#a few vases was all it took to change something in my brain chemistry.

[nikoisme]

you CAN'T take odysseus with a petasos away from me. I love his pileus but his petasos has my entire heart.

[jungflowers]

ocean waves // f o u r (taekook au)

masterlist << || >>

genre: College! AU/ light angst

pairing: taekook/vkook

word count: 2,268

read it on AO3 here!

summary:  Taekook AU in which Taehyung, an aspiring writer and professional cynic, learns from the mysterious stranger outside his cafe window that life is more than letters on a page

A/N: trying to run a fan account off of a side blog is officially the hardest thing I’ve done oof. Thanks for reading and don’t be afraid to leave any advice or comments! My message box is always open

“So I woke up soaking wet and in shock all because of that petty little demon,” Jimin ranted to Taehyung as he swiftly worked around the counter during his morning shift. “Do you know how terrifying it is to feel ice down your back first thing in the morning?”

“No, not really. Hopefully I never will,” Tae responded, amused at the whiny tone the barista’s voice had taken on. Jimin had been the victim of a revenge prank from his roomate, which had put a bit of a damper

Taehyung sat at the table closest to the store counter on a cloudy Thursday morning, enjoying the company of his new friend as he frantically attempted to finish the homework he had procrastinated. Ever since meeting the week before, the two had comfortably slipped into the habit of hanging out every morning at the coffee shop before walking to their Econ class. Taehyung liked Jimin despite the fact that he still barely knew him. He talked a lot, sure, but he never had a dull thing to say and never minded that Taehyung didn't speak as much as he did. In the few short days that they had known each other, Taehyung had learned a lot about the giggly mocha haired barista. He was from Busan, had a younger brother that looked like a carbon copy of him, left home and moved to Seoul when he was 16 to go to a performing arts school, and was now majoring in dance. Despite being a dancer for almost 10 years, he was one of the most clumsy people Taehyung had ever met. He tripped over his own feet on an hourly basis, like he still wasn't used to having legs. "It's because you made me laugh," he would whine, giggling infectiously. "I can't see when I laugh." He told him about his roomate, who he had met his sophomore year through a sketchy app for college students too broke to afford their own house. He played pranks on him regularly just to make sure that he wasn't a serial killer. He may have been the complete opposite of him- an extroverted, energetic manifestation of caffeine itself- but Taehyung had to admit that spending mornings with Jimin felt way better than spending them alone.

“I mean, sure, I hid his towel. And sure, we had guests over. But in my defense, it was in the laundry. I was doing him a favor. It just happened to be at a particularly inconvenient time. But tell me, what do I gain from a bucket of ice water put on my pillow and tied to my arm when he knows damn well I move around in my sleep?”

“The man doesn’t play games,” Tae sipped his tea, putting in a weak effort at editing his latest creative writing assignment.

“Hi, what can I get you?” Jimin’s demeanor took a 180° turn as he attended to the latest customer.

“Hey, can I have a caramel machiatto?” An eerily familiar voice ordered. Taehyung turned his attention toward the counter and immediately, his breath caught. As he turned around, the doe eyed stranger’s face lit up with recognition.

“Hey,” he smiled, walking a few steps closer.

“Camera boy,” Taehyung nodded, an awkward attempt to play it cool.

“How’s it going?”

“It’s going,” he sighed. “You?”

“Same here,” Taehyung smiled nervously in response.

The boy nodded, the short conversation seeming to end on that note until he piped up once more. “I never did get your name, did I?”

“N-no, you didn’t,” he choked out, caught off guard. “It’s Taehyung.”

“Jungkook,” he held out his hand. Taehyung shook it cautiously, trying to ignore the sparks that flew through him the instant his fingers made contact with the no-longer-stranger’s surprisingly soft skin.

“I’ll see you around, I hope?”

All Taehyung could do was smile enthusiastically in agreement, his voice rendered useless.

“Oh, and check the city magazine this week.” He grinned. “You might find something you’ll like.” He watched as the boy left, following the same white shirt and ripped jeans until he was no more than a mere blur in the distance.

“Oh my god,” Jimin’s eyes were wide in unexplained surprise, his mouth pulled into a larger, more blinding grin than usual.

“What? Did something happen?”

“It’s you,” he laughed heartily. “You have a crush, don’t you?”

“On who?” He played dumb, putting on his best, most confused face.

“On who?” Jimin mocked. “Camera boy? You act all standoffish and tough all the time, but you like him enough to give him a nickname.”

“Oh, him?” Taehyung scoffed, continuing the act. “I barely even know him.”

“But you want to, don’t you?” Jimin giggled, thoroughly entertained.”

“I don’t have a crush on him,” He concluded seriously, pushing up his glasses to the bridge of his nose and continuing to work, seemingly unbothered by his friend’s antics. Jimin emitted a final burst of laughter, but dropped the topic, seeming to believe his words.

They spent the next few minutes in silence, both focused on their work. Jimin took orders at lightning speed, and Taehyung managed to finish editing his assignment fairly quickly, mostly motivated by nervous energy.

“What type of camera does he have?” Jimin asked casually.

“Canon Rebel,” Taehyung replied, too quickly for his own good. Jimin’s suspicious stare tormented him until he finally cracked.

“Fine!" he sighed, throwing up his hands in surrender. "I might have the tiniest, microscopic interest in him. Not a crush. Just an interest.”

"An interest, sure." he scoffed as he emerged from behind the counter and wrapped his arms around the boy, smothering him. “My little Taetae is growing up! Look at you, showing your feelings and shit.” 

“I'm still taller than you,” he mumbled through Jimin's sweater. "And I don't have feelings. They're gross."

Jimin bit his lip to hold back a huge smile with a hint of something mischievous in it. That couldn’t mean anything good.

“Stop it. Stop thinking right now.”

“I know how you can pay me back for saving your life last week.”

“Didn’t you say-”

“Let’s pretend I didn’t,” he replied quickly. “Let me help you get together with him.”

“What makes you think I want to initiate a conversation with a virtual stranger?”

“If you keep watching him that hard every time he comes in here, you’re gonna need new glasses,” he playfully nudged his golden frames.

“No. Never. A thousand times no.”

Jimin smiled even bigger, staring deep into Taehyung’s soul.

“No.” He said stronger, refusing to be swindeled into a dangerous arrangement.

Defeated, Jimin pouted all the way back to the counter. Taehyung turned his attention back to his homework, pulling out his calculus binder. As he tapped rapidly at the buttons on his calculator, he heard a loud sigh from a few feet away. Ignoring it, he returned back to his work, scribbling the answers down on his worksheet. Then another loud sigh. Taehyung rolled his eyes, shooting a pointed stare in the barista’s direction. Not even a minute later came another sigh, so loud and mournful that it caught the attention of some of the customers nearby. 

“I’ll think about it, okay?” Taehyung had reached the peak of stress, throwing his pencil down and pleading with the boy. “I’ll think about it.”

Jimin’s face brightened into a satisfied smirk, relieving the other boy. He yelled something to the workers in the back room before untying his apron and hanging it up by one of the shelves and grabbing his backpack.

“Let’s go to class, lover boy.” He teased, pinching Taehyung’s cheeks as he scrambled to keep up with him. He didn’t tell anyone—he barely even admit it to himself, but he spent the rest of that day trying to beat back the sparks that shot through him whenever he remembered that morning.

“What’s your favorite flower?”

“My what?”

“Favorite flower,” Taehyung repeated. “What is it?”

“Why?” Namjoon laughed at the strange question. “Are you going to buy me flowers?”

“Not if you don’t tell me what your favorite flower is.” Taehyung joked. “Come on, hyung. It’s for my stupid writing class. Help a brother out.”

Taehyung had done remarkably better on his last two chemistry tests thanks to Namjoon’s amazing brain. The change was so drastic that he had actually begun to understand the material on his own, meaning that their tutoring sessions had shifted into study dates with an occasional question here or there. Taehyung had insisted on paying the boy for his help, but Namjoon strongly declined the offer, suggesting instead that Taehyung continue to help him in the studio, which he was more than happy to do. Of course, Namjoon’s idea of help was really just watching him bob his head self consciously to the music and listening to his mediocre feedback. “You’re like a lucky charm,” he claimed. “The last time I finished a song while you were there, my teacher complimented me on it in class. It was a fucking miracle.”

Now it was Taehyung’s turn yet again to ask for advice.

“What’s the topic today, Shakespeare?” He leaned forward to peak at Taehyung’s blank screen.

“‘Write a story from the perspective of a flower.’" he read the prompt. "How am I supposed to write a 200 word piece on something that doesn’t even move?”

“Hm,” Namjoon bit lightly on the end of his pencil as he contemplated the idea. “What kind of flower? Like, a garden flower or a vase flower?”

“The flower kind.” Taehyung replied dryly.

