully, she dabbed the edge of her tank top against her cheeks, trying to remove the leftover tears and attempting a wobbly smile. “Sorry.” She said, her voice not quite as steady as she’d like it to be. “I don’t talk about my family often, for obvious reasons. I prefer to just bury it all in the back of my head and forget.” She gave a shallow laughter, but it was lifeless and not particularly funny and she decided to just shut up instead.

Vastra would have pouted in disappointment when Jenny abruptly broke their tight embrace, and hastily retreated back to the other side of the couch, but luckily she was able to school her features into appearing strictly normal. Already did she missed the warm weight of Jenny’s body pressed against her own and the special intimacy of having her arms wrapped around the petite woman; It was as if a large piece of her heart had been taken away along with Jenny, which left her feeling utterly hollow and incomplete.

Vastra’s eyes simply couldn’t resist dropping down to look at the exposed skin on Jenny’s stomach as she lifted up the fringe of her tank top, but she still made sure to instantly revert her gaze so that she wouldn’t be caught like last time.

“It would seem that is much easier said than done, I’m afraid,” replied Vastra wistfully, returning with a rather strained smile of her own. She could sense that the atmosphere of the room has changed drastically yet again, and she didn’t like the way it somehow made all of her hair stand up on end. There was a tense pause before she continued to speak, “That was quite an impressive emotional catharsis you had, Miss Flint. How are you feeling now?”

Wincing a little at the thought if what she had just done, Jenny nodded. “A bit better, thanks. Actually, a lot better. Don’t think I’ve told anyone that much about my family since I was a teenager. Hope it wasn’t too embarrassing for you.” She purposely looked away from Vastra as she said the last part, but she didn’t feel quite as ashamed as earlier.

A wave of regret washed over Vastra when she saw Jenny did that, as she had to fight the persistent urge to grab Jenny’s face and force her to look directly at her. “Believe me, Miss Flint, I did not find it to be the least bit embarrassing….as long as it doesn’t bother you to disclose the private details of your life to a foolish, meddlesome stranger, of course, “Vastra responded reassuringly, while also including a sharp jab at herself for starting this in the first place.

Jenny frowned a little at this, and quickly shook her head. “You’re not a meddlesome stranger. You’re someone I trust.” She said sincerely, looking up at Vastra, their eyes meeting. “Besides, maybe it isn’t so healthy to hide your problems and wish they’ll go away for most of your adult life. It certainly doesn’t seem to have done me any good.” She frowned again, uncertain. She thought of the phone call with Vastra and her sister she listened in on, and knew that Vastra was trying to forget things as well.

“Mmmm well, I actually have several people in mine who would love to disagree with you on that,” Vastra responded in a more lighthearted tone, desperately attempting to decrease the negative aura that was surrounding them. Then thoughtfully stroking her chin out of habit, she asked, “Have you ever considered keeping a diary or journal, Miss Flint? You are absolutely right about it not being healthy to permanently suppress your feelings, but perhaps it would be helpful for you to write them down somewhere? Get them off of your chest?”

Oh, there was actually so much more that Vastra wanted to get off Jenny’s chest.

Vastra could still remember all the diaries she had kept when she was younger, and the freedom that they gave her to express herself without any restrictions within those countless blank pages.

Jenny giggled. She didn’t quite know why, but she definitely giggled. “That might have been a good idea.” She admitted slowly, the ‘but’ resting at the tip of her tongue. “But I’m rather daft. Never really thought I was very good with words, and reading,and writing. I can, of course, especially if I take lots of time like I do at work, but it’s a slow process. I really don’t think it’d be helpful, in my case..” She gave Vastra a sheepish look, feeling a little mean for turning down her advice. She did like the idea, but it didn’t feel quite right for her.

Vastra only nodded understandably, an objectively cordial smile plastered on her face as she said, “Ah, yes, I should have known that it wouldn’t necessarily work for everybody. It was just a suggestion, however, and there’s nothing that says you have to abide by it.” Biting her lip, Vastra lowered her gaze down to the floor, as she was struggling to contain this one particular question that’s been bugging her brain during the past hour. That proved to be too difficult though, and Vastra couldn’t stop her mouth from suddenly uttering, “Why do you think that your father is going to kill you?”

Ughh, what is fucking wrong with you?! When will you ever learn from your mistakes, for God’s sake! Vastra was very angry at herself for lacking better self-control, and blurting out yet another absurdly intrusive question. Although she was genuinely concerned and intrigued when Jenny mentioned something about her father killing her, Vastra had vowed to try her damn hardest not to let it escape from the mental confines of her mind. Therefore, having totally failed in that, Vastra immediately braced herself in anticipation for what she thought would be a repeat of Jenny’s earlier reaction.

“Oh” It was the first thing that came to mind as Jenny heard Vastra’s question, a simple ‘oh’ of surprise. Surprise that Vastra had actually noticed her quite offhanded comment about her father, and surprise that Vastra cared to investigate it further. As the surprise passed, Jenny felt as though there was not much left to say at all. Had she been asked earlier she might have cried, or screamed or even run for it, but now, she felt as stoic and gray as a stone, entirely void of all emotional attachment to the question. “Well, my father, he’s…he doesn’t like people who don’t obey the Bible. Who, for example, are attracted to the same sex. It’s a sin and I…well…I’m a sinner. He caught me kissing a girl and after that I didn’t have much of a choice. If they’re sinners, killing one’s child is entirely justified.” It was honestly unbelieveable that , Vastra had managed squeezed out yet another thing Jenny never talked about. It wasn’t that she was ashamed that her family for being extremely conservative, but it felt wrong to mention it when she herself couldn’t fill their standards of decency.

At first, there appeared to be no hint of a visible reaction from Vastra, because she had been struck absolutely speechless after listening to Jenny’s heartbreaking testimony. It was the same old story that she had heard from many other people in the LGBT social circles that she usually hung around, but this time with Jenny it’s somehow different because within seconds, a mighty and overwhelming inferno of righteous fury was ignited in Vastra. While she herself was fortunate enough to come out to a remarkably supportive family, just the thought of there being parents who, for some bullshit reason or another, simply cannot accept the fact that their children love the same gender, and would even go so far as to kill them, never failed to make Vastra’s blood boil hotly with anger. The way Jenny had described her father, how he had abused her solely for her sexual orientation sounded utterly barbaric to Vastra, as she found herself becoming increasingly protective of Jenny. She also imagined what it would be like to run down that bloody homophobic bastard with her motorcycle as a rightful punishment for all the damage he had inflicted against Jenny. No doubt she would have derived a most immense amount of satisfaction from it.

Vastra soon pulled herself out of her revenge fantasies, and impulsively reached over to hold Jenny’s hand in hers, before speaking bluntly, “No, don’t you ever berate yourself as a sinner like that again! I won’t stand for it! Forget everything that your asshole father said because you are definitely not a sinner! You, Miss Flint, are such a kind, beautiful, intelligent, honest, diligent, strong, and overall extraordinary individual as I have come to known throughout the course of my visit here. Your sexual preference for the fairer sex should not negate all of these positive qualities, nor should you be ashamed of being the way you are. So if your despicable bigot of a father refuse to understand that, then you might as well consider him dead to you, because I would bury him twenty feet underground if given the chance.” Vastra paused to catch her breath, her serious demeanor melting away to offer Jenny a softly compassionate smile as she concluded with, “Please trust me when I say, that even though your family may have forsaken you, I myself will always believe in you no matter what. You are worth so much more than you realize, Jenny Flint.”

The doubtless sincerity of Vastra’s words seemed to drip thick from her lips like luscious honey, which Jenny desperately longed to taste.

Jenny was entirely floored.

The effort of Vastra to show her love and appreciation and try to make up for the heaviness of her past had her stunned, shocked and overwhelmed with pure joy at the tremendous amount of care that Vastra dedicated to her. Even when young and still with a family, she hadn’t been very noticeable. A middle child among eight - too many mouths to be fed and too many expenses to be payed in the eyes of her parents - Jenny had been used to nearly not existing in the eyes of most. She was just another one , another student at the same school as four siblings before her and another pair of shoes that needed replacing when her father hadn’t had a job for weeks. Another young woman with lacking education searching for any job she could get in an effort to survive. The kind of care and kindness and love Vastra offered was something totally new. With Vastra, Jenny felt like the star of a play standing on a stage, everyone’s eyes focused solely on her. It made her heart soar and she lit up like a christmas tree at the thought.

