#You don’t have to be intimidated by anyone. Trust me- when you attend in-person events everyone is a big goober!

[toadallytickles]

I’m a bit shy to say this in a direct msg but I absolutely love how open minded you are and how sweet you seem,I think a lot of ppl In nsfw community’s can be very intimidating but I feel like you’ve shown us a bit of your personality and I just feel so safe whenever I’m on your page 🤍

Hello! That’s totally fine! You can send an message anytime, though it’s perfectly fine for you to use asks too! All about your comfort! :)

Awww, oh my gosh~ (〃^ω^〃)ゞ💕 Well this just warmed my heart forever!! Thank you so much for thinking so and sharing with me! I really like the idea of my page being a safe space for people to enjoy content, ask questions, and feel more comfortable liking tickling! I didn’t have a blog to follow like that when I was new, so I try to be that blog for others! Thank you so much again for sharing with me!! ❤️

[kiribaku-queen]

The Blood King and his Queen [1]

Pairing: Bakugou x reader

Romance, Angst, Drama

Word count: 2.4K

Summary:  From being a mere servant girl to marrying the scariest prince in existence, your world changed right before your eyes. Exchanging places with the princess, you knew, wasn’t going to be easy. But could you have found love on the way? Or was it never meant to be?

A/N: Hello my loves! And welcome back to another, rather long, series! I had so many inspirations for this piece that I couldn’t wait to share with you all! Be warned, this might be a 20 part series, maybe more maybe less but we’ll see what happens! I hope you fall in love with this story as much as I do!

And shout out to this amazing artist for the art! I am literally BLOWN AWAY by this art! I can’t stop looking at it! It’s so amazingly well drawn. Just... yes, yes, yes! Please support this artist if you ever want art done! Pricey but just look at this art. So worth it! Check out the end of the chapter for the full image without text!

Also!!!! Check out my side blog if you’re curious about what fics I’m reading! You’ll find alot of j u i c y stuff and please support my friends by reading and commenting on their stories as well! Love <3

                                                                                                         [next]

Nothing started your morning off better than the princess screaming her head off first thing in the morning. You, along with other servants, rushed to aid the princess in her time of distress. Although, it was never something to worry about with her. It was always something minor, like her hair was styled incorrectly or she didn’t like the color of clothes her servant picked out. Of course, this time, she was making a fuss that her perfume didn’t smell right.

“Your highness, I promise you, it’s the same one,” one of the servants who aided her in the morning pleaded for her life.

“No! You must have switched it out because it smells nothing like mine!” the princess screeched. The princess was so outraged that she started throwing everything and anything that was around her. Clothes, jewelry, candles, mirrors, anything she could get her hands on, she threw it. You and the other girls that just arrived could only watch in horror as her whole room becomes a mess with her belongings, some broken some completely shattered.

You wanted to say something. But you knew you couldn’t. If you stepped out of line or even talked back to any of the royals, you were surely to be punished severely later. Yet, you wanted to say something so bad. It was on the tip of your tongue. Because you knew the reason why it may smell different to the princess. To help your fellow friend in desperate need, you were going to say it. You pray to the gods that what you were about to say was right.

“Princess, if I may,” you started. The princess stopped what she was doing, midair, to give you the coldest stare you have ever received from her. You gulped. Well, too late to back out now. You bowed down your head respectfully while extending your hand to take the perfume. You don’t know why the princess decided to trust you at that moment, but she did. She nodded her head, allowing one of the servants to retrieve the bottle and place it in the palm of your hands.

“I believe it’s because your clothes already have a different perfume on it.” you explain. You pick up a different piece of clothing, one you knew was clean and free from previous scents, and spritzed the perfume onto it. “Here, does this smell like normal?” you offer the piece of clothing to the princess. For a moment, she stares at it, not believing your words. But she forcibly takes it anyway and smells it. The look of realization hit her harder than when she smashed her mirror against the floor. She spares you a second glance before handing off her perfume to someone and faces away.

“I would like to be left alone,” the princess states. After a synchronized bow from all her servants, you left the princess’s quarters and back to your own. When you were far enough, you let out a big sigh of relief. Man, that was scary. You probably shouldn’t be doing that again any time soon. Your friend hooked arms with you, the unexpected force made you loose your balance.

“Your intuition was spot on, once again,” she stated. You could only roll your eyes.

“I was just trying to help the situation,” you explained.

“Yeah, well if only the princess could use her brain once in a while, then she would have figured it out herself,” your friend puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.

“Well maybe her highness wasn’t feeling herself this morning,” you tried to defend her. But really, there was only so much you could defend her on.

“Oh, please, (y/n). You know that’s how she acts all the time. You act more like a princess than the princess herself,” your friend finally let the cat out of the bag. You quickly slapped her hand and checked your surroundings. Phew, no one of importance was in sight.

“Oh hush now. Don’t say things like that,” you scold her, giving her a stern look.

“What? You know all us girls think that. It doesn’t help that you look almost exactly like her. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought you were the princess instead.”

“Good gracious! Really? How could you say that so loud? What if someone overhears you? Then both you and me could get in trouble,” you warned. You knew your friend couldn’t care less. It was always gossip coming out of these girl’s mouths. That’s how news spreads fast around here. And you didn’t mind the gossip. Actually, you participated in the gossip too. There was a lot of downtime when you weren’t attending to the princess. So what do you do instead? Gossip. But you couldn’t have this type of gossip going around. This was dangerous.

The main girl who caused the princess to get upset, finally left the room. She was visibly traumatized by the whole event. Who wouldn’t be? Dealing with the princess is something else.

You noticed that the girl was bleeding from her finger. She must have gotten it when the princess was throwing glass around the room and it some pieces cut her.

“Come with me,” you gently grabbed her by the arm and led her to a room that was filled with different plants and bottles. The aroma immediately felt welcoming to anyone who stepped in. You went to a part of the room that you knew well and pulled out a bandage.

“This should do the trick,” you say as you finish wrapping her finger up.

“Thank you. How did you…”

“Oh, I learned a few things from the royal doctor. Sort of like an apprentice?” you explained. Being a servant isn’t the only task you knew how to do. On your spare time, you would come to the royal doctor and assist him whenever needed. In return for your volunteer, he taught you everything he knew about medicine. It was still a lot to process, but at least you knew how to do basic first aid.

“Are you even allowed to do that?” the girl asked. You thought for a minute. Was it? It wasn’t stopping you now.

“Well I guess it’s our little secret,” you put your finger to your mouth and gave a small wink.

After properly getting ready, you and the girls rushed to the princess’s side for it was your job to get her ready to be sent of and wedded. And she was not getting wedded off to just any prince. It was the rumored Blood Prince. Ah, yes. You heard much about this Blood Prince. He was the most vicious out of all the princes in the kingdom. Even more so than his eldest brothers. He was rumored to have sharp teeth and eyes that could kill with a single look. He was told to have scars marked all over his body from the battlefield. An ugly being, you imagined. Big, scary, intimidating, ruthless. God, you felt sorry for the princess for marrying such a man. You couldn’t imagine yourself marrying that type of person. Hearing stories about him made your blood run cold and chills down your spine.

You entered the princess’s room where a beautiful, white wedding dress, flowy, magnificent and perfect in all the right ways, was being fitted on the princess. You watched in awe because she looked absolutely fantastical in the dress. What a dream it would to be wear that dress only once in your life. At the same time her dress was being fitted, some servants were doing her hair and putting decorative pins and head pieces on. It was very chaotic in the room, with servants running everywhere, but it was all worth it for the princess to look this way.

You were preparing water for her hands and feet to soak while some of the girls that came with you were deciding which robe that best fits with her wardrobe.

“Your highness looks so lovely,” you commented, gently soaking her hands into warm bowls of water.

“Of course! I have to look my best for a special guest this afternoon,” the princess said in a cheery voice. You tilted your head slightly in confusion. You weren’t aware that the Blood Prince was coming to the palace. You thought the princess was being sent to him instead. You looked up and came into contact with a friend and she was speaking with her eyes.

She doesn’t know. She signaled to you. You frowned.

She doesn’t know?

She does not know.

Your mouth was left slightly ajar. The princess does not know that she is off to be engaged any moment now? This was a dilemma. She thinks a guest is coming. That’s why she’s dressed so much fancier than usual. But when she finds out that she is to be engaged, she’s going to wreck havoc in the palace. Now you really didn’t dare say anything now.

After finding out that very important piece of information, you could see that all the girls in the room knew, besides the princess. The tension in the room was growing increasingly more uncomfortable as time went on. But the princess was so air headed that she couldn’t read the room.

The princess was over the moon with happiness. And it was only because she could wear her fancy and expensive gowns that she can’t wear on the daily. She was skipping down the long corridors, humming a tune to only she knows as you and other servants follow behind her.

“Isn’t this dress beautiful? I feel like I’m in a wedding dress!” the princess exclaimed. You couldn’t help but raise a brow. Well, it’s because the princess is really in a wedding dress. But the princess did look beautiful beyond compare. She almost looked ethereal dancing in front of you like that. As the princess was dancing down the corridor, she passed by one of many large windows that gave a view of the front of the palace. A carriage was waiting to take her away to her fiancé, but she didn’t know that. Or did she?

She stopped in her tracks to take a better look at the carriage outside. A frown laid upon her lips and her eyebrows rightfully furrowed.

“Is that my carriage down there?” she questions. The ladies around you looked at each other, not knowing what to say. But even if they did know what to say, who was going to say it? One of your friends cleared their throat and bowed down to respond to the princess.

“It is, your highness,” she said.

“Whatever for?” a round of gulps could be heard from everyone there.

“For…your trip to your betrothed,” the girl’s voice shook from fear that the princess was going to blow up.

“My betrothed?” the princess repeated.

“Yes, your highness.”

“As in, to marry?”

“Yes, your highness.”

It was quiet. Nothing more came out of the princess’s mouth. And that scared all of you. This was not the normal reaction you were expecting. You expected her highness to rage, cry, scream, yell, destroy everything around her. But no. She was silent, like her tongue was ripped out of her throat.

In one quick movement, the princess turns around and dashes back to her bedroom. And who does she bring along? You! Before you could comprehend anything, the princess had taken you by the hand and now you were running down the corridor with the princess. The other ladies were running after you. When you turned back to look, you even saw a couple of guards running as well. But it was too late for them. The princess got to her room first, slammed the door closed, and barricaded the door with chairs to prevent anyone from coming inside.

“Your highness,” you call, out of breath from the sudden running. The princess didn’t answer you. She started taking off her dress, sending you into complete shock.

“Your highness! What are you doing?” you panicked. She only glared at you while not stopping what she was doing.

“Enough talking. Just take off your clothes,” she ordered you. You bit your lip. You had no idea what was going on but if she demanded it, then you had no choice but to obey. So, you stripped yourself of your filthy clothes and laid them on the floor. While you stood in front of the princess naked, she was getting the remaining of her clothes off. Then, she passed you her dress.

“Quick, put it on,” she said. You hesitated at first. You? Wear something only a princess could wear? But you couldn’t stall any longer. As quickly as you could, you put on the flowy wedding dress while the princess put on your peasant clothes. Banging was coming from the other side of the door, which only made both of you panic even more. If they came in while all this was happening, you would get into so much trouble. As soon as you both got situated in your new outfits, the princess gripped your shoulders so that you were looking her right in the eyes.

“Listen to me closely. You are going to take my place. I’ll be you and you’ll be me until you come back,” she shouted at you in a whisper.

“Your highness?” you began but she shut you up because she wasn’t finished.

“Your mission is to make this prince hate you so much that he calls off this marriage. Then you’ll return and everything will go back to normal,” she continued. It looked like she wanted to say more, but your time together was cut short. The guards had already pushed their way through the door and charging their way towards you. The princess, who was now dressed as you, quickly covered your face with the veil. The veil was thick enough that no one could see your eyes or face.

“Take the princess,” one of the guards ordered. The real princess bowed her head down, faking it until the end. The guards went straight up to you, grabbing you by both of your arms and forcibly escorted you out to the carriage.

And so there you were, on your way to some unknown kingdom, about to marry some man you didn’t even know. All because the princess ordered you to. No matter how much you hated the idea, you couldn’t even voice your opinions to her. You were in no position to do so. Before you left the palace grounds, you looked back, hoping that this was all some sort of sick joke. But the princess was looking down at you from the window, giving you a nod of trust. She trusted you. You had to fulfil her request.

This is how you found yourself in the presence of the most vicious Blood Prince, Bakugou Katsuki.

A/N: Let me know if you want to be put on a tag list! And leave your thoughts below about the first chapter! What did you think so far? How do you think the story is going to go? What did you think about the art? Speaking of art, here is the full image unedited! Are you in love with it just as much as I am?

[infernalrevenge]

Nerves to the Nines

Fandom: Resident Evil 8: Village

Pairing: Alcina Dimitrescu x Reader (Gender Neutral)

Rating: T (for negative self-talk in some parts)

Summary: Reader is attending the Gathering of Lords with Alcina and is too nervous to even dress themself properly. Luckily, their lover is here to save the day.

Notes: I have no idea if Alcina may be OOC here, just know that I love the thought of very powerful and intimidating people being soft and protective only for those they love, and that's partly what spawned this thing. That, and the idea of how intimate it is to have your significant other help you get dressed for an important event (that I completely made up for the sake of this fic.)

Also thank you so much for 50 followers :D May not be a big number, but it's more than I expected when I started writing here a few months ago haha

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Two hours to go before the Gathering of Lords.

You went through the mental checklist as you assessed yourself in the mirror. Hair done, make-up done, clothes... well, most of them were on.

You wanted to dress to impress, but not stand out either. A black button up rested on your frame and loose wide-legged pants to match, where your cream-colored shoes peeked out from the bottom. The burgundy blazer you were going to wear over it was hung in front of your closet, and the white rose you would pin onto the lapel sat on the vanity.

It was meant to be an inverse of Alcina's usual attire. She was going to bring a burgundy shawl as well to complement the outfit. Daniela said it would look cute.

But right now, the idea of wearing an extra layer was unwanted. You were too warm right now, and the last thing you wanted was to sweat through your clothes. Everything had to be perfect -- you had to be perfect, lest you sully the "good name of House Dimitrescu" in front of your lover's siblings, and Mother Miranda.

You knew how important tonight was to Alcina, and she wanted you to be a part of it all. She was looking forward to it as much as you and the girls were; when Bela, Cassandra, and Daniela were told they could come, they immediately squealed and started chattering away with you about what they were going to do, what to wear, what you were going to wear, and seemed to already have everything planned in their heads. Their excitement rubbed off on you for the rest of the week, and the happy jitters only got more intense with every passing day.

But the closer the time got to leaving for the Gathering, the more those jitters made you feel like throwing up.

You sat in front of the mirror and idly fiddled with your unbuttoned sleeve cuff, feeling the nerves of tonight bundling up in your chest. One leg bounced under the table impatiently; you had to get the energy out somehow.

You want to go, you reminded yourself. You wanted to go. You still want to go... right? You had been looking forward to this all week, of course you want to go. Just pull yourself together. You took in a deep breath and clapped your hands together.

Wait, when did they get so sweaty? If you tried to shake anyone's hand, they'd be weirded out and disgusted. How can you get it to stop? This is so stupid, why are you worried about sweaty hands all of a sudden?! Control yourself, idiot! This was not the time to worry about such trivial matters, but why did it feel like your heart was about to burst out of your chest? It's going so fast, you started to wonder what it could be running from.

This was a mistake, you shouldn't go. You'll just embarrass yourself, and Alcina, and you can't handle that kind of pressure. The scrutiny you'll be under would be crushing, you could practically feel the air getting sucked out of you. This was a mistake, this was a mistake.

You undid the buttons on your shirt, ready to take it off. Just say you don't feel well, that's a good enough excuse. This was a mistake, this was a mistake--

"Y/N, are you alright?" You heard her voice in your room, and she had already ducked inside by the time you turned around. You sucked in a sharp breath.

I'm not feeling well, I think I should stay home.

The lie you had concocted got stuck in your throat as you looked up into her golden eyes, clearly concerned. You didn't want to worry her. You wanted to go. You did.

Instead, you swallowed it and tried to keep your voice steady, "Yeah, yes. I'm just, I'm having a bit of trouble with..."

You looked down at your fully opened shirt, gulping again. "I can't..." Why won't your hands stop shaking?

"What's wrong, my love?"

Alcina was standing at full height, and to any other person, having her look down at you like this might have felt condescending -- an effort to exert power and establish authority. But somehow, being under her shadow in what had felt like a bright room... it was comforting. Just to know she was there, physically. To know that she saw you as you were at the moment, trying to be brave.

"I'm just... nervous, that's all," you finally managed to admit, and it felt like a weight had just been lifted off your shoulders. You relaxed only a fraction though, remembering what the night was going to bring.

In about an hour and a half.

She sat down on your bed, her knees tucked in a bit considering its height. "Perhaps if we talk, you can settle your nerves." She presented the space in front of her, as if she knew you couldn't bring yourself to sit at the moment.

You started rolling the button on your cuff between your fingers, your arm close to your chest like you were trying to protect yourself. From what, you weren't sure.

"What are you nervous about?" she spoke softly, quite a contrast from the usual commanding tone she took on when she spoke to almost everyone else. "Are you worried about not looking right? Because I assure you, darling, you look wonderful -- you deserve nothing less than the best."

"No, I... well it was your idea for us to dress like this, so no, that's not... what I'm worried about." You looked up from under your lashes. Her eyes were still focused on you. You wanted to squirm, and your next words came out softer than you wanted them to.

"I just... don't wanna mess up."

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear you." If you were any other person, she might have lost her temper at your mumbling. You almost flinched at the thought, but you knew she would never. Not with you.

"I-I don't want to mess up." You said a little louder as you folded your hands, one holding onto the other wrist. "You know, like, in front of your siblings, in front of... Mother Miranda... I'm afraid of embarrassing myself in front of them."

She frowned and leaned forward, "What could you possibly do that would embarrass me?"

You shrugged, wanting to shrink in on yourself. "I don't know, I might say something weird or do something that'll seem off, or just, I'm not sure. Something's probably gonna go wrong. Maybe even being myself is embarrassing enough," you joked.

"Darling, you are not embarrassing," she assured. You didn't know if she knew that you meant it as a joke, but she said it with such sincerity that it pulled some of that weight off you once more. It brought a small smile to your face.

"Do you not want to go anymore?" she asked worriedly, and you snapped your head up at that.

"No, I want to!" You answered so fast that Alcina seemed surprised but definitely not displeased

"I'm excited to go, I really am. I'm just not sure if I'm, like, ready to face the others. I wanna go, but I don't know, I can't explain it, I just don't want things to go badly because it'll reflect on you and your daughters and I know how much you want to be in Mother Miranda's favor so I--"

She took your wrist without a word, so gentle in her handling that you barely noticed it at first, and you trailed off. Her fingers fixed up your loosened cuff -- oh, right. Any more stubborn fiddling with it and you would've taken the button right off its threads. She did the same with the other cuff, a calm yet unreadable expression on her painted face.

When she finished, she gently smoothed your hair down, traced your jawline with a finger and tilted your chin up to look at her. "If you're worried about what everyone else would think, I understand. But you are my significant other, my lover. I trust that you'll be wonderful, so know that at least one person there believes in you."

It felt like you were really seeing her for the first time that night, looking so proud when she talked about you. She took the opportunity to fix the rest of your outfit, buttoning up your shirt once more, and kept talking to ease your mind.

"Don't ever doubt me, Y/N, because I've seen you at both your best and your worst, and your best is more than enough for tonight. If they can't see that, then it's their loss, not yours."

You could feel her words physically calming you, heartbeat steadying as you saw the loving gleam in her eyes.

The lady sauntered over to your closet, taking your blazer and handing it over to you. "Now, I believe you're missing a piece, my dear." You hadn't even noticed until then that she was already wearing her shawl. A gentle smile finally broke through your facade as you pulled it on in front of the mirror.

Alcina stood behind, laying her hands on your shoulders when you seemed satisfied. "A perfect match," she cooed, leaning down to face you, so close that you could feel her breath against the shell of your ear. "Wouldn't you say?" You could feel your heart racing again, but it wasn't from any nerves this time.

But before anything could be done about it, the moment was interrupted by multiple knocks on the door, followed by a loud thud. "Mother, Y/N, we're ready!" Bela called out from the other side, fussing over her sisters immediately afterwards. "May we come in?"

Alcina raised an eyebrow at you, a smirk playing on her lips. "Well? We shouldn't keep them waiting."

You felt loosened up for the first time that night, ready to face anything with Alcina by your side. You pinned the rose in place and took one last glance in the mirror. "We could always be fashionably late."

[mochegato]

An Irrevocably Gone Heart

Tim tugged on her arm.  “You’re coming with me.”

“What?” Marinette exclaimed a little louder than she meant to.  She immediately looked around to see if any of the other party goers had noticed them and cringed at the eyes on her.  She gave them a weak smile and moved closer to Tim, who was still pulling them toward the stairs. “No, no, no, no.  This is a family thing.”  She tried to pull away discretely but Tim had her arm in a firm lock.  Damn vigilante training.  She could break out of it of course, but not without making a scene in front of a growing audience, which was starting to include his family.  

They were all moving to the stairs like Tim was, and unwillingly her as well, to stand behind Mr. Wayne as he addressed the crowd at his New Year’s party. She briefly looked over to them to see if they had noticed her yet.  One of the brothers in particular, Jason, had observed the interaction between her and Tim and was watching her carefully.  She accidentally met his eyes and couldn’t look away.  She saw a flicker of interest and amusement in his eyes and blushed at the attention.  She was so caught up in his eyes, she stumbled slightly, giving Tim the advantage in dragging her the last few feet to the stairs.

“You’re like family.  In fact, I like you more than most of my family so… You’re coming.”  Tim grinned at her mercilessly.  She couldn’t get away now without causing a stir in the crowd, drawing all eyes away from Mr. Wayne and to her.  She was caught and they both knew it, trapped by societal convention.  He pulled her onto the stairs next to him and the rest of the family, facing the crowd of party goers and reporters.

“Okay first, I hate being in front of a lot of people.  Second, this seems incredibly counterproductive,” Marinette hissed quietly at him.

“Depends on your goal,” he said with a polite, fake smile, keeping his eyes on the crowd.  “Now smile for the cameras, Love.”

Marinette groaned quietly at him and turned to face the crowd with the practiced, PR worthy smile Adrien had taught her.  She stood a polite distance from Tim, making it clear that although she was here with him, she wasn’t here with him.  Tim chuckled devilishly and pulled her closer to him, slinging his arm around her shoulders. “I’m going to make you pay for this.” She threatened through gritted teeth and a beautiful smile.  “You know who I am but you won’t know where I am and you will never see me coming.”

“Calm down, Trevor.  And you’re welcome.” His smile turned real and his eyes glistened with mirth. “Tomorrow our picture, and more importantly your clothes, will be everywhere in Gotham.”

As soon as Bruce was done with his welcoming speech, they bolted from the stairs to escape his family’s and reporter’s questions.  Tim guided her as they ran through the maze of the manor. They finally stopped running in a back hallway, doubling over in laughter and out of breath.  “Oh man, my family is going to drive themselves insane trying to figure out who you are.”

Marinette closed her eyes and groaned.  “How did this help?  It’s only going to make Bruce more curious about me to make sure I’m not a gold-digger or using you.”

“Marinette, calm down.  You aren’t using me or abusing our friendship to get your name out there.  It was my idea and as I recall, to get you to let me commission you for the suit and come with me, I had to blackmail you int...”  She lunged at him to slam her hands over his mouth.

She glared at him as she looked around to see if anyone heard them.  As soon as she was sure nobody was around to hear them, missing the body listening to them around the corner, she batted at Tim with a pout.  “They don’t know that and how are you going to explain it?”

“I’ll figure it out without saying anything important.” He looked back in the general direction of the party.  “We should get back though.”

“Ugh, fine, but I’m not staying until midnight just for some trust fund prick to try to ‘slum it’ for a night with me. And next time, you come with your boyfriend, not me.  And I can design both of your suits instead.” She adds with a smug grin.

“If you can get him into a suit, deal.” Tim scoffed.  “Good luck with that by the way.  Come on, give me one dance as a reprieve before I have to be sociable. And if any other trust fund pricks try anything with you, I promise to destroy them.”  He gave her a wink.

