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kimvvantae · 5 years ago

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puzzle; 6 (m)

➜ you and jungkook are best friends of a lifetime, even though your personalities are like unmatching pieces of a puzzle. the line between friendship and something more has never been crossed between you two - but that changes after a break up and a drunken night, when you not-so-accidentally cross this line to something much more. what happens when after this accident your non-matching puzzle pieces seem to match in a way you’ve never imagined?

pairing: jungkook x (f) reader

genre: smut, angst, comedy; friends with benefits au; college au

warnings: lots of swearing, unprotected sex (use condoms y’all kids)

rating: 18+

word count: 13k wooohoooooo

A/N: i listened to the same 4 songs over and over again while writing and i think it kind of sets the mood for this chapter so hm if you guys like listening to music while reading here goes a small playlist:

Jungkook - If you (read the lyrics pls)

Whitesnake - Is This Love

BTS - Jamais Vu

Sam Smith - Lay Me Down

enjoy!

➜ Chapters: check up masterlist in bio!

�� playlist »

“You’re acting weird.”

You finally look up when you hear this, just to see Hoseok frowning at you.

“I’m not.” You’re quick to say, shrugging.

“You’re really acting weird. Is everything okay?” Hoseok insists, crossing his arms.

Hoseok is not what bothers you the most, though, but another pair of eyes watching you like a hawk.

Jimin knows why you’re acting weird. Since that day at Joy’s house, he has been staring at you like this constantly - half judging, half worried.

It’s very annoying, to be honest.

“I’m just… a little bit stressed.” You admit, shrugging again. Fortunately, Hoseok isn’t as observant as Jimin, so he seems convinced.

“So, what did you guys want?” You ask, changing the topic. They came after you in the cafeteria while you have lunch after all.

“Ah! I almost forgot,” Hoseok starts. “You quit your job at the coffee shop, right?”

“Yes. It was way too stressful and my boss was a bitch.” You huff.

“So you’ll be free this weekend?” He asks. You nod, but if he’s about to invite you to a party or something, you’re ready to say no. “The thing is, you know that me and Jimin have this job as waiters, right? There’s a wedding this weekend and they’re needing staff. So, if you’re interested, you can come with us on Saturday night. The payment is decent and it’s just easy stuff to do.”

Your mood lightens up at this. “Yeah, sure! I’ll go. I really need money right now.”

Hoseok smiles and claps his hands together. “Alright! I’ll send you all the information later. They’ll give you a uniform, so don’t worry about clothes. I have to go now. Bye!”

He leaves.

Jimin stays.

You just keep eating quietly, Jimin’s heavy gaze on you, until you finally get annoyed.

“Jimin, what do you want?” You cross your arms and glare back.

Jimin slowly quirks one eyebrow. “Won’t you ask me if Jungkook’s going?”

“Why would I ask if he’s going or not?”

“Because you guys aren’t talking anymore.”

“Thank you so much for reminding me of this, Jimin."

He realised that he went a little too far just by seeing your clenched jaw and the anger in your eyes. Jimin sighs and shrugs. "Anyways, yes, Jungkook is going. But not to work as a waiter, he’ll take pictures instead.”

“So what?"

Jimin swipes his hand over his face and shakes his head as if he can’t believe what he’s seeing. "I think you’re so stupid. Both of you. My fucking God.”

“You know what, Jimin? That’s none of your business.” You finally get up and take the tray rather roughly, walking away without looking back.

Maybe you were a little too rude with Jimin, but he’s being unbearable these days.

It’s been one month since that day at Joy’s house - one month since you and Jungkook have been avoiding each other like the plague.

And maybe you were a little too rude with him because deep down, you know he’s right.

As usual.

tae: wyd?? 👀👀

you: working

tae: ??? didn’t u quit ur job

you: yea

you: it’s one night thing

you: i need the 💸💸

tae: oh

tae: ok

tae: i’ll ask later then

you: wAIT

you: ask what??????

tae: later

tae: u should work first~

you: but im curious

you: i can’t work if im curious >:(

tae: 🙊

you: tae????

you: taeeeeeeee

you: TAEHYUNG

He doesn’t reply anymore.

You groan, shoving your phone on your back pocket again, and leave the restroom. The guests hadn’t arrived yet since the wedding ceremony is still ongoing, but the kitchen is already a mess: people yelling orders, the delicious scent of good food in the air, cooks cooking (duh) and waiters getting ready. The boss has already given you the last instructions, but it’s not as if working in an event like this is a difficult task: serve the guests, smile, be polite, walk around the hall, try not to break the crystal glasses that cost more than what you can pay.

The hotel is pretty fancy, actually. You were expecting a smaller wedding. Not that this is a problem, of course. The only problem here are the heels that all women are forced to use; it’s not too high, but walking around endlessly the whole night in these will be painful for sure. The rest of the uniform is that standard - black pants, white button shirt, black vest and bow tie, hair tied in a perfect high bun, simple makeup.

You walk to the hall to make the last adjustments in the decoration. Pretty much everything is in place, so there isn’t much to do. The tables are organized, the floor is pristinely clean, the white flower bouquets are in place. A DJ will be in charge of music tonight.

You stand at the back of the hall, almost hidden, just to check your phone once more; no new texts. Now, you can’t stop thinking about what Taehyung wants to ask. He knows you’d get all curious. You and Taehyung have grown closer these days: late phone calls, endless texts, random memes at random times. You hadn’t gone on a proper date yet, though - and you don’t think you want to.

Taehyung is a nice guy and a good friend, but you don’t want to take things to the next level - even though this seems to be Taehyung’s intention since the beginning. He has been insisting in you for quite a long time now meanwhile all you do is keep a certain distance. You didn’t really give him any real hopes yet and you’re afraid that Taehyung might be reading your actions in the wrong way. Truth be told, it’ll be so shitty of you to keep his hopes high when you won’t go anywhere with this.

Your feelings are all messed up.

Because you shouldn’t even be feeling anything in the first place.

Ironically, you’ve never been friends with benefits with anyone before. You did have some fuck buddies in the past, though - but you were never friends with any of them. You never got involved with any of your actual friends. Sure, there was that night when drunk-you and drunk-Jimin made out at a party (you don’t talk about it), but at that time, you had just joined college and neither you nor Jungkook were close to Jimin yet, so it doesn’t really count. Also, you and Jimin never had sex - you just kissed, nothing more.

But of course dumb you had to be friends with benefits with your best fucking friend. Of course you had to destroy your friendship like that. Everyone knows that sex is a friendship destroyer. Everyone!

One month without Jungkook felt like being in the desert without rain. You have good friends, but none of them are that special person that’s somehow able to read you mind and understand you even if you don’t say anything. None of them know the type of meme you’d laugh at, none of them sent you random snaps at random times of the day. Worst of all - you didn’t watch Endgame together, when you’ve been watching every Marvel film together ever since you both started obsessing over heroes years ago. Every. Single. Marvel. Film.

You didn’t get to see Jungkook crying during the last scenes of Endgame. Jimin didn’t say if he cried or not, but you know he cried.

That’s devastating.

Truth be told, you don’t even miss sex. Sure, you and Jungkook are the perfect match in bed, and you caught yourself masturbating at night wishing it were Jungkook’s fingers inside of you instead (touching yourself has never been so depressing), but what you actually miss to the point it hurts your chest are the small, familiar things. The comfortable silence. The funny banter. Going to Burger King together late at night after a party or when none of you want to cook. Showing each other funny videos or discussing about the latest chapter of the manga you’re both reading. Jungkook ignoring your texts for hours because he’s too focused on playing Overwatch. You even miss the way he never lets you eat the last slice of pizza, goddammit.

You simply miss him.

What leads you to another thought - something that has been growing stronger in your mind.

After days of self denial, you finally admitted that you were jealous of Jungkook and Joy.

There’s no other explanation for the way you acted that day at her house. You were mad that she was touching him and getting too close. That’s weird. You’ve never really been the jealous type. You never minded when people tried to flirt with Jungkook.

You’re not jealous of friends.

Even so, you had a jealousy attack and didn’t rest until Jungkook’s attention was yours again.

Being totally honest with yourself, you’ve been jealous of Joy ever since you found out she was interested in him.

…what the fuck?

Something inside of you have changed, and only now you’re brave enough to admit. Somewhere along the road, you stopped seeing Jungkook as just a friend. He’s currently in that blurry and confusing level - not only a friend, but at the same time, not more than a friend. You don’t know what the fuck he is anymore.

More importantly… do you want to be more than friends?

If you and Jungkook make up, will you be able to go back to what it was - just friends?

Or are you just being possessive? Did you start seeing him in a different way just because you realized you’re about to lose him?

You don’t know the answer to none of those questions. What you know at the moment is that being away from him fucking hurts. You have the same friends, go to the same places, study at the same university, but barely see each other anymore. What’s that thing people say? You just start valuing things after you lose them.

Jimin asked you not to play with Jungkook’s feelings. What he doesn’t know, though, is that you’re so confused about yours that you don’t have time to play with his feelings.

When you realize the guests are about to come, you force your brain to focus on your current task. You stand back with the rest of the waiters as, slowly, the elegant guests get into the hall, sitting at their respective tables, and soon the place is filled with conversation, laughter and music.

After everyone took their places, the main couple finally come.

The lights change. The DJ plays a special song. Guests stand up and applaud when they enter the hall, smiling, and walk to the center to have their first dance as a married couple.

You could have noticed how the bride’s dress was beautiful. You could have noticed how her front teeth was dirty with lipstick and how the groom tried to discreetly tell her about this. You could have even noticed how one of the kids was starting to have a tantrum and his mother half-screamed, half-whispered, if you don’t be quiet you’ll be grounded for one month!

But you don’t notice any of that, because the photographer enters the hall right after the couple does.

Your heart flutters in a funny way.

Jungkook is wearing a suit (you don’t even remember the last time you saw him in a suit); black and simple, but it fits him so well. He isn’t much different from all the other man, except for his long hair - his black hair is so long he can probably tie it now - and his ear piercings. He holds his camera to eye level, capturing every moment he can from the couple’s first dance, a backpack with other tools hanging from his shoulder.

Everyone else is focusing on the couple - but you can’t look at anything else but him.

He looks so handsome and focused and hot and-

Hey, you’re here to work!, you remind yourself angrily, shaking your head and walking back to the kitchen.

Drink after drink, tray after tray - you and the other waiters and waitresses walk around the hall to serve the guests. It’s not a difficult work, but still tiring nevertheless. It’s also hard to balance yourself and the trays with these high heels. Soon, you’re immersed in the work and momentarily forget about everything else, although (unconsciously) you try to avoid being seen by a specific someone.

Time passes by and the party goes on. Parents make heartfelt speeches, everyone cries. The DJ plays popular songs and soon the dancefloor is full. Alcohol already starts to get into their heads. Men are either speaking and laughing too loud or crying, hugging the groom. Women already forgot their high heels and their elegance, twerking shamelessly and screaming. Kids do the usual - run, yell, fall and cry - and they almost throw you on the ground twice. Someone spills champagne on the floor; you rush to clean it before someone ends up slipping. There’s the eventual noise of glass breaking. A certain dude has asked for your help far too much and you start to avoid him, noticing that he’s staring at your ass. Another guest pukes and is taken to the infirmary. As usual, you hear old women complaining about the food, how the decoration is ugly, how one waiter was rude, how the DJ doesn’t play the songs they want-

“The photographer is so hot! What’s his name?!” You hear someone giggling.

You gulp.

Jungkook is just doing his job, but that boy can’t go unnoticed, not even when he tries. You don’t know if he saw you yet, and honestly, you hope he didn’t.

Just do your job. Just do your job.

The night goes on. Your left foot hurts and you need to pee, but gladly most of the guests have already left - the groom and bride left first and the party went on without them -, the hall is almost empty, which means it’s almost ending. Now, you busy yourself with cleaning the hall.

“Man, I’m dead,” Hoseok groans, stretching his back. You nod, putting some empty glasses on a tray to take them back to the kitchen.

“Now imagine bearing it all in heels,” you say, not being able to keep your nice posture anymore. Not that there are many guests anyway - most are too drunk or sleeping on the tables. The DJ is still diligently playing, though.

“The night was productive after all,” Jimin chirps happily, approaching you two with a smug grin on his lips. You see he’s holding a small paper between his fingers… someone’s phone number.

“Son of a bitch,” you say under your breath. Jimin just shrugs and smirks. Much obviously, you apologized for your rudeness before you came. The fact that he forgave you so easily made everything worse, honestly. Jimin is a nice guy with his friends (way too nice for his own good sometimes) and it just shows how he doesn’t deserve to be treated in a rude way.

“I’m just taking the chances life gives me!” He chirps again, making you roll your eyes.

“Anyways, what’s wrong with Jungkook?” Hoseok wonders, crossing his arms and frowning. “He didn’t come over the entire night. Is he avoiding us?”

You gulp.

Instantly, your eyes travel to where he stands in the nearly-empty dance floor. He smiles politely to some women that stand around him. Everyone’s obviously too drunk and they’re probably talking nonsense.

He’s avoiding me, you realize sadly.

“He’s working, Hoseok. His job won’t end if the guests keep asking for pictures.” Jimin is quick to say, what indeed makes sense, but Jimin also knows very well why he has been keeping his distance. Hoseok is the only one that doesn’t notice the strange tension in the air.

When you notice you’ve been staring for an embarrassing long time, you immediately shift your gaze to the dirty plates in front of you, organizing them in a pile to take them to the kitchen. You came here to work. That’s it. Focus-

An excited scream tears the air.

“I loooove this song!” One of the girls on the dance floor scream, the one that has been clinging on Jungkook ever since the crowd started to dissipate. Much obviously tipsy, her eyes were glued on him the entire night (not that you’ve been noticing the people checking him out. Of course not). “Jungkookie, dance with me!”

You almost gasp.

Jungkookie?!

That’s when you finally notice the face Jungkook is making - and you try your best not to laugh.

He has that look that means oh my fucking God someone please take me out of this situation.

The two boys by your side don’t try to hide the laughter as well as you, watching the desperate Jungkook try to turn her offer down - an awkward smile, eyes shifting from her, a muttered apology (I still have some work to do…) but the thirsty girl is surprisingly insistent (you can stop for a little bit, come on!).

“I feel sorry for him,” Hoseok almost chokes as he tries to stop his giggles. You kind of feel sorry, too. He can’t be rude to a customer, otherwise he’d be punched by her relatives - not that Jungkook would be rude anyway. He steps back, scratches the back of his neck. The girl is almost climbing him. He looks around desperately, trying to find a way to escape-

“Why don’t you help him, Y/N?” Jimin says sweetly.

You side eye the sugar-coated snake you call friend. “Jimin.” Is all you say in a warning manner.

Someone that doesn’t understand the situation wouldn’t think anything weird, because you’re actually used to save Jungkook from crazy girls. The thing is, sometimes he’s too nice to turn girls down - and yes, girls do chase him. When he’s not interested in them, you’d usually understand the situation and run on his rescue, most times pretending to be his girlfriend so the girls would stop bothering him. It’s something funny and you’d always laugh your asses off right after.

Not now.

You definitely don’t want to laugh now.

Jimin is being far from innocent. He just wants to push you two into each other. He may have good intentions, but he’s not considering the fact that you don’t feel ready to face Jungkook - not when your feelings are so messed up. This ain’t happening.

“Yeah, Y/N. Jungkook looks pretty desperate,” Hoseok remarks, again, oblivious to the tension lingering in the air.

“Jungkook can handle himself very well. He doesn’t need my help.” Even though Jimin feels your menacing glare and sees your jaw clench, this boy is very brave and insists:

“Come on, Y/N! It won’t hurt.” He says innocently.

Yes, it will hurt. It already hurts, dumbass.

“Did you guys forget that we’re here to work? I don’t want to be reprimanded.”

“The hall is near empty. There’s literally nothing to do anymore.” Hoseok doesn’t understand why you’re glaring at him now.

You’re trying to control your nerves, but it’s getting hard not to feel your stomach jump in a weird way and your fingertips tremble. Just the idea of approaching him makes you weak, and not in a good way. Why these people can’t just leave you alone?!

“Do you think that avoiding him forever will work?” Jimin hisses on your ear, low enough so only you can listen, finally showing how pissed he really is.

What he says gets you.

Avoiding each other isn’t working, you know this very well. You remember the way you used to deal with things in the past - talking. Sure, you won’t be able to really talk right now, but at least you’ll have a chance to approach him.

You don’t want to. You really don’t. But at the same time, you want to. You miss Jungkook.

Besides, he can’t run away from you in this situation.

You take a deep breath and gulp, trying to ease the tension. Come on. I know Jungkook. He’s the same bastard I’ve known my whole life. Stop being a pussy. I’m not a pussy!

“Just to make clear,” you whisper back to Jimin. “I fucking hate you.”

“You love me.” You wish you could rip that triumphant smirk off his face.

You walk over to the dance floor.

The few couples dance slowly and intimately. Because of course it had to be a slow dance. Of course it had to be a romantic song. Haha. Of course. The Universe must be playing some trick on you.

Jungkook managed to run away from the girl, trying to hide in the corner of the hall, and she’s searching for him like a hawk. You wonder if she’s this drunk or if she’s just stupid. A guy literally running away from you isn’t already a message enough?

You walk quickly to where he stands, and the moment Jungkook turns around and lays his eyes on you, shock covers his features.

“Y/N-?”

“Quick, dance with me,” you say hurriedly, placing his hands on your waist. “She’s coming.”

Instead of questioning, Jungkook immediately starts to play along as you place your own hands on his shoulders. You discreetly watch when the girl finally finds you.

She stops on her tracks.

“She saw us?” He asks without looking back.

“Yes.”