“Thank you. Really, thank you. I…there has never been anyone showing me this much attention before, if I am to be honest. As a middle kid among eight, I….I’ve always been used to being forgotten. Well, until I do something wrong, that is, but that’s not the kind of attention you want.” She smiled, her broadest and happiest. “Thanks for caring, Vastra. For making me feel so very appreciated. You are special, too, and I’m so happy that I met you.”

Vastra couldn’t bring herself to say anything, because there was no words that could adequately describe Jenny’s radiant beauty in that moment when she is smiling and gay. It was a thrilling sensation for Vastra to be the one who could turn Jenny’s entire perspective around and help her to see the light that shines within her. There was truly nothing that she desired more than for Jenny to find the courage to love herself as perfect as she already was. She didn’t care about Jenny’s shitty childhood or her terrible abusive father, because none of that mattered anymore as she was determined to guide Jenny in moving forward from her unhappy past. Vastra’s heart was practically overflowing with pure, unconditional love towards Jenny, and even though it seemed highly unlikely that she would ever share her same romantic feelings, Vastra will never stop wanting the best of everything for Jenny.

Once she was able to recover her tongue again, Vastra gently squeezed Jenny’s hand and began to say, “Well, who else is going to to care for you if I don’’t? Really, Jenny, I promise that you will have a family of your own someday, a new and even better one. You already have Greeny….and I….I lo-”

Just as vastra was about to utter some of the most important words in her entire life, the sound of police sirens interrupted her, the noise coming from the kitchen and making itself heard all the way to the living room.

As if on cue, Jenny jumped up from her seat and ran off to the kitchen. After a while, the noise died out and she came back into the living room, her phone pressed to her ear, urgently talking to someone.

Glancing at Vastra, she whispered. “It is from work.” Before going back to talking to the person on the other end. “You know I don’t have weekend shifts this month, Jack! And yes, I am in the middle of something, too! So I’m not going to just give it up unless…wait, seriously? Oh my god! Why didn’t you say so? I’ll be there soon, bye.” Jenny hung up the phone, stress and mild panic clear on her face.

Whatever that was said in the conversation between that person and Jenny made Vastra considerably concerned, but also slightly piqued her curiosity.

“Jenny, you don’t look so well….what’s wrong? Who was that calling you?” Inquired Vastra eagerly, as she began to stand up with the intention of walking over to Jenny.

Glancing over at Vastra, and almost looking as though she just noticed she was there, Jenny frowned. “That was Jack, from work. He’s in charge of arranging all of our schedules and…he needs me to come in and work extra today. A sort of… thing happened and they need everyone they can get as soon as possible.”

Vastra arched an inquisitive eyebrow at that and said, “ Oh ….yes, I figured that it must be something serious if Scotland Yard is calling you on your day off.” She awkwardly fidgeted in her seat, uncertain on what to do next. “Anyway….I would seem that I’ve overstayed my welcome in your home. Perhaps you’d like me to leave now, so that you can get ready for work?”

An unspoken question hung in the air as Vastra and Jenny merely gazed at each other from across the room. Vastra really didn’t want to leave Jenny, who she’d fallen so incredibly hard for, or the enchantingly serene paradise consisting of just the two of them inside her apartment together. Being with Jenny had made her forget that all good things must come to an end eventually, and that she was completely powerless to prevent it.

Jenny glanced between the phone still in her hand and Vastra, a slightly guilty look on her face. She didn’t want this to end, but she felt as though she didn’t have a choice. It was extremely urgent, and she had promised Jack to come as soon as possible. “Look, I’m really sorry to have to throw you out like this, but there’s sort of a crisis going on, and I really need to get changed and get there! But we can still see each other at another time, yes?” Jenny smiled, nearly bursting at the seams with hopefulness.

Afraid that her voice might crack if she gave a verbal response, Vastra simply opted for a wry, bittersweet smile and nodded in understanding. She wordlessly retrieved her leather jacket to put it back on, hiding away her glorious arm tattoos from the view of mortal eyes once again. She then stood up before proceeding to swiftly walk towards the door, and Jenny followed suit to see her out. Jenny reached the door first and politely held it open for Vastra to go through. The Scottish woman already had one foot out the doorway when she suddenly paused, standing there like a statue as she contemplated something.

Then catching Jenny off guard, Vastra turned around and used one hand to cradle Jenny’s chin as she leaned over to plant a softly chaste kiss atop her forehead. “ Ceòthach mhadainn dh'fhaodadh a bhith latha soilleir….that’s Scottish for, ‘a misty morning may become a clear day’,” whispered Vastra as she slowly pulled away, capturing Jenny’s eyes with her own, which were full of undisclosed desires and passion. “Farewell, dear Jenny Flint, and thank you for a most splendidly memorable afternoon.”

Vastra allowed her hand to linger underneath Jenny’s chin in a rather seductive manner for several more tantalizing moments, before she abruptly spun around on her heel and marched right out of the apartment without so much as a backwards glance.

Jenny stood where Vastra left her, frozen in place, her eyes fixed on the doorway through which the unbelievably remarkable woman had just departed. Slowly, her eyes closed, her hand travelling all the way to her forehead and touching the spot where Vastra’s lips had touched it. Before her mind’s eye, Jenny could see Vastra’s beautiful lips resting on her pale skin, cool and slightly moist against her heated skin. She imagined those sweet lips traveling down her body and touching all of her. She wished to have her own lips on Vastra’s body, too, and though she knew it would probably never come true she couldn’t help but let herself get caught up in that dream for a while. A pleasant tingly warmth spread throughout her body and she smiled.

When she opened her eyes again, Jenny realised that she had spent all too much time dreaming about the most lovely scenarios with Vastra’s beautiful lips grazing her skin and her own lips kissing Vastra’s perfect face, and she quickly decided that she needed to get moving. The smile, however stayed on her face, just as the warm feeling in her chest remained there, and she kept the fantasies of her and Vastra and all that she could be with that gorgeous woman in the back of her mind for her to continue enjoying while she got dressed for work.

A misty morning may indeed become a clear day.

The golden sun hung high in the sky when Vastra emerged from the apartment complex, casting its far reaching rays upon her entire body as a kind of purifying blessing. She took several steps outside until she was approximately three feet away from the building, and only then did she finally permit herself to look back up at Jenny’s window. Vastra couldn’t resist reminiscing about the countless blissful hours that she had spent with Jenny; What had originally started as a simple veterinarian house visit to examine a client’s pet lizard, somehow gradually turned into one hell of a roller coaster ride with its numerous dramatic up and down points. Indeed, it was quite a perplexing paradox, because while Vastra found it considerably difficult to be confined in the same general area as Jenny due to her severe infatuation with the girl, she was also able to genuinely enjoy Jenny’s hospitable company nonetheless. Vastra thanked God that she was fortunate enough to bask in the magnificent aura of Jenny’s divine presence, witness her uniquely striking beauty up close with her own eyes, and engage in sociable conversation with Jenny as if they were old friends, rather than formal strangers. By the end of her tenure in Jenny’s home, Vastra truly felt like the two of them have learned so much about each other after sharing very intimate things from the deepest bottom of their souls, which helped them to form an even stronger and more meaningful connection than ever before. Never in her life did Vastra predict that she would be able to fully open herself to someone, or that a single person could have such a profound impact on her heart. Out of all the people in the world, Jenny was like a precious diamond among the rough, a cool oasis in the middle of a desert, a miraculous breeze of fresh air flowing into her lungs. Nobody else was even remotely worthy of being compared to Jenny, whose extraordinary celestial status uplifted her high above the rest of mankind in Vastra’s eyes.Everything that happened in the apartment served to confirm Vastra’s underlying belief that the feelings she harbored for Jenny weren’t just a mere crush, but undeniably true and honest love that consumed her entire being. Whether Jenny would ever reciprocate her romantic inclinations was a whole different matter, however, and there seemed to be little that Vastra could do to soothe the unbearable pain of falling for a perfect girl who she can never have. At least she could still find slight comfort in the fact that she actually got to hold Jenny in her arms, and earned her invaluable trust as a friend, which she concluded was better than nothing. Vastra’s mind continued to wander further as she remembered how conflicted she had been at the beginning, trying to decide between bravery and cowardice when Jenny first asked her to come over. Ultimately, Vastra was glad that she chose to follow her heart, because it had led her to the possibility of obtaining something much greater with Jenny.