“Like I need you to do that for me.” She snarked at him.

“Oh definitely not, but it would give me an acceptable excuse to leave the party.” Tim shrugged with a smile.

Jason watched them walk back toward the party from his spot tucked away in an alcove.  Well, this night was certainly more interesting than he had anticipated.  He followed them back to the party and kept an eye on the friends as they danced.  The woman, Marinette, seemed to be having an awfully good time dancing and joking with Tim considering he was ‘blackmailing’ her, but then again if they were friends, like it seemed they were, it was likely to be more embarrassing than damning.

As far as Jason could tell, despite how much she had complained to Tim earlier, Marinette was handling the crowd brilliantly.  She managed to make the rounds at the party talking pleasantly with quite a few people.  A few of her conversation partners had been attending Wayne parties for years and tonight was the first night Jason saw them give a genuine smile.  But, if anyone made the mistake of trying to touch her a little too intimately or make a comment that was a bit too suggestive, or just flat out insulting, she sent them a dark glare that would make Batman proud and crowded their personal space in a way that had the aggressor backing away intimidated and Jason impressed.

Jason tore his eyes away from Marinette and moved to the bar to get some liquid patience.  Tim might be a natural at mingling but he needed a little help to deal with this crowd. The only interesting part of the entire evening had been Tim’s friend.  She had wandered around the room with an effortless grace and stood up for herself with just as effortless strength.  It was a hard balance to maintain and she pulled it off beautifully, just like the rest of herself.  

Jason set his empty drink down and looked down the bar for the bartender.  He didn’t find the bartender, but he did find the stunning woman herself sitting alone with an empty seat next to her.  He moved quickly, seeing a few other men eying her with interest as well.  “Is this seat taken?” He asked with a charming smile.

“It is not.” She said tiredly, not even bothering to look up.  “My date isn’t using it right now.”

“Smooth.” Jason nodded in approval.  “Timbo would just push me out if he wanted the seat.  Well, he’d try anyway.” He took the seat and ordered another drink from the newly appeared bartender.  “Want a refill?”

“I’m good thank you.”  She continued staring at her drink.

Jason grinned at her.  She wasn’t remotely interested in playing nice just for the sake of propriety.  She wasn’t rude, just not easily impressed.  “I’m Tim’s brother, Jason.”

She looked over at him in surprise and immediately cringed internally.  He was the brother she had embarrassed herself gaping at earlier.  “Oh, I’m sorry.  Hi. Nice to meet you.  I’m Marinette.”  She reached her hand out to him with a smile.  “Sorry, I thought you were another… never mind.  Hi.”

He gave her a disarming smile and shook her hand.  “Don’t worry about it, I understand.  The kind of people who come to this are… rich is the nicest thing to say about almost any of them.  And you know what they say, eat the rich.”  He dropped her hand but kept his eyes on her.  

She raised an eyebrow at him.  “Aren’t you rich?”

He chuckled.  “No, Bruce is.  I make my own, significantly less red carpeted, way.”

She looked at him skeptically then eyed his tuxedo.  “Awfully expensive tux for someone who isn’t rich.” She commented wryly.

“Bruce’s party, he wants me here, he pays.  I don’t normally wear suits, let alone ones that cost more than six month’s rent.”

She studied the tuxedo again.  “Six months, huh?  That still affords you a pretty nice apartment by Gotham standards.”

He bobbed his head to the side in acknowledgement and studied her again, trying to make sense of her.  “So, what does he have on you?”

She cocked her head to the side and stared at him in confusion as she tried to figure out what he meant.  Her face scrunched in annoyance and her entire posture stiffened once she figured it out.  “If you think Tim has to blackmail me into being his friend, you vastly underestimate your brother’s charms.”

“No I don’t.” Jason scoffed at her.  “I meant bringing you here.”

She raised an eyebrow at him and set her mouth in a firm line.  “You think he has to blackmail me to spend time with him? How is that better?”

“I think he blackmailed you to get you to come to this specific event.  And I think that because I heard him say it to you in the hallway a little bit ago.” Jason responded matter-of-factly, taking another swig of his drink.

“Ah…” She looked back down at her drink and took a long sip trying to figure out how to respond.  Well on the bright side, he wasn’t insulting Tim with his question, he was trying to understand if she was a threat.  But, she wasn’t going to make it that easy for him.  She looked back over to him and gave him a pointed look.  “If it was something I wanted to share, it wouldn’t be blackmail material.”  

Jason grinned at her “True.” Still staring at her expectantly.

“Let’s just say there are things I would rather… uh…” she looked around cautiously, “Bruce Wayne, not know about me.”

Jason raised an eyebrow at her. “Is that so?”

“Yeah… Oh! No.  Nothing like that.  I’m not like Catwoman or one of the sirens or anything.”  She waved her hands frantically in front of her.

He chuckled.  “Honestly I don’t think that would be considered an issue for him.”

She cocked her head to the side, “True.  The most bizarre relationship ever.”

“Not when Joker and Harley once existed.”

“Most appalling relationship ever.”

Jason chuckled and looked into his glass until he realized what she had said. “Wait, how did you know…”

“What?”

“Catwoman and…” he motioned vaguely with his hand.  She hadn’t confirmed she knew Bruce was Batman and he wasn’t about to out that particular secret if she didn’t know.

“Ohh,” She nodded in understanding and gave him a grin. ��“Your family isn’t as slick as they think they are, Red.”

Jason stared at her dumbfounded for a few seconds.  She knew their secret and apparently Tim, the one person that matched Bruce in paranoia, wasn’t worried about her in the least.  “And he’s blackmailing you?” Jason asked incredulously. “How bad is your secret?”

“Not bad just… I don’t need someone critiquing all my life choices, you know? It’s a threat of annoyance, not retribution.”

“Mood.” Jason said lifting his glass to hers.  She clinked hers to his with a sardonic smile.  

She was beautiful, smart, elegant, tough, funny, judicious, cautious, and far out of his league.  But he was here now and they were having fun and he wasn’t stupid enough to blow a brilliant opportunity.  Jason gazed over his shoulder toward the dancefloor and back to her.  He looked her up and down and gave her a roguish smile. “Care to dance?”

“I didn’t take you for a dancer.” She responded as she moved toward the dancefloor and held out her hand for him.

He grabbed her hand, holding it close to his chest and wrapped his other hand around her waist, pulling her closer to him.  “It has its advantages.”

Marinette looked up at him with wide eyes, a light blush dusting her cheeks. “I see what you mean.”  She ducked her head trying to collect herself.  He wasn’t the first handsome man she’d danced with, why was this one making her lose her composure?  She wasn’t 15 anymore, damn it!

“So how did you figure it out?” he asked casually.  He clearly wasn’t upset, just curious.

“How does everyone not?  Seriously, Bruce admitted it under oath.” She scoffed.  “Plus you guys are terrible at hiding it.  You don’t even try to act or look different.  Oh look Bruce Wayne has a new ward or person who hangs out with the family all the time.  Oh look, there’s a new vigilante with the same build and hair color.  Pure coincidence surely.  Then there’s the whole butts match thing.”

“Wow, been studying Bruce’s butt that closely, huh?” Jason raised an unamused eyebrow at her.

“Who said anything about Bruce’s butt?” She asked without thinking about it.  Jason spluttered at her.  Her eyes widened and her face paled as she realized what she had just said.

“Forget I said that,” she pleaded, her face turning bright red.

“Oh fuck no.  That’s the best compliment I’ve ever gotten.  A gorgeous woman has been studying my ass so intently she was able to identify me by it?” He gave her a brilliant smile so wide, his cheeks would surely hurt the next morning.  “My ego will never come down from this.”

Marinette groaned in embarrassment and buried her head in her hands and then buried her head and hands in his chest, trying to erase all evidence of her existence. Jason wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly as he roared with laughter.  Marinette could feel his body vibrating with the sound.  The movement calmed her enough that she was willing to remove her hands from her face but not her face from his chest.  “I hope you’ll let me return the favor someday.” He whispered in her ear.

Marinette jerked her head back to look at him, her eyes wide and cheeks a deep crimson.  When her eyes met the wicked glint in his, she narrowed hers, a hint of a smile on her lips.  “Good luck with that.  Magic is a hell of a thing.”

Jason looked at her confused.  That was not a response he was expecting… or understood.  They stared in each other’s eyes for a few moments, both trying to figure out something about the other.  Marinette finally broke the silence with a teasing smile.  “So, you’re Jason, huh?  I’ve heard a few things about you.”  She chuckled lightly when he rolled his eyes at that and groaned lightly.  “Did you really do a flip off of one building to crash through the skylight of another and beat up a bunch of henchmen then set their drug room on fire all while quoting Shakespeare?”

He barked out a loud laugh and smiled brightly at her, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “It was Austen.”

She smiled back at him but quickly narrowed her eyes and quirked her head to the side.  “Prove it,” She challenged him, a playful lilt in her voice.  He looked at her questioningly not sure how exactly he was supposed to crash through a skylight when there wasn’t one here.  “Quote some Austen to me.  I have a hard time believing the formidable… you, is secretly a book nerd.”

A delighted smile creeped onto his face.  Marinette was the first person to ask him about his love for literature and encourage him to indulge in it.  He tried to remember all the many Jane Austen quotes he’d memorized through reading and rereading her works so often.  What would be the most impressive quote?  Which one would wow her the most?  He ransacked his brain, but suddenly his mind was blank.  He couldn’t think of anything.  The harder he tried to remember, the harder it was to think.  He opened and closed his mouth a few times.

Marinette watched the panic flit across his eyes.  She cringed internally.  She got anxiety when she was put on the spot.  Jason must be the same.  It was one thing to do it in the heat of the moment, without thinking about it, but being asked to perform on demand, was a different kind of pressure. She gently cupped his cheek and brought his eyes back down to hers and gave him a soft smile.  “Maybe you can show me later.  I’ll still be impressed tomorrow.”

He looked in her eyes and instantly felt himself calm down.  Her eyes were shining with compassion, like she understood exactly what was going on in his head and believed in him.  He pulled her closer and gave her a tender smile in return. He ran his fingers slowly up and down her back, “The very first moment I beheld you, my heart was irrevocably gone.” He quoted quietly.  

Marinette gasped at his frankness.  She leaned her head against his chest, trying to hide the deep blush that enveloped her cheeks and spread to her ears.  After a few moments of silent swaying in his arms, she cleared her throat and weakly spoke, “That… yeah, uh… that works.  Point proven.”

He chuckled lightly, a proud smile working its way onto his face.  He moved his hand so they were both wound around her waist, holding her close to him.  She settled further into his chest, causing him to sigh contentedly.  They danced together for a while, refusing others that attempted to cut in with either one of them, Marinette doing so significantly more politely than Jason did.  After a while, Tim tapped her on the shoulder.  “I thought I was your date.” He stated with a suspicious smile.

“Oh fuck off, Timbers.” Jason grunted at him, twirling Marinette so she was on the other side of him from Tim.

Marinette poked her head out around Jason’s side to give Tim a sheepish look. “Sorry, Tim.  You were busy.  Did you need a break from socializing?”

“Uh huh,” he responded sarcastically.  “No, I’m good.  And I thought you weren’t going to stay until midnight?  Something…” he eyed Jason meaningfully, “come up?”

Marinette looked at him in surprise and searched for a clock.  Surely it hadn’t been hours.  If felt like it had just been a few minutes with Jason.  She finally found the prominent clock that had been hung to countdown to midnight and gaped at it.  “Oh my God.  It’s almost midnight!”  She looked back to Tim in time to see him pulling back from whispering something in Jason’s ear.

“Well, I’m going to go call Kon so we can ring in the New Year together in some way.” Tim said tightly.  He leaned over and kissed Marinette on the cheek. “Happy New Year, Marinette.  I hope it’s a happy one.”  He gave Jason a pointed look.

“Happy New Year, Tim.  I hope it is for you as well.”  She smiled at him.  As soon as he left, Jason pulled Marinette back into his embrace.  “What was that about?”  She asked him.

“What?” He asked innocently.

“The whispering.  There isn’t a problem is there?  You’re not going to have to run off 2 minutes before midnight?”

Jason chuckled at her.  “No.  No, that was him warning me to treat you like you deserve.”

“Like I…” she thought about it and gave him a half-hearted smile before muttering. “Not sure if that is a threat to you or me.”  

“Threat for me, blessing for you.” Jason answered softly.

“You think too highly of me.” She shook her head with a small smile.

“Doubt it.” He answered back quietly.  “And it sounds like I’m going to be held personally accountable if your year isn’t amazing, so I better get on that.”

10

“Sounds like you’ll have to keep a close eye on me.  I can be a handful.” She said quietly, looking up at him from under her lashes.

9  

“Rough job, but amazing work environment.”  He answered just as quietly, pulling her even closer.

8

“And what are the benefits to giving you the job?” She gave him a playful smile.

7

“You get to see my roguishly handsome face and get Austen and Shakespeare quoted at you daily.”  He grinned back.

6  

“What if I prefer Verne or Hugo?” She asked with exaggerated innocence.

5  

“Then I’ll learn.” His eyes turned serious and his voice husky.

4  

Jason slowly moved one of his hands up her back, around her shoulder, and rested it on her neck, stroking her jaw with his thumb.

3  

Marinette parted her lips in surprise and leaned into his hand.

2  

Jason leaned down toward Marinette, stopping a bit short of her lips, giving her the chance to pull back if she wanted to.

1  

Marinette rose up to close the gap, meeting his lips in a soft, tentative, hopeful kiss.

The room erupted into cheers and applause at the clock striking midnight. Balloons dropped from the ceiling all around them, but the only thing Jason or Marinette noticed was each other. The feeling of the other’s lips against theirs.  The feel of the other’s hands on their bodies and the feel of their own hands on them. The warmth of each other’s bodies against their own.  The deep need that grew the longer they kissed.  When they finally broke apart, it was just far enough to catch their breath and stare in each other’s eyes.

“This was a great way to ring in the New Year.” She whispered against his lips.

He nodded absentmindedly, still in a daze from the kiss.  “There’s still a few more time zones that need to be rung in,” he said leaning down to capture her lips again in a passionate kiss.

[scarrrletales]

overhaul with a sibling who's a lot like yushiro from demon slayer? how would he react if they were attending ua behind his back? love that there's another demon slayer fan!

Overhaul reacts to brother reader that is like Yushiro from Demon slayer attending UA behind his back

TW : Human trafficking, mentions of blood

So lets set this scene, you are basically Overhaul's brother and you lived under his control you also have no freedom and has no idea what is the outside world is like.

One time you disobeyed you ended up being on the surgerical bed and all day long and he tortured you almost to d̶e̶a̶t̶h̶ he also injected a couple of illegal medicines on you.

You and eri are also in the same boat.He conducted many researches and experiments on both of your bodies and sells the drugs that he made on both of you in the black market.

You are also Eri's caretaker since the day she was brought in the yakuza - mansion.Yoy the one she can rely on the even in hardest times even though when she can't express her feelings well.

You actually also dont know about you and Eri's quirk that much.But your "so called" brother said that it is powerful and they both needed you on his league.

Days, weeks, months passed you had enough and decided to take along Eri with you to escape.You conducted a whole plan to escape.Thankfully your observant and know the basics on how to make an sleeping pill.

Every night your brother commands you to make him food smth like that.You, an pharmaceutical genius ended up drugging him without noticing.

T̶o̶o̶ b̶a̶d̶.He's too sharp.

You ended up running with Eri while Overhaul commands his team to capture you and the scared little girl.

The last thing you know is you and Eri getting surrounded by overhauls underlings.You started fighting back even without knowing what exactly how your quirk works.Blood and several broken bones is the consequences that you received.

Your in the verge of giving up, you were naive and weak as an 12 year old boy protecting an 3 year old girl.

Then suddenly you exploded blood and several human organs surrounded the whole shie-hassaikai base also the scared little girl's screamed echoed throught the base.

But why, why can you still feel your whole body even when your dead.The last thing you knew Eri was taken away and everyone was disposing of your blood and your body.

Your body ended up getting thrown to the river carelessly, your body that has been exploded piece by piece also ended up regenerating and ended up being normal again.You also don't feel pain.So you thought.This is my quirk huh?

A sigh of relief and hot blood comes rushing in through your veins as you ended up not being able to bring Eri along with you.

You did not cried at all.Crying is pointless and staying like this is also worthless.

The thing that first comes into mind is you going to turn yourself in to the child welfare services.You introduced yourself as an child sold by your family and you also introduced yourself with an fake name to hide your real identity.

You ended up being adopted by an family living in the city.You don't care at all as you long you can have revenge and save your sister and you will together escape this madness again.

You also go to know how to use your quirk well and uncover many secrets about it.

Your adoptive parents also started noticing on how quite your good at using your quirk so they ended up home schooling you.They were shocked you were such an intelligent obedient child they also treated you like their own.

You feel kinda safe,warm and comfortable at the same time.You also can't help to feel bad and burdened on how you abandoned Eri.Your living in heaven while she's experiencing hell.What a good brother you are you asked to yourself.

3 years passed you basically got into UA due to hardwork and determination You became also strong and your appearance drastically changed.

Meanwhile everyone UA aims to be number one and your goal is to save your sister from your pathethic brother.You also kept an low profile of yourself to hide your existence.

You actually ended up getting along with most of the class especially to Midoriya.You dont know why because he just gives the scent that you can trust him and he's a good person.

Also the girls in the class likes you because you respect them and also beat that little shit up by being a huge pervert.(if you know you know)

Time passes by and eventually their will be an upcomming event, the UA sports festival.Everyone in the class is excited meanwhile you are anxious, your identity will exposed and all your hardwork will go down the drain.

It does'nt matter,your much stronger and confident now.The sports festival came to an end and everyone gathered at the classroom for an sudden meeting. To be honest you did great on the event but you did not manage to get through the top 3 rankings.

You ended up getting an reccomendation to a hero agency.You accepted the reccomendation and it was basically for a month to get better and stronger.

Everything happened so fast, you ended up getting an reccomendation and accepting it and getting attacked by the villains.So UA decided to just make an dorm system to make sure that the students are safe at all times.

Aizawa announced that there will be an hero internship and you ended up getting back to the agency that trained you a few months ago.

Everyday is like usual you did multiple patrols, go to school to study and mostly can't sleep in the night.

You and so as the others like uraraka, tsuyu, midoriya, kirishima ended up being summoned at Nighteye's agency.

Their were many pro heroes as well your teacher, Aizawa is here.You can sense that the situation is quite serious and Midoriya and Mirio is acting weird and you can also sense fear in them.

Nighteye's sidekick bubble girl and centipeder explained that there is a villain on the loose.You lost your complexion, you felt sick and scared.All of your memories in hell projected throughout your head "Y/N - san are you okay? your complexion does'nt seem too good." tsuyu said in an concerned voice.

You replied, that your okay and you said that you've never ever seen something brutal.

As they've continue on nighteye mentioned that overhaul or also known as kai chisaki has an daughter.

You snapped and standed up while shaking " What seems to be your problem Mr.L/N?" nighteye said in his intimidating voice,everyone was staring at you like your crazy.

"I-i have something to confess." you said as your voice trembled

"And what is that?"

"My brother is Overhaul."

"Y/N - san you must be mistake----."

"NO! YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOUR GETTING INTO, AND THE WORST CASE SCENARIO IF YOU GOT SHOT BY THOSE DRUG YOUR QUIRK WILL BE DESTROYED AND WORSE SOMEONE WILL DIE!" you yelled and everyone stared at you with disgusted faces and even in disbelief

"So your saying that your in hands with Overhaul or your so called brother?"

"No... I tried escaping with Eri but she was taken away and my body exploded in pieces and my body parts ended up being thrown carelessly through the river,thanks to my quirk i can basically regenerate and create an new identity.However i did not accomplished on taking her with me.AND DONT YOU DARE IMPLY MYSELF WITH THAT MANIPULATIVE PATHETHIC MAN DONT YOU KNOW WHAT ITS LIKE BEING TORTURED EVERYDAY?EVERYDAY IS HELL AND IF WE MAKE A MISTAKE ONE FLICK OF THAT BULLET YOUR BASICALLY AN DEADMAN WALKING!AND I HATE SEEING PEOPLE DIE IN HIS HANDS!" you yelled in frustration.

Your classmates, stared at you in disbelief you are the most calm and composed person in every situation but in this situation, they did not know that you we're in despair.

"S-sorry, with that said.He thinks that i'm dead but no and i'm not affiliated with him anymore, plus the last time we saw eachother is 3 years ago."

"So please, i beg you save my sister she's all i have." you said as you bowed to the ground showing pure respect.

Nighteye sighed and he said he saw that coming and commanded you to tell everything that he did to you amd Eri and about their Yakuza gang.He also said to keep an distance and do not fight in the infiltration of their base.He also said to Aizawa to protect you.You agreed, it's the least thing that you can do to help in this kind of situation.

The day comes and you were basically watched by Aizawa eyes wide open (Lmao i just remembered i cant stop me and cry for me #Once #Twice).

You ended up not taking it anymore and sneaking out of the UA teacher dorm without anyone noticing.

You have no problem in making it through the base but you have to fight multiple of villains tho.You ended up seeing the sight of the ruined base and seeing your brother and Mirio fighting over the little girl.

"OVERHAUL!" you yelled in your booming voice as you've appear in the darkness wearing your hero suit .

"R/N?ah, so your alive?" he said in disbelief .

"Yes?so?my dear pathethic brother also known as overhaul."

"Too bad i shot him already." he said as he pointed at Mirio's struggling limp body as Eri just covered herself with his scrapped cape.

You ended up fighting him one on one.You knew that he was strong and powerful and so are you.

The last thing you knew was going all out with your quirk and passing out to the ground and you were in the hospital getting treated by recovery girl.

A few hours later you received the news that everyone in the Yakuza got arrested but Overhaul got taken away by the league of villains,Mirio ended up getting shot by the quirk destroying drug and ended up loosing his quirk.

Lastly sir nighteye got killed due to the bad injury that he got whilst fighting him.On the good side Eri was taken custody of and is doing well in the hospital together with Mirio and Deku.

You sighed in contentment and walked in your hospital clothes in the hallway trying to find her hospital room.

Your heart started racing and you saw the letter engraved "ERI" you finally mustered up the courage into opening the door.You saw Deku and Mirio playing with her

"Y/N - chan your here!" Deku said enthusiatically.

The little girl hids on her sheets when she thought that you were a bad person along with Aizawa.Mirio said that it is okay and you two are their teacher and a school mate.

"Eri - chan do you remember me?" you said on your soft voice she immidiately remembers that familliar voice, her eyes widened and ended up throwing her arms onto your embrace crying.

"R/N!"

"You do remember me!Your okay now your safe,nii-san is here to protect you and will not leave you alone." you said sobbing while hugging the little girl she nodded and you two just stayed like there for a while.

Deku and Mirio : 🥺 (Lmao you to scootch along i'm her real brother🔪).

And finally the hospital visit is over and they allow you to visit her along with Deku and Mirio during weekends on the hospital.

You also apologized to Midoriya and Mirio for meddling the middle of the fight.Instead they thanked you and if you were not there they would've ended up dead.

A few weeks later she can finally get out of the hospital and ended up being in Aizawa's care in the teacher's dorm in UA.Since you trusted him you allowed him to take care of her.

You also take care of her when Aizawa is not around along with Deku and Mirio in the dorms.

The whole class is also shocked in how much your attitude and behavi reverses when Eri's around.They were like : 🧐,🤭,🥰,😍,🤩,😱 is that even possible HShsgsh.

You also learned how to cook and teach Eri how to read and learn you also play with her ofc.

You also became more confident, and a .Lmao the look on your face when bakugo called you an Tsundere.And you said in the most murderous voice ever "DIE." then Eri comes in like : 🙁🗿.

"I said i will DYE my hair later pink HAHAHHAHAH😃." you said jokingly.

Everyone was like : 👁️👄👁️ Meanwhile eri's just : yea im down with that face with a small nod and a smile***

Mina aswell as the others ended up taking the joke seriously and you ended up having a pink hair color the next day to school.

Monoma said that you looked pretty u̶g̶l̶y̶ he ended up getting beat up by kendo.(SHHSHSHEHE LMAO😂).

Shoto thinks it's cool HAHAHHAHA.