Namjoon ignored his sarcasm and finally answered his question.

“I like wildflowers, I guess. Anything you just find growing by it’s own outside, without a garden. Write about those.”

Taehyung nodded, thinking for a minute before acting on the first inkling of an idea that popped into his head, exhausted with trying to overthink every essay he wrote. He typed carelessly and furiously, causing Namjoon to look up from his book every couple minutes in concern. The words flowed quickly and dangerously, now that he refused to censor himself. In 15 minutes he was finished, handing it apprehensively to Namjoon to read.

 “Somewhere in the forest, a wildflower turns its petals to the sun for the first time. For the first time, it dares to uncurl it’s young limbs and bloom. For the first time, it is able to relax. Wildflowers do not have to be told that they are beautiful, like the roses of the garden or the morning glories that peek out from bushes every so often. Wildflowers are born knowing so, without any human to tell them. Wildflowers do not wait to be watered. They do not stand to be coaxed from their buds for the sake of profit. They provide for themselves and they bloom on their own time. But like any good flower, they are plucked from the ground, torn from their roots and thrown in a vase of water. Their once strong, confident petals will learn to wither away, and they will learn to bleed silently, so as not to corrupt their beauty. Like any good flower, they will not last, and the beauty that held their chins up with pride will be their demise.”

 “You came up with this,” he cocked his head from side to side, completely examining the words on the screen in front of him. “In 7 minutes?”

“It’s a rough draft,” he explained.

“I’ve never heard you write like this.”

Namjoon scrolled through the file, skimming it a second time. “It’s usually so... happy.”

“Yeah? Well, it was a lie.” The words that he had sighed came out before he realized what he had said, regaining consciousness only when he felt Namjoon’s concerned glare analyzing him. He didn’t bother asking the question that should have come next, because he already knew the answer that he would receive. Instead, he said,

“You’re coming to Hoseok’s party. End of discussion.”

Taehyung opened his mouth to attempt a response, managing to squeak out a surprised, “Why?”

“Because,” Namjoon began, closing his book and beginning to pack his things into his backpack. “I’m not letting you grow old and bitter alone in your apartment all year. You’re stressed. I can see it. I can hear it in your writing and your voice. Just look-” He pulled out his phone and stuck the camera lens in his face, a click sounding as Taehyung frowned in confusion. He turned the screen toward him, revealing a rather grumpy looking photo of the boy, enhanced with gray eye circles and tossled hair that further proved Namjoon’s point.

“You look like you need a hug. Now get up, we’re going to your house.”

“What- now?”

“The party is at 8. In 3 hours.” He stood up from the table, forcing Taehyung to follow his lead.

“How am I supposed to mentally prepare myself for a party that’s 3 hours away?” He grumbled.

“You’re not.” He replied. “That’s why I’m helping you.”

As Taehyung reluctantly threw his things into his messenger bag, he swallowed bitterly, his throat dry from something akin to dread. “Does this mean I should throw away the story? W-was it that bad?”

“Are you kidding me? It’s the best thing you’ve ever written, which is saying a lot. I’m not worried about your writing. I’m worried about you.” He gave him a softer smile, dimples accenting the corners of his mouth, that put him at ease. “Now come on, we've got work to do.” he said as he dragged Taehyung toward the exit, draping an arm around him all the way.

[fanfictionsrookie]

Cookies And Cabernet: Chapter 2

Ruby could not, for the love of Vale get her homework done. She had been sitting for at least an hour…on a Friday, trying to figure out what she was supposed to do. But the new chemistry module that they were covering this term proved to be even more mindboggling than she thought.

So with a heavy sigh the girl plopped her pen down on her desk and spinned around in her seat, hoping that some kind of knowledge would come loose. But all she succeeded in was to cool herself down a little. It was unusually hot that day, even if it was the beginning of spring.

With her options now running out Ruby picked up her scroll, hoping that her distress call had been answered.

'Eeeyyy Weiss! Brain won't work lol. HEEELLP MEEEEEE!'

Last seen: 06:37

Yeah…Weiss wasn't picking up her scroll today, that much was very clear. To be fair there was that fencing tournament coming up and her sister was in town. Ruby couldn't blame her friend for her absence. But the problem still remained, she had homework to do. Then again she could just fill in some gibberish and tell the teacher that she tried. But that idea quickly went out the window as it meant that she would probably be signed up for extra classes.

With her backup plan now depending on whoever was available, she scrolled down her contact list.

Blake

Blake majored in Political Science, but the 'Science' part in the name was really all that their subjects had in common.

Cinder

Ruby paused for a moment, thumb hovering over the contact. Cinder should've been the obvious choice, but the girl didn't want to unnecessarily bother her either. Maybe she should just ask some kids in her own grade, they most likely remember the work in the first place but she wasn't convinced. In a silent debate Ruby titled her head from side to side, biting her lip as she typed the message.

'Hey:) Uhm could you maybe help me with this? Homework is super hard lol.'

Then quickly adding.

'Only if you have time.' If she wasn't nervous before, she certainly was now, wildly spinning around in her chair as she waited for a reply. Nearly jumping up in surprise when she received a reply.

'Hello to you too. Of course.'

Then like it was some kind of model Ruby took a picture of her paper and sent it with a few taps against the screen.

'I'll take a look;)' All it took was that single sentence to bring a smile to her lips, giving her homework one more look before her attention shifted with the chime of her scroll.

Quickly her eyes flew across the screen.

'Your substitution is incorrect. It is not stated that the experiment takes place in STP conditions, therefore you cannot assume that the pressure is 101.3 kPa.'

'Oooooh.'

She typed back with a figurative droplet of sweat running down her forehead, feeling like a complete idiot at the fact that she didn't even read it properly.

'You might want to try reading the question. It does tend to help;)' 'I have noooo idea what I'm doing.' Unexpectedly a laugh escaped her lips, the next message catching her completely off guard.

'Do you need some help? I wouldn't mind some company.' Was Cinder inviting her over? At the thought Ruby shook her head, she was just offering to help. But even so Ruby couldn't stop her cheeks from lighting up with a blush.

'I don't want to bother you tho.'

'It's no trouble at all:)'

The girl tapped her scroll against her chin, seemingly in though before looking down at the address Cinder sent, not too far from here and on the way to Signal actually. It would be nice to see her again, even it was just while doing homework, after all the last time that they saw each other was at Yang's party about two weeks ago.

A soft smile crept onto her lips when she remembered that following morning. Ruby woke up with a searing headache and black ink lines and swirls all over her arm. A phone number.

'Uhm h-hello?'

'I'm glad to hear you survived the night little Rose.'

It was Cinder's.

The moment was embarrassing to say the least with her still slurring, stuttering and recovering from the previous night. But now…looking back the memory was a happy one. So after she typed her reply, Ruby got up and headed to the garage.

'I'll be right over:)'

Finding the right apartment in the complex was harder than the girl thought, this was without the fact that she had to turn around after realizing that she had forgotten her books.

Now standing in front of the door, with her bike lying on the small strip of grass that must've been the lawn, Ruby felt a bit nervous…okay a lot nervous. When she rang the doorbell, the girl found her hands to be sweatier than usual. She hoped that Cinder wouldn't notice. The door opened and a shock of electricity shot down her spine, before she even realised it Cinder stood in the doorway, dressed in a dark red button up, black jeans and heels. Casual but always beautiful.

The girl instantly blushed at the thought.

"Looks like you didn't waste any time in getting here." Cinder mentioned with amusement clear in her tone once she saw Ruby's windswept hair.

The girl only then noticed and patted it down with a embarrassed chuckle. "Yeah finals and all that stuff's coming up so..."

"Look's like I have my work cut out for me." Cinder stepped aside. "Please, come in."

Ruby wasn't exactly sure what she was expecting when she entered the apartment. Immaculate with a few vases of flowers and paintings here and there, but other than that it was fairly simple.

"Did you get sick from the party?" The girl asked as her eyes swept across the living room and kitchen, confusing Cinder as to why she would ask that. Until she spotted the small plastic bag of medicine that's she had forgotten to put away.

"Ah…spring allergies I'm afraid." The woman explained with a tight lipped smile as she glanced back at Ruby, leading her into the study. This room a bit busier with the sheer amount of books and paper stacked all over. But it was the half opened archery kit on another table that completely caught Ruby's intention.

"Whoooaaa." Her fingers were itching to pick it up and give it a try.

"It seems like we need to work on concentration instead." Cinder teased from behind and watched with mirth as the girl's shoulders tense and her cheeks heat up in embarrassment.

"Ah sorry I just…really like weapons and stuff." Her gaze never quite met the other's as she scratched the back of her head.

"Its no problem." Cinder assured and patted the seat next to her before mentioning for the girl to hand over her books.