Finally pulling herself out of her inner musings, Vastra glanced down to look at her watch.

The time was just nearing 12 PM.

Therefore, the day was still young, leaving plenty of room for an impromptu Sunday adventure. A delighted smile unconsciously spread across Vastra’s face, as she stuffed her hands into her pockets and leisurely walked the rest of the way towards her motorcycle. Once clad in her protective helmet and goggles, Vastra didn’t hesitate to rev up the motorcycle before it launched itself roaring down the road at maximum hyperspeed.

———————————————————————–

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[peetabreadgirl]

Writer’s Block 4.1

So I’m taking a different approach to finishing this story. Instead of writing a monster chapter, it’s easier for me to do chunks of it at the moment. I’ll post every 2000 words here, and when it’s complete I’ll post it as one continuous chapter on the archives. Just seems easier for me. Hope you like this one! 4.2 isn’t far behind… Let me know what you think!

What the fuck am I reading? I toss the book aside and try to forget about the alien species commingling with human women as they take over the world with their disappearing magic lube, never-ending sexual appetite and nanocytes that heal the bruises they leave behind from their love-making. If it can be called that.

None of that garbage is going to help me write the next scene. The scene. The one I have zero experience with. Every time I sit down to write it I get nervous and edgy. But I need something written down that at least Peeta can make changes to. He won’t be much help to me this week since he’s busy finishing up an art project that’s due at the same time. I told him not to worry, that I would wrap things up on this end so he could focus elsewhere.

I was relieved at first, but now I’m just stuck and the more time that passes with no new words appearing in the doc, the more I wish I had his insight. And not just professionally. I want the knowledge of what it is I’m supposed to be writing poured into me from his hands and his lips.

I think about the last time we worked on the project almost five days ago. He’d promised we would take things slow and my insides had done a happy, albeit nervous, jig. He’d eradicated any hatred I’d felt for him that day, which must not have been much when I think about how easily he’s rooted himself inside me. Made me look forward to his help when I’ve always worked alone. Since then we’ve only seen each other in class. And damn it if I haven’t laid awake every night wondering when it’s going to happen.

It cost me fifty bucks I really didn’t have, but I was able to get my computer fixed at the tech lab on campus, so we don’t need to share a computer anymore. Peeta emails me every night to check in on how the story is going and asks how my day was. I answer with the mundane details of class and work, wishing I were more vibrant and interesting, and fudge a little about Julia’s and Adam’s progress, then wait for a reply. It always comes within a few minutes.

Thinking about it, I open my computer and log into gmail. Nothing yet, but he’s probably not finished with his day. I don’t normally hear from him until close to 10:00 PM, and it’s only 8:45. I know what I need to do, so I take a deep breath and prepare to be honest with him about the story. About how I’m struggling and could use his help, but I don’t want to take him away from his art project. When I’m done, I read over it, delete parts, add more, edit, edit, edit. A writer’s life for me, I guess. I can’t even put together a simple email until it’s been beta’d like it’s being published in the New York Times. I glance at the clock. 9:30. It’s taken me 45 minutes to relay my honesty to my partner.

I don’t let myself obsess over it anymore and hastily click ‘send’, the swooshing sound ringing in my ears and setting my nerves off. I tell myself it’s fine. We both want an A and Peeta knows I’m limited in this area. If he can help, I don’t doubt he will.

I’m filling in all the unsexy parts of the story when I receive his reply.

Katniss,

I’ll be done in an hour. I can swing by your place and we can talk about it?

Peeta

I reply quickly with ‘see you soon’ and where he can find my room, then set about tidying the space. It doesn’t take long since it’s so small, just a studio with a kitchenette and a tiny bathroom, but I don’t have to share it with a roommate. When I’m done I sit on my daybed that doubles as my couch and rearrange the order of the pillows a few times, checking which formation looks the fullest.

I brush my teeth and change into fresh clothes since I’ve been wearing the same ones all day. Black yoga pants and a loose, t-back midriff seem to say that I’m comfortable and confident even though I feel nothing of the sort. I go with it, ignoring the hesitancy blooming over the sliver of toned stomach I’m showing and my bare shoulders and arms. I tug on the hem, but that provides an easy view of my cleavage and I suddenly feel self-conscious. Maybe this isn’t such a good idea. A long sleeved turtleneck that covers my butt might be better in such a confined space with a hot guy who makes my stomach flutter.

I’m about to whip it over my head when the knock comes at my door. I freeze, panicked and glance at the clock. 10:42. He’s early. No time to change now. I take one last look in the mirror and cringe at the messy braid I forgot to fix, so I take out the band and run my fingers quickly  through the dark strands in an effort to make it presentable, then stand in front of the door with my hand on the knob and count to three.

The door swings open and Peeta stands on the other side. My breath whooshes out of my chest at how adorable he looks. Tousled hair, backpack slung over one shoulder, a grin in place that’s warm and curious. His eyes seem tired, though.  

“Hey,” he greets me, and I remember I should invite him in. I step aside, widening the door and he crosses into the room, setting his bag down next to my desk. He turns and I see his gaze sweep over me quickly.

“Thanks for coming, Peeta. I know you’re busy with other things.”

“I’m a little tired.” He admits what I already detected as one of his hands reaches for the back of his neck. “But I’ve been waiting for an excuse to see you.”

My cheeks heat up at his sweet words. I want to tell him he doesn’t need an excuse, he can come over any time, but I don’t. I confessed more to him a few days ago than I have to anyone, ever. I’m confessed out at this point. Instead, I grab a pen and my notepad, because sometimes I just need to hand write my ideas, and plop down on the couch, trying hard not to think of it as a bed. Also, if he kisses me tonight I don’t care if pen and paper fall to the floor. Hell, I could chuck them across the room if I feel like it.

“Ready?”

“Um, sure,” he says hesitantly as his arm falls to his side. I know I probably made a mistake by not acknowledging his kind words, but it’s just so hard for me to say things out loud that bare my feelings. Writing is always safest.

The bed - couch! - dips next to me when he sits. He’s quiet, waiting for me I suppose.

“I think we should outline the scene exactly, so I’ll know how to proceed. Things like,” I pause, deciding how best to say what needs to be said. Why did I agree to this? My heart is beating so fast it feels like it’s about to pass the speed of sound.

“It’s okay. You can say whatever it is.” His encouragement is soft, sweet. But I still find it hard to give voice to such sexual thoughts.

“Um, things like… where they are exactly, and maybe h-hand placement. Kissing, foreplay, body alignment. Those types of things that I’m not… really…” My mouth feels like a drought has taken up residence there, and I swallow to try and regain some moisture.

His hand on mine stops my frantic doodling. Something I didn’t even realize I was doing.

“You don’t have to say anymore. I get it.” He takes my hand and sets it on his thigh. I watch as he runs his fingers back and forth between mine tenderly. It’s soothing and arousing all at once. “I know this is hard for you, Katniss, and I’m here for you, and for this project. You can trust me, okay?”

I blink and look up at him briefly. He’s so pretty. And charming. And so, so believable. I nod my head and remove my hand from his, hating every second afterwards that we’re not touching. Pen poised, I look at him for guidance.

“Okay, well, let’s think about this. People don’t generally start out with sex. There’s a lead up. Where are they right now?”

“In the car,” I answer.

“Coming from?”

“Work.”

“Have they done anything besides work related things?” he asks.

“What do you mean?” I cock my head to the side slightly and tap my pen on the pad.

“Like, have they gone on a date or spent time together in a non-work environment,” he explains.

I shake my head and mumble something about adding that to the parts of life I know nothing about.

“You’ve never been on a date?” he asks in disbelief. I sigh, knowing that when I look at him I’ll see the tone of his question reflected in his pretty blue eyes. Eyes I’d rather not find pity in. Our gazes connect and it’s there. It bothers me.

“Is it that hard to believe?” I ask with minor annoyance. More at myself for revealing yet another right of passage I’m apparently missing out on than with Peeta.

“Well, yeah, but not for the reason you’re thinking. I just can’t see no guy ever asking you out. Katniss, you have no idea.” He shakes his head slowly, like he’s willing me to understand. But I don’t and I’m too embarrassed to continue this part of the conversation.

“Can we just talk about the outline please?” I ask quietly as I doodle a triangle in the corner of my notepad and fill it in.