“And?”

You see fire in her eyes.

“If she had a gun, she’d probably shoot me.” The girl looks outraged that you stole her chance to grind on him. “Oh, she’s turning away.”

Jungkook sighs in relief. “Thanks God. She’s been bothering me all night!” You can’t help but giggle.

For a millisecond, it feels like nothing has changed.

But then you look at each other for the first time.

It might be dramatic, but you almost feel that the temperature drops around you.

Oh shit.

You avoid each other’s gazes at the same time. It feels so tremendously awkward to be in front of him again - especially when you’re slow dancing in the dim light of the hall, almost hidden. It feels uncomfortably intimate. Especially because you’re both keeping a distance that normal couples wouldn’t. You probably look like a weird couple at a prom party that were forced to dance together.

It feels foreign.

The way you touch each other doesn’t feel right. You have touched each other in the most intimate and obscene ways, yet the simple touch of his hands on your waist doesn’t feel right. Despite this, you feel your blood boiling with a strange type of excitement; you missed him so damn much. Even in this uncomfortable situation, you can’t help but feel a little bit happy. You didn’t know you’ve been craving for his touch so much up until now.

What’s weird is that you don’t even feel like this in a sexual way. You’re not aroused. Considering how your relationship became strictly sexual these past months, your lack of arousal to be around him is weird.

The butterflies in your stomach and the way your hands are shaking a little bit is also weird.

For some moments, you just sway from side to side in an overwhelming silence. You have no choice but to listen intently to the song being played. As if you already don’t feel fucked up enough, you’re forced to listen to a love song - an 80s love song on top of that. Of course it has to be Is This Love by Whitesnake. Of course. Haha.

“Uhm… thanks.” Jungkook finally breaks the silence. His voice lacks confidence. He probably never talked to you like this.

“Just helping out a friend,” you say and instant regret smashes you. You don’t know if he’s still your friend.

Jungkook looks scarily annoyed for a second. “A friend. Sure.”

Is it inappropriate to notice how he looks handsome when he clenches his jaw?

Honestly, has Jungkook always been this handsome?

Sure, he has always been like this. Maybe not seeing him in a long time made you feel this way. His hair has grown a lot. He looks extra fine in this suit. Every man looks better in a suit, but Jungkook looks like a deity.

The butterflies in your stomach are going crazy.

You did miss him a lot.

The silence makes you pay attention to the song again.

Wasted days and sleepless nights

But I can’t wait to see you again…

Hah, I know how it feels, you think - what makes you widen your eyes, shocked with your own thoughts. No. You won’t suddenly relate to a cliche 80s love song.

Right?

“H-How’s school going?” You stutter. Are you trying to do small talk? For real?

“It’s doing fine,” he simply says. Oh fuck. Not good. He sounds so uninterested in your weak attempt at engaging a conversation it hurts. You came here to try and talk about what really matters, but you don’t feel ready to do it yet. Can’t he understand it?!

It looks like your presence bothers him, honestly.

That’s new.

Wow. Your heart suddenly feels clenched.

Awkward.

Why am I feeling this way?

A heavy silence weighs on you again. This isn’t going as planned - not that you planned anything in the first place. You’re going through a lot of weird sensations now.

Why is that?

You look at Jungkook timidly (timid and Jungkook are two words that used to not make any sense together in the past), but he doesn’t look back. You avoid his gaze again.

Being hit by a truck would hurt less.

What’s happening?

Why are you so damn confused?

When the song hits its chorus, you start to think the Universe is definitely playing with you. The deep voice of the singer floats in the air:

Is this love

That I’m feeling?

Is this the love

That I’ve been searching for?

Fuck you, Whitesnake.

For real.

Fuck. You.

“Did Taehyung ask you?”

This brings you back to reality in an instant.

“What?” You look at him, confused. Why is he talking about Taehyung of all people out of nowhere?

You’ve always been very good at reading Jungkook, but right now, he’s unreadable.

“So he didn’t.” He says blatantly, devoid of any emotion. “I thought he would have already.”

“What are you talking about?”

“He talked to me about a double date.” Jungkook replies, looking back at you for the first time - again, a blank face. “You and him, me and Joy.”

Your blood honestly feels like frost.

It’s like you lost the ability to move or talk for a moment. You blink and gulp, trying to keep composed.

“What? Why?”

“Because he said it’d be fun. And less awkward, since I’m not very close to Joy yet and you’re not very close to him.”

Again, you don’t say anything for long seconds.

“But we’d just be cockblocking each other during the whole date,” you say.

“I know. I think the idea of a double date sounds weird, too. It’s not as if we don’t know them.”

You remember what Taehyung texted you earlier today; he said he’d ask something later. Is he going to ask you out?

He thinks that, since you and Jungkook are best friends, you could ease the tension and even help each other out.

This is so fucked up.

The immediate answer that comes to your mind is no. You don’t want to go on a date with Taehyung when you’re not interested in him. It’d be cruel; you don’t want to keep his hopes high.

But as you’re about to say it, you stop.

What if Jungkook wants to go?

All this time, you’ve only been considering your feelings. Your confusion, your wishes - it’s always about you. You don’t know if you want to be just Jungkook’s friend, but you don’t know if he wants to be more than a friend - or if he wants to be your friend at all. The fuck buddies thing started because you asked. Not even once did you think about him.

Is this what Jimin meant when he asked you to not play with Jungkook’s feelings?

How selfish you’ve been acting all this time?

What if he’s been developing feelings for Joy and now decided to try something? He’s probably feeling hurt because you’ve not been acting like a good friend. You’re always putting yourself first.

That’s why you hear yourself asking:

“Do you want to go?”

It’s scary how every tiny little piece of you wishes he’ll say no.

But Jungkook tilts his head and says:

“Yes. I know it sounds weird, but we can part ways as soon as we get there.”

And this is the moment you feel as cold as you’ve never felt in your life.

It’s as if your ears got obstructed for a moment, because you can’t hear anything but your heartbeat. You can’t even see properly for a second. Yet, you ignore all that, gulp and nod.

It’s time to be a good friend for once.

It’s time to put Jungkook’s wishes first - even though it crushes your heart.

“Okay.” You say quietly.

You’re coming to the conclusion that you’re a walking disaster.

You’ve never been so nervous before a date in your life - but this is not the usual type of nervousness, when people are excited to meet their crush and impress them etc etc. You’re nervous because you don’t want to go. You thought of coming up with a thousand excuses (from the classical “I’m sick :(” to “Seulgi’s sick I gotta take care of her :(” to “my cat’s sick :(” but then you remembered you don’t have a cat to “I’m being chased by the police and I gotta leave the country :(”), but in the end, you couldn’t bring yourself to lie.

Not when Taehyung sounded so painfully happy when you said you’d go.

That’s why you should have said no: Taehyung doesn’t deserve this. He’s a good person and he will certainly get hurt when you tell him you’re not interested. Who cares about Jungkook? That fucker can go on a date by himself, he’s not a kid anymore.

But…

There’s something very tiny and mean inside of you called jealousy that didn’t let you simply text an honest apology to Taehyung.

And now it’s too late, because he’s standing at your door.

Handsome as always, Taehyung wears casual clothes: it’s almost as if he didn’t put much thought on it, but he still looks drop dead gorgeous on his black baggy pants, white shirt and black beret (no other man in this planet can manage to not look stupid in a beret other than Taehyung). As usual, your brain malfunctions as it tries to process his beauty.

He has a small, beautiful smile on his lips.

Shit.

“You look beautiful,” he says, and he sounds like he means it. You did put some effort on your clothes, makeup and hair after all. Being complimented by him feels nice.

Shit.

“Thanks. You too, but that’s just your usual self,” you say thoughtlessly and instant regret slaps your face again. Yes, bitch. Flirt with him. Make things more difficult.

Taehyung looks shy for a moment. The sight is endearing.

S. H. I. T.

“You’re just being nice to me.” He tilts his head. “So, let’s go?"

It’s too late to go back now, so you have no choice but to take his arm and show your most plastic smile. "Yeah.”

You’re definitely a walking disaster.

You two arrive in the park first and, instead of just showing your tickets and getting in, you’re forced to wait for the bastard and his hot date.

An amusement park of all places.

Not that you hate amusement parks, it’s pretty much the opposite. It’s just that everything feels so wrong. Especially how Taehyung is making a lot of effort to keep the conversation alive while you wait. It’s not hard to talk to him, though, because he’s an interesting person, but seeing his efforts hurts.

What hurts more is the sight of Jungkook and Joy arriving with locked arms.

You hope Taehyung didn’t notice you holding your breath.

Joy looks hot as always, but you don’t even look at her (yes, it’s not nice to be mad at someone that didn’t do anything wrong), eyes glued on Jungkook instead. Just like Taehyung, it seems that he didn’t put much thought on his clothes, only their styles are completely different: Jungkook wears an oversized grey t-shirt, black pants and sneakers. It might seem simple, but he can manage to look good in anything. Joy surely didn’t mind his choice of clothes.

You lock gazes for one second and proceed to avoid it.

The four of you greet. It’s hard to act natural, but you try to; you don’t want the two others to notice the weird tension between you and the black-haired bastard. Joy looks happy, too.

…

Shit.

Soon, you get into the amusement park. As expected, it’s crowded with kids, families and couples. The weather feels nice this afternoon.

“It’s been a long time since I don’t come to an amusement park,” you confess.

“Really? Then this was a good choice. I was worried if it’d be too cheesy…” he also confesses sheepishly.

“It’s not!” You reassure him. Joy agrees with you. Jungkook keeps silent. “I just have some traumatizing memories about amusement parks.”

Taehyung quirks one eyebrow. “What?”

You sigh.

You and Jungkook end up saying in unison:

“5th grade.”

You look at each other and avoid your gazes again.

“What? What happened on 5th grade?” Joy asks excitedly.

“Our school came to an amusement park that year,” Jungkook explains.

“Why was it traumatizing?” Taehyung still seems confused.

“Because… well…” you hesitate to say.

“Because she was so short back then that they didn’t let her go on the rollercoasters. And she cried the whole trip,” Jungkook suddenly says.

You glare at him.

He has a playful smirk on his lips.

“Oh, so what about you?” You can’t help but smile, too.

“What happened to him?” Joy asks.

“He laughed at me because I couldn’t ride, but he puked his lunch after he went on the coaster and spent half of the trip in the infirmary,” you reveal.

“You’re still bitter that you stayed with me in the infirmary?” He inquires.

“Of course I am! Also, you puked on my shoes!”

“I already apologized. Besides, I paid you banana milk for two entire weeks. Isn’t it enough?”

“It isn’t!”

“Are you saying that banana milk isn’t enough?!” He gasps. “You psycho.”

You both giggle.

Again, for one moment, it feels that everything is back to normal. You feel comfortable having these old memories, as if you never stopped being best friends, as if you have the intimacy to play like this again.

But it’s only for one moment.

You avoid gazes. It feels so out of place.

At least the sadness in Jungkook’s eyes shows that he feels the same about this all.

Before the tension between you two can become too strong, you change the topic and engage both Taehyung and Joy in the conversation - during that moment, you two forgot about them. As wrong as it is, Taehyung is your date for the night. He’s the one you should pay attention to.

So you try to completely ignore Jungkook’s existence for a while.

You only look at Taehyung and don’t even touch your phone. You answer his questions and ask things about him. It doesn’t feel like a punishment, though, because he is an interesting person and you genuinely enjoy his company.

But you can’t help but look at Jungkook from time to time.

You can’t help but notice his smiley-eyes as he looks at her. You can’t help but see their closure.

You can’t help but feel your heart clenching.

And then, you see yourself locking your arm with Taehyung’s.

“What’s that?” You say excitedly. “I wanna see it!”

You drag Taehyung away from the other couple until they disappear in the crowd. Only then you remember how to breathe again.

Considering all the odds, this going better than you expected.

You tried your best to completely erase Jungkook’s and Joy’s existence from your mind, and at some point it finally worked. Taehyung is a funny guy to be around. There’s something very particular and endearing about his personality that captivates you; he’s obviously trying to impress you, but he’s still being very honest. He has some type of innocence that makes you realize that this guy is seriously one of a kind. You can’t think of a single sign that he might be a bad person.

You’re genuinely enjoy this.

But not in the way Taehyung expects you to be enjoying it.

As wrong as it is, you unconsciously end up comparing him to Jungkook.

If Jungkook was your date, the first thing you’d both want to do is try all the rollercoasters and the wildest rides in this park. But Taehyung is scared of heights. You didn’t want to make the boy vomit his own stomach, so you ended up avoiding it - even though you really wanted to go on that orange coaster that looks high as fuck.

Taehyung didn’t really get your jokes. The fact that he still laughed politely is cute, but still - Jungkook and you have the same sense of humor. You two like the same stupid type of meme. It felt strange when you had to explain more than once a certain joke so Taehyung could understand.

Taehyung didn’t know your favorite ice cream flavor or your favorite soda. He doesn’t know the kind of movie you like, nor your favorite series, nor your favorite singers. You know you’re being stupid - the whole point of going on a date is to get to know each other, but every now and then you end up remembering how Jungkook knows every dumb detail about you…

What makes you realize that, as much as Taehyung is an amazing guy, you are too different from each other.

What also makes you realize that, maybe… you don’t really want to get to know anyone else.

And suddenly, an image starts to build in your mind - an image you try very hard to erase, but it’s already too strong to be forgotten.

Instead of Taehyung, you arm is locked with Jungkook’s. You’re both laughing and having fun, just like things used to be. Only now you’re not just friends.

It’s the first time in all these years that you see yourself dating Jungkook clearly. Painfully clearly.

The cotton candy you’re eating suddenly tastes like iron on your tongue. You feel your throat tightening. All of this became painful. The fact that you’re trying so hard to forget Jungkook for a few minutes, yet he’s everything you can think of. The fact that he’s in the same park as you having a date with another girl - said girl that is a friend, by the way, someone you encouraged to be with Jungkook, and now you’re hating her existence even though she did nothing wrong, all because of jealousy. There’s also the fact that Jungkook is much obviously avoiding you.

And the most painful fact of all-

“Are you okay, YN?” Taehyung asks, the smile vanishing from his lips the moment he sees your expression.

The fact that this incredible person likes you much more than you expected. It’s obvious now that you look at his eyes. He really likes you - a funny, smart and special guy, someone that didn’t check his phone not even once ever since this date started, someone that has been trying his hardest to make sure you’re having fun, a guy that is usually very confident, but at the moment looks very uneasy around you.

He’s the perfect guy. He wasn’t disrespectful, wasn’t trying to get into your pants, treated you very well. You went on dates that were far worse than this. There was nothing wrong with him. You’re also sure he’d be a loving and caring boyfriend.

But all you can think of is Jungkook.

And even though you knew this date wouldn’t work, you still accepted to come anyway. You kept Taehyung’s hopes high. Just because you were jealous.

You’re definitely the worst person on this planet.

But this has to end before Taehyung gets more hurt.

“I’m not feeling very well,” you hear yourself saying. Worry covers Taehyung’s features. “What’s the problem? Was it something you ate? Do you want to go to the infirmary?”

Damn. It hurts to see him like this.

“No. Can you… can you just take me home, please?” You ask sheepishly.

If Taehyung feels disappointed, he doesn’t let you see; he just nods instead. “Okay. Let’s go.”

And this is how you managed to destroy a perfectly fine night.

You still try not to think of Jungkook and Joy on your way back home; you don’t want to know if they’re still in the park or if they went somewhere else. The idea of what they must be doing makes your stomach twirl in a bad way. It feels like a weight installed itself on your shoulders. Everything seems too oppressive and suffocating. You can’t wait to be alone and peaceful to process all of these feelings. Fortunately, Seulgi isn’t home - she went to sleep at a friend’s house to finish a project.

For the first time, being with Taehyung feels awkward as you walk to the front door of your apartment. You can see he isn’t exactly glad. It makes everything worse.

You stop in front of the door and you turn around to face him. Everything you have to say must be said now.

“I’m so sorry, Taehyung.” You say in an embarrassed tone, scratching the back of your neck. “I ruined everything.”

“What? No!” He’s quick to reassure. God, his eyes are beautiful… “It’s not your fault. People feel ill, that’s normal.”

You gulp. Oh Gosh. He believed what you said. This is getting worse and worse… “I had a lot of fun today. Really.” You sigh and tilt your head tiredly. “Honestly, it was the most fun I had in a long time…”

“I had a lot of fun, too.” His smile is able to melt any frozen heart. “I noticed that you had a lot in mind, so I’m glad I was able to distract you at least a little.”

It gets you off guard.

He’s way more observant than you expected.

“You noticed…?” You gulp, even more embarrassed. He nods. “I’m so sorry…”

“It’s fine. Everyone has a bad day every now and then. I just have to admit that I’m kind of worried about you.”

You stare at each other in silence for a while.

“Are you?” Why suddenly all you can do is make stupid questions?

Taehyung tilts his head. “Yes. You’re always such a bright person. Seeing you being quiet these days makes me sad.” First of all: did people start to realize that there’s something wrong with you? Are you acting this weird?

Second of all: that was adorable. He’s so honest about his feelings.

“To be honest, Taehyung… I’m not really a bright person,” you end up confessing in a quiet, weak voice. You don’t know why you’re saying this. You were supposed to push him away, not pull him closer. “I think I’m just used to pretend I am.”

“You don’t have to,” your eyes widen when you feel his fingertips brushing on your cheek as he gently tucks a strand of hair behind your ear. “You don’t have to pretend you’re fine when you’re not. To suppress this type of feeling… it hurts. Believe me, I know.” For a moment, you feel your breath hitch. The skin where his fingers touched feels warm. He’s mesmerizing. His voice sounds like a sweet melody on your ears: deep, silky. “So, if you ever feel like opening up… I’m here, okay?” He widens his eyes for a second. “I-I mean- you can open up to Seulgi or Jungkook or Jimin, sure… anyone.”