"Now let's tackle this chemistry problem shall we?"

Ruby wasn't quite sure when it had become a habit but over the past few months the girl had found herself either going over to Cinder's or texting her when she was struggling with something. Needless to say there had been a definite improvement in her marks and although Ruby still went to Weiss for help, the girl went to Cinder more often.

Ruby wasn't quite sure why that was.

She didn't think that either was busier or more capable than the other, but perhaps it was because Ruby had found Cinder to be more patient. Even when her attention faltered or she couldn't quite wrap her head around a subject, the woman never raised her voice. Whereas Weiss would have given her a stern talking to. But that didn't mean that she wasn't without discipline, Cinder was easily just as strict if not stricter when it came to assigned homework or exercises.

So it was only fair that she thanked her for all her trouble.

'I was thinking that we…go somewhere sometime- if you want to.'

'I'd like that.'

'Great! We're do you wanna go?'

'…Surprise me.'

…

When Ruby woke up one Saturday, the day that Yang called 'a date', even after she told her sister countless times that it wasn't like that, the girl was a walking wreck of nerves and excitement. Even Yang couldn't decide whether to be worried of double over with laughter when she found out that Ruby had gotten up at six to take a shower. When they were only supposed to meet up at one.

"Slow down Rubes, the cereal isn't going anywhere." The woman joked and nudged her side with an elbow.

"I'm not getting one of dad's gross speeches again." With her crimson cheeks nearly buried into the bowl, she continued to wolf down her breakfast before her father returned from Signal Primary's National soccer tournament. It was times like these where she was really glad that he was chosen as coach... even if she did feel sorry for the kids. Despite what Tai Yang thought he didn't quite fit into the category of being a 'cool dad', but then again when were dad's ever cool?

"I'm sure Cinnabun will show you nicely." She jested with a wink and sly grin, nearly making Ruby spit out her breakfast.

Just when she wanted to scold her about how 'gross' she was being, Ruby's scroll buzzed on the counter.

"Speak of the she- devil." Yang mumbled between a mouthful of cereal, leaning over her sister's shoulder to catch a glance of their conversation before Ruby turned away.

Her eyes flew over the message and again...and again.

'I apologise for the inconvenience but I will not be able to attend our outing. Can we reschedule?' "What's up?" Yang's tone seemed casual but she could see when there was something bothering her sister. Not that Ruby was the hardest person to read, but even so Yang was quick to pick up the slightest change in her demeanour. Something that came with being so close as sisters.

Ruby paused for a moment before typing.

'Yeah no prob.' She let out a sigh and slumped back in her chair, suddenly the air she was walking on turned into a pit of disappointment.

'Are you okay?'

"Cinder can't come today." The girl mumbled her head lolling to the side as if she had lost all the energy that she had for the day. Yang saw the perfect opportunity for a pun but the woman decided that it was better to pass on this one.

"Ah bummer why not?"

Ruby just shrugged, her eyes warily glancing down at the screen in her hands. 'Cinder is typing…'

Even in her downcast state Ruby remained optimistic, hoping for another date where everything would work out just fine.

'Cinder is typing…'

'This message was recalled'

"Yang something's wrong." Ruby's voice was suddenly laced with panic. But even after reading the message with a frown, Yang still managed to crack a light hearted smile.

"Looks like she's even more nervous than you are Rubes."

"That's not funny Yang!" Ruby yelled in defence and before she could storm off Yang wrapped her arm around her sister in reassurance.

"Calm down Rubes, you of all people know how many times Weiss changes plans and stuff, maybe Cinder's just a bit swamped right now."

The girl couldn't help but nod in agreement, pouting as she did so and as much as she felt upset Ruby knew that it was a fair reason. She had been keeping Cinder very busy this past month and most likely out of her own work. Her mind flashed to the last time they met up for the woman to go over the details of her report…her one hundred and fifty five page report. The girl could see that Cinder wasn't her usual self and that should've been the first warning. Instead Ruby did nothing about it and the thought made her heart sink with guilt.

"I have to go see if she's okay." The girl proclaimed, halfway down the hall before Yang caught up to her, grabbing hold of her hand.

"Hey whoa!"

"Please just let me go and check." She pleaded and for a moment Yang hesitated before letting go with a sigh.

"…Fine, but text me when there's trouble okay?"

Ruby nodded quickly in return before storming off to the garage, hopping onto her bike and riding down the street in a flash.

The passing cars were nothing but a blur of colour as the wind rushed past her ears, almost deafening her to the sound of the bustling city. To Ruby she couldn't get there fast enough and for some reason the girl expected the door to be broken down or to see a fire consuming the building. Instead the complex was standing with nothing out of place…not even a blade of grass. Still Ruby stayed for a few moments, making sure that she was nothing but paranoid.

She was tempted to go inside and apologise or ask if there was anything that she could do to help out, then again Ruby would probably only be unnecessary trouble. But when the girl climbed atop her bike, ready to head back home, a distant crash could be heard coming from inside the apartment. There was only one thing that flashed through her mind at that moment.

'Cinder!'

It wasn't even a second before Ruby was hammering with her first on the door, locked, calling her name. "Cinder!" But she wouldn't know if Cinder didn't or couldn't answer her call.

Quickly her eyes scanned for a way in before landing on a window, although closed, didn't seem locked and the girl decided that the risk was worth it. It would be a tight squeeze but she would be able to fit through. So after looking around for someone and finding none, she clambered through the window. The girl clearly didn't think things through as to how she was going to land because it was hard on her shoulder and when she found herself in a small kitchen, Ruby realized that she didn't know how to get back through either.

For a moment she wondered if this was even the right building and her heart sank to her shoes when she recognised the book bag and clothes among the mess. Broken bottles, plates and furniture lied scattered about and if it wasn't for the locked door Ruby would've thought someone had broken in for sure.

'Did Cinder do all this?'

When another sickening crash followed a part of her just didn't want to accept the answer.

Even if all of her friends were happy most of the time the girl knew that all of them struggled with insecurities and other obstacles in their life, they confided in her after all. When Ruby met Cinder she was confident, smart and proud of both herself and her work and it was most definitely the reason why Ruby didn't think that Cinder might have any struggles herself. And along with the thickening mixture of smoke in the air that made Ruby want to gag, it became painfully obvious that that was not the case. Cinder's apartment always had a distinct scent of perfume and cigarette smoke but it was light…a scent at the very back of your mind.

When Ruby entered the small living room her breath instantly got caught in her throat. Dressed in nothing but a black t-shirt and boy shorts Cinder paced, or rather stumbled around the room, muttering incoherent words to herself. Once Ruby stepped into her field of vision the woman froze, but whether it was in shock or fear she didn't know.

Her hair was un kept, standing in all directions and her make up seemed to be hastily washed off with the ashen colour still under her eyes. The makeup that she was going to put on for their day together ,she realised with a sinking feeling in her stomach. Ruby wondered if she had cried but she didn't want to think about that. The two of them simply stared at each other for what seemed to be hours, neither blinking as Ruby's eyes shone clear concern and fear but Cinder's betrayed no emotion at all.

"I got your text…" The girl finally managed to find her words, trying to answer the question that was undoubtedly in Cinder's mind. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

It was only when Ruby took a step forward that the woman snapped out of her trance.

"You…s-shouldn't…" She struggled to get a words out, giving up after a silent defeat and closed her eye in frustration.

"I was worried about you." Ruby confessed, her voice soft and gentle as she spoke, making her way towards the other but Cinder raised her hand, stopping the girl.

"L…eave." She choked, voice nearly failing her.

Ruby didn't move an inch.

"I'm not leaving you Cinder…not like this." She kept her gaze on the other's that was slowly starting to glisten with emotion before looking away, shielding it with ebony hair.

Not like this?

Pathetic.

That's how the woman felt as she stood before her and Cinder loathed every second of it, but even so she couldn't bring it upon herself to chase her away.

"Why didn't you tell me something was wrong? Were friends right?" The question caught Cinder completely off guard and when she stared at the girl, now standing in front of her, she couldn't stop the flicker of sadness in her eye.

"You w...ou-"

It wasn't uncommon for Cinder to lose her voice when they talked a lot and although the woman played it off as nothing but a minor nuisance. Ruby only then understood how frustrating it must be for her. When the fire of frustration and anger lit up in her eye, Ruby closed the distance between them and wrapped her in a tight hug before the woman could break anything else. To see her like this… Ruby couldn't decide whether she was upset or angry… but either way…it still hurt.

"Yeah you're right. I have no idea what you are going through, but the least I can do is try and understand. Not because I feel sorry about you or anything, but because every one deserves someone looking out for them."

Only when Ruby could feel Cinder relax in her arms did she let go, offering her a comforting smile.

"Come on." The girl took her hand and tried to usher her out of the room, careful to avoid the broken glass on the floor. "You're tired and it isn't good to stay up this long."