He rubs his palms over this thighs distractedly, but I can feel his eyes on me. It seems like he wants to say more but, thankfully, he doesn’t. “Okay. Yeah, so let’s, uh, send them on a date. Someplace nice. Adam is trying to show her he really doesn’t hate her, so he would put some effort into it. Low lighting, ambience, table for two in the corner…”

I write down everything he’s just said and when I’m finished I glance up, glad we’re moving on. “Next?”

“He should drive her home after that, and she can ask him to come inside. That’s kind of how a guy knows his date might want some intimacy.” I stare at him as he explains further. “Something more than a goodnight kiss under the porchlight.”

Invites him inside, I write before waiting for more instruction.

“She can offer him wine or a beer. That might help relax the situation if one of them is nervous.” It definitely would, I think, remembering how quickly my inhibitions had flown out the window the first time we kissed. My cheeks flame and I don’t look back up.

“They sit on the be-couch?” I offer, inwardly scolding myself that I almost said bed. I see Peeta shrug through my peripheral.

“Sure, if you want things to start there, but they’d probably move to the bedroom at some point.”

“She lives in a studio. Kind of like this place,” I tell him, waving my arm around. He knows I’ve basically formed Julia’s character from my own life, so this admission doesn’t take any skin off my nose.

“Right,” he says right before he yawns. I feel terrible. He’s obviously been running on little sleep and now he’s here, helping me when he should be in bed.  

“Do you want some coffee?” I ask him, nodding to the single cup, hand-me-down machine I keep on my desk, stifling my own yawn. He’s contagious.

“No, thanks,” he says sleepily, curling up behind me on the… couch. His arm slips around my waist and he pulls me down with him, my back against his chest. “Let’s just take a quick nap and then we’ll finish up, k?”

I lay there for a minute, trying to figure out what I should do, but before I can answer or move I hear his breathing even out, soft puffs of air on the back of my neck. Even if I weren’t sleepy and we didn’t have a deadline fast approaching for this project, I don’t think I could move away from the warmth and comfort I feel with his body wrapped around mine. It’s been too long since someone has held me, and never in the way Peeta is now.

I take a deep breath and blow it out, my body relaxing further into him, giving in to his wish. He’s right. A nap is a perfect idea.

[wildernessuntothemselves]

Manspreading (Part 3)

Word Count: 9k Summary:  “Don’t bring the dog into this. He’s young and he doesn’t need this kind of stuff pushed on him. He’ll grow up to have issues.”  “Very funny, Tae. You’re a real funny guy. You know what else is funny? Your chances of sleeping in the same bed as me this month.”

Part 1, Part 2, Part 4, Epilogue It wasn’t at all unusual for you to wake up smothered by the sixty-two kilograms of pure heat and clinginess that was Kim Taehyung. What was unusual however was how inappropriately naked the both of you were at the moment, and the suspiciously hard thing pressing against your side. You’ve been awake for a good while now having an internal breakdown and devising increasingly elaborate plans to get yourself out of Taehyung’s loving death-grip. You wonder if you could slip out of his arms for a quick reprieve in the shower before you have to really face him, because right now you couldn’t think very clearly when he was so close to you and his addicting scent was bombarding your brain. He was always a heavy sleeper, and you figured you had a fairly good chance of slipping away without waking him up. When your eyes opened up and met his entirely too awake ones, you nearly jumped out of your skin.

A screech escapes you and you struggle to get out of his hold, which only causes him to hold on to you tighter. “Whoa, hey, calm down. It’s just me.” His attempt to calm you down only sends you further into frenzy. You’re very much aware who exactly is in bed with you, that’s the fucking problem. His arms were around your bare breasts and the more you struggled, the more his dick rubbed against your naked body so you stopped moving entirely. “Um, Tae, could you please give me some space. You’re kinda…” You trailed off, hoping he would catch on, but all he gave you was a puzzled look, thick eyebrows knitted together and lips puckered in an adorable pout. Damn, was he always this kissable? You shake your head, “You’re poking me with your dick, Tae.” You could’ve been less blunt about it but you needed to snap yourself out of this as much as him. Taehyung’s eyes widen and you imagined that you could see the exact path of the blood vessels as they opened up to flush his face red. He jumps back and cowers into the covers so that only his eyes and the top of his hair are seen. “Sorry” He mumbles.   You cover yourself with the sheets as well and reach out a hand to smoothen his messy bedhead. The color of his face gradually turn back to that golden bronze you love so much. “Tae, we need to talk.” You cringe at how cliché that sounded. Great, couldn’t you have chosen a more beaten-to-the-ground opener to start the talk that would break your best friend’s heart? Taehyung got up immediately, forgetting all about decency, “That doesn’t sound good.” “It isn’t, but I need to say it.” “No, you don’t. We don’t have to say anything.” “Tae, listen to me.” You sighed. “No, you listen to me. I know what you’re going to say. You’re gonna say that this was a mistake and that we should just pretend it never happened. That we’ve been best friends for years and  we’d be fools to risk losing that for something that might not even work out. That all friends who cross that line think they’re gonna make it. They think they won’t allow themselves to be torn apart like many others before them, that it’s never gonna be them, that their love is strong enough… but they end up losing everything in the end all the same.” “That’s… exactly what I was going to say.” You were impressed. Here you were thinking of how exactly to break it to him and he was already one step ahead of you. Taehyung smiles at you wistfully, “I’m not as much of an idiot as you think I am, pumpkin. I listen.” You open your mouth to protest but you remember his request and close it again. He deserves for you to hear him out. He holds your hand in between his own big and warm ones, “I know you think that I’m just a hopeless romantic and that real life is nothing like my cheesy fantasies but I believe in us. I knew you were the one the moment I saw you.” You rolled your eyes and he hurried to continue, “The more I got to know you the more I became sure of it. We are meant to be together.” “No one is meant to be together, and we’re nothing alike.” “Opposites attract” “Yes, but they’re like fire and gasoline. They burn quickly and die quickly. Now people with similarities, those are the ones who last. Those are the ones who can build lasting relationships together.” “We’ve been friends for almost two decades.” He protested. “Yes, but friendship is one thing and relationships are a whole other thing, I could disagree with you on most everything and the friendship might still work but a romantic relationship is not as forgiving.” “Ok, fine, how about this... Do you love me?” You sighed, “Tae, It’s not a matter of love.” “It’s a one word answer, pumpkin, yes or no?” It was redundant for him to even ask you that. You said it with every look that you gave him, with every smile that he drew from your cynical lips, with every embrace with which he made you feel like there never existed a single human being who was ever loved more than he loved you. “Yes”   “And I love you. Now tell me, will you really be able to end this today and go on with the rest of your life without wondering, every single day, what would’ve happened if you’ve just given us a chance?” Your eyes welled up with tears. He was right. Deep down you always knew this day would come, but all the years you had to prepare for it did nothing to quell that fear of something that was more terrible than monsters in your closet and more real than your fear of failure, “No, but I just don’t want to lose you.” “Pumpkin,” Taehyung cupped your tear-stained face in his hands and bent down to press a sweet kiss to your wet lips, “You’ll never lose me. I promise.”