This moment of shyness coming from him makes you giggle. “I don’t feel like opening up to anyone right now,” especially not to you, you think. “but thank you, Tae. It… it makes me really happy. I’m glad I went on this date with you.”

You shouldn’t have said that.

You shouldn’t have called him Tae.

Even though you’re saying the truth and there’s no second intentions hidden, Taehyung hears something else.

His hand is still resting on your cheek.

And he says nothing.

He just… stares right into your eyes.

You can’t move.

You clearly see when his face starts coming closer and closer to yours, slowly but surely. You see his heavy-lidded eyes, his clouded gaze, his parted lips. You feel the thick tension in the air around you - the electricity.

That’s when you should have pushed him away.

But you can’t.

Instead, you unconsciously close your eyes. You feel his lips ghosting over yours for a second - until his lips finally touch yours.

The kiss is suave - gentle and delicate. He doesn’t move his lips at first, merely pressing his against yours. Your body warms up in a way you haven’t felt in a long time; not because of arousal. It’s the pure excitement of being kissed.

Maybe that’s why you let him kiss you. You had forgotten how it feels like to be touched without any sexual intention. Kisses are too intimate, so you and Jungkook didn’t really kiss that often - and when you did kiss, it was always heated and obscene, tongues entangling wildly until both of you could barely breathe. It’s been a long time since someone kissed and held you like this: with gentleness and care. Taehyung isn’t treating you like a sex toy.

You melt.

Your lips part as he deepens the kiss; he is undemanding, careful and delicate. His lips taste like lip balm. No one is fighting for control, no one is desperate. It’s slow and synchronized. It’s sweet and innocent. Most importantly - it’s way different than you ever expected it to be. You never thought he’d kiss like this.

When Taehyung pulls away, the purest smile adorns his features.

“I’m sorry.” He says quietly, but he doesn’t sound sorry at all. “I should have asked permission.”

“It’s okay.” And it really is. You shouldn’t, but you liked it.

“I'll… I’ll get going.” He says, the smile never disappearing. His eyes are also smiling. He stands there awkwardly in an adorable manner. “Can I text you later?”

“Sure.” You nod. “Good night. And thank you again.”

Taehyung grins. “Good night.”

Before leaving, he presses his lips on yours quickly one last time.

You watch until he disappears inside the elevator, entering the apartment and standing there alone in the dark for a few seconds.

Then you unceremoniously slam your forehead against the wooden door.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” You hiss between gritted teeth. “What have you done?!”

You were supposed to push him away. You should have told him the truth - that you don’t have feelings for him, that you’re confused and almost certainly in love with another guy. Instead, you just stood there and let him kiss you. You not only kept his hopes high, you increased them.

How will you get yourself out of this situation now?!

You throw yourself on the couch, grab a cushion and scream into it. I’m the worst of the worst. I’m a walking catastrophe.

For a long time, you just lay there and torture yourself with bad thoughts. Taehyung is the nicest guy you’ve met in a really long time. If you gave him the opportunity months ago, you’re sure you’d be dating right now - and the idea isn’t even unpleasant. He’s hot and smart and funny and sweet. It’s even hard to believe that someone like him is interested in you.

But…

No. Don’t think about him.

You want to punch yourself and scream and eat tons of ice cream and cry - all at once. You’re the queen of taking bad decisions. You’re the heart crusher and friendship destroyer-

There’s someone knocking on the front door.

You sit up in a jump and frown. Is it Seulgi? Did she forget her keys?

You walk slowly around the living room, defeated as if you’ve just came home from war, your hair a mess and shoulders shrinking. You turn the doorknob and open it-

And gasp.

Because standing at your front door is the person you least expected to see.

Jungkook is casually leaning on the door frame as if his presence didn’t make you burst a lung. He looks down, eyes avoiding yours; although the hallway is considerably dark, you can see his expression well. You know him too well. You see sadness and guilt and fear in his eyes.

Your heart beats so fast that you’re afraid it’ll stop suddenly. Nervousness crawls over your skin and makes your stomach feel cold.

“J-Jungkook? What are you doing here?” You’re brave enough to stutter. You completely forgot that Jungkook used to come over so often that you gave him full permission to enter and leave the building whenever he wanted.

He doesn’t say anything.

Instead, he lifts his left hand and shows you what he’s carrying: a plastic bag full with a pack of…

Banana milk.

“I think we really need to talk.” He says quietly, his eyes meeting yours for the first time.

You inhale sharply.

He’s right. You need to talk.

The cold night breeze makes you tighten your coat around your body. Yours and Jungkook’s hairs sway softly with the wind. You can hear the sounds of the city from up here, in the empty terrace - cars, sirens, voices. A glowing map of endless streets and buildings extends itself in front of your eyes.

You’re both leaning on the railing side by side. You’re hyper aware of the distance between you - both physical and… spiritual. You’ve been standing here in silence for quite some time now, quietly drinking the banana milk he brought, and none of you were able to engage a conversation. The tension is heavy. It overwhelms your whole being. Nervousness makes your nerves tense. You can’t even look at him.

Dozens of questions float around your mind; what is he doing here? Why did he decide to come in the first place? What happened to his date? It’s still very early, he could have stayed with her much longer…

You also can’t help but feel helplessly excited that he is here. With you. Not with Joy. He took the initiative to meet you.

You can’t lose this opportunity.

“It’s kinda cold.” Is the first thing you say. It doesn’t even sound like you.

“Yeah.” He agrees, and he also doesn’t sound like him.

The awkwardness is almost solid right now. Things used to be so different… you can’t remember one moment in the past when such an uncomfortable feeling lingered between you.

“Hm…” you cough. “What, hm… what about you and Joy?”

Why the fuck are you asking this?, you yell at yourself.

Jungkook looks down and shakes his head. “Let’s not talk about Joy or Taehyung right now, okay?”

You shrug. “I’m just trying to start a conversation.”

“That’s not how you do it.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know how to do it anymore.”

Jungkook goes silent with this, the quick aggressiveness disappearing as soon as it came. He gulps and looks down at the banana milk between his fingers again.

More silence.

“Can I… can I ask you something?” Jungkook says after a long while. His voice is quiet, hesitant, almost being carried away with the wind.

“What?” You feel your body heating up in anticipation.

He finally looks up to you, and in the moment your eyes meet, you have this weird feeling that everything except him looks blurred.

“Why did you start dating Mike?” He asks. “I warned you about him. I mean, you used to listen to me in the past.”

Oh.

Certainly not the type of question you were expecting.

What a mood killer, Jungkook.

You avoid his gaze again, trying to hide your disappointment. “Why are you asking me this now?”

“I just really want to know.” He takes one more sip of the banana milk.

A sigh escapes through your lips and you stare at the shiny city ahead. You didn’t think you’d have to bring up memories of Mike. It’s been a long time, but it still hurts to remember him.

“I… I just…” you start, trying to organize your thoughts. “You know that Mike had like a… bad relationship with his parents, right?” Jungkook nods. “Mike opened up about this to me. I saw how much it hurt him. He was lonely, broken. And I…” this is being way harder than you expected. You shrug, shake your head. “I don’t know. I was just being my stupid self. I thought I could… I wanted to fix him. I realized that I have this heroine complex, you know?” You side eye him sheepishly. “But there are a lot of things I can’t fix… I’m better at breaking things, not fixing them.”

“Don’t say that. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to help people.” The confidence in which Jungkook says this makes, yet again, an odd sensation set in your stomach.

It is probably the first time Jungkook managed to make you blush in your entire life.

A little more silence.

“Did you actually like him?” You can barely hear his voice.

You have no idea why he’s making this questions. Why is he bringing up Mike after so long?

“Well… yes.” You can’t lie right now. “I did.” You make sure to reinforce the did. It’s in the past.

Jungkook nods and says nothing. He takes another banana milk from the plastic bag and opens it.

You inhale, building up your courage to ask something you’ve been wanting to know for a long time. He touched this subject anyway.

“You asked me something, now it’s my turn to ask you something.” Jungkook nods. You have the feeling that he already knows what’s coming. “Why did you break up with Yeri?”

“She broke up with me.”

Oh.

“Why?” You repeat. You can see that Jungkook gets clearly uncomfortable, but you’re not letting him go without an answer - and he already knows how stubborn you can be, too. He shifts, tilts his head, exhales heavily.

“It just didn’t work out.”

“But you liked her. And she liked you, too.” It was pretty obvious to anyone that saw them together.

Jungkook takes a long while to speak again. “I did like her. A lot.” The way his voice sounds fragile surprises you. Seeing him like this is very rare. Jungkook isn’t one to get all emotional too often. It seems that confessing this to you is important to him, somehow.

It also scares you a tiny bit. What if Jungkook still likes her, just like you suspected in the past?

“I didn’t want things to end the way they did.” He continues. His eyes are far away, watching old memories. His shoulders seem tense. He fiddles with the small banana milk bottle between his fingers. “But… some things aren’t meant to be, it doesn’t matter how much you want them to.”

This answer sounds… way too vague. Not what you want to hear. You know there’s more behind their break up, but just by looking at Jungkook you see that he isn’t telling you anything else. Well, this is the most he ever said about his past relationship in almost one year. It’s better than nothing.

And back to silence.

You want to push this awkwardness away. But how? You don’t feel as close to Jungkook as you always were. It’s not as if you could simply say anything in this moment… especially because, somehow, you feel that Jungkook expects you to do something, even though he came all the way to your apartment just to talk.

Say something, goddamnit!

“I’m sorry.” you blurt out.

Jungkook looks at you, but you’re not strong enough to look back at him. You hold the tiny bottle so tightly that it might get smashed at any moment; that’s just how nervous you are.

“Sorry for what?” he asks quietly. You hear the expectation in his voice… almost as if he’s holding his breath.

You can’t help but gulp. I’m not good with this type of thing.

“For everything.” you hate the way your voice sounds so damn fragile. Being sincere like this is somehow… painful. But that’s what Jungkook expects of you: sincerity. So you keep talking, although you don’t know the right words to express yourself. “I… I don’t know why things got like this between us…” you almost gasp. “I mean, I know why. We know why. And I feel very responsible.”

“You have this habit of taking the blame to yourself, isn’t it?” He murmurs. Jungkook shakes his head softly and passes his hand on his hair.

“But I was the one to propose it in the first place.”

“And I agreed.”

“Okay, but…” you have to stop for a moment to recover your breath. “I don’t know, I just feel sorry. I didn’t think of anyone except me all along. I’ve been an awful person to you… and awful friend. Also…” you need to stop again. Why is it so hard to speak? It feels as if there’s something obstructing your throat; the words hardly come out. “What I did that day at Joy’s house… it was wrong. I’m sorry that I made you upset that day.”

Jungkook sighs heavily. You’re still scared to look at him.

“I’m sorry about that day, too. I was rude to you.” Is he apologizing for calling you a slut while you had sex in the bathroom? Well, you definitely didn’t care about that. “I feel sorry too, Y/N. The way we drifted apart from each other…” he gesticulates with his finger between you and him. “The fault is on us both. I already told you, you shouldn’t take all the responsibility to yourself. We were both stupid.”

“Very stupid.” you both chuckle. You feel your heart lightening up for a moment; that strong tension still hovers around you, but now it feels like a different type of tension. Seeing that tiny smile in Jungkook’s lips makes your heart race.

You finally look at each other.

The shadows of the night paint Jungkook’s face. His hair sways with the wind softly. His dark eyes shine as much as diamonds. You never really understood the expression “to get lost in someone’s eyes…”

Well… now you do.

The small moment you two share feels fragile… featherlight. You’re scared that if you say or do something wrong, it’ll break and disappear. You’re scared to break him. To break yourself. This makes you remember that, ever since you were kids, Jungkook has always been the most fragile of you two. He has always been the most sensitive, the one to get hurt easily. Jimin was right all along. How could you do this to him? Why did you let this happen between you two?

“I missed you.” your voice is barely a whisper. Admitting this makes you feel exposed and relieved at the same time. Your throat feels even tighter.

“I missed you, too.” he confesses.

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too.”

You smile at each other.

That’s the moment you almost confess something more… your confused feelings for him. You feel the urge to say that you don’t see him as just a friend anymore; that you don’t want to be just a friend anymore.

But something holds you back.

This is maybe the moment when you’re finally being able to reconcile. You don’t know if Jungkook feels the same about you; you don’t want to push him away by throwing your feelings over him. This might destroy you friendship forever.

Then, you decide to keep it all to yourself. At least for now.

“So,” Jungkook says, sighing. “What about that group project?”

You quirk one eyebrow up. “I’m pretty sure you know about the group project.”

Jungkook giggles. “Jimin has been annoying you, too?” you nod. He shakes his head. “He’s a little shit, isn’t he?”

“Yes. He had good intentions, at least.” You shrug.

“He could be a little more subtle, though.” You can’t help but agree. “Congratulations for getting the highest grade.”

“Thank you. Jimin also told me that you’ve been talking to some important people…”

Jungkook smiles beautifully with this. “Yes. It’s a director. He said that he likes my work and that I have talent. I think he’ll invite me to work with him as a trainee for a while.” Your eyes widen in a surprised expression.

“Really?! That’s great, Kook!” It feels so nice to call him Kook again after so long. Slowly, you feel that unbearable tension vanishing and all that’s left is you and him. Two people that know each other better than you know yourselves for most of your lives. In a matter of seconds, the distance that put you apart for months seems to disappear.

Suddenly, you feel a cold drizzle start falling over your heads. Jungkook frowns. “I think we should get down there.”

“Yes.” Before you can think better, you blurt out: “You can sleep here if you want.” Perhaps you shouldn’t have said that, because Jungkook’s frown deepens as he stares at you with suspicion. A shiver of fear runs down your spine. “Hey, that’s not what I mean.” You’re quick to say, waving your hands. “Before this sex thing started there was just us, remember? I… I miss us.”

Jungkook thinks for some moments, his eyes never leaving yours.

Then, a tiny smile makes its way to his lips - and you’re happy to see that the smile reaches his eyes, too. “Okay.”

“Wait- so Irene and Jennie made up?” Jungkook asks from the kitchen, surprised.

“That’s what it looks like. I mean, they did post some photos together on Instagram.” you say while adjusting the pillows and blankets on the mattress you placed in the living room. Yours’ and Seulgi’s friends come to sleep over a lot, so you’re used to do it - you even bought some spare sheets and blankets for this occasion.

“But you can’t be sure that they are together just because of some photos.”

“Yeah, but you know Seulgi. She jumped to conclusions. Being honest, they don’t look like a couple in these photos… but I don’t think there’s anything I can say that will change her mind at this point. I tried everything.”

“I don’t really think that they’ll make up this time.” Jungkook admits. You walk over to the kitchen and lean on the counter, opposite to him.

“I feel bad for her. Seulgi still loves Irene and she can’t get over it. I think it’s the first time she spends the night out in a long while… and it isn’t even to have fun. I’m worried.”

He pouts and shrugs, eyes focused in building up his sandwich. “Maybe we should just let her figure things out by herself.”

“But she’s doing nothing.”

Jungkook stops adding ketchup just to stare at you and quirk his eyebrows. “Y/N. I think I already said that you should stop trying to be a cupid, like… a million times.”

“I didn’t say I’d do something!” You do your best to sound offended.

“I know you, woman. I’ve seen this face many times. You look like an evil gremlin.”

“I don’t!” you cross your arms. You forgot how annoying it is that Jungkook knows you so well, because you did think of doing something to help her. You’re so tired of seeing you friend being sad all the time. All she does these days is watch Netflix and complain. She already started to look like a zombie at this point. No one can blame you for being concerned. “Besides, gremlins are cute.”

“You’re the only person on this planet that thinks this.” He shakes his head slightly, his hair waving in the process.

“Why did you let your hair grow so much?” You ask, resting your chin over your palm.

“Because I look good with long hair.” Jungkook shrugs, a smug smirk on his face.

“You cocky little shit.”

“Am I wrong for telling the truth?” He looks up at you again, playful. You can’t even tell he’s wrong: that long hair really matches his looks and personality.

“Hey, are you still helping Namjoon and Yoongi?” you ask when Jungkook starts to make a fourth sandwich. Yes, you guys do eat a lot.

“Yeah. I haven’t been to the studio in a few days, but they still call me whenever they need me.” Jungkook presses his lips together and shifts a little: nervousness. “I… I kind of helped them write a song.”

“Really? But you said you were just ‘lending’ them your voice to record demos.”

“Yeah, but I felt kind of inspired. It was just for fun, though.” He shifts his eyes to you then back to the sandwich very rapidly. “Maybe I’ll let you listen to it any other day.”

“Aw, come on! I’ve been wanting to listen to your songs for so long!” you whine.

“I said maybe. When the right time comes.”

You don’t really get what he means with it.

For a while, you just sit there and watch Jungkook. He looks so carefree and relaxed; he moves around the kitchen as if it’s his own house. He knows where everything is in the cabinets. In a way, this really is his second house considering how often he comes… even when he used to come just to fuck during these past months. It feels so nice to see him not being all tensed up and uncomfortable around you anymore. He even starts to sing quietly, his voice as sweet and smooth as cotton candy filling up the entire house. You’re one of the few people that Jungkook feels confident enough to sing around. It’s almost a privilege.

You have been staring at him unceremoniously for so long that Jungkook frowns and looks back at you, frowning. “What?”

“Nothing.” You shake your head. “It’s just that… Namjoon is right. You could’ve been famous with this voice.” Jungkook smiles shyly. “And this face.” He turns around to open the fridge. “And this ass.”