Defiantly, Cinder stood her ground and shook her head in silent protest. There was no point in it. She had been trying for almost two weeks to get some proper rest, but nothing had worked. Even though Ruby knew that is was important to get her to sleep she didn't want to force her either, not when she was already so on edge. Luckily she at least got Cinder to sit down and her rigid defiance faded away once exhaustion finally caught up to her. The woman soon found herself lying down on her unmade bed with Ruby wrapped in her arms.

As the girl lied there with her eyes closed and seemingly at peace she couldn't help but savour the heat that Cinder radiated. She was nice and warm and her arms that held her close made Ruby feel safe in a sense. Although they were not nearly as defined as Yang's, Ruby could tell that she was the best shooter of the archery team.

Cinder didn't seem all that interested in anything, well not that Ruby knew off and she wondered if archery was different. Was archery the one thing that she was passionate about? Does a good shot ever bring a smile to her face, one that was sincere and joyous? Or was it something else that brought her happiness?

Was there something that brought her happiness?

And it was then and there that Ruby decided that wanted she wanted to see her smile one day, to see and find out what made her trully happy. If Cinder didn't have anything like that she would help her find it. But for now Ruby was content with just being next to her and listening as Cinder fade into a dreamless sleep...

When the woman started to stir after about an hour, Ruby grew worried that she had woken her by accident. Once she could feel the rhythm of shallow breaths turn irregular the girl knew for sure that she was awake.

"...I was…sixteen when I left high school." Cinder's calloused words came out of nowhere and they sent a shiver down Ruby's spine as she listened.

"Through fear and manipulation my…mother had risen to the top of the criminal hierarchy and had full control over the black market." Ruby wanted to tell her to stop, that she didn't have to tell her this.

"She would always spew nonsense about how…how she was empowering the oppressed… I don't know if I ever believed her, but it didn't matter. I wanted the power she wielded." The girl could feel her heart turn into lead, slowly releasing a sense of dread and sadness within her when she heard the strain in Cinder's voice.

"For...years I supplied criminals and paying customers with illegal weapons, Dust and drugs until my name struck fear into the hearts of all who heard it…But when it reached the authorities they knew that I would be the link that could lead them to my mother. We were nearly impossible to track, but hiding became difficult when Winter Schnee was assigned to our case."

There was no stopping the silent gasp that escaped Ruby's lips and Cinder found herself pulled into a memory so vivid that she would've thought it to be real if it wasn't for the calming presence next to her.

'No where left to run Fall!'

" …And when they had us…cornered in a warehouse stacked with crates full of reactive Dust crystals, she decided that she'd rather dig her own grave than be caught."

"Cinder..."

"…When that Schnee had me closing in on a dust reactor…I didn't know that… but when I…"

"It's okay." The girl turned around to face the other before wrapping her in a one armed hug. "You don't have to tell me the rest."

Cinder let out a heavy sigh and her shoulders visibly relaxed as if a heavy burden has been lifted off her. "It's been three years since that accident, but when I least expect it the memories find me again."

"I'm sorry...I didn't know." The girl mumbled and when Ruby found Cinder's eye again the woman had a bittersweet smile on her lips.

"Don't be...you had no way of knowing and I…didn't want you to… see me like that." She confessed and lazily started to brush the strands of hair out of Ruby's face.

"Is it…always that bad?" Ruby wondered. Was this episode better than the previous ones…or were they getting worse? Did it happen often? She couldn't stop the questions from flooding her mind and she suddenly remembered the allergy pills that Cinder left out that one day. Was it really for that..or something else? Did she have anxiety, stress, PTSD? But before Ruby could come to an answer ,the woman pulled her away from those thoughts with a warm hand cupping her cheek.

"You just caught me on a bad day I'm afraid. No need to worry."

Cinder was relieved when she saw Ruby's agonized expression grow soft. This girl was always burdening herself with her worry for others. The last thing she wanted was to see that lively glint in her eye, be stomped out by those burdens.

"But I do have to worry about you." She insisted, tone unwavering as she held Cinder's gaze. The woman couldn't help but wonder how it happened. How in over the course of a few months a chance meeting by had grown into…something.

"That's what you do when you care about someone..."

The girl somehow slipped in between the small cracks in the walls that she had built around herself, but could she trust Ruby to come closer? Trust her to be there when her mask started to crack and peel off, revealing the broken person she was underneath?

"…You worry about them when they are hurt." But when she looked into Ruby's eyes, shining so bright with sincerity Cinder knew that she could. She could trust Ruby.

"I don't want you to."

The woman just couldn't find it within to trust herself to let Ruby come that close.

The words formed a crease in her brow, not fully comprehending what those words meant but the girl pushed it aside for now. All that mattered was making Cinder feel better.

"Will you at least let me cheer you up?" The girl offered, voice hopeful as she put on her best puppy dog face. But all she got was an eyebrow raised in question.

"It'll be fun I promise." A small smile played at Cinder's lips, wondering what she had in store once Ruby look hold of her hand and gently ushered her out of the room.

"Come on...let's make you some pancakes..."

Their first few meetings and interactions after Cinder's incident were a bit awkward in the beginning, but that was to be expected since neither of the two women knew exactly where they stood with each other. Cinder had opened up to someone like she was done never before and in her mind that made them more than just acquaintances or even friends. So what were they?

Even with all the questions swirling around in her mind, the two of them continued to see each other and not just for tutoring either. In fact most of the times it were just to 'hang out and stuff' as Ruby had said.

Cinder had come to cherish these moments with Ruby…wherever they might be, it brought the woman moments of peace and happiness in her…complicated life. Since their first meeting Ruby had undoubtedly worn off on her and while debateable in terms of whether she should be concerned, the opposite was also true. She had noticed that Ruby started to speak and act more confidently around her, but of course it didn't take much teasing ,although playful, to turn her into a blushing, stuttering mess.

So with the girl's influence on her it should only be natural that Cinder would want to repay her for all the things she had done for her. Even if those things were making time to spend with her. But it was more than a settlement of debt. Cinder didn't want to return the gesture because she felt like she needed to, rather because she wanted to.

'Ruby, are you at all busy next Friday?'

'Nope not really, why?'

'I was hoping you'd accompany me on a date.'

'A d-date?'

'Only if you want to that is.'

'Yes! Ah..I mean yes…That'd be great.'

But planning it was much more difficult than she had anticipated. Usually Cinder would just go to the most well known restaurant in the city, this time it was not the same as her source of 'income' was not as it had been years ago. Even if she could afford a meal at the best restaurant in Vale, it wouldn't feel right. It would feel…more for her. Cinder didn't want that, she wanted this to be for Ruby, but a stop at a casual fast food chain wouldn't have the desired effect.

Dropping hints Blake's way wasn't that either as the girl couldn't really tell her something that she didn't know herself. Of course Ruby assured her that she'd be happy no matter where they went.

In the end all Cinder could do was hope that what she came up with would be adequate.

The Friday of their first official date came much to quick.

Currently it was only a few minutes before Cinder was due to arrive and pick her up and Ruby couldn't have been more nervous. She had been running scenarios and conversation topics through her mind non stop while Yang was busy fishing out something for her to wear.

In the end they decided on a simple red and black dress, not too flashy, the most comfortable and basically the only thing that still fitted her. The girl doubted that the day would ever come when she and Yang could share clothes.

"Chill out Rubes it's just a date." Her sister assured with a wide grin and a half hug - half affectionate pat on her shoulder, nearly throwing the girl off her feet as she struggled to keep her balance.

"Yaaang be careful." She scolded, flailing her arms and wobbling on the black heels that were barely three inches high. "I still don't know how to walk in these…stilts."

Suddenly she wished that she had asked Weiss about how to walk in them or at least practised beforehand. Instead she convinced herself that walking in heels would be a piece of cake, unfortunately for her…it wasn't.

"You know I'm sure Cinder wouldn't mind you going on your date with those pump shoes or something." Her father offered as he exited the front door, scratching his head as he didn't quite know what to say.

Ruby smiled at him before her gaze dropped shyly to the pavement. "Yeah I know but..."

This was something different than a casual get together. It was a date and whether they were official or not, Ruby wanted to put a little more effort into it than she did during their usual outings.

"Looks like someone's in looooveee." Yang jested as she elbowed her sister playfully, Ruby blushing in return and trying her best to hide it as she looked away.

"N-no I'm not." The girl stuttered, her frown curling her lip into a pout.

Two laughed heartedly as Tai wrapped a hand around his youngest's shoulder and squeezing affectionately. His cerulean eyes glinted with amusement as he spoke.

"First let us meet the girl… we can talk about marriage proposals when your mom comes back." He too joined in Yang's harmless teasing and the older of the sisters giggled in return.