The first days of your relationship were among the most nerve-racking of your life. It felt like you were a bride, all dressed up in your whites and standing on a curb with an ominous puddle lying just in front of you on the concrete, just waiting for a car to pass by to ruin your best day. Taehyung was ever the optimistic ray of sunshine he always was. He wasn’t dissuaded at all by your bleak prophecies. He was excited enough for the both of you… and maybe for a few other people as well. Having had no experience with dating before, he often surprised you –or rather scared and shocked you- with several grand gestures of love or meticulously planned over-the-top dates that he seemingly pulled out of a romcom marathon. After you’d confronted him about it one day, he admitted that that was exactly the case. You got so caught up in his strange antics and forced escapades that, for a while, you forgot about your perceived doomed fate. And when month passed and that car never came and your white dress remained as crisp and spotless as ever, you started thinking that maybe the reason you have such a hard time seeing eye to eye with Taehyung was because your stance is just as extreme as his. Maybe the real world lies somewhere in between your opposite ends of the scale, and one day you might be able to meet halfway and build on the strong foundation of love and trust a love that can really last. Well that was the plan anyway, until Park fucking Jimin stepped into your lives and stole your boyfriend from you. He slithered his way into Taehyung’s heart and charmed the socks off of him, and now he had Taehyung wrapped around his freakishly tiny finger. OK, so you may be exaggerating a little bit. Taehyung and Jimin are just friends and if you had met Jimin under any other circumstances you would’ve gushed about how he was a total sweetheart and thought he was downright lovely, but that wasn’t the case, and the fact remained that he was hogging up all of Taehyung’s time and leaving barely anything for you. Sure, Taehyung The Boyfriend remained. The one who gave you gentle kisses, took you out on fun (and no longer fantastical) dates, and made your nights so much sexier than they’ve ever been… but Taehyung The Best Friend was making fewer appearances each day and that pissed you off. Taehyung was your best friend for years upon years before that scheming goblin came along, but now suddenly he was the favorite? That was unacceptable. You can’t just steal someone’s best friend. There has to be an unwritten cosmic rule against or something. You turn around on the couch and press you face against the pillow you were resting your head on, using it as a muffling device to tone down your screams of frustration and anger. Fuck Jimin for stealing your best friend and fuck Taehyung for letting him. Speaking of the devil, Taehyung throws your apartment door open and proclaims dramatically, “Baby, I’m home.” And then he giggles, “God, I love saying that word. I will never get tired of it.” He says before he runs over and jumps on you, crushing you underneath him. “Ugh, Tae, get off!” Your voice was barely heard as his weight almost collapsed your chest in, and you considered the possibility that you might die one day from his uncontrollable affection. “Hmm, let me think.” He taps a finger on his chin in mock contemplation, “Nope!” He grabs you and smothers you in kisses like an excited puppy. You wanted to give in to him; he was so adorable it actually hurt, but you were too grumpy now for his cutesy display so you do the only thing that would actually get him off: you knee him in the groin. All breath whooshes out of him and he falls back screaming. “Oh stop being so dramatic” You roll your eyes. You didn’t even hit him that hard. He gives you a betrayed look and says, “Dramatic? You might have just broken my family jewels. How are we gonna have children? We’re gonna have to buy some random dude’s sperm now.” “God, you’re such a drama queen, and I don’t want your stupid kids anyway, but maybe Jimin does.” You huff and grab your phone, half-heartedly scrolling through your social media. “We’ve talked about it, but he wants to adopt. He says that it would be a tragedy to bring more children into this world when there are already so many who need homes. Isn’t he a sweetheart?” He bats his eyelashes at you, trying to provoke you, but you would never fall down to his level. “Isn’t he a sweetheart” You repeat in an exaggerated imitation of his voice. Well there goes your dignity. Taehyung stares at you in amusement for a second then says dismissively “Anyway… let’s go out! They built a new ride down at the amusement park and I’m dying to try it out.” “Why don’t you ask your boyfriend?” You resolutely continue staring unseeingly at the screen of your phone. He groans and plucks it out of your hands. “Hey give it back!” You reach for it but he gets up and holds it out of your reach. You stand up on the couch to reach it but he moves away. Without really thinking it through you find yourself jumping on his back, “Quit it, you jerk. Give me my phone back.” “Not until you say yes!” He says out of breath and struggling against your wiggling weight on his back. “Well now I won’t.” You seethe. This was definitely not the right way to go about convincing you to do something. You would never reach the phone this way, his arm was longer than yours so you think of another way to get it; you bite down on the skin of his shoulder that was exposed by the “fashionable” alterations he always cut through his sweaters. He grunts in pain and drops the phone, and you immediately unmount and grab it from the floor, checking it for any cracks. “What the fuck, I can’t believe you actually did that. This is so not the way I imagined you biting me.” He wiggled his eyebrows at you suggestively and you shot his innuendo down with a glare. “Jesus, and you’re calling me dramatic. This is why I always choose Jimin over you. You’re never any fun.” He complains but when he sees the genuine hurt in your eyes he quickly backtracks, “Joking, it’s just a joke.” He approaches you and tries to hold you in his arms.

You evade his hands, “No, you’re right. You should’ve asked him instead of me, you’ll have more fun together.”

This would be the part where he would normally stumble over his words trying to make you feel but instead silence fills the room. You look up to see Taehyung scratching the back of his head and kicking at the carpet and realization dawns on you.

“Oh my god, you asked him already, didn’t you? Unbelievable!” You turn around and head for your room, fully intending to lock yourself up and away from his face before you punch him, but he rushes before you and blocks the door.

“No, no, it’s not what you think.”

“Tae, you better get out of the way or not being able to have children will be the least of your concerns.”

“Just listen to m—“

“No! You know what?” You cut him off and poked a finger at him. “We haven’t had quality time alone together for weeks and when you finally think ‘Hey, maybe I should go out with this woman I call my girlfriend’ you decide to bring Jimin?! I have had it with you.”

“Ow! OK first of all quit poking.” He moves your hand away, and rubs his sore chest. “Second of all, I’m doing this for you, for us.”

You snort and turn away. What a load of crap. But he uses the hand he is still holding to turn you back around to face him. “Why don’t you ever listen to me?!” Taehyung says, exasperated. “I invited you both because I want you to get along. You’ve hated his guts since the moment you met him. I understand that you’re jealous but you’ve never even given him a chance, and honestly at this point you’re just being childish.”

Embarrassment descends heavily on you and flushes your face with shame, the heat bubbling the water in your eyes and threatening to spill hot tears over your cheeks. Taehyung, the guy who for all intents and purposes was still a six year old, was calling you childish, and the worst part was that he was right. He just didn’t understand your reasons and you were too ashamed to tell him.

Taehyung doesn’t notice the hundred-miles gaze in your eyes and you’re thankful for that. “I love you, ___. You’re the most important person in my life. Jimin is new but he’s quickly becoming someone I really treasure. I can’t have the love of my life hate someone so precious to me. So will you please give him a chance? I’m sure if you do, if you just open up your heart to him, you will absolutely adore him.”

Taehyung waits for your answer but when you take too long, he cups your face and makes you look at him, “Pumpkin?”

“Fine.”

“Yay!” Taehyung gushes and attacks your face with a kiss. “But when we meet up with Jimin later, can you maybe not look like someone who is expecting a date with the grim reaper?”

You give him an unamused smile. “Aw babe, don’t be like that. One day you’ll find your special someone too.”

“You little bitch” You scoff, “Are you the same guy who was begging me to date him in the first place?”

“I wasn’t begging.” Taehyung flushes.

“You were, and not just that one time. ‘Ooohhh, ___, You feel sooo gooood. Give me more, please. I need you, baby pleeease!’” You lowered your pitch and moaned out loudly.

“I don’t sound like that, and don’t pretend like you didn’t enjoy it too.” Taehyung protested but his cheeks were inflamed.

“Eh, you were alright.”

“Alright?!” If Taehyung was a cartoon character, smoke would be shooting out of his ears right about now. In all honesty, you loved sex with Taehyung. He wasn’t the most experienced partner but the intimacy was real and there were years’ worth of sexual tension that still hasn’t dissipated. “I’ll show you ‘alright’.”

He shoves you against the wall and devours your scream of surprise in an open-mouthed kiss. Well, this is new. Taehyung was never this forward before. He prods your mouth with his tongue but you refuse to let him in. If he wants to “win” this, you weren’t going to make it easy for him. Plus this was so much more fun. He makes a small sound of annoyance in the back of his throat then he starts moving towards your neck, his tongue making up for the rejection earlier.

“Baby…” He whispered in your ear, all airy and lustful, and you knees get weak. He was doing that on purpose; he knew what that does to you, but two could play at this game. You wound your fingers in his hair and tugged, knowing how much he likes that, and took the moment’s reprieve to attack him with your mouth. You couldn’t reach his neck so you went for his collarbone, sucking on it harshly. His head fell on your shoulder and he moaned into your neck, this time involuntarily. You smirked as it occurred to you that because of Taehyung’s fashion choices his collar bone is frequently visible, so you set about marking it.

By the moans that were coming from him you thought you had him, but then he suddenly groped your breast. You don’t wear bras at home so the only barrier between your sensitive nipple and his hand was the thin material of the shirt you stole from him, and he took that to his full advantage, his large hand engulfing your entire breast and squeezing it. Your mouth finally leaves his collarbone as you moan and he takes the opportunity to kiss you again, slipping his tongue in your mouth without any resistance from you, but not for the reason he thinks.

While he is distracted with the kiss, you slip you hand between your bodies, which was easy to do since Taehyung was careful not to get too close to you, or he might get weak. You massage him through his pants, and thank the stars for Taehyung’s aversion to jeans because he just made this so much easier for you.

He broke away from you with a groan, “You’re cheating.”