Eri said that she likes it and it looks nice to you.Iida and Aizawa lets you slide disobeying the school rules just this ONCE he just wants to see the little girl happy.

The reaction on your adoptive families face when you told them that you have a sister is priceless.They we're like : " i guess we need to adopt another one." S̶i̶k̶e̶.

Note : the gif is not mine a̶n̶d̶s̶o̶a̶r̶e̶y̶o̶u̶

💌 : OMGGG THANKS FOR REQUESTING AGAIN!✨Sorry it took too long hehehe anyways! i'm stoked to see that you also watch Demon slayer! it's really an good anime and i'm looking forward in the movie that will be released!the animation will be so sick😫✨💥.

ORIGINALLY by : bokunosoul

[muwur]

Since requests were open I was wondering if I could request father headcanons for iwai + ushi + atsumu 🥺 btw your writing is vv tasty n I can’t wait to see you write more !! Keep up the good work n stay safe !!

haikyuu daddee headcanons

✧ hc’s ✧ for iwaizumi, ushijima, and atsumu

❧ gn reader

✎ 1.4k words

a/n: omg u called my writing taSTY Dx i cri tySM 💞 that is a high compliment for me AHAHAHAH ILY and ty for the request! 

also my lovelies i m back i m sry i was gone so long feojfe i miss yall <3 here u go enjoi, this was fun to write lmk if yall want more characetrs AHAHA

current listen: accidentally in love by sHREK AAHAH jkjk i mean counting crows, they cant take that away from me by ella fitzgerald and louis armstrong, love the way you lie by eminem and rihanna

requests: open!

iwaizumi

✧ prePARED daddy

✧ picked up on this parenting thing p fast, also does a lot of research so he’s ready to face any situation

✧ teaches his kids how to behave n respect others

✧ also makes sure they know not to talk to strangers and teaches them some self defense

✧ be warned these kids are packing a surprise can of whOOP ASS,, dont fuck w them,, plus u wouldnt want buff daddee iwa on ur tail

✧ honestly his kids would be ANGELS ,,, n thats cuz he treats them all so w e l l

✧ mans is ATTENTIVE. he asks his kids about their days, their interests, and encourages discussion about their fEELINGS 🥺

✧ always offers them really valuable and light-hearted advice

✧ and gives them the love and transparency we all wanted but never had--

✧ however his kids are easily (n negatively) influenced esp when uncle oikawa comes to visit--

✧ but mostly bc iwa gets annoyed and slips out a lot of curse words and a “shittykawa” and then his kids started calling oikawa that and now it’s ingrained in them forever fjoefefgfvi (*distant phlattykawa crying noises*)

✧ gives them LOTS of head pats and ruffles as signs of affection

✧ PACKS THEIR SCHOOL LUNCHES and ensures they eat a balanced meal

✧ attends all their games/events,, will get a bit rowdy hype them up

✧ def lets his kids sleep with him when they’re having a bad night or woke up scared from a nightmare (and waits for them to fall asleep before going to sleep himself fojref)

✧ when they were babies he usually succeeded to get them to stop crying by pulling funny faces, showing them their favorite cartoons, or humming a lullaby

✧ when they get older,,, u bet iwa would be suPER protective esp when their kids start being iNtErEsTeD in other people

✧ you: “iwaizumi, they seem like a really nice kid, though”

✧ iwa: *sitting with you in the car, across the street from the ice cream parlor your child said they were at, and spying from the window* “you can’t trust everyone, of course they seem ‘nice,’ they just want our approval”

✧ definitely did not interrupt his child’s potential first kiss at their house’s doorstep by slamMINg the door open “sUDDENLY” cuz he “hEard TheIR vOicEs and THougHt TO lET them In”

✧ effectively traumatized both kids

✧ tho he felt bad after n u made him go apologize so he did (and he was forgiven, only if he agreed to never spy on them again--)

✧ doesn’t stop him from scrutinizing every person yalls kid introduces to you tho

✧ overall a super supportive dad, 11/10

ushijima

✧ ok dEF does not know much about parenting ,, at first

✧ stared at his child like ???nani when you both changed their first diaper

✧ also had plenty of staring contests with his babies ,,, called it bonding

✧ was curious and tasted baby food once,,, immediately regretted it

✧ once put a volleyball next to his child, who attempted to bite it, and took it as a sign that they liked it

✧ after sum time n practice, his mind becomes split between “how to volleyball” and “how to dad”

✧ catch him in the kitchen wearing an apron and whipping up his kids’ favorite smiley face pancakes 😤😤

✧ has an amazing ability to get his kids to stop crying, does really simple things like give them their favorite toy or place a gentle hand on their hand or attend to their needs (mans can tell if they want food or needa poop) and they calm down immediately

✧ carried them on his shoulders once and now they never stop asking him for shoulder rides (not that he minds anyway)

✧ if theres two kids he can probs carry one on each shoulder cuz cmon ,,, have u seen this man

✧ always goes to every performance/game/event his child takes part in

✧ man smiles so soft™ when he goes to the 1st grade play and sees his kid’s name in the program next to their role as “townsperson b” (next year, they upgraded to “singing carrot” in a play about the food pyramid)

✧ if his kid ends up enjoying volleyball, he will teach them e v e r y t h i n g they need to know

✧ but is overall super supportive of anything else his child pursues and doesn’t push anything onto them, would rather let them choose what they want to do

✧ had n o idea what to do when his kid asked him about the birds n the bees asfghkl

✧ couldnt sleep one night thinking about it and just randomly asks you while yall laying in bed in the dARk like “so our child asked me how babies are made and I told them they came from watermelon seeds” (you: 👁️👄👁️ “come again”)

✧ you: *at the grocery store with your child*

✧ child: *hands you watermelon* “I want a little brother!”

✧ you: “haha of course honey” 👁️👄👁️ what do i do (*later to ushijima* “duhfojhguf we needa get another baby i promised our child a younger brother fohurof” ; ushi: “wat” ; you: “itS YOUR FAULT”)

✧ yall eventually tell them not every watermelon can produce babies only really special ones that are really hard to get fhuoefkfotfi theyre not ready for the truth

✧ another great daddee, we stan

atsumu

✧ knew parenting was stressful esp with bABieS but was like eh it cant be that bad right

✧ think again

✧ g o o d b y e  s l e e p

✧ develops phat bags under his eyes, responds with a weak “aha im fine just that parenting life and the kids ykNOW” whenever his teammates ask if he’s oKAY

✧ tried to tempt his kids to eat their mush baby food by trying it himself, nearly gagged but was able to say “eughh yuMM”

✧ loves to lift them high up in the air, even throws them up a little and nearly drops them (yall almost died from feAR but babie was having so much fun,,, yall agreed to be just a bit more careful)

✧ rlly bad at getting them to stop crying, gets very stressed when he’s exhausted every option he can think of then calls you over for some help/advice (you: *immediately calms them down* ; ratsumu: “how--”)

✧ calls up osamu a lot to ask him how to make food ,, then simps whenever his twin brother comes over and the kids are in love with this man and his cooking (”dad why cant you make stuff as yummy as this”)

✧ very affectionate with his kids, gives them lots of hugs and kisses on the forehead

✧ plays with them a lot! whether it’s sports, just dance, animal crossing, or UNO, yOU NAME IT WE PLAY IT

✧ also has no mercy when playing competitive video or board games,, has made them cry more than once LOL

✧ so sometimes he toned it down n let them win,, until his kids actually got better and DEMOLISH him every time

✧ is cool with his kids cursing, just as long as they don’t do it in front of their teachers LMAO

✧ plays innocent when he gets a call from school saying his kid was using ‘inappropriate language’ and is like “whaaat? my child? im not even sure where they learned that, maybe check if the other kids in class are saying those things, too--”

✧ reminisces how much nicer his kids were to him when they were younger and all the time they spent together,,, bc now that they reached their tEeNS they want alone time

✧ wants to be B) cool dad so he tries kinda hard, esp in front of their friends but his kid’s just like dad pls dofjrgjigtgro

✧ also very supportive of whatever his kids want to pursue and dedicates time to help them in whatever ways he can (whether that be to help them practice, make sure he can provide transportation, get them supplies, etc)

✧ always playfully competing with you to see who’s the “better” parent (you win by default)

✧ PROTECTIVE dad and will easily intimidate ANYONE who crosses his kids

✧ takes sum adjustment and mental resilience but daddee atsumu perseveres  😤 absolutely loves his kids and would do anything for them  

[yuusa]

𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝟏𝟔

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 𝟐𝟓𝟓𝟖

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞

𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝟏𝟔:

You rubbed your eyes as you sat up from your bed. There were several messages from Yuki, saying that he would be busy for the day since his family is going to a lodge near the lake. Must be nice to be able to go swimming in a remote area, you thought. 

You stretched your limbs before swinging yourself off of the bed to get dressed. You didn’t have many plans today, actually, you usually never have much planned. Your workplace is giving you time off today which was nice, maybe you could do something relaxing today.

You might even visit Aikyo today and help out at the store, that sounds like a good idea. You sent Yuki a reply back, telling him to have fun with his lodge trip with his family. Apparently, they were taking Hatori on the trip as well, something that Yuki confessed was a bit strange but didn’t question it. You wondered why Akito didn’t attend any of the family events. 

“Do I have to reeducate you, I wonder?” The shine in Yuki’s eyes completely disappeared, leaving only a dark and dull look in them, “in your special room? Will I be forced to spend long days teaching you proper disposition again?”

Akito traced his finger against Yuki’s lips as Yuki tilted his eyes away from him, trying to avoid his deathly gaze. His body was violently trembling as Akito continued to press him further.

You shook your head, it seems as if it might be a better idea to separate the two. You sighed underneath your breath as you walked out of the house. You still didn’t understand the relationship between Akito and Yuki. The two of them looked as if they were formerly close, but it doesn’t seem like it at this point. You didn’t know how to feel about Akito, he seemed too unpredictable and quite intimidating as well. The way he talked to Yuki made it seem as if they weren’t friends at all. 

“(L/n)-san, it’s nice to see you again.” 

You shifted over and saw Akito standing in front of you, his hands in his pocket. Speak of the devil and he shall appear type of situation. You froze in his presence as he gave you a friendly smile. 

“Akito-san, what are you doing here?” You asked, tightening your fists at the sight of him. 

“Shopping of course.” You saw that he was empty-handed and raised your eyebrows, he shrugged in response, “window-shopping, there wasn’t much worth buying around here.” 

“. . . I see.” As you were turning to walk away from him, he speed-walked to your side, perhaps shaking him off wasn’t going to work at all. 

“What are you doing today (L/n)-san?” He hummed, the two of you steadily walking to the nearby mall, “you seem a bit tense there, is everything alright?” 

You halted your steps when your surroundings were clear from the crowds, “Akito-san, what is your relationship with Sohma-san?” 

Oh? Akito thought, his smile widening innocently, “we’re childhood friends. Yuki and I have known each other since we were just small little kids, we used to be very close.” 

“Used to? So what happened?” You asked, trying to take advantage of the situation being played out in front of you. 

“Hm. . .” Akito hummed, “It seems as if you think I’m the villain here. Yuki always comes to the New Years Banquet, but he missed out on it. You know I was sad to hear about the news. . . I was looking forward to it after all.” 

You felt Akito’s hand intertwined with yours as he guided you around the mall, “wouldn’t you feel disappointed when your old friend didn’t come to visit you? You would feel lonely don’t you?” 

“I guess so. . .” You turned your head away from him, trying to focus on the different shop names and items being sold by advertisers. 

“But. . . You make me feel less lonely in this world (L/n)-san.” Akito tilted his head towards you as your eyes widened.

“What do you mean?” 

He smiled in response, “fate always brings us together. . . It was like we were fated to meet, don’t you think that as well? I feel as if we are much closer than you are with Yuki.” 

“. . . We barely met Akito-san, I don’t know for sure if that is true.” You replied, causing Akito’s smile to falter as he tried to remain calm, reassuring himself that your resistance was only there because of unfamiliarity. 

“Yuki almost never tells you anything, don’t you feel a bit betrayed?” Akito felt your hand twitch underneath his, noting the way that your nails almost dug into his pale hand as he remained calm, “I’m answering all of your questions unlike him, I trust you (L/n)-san, but can you really say the same for Yuki?” 

“Even though you are friends, he almost never talks to you personally about your problems,” Akito continued, “he doesn’t really care for anyone but himself, if he did he wouldn’t have left you behind in that race.” 

Your blood ran cold at Akito’s words, feeling unsure as your insecurities began to eat away at your guts. You’ve always been trying to put a little more effort into what you do, but you’re beginning to feel slightly worried that you aren’t enough. 

“. . . Are you saying that so I stop being friends with Sohma-san?” You questioned, nibbling on your bottom lip as the two of you continued walking, the other people in the crowd whispering to each other. 

“Not really, I’m just telling you as your friend that Yuki isn’t good enough for you,” Akito responded, pulling you into one of the stores filled with a variety of flowers, “what you feel right now is only because of your own self-doubts.” 

“How would you know?!” You snapped, pulling your hand away from him, “you. . . You don’t know anything about me.” 

“Is it fun for you to mess with me like this Akito-san?” Akito pressed his lips together in a frown as he glided his fingers over the stems of the camellia flower he stood in front of. 

You wondered why he was even trying to spurt nonsensical lies to you. You grit your teeth at the thought of his words, trying to dismiss them but they continue to linger in your mind like the aftertaste of chocolate, one that was bitter yet it was reminiscent of the previous sweet taste.

“I’m not messing around,” he bluntly replied, his eyes staring at you as you realized the seriousness in his own voice, “(L/n)-san, I wouldn’t have asked you out on that date if I didn’t like you.” 

“You barely even know me!” You tightened your fist until the knuckles turned white, your blood beginning to boil with anger, “. . . I don’t even know who to trust if you’re trying to make me hate Sohma-san.” 

“(L/n),” Akito dropped the honorifics, “you feel betrayed and frustrated don’t you?” 

You gasped as you took several steps back, shock running through your spine. 

“You feel like you want to break free from something. . .”

Your body began to feel sick as your environment twisted violently, the area becoming more scratched to reveal the blood underneath the fabric-like realm. You clutched your head as the world continued to peel away like the outside of an orange, the spindle fibers curling and waving around while you became swallowed up in a sea of red.

“Die! Just die already! I hate you!”

“You want to cry and scream. . . But you’re hiding away your own self because you think everyone can’t handle you, you think everyone would be afraid of you,” Akito took a couple of steps in front of you while you continued to move back in fear, “you think you’re not enough for other people, but I don’t see that at all.” 

“N-No. . . You’re wrong. . .” You stuttered. 

These sweet words were sinking into your chest, you desperately wanted to cling to any sort of hope in this world, but your mind is telling you that this is merely a ruse. You felt your tears pool at the corner of your eyes as you blinked them away.

Did Yuki not care about you at all? Even though he would send messages once in a while and talk to you, could you really believe him if he never told you anything? These were all hypocritical thoughts that would normally drive you away, but they felt like needles pricking your skin and embedding themselves in your flesh.

“Sohma-san. . . Sohma-san wouldn’t lie to me!” You clutched your clothes tightly as your lips trembled, your eyes shutting themselves closed, “I-I’m. . . I’m sure he has a reason not to tell me things. . .” 

You felt so vulnerable in front of Akito like your skin had been ripped away and he could see every little muscle fiber in your body, he could react to the heavy beating of your heart as you trembled. You felt exposed as if he truly knew everything you felt, the pain you experienced, and the memories you desperately wanted to be erased in this world.

“Do you really think Yuki is enough to protect you?” Akito retorted, your eyes snapping right back open as he pulled you close to him by the arm, “he can’t even do anything for himself, what are you even getting out of this?”

No matter how hard you wanted to stray away from his grip, your brain always became fuzzy as if you had been put under a spell. You didn’t understand why he had such an effect on you. 

“My judgment is surely correct. . . You’re stronger without him and you’re worth much more than what others think,” he brushed back several strands of your hair behind your ear, “Yuki doesn’t know it. . . But I do. I know how you feel (L/n), I can give you anything you ever wanted in this life because you are dear to me.” 

“I know how it feels to be lonely at the top. . . So let me take care of you. . .” Akito raised his hand to cover your eyes as you felt his lips touch the crown of your head, “I won’t let you feel alone in this world, with you by my side we can do anything you ever dreamed of. . .” 

“Why do you want me. . .?” You whispered, your eyes covered by his hand as the darkness swallowed your vision while Akito smiled.

“Because you deserve so much more.” You pressed your lips together in a straight line.

If what Akito saying is true. . . Then he might be the person to rid you of the painful memories that constantly haunt you every day. You instinctively grab onto the fabric of his shirt as he brought you into a tighter hug, only able to cling onto the one person in front of you. 

“(L/n)-chan! Are you okay?!” Aikyo rushed over to your side as you began to wobble towards the backroom. Her grey-white hair was pulled back in a bun as she dropped her box of supplies to run towards you, panic and concern written over her face. You were growing pale and your body was beginning to feel sick as your surroundings became hazy. 

Akito left you behind at the flower store after putting a red camellia into your hair. You internally panicked as your stomach began to twist, the sick feeling bubbling in your gut as you rushed over towards the only place you knew that was close. 

'Not that color. . . Anything but that. . .' You held onto Aikyo's sleeves with a tight grip, the poor woman wincing as your nails dug through her clothes. 

She carefully carried your body towards a nearby trashcan as you threw up into the plastic bag that was covering the metallic body. You clutched onto the trash can with an iron grip as Aikyo quickly came over with a bottle of water. 

She grabbed onto the red camellia and violently crushed it in her hands, the red petals falling through her fingers like sand slipping away from her. You watched as she dropped the entire flower and stomped on it, her heel digging into the yellow center. 

“I wish you could actually die! You god damn monster!”

She smeared the petals against the wooden floor with her foot, tearing apart the thin sheets of the flesh as the red color created a stain, a bloody and horrifying smudge of crimson. She reached out to the other flowers in the vase and ripped them off of the stems, the thorns pricking her skin as she ignored the pain. 

“Mother. . . Please stop.” She turned her attention to you before picking you up by your hair. 

“Stop it already!” You screamed. 

“(L/n)-chan snap out of it!” Aikyo gently shook your body, grabbing onto your hand and putting the bottle of water in it, “keep it together!”

Your chest was aching, it felt like someone is stabbing it with pins and needles thousands of times over, piercing you again and again as if to torture you. Your lungs were burning as you hyperventilated, your mouth and throat feeling dry as you continued to empty out your stomach into the trash can. 

“(L/n)-san?” You snapped your neck to the voice at the door, his grey hair and eyes staring at you in shock. “What are you doing. . . ?”

You dropped the shard, the piece shattering into even smaller pieces as you stared up at him in shock, his face was slightly blurred but you interpreted him as someone significant.

“M-Monster.” He turned his attention onto the bleeding woman, the red color of her blood staining the white walls as she clutched her skull. “Y-You’re a monster!”

“N-No. . . I’m not. . .” Your eyes began to weep as you held your hand out, trying to reach him, “don’t leave me! I-I’m not a monster!”

Before you could even make the effort to stand up, he had already run through the door, leaving you behind.

“Don’t leave me!”

You uncontrollably sobbed into the trashcan, your brain already beginning to break down as you continued to throw up into the plastic bag. The red camellia fell from your hair and into the trashcan, the fluids and disgusting mess engulfing the flower as it floated above the grime. 

“What happened to your daughter (M/n)? Is everything alright with you?” 

“It’s a tragedy really.” 

You watched her place the red camellias onto the altar, clapping her hands as she lit up the incense. Your mother’s long hair draped over her face like curtains, her (e/c) eyes now dull and lifeless as they fluttered close. 

“Everything is your fault, damn monster.” 

“(L/n)-chan! Look at me!” Aikyo gripped your cheeks as she pulled you closer to her, forcing your eyes to meet with hers. Your tears were flowing down your face, the waterworks never stopping or slowing down whatsoever. 

“Everything is fine! You’re going to be fine!” She embraced you into a tight hug, your body becoming numb to the feeling as you stared off at the blank ceiling.

“Calm down, everything is okay. You’re okay, take deep breaths dear.” 

Aikyo’s body was warm. . . It was comforting. She held onto you comfortably, not too tight to crush you or too loose to be distant from feeling your beating heart. She brushed your hair softly, never letting you out of her embrace as felt yourself drifting off into your own world. 

Is this what it was like to be cared for by a mother? Was this the touch that made all children smile in glee? 

Your tears slowed down as your eyes closed, your body still staying silent as Aikyo continued to brush through your tangled and slightly damp hair. 

You were so scared of people finding out who you really are. 

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Sheepless Sheep Girl ~Yin Zhi x Reader

Yin Zhi, the 3rd Prince, was a mystery for everyone living in the Palace, no matter their age, gender or even if they were his own relatives. He was truly an enigma that, no matter how much you’d try to decipher, you couldn’t. He was unique, a thorough individualist, and all he’d ever want to do is practice archery, study, read diverse literature books and enjoy a secluded life somewhere beautiful, all alone...Or perhaps, with someone by his side to understand him...

But he’s a weirdo, by everyone’s stuck up and closed-minded views, so he doubts he’d ever find anyone to actually get him and who he is.

He’s the 3rd Prince, after all, and since the 1st Prince died young, and the Crown Prince is a fuckass that everyone hates, people look at him to take up the reigns and become the best candidate to lead.

What a joke.

He couldn’t care less about trivial things like these - Being an Emperor is too much hassle than it’s worth. Too many responsibilities, too many people to hear and please, and way too many women and heirs needed...Too much socialisation, too many voices, lies, gossips, snakes and threats to deprive him of the peaceful life he always dreamt of.

Life, however, is an unexpected turn of events, and what was supposed to be just some basic archery training in some far away forest, and somehow, he ended up heavily injured, his horse running away, and he was barely able to keep himself standing.

He was beginning to hate himself for not telling anyone - Not even his eunuch - About his adventurous trip, so nobody would be looking for him any time soon...And maybe, by the time he is found, he will already be animal food, or dead from this wound overbleeding.

Perhaps sleeping at the base of this old oak tree wouldn’t be such a bad idea...

When he next opened his eyes, however, instead of feeling the hard bark of the tree he was leaning on, he felt himself in a weirdly comfortable...Bed? This couldn’t be...How COULD this be?

He shot up in a wild panic, only to feel a pair of hands on his bare, bandaged chest, pushing him gently back down on the bed. It was a beautiful girl with a gentle, yet exhausted complexion, eyes resembling those of a baby fawn, sweet and wet, filled with a myriad of emotions, and her hair looked shiny, long, let down, reaching below the waist, mimicking a gorgeous cascade.

“Please, don’t move too much. Your injuries were pretty grave. I disinfected and stitched them while you were unconscious, dressed them and...You risk ripping them and overbleeding.” she explained, gently brushing her fingers through his hair, getting it away from his face. “Who are you...? And how did you find me?” Yin Zhi asked in a tired, hoarse voice. “I am just a sheep girl. I found you by the Oak tree when I went out looking for mushrooms. I couldn’t possibly let an injured being die out there, helpless, could I?” she spoke with an amused smile...Her voice was so light and warming...What was so different about this woman that made her stand out so much? She’s no noble lady, she’s just some...Sheep girl, living alone, in the middle of the woods. “And how can a Sheep Girl treat such life-threatening wounds anyway?” his sharp eyes peered into hers, analysing her every single move and reaction. “My parents and I used to be the village’s physicians, so any little health issue would come our way. I may be young, but I have enough experience to treat such basic wounds like yours.” she got up, putting some more wood into the heater and stirring into the pot on the oven a few more times, she put stew in a bowl and taking a spoon, came back to sit by his side. “Then why do you live so far away from the village?” he murmured, getting in a sitting position with the help of the girl. “My...My parents died because of a new disease that struck the village. Many died...And while in that terrible state, my parents begged me to experiment on them to find an antidote...Which I did. It’s just...I got blamed for the deaths, so I was shunned. And here I am. Living out here, away from any problem, worry and annoying, stuck up people.” she shrugged simply, clearly used to the idea and the tragedy that befell her. “I see. I’m sorry to hear that.” the prince muttered, not knowing what to say in such a situation. “Don’t be. That’s how life is...Although, sometimes I miss socialising with actual people, not just with sheep.” she chuckled awkwardly, looking away. “It’s a peaceful place you’ve got here. I wish I could live in a secluded place, away from all the nosy and incompetent people out there.” Yin Zhi spoke out, almost without realising. “Would you mind sharing your story with someone you’ll never meet again, stranger whose name I don’t know?” she took the bowl away from him as soon as he finished eating. “Only if you vow to treat me the same as before.” his look changed into one of warning, but she was not intimidated in the least. “I’ve been away from socialising for a long time. Forgive my lack of manners, but I’ll behave with you the same way no matter the status you hold.” she shot right back, which made him smirk in delight. “My name is Yin Zhi, the Emperor’s 3rd Prince. And what is yours, mysterious physician?” he asked, waiting to hear the name of the brilliant woman taking care of him. “Y/N. Nice to meet you, Yin Zhi.”