"Dad!" By now Ruby refused to look either in the eye as she defensively crossed her arms before her, groaning in protest when he shook her gently as if to cheer her up.

"I'm just teasing Ruby." But before Tai Yang could say anything else, a cab rolled into view, slowly coming to a halt on the side of the street. Ruby instantly perked and her heart got a jumpstart.

When the cab came to a complete halt there was a moment where Ruby didn't breathe at all, but whether it was because she forgot or because it was taken away by the her date's presence the girl didn't know. Dressed in a midnight gown decorated with ashen patterns twisting down the fabric, Cinder made her way up the driveway of the Rose- Xiao Long household as her hips swayed to the rhythmic 'click' 'click'of her heels.

Ruby was at a complete loss of words and when she caught Cinder's smouldering gaze it felt like her heart was going to explode with how fast it was beating. The girl wanted to say something, tell her how beautiful she looked but all she could muster was empty words to which the other smiled before turning her attention to Tai Yang.

"You must be Cinder." He stated, smiling warmly at her and offering a hand.

"Mr. Xiao Long." She breathed, gloved hand shaking his own with a firm, yet gentle grip. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I do apologize that it hasn't been sooner."

There seemed to be a bit of strain in her voice and for a moment Ruby wished that she'd introduced them to each other earlier. Surely it would've been less awkward for everyone. But still Ruby's father exerted a warm and calming presence as he spoke in between chuckles. "Please, mister is way too formal… just call me Tai, the pleasure is all mine." It caught Cinder off guard for a but somehow she should've expected it. "Glad to hear you've been keeping my little girl out of trouble."

At the mention of her date, Cinder's gaze drifted towards Ruby. There was a knowing smile on her lips that the girl returned with red faced embarrassment. "That's hardly true Mr. Xiao Long, Ruby is a pleasure to have around."

"Is she now?" Tai raised an eyebrow at his daughter and Yang couldn't stop the giggles that escaped her. "I'm glad to hear that." For a moment there was a period of silence, but with a clap of his hands Tai kept it from becoming uncomfortable. "Well I hate to keep you ladies waiting, I'm sure you'd rather be off on your date."

Cinder nodded and when she extended her hand towards Ruby, the girl wasted no time in taking it and wobbled over to her side. The woman watched the sight with amusement before turning her attention back to Tai.

"Is there an appointed time when I should have Ruby back home?"

He replied with a shake of his head and casual wave as he looked at his daughter. "Don't worry about the timing, you two enjoy yourselves... Just make sure you send your old man a text of when you'll be back…or sleeping over if…that's how it goes." He added and nervously scratched the back of his head. Yang instantly burst out laughing.

"Dad!" Ruby scolded, heating up under all the gazes.

"I'll be sure to have her back before midnight." Cinder interjected, amusement clear in her tone but Ruby was glad that she said something. "Shall we get going?"

Before either could do so, Yang stepped forward, her expression dark and eyes narrowed, almost glowing with intensity. "Just remember that if you hurt my little sister I'll beat you to a pulp." She warned and slammed her fist into her palm for emphasis.

Cinder was unfazed as she looked the woman over. "I wouldn't expect anything less." The gave Tai an acknowledged nod. "It was a pleasure Mr. Xiao Long...little Xiao Long." And Yang a teasing smile as they headed back to the cab waiting for them.

One was confidently striding and the other half wobbling half holding on before they got into the vehicle and drove off, leaving both Xiao Longs in a moment of silence before Tai Yang let out a whistle.

"Man…Where did Ruby find that girl?"

"Ah gross dad!"

The moment that Ruby got into the car she let out a sigh, slouching deep into her chair. "Why did that have to be so awkward?" With the only thing catching her attention being Cinder's amused tone. "Apologies. I wasn't quite sure what to expect myself."

"Oh nononono." The girl insisted, assuring Cinder that it had nothing to do with her, then realising that she was probably making her nervous as well. "You were good… great…you look great. It's just my dad that keeps embarrassing me and stuff. But you're fine… more than fine."

Ruby didn't know if her frantic mumbling was doing any good but she was relieved when she saw the woman smile in return. "Thank you." Only then getting the chance to appreciate the girl's appearance as her gaze swept over her. "You look lovely as well." The woman breathed, darkening Ruby's blush when she shifted closer next to her.

She couldn't bring it upon herself to look directly at Cinder but Ruby wasn't particularly fond of the idea of not looking either.

"You're staring little Rose." The woman mused, enjoying the look for pure surprise when the girl realised her eyes were still on the other. "S-sorry." She stuttered and quickly turned her head to look out the window. "So uhm where are we going?" She asked, hoping that Cinder would forget the fact that she was just caught ogling her.

"Still as impatient as ever I see." The woman teased, amusement clear in her eye when she saw that Ruby was still quite embarrassed. "We'll be there in a few minutes, no need to worry..."

When they did arrive it was at a small restaurant near the waterfront of Vale. Inside the atmosphere was warm and welcoming, well decorated but the aesthetic not overly fancy in Ruby's eye. In fact it was really nice and after being seated within the first two minutes the girl knew that Cinder had gone to a lot of trouble in planning this date. It made both a mixture of warmth and anxiety brew in her stomach.

"So tell me…have you dated before?" Cinder asked as she took a sip of her water, deeming it as good a topic as any to start the night with.

Ruby thought for awhile but shook her head with a shrug. "Nah not really I mean…I've been on a few dates before but never officially y'know. I guess you could say I never had the guts to make the first move." She finished with a nervous chuckle as she smoothed out a few stands of stray hair.

Relationships, especially official ones were never her strong suit. Perhaps it was the sudden worry of somehow messing things up that kept her away…not being good enough.

"I find that hard to believe." Cinder inquiringly raised an eyebrow at the girl. "After all relationships go both ways, don't they?"

"Yeah I guess you're right." The girl agreed and found herself wishing that she had had gone one more dates before. Maybe then she wouldn't be so nervous and unsure of what to say while drinking more water as an attempt to run topics through her mind.

"Have you? Dated I mean."

"Once or twice but those relationships never lasted very long." For a second she seemed to be lost in thought as she ran her fingertips along the smooth edge of the glass. "…I suppose you could say we both wanted different things out of it."

Although that might have been putting it lightly.

In the past most who claimed to be interested weren't because of her, but rather in what she could give. They only used her and when Cinder could see profit in a similar goal she would entertain the idea for a while. That was until she saw no use in them anymore, then she would simply cast them aside without a second thought. And so the cycle of using and being used continued, a warped game of cat and mouse that Cinder eventually grew tired of.

After which she decided that relationships simply weren't worth her trouble. But now…as she looked at Ruby, Cinder found herself wondering when that mindset had changed.

"Ah that's too bad, you'd make a great girlfriend." Ruby quipped and smiled warmly at the other woman with a soft blush growing on her cheeks. It caught Cindecr of guard, something that the girl was gradually getting better at.

"Oh? Do tell." But even so that didn't stop Cinder from firing back a reply ,smirking slyly to herself when Ruby once again became a stuttering mess.

"W-well I mean you're super smart and talented and nice….and also super pretty sooo...yeah." She finished awkwardly, gaze wandering about before widening in surprise when she heard the woman's soft chuckle.

"You flatter me Ruby."

The girl giddily shuffled in her seat, cheeks a glowing red after realising that she just made Cinder laugh a little.

"I try."

It was then when the waiter finally came to serve them their drinks. Glass of red for Cinder and a strawberry milkshake for Ruby, that the girl nearly halved within her first sip.

"Have you eaten here before?" Ruby asked as she took hold of a menu, eyes flying over the dishes listed with a slight frown on her features. "I'm not really sure what to order."

"I was hoping you'd know, I've never been here myself." The woman admitted before turning to the waiter. "Any recommendations?"

"This evening have a special on our fillet. We also serve an excellent range of pasta dishes, of which the seafood is which we are most known for."

"Ooooh." Ruby's eyes instantly shifted to the picture of the dish described and Cinder couldn't help but to crack a small smile.

"I think it's settled then." With that said the woman handed him the menus and he left with a polite smile and curt nod. Leaving the two women in a moment of silence.

"So how was your first year at University?" Ruby asked after finishing her milkshake in just a few gulps. "Blake and Weiss keep telling me how glad they are that they finally finished with exams." Cinder then watched amused as the girl tried to wipe the residue off her face.

"For the most part…Uneventful." The woman then grabbed a napkin of her own and wiped away the blotches of pink that the girl had missed. "But I'd be lying if I said that there wasn't anything worth noting." When Cinder was done she smirked at the girl before her, wide eyed and her ears completely red. "After all I did meet you, didn't I?"

And when her fingers slid down to cup her chin between thumb and forefinger, Ruby's mind struck a blank. She could hear a faint and distinctive wheeze of a kettle boiling on a stove but then again it probably was her brain. Desperately trying to scramble words around to form a sentence.