“How am I cheating?” You tease, tongue sticking out. He gets distracted by it and takes it between his lips, sucking on it before he pulls back with an adorable whine. “I don’t know you just are.”

“Fine, if this is how you want to play…” He slides his hand between your legs and under your panties, spreading the wetness gathered there and rubbing you slowly, leaving you gasping.

“Your pussy is so fucking wet from just a little kissing. You can’t tell me I don’t get you weak, doll.”

You tried. You really tried so hard not to do it. Taehyung’s fingers felt really good between your legs but you couldn’t take his dirty talk with a straight face, and you burst out laughing. Taehyung flinched backed, looking absolutely humiliated.

“Tae, I’m so sorry.”

He removes his hands from you and steps back, “It’s alright. It doesn’t hurt at all to know that the girl I’ve been in love with since preschool thinks I’m so unsexy that doing this stuff with me still makes her laugh. It’s cool.” He shrugs.

“No, you’re sexy. You’re so sexy.”  

He scoffs but you continue, cupping his face in your hands and saying, “Your eyes are so sexy when you get horny and you look at me like you want to eat me up, and your lips…” You kiss him. “They’re so soft…” kiss “and when you talk and they get all pouty…” kiss “I could just kiss them all day…” You pull him in for a long kiss that leaves him breathless. “And your body…”

“Yeah?” He shudders, eyes still closed.

“You don’t know how many times I have touched myself to the thought of this body.” You took his shirt off and kissed down his body till you were on your knees. “And this cock…” You pulled his pants down and stroked him. He folded over, steadying himself with his hands on the wall behind you. “I can never see this cock without wanting to ride it until you cream.” You pull him in your mouth, circling your tongue around the tip and stroking the shaft with your hand. He moans and scrunches up his face.

“Look at me, Tae.” You look him in the eye as you swipe his dick over your lips. “I’m at your feet, pussy dripping on the floor just from the sight of your cock. How can you say I don’t think you’re sexy? Maybe this will change your mind.”

You take him as deep into your mouth as you can and give him a tap on the ass, giving him the permission to fuck your mouth. He thrusts slowly, mesmerized by the slide of his dick in and out of your mouth but he soon gets lost in the pleasure and sets a harsher pace. You try to breathe through your nose and relax your throat for him, but he was big and every so often you pulled away for breath, gasping and coughing.

You looked up at him, seeing him breathing heavily and looking at you with a hunger in his eyes that never died down since that first time. You snaked a hand between your legs and used the other one to stroke him, his dick wet from fucking your throat. “You still think you’re not sexy?”

“No, you’re very convincing.” He chocked.

“Don’t blow your load yet. I need this in me.” You gave him a final squeeze and got to your knees, pushing him on the bed and straddling him. You sink down on his length, and lean forward to kiss him, giving yourself a moment to adjust to his size. He grabs the hem of your shirt, but instead of taking it completely off, he pulls the front of it over your head so it was bunched up behind your neck, the sleeves still on your arms.

You give him a quizzical look and he says sheepishly, “I see it in porn all the time. I kinda like it.”

You bite your lip and smirk, “Grab my wrists.”

Taehyung looks confused but he does what you say. You move your hands behind you back with Taehyungs’ holding onto the wrists, “Keep my hands there and fuck up into me, baby.”

Taehyung could’ve cum just from that. You hover a little bit over him and he eagerly bucks up. You moan as he holds your body in place and his dick slides rapidly in and out of you. You didn’t even know Taehyung could thrust that fast, and his hold on your wrists was tight enough to bruise but you didn’t care.

“You feel so good inside of me, Tae. You fit so perfectly. If anything is meant to be it would be your cock and my pussy.”

Taehyung doesn’t appreciate your joke, but that only makes him thrust faster so who was the real winner here? His grip on your wrists was getting loose and you could tell he was close to his orgasm. You didn’t want him to finish before you did so you slipped your hands from his hold and planted them on his chest, bracing yourself as you hopped wildly on his dick, but you quickly realized that this was only getting him closer to release so you gave up, choosing instead to swivel your hips in sharp circles.

Taehyung let out a tortured moan, “Baby, I was almost there.” This must be hard for him. He was so close you could feel him shuddering beneath you, his hands trying to grasp your hips and make you ride him again, but you don’t allow it.

“I’m sorry sweetie, hold on, just a little bit more.” You just needed a little push so you wound your fingers in Taehyung’s hair and pulled him up, pushing his face against your breasts where he immediately got to work, licking and biting.

The slide of his cock against your walls, the brush of your clit against his crotch, and the sweep of his tongue around your nipple flung you into an orgasm that had you seeing not only stars but galaxies.

You continued riding him after you came, tolerating the pain of oversensitivity to give him what he’s just given you. It didn’t take him long to follow you over the edge, and you watched him try to keep his eyes on you even as the orgasm racing through his body fought to close them, until he was looking at you through the smallest slit in between his eyelids.

Was there anything you wouldn’t do to keep this man? No.

You swallowed down all your jealousy and anxiety, or as much of it as you could, and readied yourself to spend an entire day with Taehyung and Jimin. You are going to do great. You’re going to be so much fun to be around that Jimin would look like drying paint in comparison to you. You’re going to prove your fears wrong.

Taehyung is a fucking dork. You’re starting to regret ever befriending him, let alone being stupid enough to go out with him. When the both of you had reached the amusement park and met up Jimin, the atmosphere was a bit tense, not only because you didn’t like the guy but because he was aware of it, and the both of you knew exactly what the purpose of this outing was which put a lot of pressure on you, but you were still prepared to make an effort. You loved Taehyung and you didn’t want to be the cause of any awkwardness between him and his friend. Your goal was to at least learn to tolerate him so Taehyung would be happy. But that giant idiot hit the self-destruct button on himself. He was so eager for the both of you to get along that he took up the entire space with forced conversation and left no room for the natural flow of potential friendship between you and Jimin. He went on and on spouting off inane statements and questions like, “___, is so smart she used to correct the teachers. They used to get so mad at her. Isn’t that hilarious?” or “Jimin is the only son in between four daughters so he’s learned to be very sensitive and he really understands women. Isn’t he the best?” to which the both of you would smile politely and nod. ‘This is a disaster.’ You think to yourself as you stand in an awkward silence next to Jimin while Taehyung attempts to shoot for a prize at a game stand. You pretend to be really preoccupied with what he’s doing so you won’t have to face the awkwardness of making small talk with Jimin. You almost feel sorry for the guy. He is just as uncomfortable as you are, but then you remember that you have no sympathy for friend-stealers. “So um, Tae tell me that you guys have been friends for a really long time.” Jimin breaks the silence and you cringe. You thought you could do it. You thought you could come out, hang out with them and prove that you could have fun and play nice with Jimin, but now all you can think about is how much you’d rather put your head on the bottom of the histriker game and have the rubber hammer replaced with a real one. You gritted your teeth and gave out a “yes”. Not taking the hint, he kept on talking, “You know, Tae talks about you all the time.” “Really?” You smiled brightly. “He is never home anymore but gosh hearing that he talks about me sure is exciting.” You let the smile drop in his face, and you stare at each other tensely for a few second before you’re interrupted by a screaming Taehyung. “I won.” He says happily, waving around two dolls. “One pretty doll for my pretty doll.” He laughs at his own joke and hands it to you, “And one duck for my duck-lipped friend.” He teases. “Thanks, man.” “Whoa, you’re taking it without a fight?” Taehyung laughs and then he looks between the two of you, seeming to finally notice the tension. “Is everything all right?” You exchange a look with Jimin. You couldn’t handle this. All day you’ve tried to like Jimin. It shouldn’t have been hard. He was an objectively great guy, but seeing the way Taehyung acted around him made you realize that your worst fears about yourself were true, and with each passing hour you felt yourself become less and less friendly. You felt ill, from the realization and from the rides. You hated amusement parks. You were always stressed enough as it is, you didn’t need the extra adrenaline, but one look at Taehyung and the downtrodden look on his face, and you knew you would keep going for him. You put on your best smile and said in a peppy voice, “Nothing, we were just talking about how we can’t wait to try the new ride.” Jimin nodded along and Taehyung cheered, “Then, let’s go!”