He frowns. “Seriously?”

“What? I’m being honest. And don’t act like you don’t stare at my ass all the time.”

Jungkook chuckles and shakes his head in that way that means I can’t stand you.

“Done.” He claps his hands together. Four giant sandwiches, coke, popcorn and m&ms (let’s say that you and Seulgi don’t have exactly the healthier type of food at home).

“Okay. I’ll take these, get changed first if you want,” you say while taking the plates to the living room. Of course there would be some of his clothes at your place.

When Jungkook sees the clothes you chose, he stares at you with an outraged expression. “My grey hoodie!”

“…yes.”

“You said you didn’t know where it was!”

You stop and click your tongue. “…funny how I found it at the bottom of my drawer tonight, huh?”

He knows you’re lying. But you won’t tell him that slept wearing his hoodie some nights because it smelled like him. He doesn’t need to know this.

“Hoodie thief.” He says and taps your head jokingly, making his way to the bathroom. You’re wearing sleeping clothes as well - and you made sure to choose your ugliest and largest ones. You don’t want Jungkook to think you asked him to sleep here just to end up having sex.

He comes back and throws himself on the mattress by your side. You’re very aware of the immense space between you; another person could fit in here. “What are we going to watch?”

“I think I’ve watched the entire Netflix catalogue at this point because of Seulgi.” you admit, shoving popcorn inside your mouth. Jungkook takes your phone and scrolls down the Netflix page.

“There’s always something more to watch.”

You end up arguing about what movie to watch. Actually, you spend more time arguing and scrolling down through the Netflix endless catalogue than watching something.

You don’t touch each other not even once. The physical distance almost feels like a living being.

You end up giving up on Netflix and watching Avengers Endgame for the hundredth time anyway.

And yes - Jungkook cries at the ending of the film.

You wake up with the sunlight touching your face.

It’s awful. You close your eyes tightly and yawn, a little bit confused at first. What am I doing in the living room? You search for your phone to check the hour: it’s seven in the morning. Shit. Whenever you can sleep until late hours, you end up waking up early…

You turn your head to the side and freeze.

It’s Jungkook.

Now you remember everything. The TV is still on, which means both of you fell asleep while watching it. The empty plates and glasses are placed over the coffee table.

You never slept together before.

There was only one time when it happened - the first and only, when you two got wasted and the whole story started. Other than that, you never slept together. First, because you had more interesting things to do other than sleep. Second, because sleeping together feels way too intimate. It didn’t matter how tired you were after fucking, when you finished cleaning up, you’d both put your clothes back on and walk back to your respective homes. You vehemently avoided doing anything that might feel too intimate - kissing, sleeping together… after a while, you even avoided looking at each other right in the eye while having sex.

You’re not touching; there is still a great space between your bodies. Yet… just the thought that you slept with Jungkook makes your heart race.

You don’t move a single centimeter. You just lay there and… look at him.

His long hair is a mess. His face is adorably puffy, lips slightly parted. He looks peaceful. The way his chest moves up and down as he breathes is hypnotizing.

He’s seriously so beautiful.

But now, you don’t think of it in a sexual way. Back then, you’d always admire how hot Jungkook is, his godlike physique, how lucky you were to be having sex with a guy like him… not now. You just feel mesmerized by his features. The long eyelashes touching his cheeks. The tiny moles on his face and neck. Some old acne scars.

It’s odd, but right now, you realize just how much you’ve been missing him. It doesn’t make sense - Jungkook is right here, barely an arm apart from you. You made up last night and it seems that everything is back to normal. Still, you desperately miss him.

Your chest fills up with something strange and unknown. It’s sweet and painful. It makes your heart feel tight, your nerves feel like burning and your eyes well up with tears.

This is the face of the person that has been with you during most of your life.

He’s a part of you.

The most important part of you.

In this moment, your feelings for him are so great that it seems that they can’t even fit inside of you anymore.

You watch him sleep for a long time, too scared to move and wake him up. But eventually, he sighs heavily and moves his head, indicating he’s about to wake up.

His eyes finally open and he yawns.

“Good morning.” He says when his eyes focus on you, smiling softly. Jungkook’s voice sounds deep and raspy. He stretches his arms over his head. “I mean… if it’s still morning.”

“It is,” you say softly.

He stares at the ceiling with heavy-lidded eyes. “I dreamed that babies came from eggs. Like ostrich eggs.” He chuckles. “And women gave birth to the eggs like chickens.”

You don’t say anything and just keep watching him instead.

Jungkook finally turns his head at you and frowns, still smiling softly. “What?”

“Nothing.” You say so quietly that he can barely hear.

He gazes back at you.

Slowly, the smile on his lips disappears.

You feel the tension building up around you - but this time it feels different. It’s not a bad tension like what you experienced last night at the terrace, nor is it dense like when you two were aroused and desperate to find a place and please yourselves. This time, it feels delicate but heavy nevertheless. It makes your blood boil and your heart race.

Jungkook’s eyes are serious, heavy and intense over you. All the playfulness is gone. None of you say a word. You don’t even know if you have the power to move considering how heavy the tension is.

He extends his arm and his fingertips touch your cheek. Your skin feels burning hot. Delicately, he puts a strand of hair behind your ear. It’s strange how he’s doing the exact same thing Taehyung did, but with Jungkook, this simple touch made you feel like exploding right there.

Jungkook is the one to come closer. Closer and closer and closer. Your breathing is heavy. He caresses your cheek his his thumb. Soon, his face is right in front of yours - noses touching, eyes locked and burning with something you can’t quite name.

You stare at each other like this for a moment until his gaze finally drops to your mouth.

You both lean in for the kiss at the same time.

You have already tasted these lips multiple times before - but now, it’s different. The kiss is slow; you move your lips unhurriedly and sweetly. Yet, this kiss feels much more intense than any other you have shared before. None of those times when you kissed him desperately with luxury being the only thing on your mind comes even close to the intensity of this kiss.

It almost feels that this is the actual first time you kiss Jungkook.

Your breathing gets even heavier as the kiss deepens. His hand rests on your waist, while yours hold his neck. The sloppy sounds of your lips and tongues moving together are the only audible thing in the apartment. Your whole being screams in excitement and anticipation when Jungkook moves his body to hover over yours, not even once breaking the kiss. Your right hand grabs his smooth hair while the other travels up and down his back; your body is getting burning hot. Jungkook moans very softly. You start to feel the familiar wetness on your panties.

Jungkook leans away for a moment; his lips are red and swollen, his hair is even messier now, his dark eyes are clouded with want and something you can’t name - something so strong that he’s able to make you shiver with that look alone. He leans down again and starts to kiss and suck your neck very slowly, making soft moans escape through your lips. His hand sneaks under your baggy shirt and he squeezes your breast. Soon, his lips are on yours again and the kiss becomes much deeper. You can already feel sweat forming on your forehead. Jungkook starts to grind on you; you can clearly feel his clothed erection rub against your own core, what makes more and more strangled moans come from both of you.

This is the hottest make out session of your life. The entire atmosphere is not what you’re used to; it’s not playful, none of you say a word. No teasing, no dirty talk. All you do is try to touch each other the best you can, never once breaking the kiss. It’s as if, with this kiss, you’re having a conversation… you’re telling each other everything you’re not brave enough to say out loud.

Soon, the desperation becomes too big. There’s no time to play, you just want to have him inside of you and feel his warm skin against yours. Unceremoniously, you start to undress yourselves, kissing every spot you can find in the process - neck, chest, stomach. Your clothes are thrown around the living room. You lay on your back again and Jungkook hovers above you once more, your legs entangling around his hips as he positions his hard member on your entrance.

You always avoided this position because it is too intimate; you’re forced to look at each other like this. This time, though, it doesn’t matter. You want to look at him - and the sight of his face contorting in pure pleasure, lips parted and eyes closed tightly as he eases himself inside of you, is almost as good as the feeling of being stretched after a long time.

Jungkook doesn’t move at first. He knows he’ll hurt you if he goes too hard right from the beginning. Instead, he waits until you call his name quietly in a strangled moan - the sign he needs to start thrusting. He rests his head on your shoulder and grabs the pillow under your head tightly as he picks up his pace, slow and steady, soft groans coming from the back of his throat that make you feel goosebumps. You hold his back with both hands. You can’t shut the moans anymore.

Sweat makes your skin slippery as he thrusts faster. Jungkook licks and bites your ear, moaning right into it, and it feels that this alone could make you cum. He then leans away for a moment, creating some space between your bodies to have a better angle to keep smashing himself into you - faster and faster, stronger and stronger. The usual sound of skin hitting skin, heavy breathing and moans is all you can hear.

You said that you didn’t ask him to sleep here just to have sex - and you weren’t lying.

But this doesn’t feel like just sex.

This isn’t fucking.

The pleasure is getting unsustainable and you both feel it. You close your legs around him even tighter and pull his face with both hands, sealing your lips in another intense, desperate kiss. It’s sloppy and unsynchronized. It’s raw and rough and so full of emotions you can’t comprehend that you feel your eyes tearing up again.

What you’re experiencing right now isn’t just two people finding pleasure in each other. It isn’t simply carnal instinct.

It is the deepest and most sincere way to connect with another being - without any words, through touches only.

You never felt anything like this in your life - not with Mike or any of your past boyfriends and hook ups. This is beyond lust. This is beyond sex.

Jungkook breaks the kiss apart for a second to look at you. Your gazes lock. God, he’s beautiful. Not only his appearance, but everything about him is beautiful.

And it is right now - stating deep into his eyes - that you come to a conclusion.

Jungkook has always been a part of you. But, in this exact moment, it feels like more.

It feels that you two became one.

He leans down and kisses you again. Your lips are tightly sealed when you both come at the same time.

Your trembling fingers still hold the strands of his damp hair tightly. You caress his face softly, putting some hair away from his eyes. Jungkook kisses you again. And again, and again, and again, and again.

You’re glad when he rests his head on your shoulder again, because like this, he can’t see the tears trickling down your temples.

It’s still hard to understand what just happened. Honestly, you think you’ll never fully understand.

But one thing you do understand, one thing that became as clear as the morning sky, is that your feelings for Jungkook are deeper and stronger than you ever imagined. He’s so much more than a friend.

Yet, you don’t know if he sees you the same way.

You don’t know if he felt the same things you did or if this was just one more time having sex with you. You don’t know if he still has feelings for Yeri or if he’s developing any for Joy.

You know nothing - and this fact makes your heart hurt as if it is being stabbed…

Because Jungkook, the best and most important part of you, might never be truly yours.

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yanano-hiresei · 4 years ago

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Summary: An Alternate Universe where Bakugou doesn't want to be a hero, but was was forced by Deku to attend at UA. On the first day of school something unexpected happens. Turns out, if you're the last one standing, you'll be the number one student of UA. Everyone excluding the 3rd years go againts each other to be at the top, while Deku and Bakugou find ways to survive without any casualties.

Besides all of this, the question stays. Who created this ridiculous predicament at UA?

Chapter 1: It's just the first Day of school, and now this?!

Making his way to the classroom took a lot more effort than he initially thought. Head down, eyes trained on the floor, and carefully maneuvering his way through the crowd of students while avoiding attention— Bakugou tries his best to go through the day unnoticed.

Someone grabs him by the shoulder. The force makes him face the person behind him— someone he knows quite well.

"Deku... There you are." It was his childhood friend.

"Is everything okay? I've been calling your name so many times. I had to run towards you just to get your attention."

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something."

Deku watches his friend, worried. "What were you thinking about?"

"Isn't it obvious! We made a bet remember!" Bakugo lashes out, his hands balling into fists.

"Oh that.. You're right..." Deku recalls, scratching the back of his head. "But I don't see why would that be a problem. You passed the exams! You should be happy!"

Deku takes out his watch before looking around the hallway and grabbing Bakugou's hand. "Come on, let's go. It's the first day of school! We should at least hurry to our classroom!"

Before Bakugou could protest, Deku was dragging him to their classroom. The green haired lad excitedly opened the door, only to be greeted by a room filled with empty seats.

"What? Where are they?" Bakugou steps inside, looking around. "Did you bring us to the wrong classroom or something?"

"No.. I'm certain this is Class 1-A." Deku replies as he checks the sign outside the door. Sure enough, they were in the right room.

"Well—" Bakugou gets cut off when the school bell chimes. Three bells, an indication of an announcement.

Not too long, a female's voice sounds from the speakers.

"Attention all students, please head to the auditorium for an announcement!"

"An announcement? What could it be Kacchan?" Deku turns to his friend, a mix of confusion and curiosity present on his face.

"Who knows. Let's go before we miss anything."

It wasn't easy getting into the auditorium with all the students flooding in at once. It took a whole few minutes of squeezing into the crowd to finally reach their post.

A student walks towards the center of the stage, holding a microphone in his hand. Face filled with confidence, he taps the microphone two times before speaking.

"Greetings! First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for gathering here today." The young man starts, "My name is Shoto Todoroki, and as you all know I'm the son of the number two hero, Endeavor. I'm here to announce a challenge that will change everything this school year!"

Bakugou could hear other students whispering on the sides.

"A challenge, what does he mean by that?"

"I don't know, but this better be good."

"As you all know, we students dream to become one of the pros— to be in the top 10. That's why we're here at UA, the top Hero Academy in Japan! And with this challenge, we can reach that dream and take it even higher!" The student, Todoroki, exclaims, his fist pounding in the air.

"One of you— that's right— the one with the best, strongest, flashiest quirk will become the number one student of this academy! Well, excluding the 3rd years. The benefits of becoming the number student are endless! You could be one of the top 3 students, and train with the best heroes outside of japan!" Todoroki continues.

"So more island hopping?" A second year student asks, raising their hand.

"Yes, being the number one will focus only on your training to be a hero. There would no longer be a need to study or take the elevator exams."

The students stir with his announcement, and Todoroki uses this chance to further encourage them. "Now tell me this, are you capable of fighting your friends, classmates for this one of a kind opportunity? Let's set aside all emotions and strive towards our goal! So what are you waiting for? Are you just going to stand there doing nothing? Or are you going to give it your all and fight to be the best?!"

The auditorium falls silent.

"But what about the other classes who aren't suited to fight, like the General, Support, or Management?" Another student asks.

Todoroki lets out a loud sigh, answering the query. "The General can join in if they wish. Support can help the ones who are fighting. And the Department of Management— eh, can do whatever they want." He shrugs.

At the back of the crowd, a first year with glasses shouts. "But where are we going to fight? We're using our quirks right? If we're going all out, non participants might get disturbed or worse, get caught up with the fight!"

Todoroki nods. "Good question. Rules regarding the venues of the event will be explained soon."

"But what about our hero costumes? They're not finished yet!" Another first year asks.

"You have your PE uniforms." Todoroki says before remembering an important detail of his announcement. "As for property damages within school campus, there is no need for worry. I'll be handling all expenses."

He brings his hands out for a around of applause. "Alright, The rules will be delivered at the end of today's classes. The challenge will start tomorrow. And for all non-participants, the third years will act as your escorts for the time being. That wraps up this morning's announcement. I wish everyone good luck and may the strongest student win!"

Todoroki drops his mic and quickly exits the stage. As soon as he's gone, the atmosphere starts to liven up.

_____________________________________________

Todoroki was exhausted, he didn't think this through. He didn't take into account that there were others who had no desire to participate. "I should ask Yaoyorozu about this—"

"Oh? Is this perhaps Shoto Todoroki I'm seeing?" Someone greets him with a cheerful tone

Todoroki snaps, turning to the sound of the voice. Upon looking, he sees a group of three students walking towards him.

"Wow, I'm amazed. This year's students are pretty energetic!" One of the students chuckles.

"Well, atleast it's a change of pace, unlike last year..."

"True. I can't believe principal Nezu agreed to this. It's exciting but tiring at the same time. Dragging alot of students into this, it's kind of a risk to them don't you think, Mirio?"

"Mirio?" Todoroki paused, realizing the name she spoke was—

"Ah, Todoroki Shoto right? Bold of you to propose a challenge without thinking there wouldn't be casualties."

Shoto's eyes widen as he stumbles back. "M-Mirio Togata!"

"Oh sorry, forgot to introduce myself. I guess you already know who I am, huh? Nice to meet you, Todoroki!"

"Oh, uh— Oh! I guess it's my turn next." said the girl next to him, "My name is Nejire Hado, and the guy on the left is Tamaki Amajiki!"

"The big three.." Todoroki composes himself. "Were you here to see me?"

"Yeah. Since you did announce to the whole school, why wouldn't we?" Nejire chuckles.

"The teachers haven't arrived yet so we're here to look after the school while they're not around." Tamaki says, facing away from Todoroki.

Todoroki sighs. "I see... And yes, you're right senpai. I should've thought this through. I got so excited that I forgot about the safety of others"

Mirio approaches Todoroki, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry Todoroki, we'll help you! We are your senpais after all. And it's already been decided, we'll take care of the non-participants as well as the injured. All you gotta do is take charge of the battles."

"As for the organization of the fights.. We'll have to come up of a plan to reassure the other students' safety tomorrow." Tamaki adds.

Todoroki felt guilty that his senpais had to help him with all of his problems— thinking about how dumb he was for going through with the idea without a proper plan. "I'm sorry you had to help me. I should've thought this through..."

"Well your father and Principal Nezu did agree to this without telling you the consequences, or perhaps they're testing you?" Nejire eyes Todoroki, examining him.

"Why would would they want to test me?"

"Who knows, you ask them."

"Well would ya look at the time! It was nice meeting you Todoroki, and next time we meet, plan first before you act on anything." Mirio tells him, smiling as the three make their way to the exit.

"Yes, I will senpai." Todoroki nods, watching them go.