Due to the gravity of the injuries, he had to stay for two weeks to recover, and in this time, he was able to discover who this girl really was, from her kindness, to her intelligence, her points of view, her choices in books, in literature, how versed she in sciences, in herbalism and many more.

Not to mention, despite his amusement about the 3 animals, grew fond of the family of sheep. Only one ram, one sheep, and a little lamb, all the named after her and her family.  The lamb, especially, was incredibly playful and affectionate with him, and would always try to stay around him, poking his cheeks with her wet nose, jumping on his lap, running around his legs and many more, which, for some reason, amused the man greatly.

He had so much to learn from this lone woman - In fact, so much more than many of the scholars, teachers, physicians and eunuchs in the Palace could offer him - And so, he didn’t think of his hunting accident as a misfortune, but as as grace from fate.

These two weeks in this place were truly all he ever dreamt of, and more, should he not have been in pain from his wounds, but by now, he was fully recovered, and as a thank you, he properly taught her how to use a bow and arrow, to protect herself and her sheep family from any potential predators, and more, he helped her build a better shelter for them.

However, like all beautiful dreams, one must wake up, and thus, he was forced to return to the Palace, with the promise of visiting again, and also, to help her with anything she needed, no matter the cost.

Yin Zhi cursed how dull Palace life was, and truly, he felt more all here, constantly surrounded by thousands of people, than away n the woods, with Y/N, so he did what he always did to escape reality - Succumb himself into studying and reading, and clearly, staying as far away from people as possible.

Days passed, then weeks, months, and his mind kept flying off to that great, peaceful time when he was all alone, just with her, some animals, away into the forest, and he could read at leisure without being interrupted by these annoying pests.

He almost wasn’t sure how much time passed, until he received a letter from his trusted Eunuch, from someone calling themselves “The Sheepless Sheep Girl” and worry started harbouring in his heart, as he began reading her words.

As stated, some thieves came by while she was away, picking berries from the forest, and killed her sheep, destroyed the crops and stole everything she had, and now she’s helpless, scared and has no clue what to do.

Darkness and anger flooded him for the first time in ages, realising that, to save her, he needed to get her into the Palace, maybe saying she was his new Head Maiden... What a difficult situation they both found themselves into.

Well, why should he care what anyone else thinks, anyway? He’s not going to be an Emperor, so he doesn’t need to be surrounded by concubines, consorts and whatever other useless women or different statuses and ranks that they did nothing to earn, so why shouldn’t she just be given the title of Imperial Physician?...HIS Personal, Imperial Physician?

Sure, only men have the privilege of having this title given, but she’s talented, well-versed and knowledgeable, so there’s no reason why she shouldn’t be able to be HIS Physician, right? She already saved him once, anyway. It’s not like the Emperor could deny or complain about it, considering he never asked for anything, and used his own power and knowledge to achieve everything he wanted.

She won’t even have to leave his Palace, if she doesn’t want to. She is a timid little doe who has no idea of Palace mannerisms, or how cruel everyone in this forsaken place is, and truly, the last thing he wants is to break her soul and taint her bright innocence and purity with the evil hanging around this polluted air.

Nonetheless, she needed to be taken care of, and so she will be, under his wing, without anyone interfering.

As soon as he got back to her place, Yin Zhi noticed how the house was in a terrible state, and she...Her face...It was obvious that she was exhausted. She was barely able to keep herself standing, she was weak, and her face was pink from the crying... This deteriorated state of her made his own heart ache, and that’s when he realised that he wanted nothing more than to protect her and her precious smile. He wanted her happy, by his side. It didn’t matter if she loved him or not, he just wanted her to shine brightly again, just as before.

He had his Eunuch find the best maid for her to attend her every need, and he found some petite girl called Shi Lian, with a soft voice, but very friendly, and with that, at least, he was content.

“Thank you...You did more than I asked you to...How can I ever repay you, Your Grace?” Y/N bowed her head down, speaking in a broken voice, almost as if feeling herself unworthy to be looked at by someone like him. “First of all, never call me that again. It’s only my name, for you, understood? Secondly, look at me, just like you used to. I won’t allow anything bad to come upon you ever again, I promise you. You saved me once...Let me save you now, Y/N.” he extended his hand for her to hold, as a way of asking if she trusts him. “...If it’s not asking for too much...Please take care of me, Yin Zhi. I trust you.” she gingerly held his hand in both of hers, raising it to her face, placing a soft kiss as a thank you. He realised that, compared to all the women in the Palace, her hands weren’t as soft and delicate, but more on the rough said, from all the hard work she had to put into taking care of herself. That’s a truly reliable woman, he thought, as he vowed to make sure she’s pampered at all times. “Anything for you.” his voice came barely above a whisper as he kissed her forehead, hoping she wouldn’t hear his heart’s confession...And yet, the soft blush on her face proved otherwise.

With each day passing, he could see her skin glowing, her eyes sparkling with life whenever she’d lay down at the base of the willow next to the pond as she would read one of the books he had in his library, her smile, dazzling as before, whenever some stray cat would get in his Palace garden and she would play with it, feed it, and somehow end up adopting it...Them...For there were many cats now in his garden, but it’s not like he could complain. He wasn’t the one doing the cleaning in his Palace, and he was content enough with seeing her happy.

She would sometimes play the flute while he was reading outside, or would pick up flowers from the field and make flower crowns for her and Shi Lian...And yet, on one occasion, she put one on his head while he was too absorbed in his reading to notice.

She wasn’t afraid to ask him for help to understand things she didn’t know from books he had that she wasn’t familiar with, and somehow, he never felt irritated by her - In fact, he actually felt his heart warm whenever he had to explain things to her - And the same went the other way around, when it came to science.

Not to mention how thrilled she was when she found out she was allowed to be a physician once again, just like long ago, and even more, she was bold enough to throw her arms around him, pulling him into a hug, that shocked him beyond belief.

And so, one day, when he came home, he brought a little gift for her... A little lamb that he named after her, to remind her of her little sheep family from before.

It made Y/N laugh with happy tears in her eyes, as she started playing around and cuddling the little lamb, even going as far as to let the baby lamb sleep in her own bed with her, and truly, Yin Zhi didn’t think it could get any better.

His life was finally beginning to shift in the right direction, the one he’s always dreamt of...Especially after one night, she lead him up the hill to watch the beautiful moon and the fireflies, holding hands as they lay on the soft grass and observing the stars, pointing out constellations, telling little legends, myths and stories about random things. He couldn’t help but admire her beauty highlighted by the silver light of Mother Moon, and how she looked like a dryad in that flowy, light green dress, and the fact that she looked ethereal without having to wear make up truly made it obvious how she was above them all without even trying.

For the first time in his life he felt completely enamoured, his heart was captured by this unique woman and he couldn’t help but put his hands on her delicate cheeks and kiss her pink lips that resembled the petals of the softest, most beautiful rose. He was never interested in love or women, he preferred to enrich his boundaries and knowledge, but this one...This one was truly something else. She was special, and he was making him feel special without even trying.

There was no doubt about it - She was truly the one. 

And he couldn’t be happier.

It felt like he was living in a fairy tale, the Prince and the Princess, having their happily ever after.

But like any fairy tale, there must always be something bad happening to the Princess.

He wasn’t expecting anything like that to happen - He was sure she barely left his Palace and nobody held any grudge against her. It’s not like she was trying to get up the ranks, or get the Emperor’s favour, she was just a simple girl enjoying the simple life he was offering her.

As he got back home, pissed off for having had to meet up with a neighbouring Princess for the 10th time this week, or, rather said, her father alone, for some reason - Princess that the Empress wanted him to marry, he got in the house, expecting to be greeted by his brilliant lover and her little lamb, or her adopted cats and dogs...But he wasn’t. Instead, he was greeted by a trail of blood that led out in the garden, and to his horror, the girl he held so dear to his heart was sprawled on the ground, he arm extended towards the pond water...

He ran to her, held her in his arms, checking for a pulse, that was faint, but at least there, so yelling for his Eunuch to call for the Imperial Physician, he was able to pronounce that she was poisoned, based on the tea served in the Palace’s tea house, and now, the question came - Who poisoned her?

Of course, the main suspect was her Handmaid, poor Shi Lian, but something in his gut told him that this girl was innocent. Perhaps he wanted to trust her innocence, for it resembled that of Y/N, or maybe he just wanted to trust Y/N’s own trust in her.

Every day and every night, he would be restless, unable to sleep, so he would hold her hand, caressing it, kissing it, kissing her forehead, wiping away the sweat from her face, making sure she’s comfortable, despite the state of agony her unconscious self is in.

“Ricin...” Yin Zhi heard a soft, barely audible voice, struggling to mumble coherently. “Ricin?” he asked again, louder and clear, hoping he didn’t mishear or hallucinate. “Nails...Tea...” she continued, as tears kept streaming down her face, as she was finally able to open her eyes, her breath ragged, as she was fighting with her own body to keep herself awake and coherent. “Ricin...Nails...Tea...So the culprit put Ricin poison in your tea...With their nails? Does that mean it was Ricin powder hidden in their nails, so when they went to help prepare the tea, they mixed it in your cup, correct?” he asked, hoping for an affirmative answer, which is confirmed with a slow nod. “Who was it, darling? Do you remember? A name, a gender, some distinguishing appearance traits?” he pressed again, feeling adrenaline surge through his veins. “Princess...Jealous...Yin Zhi...” she started coughing blood again, clinging on his arm to keep herself grounded, as he helped her drink a glass of water. “A jealous Princess...I know just who you are talking to. Don’t worry, darling, I will solve this and make sure she pays for her sins. Nobody dares harm my beloved dove and gets away with this.” it was obvious he was angry, and rightfully so, and yet, she held onto his arm, not wanting him to leave. “Don’t go...Please...” she whispered, looking up at him with tired, fawn eyes, that melted his rage away. “I will be here until you fall asleep, my dear. I promise.” he kissed her softly, and stroked her hair until she fell asleep with a smile on her face.

He had to deal with this bitch Princess, but he couldn’t just rat her out without being petty and have his revenge. He had to get his physician to prove she had ricin powder in her nails. He could only guess it must have been in her pockets, because a sachet would have been too obvious, so with more help from his darling Y/N, he found out she was wearing a yellow and pink dress with only one pocket on the right, so with the help of his spies, he stole that dress, and his physician found the powder right there.

He won, once again.

And now, it was time for the grand finale, before this stupid Princess would leave. He was going to marry Y/N even if it was the last thing he’d ever do in his life, no matter how angry and disapproving his father would be, or how much the Empress would be against it, since the Princess is from her own family.

So, as soon as Y/N was back in full health again, and discussed things with her, so she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable or surprised at what was going to happen, and so, he took her with him in front of the Emperor and the Empress, along with the Princess and her father, to present his case.

“The 3rd Prince summoned us here for a reason, correct? It is not often that you choose to be surrounded by so many people.” the Empress pointed out with a pleased expression, thinking she knew what was going on. “Your Highness, the Empress chose Princess Ruong Xian to be my bride, for she is of noble birth...Her own bloodline. I do not doubt that she is a capable woman with many attributes...One of this attributes being poisoning and deceiving a harmless, innocent woman, because of her burning jealousy. I do not think someone like her should be the wife of the Emperor’s son.” his voice was as cold and harsh as usual, despite his politeness, which created chaos among everyone. “Poison?! Me?! How DARE you accuse me of something so vile? I’m a woman, I do not study plants and poisons, that’s the work of a physician! And what do I have to be jealous of? This ugly, no name who’s nothing more than a hand maid? She has no way of competing with me!” the Princess’ passive voice twisted into a hideous glare, pointing accusatory at the sheep girl who was awkwardly standing right behind him, fidgeting with her fingers and looking down as to not attract too much attention to herself...More than she already did, that is. “My son, that is a grave accusation you are telling us. Knowing you, however, I do believe you have some kind of proof to prove it. I am listening.” the Emperor spoke calmly, knowing very well to trust his intelligent son who never crosses boundaries, breaks rules or does things for the sake of it. “Physician Li, bring forth the dress. Father, this woman I brought home, Y/N, was poisoned recently, and it was proved that the poison was in the tea. Ricin powder. Barely detectable, unless you are incredibly knowledgeable and used to working with plants and medicine, like Y/N, who was brought up in a Physician home, and continued the tradition. The only way Ricin powder could have been put in her tea was through powder brought on her nails, most likely brought in a pocket, for a pouch would be too obvious.” Yin Zhi explained the theory, which made both the Princess and her father yell at him for the disrespect brought. “You have no proof, 3rd Prince! How dare you accuse my daughter of something so evil? You are tarnishing not only our name, but the Empress’ as well!” her father scowled at him, and he could only give him a cocky smirk. “Your Highness, this dress is the one the Princess wore on the day of the poisoning. If we get it inside out, we can still see some powder inside, that on further examining, proved to be ricin powder, which completely proves the theory the Prince explained.” the physician spoke out, showing everyone the proof, and suddenly, the Palace of Mental Cultivation became quiet as a graveyard. “To think that the Empress’ own blood would dare do such criminal acts in my own palace! This woman, Y/N, has been nothing but helpful for the kingdom and our Imperial Physicians, and you dared attempt to kill her? That simply cannot go unpunished! Guards! Take the Princess and her Father to the Hard Labour Camp and give them 50 canes!” the Emperor rose from his throne, his voice loud and angry, not even blinking from the bloodcurling pitched shrieks of the Princess that were imploring the Prince to save her, nor of her father’s. “Yin Zhi! My darling, please, save me! Please, my beloved! You deserve someone pretty! Someone of high rank! Not some filthy shepard girl! Yin Zhi! My Prince! Please, have mercy! Pleaseeee!” she kept shrieking as she was dragged away, only for the Prince to not even spare her another chance. “As sharp and intuitive as always, my son. I’m proud of you and your choices. I am sure you would make for a great Emperor someday...And yet, I know that is not your wish, nor ambition, unfortunately.” the old man’s voice became more fatherly and nostalgic as he looked at his son. “Father, I thank you for your praises, but I am undeserving. I will be forever grateful for you accepting my decisions, and I hope today you will stand by it once again, for I want to marry Y/N. I know she’s of no royal blood, but since I won’t be an Emperor, I believe she would be the best person for this Kingdom. She is kind, incredibly smart, studies all the time, is well-versed in multiple subjects, including science, healing, poetry and music, she is altruistic and helpful to all people, and, as you said, she has been an incredible asset for the Physicians, and was the one to realise it was ricin powder in her tea, even in her delusional fever-induced state. I only ask for your blessings, father, so please, take everything into consideration when you give your answer.” the Prince spoke up in a bold and firm voice, which made the girl standing next to him blush furiously, as she wasn’t used to so many compliments, as Yin Zhi was one to show his affections indirectly, most of the time, not through words, but with actions. “I see...I can see you are smitten with this girl, and rightfully so. I believe she truly is the perfect choice for you, but with her status, she cannot marry a prince.” the Emperor began, making his son frown, only for the man to continue speaking right away. “That is why, for the marriage to take place, I shall give Y/N the title of Lady Shuyu, the title given to Wise and Virtuous women of the Palace, and I will officially give her the post of the Chief Imperial Physician, specifically your personal Physician, my son. Is that to your liking?” the Emperor’s eyes sparkled with amusement as he saw both his son and the girl next to him looking at him with shock in their eyes. “Thank you so much for allowing our love to continue, Your Highness. You are most merciful and benevolent.” the girl immediately knelt, obviously bewildered at what just happened. “Thank you, Father. You have our eternal gratitude.” he couldn’t speak much from the shock, as he also knelt as a thank you. “You have my blessings, my children. You deserve to be happy.” he smiled kindly, seeing as the left the Palace, holding hands.

Out of the Palace, the girl jumped in his arms, as he held her tightly, kissing the top of her head, finally feeling content and at peace with what was going on. They could finally live together, without anyone daring to utter a word against her, or try to sabotage her. Their life together in partial solitude could finally be a dream come true, as they could have a little house somewhere in the woods, back there where she used to live, if they ever want to escape this royal chaos they had to live in, and even better, they could live with all the pets they wanted, go out together in the dark, watch the fireflies, go for a swim in the lake, read together, practice archery together, all while facing no scrutiny or complaint.

They could finally live the dream life their heart yearned for all this time.

[twiceblackvelvet]

Walk It Out

A/N; i have no idea what inspired this but it made me very sad then happy and then sad again. apparently the way i cope in life is to write about jeti. anyway, enjoy. 

New York Fashion Week. The epitome of hell if you ask Tiffany. People rushing around everywhere, bloggers furiously typing up reviews on their phone and all for some clothing that is not practical for everyday living whatsoever. If she could skip out on attending, she definitely would. However, it’s become the norm for her to be invited to such events and they always get approved without her being offered a choice in the matter.

Weaving through traffic with only a few minutes left until she’s due to walk into the venue, her manager tries his best to reassure her that they’ll make it there on time. It may be a pain to sit through these shows, but showing up late is simply unacceptable. The majority of the best seats are usually reserved for celebrities with reporters and the like sprinkled in among them, however, if she doesn’t get there soon it’s likely her place will have been taken by one of the many hungry photographers desperate to get closer to the runway to make sure their shots are perfect. Not that she’d mind being stuck toward the back, but, things can be spun so negatively nowadays on the internet that it’ll be seen as her no-showing rather than just not being in her assigned seat.

Between the hours on end it took to get ready because of course, appearance is everything and the thousands of cabs that have decided to suddenly line the streets when Tiffany desperately needs them to be clear, she ends up being the last to walk into the venue where infamous fashion label Yves Saint Laurent is showcasing their latest collection. There are still photographers eagerly snapping pictures outside and even a few fans call out to her as she darts inside, apologizing with every single step that she can’t stop and greet them all. She promises to do so after the show. 

There are arrows and people ready to guide any late stragglers inside luckily. She’s pushed before a large backdrop with the brand’s logo for a few quick pictures before being hurried along inside the darkened room with an enormous runway positioned in the center. To say the place is filled would be an understatement. People are crammed together, photographers huddled over each other, yet, the celebrity tables remain untouched and away from the people actually working and not just here to sit and look pretty. 

A small woman with blonde hair begins to lead her to her assigned seat, though, Tiffany already knows it’s likely taken. As they get closer, she can see that someone with long brown hair is already seated at the table, though her back is the only thing in sight, she can tell that whoever it is, looks expensive based on the way they are perched on their seat and the clothing they’ve decided upon. 

“Here you go.” The guide speaks, her voice barely audible over the people bustling around the room. 

However, it seems that the person she’ll spending her afternoon seated beside managed to hear it also as they turn to face the direction of the voice. In one swift movement, Tiffany is met with a sight she never dreamt of seeing in a thousand years and definitely not in a situation like this. 

“There must be a mistake.” Tiffany tries to inform the blonde woman, however, she’s already turned and waltzed off to likely guide another late attendant. 

“No mistake. Your name is on the card. Don’t worry, I’m just as surprised as you are.” 

Truthfully, Tiffany knew that Jessica would be attending this particular show. She had read the various articles that fans had flooded her Twitter mentions with and proclaiming that they hope for the two of them to interact. But, she didn’t think it would actually happen and would not vote to be seated beside her if she had the choice. Whoever decided the seating plan must hate both of them to pull a stunt like this. 

For a second too long, Tiffany takes in Jessica’s appearance. Half out of curiosity the other half out of self-consciously comparing herself to her. Fans had done it for so long after Jessica left the group and she took over the majority of her lines in their songs that it’s become an unfortunate habit she’s picked up to think about just how she fares against her once upon a time friend. Her skin is without a single flaw which is intimidating alone, though she seems to be slightly more slender since the last time they saw each other. Which, Tiffany thinks, could have ended up being the last time ever if it weren’t for today.

“Are you going to stop staring at me and sit down? Or do the people behind us need to watch the show around you?” Jessica’s tone is without malice, though her words still seem harsh to Tiffany’s ears which have become unaccustomed to hearing it.

“Do you think that’s a good idea? I probably shouldn’t even be stood here beside you.” She answers, finally.

“Well, you already are. You may as well sit. What harm could it do?” 

Oh, Tiffany can think of a lot of harm it could cause if even one person within this room snaps a picture of them seated beside each other so casually as if the distance and lack of interaction between them for the last few years doesn’t exist. Which, they definitely will capture it. It will go viral. They both will be hounded for hours or even days on end about it. Yet, for some unfathomable reason, she does place herself beside Jessica and ignores the consequences her current actions will have. After all, it’s going to spice up what will undoubtedly be a boring experience for her. 

“Thank you,” Jessica states flatly. Her eyes avoid Tiffany’s completely though it’s clear she’s deep in thought. “I suppose we’re both going to have to explain this after we leave.” 

“Well, yes. I can’t imagine people will just ignore us being together, here, and sitting mere inches apart.” 

“No, they won’t.” 

The conversation, if you can call it that, comes to a dull end just as the lights dim further ready for the show to start. Out of the corner of her eye, Tiffany can see that every few seconds, Jessica will spare her a glance looking over her entirely and then tries her best to focus on the show. Her fingers tapping gently against her forearm anxiously as if she’s ready to burst from having to be in her presence. 

Several models make their way down the runway, every outfit growing more flamboyant as the show goes on. Tiffany thinks about how this is Jessica’s dream and how deep down inside, she’s glad that she’s working towards it, though she won’t be telling her that anytime soon. 

The show comes to a pause halfway through to allow the designers to speak briefly. Tiffany takes this as an opportunity to try and talk to the woman beside her once more. 

“I can move if it’s bothering you that much,” Tiffany whispers as to not disturb the person on stage speaking. 

“I’m fine.” 

“You don’t seem fine.” 

“Well, I am,” Jessica shuffles in her seat with every word. “I just wasn’t expecting this.” 

“You didn’t see the articles?” Tiffany asks her voice louder than previously which gains the attention of the people seated in front of them. She mouths an apology and turns back towards Jessica. 

“I saw them. I just figured you’d either no-show or that we’d be on the opposite end of the room to each other.” 

As the two women continue to size each other up, neither of them knowing where this reunion of sorts will lead them. A photographer kneels in front of their table face lined with an insincere smile that barely raises his cheeks.

“Ladies, photo?” He asks both of them, politer than either was expecting. 

“No, thank you.” Jessica offers for both of them curtly. “We’re not here together.” 

“Come on, it’s one photo, surely you can spare me that?” He begs voice lacking politeness and replaced with eagerness. 

“I said no.” 

“Okay.” 

They both answer at the same time and the man decides to only listen to Tiffany’s acceptance of his offer and not Jessica’s denial. He quickly grabs the camera around his neck and points it towards them. They both plaster on faux smiles for the quick picture but Jessica’s ears have begun to turn a bright red. If steam could come out of them, it would have filled the entire room. 

“Thanks.” The man shuffles off almost tripping over his own feet, likely thinking about just how much he’ll make from managing to get a picture of the two of them together. 

“Why did you say yes? Are you insane?” Jessica’s voice is definitely harsh this time, in fact, it’s flat out filled with anger.

“I don’t know, seemed like an easy way to get rid of him.” 

Though she doesn’t say it with words, Tiffany can tell that she’s managed to worm her way out of going against Jessica and that she can’t find a way to fight her reason for allowing someone to no doubt reveal that they’re sitting beside each other today and communicating for the first time in years.

The designers finish up their speeches and once again people storm the runway. Jessica tries her best to remain focused on the show. Tiffany tries her best to remove her focus from Jessica. Neither of them is successful. Luckily, the music accompanying the models walking drowns out their conversation.