This was a mistake. A terrible, horrible mistake. This wasn’t a ride, it was a torture device. The twists and turns had you nauseous, your screams of terror were drowned by the pair’s shouts of enjoyment and by the time the ride stopped, you were close to passing out. When the safety belts and harnesses opened up, you jumped down and fell to the ground, dizzy and relieved to finally be on a steady surface. When Taehyung saw you collapse, he almost passed out himself from worry. After sitting down for some time and having your nerves settle down from their down rollercoaster ride, you felt well enough again to function. You wanted to call it a day and go home but you could see that Taehyung, even though he would never say it, really wanted to stay. He rarely got a whole day off like this and he’s been dying to come here for a long time. He must want to go on that ride again. While you could no more put on the “fun” front, you didn’t want to deprive him of his fun, and it’s not like the act was working anyway. So after a dozen times of telling him that you were fine, he finally went away to continue his adventure with Jimin, promising to check back on you often. Which he did… a couple of times in the first hour, but then there was no sign of him. He must have gotten distracted with the games; he had the attention span of a child. Just from looking at the rides, your nausea was beginning to set in again. You called him to tell him that you needed to get home but there was no reply. You called and texted and called again but still nothing. After another hour of silence, you caught a cab and headed home alone, convinced he’d soon realize his fault and come rushing home to find you and cuddle up.

Three hours later there was still no sign of him, and you had broken the wine out. You weren’t supposed to be drinking, especially when you were anxious. It was habit-forming or something, but you couldn’t bear the anxiety gathering in your chest like a swarm of bees, clogging up your windpipe and stinging your heart. The world was spinning too fast around you, so you laid down on the floor hoping it would slow down but all that did was make you feel like your body was being pulled in different directions. Your lungs were held down by gravity and you barely got in breaths big enough to stay alive. Taehyung must be having a blast without you to weigh him down. He had Jimin after all. God, how you hated that name. You’ve never met anyone named Jimin that wasn’t a giant pain in the ass. You hated him so much that if he was standing there in front of you right now, you would smash the wine bottle in his stupid and entertaining face. You’ll even waste alcohol for him, that’s how much he sucked. Or maybe all this anger is just smoke and mirrors meant to hide the terrified girl who is afraid of losing her best friend to someone better. Taehyung and Jimin fit together like a lock and its key, like cookies and milk, like Chandler and Joey, like any fucking thing that was made to fit something else perfectly and doesn’t tolerate a third party. Funny how you and Taehyung are the couple, yet you were always the third wheel in this arrangement. You had sensed it the moment they first interacted. You and Taehyung were together at the national museum, a trip that you had planned to make on your own but that Taehyung insisted on tagging along in, spouting some nonsense about how he can “totally” partake in your interests and that being different doesn’t mean you couldn’t do stuff together. You were so excited to hear him say that. You always thought that the things you liked were boring to him because… well, because he often told you so, but now he was making an effort to get involved in them, and you couldn’t be happier. You were always the one who had to do the stuff that he liked, not that you ever told him that, and now he was finally reciprocating. Taehyung was finally maturing. Of course, you must have been thinking of alternate universe Taehyung because your Taehyung couldn’t handle forty-five minutes of the tour before he threw a fit. When he had whined for the 6th time about how “No one gives a crap, they’re all dead anyway”, you didn’t get a chance to chastise him because your bickering was interrupted by a stranger. “I know! I’ve been contemplating breaking the glass case and impaling myself on that spear just to get a single reaction out of that monotonous monument.” A short, chubby-cheeked guy said referring to your guide, “No offense to the actual statues.” Taehyung’s laughter rang out in the quiet section and bounced off the still relics of ancient times, imparting them with a split-second touch of life before he was promptly hushed by the severe-looking and frowning guide.   “Whoops, you’ve angered it now.” Taehyung said and they both chuckled under their breaths. You scrutinized the pair as they exchanged names and started chatting amiably like two children who have just met on the playground and discovered that they both liked the same superhero. Something in your chest constricted painfully at the thought but you quickly dismissed it, choosing to try to shut up the chatty couple, “Guys, I actually want to pay attention here.” They made a face at you and started moving someplace else where they could talk. You watched their retreating forms and a heaviness settled on your heart at how easily Taehyung abandoned you. Maybe it was stupid, after all they had only just met and the bored Taehyung would’ve jumped on anything that was even slightly entertaining to escape the historical prison you loved so much, but it still hurt. Your train of despairing thoughts was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and slamming shut and pounding footsteps heading for your door. The door-handle jerked furiously up and down, indicating that the person behind it was trying to come in. “____! ____, baby, open the door. I’m so sorry. Please, open the door.” You stayed silent, hoping he would think you were asleep already and leave you alone. You couldn’t face him right now. If you opened the door to him and allowed him to talk to you, you might end up doing something stupid like say how you really feel, and you didn’t want that because what if it turned out to be true? No, you couldn’t handle it. “I know you’re not sleeping. You can never sleep when you’re anxious, and I know you’re really anxious right now, and I’m the jerk who made you feel this way. I’ll do anything to make it up to you, baby, just let me see you. Let me know that you’re OK.” There was no way to trick him, he knew you too well. He never stops knocking on the door; his fists must be bruised by now. You don’t know if his knocks have gotten louder or if your reeling brain is amplifying the noise but it feels like he is pounding on your skull and you don’t think you could bear it much longer. You stumbled to the door and threw it open. “Look it’s my loving boyfriend who finally remembered my existence.” You threw your hands out and the bottle dropped from your hand and shattered on the floor, painting your legs and the carpet red, but you paid it no mind and slurred on, “The light of my life, the shine to my stars.” “Are you drunk?” Taehyung exclaimed and rushed to you, dragging you away from the glass shards. “You’re not supposed to drink. The counselor said your anxiety makes you liable for addiction. You told me you weren’t going to drink again.” “Are you disappointed in me? Did I promise you something and then went back on my word? Do you feel let down? Gee, I wonder how that feels like.” You mocked. “I trusted you, Taehyung. I knew you had the ability to hurt me more than anyone else in the world but I still opened up to you, and you betrayed me.” “Pumpkin, I know what I did was wrong but don’t you think you’re blowing things out of proportion here?“ He said, not understanding your behavior. “You forgot about me for five hours to go play with your friend.” “You said it was okay.” “You said you’ll check up on me.” You fumed. “Something could’ve happened to me. I could’ve been lying dead in a ditch somewhere.” “Don’t say that.” He shrank away as if he could physically get away from the idea. “Is it because you already had me?” “What?” Taehyung didn’t know how to respond to the strange question. “You’ve had a crush on me since preschool, right? And over the years, you must have built up this fantasy version of what it would be like to date me, a version I can never live up to, and now that you have me you’re underwhelmed by how much it doesn’t compare to your imagination. So you can’t stand being around me anymore and you spend all your time with Jimin.” You explained, going off like a mad scientist. “What? No, what are you talking about!” “Or, or maybe I was just something that you needed to get out of your system. You’ve befriended me all these years so you could have me and now that you did, you have no use for me anymore.” “OK, sweetie, you’re losing it here. That’s not it at all. I love you, I still do and I always will.” “Then what?” “What?” “You just said ‘that’s not it’, then there must be an ‘it’. What is it?” “No, no there is no it. There was never an it.” Taehyung’s babbled. If you were sober, you wouldn’t have missed the way his face paled and sweat beaded at his hairline. “It’s just… it’s because Jimin is new, and you know how friendships are always exciting and fun when they’re new, but what you and I have is so much deeper. We might not have that need to see each other all the time like with Jimin but it’s more solid and stable.” “New?” You contemplated. “Yes, exactly, new.” Taehyung engulfed you in his arms. “New…” “Yeah, see, there is nothing for you to worry about.” He tucked a hair behind your ear, which did nothing to tame the wild mane you made with your hands, and lifted your chin to make you look at him. “I got it!” You exclaimed and he jumped from the sudden shriek. “We should take a break.” “A break, why?” He sputtered, not able to keep up with your whirlwind you were putting him through. “If the reason why you’re bored of me is because we’ve known each other for a long time and we’re always together then we should take a break so you’d miss me again.” You said in a happy tone as if you’d just suggested going out for ice cream. “I’m not bored of you! I love you. This is completely ridiculous.” “Yeah, yeah, you love me whatever. I’ll just be gone for a couple of weeks.” You wave your hand dismissively and turn your back to him, heading for your room. He reaches out to stop you, “No, I didn’t agree to this!” “You’re right. You’re completely right. I shouldn’t leave, that’s stupid” You smack your head, laughing. Taehyung laughs along, thinking that you’ve come to your senses. “You should leave. If you like Jimin because he’s new then you should go and spend more time with him so he won’t be new anymore and you’ll love me again.” You shrieked, eyes going scarily wide and ran for his room. By the time he caught up to you, you already had his suitcase out and were rummaging through his closet. He tries calling your name a couple of time but you don’t acknowledge him so he shouts, startling you and making you drop the clothes you were holding. “Ugh, Tae, you scared me.” You giggle then pick the clothes right up and put them in the suitcase. He moves in front of you and corners you between himself and the bed, “Sweetie, sweetie, hey! You’re being a little cuckoo here. Let’s just calm down and go to sleep.” He speaks slowly. “We’ll take about this tomorrow when you’re sober… and not a certified lunatic.” “I can’t wait that long. I want my Taetae back.” Your grab his head to try to kiss him but you’ve lost all sense of dexterity a bottle ago and you end up smashing his nose against your forehead. “Oh fuck,” Taehyung grabs his nose, eyes watering. “I’m so sorry.” You say with an exaggerated gasp and try to touch him again. “No, it’s alright. Stay there.” He backs away from you, “Hey, I know what would make this better, a gift! I got something for you on the way here.” You eye him skeptically, “If you’re bluffing just to get me to let this go then it won’t work.” Your face splits into a stupid, drunken smile. “I love you more than any gift.” You try to kiss him but he rushes to the door. “No, really I got you something you’ll absolutely love. Wait here.” He pounds to the entrance of the apartment and you hear the sound of the door being thrown open. You wait for some time before you got bored and followed him. “Tae, you’re wasting precious tim— what is going on?“ You found Taehyung dashing back and forth erratically from the apartment to the hallway seemingly looking for something. “OK, don’t get mad at me but I lost it.” “How can you lose a gift? It must be right where you left it. It’s not like it sprouted legs and started walking around.” The mental image of a gift box with human legs walking around made your inebriated self crack up.   “It’s kind of an animate gif.” He cringes away from you, “I got a puppy.” “You what?!” “I see how you always stop to pet dogs on the street and how you gush over them so I thought getting you one would make you happy… but I guess not.” Taehyung was digging out imaginary dirt from under his nails and not looking at you directly. “See, this is exactly what I’m talking about. Dogs are living beings that need constant care and love. They’re not something you gift someone so they won’t be mad at you anymore. God, you are such a child.” You pinched the bridge of your nose. You were so angry you were starting to get a headache already but at least it was sobering you up. You push him out of the way and started looking for that poor dog. He must he so scared right now, alone and in such an unfamiliar place. Taehyung followed you like a second shadow, babbling any combination of sweet sentences that might get you to forgive him. “I’m sorry, pumpkin, I’m an idiot. You’ve always been the brains of this relationship, that’s why I need you. Please don’t be mad at me. I’ll take him back first thing in the morning.” “Shut up, Tae.” “No, really I fucked up and I’m—“ You clamp your hand over his mouth and hush him. You listen closely, and you hear the faint yapping sound again. It was coming from inside the apartment. You follow the sound to see that it originated from under the couch. Shinning a torch under the crack, you see the small brown-black mass of fur huddling in on itself. “Taehyung, lift the couch up.” He does what you say and you reach under it quickly and grab the puppy. “Aw, you poor little thing, did the bad, irresponsible man hurt you?” You cradled him in your arms and showered him in kisses. Taehyung kneeled next to you and patted the puppy, “Tell the nice lady that you’re fine. We were just having a little game of hide and seek you and I.” You slapped his hand off, “Don’t touch him. Haven’t you done enough?” You got up and headed for your room, Taehyung hot on your heels. “Don’t be like that, baby. I said I’m sorry.” “Did you hear that? He said he’s sorry, so everything is all better now. It doesn’t matter that he forgot about me for hours and that he lost you and put your life in danger. He said he’s sorry so it’s all okay now!” “Don’t bring the dog into this. He’s young and he doesn’t need this kind of stuff pushed on him. He’ll grow up to have issues.” “Very funny, Tae. You’re a real funny guy. You know what else is funny? Your chances of sleeping in the same bed as me this month.” “But I can’t sleep without you. I get scared.” He says referring to his childhood fear of the monsters under his bed. A fear that he quickly outgrew but has used as an excuse to continue sleeping in your bed as kids, and now he is using it to get you to go easy on him, and it’s working. “And you can’t sleep without me, not when you’re this anxious. We can take a time out and cuddle and I will play with your hair and sing you to sleep and it will all be better.” He cupped your cheek, softly caressing it and you found yourself unconsciously leaning into his touch. “No, I’m mad at you. You cuddles will feel like an iron maiden to me. An iron maiden!” You try to push him out and shut the door in his face but he was much stronger than you, especially in your current state. You grab random stuff from around your room and throw it in his direction, books and pens missing him by a wide margin. “Get out.” You scream but he just heads towards you, the closer range allowing you to get some actual hits in before he scoops you up in his arms and lays you on the bed. The moment your head touched the pillows, all strength went out of you. You were too tired to fight any longer, he would win anyway. You went to sleep that night with the puppy nuzzling into you front the front and Taehyung cuddling you from behind like his life depended on it.