"Aww, we're leaving already? I haven't gotten the chance to ask him some questions yet." Nejire says, feeling disappointed.

"It was nice meeting you Todoroki, see you!" Nejire adds, bidding farewell.

"Ah- Goodbye senpai!"

The three waved at Todoroki and left, leaving him alone again.

Todoroki leaned on the wall, sighing in exhaustion.

"I could really use some tea right about now. Yaoyorozu's on the top floor..." He shrugs. "I'll just take the elevator."

_____________________________________________

After the announcement at the auditorium, Bakugou and Deku went back to the classroom for a breather.

"Damn, staying at the auditorium packed with a lot of people really is a nightmare." Bakugou says as he stretches his arms.

Deku agrees whilst cracking his knuckles. "The announcement came out of nowhere too. And not just that, all of the teachers and staff are gone."

Bakugou takes his seat on the chair next to where Deku stood, thinking about what he said. "And that Todoroki guy, what's he planning to do with this challenge of his? He could've just waited until the Sports Festival. This whole challenge thing doesn't make any sense."

"He must've been really excited. A lot of students would want to join in."

"Well, I know I don't."

Deku stops, looking at Bakugou worriedly. "You.. Aren't?"

"What, is there something wrong about that?" Bakugou glares at Deku, causing the latter to avoid eye contact.

"I just thought that, you know.. You were okay with using your quirk now.."

Bakugou blinks. "I am. I don't see why that has anything to do with the challenge."

"Well.. I thought you would want to join since it's a challenge and all." Deku says in a quiet voice, his hands fidgeting.

"Join the challenge?" Bakugou scoffs. "There's no way I'm doing that. Not when I can possibly harm others."

Deku stares down at his friend. "Then what are you gonna do when a villain attacks?"

"Deku.. That's not it."

"Kacchan did you forget? We're at UA. If you can't use your quirk, how are you going to be a hero?"

"(Kacchan, Promise me that in the future the two of us will be heroes.)"

"(Of course, we'll be the best heroes. I'm obviously going to be number one!)"

"(No way, Kacchan. I'm going to be number one!)"

"(Ha! You wish!.)"

"Can't be a hero without using my quirk huh?" Bakugou smirks. "Then I'll just have to change that."

"You're gonna.. What?"

"I'm gonna enter the challenge and win without my quirk."

this is my first fanfic so I dont know what I'm doing haha

#bnha #bakudeku #bnha au #mha fanart #mha fanfiction #bnha deku #bnha bakugou #bnha todoroki #shoto todoroki #momo yaoyozoru

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cryptid-writer · 4 years ago

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The noise of multiple sets of feet, three to be exact, pounding against the pavement echoed up the walls of the buildings around them. The tallest figure whose body type determined them to be of male physique spun around to cover their escape with a veil of blue fire. The tallest had dark, almost purple in color, burn scars that covered his body. Between old and new injuries it was difficult to tell what his condition was. He seemed to mostly be covered in dirt, however, the unlit alley ways provided no way to tell.

With him he had two companions, both significantly shorter than the arsonist. One of them was female, as given away by her clothing and body shape. Her blonde hair was tied up into space buns that were messy but went with her square bangs. The baggy, faded, yellow sweater she wore was accompanied by a sailor themed girls uniform, the navy blue pleated skirt coming down to her mid thighs and the tie/scarf was over the most likely itchy cotton sweater. Slightly opaque black stockings came up to meet the edge of the skirt, paired with brown school issue shoes. She was covered in minor cuts and bruises, but the edges of her clothing were torn and tattered.

The other small figure was a male, but could easily pass as a female because of his femanine physique that boys typically didn’t have. His shoulder and torso shape ultimately gave away his gender, as there was no flare of the hips or soft rounded shoulders. He wore a tattered hoodie, if it could even be considered anything more than a rag at that point, that was crop top length. The shoulders had been cut off thus allowing for the sleeves of his tee-shirt to show and extend past the non existent sleeves of the hoodie. Curly green hair, crusty and sun bleached from years of living on the street and washing in the ocean, was pulled back into a bun. He wore high waisted shorts, stockings, and a garter belt that didn’t match the red hightops. Said shoes had aesthetically been dragged through the zombie apocalypse and back four times over.

“Izuku this is all your fault!” The tallest yelled, the smaller male responded by flipping his head back with a grin and a giggle. Said smaller figure ran with a limp and several moderate injuries adorning his skin, not that he seemed to notice.

“You’re welcome Dabi!” The greenette responded as he looked forward again, and led the other two through the streets. Despite the delays they had been setting up, they could hear the pro heros getting closer and closer. A fireball narrowly missed the female of the group, instead hitting Izuku in the back. He cried out in pain as he stumbled and fell to the ground, his attempt to get back up was foiled by his injured ankle giving out below him.

“Shit! Come on Izuku, tell us which way to go!” The female spoke as the taller male began to carry Izuku on his back. The anxiety of the three rose with every passing second and the heros were hot on their heels. Before they could get any instructions, their escape was cut off by a wall of branches. The other passage was blocked off by several pro heros. Their sweat dropped as they heard the familiar thump of combat boots against concrete. They spun around to see a raven haired man. Instinctually Dabi and the unnamed female took a fighting stance.

“Your friend needs medical attention, it would be wise to surrender before he gets worse.” The pro hero, Eraserhead as they recalled, stated blandly. The pair didn’t seem to like that, seeing as the female gave a loud outburst in response.

“NOBODY TOUCHES OUR LITTLE BROTHER!” She screamed. The only thing that was keeping her from lunging forward was the weak grip she felt tugging on her sweater. She looked to see Izuku was the one who had grabbed the yellow cloth, acting as a distraction while Dabi swept his arm out to keep her back.

“Toga, we’re surrounded. If we fight now, we might lose Izuku. Look at him-” Dabi tried to reason, Toga’s head dropped to the ground as she reached up and gently grasped the hand holding onto her sweater. Izuku began to slip off Dabi as he spoke. Causing Toga let out a screech as she rushed to try and support their family member. Dabi looked alarmed and both of them turned their attention to the boy barely breathing at this point.

They both knew that there was no way to easily heal Izuku, after all the organization they “belonged” to had no healer. Without sharing any words they nodded to each other in agreement as they raised their hands in peaceful surrender. Except, they forgot to put Izuku down beforehand and ended up dropping him, he was lucky that Eraserhead had fast enough reflexes to catch the boy with his scarf.

The rest went as expected, except with Izuku in an ambulance while Toga and Dabi were being taken in for questioning. They ended up taking an offer that they couldn’t refuse from a mouse bear dog creature, and then were taken into the newest place of residence for the next few years.

That’s how Izuku woke up, handcuffed to a hospital bed. The first thing he noticed was how tight the bandages on his chest were. The cloth put pressure on his ribs, he had broken several in the past but lack of treatment led to them healing improperly. He could only wheeze shallow breaths for fear that he might puncture a lung. Because of this he couldn’t sit up on his own.

Izuku noticed that Toga and Dabi were sleeping close by, the blonde was on the side of the bed while leather and staples was in the corner. Izuku desperately made his distress noises, doing his best to wake up the two sleeping lumps. Both woke up fairly quickly at the noises, shooting upwards as they looked at Izuku.

“... Too tight, help.” Izuku whimpered out, his voice scratchy like he had decided to throat fuck a cactus. Toga jumped to her feet and helped Izuku sit up while Dabi climbed in behind Izuku and unwrapped the bandages as quickly as he could manage. Izuku slowly caught his breath once the bandages were discarded in a heap on the floor.

“Thank you.” Izuku mumbled in gratitude. He shifted until he was against the larger male, enjoying the heat his body gave off as it helped relax his taxed muscles. Toga joined her brothers in the pile on the bed, nestling into the crook beside Izuku. They just sat there listening to the others breathe before the silence was broken for a couple of seconds.

“Where are we? All I remember is getting hit with a fireball while running from the pro heroes and the feds.” Izuku asked quietly as he finally had a chance to take in the unfamiliar surroundings. He sunk in closer to his siblings as he subconsciously looked for comfort in their warmth.

“We got trapped in an alley, it was by pure luck that you didn’t puncture any internal organs when you fell. You passed out when we got surrounded by the damn government pawns. Eraser-cunt used you as a bargaining chip against us and would only get you help if we surrendered. They decided to drag us to UA because of whatever reason.” Dabi responded as he wrapped his arms around Toga and Izuku. He pulled them closer as he shifted to get more comfortable, and the three fell asleep.

That’s how the UA staff found them, well, that’s how Aizawa, Nezu, and Recovery Girl found them. They were wide awake the minute they heard the footsteps on linoleum tiles, staring at the door in complete silence as the doorknob twisted and the door was popped open. The three of them stiffened as their muscles tensed up. The sight was of the three teens tensed and hunched over like vultures, completely unmoving as their eyes tracked every movement.

Nezu approached the bed and hopped up onto the bed. The sudden movement started Izuku who out of reflex and pure muscle memory grabbed the nearest small heavy object, ironically being Nezu, and without registering what he grabbed he threw it as hard as he could across the room. The entire time he made a defensive half yowl half growling noise.

Nezu was unscathed by the entire thing, he wasn’t even shaken up in the slightest as he landed on his feet with practised ease.

@darkpuppymemes here's the edited version, it's too long to send in DMs :')

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pagankingfinn · 4 years ago

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The Original Version

The noise of multiple sets of feet pounding against the pavement echoed up the walls of the building around them. The tallest figure spun around to cover their escape with a veil of fire, following the shorter companions soon after. The shouts of heros and the sirens of police cars reverberate around the inside of their skulls.

The tallest had dark, almost purple in color, burn scars that covered his body. Between old and new injuries it was difficult to tell what his condition was. He seemed to mostly be covered in dirt, however, the unlit alley ways provided no way to tell.

“Izuku this is all your fault!” The tallest yelled, the smallest responded by flipping his head back with a grin and a giggle. His green and black curly hair was pulled into a messy bun, his dark moss green eyes glimmered with mischief, he had several injuries already but didn’t seem to notice as he ran with a limp. The female running beside him was covered in scrapes and bruises, the hems of her clothing were singed and ripped.

“You’re welcome Dabi!” He responded as he looked forward again, and led the other two through the streets. Despite the delays they had been setting up, they could hear the pro heros getting closer and closer. A fireball narrowly missed the female of the group, hitting Izuku in the back. He cried out in pain as he stumbled and fell.

��Shit! Come on Izuku, tell us which way to go!” The female spoke as the taller male carried Izuku on his back. The anxiety of the three rose with every passing second, the heros were on their heels as they continued to run through the streets.

Before they could get any instructions, their escape was cut off by a wall of branches. The other passage was blocked off by several pro heros. Their sweat dropped as they heard the familiar thump of combat boots against concrete. They spun around to look at the raven haired man.

As Dabi and the unnamed female took a fighting stance, they were cut off before anything could happen.

“Your friend needs medical attention, it would be wise to surrender before he gets worse.” The pro hero, Eraserhead, stated. The pair didn’t seem to like that, seeing as the female gave a loud outburst in response.

“NOBODY TOUCHES OUR LITTLE BROTHER!” She screamed, the only thing keeping her from lunging forward was the weak grip she felt on the shoulder of her sweater. She looked to see Izuku was the one who had grabbed hold of her sweater, while Dabi sweeped his arm out to keep the female back.

“Toga, we’re surrounded. If we fight now, we might lose Izuku. Look at him-” Dabi tried to reason, Toga’s head dropped to the ground as she reached up and gently grasped the hand holding onto her sweater. They both knew that there was no way to easily heal him, after all the organization they belonged to had no healer in the group.

Izuku began to slip off Dabi as he spoke, Toga let out a screech as he rushed to try and support their chosen family member. Dabi looked alarm as they turned their attention to the boy faintly breathing at this point. They shared a look before slowly nodding, and surrendering.

Except, they forgot to put Izuku down beforehand, so they ended up dropping him on accident. Luckily Eraserhead was fast enough to use his capture gear and grab the boy.

That’s how Izuku woke up, handcuffed to a hospital bed, covered in bandages, with Toga sleeping next to him and Dabi leaned across the end of the bed in a chair. He stirred slightly and made a small noise as he reached out for his older brother.

“Hey Izu, how’d you sleep?” Toga asked him as she woke up and sat up, hooking an arm under his right armpit and holding his left arm to help him sit up. She then used her foot to poke Dabi awake.

“... Where are we?” Izuku rasped out, looking around the room carefully. Dabi slowly looked up and saw that Toga was helping to support the sickliest member of their sibling group. Dabi moved onto the bed, sliding behind Izuku so that he could fit. He looked at the bandages on his back and slowly untied them.

“We’re in UA. They used you as a bargaining chip against us, if we didn’t accept they were going to seperate us all.” Dabi explained as he unwrapped the tight bandages. Unfortunately, because of how Izuku’s broken bones had healed when he was younger, he had to be careful to not cause any more breakage. Izuku slumped softly against Dabi once the wrappings weren’t so tight.

“Thank you.” Izuku mumbled in gratitude. He shifted until he was more against the larger male, enjoying the heat his body gave off as it helped relax his taxed muscles. Toga joined her brothers in the pile on the bed, nestling into the crook beside Izuku.

That’s how the UA staff found them, well, that’s how Aizawa, Nezu, and Recovery Girl found them. They looked up silently at the door as it opened, the three of them stiffening as their muscles tensed. Dabi dragged Izuku closer to him as the trio subconsciously tried to squeeze themselves as much as possible against the white brick wall. They stood out against the sterile environment of the infirmary.

Izuku glared at the three, ignoring the tender areas on his back as he pressed against Dabi. He pulled Toga closer as well. The sight was quite interesting, with the three teens tense and hunched over like vultures. They didn't make a move or speak as they looked at the adults in the room.

Nezu jumped up on the bed and Izuku nearly screamed in response. It was hard to not want to reflexively screech when a white furred creature jumps up onto your hospital bed. Toga, Izuku, and Dabi were all too dazed and off put by the surreal events to fully process what was going on.

The Rewritten Version

Nezu was unscathed by the entire thing, he wasn’t even shaken up in the slightest as he landed on his feet with practised ease.

#leftsharkwitch #bnha izuku #mha izuku #rat coon #izuku midoriya #bnha #mha #bnha au #mha au #unfaltering chaos trio #mha dabi #bnha dabi #dabi is touya #dabi my hero academia #bnha toga #toga himiko #mha toga

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jlynnhiddles-blog · 6 years ago

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Chapter One: The Custom Client

Set in the present, this is a fairytale about a girl making her own way in the world whose work leads her to the man she’d cast as her Prince Charming. Will she try on those glass slippers or will she find out she’s met The Beast? Can two people from different realms risk everything and make it across The Bifrost? Can endings ever be happy? Join me on this adventure, send me a message or a poisoned apple and enjoy!

Jamie glanced up at her workscreen when she heard the incoming message alert from her lab manager, Charlie, requesting her in his office before the end of the day. It was a busy Thursday afternoon in the dental lab where she added color to synthetic crowns to match natural teeth. Most were from pictures, but she was also in charge of seeing patients who came to her for personalized work. Much of the company’s business was from local dentists and they specialized in high end fabrication. Jamie liked the people she worked with and felt lucky to be able to help people get their smiles back. She took a break from the case she was working on and strolled to Charlie’s office, tapping on the edge of the open door.

“Hey Jamie, have a seat,” Charlie smiled. “I need to send you out to do a custom job tomorrow afternoon.”

“Send me out?” she asked, with some surprise. She sat on the leather office chair across from him. “The patient can’t come here?”

“It’s one of Dr. Kline’s patients and apparently it’s a VIP situation. You’ll be meeting the client at their hotel instead of the doctor’s office. But someone from Dr. Kline’s staff will be there, too. They need help selecting the shade and material. It’s just one tooth but they really want to keep the patient happy.” Charlie leaned forward. “This case is really important. The office was happy to pay for your specialized services.”

"Any idea who the patient is?” she asked, intrigued.

“Important enough that they sent over a non-disclosure agreement. They only want you to deal with him. The file name is under Bobby. We have a few pictures but just of the patient’s mouth. I don’t think it’ll be a challenging case. Which makes me even more interested.“

Charlie handed her a copy of the prescription. "Here’s the file information I have so far. They’re sending a driver for you at three tomorrow.”

“A driver? Like an Uber?”

“Pretty sure it’s a private car service. You’re going to a hotel in downtown Tampa. They didn’t want to tell me which one.”

“Sounds like the setup to a slasher flick,” she laughed. “So, count me in.”

Jamie signed and dated the non disclosure. She’d done some work in the entertainment and hospitality industries and the form was standard. Who would she tell, anyway? She walked back to her desk resumed her work. After setting several cases to finish in the specialized ovens, she glanced at the clock and started cleaning up her desk. She took her tablet home to review the pictures of the mysterious Bobby.

Jamie lived alone, save for her two cats, in a second story walk-up apartment. It was a typical evening. She fed her eager cats a can of wet food, played word games with Alexa and made a quick dinner. After the dishes were done and put away, she sat heavily on her loveseat. Her little apartment displayed what she loved. It was quiet, with lots of books and movies, especially her favorite Marvel films from the past ten years. She enjoyed the bright colors, the sweeping overtones, the battle for good, evil, and redemption. She’d always been partial to bad guys. Her childhood heros were Shere-Kahn, Ursula, and Captain Hook. As an adult, Marvel villains kept her interest. Her wall art favored them, as well as other inspirational prints and pictures.

“Alexa, play some Hank Williams.”

She put her feet up on the battered coffee table and found the file on the tablet. The patient had really great teeth, but one incisor was recently and slightly broken. She typed up a quick treatment plan and preliminary shade selections. It would probably be a straightforward fix and a happy patient. She was honestly excited to get out of the lab and find out what the fuss was about.