“You look well.” Jessica offers first. Tiffany thinks about how difficult it must have been for her to offer the first compliment and decides it’s probably best to reciprocate it even if she’s unsure Jessica will trust her words.

“You do too. Though, you always did.” 

It’s difficult to say whether it’s the lighting or not but Tiffany is sure she can see a light blush rising on Jessica’s fair skin. 

“I don’t know what to say to that. Or to you, in fact,” They both look at each other but avert their eyes once the staring becomes a little too awkward.

“Me either.” 

Jessica ponders on her next words carefully, unsure of whether she should speak it out into the world or allow it to remain inside her head to never be heard by anyone else but herself. Her voice, however,  disobeys her insecurity and releases her innermost thoughts. 

“I… I missed you.” Her voice cracks slightly as she barely stutters the words out but they manage to hit the intended target. “I mean that. I know that it probably just seems like I’m only saying it because we’ve both ended up here but truly, I missed you.” 

Tiffany decides that her eyes must focus on the plethora of women walking upon the stage instead of the one currently threatening to make tears spill from her eyes with her words. Jessica was always described by others as a cold person, yet, there’s nothing but warmth in her words despite them mourning what was once a strong bond and unbreakable friendship that was left in tatters. 

Her heart wrenches in her chest when she eventually does turn towards Jessica as she’s picking up her black clutch bag from the table and standing to leave. Out of instinct she grasps hold of her wrist and forces her back down into her seat. A camera click can be heard in their vicinity but Tiffany doesn’t care if the whole world is to witness this moment, she can’t let Jessica leave without telling her that she has felt incomplete since her departure from their group. 

“Stay, please.” Jessica does exactly that, though not by choice as she’s placed back into her seat by force. “I missed you too. Things weren’t the same for any of us once you were gone. I know that might seem ridiculous to say since we’re all at fault one way or another for everything, but, something was always missing whenever it was just the eight of us.” 

“I figured. I watched a few clips of you guys,” Jessica laughs lightly before continuing. “Is it bad that I always pictured myself in any gaps whenever you were all on stage? Or in photos and stuff?” 

“No. Not at all. I used to think sometimes they’d do it on purpose so fans could photoshop you in,” They both laugh in unison, something neither would have guessed would be happening upon Tiffany’s first arrival at Jessica’s table. “I still get tagged on Instagram in pictures of us two.” 

“Me too.” 

Their eyes meet briefly as the laughter comes to a halt but the air around them feels less like it’s bubbling with tension and more like they’ve just resolved an undeclared war neither wanted to participate in. 

“So, where do we go from here?” Tiffany cautiously asks. 

“When that photo gets out, I’m not sure we’ll be able to continue this stalemate of ignoring the existence of each other anymore.” 

The lights suddenly brighten up the room and both women realize they’ve missed the entire exhibition. However, fixing their issues seems far more important than some hideous blouses. Although, Tiffany is unsure if Jessica will agree as she notices the small scrunching of her eyebrows. They both stand now, though the crowd around them makes it impossible for them to leave yet as they shuffle forward slowly. 

“What are we going to say about that by the way?” Tiffany stops Jessica dead in their tracks this time to try and strategize their next move. 

“Don’t ask me, you’re the one who agreed to it,” Jessica initially brushes off. “Let’s refuse to acknowledge it and say it was our doppelgangers, that’ll work.”

“Very funny Sica.” The shortened version of her name rolling off the tongue naturally. 

Jessica twists Tiffany’s body to face her own so as she can talk in a hushed voice without anyone else around them overhearing her. 

“Look, we have two options. We buy the photo before we leave, it never gets mentioned and we go about our lives as if this didn’t happen,” Tiffany tries her best not to seem hurt by this choice. “Or, we let them release it and we tell the world that there are no issues between us. It’s up to you.” 

Tiffany’s thoughts flash through her mind at a thousand miles an hour. Could she really deal with all of the questions about Jessica that she’s done her best to get out of neutrally over the years again? How will the other members feel about this sudden appearance of Jessica beside her looking as friendly as possible? Can she go back to ignoring Jessica and forgetting that she’s just admitted to missing her? The choice seems obvious and yet she’s conflicted between them. 

Jessica proceeds to walk toward the strange photographer having taken Tiffany’s silence as the answer is the former. But once again, Tiffany manages to pull her back and stops her from erasing their reunion from existence. 

“Stop. I can’t just forget you again Jessica.” 

For what feels like forever since she’d last seen it, Jessica finally grants Tiffany a smile that feels sincere. They stand stuck in place for several moments simply taking each other in. Neither wants to move out of fear that this was all just a fever dream and when they do things will go back to neither knowing one another anymore. Jessica moves first, though, it’s not what Tiffany expects as small arms wrap tightly around her neck and remain there. 

Many people passing by them stare, but Tiffany doesn’t care. Jessica could hug her for the rest of her life and it wouldn’t feel long enough. When it does come to an end, they decide to exchange numbers and agree to keep in contact with one another from here on out. They part upon reaching the doors to the lobby and agree to exit separately so as not to cause the fans still lingering outside to pass out. 

Jessica turns in place before she pushes the doors open to leave.

“Hey, Tiffany,” She simply nods in response. “I can still hit those notes better than you though.” Jessica flips her hair as she strides out of the door and away from Tiffany whose jaw is agape but she can’t help but laugh at Jessica still making things a competition between them even now. 

Maybe fashion week isn’t so boring after all. 

[cherryfi]

Don’t run from me Ch.4 - And all it took was a bowl of froot loops

A/N: Sorry for the long wait!! I’ve been swamped with work. I hope you’re all keeping safe in the uncertain times. <3

Word count: 2019

Storyplot:  After being on the run for over a year, you finally feel like now is a good time to get your life together. Hongjoong has other ideas.

Ch plot: Hongjoong really just wants to bond with you, you just want to go home.

Ch.1, Ch.2, Ch.3, Ch.4

Song Mingi threw the most killer parties, you could tell that from the moment you started working with him that he'd be the type of guy to go all out on a party, making it a soiree to remember. You weren't sure if it was from the enthusiastic way, he encouraged his employees or his classic yet innovative architectural style but you just knew any even he created would be one to remember. 

 And you were right. 

Your company's Christmas party was a sight to behold. 

It was held in the red dragon, one of a few 5-star hotels owned by the Kim family. It was nearly impossible to hold an event there at point in the year but, even more so at Christmas time, yet somehow he'd managed to get the hall and not only that but, a team to help decorate and cater. 

 When you'd asked him, he just winked at you. 

"I called in a favour." 

 'Favour' really meant, 'I know the owner'.

"Y/N you made it! I was surprised you're even here to be honest. You never leave your house." You laugh lightly and return Mingi's hug and when he steps back you see a shorter man, watching the 2 of you curiously. 

 "Y/N, this is Hongjoong, my best friend and owner of this hotel, among others. We go way back. Hongjoong this is Y/N, her official title is my PA but, honestly she's an angel, I wouldn't be able to run the company without her." Hongjoong laughs and you beam, as nice as a boss (and dare you say friend) as Mingi is, he rarely gives out compliments so, his singing praises leaves you proud but, a little flustered. 

 Hongjoong laughs.

"She's got to have the patience of Job to work for you." 

 That was the first time you'd met Hongjoong. His hair was charcoal at the time, cut into a shorter style that you didn't think would fit anyone else. But, that was Hongjoong, he was able to do things that no one else would be able to : the confidence he exuded was as endearing as it was intimidating.

You watched him practically glide around the room, keeping all of the company employees entertained and laughing. He even managed to make Jerry (affectionately named 'Oscar the grouch') the office miser, laugh with his special brand of dry humour.

You quickly found yourself been drawn to him. Hongjoong was a head shorter than Mingi but, his aura commanded attention and your boss' charismatic personality paled.

In fact, he almost followed Hongjoong's lead - not exactly under his spell in the same way all your colleagues were but more like he was deferring to him.

 Of course, it made sense once Mingi told you that Hongjoong was older and like a big brother to him.

The fact that Mingi trusted him so dearly,  only seemed to add to your attraction to him. Mingi rarely trusted others enough to rely on them totally (which had initially made your job as his pa hard), his faith in Hongjoong only told you that he was a reliable and trustworthy man (qualities that were often hard to come by. Watching him swimmingly glide around the room, effortlessly charming everyone in attendance and seeing how he spike to his staff (with kindness and respect), made you greedy for his attention You could only imagine how good it would feel to be the object of his affection, his attention only on you. But you also found yourself envious of him - how good would it be to be so confident in yourself that you could talk to anyone?

How amazing would it feel to have all his attention?

But you shelved the thought.

There was no way a man as radiant and as successful as Kim Hongjoong would want you.

Men like Hongjoong demanded perfection and confidence and although you didn't lack for confidence in your ability to do your job but, sometimes you weren't as confident in yourself and as for perfection, no one was perfect but, Hongjoong seemed damn near close.

Mingi had left you to talk to a new intern that had joined the firm, Jan was a second-year student, training to be an architect and Mingi had taken him on as his protégé.

You hadn't even realised that you were alone and staring into your now forgotten glass of champagne, your mind too focused in lamenting that when Hongjoong tapped your bent elbow you nearly spilled your drink in shock.

 "Hey, sorry about frightening you, but I noticed you on your own and you don't look like you're enjoying this party much." He smiled easily, his large eyes forming crescents as he steadied your arm.

You laugh bashfully.

"Ah sorry, just had a lot on my mind. The party's wonderful but, organising it was a bit of a pain, so I don't think I'll be able to get over the stress of it until later." You shrugged and he nodded in understanding.

 You could see when the idea entered his mind as his eyes practically lit up and he took your drink from your hand.

" The party looks wonderful and you did a really good job, Mingi hasn't stopped talking about how proud he is of your work, he said he'd probably have a heart condition from all the panicking if it weren't for you. But, if you need a break, I know the perfect place. Will you come with me?" He smiles at you mischievously and you follow him out of the room, away from the guests.

 That had been your first time meeting Hongjoong, he'd taken you to the hotel terrace, leading you out onto the balcony overlooking one of the hotel's gardens.

It had been a sight to see. The December chill had caused snow to start falling and it stuck delicately to the conifer that had been planted as a centre piece, the fairy lights twinkled like stars against the dark and lit the path surrounding the garden. It had been breath taking and Hongjoong had led you there, an easy silence developing between you as he let you collect your thoughts.

 You'd had no idea what it would develop into, whirlwind romance leading to an even crazier breakup and to eventually being kidnapped.

It was too much.

Your head pounding as you sat up in bed, your eyes feeling dry and gritty as you groggily tried to find your bearings.

Whether it was the drugs, the jetlag or your fitful sleep you didn't know but, it didn’t matter.

You just wanted to go home.

 You’d have to play your cards right for now, considering you were on an island with one private airport, jet and presumably one pilot.

 The only way a flight would come in is if one of them called for it, so there’d be no way that you would make it out that way without quickly being found out; especially because the air strip wasn’t anywhere near Hongjoong’s home.

 You’d have to bear with being on the island for however long it took and make a break for it once the opportunity arose. You’d gotten away from him once before; you would do it again.

 You quietly walk out of your room and down the stairs, the feeling of cool wood under your feet, thoughts swirling around in your head as you try to conjure up a coherent plan.

How would you get out?  How would get away without Hongjoong noticing?

How would your plan come to fruition without you writing it down? After all, you were sure that everything was under lock and key, you hadn’t seen your phone since you’d gotten to the island or your passport for that matter.

 How could you get away without your passport?

 Getting away the first time had been easy, Hongjoong had left with the others and you’d left an hour later in your car, taking what you’d needed to start a new life.

 But this would be different, it wasn’t as easy as moving to another city, you’d have to get off an island, almost impossible because you had no idea where this island was and what the nearest country’s name was.

 What if you couldn’t speak the language? Forget language you had no money.

 Your jumbled thoughts get interrupted as your stomach growls; when even was the last time you ate food, your mind drifting back to the hot chocolate you’d had just before your interview to calm your nerves.

 The sour taste of morning breath and hunger in your mouth letting you know that there was no way you’d be able to come up with a plan without at least having a proper meal.

 Your stomach growls again, louder this time and you freeze at the bottom of the stairs as you hear a chuckle from the kitchen.

 “Good morning Y/N, I thought you’d be hungry so I got your favourite cereal. Something simple to help balance your stomach since I’m sure that you’d still feel a little queasy. There’s more food here if you’d like.” He smiles warmly at you, sipping from a large mug, an array of delicious breakfast foods in front of him. And slightly off from the centre of the table, a box of froot loops.

 You pause at the edge of the table, not sure if you really needed to eat right now but, your stomach growling angrily again made the decision for you and you sat down across from him.

 “Are you sure you haven’t poisoned this?” You say it only half-joking, not at all over his use of literal poison to kidnap you!

Hongjoong sets the mug down with a sigh and without even looking at you he gets up from the table, his sudden movements frightening you.

 You’re getting ready to run if you have, trying to decide if you would make it to your room in time, when Hongjoong walks to and opens the fridge taking out the milk.

He looks up at you from your frozen position at the base of the stairs, the shock clearly on his face. He uses his free hand to wave you over before setting the milk down.

 Hongjoong smiles again, his eyes warm and reassuring and for a second it takes you back to when you first met him.

You walk to the table with a huff, the scent of bacon wafting in the air and making your impatient stomach growl for attention again.

 He pours milk into the bowl on the table, adding the cereal in as well, your eyes following his movements and he makes sure that they do. Your eyes widen when he spoons the cereal into his mouth, crunching away happily.

His actions are deliberate, and he holds your eyes, his expression open.

 “See? Not poisoned. I’m not going to poison you Y/N, you can trust me.” You snort at that but, pick up the spoon anyway, sighing in contentment as you finally get to eat.

 “I can’t trust you and you know why.” He winces at the finality in your voice but, a brain wave hits you as you look at the cereal floating in the bowl.

 “Wait, when did you get this? I don’t imagine this place has a locally grocery store.” He perks up at the opportunity to have a conversation with you.

 Not at all aware of the idea forming in your mind.

 “Last night. We get regular food in when we’re staying here on the island , it comes in each month but, we can get stuff in whenever we want to really. Say for example, you want specific snacks or a tool, you can order it and it’ll be here in 5 days max – weather permitting.” He shrugs nonchalantly as the gears turn in your head.

 Monthly shipments of food mean they must come from somewhere, right? All you needed to do was find out when the shipment comes in and you’d be able to figure a way out.

 Once you’re off the island, you’ll figure out your next step.

Tag list: @r1ce-cakes, @fivesecondsofsarang, @mingiluver, @ateezstylesearch, @honey-milk-tea02​, @army-of-inspired-onces,    @hongjoongielover

[nataliademarquis]

          𝐇𝐒𝐇𝐐𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐊𝟎𝟐𝟑 : 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐀 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐔𝐑 𝐈𝐈

                                                     when we were younger                                             we didn't KNOW how it would be                                                 and when we were younger                                        we wore our hearts right on our sleeves                                            why did we ever have to LEAVE ?    

                                                            @artwindsor

natalia, five, wide-eyed and nervous, the duchess’ daughter. art, eight, the lonely bastard prince taken up charitably by their king. they stand in the lobby of buckingham, her mother’s hands on her shoulders and art standing an awkward few steps away from her real father. their father ! the king !! at five years old she understands the weight of the “princess” title - but it doesn’t feel like the bedtime fairytales that have been read to her. her new “family” is scary, cold even. arthur is scary, intimidating. here they meet, unaware of what fate would have in store for them.

it’s nice to have a friend. art has to become accustomed to having natalia around. and it’s a change, for sure. whether it’s good or bad depends on how one sees it. the little bit of attention given is split between the two of them, and what the hell does a new sibling even entail ? but mealtimes are a little less quiet, she makes her best attempt to fill it with chatter, free time is no longer just art and his thoughts - it’s nat learning to navigate the new space. she has dolls and toys but they barely hold her attention before she nosies her way into art’s games. days together turns to weeks, weeks turns to months: and before they know it, clarence house is just a little warmer with two kids running in the halls, reading in it’s library, staring at it’s antiques.

their care for each other is in the small things, and for the most part is unspoken. at her first event, art makes a grab for her hand before the doors open. art’s lessons run later than hers, so she waits another hour for dinner. art attends the recital she thinks no one will come to. nat sits front row at rugby matches. they’ve made some normalcy out of their situation. they form a real bond, by the time the new ones come along they are almost a team.

they meet antonia together, they meet vaughn together, they meet andrew together, they even meet cecilia together ( i believe they were still getting along phuket at that time lmfao ). they. they are equally related to one another, but anyone but them are outsiders. it’s stupid because they’re all equals, but they haven’t gone through the same experience, have they ? because it’s one thing to have an absent father. it’s another to have one under the same roof, to get the recognition but none of what was important. the vying and hopefulness in their childhood, that maybe one day out of the blue the king would suddenly declare his love and affection. it never comes. it’s a special type of resentment they share.

art had given up on this impossible idea a long time ago. natalia ... hasn’t. she might say she has but it will always be a possibility in the back of her mind. that maybe if she does enough, she’ll wake up and things will change. it’s sort of indicative of their dynamic and how their treatment has pushed them towards two ends of a spectrum. art is crass and pessimistic and nat is sensitive and optimistic. they’ve learned from each other. for as cynical as art is - there’s a part of him there that has tried to cushion the disappointments. bit his tongue when nat needed to hear something nice and not the harsh truth, showed up when he knew no one else would, learned he could dig deep in his heart. nat is more grounded - her skin is just a little thicker, and with reflection she can see things in new perspectives. it’s like yin and yang, if you will.

the crown ruins it all, because they can’t ever one-hundred percent, fully trust each other. there’s conversation topics they’ve always brushed over and things they can not discuss. it is the one thing that prevents their bond from being unbreakable. it has their priorities confused and skewed and has them split between the impossible choice of me or them. and when natalia chose herself ? it shouldn’t feel as much as a betrayal as it does.

love conquers all. it’s a nice notion, isn’t it ? but is it true, or has natalia committed the one, unconquerable act ?? it’s like they have spent their lifetime proving themselves to be different, fighting against the expectations of hate - because they aren’t like the person that ties them together. but when it turns out they don’t fall so far from the tree, that maybe they are just as selfish and vile; it feels like maybe the curtain has fallen. that it might have just been two kids desperate to form something, anything. they’ve made their best attempt, but maybe it’s meaningless on a broken foundation. but one thing is certain, if natalia does not manage to right her relationship with art - it will be one of the greatest losses and one of the greatest regrets of her life.

[dxmedstudent]

What was your first/second impressions of your current BF? :) I understand you guys met through online dating which is great! But how did you feel about him in your first few interactions... Sometimes when I meet a guy and I don't feel a connection or chemistry, or they haven't actively made a good impression (I feel neutrally) I just assume that they aren't really my type and I move on... I have this idea that there should be some sort of a click from our first meeting.. is that immature/hasty?

Oh, be prepared for a long and soppy answer XD We did meet online. We got the chance to message for a couple of weeks before we met, due to my oncalls. We sent long, enthusiastic messages to each other and in retrospect we got on better than online dates usually do, right from the start. The poor guy actually had to ask me out twice cos I didn’t spot it the first time. It was the first time I was nervous about meeting an online date, because I really wanted us to like each other in person. I approached most online dates with fun curiosity and an open mind, but I think he was always a bit different - conversation with him always felt more natural and silly. My first impressions  when I saw him were simultaneously “Sh!t, he wasn’t lying about being tall” and “OH. He’s cute.” He looked just like his picture, but better.  In real life something kicks in that you don’t get from a photograph. I can’t really explain chemistry, except it feels like something inside you goes “!!!!!!!!!”.  You get to notice all the little details about them bit by bit. It doesn’t stop after the first date, either - falling in love is a process of realising more and more things you like about a person until you’re like “WAIT what”. I never doubted that I’d want to see him again or that I found him attractive. And his conduct was considerate and made it clear he was equally keen - he’d ask me out again at the end of every date, and that always made me feel excited! If you’re not sure how you feel, think about how you’d feel if they asked you out again or if they tried to kiss you - excited? Terrified? Disgusted? Because it’s things like THAT which can really make it clear to you if you’re not into someone at that point in time. What happens if you brush their hand, or hold hands?  You don’t even have to launch into physical contact if you aren’t ready - simply thinking about it will give you a clue. With online dating, I had lovely dates where guys would ask to meet again, and it’d fill me with dread - that helped me to confirm that I knew they weren’t for me. A friend of mine went online dating a few years before me (she’s now engaged!) and she advised me to just date lots of people. Now, that technique can need tweaking - for me messaging beforehand helped me to cut out so many guys who weren’t worth my time. But I agree with her that you need to be open and try anyone who seems like a decent person who could be a contender. Be clear on what are deal breakers for you, and if someone breaks your rules or your gut says ‘no’ then cut your losses politely and move on.  If you don’t gel with a guy on a date, it’s not because he doesn’t fit a template -  he just doesn’t gel with you. And that’s OK. If you feel there’s promise, maybe see him again and see if you feel anything. If not, it’s OK. Keep seeing more people - the more you meet, the better an idea you’ll get of what you like, and the kind of things that work for you. I’m a bit faceblind, so I didn’t put too much importance on people’s pictures when I was online dating. Because I don’t really feel sure that you can know if you’re attracted til you’ve met. For example, the Guy had nice pictures - well lit, fairly professional looking, smiling. But I thought he looked even nicer in person. But even guys I didn’t fancy in real life still usually looked better in real life than online - so try not to judge by the photo alone. I’ve also had blind dates - they never really went well. No attraction, not much in common, I really should have seen a picture first. Some of them made me realise it’s possible for someone to be really hot, but just not attractive to you. I know people can feel insecure about hot exes or colleagues etc but really, it’s possible to literally date hot people and have really fun conversations with them and be like “Eh, not doing it for me”. Chemistry is a strange thing - when it’s not there, it’s not there. The guys I’ve actually liked have by and large not been nearly as hot conventionally as some of the guys I’ve turned down- they’ve just been really hot to me with their quirks and all.  Funnily, the Guy is my ‘type’, or rather, the kind of guy 15 year old me imagined ending up with - nerdy, quiet, funny, smart. Looks good in glasses. Dark hair. But like... aged up 20 years. So if I had a type I guess he would be it, but my idea of the kind of guy I might like never stopped me from dating people who were very different. I don’t really believe in ‘types’ - I think its a broad term that means different things for different people. For some it might be “blonde women with big boobs or men with muscles” for somoene else “guys who make me laugh”, for someone else “ people who are emotionally unavailable”. It’s innocent if your type is relatively broad and yields people you can sustain  a relationship, but it can be actively harmful if your type becomes a self-sabotaging repeat of seeking out people with the same maladaptive qualities that didn’t work last time. Try not to think of yourself as having a type, but as there being a lot of potentially great people out there that you might fit well with - some if which you just might not have considered before. I don’t believe in love at first sight, either. “!!!!!!!” isn’t love - it’s a combination of attraction and gelling really well together - but neither of those has to make you compatible in the longterm.  That said, online dating can make it hard because it’s a bit unnatural. Traditionally we live in communities which means we have time to get to know people. When people meet by hanging in the same social circles or attending the same events, you get to talk again and again and that helps you to work out how much you have in common, how easy it is to talk to each other, etc over time. Sometimes romantic feelings develop out of friendship. So if something feels pleasant or promising, it doesn’t hurt to keep hanging with someone as long as you don’t misrepresent what you feel. The problem with dating is it asks you to commit to a romantic relationship from the outset so it can feel intimidating if you’re not sure. If you don’t have chemistry with someone at the start, you absolutely don’t know that it could ever develop - which is why most people say “let’s be friends” then move on. Perhaps we all miss out on people who we might have liked if we got to know them better. But it’s not really possible to date everyone we’ve met for an extended period ‘just in case’.  And we can’t keep around every man we’ve ever met as a ‘friend’ in case feelings happen. So you have to accept that in reality you have to move on at some point. A guy I once dated and I were talking about our lack of chemistry, actually, when he said “I don’t know why it wasn’t there because we had a great time and you’re great - but I have to trust that I’ll feel it if it’s the right person”. You just have to keep looking, sometimes.And all you can do is do your best. In dating same as with anything else. Good luck :D

[let-me-write-shit]

Like We Used To: 27

WARNING: SMUT!!! (****** will be at end and beginning so you can skip if you want)

[Click Here For Previous Chapters]

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CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN:

The amount of famous people in one room was intimidating. Everyone seemed to know Harry. It seemed like they were stopped every five feet as they inched their way deeper into the room of the after party, music bumping loudly as if they were in a nightclub. Harry introduced her to everyone he had spoken to, most of whom didn’t even attend the event, before they found a couch to occupy along with Jeffrey and a few others.