"An-and I met you too." The moment Ruby uttered those words her mind flashed back to that day and she was reminded that they had known each other for months now. They had gone from complete strangers to Ruby wanting to call her a friend. Knowing that…it made her sigh internally with relief and when her anxiousness came to pass, she smiled warmly at the other. "So I guess it was a pretty great year for both of us."

Cinder's eye widened slightly in surprise but it's shock slowly faded into something softer as she leaned back, voice now more than a breath as she spoke."You never seem to stop surprising me, Ruby."

The girl giggled in return and closed her eyes as she grinned back at Cinder. "I guess that just means that I have to compliment you more."

Ruby's grin had to be contagious for the woman found herself returning it as her the girl's words rang through her mind. Without meaning to a delicate pink blush started to dust her cheeks. It was the first time since Cinder could remember. As she reached to take another sip of her glass the woman hoped that Ruby wouldn't notice while trying to regain her composure, tone cool and even as she spoke.

"Are you looking forward to your last year in high school?"

Just like that Ruby's forehead found the table as she crossed her arms, letting out a dissatisfied groan.

"Ugh."

For what must've been the umpteenth time that night Cinder found herself smiling at her date's antics as she let out a chuckle.

"It seems like we have a common reaction."

With a pout on her lips Ruby's eyes found Cinder's as she let out a sigh, fingers playing absentmindedly with the napkin on the table. "It's just gonna be haaard and I don't know what I'm gonna do and I'll probably need to get an part time job if I wanna go study the year after that."

It was then when Cinder's hand found Ruby's, gently cupping it in an attempt to put the girl at ease.

"No need to worry, I'm sure if you work hard you'll be able to pull it off. Who knows…maybe you'll have a scholarship coming your way."

Ruby's gaze shifted to the hand covering hers and then back to Cinder. The smile on her face different than all of her previous ones, not enthusiastic but rather endearing in a way, the woman couldn't quite place it.

"You sound like you were super good in high school, like you got all the prizes and trophies and stuff."

Cinder couldn't help but to playfully scoff at the notion and strangely she was able to look back at those memories with bittersweet nostalgia. "Unfortunately I was quite the delinquent." She now had a different perspective. For a moment the woman was caught up in how drastically her life changed in but a few years. "That is before I came back and decided to get my life on track."

Ruby looked confused, but then her silwer eyes lit up with realization. "Oh yeah you had to finish high school first…" The girl blinked once..twice. When she tried to think back her mind struck a blank. "Wait how old are you?"

Embarrassment. There really wasn't another word for it. Ruby felt like a complete…dolt when she realised that she never once asked Cinder about that at all. But on the other side of the table Cinder instantly started to chuckle. "Don't let your father hear that."

She couldn't blame the girl for asking, the topic never came up before and she never felt the need to mention it either so Ruby's question shouldn't be surprising. With an amused glint in her eye the woman took another sip of her wine. "I am turning twenty one this year."

The girl let out a groan as she rested her forehead against the table once more. "How do I not know when your birthday is? I mean you know mine sooo..." Then quickly looking up at the other. "When is it? I have to know!"

Cinder paused for a moment, watching with mirth as the girl listen intently, determined to never forget it.

"The 25th of December."

"On Christmas!" She exclaimed with wonder, once again straight up in her chair. Nearby diners gave the girl questioning glances, but Ruby didn't seem to notice and Cinder paid them no mind. It was much more entertaining and adorable to see the girl fawn over something as simple as birthdays.

"Are you gonna throw a party?"

Truly a child at heart.

"…I stopped celebrating after sixteen."

Cinder would be lying, if she said that there weren't times when she wished that she still had a lingering sense of childish wonder.

"Aaaah nooo you have to, birthday parties are fun and tradition so you have toooo."

Perhaps then she would no longer look at the world with such cynicism, but then again blind optimism was hardly any better.

Still… she didn't have to cast it all away.

"Please? I'll bake you a cake."

And with Ruby she didn't have to.

"Only if I get to share it with you." The woman finally gave in and as if on cue, the waiter brought them their servings of food.

Two plates of steaming seafood pasta that looked absolutely mouth watering and Ruby had to remind herself that she was in a public place when she dug in.

"It seems like you worked up quite the appetite." The older woman remarked when Ruby finished her dish in the time that she got halfway through. The girl let out a contented sigh as she grabbed hold of her napkin yet again.

"That was the best pasta I had in like ever." Followed by a sheepish chuckle as she pointed to her face. "Did I get it all this time?"

"It seems so, yes and that's high praise coming from someone who can bake at the top of her head." The woman briefly remembered all the times Ruby insisted on making lunch when she visited. Honestly home cooking at its finest. "Were you self taught?"

"Well not exactly. When my mom comes back home from a mission we always bake together and when she's away I just bake things on my own or with Yang. Mom taught me a lot." The girl exclaimed and slowly her memories started to drift to that of her mother.

"She's in Vacuo, no?" Cinder was mindful of her questions as this was not familiar terrain.

The girl stopped for a moment to think. "Aaah yeah, she should be coming home in a few months so maybe you two could meet."

The thought brought along a sense of dread and when she looked at Ruby's glittering smile she couldn't help but to feel bad. She was judging a woman she had never met.

"I'm a bit hesitant to be honest, I doubt she'd find me…acceptable." But this wouldn't be the first time that she had gone to meet the parents…and having it end in a catastrophe.

"Nah she'd like you." Ruby insisted with a wave of her hand and although it brought her some sense of relief, Cinder was still sceptical. "Aaand she doesn't really have a choice cause I already like you."

The woman instantly cracked a sly grin at the comment, rising her brow inquiringly. "Is that so?" Her voice just above a whisper, successful in setting Ruby's cheeks on fire.

"Yeah…I mean not like that not like…like like- not that that there's anything wrong with that I'm sure that I can like like you…anyone can…but what I-oh no not again." She sighed in defeat, burrying her face into her hands as she tried to escape the embarrassment but Cinder's chuckle made it completely impossible. "You're too easy to tease Little Rose."

And so the rest of the night continued with them talking about everything and anything that came to mind and it grew to be a very enjoyable night.

"Well that was certainly satisfying." Cinder affirmed with contentment as she neatly placed her knife and fork down on her plate. Then turning to Ruby who had turned to a glass of wine. "I'm sure you still have an appetite for dessert?"

The girl grinned back at her and Cinder already knew the answer as it was the girl's favourite.

"You know there's actually the greatest ice cream place a few streets down from here." The girl commented and it quickly drew the other's attention.

"Oh?"

"Yeah the best part is that they're open until late so when Weiss, Blake and Yang go shopping all day I at least get to have some ice cream."

"You should take me there sometime."

"Yeah that'd be great!" Her eyes instantly lit up with barely contained excitement.

"Then it's settled." Cinder stated and mentioned for the waiter to bring her the bill.

"I mean we don't have to go right now." Ruby insisted and a pout quickly formed on her features when she realised that she was probably sounding really selfish right now. "I don't wanna mess up your plans or anything."

But Cinder simply waved her off. "You're not messing anything up Ruby."

And after giving her a reassuring smile, the girl's worry instantly faded away, replaced by excitement.

"Then I'm gonna make sure you get the best ice cream ever!"

Cinder then quickly signed her bill and placed her card in the booklet while Ruby searched her hand bag for money. "Let me just get my-" Her dad even gave her some extra allowance for tonight.

"There's no need for that, Ruby."

Then the girl watched as the waiter took the booklet from her hands, half wanting to grab it before she turned back to the other.

"I- I couldn't let you cover everything." She stuttered while pushing some notes her way, but Cinder paid it no mind when she received her card back.

"I asked you out to dinner, didn't I?"

"Yeah but.." There was nothing that Ruby could say to change the woman's mind and shovelled the notes back into her handbag instead. "But next time I'm covering it." She insisted, tone unwavering and Cinder happily agreed with a nod as she got up.

"Of course."

When the two women stepped outside into the night the air was cool but not unpleasant and with no breeze in the air it was a perfect night to stroll around the waterfront. Everything around them was set alight, still buzzing with a warm yellow glow to it.

Ruby quickly checked her scroll, seeing that it was 10:24 before sending her dad a quick text, telling him that everything was going well.

"Where to Little Rose?" The woman breathed as she looked both ways down the street. Ruby thought for a moment, brow scrunching up in thought.

"Uhmm…this way." Then without looking twice she grabbed hold of her hand and started leading the way, Cinder happily following from behind. "So have you ever walked around Vale like this?"

"On a few occasions, but this would the first time that I've been to the waterfront." She admitted, gaze drifting from the passing couples, shops bathed in light then back to Ruby. "And that I've been accompanied."