The next day, Jamie got to work early to make up for the time she’d be gone. A few cases needed to go out that evening, so she settled in but her mind was never far from the impending afternoon excursion. Around 2:30, she had a granola bar and made sure her custom shading kit was packed. A few minutes to three, she poked her head in Charley’s office to tell him she was leaving.

“If I wake up in a bathtub full of ice, missing vital organs, you know I’m blaming you.”

Charlie chuckled and wished her luck.

Pulling out her sunglasses, Jamie walked out the front door of her office and saw the black Lincoln Navigator waiting for her. An imposing gentleman in a black suit was standing in front of it.

“Miss Birch,” he said. It wasn’t a question.

Jamie extended her hand in greeting. She didn’t intimidate easily and she wasn’t sure there was anything to be intimidated by. Yet.

"I’m Bruce,” he said, returning her handshake. “I’ll be driving you today. Are you ready to go?” He towered over her but returned her smile once he shook her hand.

“Absolutely!”

He opened the rear passenger side door and offered her a hand to hold to get in. She had her purse and kit, which was really a dark green diaper bag. Most of the lab employees wear scrubs as part of their uniform, but Fridays are casual. Jamie had decided to wear her scrubs anyway since she was going to be out on official business. The royal blue complimented her light skin. She usually didn’t wear makeup to work, but she’d taken the time today, carefully enhancing her golden brown eyes with metallic shadow and blushing the roundness of her cheeks. A coworker had softly braided her ombre-dipped blonde and brown hair down her back. Working in the smile business, appearances matter.

Bruce closed her door and walked around to the driver’s seat.

“We’re going to downtown Tampa. You can adjust the air conditioning from the center console. Is there anything you need right now?”

“I’m good, thank you,” she replied.

She pulled out her phone, beaming as always at the green and gold displayed on her lock screen. She still had no idea who the mysterious Bobby was! As they drove, she made polite conversation with Bruce. He looked to be nearing fifty, with fair skin, broad shoulders and close cropped salt and pepper hair. At first, he was all business until he mentioned his daughters and then she saw the crinkles soften his eyes behind his sunglasses. The drive across Tampa Bay was beautiful. She stared out the window and saw a few dolphin fins crest in the waves. She’d worked and lived in other parts of the country, but she always came back home. Before she knew it, they were pulling up to the portico of the hotel. Bruce hopped out to open her door before she had a chance.

"You’ll be met in the lobby by a staff member. Don’t forget your bags.”

“Thanks for the ride, Bruce. Will you be taking me back to my office later?”

He smiled at her. “Probably.”

“Well, wish me luck!”

Jamie took a slow, deep breath and nodded to the doorman as he opened the hotel door. As her eyes adjusted to the light in the lobby, a man about her age strode towards her. She stopped dead.

“Luke.” Her mouth formed the word but she honestly wasn’t sure if it had come out.

The dark haired man smiled inquisitively through his tortoiseshell glasses at her.

“Miss Birch? I’m sorry, do we know each other?”

“I. Uh. No. Of course not. I’m Jamie Birch. I’m here to assist with some dental work on–”

The man cut her off.

“Yes, of course. If you’ll come with me.”

He firmly led her by the elbow to the banks of elevators. Discreetly, he passed a keycard over the digital display and the door opened immediately. As they closed, he turned to her.

“I’m sorry for interrupting you out there. No one can know that we’re here. You recognized me. Which, honestly is kind of weird because I’m not famous. It’s my job not to be famous. But, I think you know who you’re here to see. I’m going to need you to stop looking like you might die though, okay? This will be fine.” His classically British accent conveyed authority and kindness.

Jamie hadn’t said a word. Her brain was desperately trying to catch up. She stared at Luke. Gently, he pushed upward on her chin, closing her mouth she didn’t know was open.

“Don’t want flies to get in!”

Her mind replayed the known facts. She pictured the smile. The bright perfection of it. The urgency and secrecy of the visit. Bobby. And now, Luke Windsor, press agent to some of the biggest British stars in the world. Of course, she didn’t actually know him. But, here he was. Which could only mean one thing.

“Is it okay if I call you Jamie?” Luke asked. The elevator had stopped and he pushed a button on the display. He stood directly in front of her and smiled again. An easy, reassuring, and practiced smile.

“Jamie. I need you to take a deep breath.” He took her hand. “You’re here to do a job. You look great. We’re going to get off the elevator and get to work. I promise, this will be fine. Just relax. He’s as brilliant as you think he is.”

Jamie continued to stare at Luke. With a slightly resigned sigh, he pressed a button and the elevator doors opened directly into the suite.

“Hey! We’re back,” he called, stepping out. “I’ve got the miss from the dental lab.”

From around the corner came the very familiar voiced reply.

“Excellent. Bring her in here, will you?”

Jamie didn’t move. She was still in the elevator. Luke stepped back in and put his hand on the small of her back, gently pushing her forward. She took one, stilting step and slowly walked towards the direction from which the voice came as Luke guided her.

Together, they turned the corner and she stopped again. Luke kept his hand in firmly in place on her back as if he was propping up a puppet.

Tom Hiddleston glanced up from the book he was reading. He was casually seated on a plush chair, his impossibly long legs stretched out in front of him and crossed at the ankle. His eyes flicked up to her and then back down to the book as he analyzed the lovely woman in front of him. He was used to the look on her face, but usually it was in a cafe or an airport, not his hotel room. He slid a bookmark in place and stood, covering the distance to her in two long steps.

“Tom, this is Jamie Birch, from the dental lab. She recognized me in the lobby. Apparently, she’s quite the fan of my work.” Luke pushed gently on her lower back again and reflexively, she took Tom’s proffered hand. As she did, she felt a nudge on her knee. She looked down at the chocolate cocker spaniel, whose ears flopped back as he looked up at her.

“Bobby,” she said. She was pretty sure she said it out loud.

Tom laughed. It was like music.

“Ehehehe yes, that’s Bobby I’m afraid. Luckily for you, he’s not the one in need of a dentist. So sorry about the cloak and dagger stuff. We have established that you know my publicist and my dog. I’m Tom.” He still had her hand lightly in his.

Jamie didn’t say anything. She couldn’t even be sure she was breathing. Here she was, clearly exposing herself as some sort of crazed super fanatic, giving away that she’d poured over publicity photos of him. How else would she know Luke and Bobby? That’s what crazy stalkers do. They probably thought she wasn’t even from the dental lab. Any second, Bruce and another security guard would come in here and pick her up and carry her down in a service elevator. Tom had probably already pressed some hidden panic button when she walked in the room.

“I–” she stammered.

“Where are my manners?” Tom said, releasing her hand. “Let me get you some water. Or, tea?”

“I–” was all that came out.

“Both, then. We’ll sit down and have a chat and you can get to work.”

Work?, she thought. Work! Her case was still in her hand and her bag on her shoulder. Luke felt the tension ease in her body a bit as Tom walked to the open kitchen. He gently took her bags and placed them on an ottoman and offered her a seat, then walked out of the room, Bobby trailing after him.

“I’ll just put the kettle on. Why do American kitchens never have electric kettles?” Tom asked her.

“I–” she stammered. Taking a deep breath, she said, “Well, we won the Revolutionary War.”

Tom’s smile and laugh were instantaneous. “That, you did. Yet, here we are, all friends again. I’m glad to hear your voice and your wit, Jamie. Do you mind if I call you that?”

He sat down opposite her. His face was clean shaven and his reddish hair was slightly unruly. He wore black jeans, a dark t shirt with a thin navy sweater over it, and dark sneakers. The sunlight lit up his bright blue eyes as he looked at her. Jamie opened her mouth to speak, but didn’t seem to know any words so she closed it, her lips forming what she hoped was a smile. He continued to gaze at her, seemingly enjoying her unease. They sat in heavy silence and Jamie tried desperately to think of something, anything to say. He was her favorite person in the world and she was speechless. Absentmindedly, he rubbed his long fingertips across his lips as he watched her.

Soft, he thought. The way strands of her hair peeked out from behind her ears. The faint wrinkles on her forehead where her eyebrows had raised in surprise. The curve of her hips as she sat, properly, one ankle tucked behind the other. The hint of a Southern accent in her voice. Everything about her was comfortable, comforting, warm and soft.

The kettle whistled, breaking the spell.

“Cream and sugar?” he asked, popping up and walking back to the kitchenette across the room.

“Yes, please, if you have them,” she replied. Politeness forced her speech to return.

He brought over a small tea set on a tray and set it on a table between them. It was pink and curved, with scalloped edges. Not the kind of set a five star hotel would furnish its kitchen with. Jamie eyed it with suspicious familiarity as Tom poured her tea.

“Don’t tell me you recognize this, as well?” he asked with some surprise.

“It is the official tea set of the Untitled Avengers Film Character Revival Waiting Area,” she replied, with what she hoped was a casual shrug. The picture of Tom and castmate Sebastian Stan was one of the best from the previous weekend’s comic book convention. A fan had set up the picture with Tom and Seb sipping tea while she held up a sign noting it was a waiting area. Both of their characters had died in the most recent film and fans were eager for their resurrection. The picture had become popular and apparently, Tom had kept the tea set.

“Were you in Seattle?” Tom asked with some excitement at the edge of his voice.

“No, I couldn’t take the time off work. I just saw some pictures and video. You–I mean, it, looked great.”

“They’re fun. Getting to meet people who are passionate about my work is fantastic and humbling and usually overwhelming.”

"Then security isn’t going to shoot me with a blow dart and roll me out of here in an industrial laundry cart?” Jamie asked, the tea returning some of her nerve.

“Eheh. No. Luke has a pretty good sense about people. He keeps the trains running. He wouldn’t have let you up if he thought you were going to boil my bunny or something.” His voice was so soft and smooth. One of her favorite things was listening to him narrate books. She closed her eyes as she sipped her tea, listening to him. “I really appreciate your coming down here. It’s probably a good thing that you know who I am and already what I look like so you can help. So, you are a fan, right?”

Jamie smiled at him, her first honestly relaxed smile since she’d met him. He loved how it lit up her face.

“Uh yeah, of the whole Marvel Universe. It’s fun. I’m excited for Ant Man and The Wasp next month. And Captain Marvel next year. I’m thrilled to get more female superheroes.” She purposefully kept her voice level and didn’t mention the films he starred in.

“Did you like Infinity War?” he asked.

“No.” she replied, more softly than intended. “I saw it twice, but no, I didn’t like it.”

He’d started to ask her why, when her phone began to ring in her scrubs pocket.

“I’m so sorry, I thought it was off,” she said, pulling it out. As she fumbled with it, the locked screen faced him briefly. He reached out and took her wrist firmly, turning the screen to him. He didn’t mean to, but he couldn’t help himself. He’d seen his own green and gold armor. Loki. He released her as soon as he realized what he’d done. She didn’t meet his gaze as she put the phone to her ear.

“Just making sure you got there okay and that you still have all of your body parts!” Charlie said, cheerily.

“Yes, we’re fine here. I was just discussing long term treatment goals with the patient. I’ll shoot you a text if we have any questions.” She hung up. Fuck, she thought. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I am so fucking screwed.

Slowly, she raised her eyes back to his face. He was grinning.

“May I see that, please?” He held out his hand.

Really having no choice, she locked the screen again and gave it to him. It was a close up shot of Loki’s chest, wearing his unmistakable armor. The text read I am Loki and I am alone. She smiled sadly at Tom.

“I can just relate to some of his pain, I guess. Neither of us really fit in. And I like bad guys.” Maybe this wasn’t so terrible. It’s just Loki. He’s a wildly popular character! He has an army! Being a fan of Loki was hardly unusual and sort of explained why she knew Luke and Bobby. Maybe she’d get out of this with some dignity.

Tom nodded understandingly, reaching out to give her phone back.

“He’s a guy with a lot of pain. It’s always good to hear some sympathy for him.” His thumb slid across the screen as he passed it to her. Loki disappeared and the home screen appeared. Dressed in a white button up, dark sunglasses and a very tight blue suit, appeared Tom Hiddleston. The real Tom turned the screen back towards him. With a slow smile, he placed it back in her hands.

“Not just bad guys, then.” He made the statement as fact, his voice unmistakably pleased.

#tom hiddleston #fanfic #new #loki fanfic #tom hidddleston fan fic #my ocs #loki marvel fanfiction

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thepatriotsandwe · 7 years ago

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Best Patriots Drafted By Round Since 2008

The NFL draft is nearly upon us, and at times it can be difficult to fully invest oneself in the results of the draft with the almost random nature of NFL prospects. For this reason, we’re going to be taking a look at the best players selected by round since the 2008 NFL draft. While this seems to be an arbitrary cut off point, it’s the latest round that still contained Patriot players that have had a recent impact on team success. With that being said, let’s dig into:

Round 1

Devin McCourty - Cornerback - Rutgers

2010 NFL Draft - Round 1 - Pick 27

The Patriots have had success on many occasions in the first round during this time frame, but there is no larger success story than Devin McCourty. Originally drafted as a cornerback, McCourty won AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors with seven interceptions on the season. However, after a tumultuous Sophomore campaign, he was moved to the safety position and has since become one of the best in the league.

McCourty, according to his NFL.com draft profile, was expected to mostly make an impact on special teams and the nickel corner position, but quickly emerged as one of the more talented players on the Patriots defense. There are few Patriots that have had more of an impact on the defensive side of the ball in recent years than McCourty as the Pats have largely shut down deep ball attacks due to his ability to close ground quickly.

Not to be overshadowed by Devin’s play on the field, he has emerged as a true leader and a veteran presence on a team with high turnover. Named a captain rather quickly into his career, McCourty embodies the Patriots organization in many ways and has become a perennial Patriot. The argument can be made for other big names drafted in the first round such as Dont’a Hightower and Nate Solder, but it is McCourty’s durability (at most, McCourty has missed two games in a season since entering the league) that simply puts him a notch above every other recent first round pick.

Honorable Mentions: Dont’a Hightower, Nate Solder, Jerod Mayo

Round 2

Rob Gronkowski - Tight End - Arizona

2010 NFL Draft - Round 2 - Pick 42

Well, what exactly did you expect? There’s not much I can say about Gronkowski that hasn’t been said a million times before. He’s, when healthy, the most dominant player at his position in NFL history. He nearly cannot be covered and will make a big play at some point during the game. As the saying goes, you cannot hope to stop him, you can merely contain him.

His NFL.com draft profile is rather spot on in most respects. He exited college as a very productive player that’s size proved incredibly difficult to handle, but his durability was called into question as he missed his entire season year with back surgery. This durability is largely a reason why he fell into the second round to begin with, but it’s still a bit curious how someone with the measurables like Gronk was put in that position.

Despite the tension between him and Belichick this offseason, Gronk has also emerged as a team captain for the Patriots, and it’s hard to argue that anyone else drafted in this time frame has made more of an impact for the Pats than he has. He’s a total freak of nature, and absolutely the best Patriots second round player in the history of the franchise.

Honorable Mentions: Patrick Chung, Jamie Collins, Jimmy Garoppolo

Round 3

Logan Ryan - Cornerback - Rutgers

2013 NFL Draft - Round 3 - Pick 83

The fact that Logan Ryan is the selection here should be rather telling of the Patriots ability to draft in the third round. Logan Ryan can best be described as a “solid” player during his time in New England. He played well enough to elevate himself to the #2 corner position behind Malcolm Butler and was instrumental in the Patriots 2016 title run.

His physical ability attracted the Patriots to Ryan as he was a sure-handed tackler in college. Honestly, it may be the college he attended that Belichick found the most intriguing as Bill’s obsession with the University of Rutgers was at a full fever pitch during this time frame. Three of the Patriots secondary members were from Rutgers (McCourty, Harmon, and Ryan) during Ryan’s tenure with the Pats, and Harmon was selected mere picks after Ryan was. Regardless, Logan Ryan was considered a solid selection in terms of value in the round the Pats selected him.

While the argument could be had for Duron Harmon taking this spot, Harmon being a backup safety led to Ryan having a more down-to-down impact on the team during his stint. Harmon is assuredly the more flashy playmaker (earning himself the nickname “The Closer” as a result of his game clinching interceptions), but at the end of the day Ryan had more to do with the weekly success of the organization.

Honorable Mentions: Duron Harmon, Joe Thuney, Stevan Ridley

Round 4

James White - Running Back - Wisconsin

2014 NFL Draft - Round 4 - Pick 130

The hero of Super Bowl 51 is the best Patriot drafted in the fourth round in the past decade. James White, as described by Martellus Bennett in his fantastic illustration, is the ultimate Swiss-Army knife of the Patriots roster. Clutch, durable, and multi-talented, White is the quintessential New England Patriot.

White was considered a reach by many scouts. He was given a 7th round, potentially undrafted grade by NFL.com. His time at Wisconsin was behind one of the better offensive lines in the NCAA, and he split carries with a few other running backs at the university which did not give him a tremendous amount of time to show off what he was capable of. This coupled with a smaller frame meant White was a bit of a question mark coming out of college.

One could compare James to an ex-Patriots legend, Kevin Faulk. Both were capable of running the ball, taking care to not turn it over, being outstanding pass catchers, and fighting tooth and nail for every yard. While there a couple huge success stories in the last ten years for the Pats drafting in the fourth round, it’s tough to say anyone has had more of an impact than the hero of the Super Bowl himself, James White.

Honorable Mentions: Trey Flowers, Shaq Mason.

Round 5

Matthew Slater - Wide Receiver/Special Teams Gunner - UCLA

2008 NFL Draft - Round 5 - Pick 153

With the third longest active tenure as a New England Patriot, Matthew Slater has been a stalwart example of what it means to play for the top organization in the National Football League. He has long embodied the Patriot Way, and his attitude while playing for the team has him as one of the few New England players that seem to be “lifers” in that it’s nearly impossible to envision Slater in another uniform. His leadership is one of his biggest assets, but his play on special teams has elected him to seven pro bowls in nine years.