“Let’s dance!” Elizabeth exclaimed, pointing in the direction of the dance floor.

Harry smiled widely at her before taking his hand and leading her to the dance floor. He spun to face her and they danced closely to the beat of the music, still holding her hand. Elizabeth laughed as he pulled her in closer to him, her legs in between his, as he dramatically swayed her from side to side before spinning her around, his chest to her back. 

More of his acquaintances had shown up and Harry introduced his girlfriend to them, quickly making friends with her and laughing together as they discussed how weird these events could get if you’re not used to them. 

As the conversation died down, a bright red material in Elizabeth’s peripheral caught her attention, causing her to turn, which made Harry turn as well, only to see Kendall Jenner standing behind them. She smiled and shouted Harry’s name, going in for a friendly hug.

When he pulled away, he put an arm around Elizabeth’s waist and said, “You remember Elizabeth, my girlfriend.”

“Yes, hi! We made it official now, did we? Congrats!” Kendall exclaimed, going in for a hug.

Elizabeth reciprocated, relieved that she didn’t feel shunned or belittled by the model.

“You guys look amazing!” Kendall complimented, “Elizabeth, are you in town for a while? Maybe we can all hang out.”

“I’m not, unfortunately. I go back to England tomorrow afternoon.”

“And I head over to New York tomorrow,” Harry pouted, “but next time we’re back in LA, I’ll call you and we can get together.”

“Perfect!” Kendall nodded in agreement, “Well, it was nice seeing you again, Elizabeth. Bye, Harry. I’ll text you later,” she gave one more hug to each of them before bouncing off towards her friends.

Elizabeth looked up at her boyfriend, smiling at the pleasant encounter. He kissed her forehead before bending down and asking into her ear, “You thirsty? Want to go get some drinks?”

“Yeah, I think I saw Jeffrey head over to the refreshment table not too long ago.”

Sure enough, Jeffrey stood, beer in hand, talking with a few people he knew. When Elizabeth and Harry approached, he politely excused himself from the conversation and joined the couple. Harry grabbed Elizabeth a flute of champagne and started talking with Jeffrey.

Tipsy Jeffrey was a sight to behold, as he became even more friendly than normal. He began going on a rant about how happy he was to have Harry as a friend, and how lucky he felt to now be able to call Elizabeth a friend and how great she was.

“If I wasn’t already in a relationship, I would try to steal you! You’re amazing! You’re so fun!” Jeffrey joked, grabbing Elizabeth’s hand.

Elizabeth laughed, giving Jeffrey a friendly hug, “You’re the best, Jeffrey! Should I save you a dance later?”

“You have to save me a dance later!” Jeffrey exclaimed, acting slightly offended that she even had to ask.

“Oi! Just remember she’s mine!” Harry teased.

Elizabeth giggled some more as Jeffrey slung an arm around her shoulders, swaying and serenading her with the song that the DJ was playing, causing Harry to laugh. Harry’s eyes flickered from them, to somewhere behind them, his expression becoming more serious for a split second.

“Camille!” He exclaimed, smiling again as the tall blonde model approached them, leaning in to hug her and give her a soft kiss on the cheek.

Elizabeth’s heart began to pound, annoyed at the interaction. Did they not just have an argument about that exact interaction a week ago?

“Hi, Harry! How are you?” the model asked, sweetly.

“I’m wonderful, thanks. How’ve you been? Great job in the show!”

Elizabeth stood there awkwardly, Jeffrey’s arm still on her shoulder, but he was standing straight this time, watching the interaction between Harry and Camille as he was friendly with her. The two ex-lovers continued to talk, and every second that passed where Harry didn’t introduce or acknowledge her sent her heart spiraling lower into the pit of her stomach. 

Why was it that every single person they encountered tonight was immediately greeted with ‘Have you met my girlfriend, Elizabeth?’, except the one person she felt threatened by? And how could he have even let her slip his mind for one second, knowing how uncomfortable she was about his friendship with Camille. It’s not that she didn’t want Harry being friends with his ex-girlfriend; she wasn’t going to control who he could or couldn’t see. But why did he have to be so friendly with her? The way that he talked to her was almost like there wasn’t anyone else in the room. Elizabeth could leave right now and he probably wouldn’t even notice.

“What are your plans now that the show is over? Any events coming up?” Harry asked Camille, smiling at her.

“No, a few friends and I will be heading over to New York on Monday for a girls trip. We’ll actually be going to your show on Saturday,” she informed, grinning.

“Oh, really? No way! I could have gotten you tickets. I’ll actually be heading over there tomorrow, but I’ll be rehearsing and prepping for the show. Maybe we can meet up or something.”

Anne’s phrase ‘Be patient with him’ repeated over and over again in her head, but the words were being drowned out by the heat that started filling Elizabeth’s head, her ears beginning to ring. He had to be kidding. There’s no way he could be this stupid. Not right in front of her.

“We’ll see if we can scrounge up some free time for you,” Jeffrey quipped, making Harry’s attention quickly snap towards him and Elizabeth. 

Harry’s eyes seemed to widen, almost as if he was caught. Guilt riddled his face as he gestured towards Elizabeth, “Camille, this is my girlfriend, Elizabeth,” he informed her.

There it was. Finally. The petty side of Elizabeth wanted to smack Harry’s hand away from her, hurt by how long it took to acknowledge her in front of his ex, but she didn’t want to be the jealous type. And she definitely didn’t want to show it in front of the model. Kill them with kindness was a phrase her mother taught her growing up. 

“Hi! It’s nice to meet you!” Elizabeth smiled, holding a hand out to greet her.

Camille smiled nicely, “You, too. You look amazing!”

“Awe, thank you. So do you! I loved the outfits you wore in the show.” There were a few more words of small talk before Elizabeth announced, “Well, I promised Jeffrey a dance, so I’ll let you and Harry catch up.”

She said her goodbyes before dragging Jeffrey off to the dance floor, slightly annoyed with herself that she would even suggest the two continue talking, but proud that she was forcing herself to be more trusting in her relationship with Harry after having been cheated on in her last relationship, and Harry seemed to notice, too, because his eyes twinkled in pleasant surprise by the suggestion.

Elizabeth took Jeffrey's hands and the two laughed, dancing and spinning to the music. She noticed Harry’s occasional glances at the two of them, biting his lip and smirking once as he looked his girlfriend up and down before responding to Camille, just to look back at his girlfriend again. She took pleasure in knowing that she was distracting her boyfriend from his conversation, knowing how her short dress made him feel. 

Elizabeth shimmied to the beat of the music with Jeffrey jumping around her, finishing his beer. She looked over to see Harry’s attention on her again and gave him a little wink before turning her back on him. A moment later she felt a hand on her waist and the smell of Harry’s subtly spicy cologne linger as he pressed his chest to her back, whispering in her ear, “Come with me.”

Elizabeth turned to look at her boyfriend, hunger in his eyes. She quickly thanks Jeffrey for the dance and followed Harry as he dragged her, hand in hand, out of the room, towards the hall, and into a large, bathroom lined with rows of stalls, crowded with both men and women. 

“This is a women’s bathroom,” Elizabeth whispered, shocked, as they passed a few people that were leaving and a few people that made out, taking mirror selfies. 

He didn’t say anything, but she did notice that there was no one who seemed to pay them any mind or care. This must be a common occurrence. Harry continued to walk along the rows of stalls, lightly pushing on doors to see if there were any unoccupied. Somehow, one of the handicapped stalls seemed to be empty and he pulled her in, locking the door behind them. 

“What are you doing?” Elizabeth smiled, knowing full on what he was doing as he stepped closer to her.

Music played over the speakers in the bathroom, being drowned out by the amount of people talking and screaming, echoing against the walls.

“I can’t wait any longer. You look so amazing. I just want to see what that black lace looks like under your dress.”

“There are people literally two feet away,” Elizabeth backed up into the wall, getting turned on by his forwardness. The thrill of having sex in a public restroom excited her.

“They don’t care. And they can’t see anything, the walls go down to the floor,” he whispered as he approached her, tugging on her belt, “Come on. You’re so sexy. Just let me fuck you,” his low growl sent chills down her spine as hips kissed her ear lobes and nibbled at her neck.

*************************

Elizabeth responded her approval by lightly pushing him away and making a show of slowly unbuckling her belt. He stood back, watching as she draped the belt onto one of the support beams beside her and slowly started to shimmy her green dress up her thighs and over her head before tossing it to him. 

He stood there, clenching the silk cloth in his hands, eyeing her up and down, biting his bottom lip. She smirked as she ran her hands up and down her figure, toying with him as she looked at him through her fluttering eyelashes. She could see his pants start to raise as his member began to harden and she motioned a finger for him to come closer.

He hung her dress onto the hooks on the back of the door before slowly walking towards her, pushing her up against the wall. They both searched each other’s face before he grabbed the back of her neck and pulled it towards his face, kissing her hard on the lips. They breathed heavily as their open mouths clashed with each other, the voices continuing to echo throughout the room. Her heart sped up as she felt his free hand slide down her stomach and towards her lower half, rubbing his hands against her. 

She was sopping wet from the excitement. He slipped the bottom of her lingerie to the side, massaging her slit before easily sliding two fingers in. Elizabeth threw her head back, trying not to make any loud noises in fear that someone might hear her, and he bit his bottom lip, wrinkling his nose as he fingers her harder, getting turned on by her reaction.

Elizabeth looked back into his eyes, lips pursed trying not to moan as she reached down to undo his pants, massaging his length. He let his pants fall to his ankles and pressed his cock in between her thighs, letting her wetness drip down on his stiff  lubricate him. 

“You ready?” he whispered into her mouth.

Elizabeth licked her lips and nodded a yes before he lifted her right leg to gain access to her cunt. Her heels gave her just enough height for him to slightly bend down and guide his cock into her, slowly at first. He pressed her against the wall even more as he thrust upwards into her, one hand still holding her right leg up while the other pulled her hips into him every time he thrust. Elizabeth wrapped her hands around his neck for more support, kissing him more to stifle the moans that wanted to escape her mouth.

Harry then spun her around, guiding his dick into her again letting her lean against a rail for support as he hit her from the back, watching her ass bounce, the thong part of her lacey lingerie shifted to the side for his entrance. The walls of the stall began to slightly shake as his hips collided with her ass harder, panting as he hit her sweet spots. She felt him prop one of his legs up on the toilet seat, allowing this angle to let him go deeper into her, his hands wandering up towards her breasts, using them as leverage to pull her into him before smacking her ass hard, the sound echoing, but no one seemed to pay any mind. 

He used this doggy style position to pull her onto his lap as he sat down on the toilet without his cock slipping out of her slippery muff, and she began bouncing on top of him, using his kneecaps for support. The sound of skin slapping could barely be heard over the noise on the other side of the door and she leaned back into his chest, moving her hips in a circular motion, feeling the tip of his cock massaging the inside of her walls. 

Harry used this position to wrap one arm around her, rubbing her clit, and the other hand clasp around her neck, pressing her necklace into her skin. Elizabeth began to tense up and Harry must have felt it as he whispered in her ear, “You like that baby? That feel good? You gonna finish on me?” forcing her head to the side and kissing the corner of her mouth. She felt a shudder of pleasure cause her walls to spasm as she released, reaching her hands back behind her head and taking hold of Harry’s hair as he pressed his mouth to the back of her neck as she orgasmed.

“Fuck, I love when I make you cum,” he hushed, pushing her down on his cock harder.

She could tell by the motion of his thrusts that he was close, so she quickly slipped off of him and turned around, bending down, taking hold of his base and running her tongue up the side of him, tasting her pleasure on his cock. Sweet and just slightly bitter. He watched, mouth gaped open as her mouth surrounded him and he pushed her head down more, making her take him further in. Her eyes watered as his tip hit the back of her throat and she bobbed her head, messily giving him a blow job.

His grip on the top of her head tightened and she felt a few of the bobby pins in her hair loosen when his cock began to pulsate, hot cum shooting at the roof of her mouth. Quickly, she began to swallow it down, not wanting to get any on the lingerie piece. Once he was finished she licked the sides of him, making sure to get every last ounce before standing up, legs quivering. 

*******************************

From the looks of Harry, she knew she probably looked a mess. His hair was disheveled and he had lipstick marks all around his mouth. The back of his neck was red from where she gripped him and sweat lined his forehead and chest. Harry stood pulling his pants back on and buttoning before kissing her hard on the lips.

“I need to pee,” Elizabeth said, pulling her green dress back over her head.

“Alright, I’ll meet you out there,” Harry said, kissing her once more before leaving the stall.

She locked the stall door behind him, did her business, wiped, and wrapped her belt back around her before straightening her dress out and shoving loose strands of hair behind her ear, collecting herself as best as she could before stepping out of the stall, trying to hide her smile.

That was one of the most adrenaline pumping things she’s done in her whole life. She loved how adventurous Harry made her feel, and wondered why she had never felt like this with any previous relationships. It’s not like she’s never had her fair share of public sex before. But Harry made it more exciting.

Elizabeth was nervous about the stares she would get, scared that someone might have heard them, but as she stepped up to the sink, no one seemed to pay her any mind. She looked at herself in the mirror while washing her hands. Her hair was beginning to come undone, and there were small smudges of mascara underneath her lids. Her lipstick had rubbed off, her lips looking pretty raw from all the hard kissing, and the necklace she wore left indents on her neck and red marks and scratches on her chest from Harry choking her. She had very clearly just had sex, but it wasn’t as bad looking as she thought.

She looked around the bathroom for her boyfriend, figuring he must have meant that he would meet her outside of the bathroom before deciding to head out. Sure enough, he stood right by the entrance, leaning up against the wall, waiting for her. He smiled, standing up straight as she confronted him. He forced her arms around his shoulders before wrapping his arms around her waist, hugging her and swaying her slightly whispering, “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she smiled, and laughed when he pulled away, realizing he still had lipstick smeared on his face. She tried rubbing it off, but parts of it wouldn’t budge. She clasped her hands together, resting them on his chest as he continued to hold her around the waist, staring down at her face. She slowly became more solemn as she looked back up into his eyes, contemplating before finally whispering, “I don’t want you hanging out with Camille in New York next week if I’m not there.”

Harry stopped swaying her, searching her face for more meaning. She could tell he was reading her like a book. She could tell that he knew it wasn’t coming from a jealous or untrustworthy place, but that it was coming from a place of self respect. He shouldn’t be hanging out with an ex girlfriend alone, especially with an ex that was as serious as she was, after just going public with his new relationship. It didn’t mean they couldn’t be friends, but he needed to create some boundaries within his friendship. And Elizabeth trusted him to do that and not embarrass her.

He nodded and kissed her forehead, “Okay, love. I won’t.”

KEEP READING

[bananxjin]

Trophy Wife || 4

↦ Coworker!Seokjin x Reader

↦ WC: 8,839

↦ Drama || Angst || Fluff || Slow Burn

↦ Trigger Warnings: Swearing, Light verbal abuse

↦ Tagged: @lysannnnaa​

↦ Summary: You thought you knew what you wanted – You were sure you knew what you wanted. You thought the be-all and end-all was a loving, domestic marriage with your fiance, Touru Kim; the love of your life, the future father of your children, and the man of your dreams, but things happen. Events begin to unfold, and the relationship falls apart. You see the true colors of your husband-to-be, and you realize that maybe he’s not what you built him up to be. With everything laid out in front of you, you knew the be-all and end-all was a loving, domestic marriage.

Just not with Touru.

(A/N: I’ve never been to a BT21 store, but I treated it like a mock build-a-bear in this one, okay? Just humor me.)

✨ Masterlist ✨

“How would you feel if I went back to nursing school?”

You asked meekly, peeking in from the archway at your fiance, who’s hunched over on the couch, working away on his laptop. He stops abruptly upon hearing your question. Without even looking up from the screen, he responded, “Do you even need to ask me that question? You know exactly how I feel.”

You swallowed your anxiety as he resumed typing away. You’re allowed to ask for the things that you want, and he needs to accept that. “It’s just something that was really important to me, and I’d hate to just give it up.” You sighed, walking closer with your hands clasped behind your back. “It would be beneficial to our children even if I never made a career out of it, and--”

Touru forcibly slammed his laptop shut, making the glass coffee table shudder beneath the sudden force. He stood abruptly and stalked over, towering over you with a look of intimidation in his eye. “I am not discussing this with you right before we have to attend this fucking business dinner with my father.” He hissed, emphasising the swear word. “I’ve already told you plenty of times, we are on a set path to having a financially stable family life, and when we have our children--”

He didn’t miss how you leaned away from him. Pressing your back into the archway, visibly shaken. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath before presenting to you a strained smile. “You don’t ever need to worry about working, sweetheart. I’m able to supply us with everything we’d ever need, just… Please trust me.”

It took everything in you to hold back the hurt you’re feeling; the tears of frustration from being misunderstood. It was never a question of whether or not you had to or even wanted to work. It was something that was so utterly important to you; something you felt like you had to do for your own sake, but it’s like he’s never understood that. Never cared enough to hear you out or even try to understand why it would be something that you want. Even though he was there for you after it all happened, did he just expect you to leave it all in the past?

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” You nodded, giving him a small smile. Part of you couldn’t help but blame Jin for this one. For him to instill this hope in you to go back to school and get your degree, but the other part was telling you it was your own, stupid decision to bring it up to Touru once again. You’ve known from the getgo where Touru stood. Even if it felt nice having Jin’s support, it wasn’t the support you needed to get you where you wanted to go.

Would things be different if you were marrying Jin?

You frowned at the thought. Although it’s not very fair to Touru, you still couldn’t help but wonder. You already knew Jin seemed to support you unconditionally -- For now, at least. There’s still so much about Jin that you don’t know. What if the way he acts is all a facade? He could be a completely different man behind closed doors, and you’d be none the wiser until it was too late. How could you ever compare him to Touru as a lover?

Jin is such an open book. You’re fooling yourself if you think anything about his personality is less than sincere.

You’re brought back to that lunch you had with him at the bistro. The smile he’d adorned while you sat there and gushed over Touru like he was God’s gift to you. Who are you kidding? He’s not the kind of person to hide anything from anyone. If anything, he’s the type to wear his heart on his sleeve, and you have no doubts he’s going to make a wonderful husband someday. Hell, he’s not even yours, and yet he puts you on a pedestal like he would a lover. He didn’t scorn you when you told him you enjoyed the song that seemingly annoyed him, nor did he ever brush any of your concerns off, and the way he held onto your every word…

The way he stared at your lips…

Ogled you like he was longing for your attention. Your kiss.

“What if I wanted to kiss you in here?”

You sniffled suddenly, bringing your fingertips to your cheek. When did you start crying? More importantly, why were you crying? You scolded yourself for even thinking in such a way about Jin and immediately put those thoughts to rest. Touru’s right. You knew how he felt about you going back to school; you’ve known how he’s felt from the beginning, and it’s unfair of you to try and change the path you’re already on. You should try to support him more--

“Hey!” Touru’s voice carried from down the hall, causing you to jump.

You shook your head no. “I’m fine! I’m gonna go get dressed.” And with that, you escaped the living room before Touru could make any further comments. You didn’t miss the heavy sigh when you slipped past him.

“Yeah?”

“You need to start getting ready soon. We’re leaving in an hour -- Are you crying?” His voice was tinged with annoyance when he poked his head back into the living room.

__

Dinner was less than uneventful. For you, anyway.

Touru and his father felt like they were miles away as they discussed the finer details of their newfound business deal, a small pile of papers and manila folders had been shoved into one of the empty chairs once the food arrived. Touru sat beside you while his parents and his sister, April sat on the opposite side of the table. Mrs. Kim was wrapped up in a conversation with her daughter. You weren’t listening too much; Mrs. Kim mentioned loving the restaurant and how she wanted to take April back to Paris with her after Christmas ended, and April seemed thrilled at the idea.

Mrs Kim made some effort to indulge you in conversation when you all had first arrived. She asked about your mother, a touchy subject seeing as how they got off to a pretty rough start. Then she asked you if you were still working, “in that fast food job you love so much”, to which you had to correct her.

“But to answer your question, I am still working there! And I’m enjoying it quite a bit!” You responded with a bubbly tone. Mrs Kim hummed and took another sip of her wine while April regarded you with a look of disgust.

Suffice to say, spending time with Touru’s family was no walk in the park. Of course, his father held no real interest in you. He saw you as nothing more than the woman on his son’s arm who would provide him a healthy family. Really, as long as you didn’t try to deflect the family business in any way, Mr. Kim had a “Positive” outlook on you.

Mrs. Kim on the other hand, was a little harder to please. She didn’t think you were a good fit for her son. Her critique has never been short of harsh, be it on what you wear, what you eat, and on the rare occasion, the way you speak. You and your mother did well with what you had after you lost your father, but for your future mother-in-law, that wasn’t enough.

She’s only ever met your mother once, when you were nineteen -- Shortly after Touru had proposed to you. You knew how she could be, but you thought it’d be nice if they met each other before the wedding. You had even hoped they could become friends, but it was all in vain.

You could almost feel your mothers thinning patience from the kitchen. “My husband died three years ago.” She sighed. “The nurses did as much as they could to help him, but--”

**

“You live in such a small house! Does your husband not provide much of an income?” She wondered aloud.

“What about your husband’s health insurance? His life insurance? None of his expenses could’ve been covered under those?”

“The nurses?” Mrs. Kim spat, “Do you mean those Mediheal government nurses?”

Your mom hesitated, “Yes. That’s all we could afford.”

“His work didn’t offer him any of that. We got by with what we could, but it wasn’t enough.”

When you came back just seconds later with fresh tea, you could tell by the look on your mother's face she really didn’t appreciate Mrs. Kim standing in her house, much less the attitude she’d been met with, but she bit her tongue and suffered through it. For you.

The tension only got worse as the night went on. You were standing in the kitchen making dinner when you heard the telltale screech of your mother's temper.

“Excuse me, Mrs. Money Bags! But aside from money, what can your son provide for my daughter?!” She demanded. “Is he going to make her happy? Is he going to be good to her?! Money and family be damned! How can I expect him to be a good father to my grandchildren if he can’t even be a good husband to my daughter?”

“How dare you speak to me like that!”

You nearly dropped the hot pot on the floor as you set it down to rush back into the living room. Touru tried to defend himself, telling your mother, “I love your daughter, how can you say that about me?!” but Mrs. Kim had shoved him away, telling him to stay out of it. You did your best to defuse the situation, trying to make things right again, but the damage had been done.

Mrs. Kim had all but dragged Touru out of your house, slamming the door behind her. Your mom was fuming, fists clenched at her sides. “Mom--”

“I will not stand for you to marry into that family! That woman is a walking nightmare if I’ve ever seen one!” She yelled, stomping into the kitchen. You followed her, speaking quickly to try and calm her down, but there was nothing you could say to make the situation right.

“Do you even know what she said about you?!” She screeched, “What she said about my daughter?! My pride and joy?!” Tears brimmed at her eyes. “I heard her, (Y/n). Heard her with my own two ears! She had the audacity to ask that son of hers if he was sure about you! How you can’t give him anything aside from children!”

You felt tears brimming your own eyes. Not so much at her comments, but the fact that it had hurt your mom so badly to hear this stranger talk like that about her offspring. “Mom, it’s not a big deal. I don’t care what Mrs. Kim thinks about me--”

“Well I do!” She screamed. “You just expect me to sit back and listen to that -- That bitch talk about my daughter like she’s nothing?! Nothing more than a machine that bears babies for her ungrateful prick of a son!?”

**

It had only been the tip of the iceberg. You thought things would get better as time went on, but the rift in your relationship with your mom only grew bigger, and your relationship with Mrs. Kim never grew any stronger.

Finally, there was April. Touru’s little sister. God, when you met her, you did everything you possibly could to be good to her. Everything in hopes of becoming her friend, but she vehemently disregarded your every attempt through and through.

You practically begged Touru to let you attend her high school graduation last year. You bought her a giant teddy bear with her graduation year eloquently knitted into the belly and a graduation cap on his head, and you bought a big bouquet of red roses to tuck between his arms.