Something wet and sloppy was lathering up and down your face. You backed away from the gross smell, but the moment you opened your eyes, bombs exploded inside your skull. You threw your arm over your eyes, shielding them from the assault of the much too bright light coming from the windows. Did a nuclear bomb just explode or something? The bed shifted as the warmth that was engulfing you disappeared. There was a rustling in the room before the light was mercifully cut off. More rustling ensued then the bed dipped down and someone removed your arm from over your eyes. Taehyung sat on the bed with a cup of water and a pill in his hand, “Here, take this. It’ll help with the headache.” You took them from his hand and swallowed the pill gratefully, emptying the rest of the cup to try to fight off the dehydration. Taehyung watched you cautiously, eyes and mouth wide with his signature blank stare. You cleared your throat and said, “I’m gonna go get something to feed the puppy. He must be starving.” “No, that’s okay. I fed him earlier and even cleaned up after the mess he made.” Taehyung made a disgusted face and you laughed despite yourself. He looked back at you, eyes sparkling with hope. “Then I guess there is no need for me to get out of bed.” “What about your lectures?” Taehyung asked. “I’m too tired and it’s too cozy under this blanket to leave it and go face the bad, bad world outside.” You pouted, snuggling deeper into the covers. Taehyung smiled, half happy that you were joking with him again and half nervous because he didn’t know what he was supposed to do now. You saw the struggle on his face as he contemplated whether he should stay or go. Making the decision for him, you pull him under the covers with you. “Will you stay with me?” “Of course,” He gushed, relieved. You smiled and nuzzled your forehead into his neck. He put his hand on your back, drawing wide invisible circles on it, making you hum contently. “I’m sorry.” “It’s fine. I was just emotional from the stress of the rides.” “No, I mean about not spending time with you lately.” “Tae… what is really going on?” You said in a whisper, almost hoping he wouldn’t hear you. There was a beat of silence, and then came his answer. “Nothing, I promise. There is nothing to worry about, pumpkin.” He kissed the top of your head. You turned your head up trying to look at him but you couldn’t see his face from this angle. It didn’t feel like nothing, but Taehyung never lied to your before and you weren’t about to start doubting him. “Are you okay?” Taehyung murmured. “Yeah, I am. It’s just…” You thought about just fessing up and telling him what was bothering you, but all you could think about was how pathetic it would sound to him. You always had a way of making a big deal out of the tiniest things and Taehyung was always the one keeping you grounded, but when the issue involved the very foundation of your friendship, it wasn’t as easy to just speak up. What if it just made things awkward between the both of you? You pushed it to the back of your mind and went with the next best thing. ”I’m just lonely, I guess. You’re the only real friend I have since preschool and now you have Jimin and suddenly you’re not always there around me anymore. I guess if I had someone too, I wouldn’t be feeling this bad.” You didn’t lie to him. That was the truth, but only a part of it. He pulled you closer and murmured, “You’ll find someone, pumpkin. Any person would be lucky to have you as a friend. I know I am.” Then why are you avoiding me?   Those were his words then, but when the time came that you found that friend in Kim Namjoon, Taehyung had completely changed his tune.

Author’s Note: This was pretty disappointing tbh, but hopefully the next chapter will be much better. This is a pretty short series btw so it will only have the next chapter and then the epilogue.