Slater was a known quantity coming out of UCLA. Scouts agreed that his impact on offense was likely to be non-existent with some potential to play as a slot receiver, but if Slater were to be drafted it would be for his outstanding special teams play. Belichick, being one of the coaches most outspoken on importance of special teams, nabbed Slater in the fifth round and the rest has been history.

It’s difficult to quantify in statistics why Slater is such an important member of the Pats, but he has orchestrated the kickoff and punt units as a captain for many years in a New England uniform and has consistently made an impact on an important phase of the game. His locker room presence also cannot be left out, as he’s one of the most respected players in New England by players and coaching staff alike.

Honorable Mention: Marcus Cannon

Round 6

Nate Ebner - Safety/Special Teams - Ohio State

2012 NFL Draft - Round 6 - Pick 197

Yeah, it’s been a slow sixth round for the past ten years. Ebner has been a great special teams player, and a long time Patriot, but this shows the Pats lack of success in the late round more than anything. If this list were extending to Belichick’s entire coaching career with the Patriots, there may be another 6th round pick (and just two selections later than Ebner) that could be considered here, but as it stands Ebner is the best of the bunch.

Largely known as a rugby player, Ebner entered the NFL draft with no fanfare, and a large contingent of people hadn’t really ever heard of him. So much so that Ebner actually does not possess an NFL.com draft profile. It’s likely that Nate would have gone undrafted and potentially never made in the NFL without Belichick taking a chance on the Ohio State project late in the 2012 draft,but it has panned out quite well for the special teams unit of the Patriots.

His athleticism has allowed the Patriots to create some trickery on punt situations (recently shown during the fake punt against the Dolphins this prior season), but Ebner has not been able to play any meaningful snaps at the safety position. He’s not terrible bothered by it, however, as Nate has made it clear multiple times that he thrives on special teams play and self-professes that he might have “a couple screws loose.” He’s no Tom Brady, but he’s a decent draft success in a round in which the Patriots haven’t had many in the past decade.

Honorable Mention: Elandon Roberts

Round 7

Julian Edelman - Quarterback/Wide Receiver - Kent State

2009 NFL Draft - Round 7 - Pick 23

As if there was any doubt. There are few more inspiring draft stories than that of Julian Edelman. He emerged as the next great slot receiver in a lineage that includes the greatest slot receiver of all time, Wes Welker. While Welker was undrafted, Edelman was a quarterback in college and was largely expected to be a playmaker on special teams in the NFL. His work ethic and fierce determination have formed him into what he is today, one of the top wide receivers in the league.

Despite being a successful college quarterback, Edelman was largely asked to try out at wide receiver in the run-up to the 2009 NFL draft. While his experience was lacking at the position, good measurables and shows of athleticism put him on a couple teams radars. Despite this, Edelman nearly went undrafted before the Patriots snagged him late in the seventh round.

In terms of pure value, it’s tough to think of a Patriot player not named Tom Brady drafted by the Patriots in the 6th-7th rounds under Belichick that provides a higher return-on-investment. Julian is an absolute standout player who has made his presence known as a hero on the grandest of stages twice in his career, propelling the Patriots to two Super Bowl victories (and arguably the true MVP of Super Bowl 49). If Patriots fans are still feeling down about the conclusion of the previous season, it doesn’t take more than the prospect of Edelman returning to drive hype for the upcoming 2018 campaign.

Honorable Mention: Alfonzo Dennard

And that’s that, hopefully this has proven illuminating at how talent can come and impact a team from any round. The Patriots have built the success that they have enjoyed in large part to draft success stories that have come manifest in a number of players we couldn’t imagine the team without today. Any given player taken by the Pats can turn out to be the next Devin McCourty or Julian Edelman, and that’s truly what makes the draft so exciting. With a large catalog of high picks in the draft next week, the Patriots will be looking to bring in new faces, new fan favorites, and, hopefully, new Super Bowl heroes.

Go Pats.

#Patriots #New England #Football #Sports #NFL #sports journalism #Tom brady #Julian Edelman #Devin McCourty #Rob Gronkowski #Gronk #Brady #Belichick #Robert Kraft #James White #Logan Ryan #Matthew Slater #Nate Ebner #New England Patriots

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dailynewswebsite · 4 years ago

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Trump’s encouragement of GOP ballot watchers echoes an old tactic of voter intimidation

President Trump through the Sept. 29, 2020 debate with Joe Biden. Olivier Douliery/Pool through AP

In the course of the first presidential debate, Donald Trump was requested by moderator Chris Wallace if he would “urge” his followers to stay calm throughout a chronic vote-counting interval after the election, if the winner had been unclear.

“I’m urging my supporters to enter the polls and watch very fastidiously as a result of that’s what has to occur, I’m urging them to do it,” Trump stated. “I hope it’s going to be a good election, and if it’s a good election, I’m 100 % on board, but when I see tens of 1000’s of ballots being manipulated, I can’t go together with that.”

This wasn’t the primary time Trump has stated he desires to recruit ballot watchers to observe the vote. And to some, the picture of 1000’s of Trump supporters crowding into polling locations to observe voters appears to be like like voter intimidation, a observe lengthy used within the U.S. by political events to suppress one aspect’s vote and have an effect on an election’s end result.

Within the historical past of voter suppression within the U.S. – together with makes an attempt to cease Black and Latino individuals from voting – Republican ways within the 1981 New Jersey gubernatorial race are price highlighting. That incident sparked a court docket order – a “consent decree” – forbidding the GOP from utilizing a wide range of voter intimidation strategies, together with armed ballot watchers.

The 2020 presidential election would be the first in practically 40 years performed with out the protections afforded by that decree.

The Nationwide Poll Safety Activity Drive

In November 1981, voters in a number of cities noticed posters at polling locations printed in vivid purple letters. “WARNING,” they learn. “This space is being patrolled by the Nationwide Poll Safety Activity Drive.”

And voters quickly encountered the patrols themselves. About 200 had been deployed statewide, a lot of them uniformed and carrying weapons.

In Trenton, patrol members requested a Black voter for her registration card and turned her away when she didn’t produce it. Latino voters had been equally prevented from voting in Vineland, whereas in Newark some voters had been bodily chased from the polls by patrolmen, one in all whom warned a ballot employee to not keep at her submit after darkish. Related scenes performed out in at the least two different cities, Camden and Atlantic Metropolis.

Weeks later, after a recount, Republican Thomas Kean gained the election by fewer than 1,800 votes.

Democrats, nevertheless, quickly gained a big victory. With native civil rights activists, they found that the “poll safety” operation was a joint challenge of the state and nationwide Republican committees. They filed go well with in December 1981, charging Republicans with “efforts to intimidate, threaten and coerce duly certified black and Hispanic voters.”

In November 1982, the case was settled when the Republican committees signed a federal consent decree – a court docket order relevant to actions wherever within the U.S. – agreeing to not use race in choosing targets for poll safety actions and to chorus from deploying armed ballot watchers.

That order expired in 2018 after Democrats did not persuade a choose to resume it.

As a professor who teaches and writes about New Jersey historical past, I’m alarmed by the expiration as a result of I do know that Republicans in 1981 relied not solely on armed ballot watchers but additionally on a historical past of white vigilantism and intimidation within the Backyard State. These points resonate right now within the midst of the Black Lives Matter motion and continued GOP makes an attempt to suppress the 2020 vote in quite a few states.

U.S. Rep. John Lewis with Home Democrats earlier than passing the Voting Rights Development Act to get rid of potential state and native voter suppression legal guidelines, Dec. 29, 2019. The Senate has not taken up the invoice. AP Picture/J. Scott Applewhite

The Republican ‘poll safety’ plan

Thought of an early referendum on Ronald Reagan’s presidency, New Jersey’s 1981 gubernatorial race held particular which means for Republicans nationwide. Kean – with marketing campaign supervisor Roger Stone on the helm – promised company tax cuts and relied closely on Reagan’s endorsement.

To safe victory, state and nationwide Republican social gathering officers devised a challenge they claimed would stop Democratic dishonest on the polls.

In the summertime of 1981, the Republican Nationwide Committee despatched an operative named John A. Kelly to New Jersey to run the poll safety effort. Kelly had first been employed by the Republican Nationwide Committee in 1980 to work within the Reagan marketing campaign, and he served as one of many RNC’s liaisons to the Reagan White Home.

Later, after he was revealed because the organizer of the Nationwide Poll Safety Activity Drive – and after The New York Occasions found that he had lied about graduating from Notre Dame and had been arrested for impersonating a police officer – Republicans distanced themselves from him.

In August 1981, below the guise of the Nationwide Poll Safety Activity Drive, Kelly despatched about 200,000 letters marked “return to sender” to voters in closely Black and Latino districts. These whose letters had been returned had their names added to an inventory of voters to be challenged on the polls on Election Day, a tactic generally known as voter caging.

Within the Newark space, Kelly produced an inventory of 20,000 voters whom he deemed doubtlessly fraudulent. He then employed native operatives to prepare patrols, ostensibly to maintain such fraud at bay. To run the Newark operation, he employed Anthony Imperiale.

Newark’s white vigilante

Imperiale, in flip, employed off-duty cops and staff of his non-public enterprise, the Imperiale Safety Police, to patrol voting websites within the metropolis.

The gun-toting, barrel-chested former Marine had first adopted the safety function throughout Newark’s 1967 rebellion – 5 days of protests and a lethal occupation of the town by police and the Nationwide Guard following the police beating of a Black cab driver. In the course of the rebellion, Imperiale organized patrols of his predominantly white neighborhood to maintain “the riots” out.

Quickly, Imperiale turned a hero of white backlash politics. His opposition to police reform earned him widespread assist from regulation enforcement. And his combat towards Black housing improvement in Newark’s North Ward delighted a lot of his neighbors. By the top of the 1970s, Hollywood was making a film based mostly on his actions.

Actress Frances Fisher arrives to talk at a downtown rally in Los Angeles, California on Could 19, 2016, to deliver consideration to voter suppression. Frederic J. Brown/AFP through Getty Photos

After serving as an unbiased in each homes of the state legislature, Imperiale turned a Republican in 1979. Two years later, he campaigned with Kean. As soon as in workplace, the brand new governor named Imperiale director of a brand new one-man state Workplace of Group Security – an appointment usually interpreted as reward for Imperiale’s management of the poll efforts in Newark, however stymied when Democrats refused to fund the place.

Consequence and legacy

Regardless of Kean’s slim margin of victory, Democrats on the time had been cautious to not declare that Republican voter suppression efforts had determined the election. (In 2016, the previous Democratic candidate claimed they did certainly make the distinction.)

Fairly, the state and nationwide Democratic committees introduced go well with towards the Republican Nationwide Committee to make sure it couldn’t once more use such strategies wherever. For practically 40 years – by way of amendments and challenges – the ensuing consent decree helped curtail voter suppression ways.

[Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter.]

Because the decree’s expiration in 2018, Republicans have ramped up their recruitment of ballot watchers for the 2020 presidential election. Final November, Trump marketing campaign lawyer Justin Clark – calling the decree’s absence “an enormous, large, large, large deal” for the social gathering – promised a bigger, better-funded and “extra aggressive” program of Election Day operations.

The Trump marketing campaign is claiming, as Republicans did in 1981, that Democrats “might be as much as their outdated soiled tips” and has vowed to “cowl each polling place within the nation” with employees to make sure an sincere election and reelect the president.

This November, Republican ways in 1981 are price remembering. They reveal that the safeguarding of polling locations from supposedly fraudulent voters and of public locations from Black our bodies share not solely a logic. In addition they share a historical past.

That is an up to date model of an article initially printed on August 10, 2020.

Mark Krasovic doesn’t work for, seek the advice of, personal shares in or obtain funding from any firm or group that might profit from this text, and has disclosed no related affiliations past their educational appointment.

from Growth News https://growthnews.in/trumps-encouragement-of-gop-ballot-watchers-echoes-an-old-tactic-of-voter-intimidation/ via https://growthnews.in

#Growth News

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historyandclassicactors · 8 years ago

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The Original Fly Girls: WASPs, WAAFs, WDs, WAAAFs

This post comes, in part, because of Elinor Florence’s Bird’s Eye View, which I mostly read because after reading Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire, I was just dying to read anything and everything I could about female pilots during WWII. (More on both Code Name Verity and Rose Under Fire later, I promise. [Image from goodreads]

Summary: Rose Jolliffe, bored of country life and itching to join the war effort, leaves behind her precious Canada and journeys to Britain, hoping to join the RAF as a female pilot. However, her skills in printing photographs lands her a special military job. And although it’s not the front row seat she’d been hoping for, her work is critical to the Allies’ victory.

So, today’s post is a tribute to the amazing and daring female pilots from America, Britain, Canada, and Australia (and if I forgot someone, I am incredibly sorry). And, as a special treat, a additional section at the end! So, be prepared for an extra long post - there was just so much to get in. They were the unsung heroes of WWII.

WASPs:

In the Summer of 1941, “Female pilots Jackie Cochran and Nancy Harkness Love submitted proposals to the USAAF, arguing that placing female pilots in non-combat roles would free up their male counterparts for combat missions” (Source). On September 5, 1942, after drawing up a proposal that would allow women to deliver military aircraft to military air bases, Love was named the Commander of the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron, (WAFS). They were based at Newcastle Army Air Base in DE.

On November 16, 1942, The 319th Women’s Flying Training Detachment was officially established at Municipal Airport in Houston, TX by Col. William H. Turner. It was under Cochran’s command.

“The WFTD had fewer resources than their WAFS counterparts, which meant that they had no uniforms, no life insurance, no crash truck, and no fire truck. Morale became an issue that was never truly resolved with WFTD, especially after the 7 Mar 1943 incident where pilot trainee Margaret Oldenburg and instructor Norris G. Morgan were killed in a crash south of Houston” (Source).

In July 1943, the two programs were merged together to form the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). Training took place in Sweetwater, TX.

Unlike the Army Airforce, WASP was a civil service branch, which meant that the 39 WASP aviators who proudly gave their lives during WWII were deprived of both military honors and funeral funding. On June 22, 1944, uniforms were finally provided. It consisted of “of a blue blouse with three buttons, a matching skirt, and a white shirt with black tie.” Many also wore “A-2 or B-3 leather flight jackets over their uniforms” (Source).

On December 20, 1944: WASP was disbanded by Arnold because it was believed they had completed their mission and could do no more. On December 7, he was quoted: “The Air Forces will long remember their servies and their final sacrifice” (Source).

In 1997, President Jimmy Carter signed the GI Bill Improvement Act, granting WASP pilots full military status.

1,830 WASPs served. Only 1,074 earned their silver wings. They delivered 12,650 Aircrafts. 39 died in service. [Below: Bomber Girls]

WAAFs (or ATA Girls):

“The term war hero doesn’t usually bring to mind images of it-girls or front page glamour shots… But the ladies of the female section of the British Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) singlehandedly transformed the idea of what it meant to be a war hero” (Source).

WAAFs were the first women to receive equal pay! Much like the WASPs, though, ATA Girls were considered part of a civil service organization. However, this did not stop them.

On January 1, 1940, the first eight women joined ATA, recruited by “Pauline Gower, who made a living giving joy rides” (Source). Despite the fact that the women recruited held flying experience (sometimes more than their male counterparts), they were only allowed to fly non-operational crafts, “such as trainers or communications aircraft” (Source). On July 19, 1941, “Winnie Crossley was the first woman to be checked out on a Hurricane fighter, and from then on the sky was the limit” (Source).

ATA Girls worked as ferry pilots and delivered “military airplanes from factories to the RAF at the front lines” (Source). They were eventually upgraded from flying only Tiger Moths to flying 147 different types of aircraft! Some of these even included “four-engine bombers that even intimidated male pilots” (Source). Even ferrying was dangerous. Pilots had to endure hypothermia and learn to navigate barrage balloons. To make matters worse, they flew without radios or ammunition and had to learn to navigate solely by landmarks. 1 in 10 ATA pilots did not survive.

Their uniform consisted of a “dark blue skirt or trousers, a forge cap, black tie, and single breasted jacket with ATA insignia and gold threaded wings” (Source).

168 ATA Girls served. They delivered 308,000 Aircraft. 15 died while flying (I couldn’t find actual numbers anywhere). [Below: ATA Girls]

WDs:

On July 2, 1941, the Canadian Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (CWAAF) was created. On February 3, 1942, it was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force Women’s Division or WDs. They operated under Flight Officer Kathleen Oonah Walker. Training originally took place at Havergal College in Toronto, “soon to be designated as No. 6 Manning Depot” (Source). Training went so well that a second center was opened on April 11, 1942: No. 7 Manning Depot in Rockliffe, Ottawa.

In January of 1942, the first wave of WD’s “joined No. 2 Service Flying Training School at Uplands” (Source). Unfortunately, their duties were kept rather limited: “administrative and clerical work, dental assistants, equipment assistants, weather observers, telephone operators, photographers, wireless operatives, fabric workers, tailors, laundry staff, cooks” (Source). After a few months, their responsibilities extended to: “chauffeurs, hairdressers, musicians, pharmacists, lab assistants, parachute riggers,” even electrical and mechanical work (Source). By mid-1942, some WD’s finally found themselves with more war-oriented work: as reconnaissance photographic interpreters.

Unfortunately, the RCAF denied women the opportunity to fly fighter or reconnaissance planes. Apparently, they were too dangerous for women - in fact, they were not trained for flying of any kind. Though, like many early Americans, a number of Canadian women did manage passage to Britain to serve with the WAAF. Additionally, many WD’s still found plenty of danger, namely in the form of bombing raids, “especially during the summer of 1944 when Germany launched V-1 raids over Britain” (Source).