Ruby grinned back at her. "Well I'm happy to show you around then." It was only then that the girl realised that she was still holding onto Cinder's hand, radiating a soft heat that slowly made it's way onto her cheeks. She timidly looked up at the woman next to her and Cinder smiled slightly when she felt the other's eyes on her. But she said nothing and for awhile the two of them walked in silence, listening to the incoherent chattering and laughs of people walking past and the rise and fall of the ocean nearby.

"So what's your favourite ice cream flavour." Ruby quipped once they came into a clearing, surrounded by shops with a glittering fountain situated in the middle.

"Mmmn that is quite a difficult question, but I suppose you can never go wrong with plain vanilla."

"One of the classics." Ruby nodded in agreement. "My favourite one is a triple scoop of chocolate, strawberry and caramel ice cream with chocolate sauce and mini marshmallows …with extra sprinkles."

Cinder chucked at the sound of what she guessed must be quite the spectacle and experimental treat.

"You sound like quite the connoisseur."

"There it is!" The girl exclaimed and Cinder could only watch in utter disbelief as Ruby ran towards the small ice cream shop. Nearly running into the glass door before stumbling inside while she trailed from behind. Breathing heavily her silver eyes darted from left to right, finding the place not as busy she would've expected. "You're…you're not closed right?"

The man behind the counter instantly recognised their most frequent and valued customer.

"Luckily not yet miss Rose." As he noticed her unusually formal clothing he was about to ask when Cinder stepped in, sauntering over to stand next to the girl. And that's when it clicked.

"What will it be for you ladies?"

Ruby didn't need asking twice. "I'll just have my usual thanks." She chirped and questioningly looked up at Cinder who was honestly at a loss, letting out a sigh as a smile touched her lips.

"Surprise me."

"She'll have the same." The girl ordered and Cinder didn't quite know whether she should be worried or not. Perhaps a bit for when the two of them were seated on a wooden bench outside, Cinder had no idea how she was going to finish her dessert.

The woman initially thought that it would be saccharine sweet, but found the mingling flavours quite enjoyable. Although she couldn't help but feel a tad childish, for once Cinder didn't mind... Ruby on the other hand had polished her treat long ago, now happily swinging her feet back and forward.

"You wouldn't mind helping me finish this?" She offered and the girl burst out in a fit of giggles at the sight of the dash of chocolate peeking out from the side of Cinder's mouth.

"Looks I found your weakness." She teased and took the cone from hands, then the napkin around it to dap off the stray splotch of ice cream. Cinder's eye widened in surprise at Ruby's action but softened again when she met her gaze. "That you have. I haven't had I've cream like that in quite some time."

"I'm glad then…that I could take you." The girl's eyes seemed to twinkle in the starlight in the sky.

"So am I."

For a while the two of them sat in comfortable silence, contempt with holding the other's hand. Ruby was in pure bliss, thinking about her amazing night as she listened to the distinct sound of a saxophone being played in the distance. It gradually grew louder and soon stray couples nearby started to sway along to the music.

Subconsciously Ruby started to tap her foot to the rhythm and Cinder smiled to herself before checking the time on her scroll. "It appears to be getting late, I should be taking you home soon."

Ruby's expression visibly fell as they got up from the bench, she was just starting to enjoy herself and didn't want to go home just yet. When they started walking, her silver eyes searched the area around them.

"Something bothering you Little Rose?"

"We should do one last thing." The girl insisted as she grabbed hold of Cinder's hand. "…Before we go."

There was that look in her eye again, completely unwavering but the pleading glint to it still remained. Cinder's attention drifted to the musician standing at the edge of the fountain before offering the girl her hand.

"In that case…may I have this dance?"

Ruby's blush darkened tenfold, shuffling on the spot. Dancing had completely slipped her mind and yet again she wished that she was a little bit more prepared, but wasn't about to deny the woman her request.

"Can I take my shoes off first?"

With a chuckle Cinder nodded and started leading her to a more open space, Ruby almost jumping at the touch of cool cobblestone under her feet.

"Okay uhm I don't really how to do this." She confessed shyly when Cinder placed Ruby's hands on her shoulders and her own on the woman's hips. Their sudden closeness sent a shiver down her spine, but Cinder seemed to be un phased and confident as ever.

"No need to worry, just follow my lead."

Cinder rook a slow step forward and then another, Ruby in turn took steps back. Then to the left and forward again, almost tripping over her own feet and she nearly knocked into her partner.

"S-sorry." But Cinder didn't say anything, gradually picking up the pace until both were gliding over the cobblestone pavement.

"Well look at you." Her amber eye shone with praise and pleasant surprise as she slowly twirled the girl around, following her movement seamlessly. "You're a natural."

Ruby smiled sheepishly in reply and looked down at her bare feet and the pair of heels in front of them. "I have no idea how anyone can do this in heels."

"There's not much to it Ruby...simply practice." And when Cinder drew the girl in closer they settled into a swaying rhythm with Ruby gently leaning against the other's chest. Her scent, a blossoming inferno, was warm and welcoming.

"Cinder?"

This time when they looked at each other there was no anxiety or nerves, simply peace and fondness.

"Yes, Ruby?"

"Thanks." A single word. So simple. Still Cinder couldn't quite comprehend the meaning behind it. "And for what might you be thanking me?" To which the girl seemed unsure on how to reply as she shuffled on the spot.

"Y'know…taking me out on this date and I guess helping me and sticking with me this last few terms. I know I'm not really the most mature person out there."

Cinder wondered how many times those words had been said to her, how many times others had to change her. Why else would Ruby be thanking her for something as simple as that?

And yet there she was, loving, kind, trusting and always seeing the potential in others where Cinder would've though there to be none. Ruby was honestly too good for this world and the woman knew that she paled in comparison

If anything Cinder should be one thanking her.

Vale knows how many times she went down the wrong path in her life and continued to stray at times. But Ruby never...not once even considered giving up or cutting her out.

For that reason Cinder would always be grateful, even if she didn't say it. But that didn't mean that she didn't want to. There was so much that she wanted to say, but no amount of words would be able to express how she felt. Perhaps she too didn't quite understand what she was feeling.

"I think youthful is a better word, but I wouldn't want to you to be anything... anyone else." She gingerly cupped the girl's chin between her thumb and forefinger, titling her head just a bit so that she could stare at those shining silver orbs. "...Just you."

And when her lips brushed against the girl's forehead it was like she didn't need to say anything at all.

The soft touch sent an electric jolt down Ruby's spine, all of the blood in her body went up to her cheeks and her mind felt like it was going into overload, but even with all that was happening, Ruby understood. She understood Cinder like no one else. Not perfectly and not without patience and a bit of prodding.

Eventually the time came when simple curiosity turned into genuine interest and at times...concern. And the girl would continue to do so, to try and understand who Cinder is now and who she one was. In turn Ruby showed her both the good and the not so good in her life. Cinder was the only person who could touch her jagged edges without the fear of being cut, to look at the parts Ruby tried to hide without pity or scorn.

And when the girl looked up, Cinder's smouldering gaze was no longer guarded from her. It's unwavering intensity melted into a gentle warmth that seemed to ignite the girl's chest. The sensation was foreign to her, but she welcomed it. The woman stepped back and just like a few moments ago Ruby stepped forward before wrapping her in her arms.

Cinder was rigid at first until she slowly melted into the girl's tender affection, returning the embrace in kind. A smile graced her lips when Ruby's whispered words reached her and along with it, a new memory.

"Just you too."

Ruby never quite understood how her brain worked, but then again she pretty much over dosed on ice cream that night. But strangely this time...when she sat next to Cinder on their way back to the Rose - Xiao Long household, Ruby could do so with ease. The girl leaned against the other's shoulder while Cinder combed her fingers through Ruby's hair, a habit that was getting rather frequent, and both of them just felt so... relaxed, like it has been done countless time before.

Only this time Ruby could understand what she felt. Why it felt so different.

Over the last few months neither of the woman knew were they stood with one another. Cinder wasn't sure how much she could reveal about herself or how close she could come and Ruby in turn didn't know when she was overstepping a boundary. Navigating social cues and trying to decipher unsaid words had become... confusing to the girl. Now...after tonight... that kiss, that single kiss that made her heart flutter and fingers grace her forehead upon trying to remember it.

They finally understood that they were not strangers, not acquaintances and at times 'just friends' weren't accurate either, but that hardly mattered. What mattered is the possibility of what they could become...what they could mean to the other in the future.

And when the two women glanced back at their past memories together, flashing by in a blur of colour like the cars racing past, they couldn't help but to smile at how their relationship came to be.

All of it thanks to a chance meeting.

...a packet of cigarettes

...a few scoops of ice cream...

...Cookies and Cabernet.