You stood off to the sidelines with the rest of the families absolutely overjoyed, filled to the brim with excitement. You grew up an only child, so you never really got to celebrate anything like graduations or birthdays with anyone aside from friends. Of course, all of your friends graduated the same year as you, so you were more than happy to celebrate April’s with her.

April had walked up to you and the rest of her family with a small smile on her face as her parents pulled her into a loving hug, giving her praise and congratulating her. She turned to you, looking a little less enthusiastic until you held the gift out to her. “Congratulations on your big day!” You yelled with excitement.

And for the first time, it felt like she actually gave you a real, genuine smile. Pulling the bear close to her and pulling the roses from his arms so she could sniff him. “Oh. Thank you, (Y/n).” She responded softly. “You… You really didn’t have to do this.”

“But I wanted to!” You responded. “This is a big deal for you, and I wanted to be here to support you!” You couldn’t help yourself as you pulled her into a hug. She stiffened underneath you, but at least attempted to hug you back. She was still smiling at you even after you pulled away. You really felt hopeful that your guy's relationship would actually improve.

The family had dinner reservations after the graduation, but they had to wait just a little longer since you needed to use the bathroom before you guys left. As you were heading out of the school to meet Touru in his car, you found the graduation bear, haphazardly stuffed in one of the garbage cans, and the roses had been dropped on the ground. It stung, but you never brought it up to her, or Touru. Hell, he probably watched her do it.

You frowned at the realization that you’ve never been able to really hit it off with Touru’s family. You wondered to yourself if they’d ever welcome you. You didn’t expect them to treat you like a daughter-in-law, or even a friend! Just treat you with some respect, was that asking for too much?

Jin’s family probably isn’t even half as rude as Touru’s family.

You took another sip of your wine as your thoughts were overrun with your coworker. You wondered what he’s doing; if he’s enjoying his evening. Perhaps he’s actually on a date tonight. Or maybe he’s just spending his night alone at that bar…

What if he met someone at that bar? What if he took her home?

You visibly cringe as thoughts of him with another woman crossed your mind. Luckily, everybody’s so wrapped up in their own conversations that they didn’t seem to have noticed your awkward movements, or the way you’re living in your head when you should probably at least try to socialize with the family.

You rolled your eyes to yourself. They don’t want to talk to you, you think. Jin would want to talk to you if he were here. He’d be sitting across from you like he was at the bistro, gazing at you with those warm, brown eyes. Telling you stories of his childhood and trying to take peeks into your personal life, or whatever you’d offer him.

You’re overcome with a tingly feeling in your hands; in your lips. This place is so much fancier than that bistro. If Jin were here with you, it would actually be a date; nothing platonic about it. You couldn’t help but wonder what Jin would look like all dressed up. Sure, he dressed nice for work, but nothing fancy. Something you couldn’t fathom Jin doing.

The idea of him wearing a tuxedo? Or even just a nice white button up while sitting across from you with those hooded eyes and million dollar smile -- All of that just for you. The very thought alone sent a wave of heat over your whole body. He’d be all dressed up to take you out on a date like this. Instead of a table, he’d probably opt for the more private intimacy of a booth. Halfway through the dinner, he’d move to the other side so he could sit beside you. Running his hand up your bare thigh and pressing liquor infused kisses to your neck. Afterwards, he’d drive you back to his place where the two of you can be alone. Where he can trap your chin between his fingers like he did that one night. Maybe pin you against the wall, and--

Oh, god! What’s wrong with you?!

You took another, long sip of your drink. Rubbing your thighs together in a failed attempt at calming yourself down. You must really be losing it lately. Either that, or you’re just severely touch-starved. Fantasizing about your friend taking you while you’re sitting at a nice dinner with your fiance's family?

It’s his fault, you thought to yourself. What right did he have putting these thoughts in your head? None of this would’ve happened if he hadn’t teased you in the stockroom like he did. You’d love nothing more than to put that memory to rest, but you just couldn’t. The way his hand caressed your hip, or how he eyed your lips like they were his last meal. Neither of you have brought it up since, but you can’t escape it. It keeps you up at night. Everytime you close your eyes, all you can see are those pink lips. All you can hear is his ragged breathing, and his voice whispering, “What if I wanted to kiss you in here?” Deep, husky, and right in your ear.

Asshole.

You wondered if he really wanted to kiss you, or if he was just taking the piss. Something that you’ve been more and more curious about, however…

‘How do I feel about it? Am I developing feelings for Jin?’

Even now, spending an evening with your lover and his family -- Weren’t you supposed to be enjoying this time together? You’ve racked your brain time and time again, and no matter how you looked at it, you couldn’t find a single thing to be happy about tonight. Not the food, nor the company. In fact, any dinner or outing you’ve ever been to with Touru’s family has been downright uncomfortable.

No matter how much you didn’t want to admit it to yourself, you found yourself desperately missing Jin’s company. Missing his dumb puns, or the way he’d danced outside the cafe. Even remembering the way he smiled down at you when you restrained him…

His stupid smile.

‘Have I really been harboring feelings for him this whole time?’

You’re so caught up in your own thoughts that it took you a moment to register the messy head of black hair up by the bar. He’s turned away from you, clearly talking to one of the bartenders and fidgeting with the tie on his apron, but that hair… Those broad shoulders…

No, your mind screamed. That can’t possibly…

That is not the one person you’re missing right now. Not now.

Slowly inhaling through your nose and exhaling from your mouth, you pulled your phone out with a shaky grip, but for what? A distraction? A confrontation perhaps?

You considered texting Dahyun for help, but what’s she supposed to do for you? You’re nearly two hours away from home and you don’t know where you’re at. You can’t even say the dumb French restaurants name, let alone spell it out.

Maybe you should confront Jin. Just shoot him a simple text asking him where he’s at; what he’s doing. It’s not like you’ve been thinking about him for the last twenty minutes. You could even play it off like, “Hey! Just saw your doppelganger at this restaurant! Crazy, right?”

He nodded, taking her glass. “Certainly, milady.” He gave a short bow and hurried off to the bar. You stole a quick glance at Touru, but thankfully he didn’t seem to have noticed Jin. Not that he’d recognize him. Or at least, you hoped he wouldn’t. Not like this.

“Could I get you a fresh drink, Mademoiselle?”

You flinched, glaring up at the man with the shitty faux French accent. It did nothing to ward off Jin’s fat grin staring you back in the face. “Ooh! I need a refill!” April chimed in, holding her glass up to Jin. “Château Lafite, please.”

“Wow, they really do hire some of the most handsome men here, don’t they?” April giggled to her mother. “I didn’t see a wedding ring on his finger! Maybe you should get his number.” Mrs. Kim responded in a hushed tone which only made April giggle more. You let their conversation roll off you. Hell, you could hardly be bothered to pay attention to anything other than Jin now that you knew he was here.

Wait… Jin is here.

Why is he here?!

His eye caught yours as he was making a mixed drink. He smiled and gave you a wink. You sucked in a quick breath, trying to subtly shake your head at him, but he’s already on his way back over before you could get the message across.

“Here you go, ma’am!” He set the wine down in front of April before turning back to you. “And for the pretty lady. Mon Coeur.” He purred, bringing back the faux accent.

You didn’t miss the odd look April gave you upon hearing Jin’s comment, but you couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge her, instead giving Jin a strained smile, hoping he takes the hint.

“You told me to surprise you, yes?” He chuckled, playing it off effortlessly. “You look like someone who enjoys the sweeter things in life, so I made you this drink. It’s a mix of peach vodka, grenadine, lime soda, ice,” He counted the ingredients using his fingers, “And fresh peaches of course.” He purred with a wink before setting a paper napkin down beside your drink.

You took a slow sip of the pretty pink drink, your senses were immediately overcome with the sweetness exploding over your tastebuds. It sent a tingle down your spine, and you did your best to confine your smile from any prying eyes. One thing’s for sure, Jin knew your tastes when it came to alcohol.

You stiffly nodded. “Thank you, sir.”

“If you need anything else, please let me know.” He gave a final nod to the rest of the family before hurrying back to the bar.

You used the napkin to wipe the corners of your mouth before you noticed a message on the underside.

“Meet me by the bathrooms in 15.”

You cleared your throat and folded the napkin in half, discreetly slipping it into your bag before taking another sip of your drink. “Wow. That waiter sure seemed awfully friendly with you, (Y/n).” Mrs. Kim noted in a snarky, loud tone. She gave her son the side eye, but Touru didn’t seem the least bit interested, too wrapped up in whatever story his father’s been sharing.

“It sure would seem that way. He gave her his heart after all.” April bit, motioning towards the drink in your hand. The words barely registered as you glanced down at the pink liquid in your cup.

His…

His heart?

You felt almost clueless sitting amongst them, listening to them talk about you like they’ve seen it all before. “I-it’s just a drink. I really don’t think it means anything…” You stuttered, trying to keep your poised posture. “Do you think they know each other?” Mrs. Kim spoke in a hushed tone. Her words immediately sent another chill down your spine. You couldn’t help glancing over at Touru, but still. Nothing.

“Maybe, but she isn’t nearly pretty enough for him.” April muttered against the lip of her glass, giving you a look as if to say, ‘Go on. Challenge me.’. Mrs. Kim giggled and playfully smacked her daughters arm, both of them acting as if their words were lost among the chatter. You swallowed your pride and played along, reminding yourself that their words shouldn’t mean anything to you.

You kept a close eye on the time, pushing the measly pieces of shrimp around on your salad and taking small sips of your drink every now and again. You were vibrating with anticipation as you took another peek at the large clock just across the room. It truly was the longest fifteen minutes you’d ever sat through, until finally…

You were good to go.

You barely tapped Touru on the leg murmuring, “I’m going to the bathroom, I’ll be right back.” Touru nodded and took your hand in his to give it a chaste kiss before indulging his father again. You made your way towards the back of the restaurant where you saw the bathroom signs -- Where you knew you’d be out of the family’s line of sight.

Sure enough, You saw that tall idiot leaning against the wall playing on his phone, dressed to the nines in black slacks, a deep maroon apron tied neatly around his waist, and to top it all off, a white button up with a silk black vest clinging deliciously to his abdomen.

Well, looks like you got part of your wish.

He smiled almost immediately when he looked up at you. “Hey, beautiful! I wasn’t sure if you were actually gonna do it--”

“Shut it!” You hissed, swatting at his arm with the back of your hand. “What the hell are you doing here?!”

Jin gestured to his outfit, giving you his best customer service smile. “What does it look like I’m doing here?” He laughed, his response sounding more like a statement rather than a question. “I work here on Friday and Saturday evenings for a little extra cash. Not to mention, having the bartending experience is a plus.” He winked.

“Oh, speaking of! How was your drink?” His eyes widened, filled to the brim with child-like wonder as he asked. “I made it myself, so your feedback is crucial right now.”

He’s your friend. Not your lover.

You sighed, “Jin, I didn’t come over here to make jokes with you--”

“Oh no, it’s not a joke! I really do wanna know! I put my heart and soul into that drink.” He winked again. “I guess in a way, you could say I gave you my heart.” He added with a sly smile. You could feel his words churning within as they settled at the bottom of your stomach. Is that what April meant?

“Will you quit flirting?” You sighed, “Seriously. I’m supposed to be having a nice dinner with Touru’s family, and--”

“Oh yeah, ‘cos you looked like you were just having the time of your life with those people.” He sneered, rolling his eyes for added effect. “I’ve been here all evening, (Y/n). I could tell from the moment you walked through the door that you were miserable.” His voice soft again as he took a step closer to you to rest his hand on your shoulder. You made a half attempt at shaking him off, but his palm only slipped down your bare bicep. You shivered, feeling the touch of his warmth against your cool skin.

“How about we blow this popsicle stand and go get sushi or something, yeah?” He asked with a small smile. “Or I can head back over to lover boy’s  family and strike up a conversation.” He suggested, pulling his hand away from you so he could make exaggerated gestures, “Maybe flirt with Touru’s fiance in front of him a little more; see how far I can push my luck before he pummels my ass.” He laughed, causing you to smack his arm a few more times.

He smiled mischievously. “Well I suppose if you’re in the mood to do something for me, I guess can make myself disappear for the night.”

“Will you quit it?! You may think it’s funny, but I’ll have to deal with his pissy mood.” You hissed.

“Ooh, you’ll have to--”

“Seriously, Jin.”

You knit your eyebrows at him, taken aback by his suggestion. “Excuse you?”

You rolled your eyes. “Fine, whatever. I’ll help you move. But I really need to get back now before they get suspicious.” You sighed, checking your phone real quick to make sure Touru hasn’t already sent a slew of messages.

“It’s nothing like that! Just a little favor for a friend.”

You glared at him for a moment, “Are you making me buy your silence?”

Jin shrugged. “I’m not making you do anything. But if you’re not willing to do a little something for me -- Say, helping me move into my new apartment next month,” He winked, “Then I’ll be more than happy to liven up your evening. Just a little bit.”

“Awe, but you just got here.” Jin whined. Even going as far to jut his bottom lip out in an adorable little pout. It only annoyed you more. Not in a, ‘You get on my nerves’ way, but more like, ‘Why do you have to be this cute?’ Kind of way.

If this were an old time cartoon, this would probably be the part where steam started streaming out of your ears. You puffed your cheeks out and clenched and unclenched your fists a couple of times before smiling up at him. “I’ll see you later, Jin.”

“Yeah, but I’m not here to hang out with you--”

“You say that, but you did leave your fiance to come back here to meet me.” He teased with a suggestive smile. “Surely that means you wanted to see me at least a little bit, no?”

He frowned as you turned away, but he knew he could only keep you with him for so long. “Fine, I understand… Oh, and (Y/n)...” Jin grasped your hand before you could run away. “I’m just a text away if you need anything. I’m always here for you.”

You licked your lips, letting his hand linger in yours a lot longer than it needed to. You wanted nothing more than to clasp your fingers around his. You could still change your mind; you could still turn around and run away with him. Fuck the business dinner, Jin just offered to buy you sushi, and you were really going to turn that down?

You sighed as your rational thought won out. You gently pulled your hand away, and gave him one last smile over your shoulder. “I know. Thank you, Jin.”

You smoothed out your black midi dress several times, clueless as to what your hands should be doing. You clasped them in front of you for a moment until your fingers delicately wrapped around the hand he’d just held, though you weren’t sure why. Your hands weren’t as big as his. They surely weren’t as warm. You were already regretting your decision as Touru and his family were finally in your crosshairs again.

Best friend. Not your lover.

Despite the fancy music and the families chattering around you, all you could hear was the click clacking of your heels as if the sound had made it’s home at the base of your eardrums. Great. Another lie. Another reason why Touru shouldn’t trust you. How many more lies would you have to tell before Touru found out?

You sat back in your seat once again, subtly wiping your palms on your dress. Although it was sweat you were wiping off, you supposed Touru nor his family would know any better. “Is everything okay?” He asked suddenly, placing his hand upon yours.

Where Jin held your hand…

You gave him your best smile as you nodded at him. “Yeah. Uhm, Yuna called while I was in the bathroom.” You coughed. “She needs help moving, and I agreed to help her.”

Touru narrowed his eyes at you, slowly pulling his hand away from yours. “When? You know I rescheduled those venue showings for February, so if that’s the case--”

“She said she’ll get back to me with the date.” You stuttered, conjuring up a new story. “She’s narrowed her options down, but... She’s not closing until after Christmas.”

Dammit, Jin.

You looked back at Touru, his jaw set tight. The look in his eyes already told you you’d be in for a long night once this was all over. You took a deep breath and turned back to your food without another word. Even Mrs. Kim had been giving you a stern look over the brim of her champagne glass, clearly catching onto the tension between you and her son. April seemed to be the only one who didn’t notice or at the very least, didn’t want to be involved in the newfound family drama.

“Okay…” Touru replied suspiciously. “Well if it’s in February--”

“I already know it can’t be in February.” You snapped. Mr. Kim loudly cleared his throat and his cutlery scraped across his plate, causing you and Touru both to glance over at him. He gave you both a look as if to say, ‘Don’t embarrass me.’

__

You glared at the dry erase calendar set up directly above the weekly schedule. “Happy birthday, Jin!” Was scrawled in ugly bright green letters on the fourth day of December. Your fingers twitched at the thought of reaching up and erasing the note. Itching to erase his name and replace it with “asshole”. Anything to show your frustration with him. The last two days had been hell to get through, no thanks to Jin and his stupid moving nonsense.

What was that about anyway? Manipulating you into helping him move?

Thinking back on it, you could’ve just told him no. He could’ve made an ass of himself in front of Touru and his family, but…

Touru said he saw you and Jin goofing off at work, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he knows what Jin looks like; doesn’t mean he could easily pick Jin out of a line-up of the men you work with, right? So would he have noticed him if you’d decided to call his bluff?

You took a deep breath, trying to reel your thoughts back in before you would have to start your shift. You reminded yourself that you couldn’t put all the blame on Jin. Although it was a poor decision on his part to bargain with you -- Manipulate you into helping him, it was still your decision to go see him. All because you missed him. Missed his company.

You could always just back out, you thought to yourself. The dinner is over with; Jin could never follow through with his little charade now. What are the odds of him ever seeing Touru again? Not like he would do anything anyway. He’s too kind, too honest, too compassionate to ever--

Then it occurred to you. He never would’ve created a scene in front of Touru’s family. He never would’ve humiliated you or himself because he cared.

When are you going to figure out that he only says these things to get a reaction out of you?

You sighed. You’re not going to back out of the deal. You cared about Jin, too and you wanted to be there for him.

So what about his birthday?

“What are you sighing so dramatically about?”

The faint whisper against the shell of your ear startled you, causing you to turn around way too quickly and bumping right into Jin’s chest. His hands naturally jutted out to grab your hips, steadying you before he bursted out into laughter. “Jesus christ, Jin. I hate it when you sneak up on me like that.”

“I couldn’t help it. You seemed so distressed over here, I thought I’d come over and try to help.” He explained, releasing his hold on you so he could flick through the clothes in the dressing room, going about his normal routine as if everything were just fine.

“How’d dinner go the other night?” He asked casually. You frowned as you scooted by Jin so you could load some of the clothes onto your arm. “It was fine, I guess.” You shrugged. “Touru got mad at me…” You whispered, though you weren’t even sure if you wanted Jin to hear you.

“Wait, did he really?” He stopped suddenly, looking at you in complete shock. You gave him a small nod. “I mean I didn’t tell him I was helping you move, I told him it was for another friend. Oh by the way, as far as anyone is concerned, you’re not closing until after Christmas.”

“What? Oh…” His cheeks dusted pink. “Yeah. I mean that’s pretty close anyway. I’m closing December twenty first, but I can’t move in until January fifth.”

“I’ll make sure to mark it on my calendar then!” You chirped, heading over to the Women’s section. Jin was right on your heel, grabbing his own armful of clothes on the way out. “Wait, wait (Y/n) I’m really sorry. It wasn’t my intention to start a fight between you and Touru--”

“Hey, hey. Don’t worry about it, okay?” You responded nonchalantly as possible, “Touru… He’s easy to set off. If things aren’t going his way, then it gets under his skin. It’s nothing we haven’t been through before.”

Jin’s silent as you two go about putting clothes away in the Women's area. You bumped shoulders a couple times, half expecting Jin to make a joke or start up a new conversation, but now he seemed to be the one that was distraught.

“Even if it hadn’t been you -- If it had really been Yuna or Dahyun; anyone! He would’ve been upset.” You explained softly. “It’s a wrench thrown into our plans, and the beginning of the year is always really hard on him because of his position--”

“(Y/n)...”

“Jin, I’m serious.” You replied firmly, grabbing him by the biceps once you two were in the confines of the dressing room once again. It was a slow night with light foot traffic, so you and Jin could take it easy. You could actually take the time to have a conversation with him like this.

“Then maybe you shouldn’t--”

“But I said I would!” You whined. “Seriously, Jin. It’s no biggie. All I ask is that I be out of your place by four that day.” You replied firmly. “Touru usually gets home around six, so I’ll need to leave a little early. You know, for dinner and all.”

Jin frowned, but nodded in agreement anyway. “Fine. But if you can’t do it for any reason, just let me know?” He pleaded.

“Of course.”

__

You spent the next few days brooding over whether or not you should do something for Jin’s birthday. Anything at all.

You always went out of your way to buy birthday presents for your friends or have little surprise parties for them. Hell, even just taking them out to dinner! Just something to show that you cared.

It was much more difficult with Jin. Partially because you couldn’t find it in yourself to create another story for Touru. “Oh, I’m going to a friend's birthday dinner! I’ll be back later!” He knows most of your friends birthdays, so it’s not like he’d fall for it anyway. But on top of that, you couldn’t stop overthinking the whole ordeal.

What were you supposed to buy for a man in his mid-twenties on his birthday? New clothes? Candy? An air freshener? Who knows! Certainly not you! It’s not like you’ve had to worry about this with Touru. He doesn’t like presents, and instead prefers dinner and/or birthday sex -- Assuming he’s not busy. Birthday dinner or not, he wants birthday sex every year.

You blushed, knowing Touru’s birthday ideals were not going to cut it for your friend and coworker. You decided to stop by one of the little corner shops after work Monday evening. Maybe just a basket of goodies would suffice? With lots of sweets and treats? Ah, but that feels like a cop out; disingenuous, and even if Jin would probably settle for something like that, you would not.

On Tuesday, you were fortunate enough to have the day off, so out shopping you went! Unfortunately, there was only one car to split between you and Touru, and he always took that car to work -- Including today, so you were left to walk to places nearby or take the train into town.

You spent much of your morning in search of a gift in the local shops, but you really couldn’t find anything of interest. You were beginning to panic as you were quickly running out of time, and so by the early afternoon, you found yourself at the mall. Weaving your way in and out of shops, even asking shop clerks what they think a man Jin’s age would want. Many of them offered you some pretty good ideas, but nothing you hadn’t already considered yourself. You wound up at home empty handed.

Wednesday afternoon, and you were working alongside Kyla. You were really starting to lose the birthday spirit as you subtly perused your own shop's shelves, desperately searching for something Jin would like, however the idea of giving him something that obviously came from work seemed like another lazy attempt at a decent birthday gift, so you quickly put that idea to rest. You even asked Kyla what she was getting Jin for his birthday, but that ended up being useless as she simply shrugged and replied, “We don’t really get each other gifts. I just sign the company birthday card with a nice note, and he’s pretty satisfied with that.”

You did sign the company birthday card, but that still wasn’t enough for you.

Your shift ended. You were dragging your feet along the pavement as you made your way to the train station. You really couldn’t find one birthday gift for him? Maybe you should just take the easy route and make a goodie basket. Sure you won’t be satisfied giving him such a low-brow present, but he’ll probably be satisfied, and shouldn’t that be enough for you?

“Mommy! Look! The new toy line is out!”

You turned towards the child on the other side of the street, desperately pulling her mother into a toy shop. You smiled and jogged over to take a peek in the window. You saw all kinds of little plushies and big plushies of different animals, cartoon characters, and video game characters. Even some characters from trendy overseas shows that you’re not as familiar with.

Then you spotted the new toy line the little girl must’ve been so excited about. The shop had a grand display for eight new characters featuring a smiling alpaca, a mischievous looking cookie, a blue koala, a horse -- Which clearly wasn’t a horse -- A puppy in a yellow suit, an alien-looking creature with a giant heart for a head, and a bright pink bunny rabbit all perched on top of one more alien-looking creature with a deadpan face. Somehow, he looked weirdly protective of the other seven creatures sitting on top of him.

“What a strange and unusual group of characters…” You muttered to yourself, observing them with a quirked eyebrow and a gloved hand to your chin. Jin hadn’t breathed a word of liking anything like this, so why were you considering it?

You glanced down at the price. Oof. The whole set was just a little out of your price-range, but perhaps just one of them…

The blinking pink sign on the window showed that they’d be closing in less than an hour, so without another minute to waste, you rushed into the toy shop.

It wasn’t difficult to pick out the display for the new toy brand. A tall, eight tier tower stood in the middle aisle. Each tier dedicated to its own respective character, and they came in all different sizes. The plushies that wouldn’t fit on the tiers -- Which were a little bigger than the size of an average body pillow -- Sat on the floor just beneath the tower. Only one of each character sat on the floor, but you assumed it was due to their size, and not their stock.