Their uniform was based off the WAAF uniforms: “a blue-gray (’air force blue’) tunic and skirt, blue shirt, black necktie, greatcoat, rain coat, black shoes, navy cardigan, blue smock, overshoes, lisle gray stockings, gloves, khaki coveralls, gray shorts, tee shirt, summer dress, rank badges, and a cap with a pleated crown” (Source).

In total, 17,038 WD’s served. 28 died in service. [Below: RCAF WD’s]

WAAAFs:

In February of 1941, the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) was created. “A WAAAF Training Depot was established at Malvern, Melbourne” (Source). They worked under Director Group Officer Clare Grant Stevenson.

Their postings included: “highly skilled technical employment on aircraft. In addition to telegraphists, women became armament workers, electricians, fitters, flight mechanics, fabricworkers, instrument makers and meteorological assistants, besides using skills in many clerical, medical, transport, catering, equipment, signals and radar fields of employment. Over 700 women held commissioned rank and like airwomen, worked in a great variety of administrative, technical and professional tasks. A number commanded units in operations rooms, at General Douglas MacArthur's Headquarters in Brisbane dealing with intelligence matters, at Operational Units, in RAAF Hospitals, Aircraft Depots, Radar Stations, RAAF Bases – wherever they were needed, they served” (Source).

The WAAAF was the first women’s military branch in Australia (outside of nursing). Unfortunately, the WAAAF were not permitted to serve outside of Australia, aside from “a few visits to New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Northern Territory” (Source).

The WAAAF uniform consisted of a navy blue woolen serge single-breasted dress jacket, a skirt, a cap, blue shirt, black necktie, and the appropriate insignia.

Approximately 27,000 WAAAFs served. 57 died in service. [Below: WAAAF]

Ariel Photographic Interpretation:

The British brought “about a revolution in ariel photography and air intelligence that was to play a vital part in transforming the fortunes of the war” (Source). Using unarmed Spitfires and Mosquitoes with cameras mounted on the wings, ariel photographers took photographs to be used to chart Axis air defenses.

In Britain, No. 1 Photographic Development Units (PDU) were based at RAF Heston and RAF Benson. Later, the Central Interpretation Unit (CIU) at RAF Medmenham made great strides in reconnaissance with their photo interpretation. The interpreters’ job was to identify objects and judge their significance. Some of the basic principles include: location, size, shape, shadow, tone/color, texture, pattern, height/depth, and site/situation/association. Using these, interpreters can determine if something in the image seems out of place. In fact, photographic intelligence eventually expanded, taking part in nearly every operation of the war. “Of particular significance in the success of the work of Medmenham was the use of stereoscopic images, using a between plate overlap of exactly 60%” (Source).

“Major operations made possible by the work at Medmanham included, on 17 and 18 August 1943, an offensive against the V-2 rocket development plant at Peenemünde. Later offensives were also made against potential launch sites at Wizernes and 96 other launch sites in Northern France. It is claimed that Medmanham's greatest operational success was "Operation Crossbow" which, from 23 December 1943, destroyed the V-1 infrastructure in Northern France” (Source).

By VE-Day, the print library of Dansfield House, were RAF Medmenham HQ were located, housed some 5,000,000 prints. [Below: RAF Medmenham: Dansfield House]

Up Next: Sinking of The Wilhelm Gustloff

#WWII #History Series #Bird's Eye View #WASP #ATA #Women Pilots #Fly Girls #History #WAAF #RCAF #WAAAF

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euromaidanpress · 4 years ago

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[box] What started as random gatherings in support of Opposition presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanovskaya, as well as the first demonstrations of Women in White, quickly evolved into a country-wide Belarusian protest against the obviously rigged elections of 9 August 2020. After days of brutal government repression with some 7,000 protestors detained and tortured, on 18 August, the Belarusian Opposition launched a Coordination Council for the Transfer of Power in Belarus. The council’s mandate is to coordinate a peaceful and orderly transfer of power from Alyaksander Lukashenka, the incumbent president, and to hold a new, free and fair presidential election at the earliest opportunity. About 70 members of the council are public opinion and professional leaders from various backgrounds. The council is expected to elect a seven-member presidium which will then elect a chairperson.

The official Coordination Council is underpinned by hundreds of small rallies, strikes and individual statements from people representing various professions. Their support is exceptionally diverse; including state enterprises, TV channels, governmental bodies, municipal councils and other public officials. Widespread support is the main prerequisite for the success of what might be termed a Belarusian revolution. Here are a few broad brushstrokes of this wide and diverse landscape. [/box]

First municipality challenges Lukashenka

Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanovskaya called on protesters to demand local authorities to support protests through public statements. Such a coordinated action could launch a devastating blow to Lukashenka’s regime. If the majority of local councils upheld the protesters, Lukashenka’s administrative support would be greatly undermined. On 19 August, protests were crowned by a first such success. After a mass rally in Grodno the previous evening, the city administration released a statement where it fulfilled protesters’ demands.

Mass demonstration in Grodno city center on 18 August evening:

https://twitter.com/AlexKokcharov/status/1295848699134959618

Specifically, the Grodno municipality created the Council of Public Accord with representatives both from local authorities and civil society. The city was to allow events in the central squares. And as long as notification of public events was received in advance, medical, technical and communication support would be provided. Protesters would be allowed airtime on Grodno local TV. Most importantly, fulfilling two key demands, the Department of Internal Affairs of the Grodno Regional Executive Committee issued a public apology, and citizens detained for participating in so-called “unauthorized mass events” were released.

Musicians, museum workers, and sportsmen

As often happens, preceding even the early gatherings of protestors are actions by other sectors of society which can go unnoticed. Prior to the mass demonstrations that were broadcast around the world, artists, writers, and musicians, and other cultural and intellectual elites, were already in motion. Theaters, museums, sports teams, and many other non-political communities were organizing their own small rallies. An interesting feature of the Belarusian uprising has been that many unique sectors of society held their own rally, in addition to participating in the larger rallies. Important to note is that the majority of cultural institutions in Belarus are state-owned, making any form of protest almost certain to result in job loss — at the very least — and certainly high-risk.

One of these early protests saw exactly that consequence. The troupe of the Minsk’s oldest and grandest Kupalauski theater took part in anti-government rallies. As a reprisal, theater director Paval Latushka was fired. The entire troupe then resigned in solidarity and carried out a vigorous outburst near the theater. They attracted hundreds of supporters who joined them.

Actors of Kupalauski theater recording the video. Source: charter97.org

Latushka has directed what is the nation’s most prominent theatre since 2019. Earlier he served in Lukashenka’s government as ambassador to Poland, France and Spain, and as communications director for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His protest amounted not only to that of a cultural manager but also to that of a politician.

“In the life of every person there comes a line that cannot be crossed, says Latushka. That moment came for me when I saw people coming out of prisons, talking about the violence against them. I became ashamed. I considered it my moral duty to express my position.”

The Kupalauski troupe released a video, demanding fair elections and calling for police to serve the people rather than a dictator.

Performers of the Kupalauski theater continue their demonstration on 20 August. This time wearing Belarusian national costumes. Source: tut.by

Belarusians come to the Kupalauski theater to support actors. Source: Naviny.by

Other protests by members of the arts included the Musicians of the Belarusian State Philharmony and Ryhor Shirma State Choir. Some 200 musicians gathered in the square in front of the Belarusian State Philharmony to support the protesters. The assembly turned into a full-fledged concert.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBFyWosE_og %5B/embedyt%5D%5Bembedyt%5D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBFyWosE_og %5B/embedyt%5D

The Ryhor Shirma State Choir performing the spiritual anthem of the Belarusians Magutny Bozha (Powerful God). Source: Tut.by

The staff of Belarusian museums also came together in protest, and to commemorate a tragic loss. During demonstrations on 15 August, Konstantin Shishmakov, director of the Military History Museum in Volkovysk disappeared. Later, his family learned that he refused to sign the falsified protocol of the election commission. He called his wife in late afternoon and said: “I will not work here anymore, I am going home.” But he never came home. On 18 August, he was found dead. While police claim he committed suicide, museum colleagues believe this to be a lie.

Employees of the National Art Museum of Belarus and the National Historical Museum also gathered to express solidarity – this time with all Belarusians who disappeared before and after the elections.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Belarusian sports heroes did not stand aside during these events. They have pledged to refuse representation of Belarus, if Lukashenka’s government continues its repression of citizens. More than 200 sports celebrities, including Olympic medal winners and world or European champions signed an open letter demanding the authorities to recognize the 9 August elections as invalid and to release all detained protesters as well as all Belarusian political prisoners. One of the nation’s champion handball players Artem Korolek commented about the events:

“I didn’t expect that it would happen that way, because everyone associates Belarus with calmness and order. Moreover, it all began peacefully … For me, this is horror. I could not believe what was happening, such cruel indifference to people who had not smashed a single storefront, nothing was on fire, everything went quietly. And yet more, already before the elections, I was shocked how in daylight some strange car arrives, and some strange athletic guys without uniform start taking people away. I thought we were living in 2020, not the 90s.”

Artem Korolek during the handball game. Source: tut.by

State media

During the height of the protests, on 14 August, journalists of the state media presented an appeal to the Minister of Information.

“The fact that many of our colleagues in the state media are resigning is not fake, not political technology, not a paid PR campaign. This is a call of conscience and the impossibility to calmly look at the ongoing violence. Choosing our profession, and not a place of work, we thought that we should be objective conductors of sometimes polar opinions,” the appeal says.

However, the appeal had little impact on the official media policy. For example, state channel STV broadcast a crude anti-Tsikhanovskaya propaganda clip with her image imposed on scenes of war and destruction.

A number of employees of state-run Belteleradio company announced a strike. At first, only 55 out of 1,500 employees participated in the demonstration. Later their numbers grew. As a consequence, a majority of the protesters were either dismissed or resigned themselves. On 20 August, former employees of Belteleradio, who quit, decided to launch an alternative TV-channel.

Lukashenka’s regime, however, does not consider strikes as enough of a threat to change media policy. Sources have reported that at least six fired technical workers were replaced by workers from Russia. Incentives included generous salaries of some US$2,500 (much more than that of fired employees) and other social benefits.

Demonstration of the employees of state-run Belteleradio. Source: Naviny.by

Along with Belteleradio employees, other state media also announced strikes or presented their demands to Lukashenka.

For example, the staff of the state newspaper Zvezda demanded to stop censorship and threatened to start a strike. They also demanded the publication of objective, truthful, and varied content in the newspaper; as well as an end to harassment, pressure, moral and physical violence against journalists performing their professional duties. However, the government’s answer showed that Lukashenka intends to fight to the very end. Zvezda’s editor-in-chief Pavel Sukhorukov was dismissed, and the Ministry of Information officials conducted telephone “conversations” with deputy editors-in-chief.

Belarusian doctors stay close to protesters

Belarusian doctors expressed their solidarity with protesters from the outset of demonstrations. They demanded a stop to repression and to allow doctors access to detained people who required help — especially those who had been beaten or otherwise injured. Doctors sent an open appeal to the Minister of Health Vladimir Karanik. The appeal was signed by more than 300 medical workers:

We, like most of our colleagues, have to look with pain and disappointment at what is happening now in the healthcare system. Numerous patients come with bullet wounds of various localization, including penetrating wounds; including damage of internal organs; mine and explosive injuries, including those with brain damage, traumatic amputations of limbs, extensive defects. This is not a complete list of what doctors have to deal with at the moment.

Doctors protesting in a solidarity chain. Source: tut.by

From the first day of protests, Belarusian doctors stayed close to protesters, offering medical and psychological help. Psychologists have been willing to work with Belarusians who suffered mentally during the protests. Dentists have offered to fix broken teeth. Traumatologists have worked around the clock to examine wounds and help with treatment. A list of volunteer doctors and private clinics was prepared and is regularly updated so that protesters can obtain any required help.

Workers of factories – the main force of the Belarusian protest

Workers rally in Minsk. Source: tut.by

Industrial workers have been, without a doubt, the main drivers of the Belarusian protest. Their clout has been especially powerful when taking into account that the country’s industrialized economy would severely suffer under mass strikes. According to belzabastovka.org — the online outlet providing updates on the Belarusian strike — more than 100 state enterprises have announced strikes. And there are not “some 20 people,” as Lukashenka said, but thousands are refusing to work until their demands for free elections are fulfilled.

As stated on belzabastovka.org more than 100 Belarusian factories in key industrial centers announced strikes.

[box]Among these companies are pillars of the Belarusian economy — such as the Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ) with 15,000 employees and BelarusKali (Potash Fertilizers) with 16,000. Like other protestors nationwide, these workers are also demanding Lukashenka’s resignation and new fair elections. They have strategically chosen companies which will lend a direct blow to the Belarus economy that is highly dependent on them.[/box]

Reportedly, workers who supported the strike are being fired. MAZ is cancelling the contracts of those who joined the strike committee. Some workers are being intimidated and threatened with criminal persecution. Many workers do not believe they will compensated or in any way supported.

Nonetheless, to assist those who were unlawfully dismissed due to their political stance, Belarusians have created a Solidarity Fund. The fund has already collected €1 million from the donations of rdinary people. Everyone who is unlawfully dismissed can receive €1,500 — equal to three average monthly salaries.

Another similar initiative run by a private foundation, the social program known as Kali Laska, is helping prepare the children of unlawfully dismissed workers for the upcoming school term, hiring school staff, purchasing textbooks, funding sports equipment, and so on.

Some staff members of Belarusian Government and Ambassadors also support protests

[box] Although not yet in mass numbers, employees of various governmental bodies are also protesting against police violence and, even more importantly, advocating for Lukashenka’s removal. Every single protest by governmental officials in Belarus is important and inspiring to regular citizens. The government is entirely controlled by the president and is the main pillar of his power. Any hesitation among state officials means a major setback for Lukashenka. [/box]

Igor Leshchenya, Belarusian ambassador to Slovakia, was among the first government officials to oppose Lukashenka. On 15 August he resigned and posted a stinging video supporting protestors.

“Hundreds of my compatriots felt that staff of law enforcement agencies have restored the traditions of the NKVD in full scale at the European-tolerant Belarus of the 21st century … I express my solidarity with those who participated in peaceful rallies so that their voices can be heard,” said Leshchenya.

On 17 August, two senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a rally in front of the ministerial building. The head of the Historical and Archival Department, Viacheslav Kazachenok, and Deputy Head of the Eurasian Integration Department, Elena Kopaneva, were photographed holding blank sheets of paper to demonstrate they are ready to resign. At the same time, they acknowledged that they are all statesmen,” emphasizing that Belarusian state is not exclusively Lukashenka’s.

“Stay with the people, please stop the genocide. Free people from prison, give them medical aid,” Kazachenok urged riot police. He also addressed the president directly: “Why not keep your word and leave with a suitcase under your arm? You were separated from the people long ago and hopelessly.”

Viacheslav Kazachenok and Elena Kopaneva protest near Belarusian Ministry of Foreign affairs. Source: tut.by

On 18 August, Belarusian Ambassador to Spain Pavel Pustovoi posted a statement on Facebook where he demanded a vote recount the vote and prosecution for those who beat protesters, as well as those who provoked violence.

Also on 18 August, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Belarusian Consul General Igor Bondarev and the Consul Vitaly Kniazev supported a joint address of Belarusian diaspora representatives that was point-blank directed at Lukashenka in which they demanded a stop to violence against peaceful protesters.

Ministry of Internal Affairs says it’s not a ‘regime’ but part of society

The Ministry of Internal Affairs that controls the police and is the key ministry for Lukashenka’s hold onto his dictatorial regime also released a statement on 18 August. Although not a statement of support for protesters, surprisingly it also expresses loyalty, and encourages all concerned to seek understanding between protesters and police rather than to condemn demonstrations. The statement begins: “Sharing concern about the future of the country and people, without condemning the aspirations of compatriots for positive and peaceful changes,” and was published by the press secretary of the ministry. The ministry seems to recognize its responsibility and wrongdoing for excessive violence of some police units, but at the same time emphasizes that the majority of police officers serve only to protect people and are not offenders.

“A misleading attitude is being formed: to be a law enforcement officer is a shame and bad, – reads the statement. All police officers are demonized without exception. [Some activists and politicians] expect from us a pathetic refusal from certificates, joining the columns of protesters …”

Most of the remaining police wear uniforms in order to serve society and the state. And people who call on ‘honest policemen’ to throw out this form do not give answers to simple and logical questions … If all the police quit, who will defend Belarusians who remain at home while the other part of them expresses their opinion on the streets? … We are not a ‘regime,’ we are a part of society! Right now, we are obliged to serve in our places as never before.’

Along with some police officers, a number of soldiers of the Belarusian army joined protests, undermining Lukashenka’s military support. In particular, 30 paratroopers — considered to be elite troops — participated in city rallies, wearing their uniform t-shirts. Several protesters met them with applause.

Paratroopers protesting in Minsk. Source: charter97.org

Paratroopers also came to the streets of Grodno. Source: RFE/RL

Despite the widespread support of protests, Lukashenka has no intention of resigning. He continues to organize rallies in his support, by mobilizing state workers, the army, and arms of the government. As far as the increasing support of protestors by NATO countries, Lukashenko claims they are interfering in Belarusian affairs and spurring revolution.

From ambassadors to sports heroes – Belarusian protests encompass all social groups What started as random gatherings in support of Opposition presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanovskaya, as well as the first demonstrations of Women in White, quickly evolved into a country-wide Belarusian protest against the obviously rigged elections of 9 August 2020.

#Belarus

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