You walked around the tower once. Twice. Three times, quietly observing the plushies. You were in awe of how adorable they were up close and how beautiful the designs were. Even the fabric felt plush like the people who worked on these toys really put a lot of love and care into them. No wonder they were so expensive. You almost considered being selfish enough to buy one for yourself, but you knew Touru would have questions if you brought a stuffed animal home.

Which one would suit Jin the best…

Despite how much you enjoyed looking at some of the other plushies, you kept coming back to the white alpaca, absolutely in awe of how much he reminded you of Jin. And so you decided it would be the white alpaca. Nothing too big; one with enough stuffing to cuddle at night. On the far wall opposite of the tower, you saw they had a small line of outfits offered for the respective characters. You smiled, picking out a fluffy pink parka and a red beanie to match. You also bought a pretty birthday bag and some tissue paper so the plushie could be properly packed tomorrow.

__

Thursday evening, and it was nearly time to go. With it being so close to the holidays, Touru was as busy as ever. He sent you a text on his lunch, letting you know he wouldn’t be home until midnight, so you’d be taking the train home tonight despite the chilling air and how late you’d be getting home.

You worked almost nine hours alongside Jin. Once he was sure Jin was on a walkie, Namjoon immediately made a big deal out of today being Jin’s birthday. Immediately, a slew of happy birthdays came flowing through the ear piece, making you smile. You glanced over at Jin who was just on the other side of Men’s basics, setting out new Christmas stock. He was radio silent, but he wore the biggest grin you’d ever witnessed on a man, his cheeks and even the tips of his ears were flushed bright pink from the sudden attention.

“Ah! Thank you so much, guys!” He giggled over the radio, and you couldn’t help but giggle with him. He was so embarrassed yet so touched. It was an endearing sight, one that you never wanted to forget.

After closing, you fell behind everyone else as they were walking out of the store, making an effort to hide the bag behind your back as you followed suit. As your coworkers dispersed, you caught the broad-shouldered man by his arm before he could reach his car.

“Hey!” You exclaimed, giving him a gentle tug. He turned immediately, shocked at first then happy to see who it was that had stopped him. “Hey yourself! What can I do ya for?” He asked in his usual dorky tone. Then he noticed you had your hands tucked behind your back. “What do you have behind your back?” He smirked.

You shivered a bit as it began to snow, cheeks tinted pink as he pointed out the obvious gift, but you hoped he’d write it off as you being cold. You considered running away from the embarrassing situation until you saw a little snowflake land on his nose. The way he wiggled his nose cutely at the featherlight touch was almost too much for your heart.

Kiss it. Kiss the snowflake off his nose, you coward.

All thoughts had escaped you. With all the grace of a shy five year old, you shoved the bag into Jin’s chest. “Here.” You breathed through parted lips before taking a small step back. “Happy birthday! I’m sorry, I feel like it’s not much.” You chastised yourself as Jin pulled the alpaca out from under the tissue paper.

His eyes widened in awe as he stared at the adorable plushie in his hand. Truthfully, he’s always loved cute stuff like this, and he was so excited for the BT21 Collection to be released, but funds were tight right now, especially with him wanting to get his own place, so he figured he could do without it.

“I wasn’t really sure what I should’ve gotten you, and believe me, I looked!” You rambled, finally drawing Jin’s eyes away from his new son. “I really wanted to get something that you could use, or something that would be meaningful to you somehow, ya know?”

He gazed at you silently while you looked at everything but him. If only you’d look up, you’d see how his eyes were filled with nothing but adoration for you. “I wanted to get you a goodie basket, but that didn’t feel good enough. Then I asked Kyla what she got you, but she said it’d be fine if I just signed the company birthday card, and I--!”

Your rambling came to a sudden halt when Jin tugged you into his chest, leaning over to encase you in his warm, snug embrace. You’re stunned into silence, gaze wavering for a moment before you slowly wrapped your arms around him to hug him back.

“I love it; he’s so adorable. Thank you.” He whispered. You could even feel the alpaca gently pressed against the back of your head from his hand placement. You smiled and rubbed his back before trying to pull away, but he only held on tighter. “I’m sorry,” He apologized in a husky voice, “can you give me a minute? I really just… Need to hold someone right now.”

Hesitant at first, but you’re wrapping your arms around him again in no time. Your face was buried in his black coat as you held him tighter than you had before. Jin did the same, resting his chin on your shoulder at first, then burying his face somewhere between your hair and your scarf. Softly, slowly you stroked your hand up and down his back, silently deciding you’d hold him as long as he needed you to. His soft sniffle was muffled by wool and hair. It was only more incentive for you to give him a gentle squeeze, reminding him you were there for him.

You came to the realization that there’s a lot you still don’t know about Jin, and there’s still a lot he doesn’t know about you. Things you’ve hidden from him to protect him -- To protect yourself. It only makes you wonder what untold secrets he’s been hiding from you. If he was trying to protect you from his own monsters.

Holding each other like this, no matter how comforting it might feel, it was also painful. Heartbreaking. You didn’t ever want it to end. Even if that meant you and him had to stand out in the freezing cold, buried under ten feet of snow for the rest of your days, you’d gladly accept that fate. As long as you’re with Jin, you felt like you could get through anything.

As long as he’s by your side…

You squeezed your eyes shut and willed those thoughts away. You weren’t ready to face those feelings yet. You knew you couldn’t act on them, and that’s what hurt the worst. You weren’t in too deep yet. You still had just enough time and dignity to pull yourself out of this little hole you’d dug for yourself inside of Jin’s heart, but you weren't ready. Not yet.

One day, you would have to let him go. One day, you’re going to say goodbye to Jin, and it’ll be the last time; you’ll never see him again, never hear his voice again. It was physically painful trying to imagine your life without him. Painful enough to create that lump in your throat, and tears in your eyes.

Not yet…

You squeezed him again, this time for your own sake instead of his. Reminding yourself that he’s still here with you.

It’ll happen. You’ll lose Jin in due time, but until that day comes, you would comfortably continue to enjoy Jin just like this. Little moments where the two of you needed each other. Not for anything in particular, just to be there for each other. For comfort and reassurance. Something both of you had been seeking for a long time.

You continued stroking Jin’s back as he rubbed his face against your scarf, both of you reveling in each other’s warm embrace until he started to loosen up a bit. Then letting go altogether. “Ah, I’m really sorry about that. I think I just really needed a hug!” He giggled, holding his new alpaca close to his chest. You couldn’t help the smile that spread across your face.

“C’mon, I’m not letting you walk in this cold by yourself. I’ll give you a ride home.”

“Okay.”

[inkribbon796]

Rules of the Game Ch. 2

Chapter 2: Two of a Kind

Summary: The trio track Paddy down and do not like what they find.

Chapters: 1, 2

The three Septics followed Paddy’s trail down to the river and the docks. After almost an hour Chase spotted him first, the young teen slipping between warehouses with a small duffle bag over his shoulder. The same type of t-shirt and ripped up jeans that Chase remembered him wearing.

“The hell is he doing out here?” Jackie demanded quickly as Marvin helped conceal them with an illusion. They watched Paddy walking down the docks and looking at the piers. He finally stopped and walked out a bit until he got towards the edges.

And a slow high pitched echo could be heard as Dark stepped out of the Void, his feet right where concrete met wood.

Chase could have sworn his heart stopped at the sight of Dark so close to his eldest baby.

“Do you have it?” Dark asked in a calm and collected voice.

“Not that hard ta find this stuff,” Paddy didn’t even sound the least bit intimidated by Dark, which Chase didn’t know whether to find more terrifying or feel proud of.

He only knew his feet were moving before his brain could stop himself.

“Get the fook away from my kid,” Chase demanded as Jackie and Marvin rushed out of hiding to join him.

“I thought I saw something,” Dark smiled. “If you boys could wait your turn, I have business to attend to.”

“Damien, how dare yah tell him about them!” Chase roared. “Paddy, the hell are yah doing here?”

“Didn’t know I needed yer permission again fer stuff,” Paddy huffed and Chase felt something in the middle of white hot rage and concerned fear boiling inside of him.

“Yah do if it’s the League!” Chase shouted.

“What did yah do ta him?” Marvin demanded.

Dark stepped aside so that they had a clear line of sight to Paddy, Dark taking the bag and briefly looking through it before passing it back to Paddy, “I’ve never understood how you have any friends, why is hypnotism always the first thing you think to accuse me of? It’s not a good long-term working relationship.”

Then he smiled, and flicked his wrist and a portal opened up behind Paddy. “Besides there are much easier ways to get people to do what you want.”

Jackie moved first but slammed into Dark’s aura, already braced to stop him, suddenly thickening into existence.

“Paddy, stop!” Chase called out, running forward.

Pádraig casually stepped through the portal and Dark immediately closed it.

“Oh don’t be so dramatic,” Dark smiled vindictively. “He’s safe, even if he’s doing something you don’t approve of.”

“Dark, yah bastard!” Marvin shouted at the demon, summoning up some green fireballs.

“I resent that wholeheartedly,” Dark glared at him sharply. “After all, you all did the same thing to me, and now you’re complaining when the tables are turned.”

“Yer children were criminals that have killed an’ stolen,” Chase reminded.

“Well whose fault do you think it is that three out of three of your children are demon pups?” Dark responded. “Their mother is a bit shrill, and catty—”

“Hey, ex-fookin-cuse yeh? Shut yer fookin’ mouth!” Chase defended angrily.

Dark however kept going, “—And I can’t possibly imagine the series of events that would cause the two of you to not only start a relationship but decide to have three children? However she really is trying with those three. Wil had a white sheep in the mix, but I can see why Anti set his sights on you if your blood makes such little monsters.”

“Like yah can talk!” Jackie shouted.

“You’re all so loud,” Dark complained dismissively.

“Where’d yah send him?” Marvin demanded. “What gives yah the right ta target Average’s kids?”

“You messed with mine,” Dark reminded sharply, a growl to his tone. “So I’m returning the favor.”

“They’re criminals,” Marvin defended. “Yer bloodthirsty brat is a murderer, Yan kills men who slight or snub her. An’ that prized adventurer of yers is a thief an’ an international criminal. None of ‘em, not even Host or Kay are innocent angels.”

“I own more of this town than its governments do,” Dark warned. “Maybe you all need a good reminder. Maybe this whole city needs a good reminder why I took over Egoton with an iron fist? Why my section of town controls the city?”

“I thought it was ‘cause yah were a rich psychopath,” Chase spat. “Yah control freak.”

“That is quite hurtful, Chase,” Dark huffed, opening up another portal so that Paddy could step back through to them, this time without his bag, Dark barely giving him a glance. “I thought you knew me better than that.”

“I thought I knew Damien,” Chase reminded. “But he clearly isn’t the person I thought he was if he takes orders from you.”

Dark signed, and turned back into Damien, leaning his weight on his cane, “Now Chase, I’m hurt.”

“Don’t yah dare,” Chase yelled at Damien.

Jackie gave Marvin a quick glance, Marvin shaking his fist down once.

Damien smiled, opening his mouth but Jackie threw down one of Marvin’s smoke bombs and smoke flooded the area. Dark’s aura instinctively pulled in to protect him in time for something to stab into where his chest would be if his aura hadn’t been pulled in at that moment.

Before Dark could push the attacker away, or throw them into the river, Marvin grabbed the modified stake and began muttering a spell, trying to pull Dark off of the body the Entity was inhabiting. The result was Dark’s aura painfully rattling around his stolen body as magic was jolting the body.

Dark screamed as Damien’s form dissipated and turned back his normal appearance before his aura pushed everyone away from him, almost knocking Paddy into the river.

The Entity, once he recovered and pulled the spike out of his aura, one of the buttons on his shirt missing from where the spike had nicked it. Dark angrily throwing the spike to the ground, crushing it under his aura and foot.

“Well you are annoying,” Dark hissed at Marvin.

“How they hell are yah doing that?” Marvin spat. “That should have worked.”

“Now why would I tell you?” Dark hissed. Then he looked back at Paddy who was dusting himself off, before smiling at Marvin. Dark muttered to himself, “Well that’s not a half bad idea.”

Dark opened up another portal, one large enough that the three Septics could see the inside of Paddy’s bedroom. “I think it’s time for you to head on home, young man.”

“I thought you said,” Paddy started.

“Well, I changed my mind,” Dark snapped with a saccharine sweet tone. “I’ll still keep my promise, just try to get some sleep.”

“What deal did you make?” Chase demanded.

The portal snapped closed, Dark’s ringing shrill, “I’m not a crossroads demon, ask your own son.”

Then Dark was stepping through his own portal with the type of smile that no one but Wilford could trust. “Good evening gentlemen, I hope all of you rot alive, and your resident magician dies in a fire.”

“We’re not done with yeh,” Marvin growled.

“Well I am done with you delinquents,” Dark decided, a shadow of a smile on his face. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, boys, I have an empire to run.”

Dark sank into the portal, his aura keeping the three Septics back. Once he was gone, Chase began violently cursing at Damien and Dark, stomping on the ground the Entity had been standing in.

“He’s not gonna get away with this,” Marvin vowed.

“He already is,” Chase felt a rising sense of panic.

“He hasn’t won yet,” Marvin tried to reassure him. “These demon fooks can’t just divide up yer kids like they fookin’ own them.”

“Damien was always interested in my power,” Chase reminded. “Now he’s targetin’ Paddy an’ the other kids.”

“An’ I won’t rest until we stop him,” Marvin promised.

Jackie swore, looking down at his communicator. “We were a distraction.”

“What?” Marvin snapped.

“Did somethin’ happen to Stacy an’ the kids?” Chase demanded.

“No,” Jackie was already moving, leading them towards the Gainesville side of the city. “UFO an’ Bing are already headed over to check on them. I sent out a signal for help but the rest of the Coalition are dealing with an apartment fire.”

“Why are we all going there?” Marvin demanded.

“Because it’s the Dark Side’s apartment, an’ Remus’s magic got loose in the city,” Jackie explained. “They only just got it under control, they just didn’t want Dark ta come over an’ make it worse.”

They headed over, rushing to see the building still on fire, the flames a bright green as Remus was taking to Abe. Wade, Roman, and several of the fire fighters were working to keep it from jumping to other buildings and trying to suppress it.

Remus was on the ground looking annoyed at Abe, “What part of Imagination didn’t you understand?”

“It’s really not that hard!” Roman called from where he was.

“What happened?” Jackie asked Silver. “Is there anyone still inside?”

Silver shook his head, “No the Host called to warn Deceit that an arsonist was going to burn their apartment down, everyone’s already been evacuated. It wasn’t even a serious problem until it reached the Duke’s room.”

All three Septics let out differing sighs of relief as Marvin went to go and help. When the fire was finally sniffed out the building was little more than a husk.

Remus stood next to Janus, “We had such a lovely view, Dee.”

“Yes, it was a nice place,” Janus agreed.

“Last I heard yer apartment was a piece at shite,” Jackie reminded.

Janus took a big, calming breath, “Well unlike you media darlings, better places were hard for us to find. Our landlord was one of the few who would accept Remus as a tenant. Of course I liked her.”

“So, arson, we know who did this?” Marvin asked uncomfortably, looking at Virgil and Roman.

“Dark sent one of his thugs to send a message,” Janus answered for them.

“Why?” Marvin asked. “Aren’t you two part of the League?”

“Dark and I are no longer on speaking terms,” Janus corrected.

“Harsh,” Jackie commented. “Didn’t know he had veto power, so what now?”

“Lo and the Captain already made the final call,” Virgil didn’t sound happy.

Remus grabbed Roman around the neck, “We get to be roommates!”

“Unhand me!” Roman spat, starting to kick and punch at Remus.

“And I hate it already,” Virgil agreed.

“Yikes,” Jackie said, “is that safe?”

“Well be out soon enough,” Janus promised. “I have no desire to be in the same living space as the Captain again.”

Chase was nearby with Abe, looking at some rubble.

“—and then it ricocheted right into the air duct, it was where the fire was started,” Abe explained.

“Paddy did it,” Chase answered, unprompted. “It was him.”

“Come on Average, no one could hit a target like that,” Marvin sounded nervous, catching the accusation.

“I could,” Chase reminded. “Paddy’s got almost the exact same ability as me.”

“Hey, hey,” Marvin tried to calm himself down. “We go ask the kid what’s wrong and figure out what kind of trouble he’s in and then we get Dark off his back.

Abe and Chase didn’t look convinced, Abe continuing to ask questions about their encounter with Dark, and Chase getting more and more pessimistic and stressed about the situation.

On the other side of town, Anti was carefully pulling wires out of a generator. It wouldn’t make it fail yet, but in about an hour it would explode and Anti would be ready to film it.

His good mood died when Dark appeared next to him.

“Don’t think I didn’t catch yeh muscling in on the Brody’s, I thought I told yeh, they’re mine,” Anti hissed.

“I can help get you unlimited access to that little spitfire if you give me the older brother,” Dark bargained. “I’ll even keep my claws out of the other twin if you find a use for him.”

“What makes yeh think I need yer help?” Anti seamed heatedly.

“Because that magical side act has her so thoroughly warded you can’t influence her,” Dark reminded. “But I have an in, and I know you want it too. You’ve had that brat singled out as a future host from the moment you saw her.”

“Even if I made a deal wit’ yeh it wouldn’t do me any good fer another ten years,” Anti reminded with a sharp grin on his face.

“In ten years she could decide she wants to be more like her daddy,” Dark reasoned. “Ten years to get powerful until Marvin’s watch. We work together and then can’t stop us.”

Anti frowned in thought, “I get to call yeh names and make fun ‘a yeh.”

“Not even one,” Dark told him.

“Then yeh give me Bim an’ we call it even,” Anti goaded, already knowing what Dark’s answer would be.”

“Get creative with the names at least,” Dark growled, offering his hand. “Keep your claws away from him.”

The two demons shook on that. “Not my fault yer boring an’ spiteful, shitebag.”

“I already hate this,” Dark glared at Anti, pulling his hand away.

“Ahh, come on, it’s the start of a beautiful frenemy-ship,” Anti smiled. “Or yer spine too old fer some fun?”

Dark glared at him before portaling back to the Manor to get some work done, leaving Anti to his generator sabotage.

[silverypurple-rosedlions]

Three things! One, I fully support you all and give every single one of you love! <3 Two, if it's not too much to ask, I'm curious for everyone, but let's just start out with one today. ^^; Could we get a comparison picture of what Jeonghan looked like before the start of The Purple Rose to what he looks like now? Third, goes to everyone (it's up to everyone if they want to answer) what was Jeonghan like to you? Before The Purple Rose, or at least the first time you met him?

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Joshua: Jeonghan... He was very much different from now, obviously. But he was truly different. He didn't like being popular, and he didn't like gaining compliments. He was always polite and soft-spoken. He was...really sweet, and very selfless. He was also lazy, falling asleep in classes, yet he always got perfect grades. But the Jeonghan I knew struggled a lot. He didn't like sharing what was wrong with him, and you know that saying of how people put on a mask?... He did just that. Every single day he did, and he pretended to be the very person people needed him to be. But he always took it off in front of me and what I saw was... someone I loved, deeply broken. I was the only person he showed his vulnerability towards, and I always did my best to be there for him... Unlike now, he was sensitive, more sensitive than now. He didn't want to hurt anyone at the time, and it hurt him if he caused any complications with anyone... That was Yoon Jeonghan, but long before he became who he is now. Now, he wants to put that way back in the past and never touch it again.

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Jun: I met Jeonghan hyung in senior year of Highschool, I think. It was when I moved from China to South Korea. We didn't really talk too much since he was so popular, and it was hard for me to talk to him. Especially with Schizophrenia, and he didn't have it at the time. But we bumped into each other now and then, and he was a really great person. He was laid back, calm, and he had that presence that if you just stood next to him, you felt safe. You couldn't even tell something was wrong at the time because he played everything off with little trouble. But when I really got to know him... I wish I could have done more for him. It was even harder for me because of language barrier. I was learning Korean, so I talked to him in broken Korean, mixed with Chinese... Poor guy. Ha. But he managed, and he made me feel accepted, able to feel as if I fitted in before the Purple Rose. And he still does now... Even though he's terrifying.

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Wonwoo: I met him when The Purple Rose was starting. I didn't know what he was like before then. But when I first met him, he was... persuasive. He knew just the right thing to say, a sly person, and still is, who could be smiling so charmingly at you. Then before you knew it, he has you pinned with a gun at the center of your forehead. He talked to me occasionally. He would find me in places only I thought I knew, and from there, he slowly gained my trust, especially during my most vulnerable stages in life. But he didn't manipulate me, but he did coax me, but not to commit crime for the hell of it. But for survival, and to gain justice for us being wronged. It was twisted, and at the start, I denied. However, during that time, he was the only person who'd listen and give advice... but not the "normal" advice you'd expect. When things were unbearable at home, he gave me a place to reside in to escape the corrupted environment I was in... He's the reason I didn't die sooner.

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Jihoon: I came at a slightly later time. I knew him from Highschool, being that he was popular. Never said a single word to him, just shared glances and nods, and that was it. My first impression was that he was naive, and easy to manipulate. At first, I absolutely hated his guts because he was that typical stereotype in school, that's what I thought. It sickened me... But he reached out to me one day. Don't know what exactly happened, but all I remember was that I had him by the neck on the ground. I was upset that day, but even when I could've choked him to death, obviously seeing fear in his eyes, he held me by the wrists gently, and talked to me. That's when things changed, and I was able to turn to him when my struggles were unbearable for me, or I needed someone to ground me. I tried to do the same for him, but having him explain his own pain and struggles is sometimes... useless, because he never shares his burden willingly, even if it all collapsed on him.

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Mingyu: I met him in Highschool. I was among the popular students, so I interacted a lot with him in the past. But at the time, I admired him. He was hard-working, funny and outgoing, and laid back. Anyone could talk to him comfortably. He treated everything so calmly, and when he got worked up, everyone just loved to see him show passion in whatever it was. Whenever I got the chance to talk to him, he always made sure I was comfortable, helped me whenever I struggled, and he was playful. Really playful that he pulled of pranks... Joshua knows this, but I used to really...really like him. It was absolutely hard not to at the time with how loveable he was. Of course I moved on. That was ages ago. But at the time, as embarrassing as it is to admit it, I was basically a lovesick puppy, willing to do anything he told me to. Completely different from how he is now, right?

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Minghao: Never knew him before The Purple Rose. I never even encountered any of the members because of Jun. With Jun, he requested that I was left untouched, and they did his request with ease. But when I met Jeonghan, it was during a Schizophrenic episode of mine. It was after some things and figuring out I had Shared Psychotic Disorder. Jun brought me to him, needing help since we were close by. Jeonghan did his part, and he talked to me. He eased me and helped me get through my very first episode... Terrifying. I'll tell you that. But when I met him, he was... deranged. He was unique, but made me uneasy at the time. He seemed untouchable. He was intimidating and hard for me to approach even though I joined. He... I couldn't read him. I couldn't get one small clue to use to figure out something, anything about him. All I knew at the time was that he was completely a madman. He was too far gone for any real help, and I was fearful that if I didn't do my best, he'd kill me... Despite this, being cold and distant, he helped me a lot. He was, and is, complicated.

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Seokmin: Knew him since Middle School! He was really different back then, even when he struggled. Though, the way he struggles now isn't too different from how he coped with struggles in the past. But the Jeonghan I knew before The Purple Rose was truly different. He loved playing pranks and teasing. He was always there for me, and in return, I always did my best to make him laugh and smile. We went out a lot together, explored everything, and attended various events. Those were the highlights of our past together, and even Joshua could agree as it continued into Highschool, but things got serious... To summarize the Jeonghan I knew is that he was amazing, but was hurting as time went on. He suffered a lot, but never told anyone but Joshua hyung. I did what I could... But it was enough or what he needed at the time.

~ Tags ~

🥀// @yourlocal-babybear @aikihades @sophie-svt-13 @waitingwhispers60 @seventeen-chatbot @kpop-shelter @yangomangos @m00n-nim96 @ghoulxbaekhyun @moonlit-jaemin @empress-jiaqi @time-for-confession @xash-axx @fnafnctdream-chatbot @split-jiu @xgodsxtwinsx @artsydahyun [DM for +/-]