[kpopersanonymous]

GOT7: Seeing another member kiss their S/O (Yugyeom)

a/n: I can’t believe it’s finally finished!! Thanks for being patient with me, my loves!!

Yugyeom was walking along the set of the kdrama you were starring in, a bouquet of flowers in his hand, his eyes searching for you. He had planned on spending the day with you as you filmed the finale of the series, wanting to celebrate with you. He looked fondly over the sets he passed as he remembered his first encounter with you, nine months prior.

After begging for days on end, Jinyoung had finally agreed to take Yugyeom with him to meet the cast and crew of the new kdrama that was going to be filmed. Jinyoung had been lucky enough to be cast as the leading character in the series with you as his co-star. The two of you showed such great chemistry while playing out a few scenes during casting that the directors were convinced you were dating, when in fact you had just barely met each other. You two had laughed so hard over that assumption and soon became great friends, awakening the curiosity of the other GOT7 members. Yugyeom would be lying if he said he hadn’t begged Jinyoung to take him with him just so he could meet you. He wanted to see the person behind the texts that made his Hyung laugh uncontrollably, the one who “stole Jinyoung’s heart”, as the members would tease.

The maknae had halted in his tracks the moment he laid his eyes on you, his mouth gaping open as you walked over to greet your co-star. To say you were beautiful would be the understatement of the century. Time seemed to slow down as he watched you come closer to them, your hair bouncing lightly with every step you took. His heart began to race and he felt his palms become sweaty as you stood before them, your face glowing as the corners of your eyes crinkled into a smile. “Hello Jinyoung-oppa, you’re looking very nice today,” you greeted, your voice music to Yugyeom’s ears. “Hello Y/N, you’re looking as beautiful as always today,” Jinyoung replied, causing you to blush and smile shyly at his kind words.

Yugyeom felt butterflies in his stomach at the sight as he took in every single one of your features, trying to burn them into his brain. “Ahh yes,” Jinyoung continued, “this is Kim Yugyeom, our little maknae.” He heard the teasing tone in Jinyoung’s voice at the word “little” but gave no reaction as he stood there, as still as a statue, staring at you, wondering what all of these feelings were that he was experiencing. Your eyes shifted as you slowly grew uncomfortable at the intensity of his stares. “He doesn’t seem to be very little to me,” you joked, attempting to lighten the mood.

Jinyoung smiled at you before hitting the maknae on his back, knocking him out of his trance. “Stop gaping and say something or I’ll never take you with me again,” Jinyoung murmured low at Yugyeom. “H-hi,” he managed to stammer out, bowing quickly as he felt his cheeks heat up. “It’s nice to meet you, Yugyeom. Jinyoung-oppa has told me a lot about you,” you said, bowing back at him. His eyes darted between you and Jinyoung, “Nothing bad, I hope.” You giggled at the cute boy, shaking your head reassuringly. You were called away before you could say anything else, leaving the two members alone.

Yugyeom’s heart was still racing as he watched you walk away. Jinyoung stepped into his line of sight, arms crossed as he glared at the maknae. “You just embarrassed me infront of my co-star. Are you proud of yourself? What were you even thinking?” he asked. Jinyoung continued to lecture him, going on and on about how unprofessional he had acted but Yugyeom blocked his words out, still fascinated by your presence lingering in his mind. He had never felt this way before, this mixture of warmth, happiness and shyness that had engulfed his entire being the moment his eyes landed on you. It slowly dawned on him the longer he thought about it.

“Is this ... what love feels like?” he asked himself, unaware that he said this question outloud. “Love??” Jinyoung asked, brows furrowing at the sudden question that had interrupted his rant. Yugyeom threw his hands up to his mouth in shock as the realization hit him, eyes as big as the moon as he stared at his Hyung in silence. “No... no! No! NO! You cannot be serious Yugyeom! Not my co-star!! Not Y/N!” Jinyoung screamed in disbelief. This was exactly what he was afraid of: that one of the members would fall for you. He had put in so much time and effort into your friendship, valuing it like he would with that of his members’, that he didn’t want to suddenly start battling with one of the members for your attention. If they were to break up..., he shuddered internally at the thought of being caught in the middle of all the drama sure to occur.

“Why not? Do you want her all for yourself? Is your relationship with her more than just platonic like you say it is?” Yugyeom asked, his heart aching at the thought. “Of course not!” he scoffed. “I just really value her friendship and I don’t want her to get hurt,” he tried to explain. “I would never hurt her, Hyung, you know that! Please??” Yugyeom asked, making puppy-dog eyes at the elder. Annoyed, he exhaled deeply before he answered, “Fine. But don’t expect me to help you win her over. And don’t be sad if and when she rejects you.” He turned and walked away, leaving the maknae to stand alone, engulfed in his thoughts with a smile on his face, determined to win you over.

Yugyeom laughed as he remembered how cringy he acted in front of you, still amazed as to how you had even considered going out with him. The next few weeks following your meeting, he had visited you on set everyday, whether Jinyoung liked it or not. His intense staring and nervously stammered small-talk soon changed into awkwardly told dad jokes and bad pick-up lines. Still, even after all of that, you kept finding yourself anticipating his arrival, certain he was just the shy boy Jinyoung described him to be.

You had been completely oblivious to his feelings for you as you two started carrying out full-length conversations. The maknae had tried for a solid month to confess his feelings to you and ask you out, but to no avail. Unable to watch this fiasco any longer, Jinyoung had finally decided to help Yugyeom confess, planning the whole thing out, even going so far as to write a script for the young member, so that everything would work out smoothly.

As he should have expected, Yugyeom did not hold himself to the script and instead of being poetic and romantic, he had just run up to you, shoving flowers into your hands and saying, “I think I’m in love with you. Will you go out with me?” The shock on your face spoke more than a thousand words as you processed the fact that Kim Yugyeom had a crush on you. Kim Yugyeom, your secret idol crush from your favorite group, wanted to go out with you. You had pinched yourself to make sure you were not dreaming before agreeing to the date, smiling as you heard Jinyoung exclaim “Thank God!” in relief.

The two of you had been going strong ever since. You were both constantly giving each other support, both in private and in public. There had even been plenty of rumors and speculation concerning the two of you, mainly coming from the fans, which had been confirmed a couple of months into your relationship as you were caught kissing intimately in a public park. Yugyeom had been very relieved as word got out, showing you off whenever he could and telling fans to watch your kdrama, never forgetting to say how much you meant to him. You both were falling deeper and deeper in love with each other everyday and you were thrilled that you could openly show it, paying the haters no mind whatsoever.

Yugyeom had finally spotted you, your back turned to him as you studied your script for the upcoming scene. He wrapped his arms around your waist, scaring you in the process, calming you down by kissing the top of your head and giving you the flowers he was holding. He noticed your cheeks were flushed as you turned to face him, giving him a warm peck on the lips. “Is something wrong, my love?” he asked, stroking your cheek. “Um.. No! No everything is-is great!” you stammered, searching for a vase for the flowers. Yugyeom had picked up the script while you were placing the bouquet in water, skimming through your marked lines before you quickly snatched it out of his hands. “No peaking! It’s a ... surprise,” you said, firmly pressing the script to your chest. Yugyeom smiled to hide the perplexion forming on his face because you were acting very strange. Before he could ask you if something was wrong, you were called to the set and you rushed off.

The makeup artists were touching up both your’s and Jinyoung’s makeup when Yugyeom took his place in the sidelines, his eyes never leaving your figure. The scene started soon after and it didn’t take your boyfriend long to realize that this was a confession scene. He should have seen it coming. You were Jinyoung’s co-star, after all, his love interest. It should have been obvious to him that after episode after episode of flirting that they would have the characters confess to each other in the finale. And yet he still hoped that it would turn out differently.

He knew that it wouldn’t though, as he watched Jinyoung wrap his hands around your waist, pulling you in as he whispered a sweet confession to you. He wanted nothing more than to punch the elder for holding you so close and touching you the way only he was allowed to touch you. It pained him to see you sling your arms around his neck with love in your eyes, the way you would only look at him. His blood was boiling as he watched the two of you lean in for a passionate kiss, fighting the urge to walk onto the set and tear you two away from each other with every fiber of his being.

He exhaled sharply as the scene ended, relieved that it was over, only to be shocked by the fact that it had to be redone. He was overwhelmed by the amount of jealousy and hate that coursed through his veins as he watched you two kiss for the fifth time, each confession and kiss being more passionate and romantic than the last. He almost felt ready to kill Jinyoung when he decided to wait outside for you to be done with the scene, unable to take the torture of seeing another man kiss you any longer.

He sat down on a nearby bench, ripping out some flowers next to him and pulling their petals off, one by one. He wanted this monotone activity to distract him from what he had just witnessed, and what was surely still happening. Instead, the image of your lips on Jinyoung’s remained in his inner eye, clear as day, possibly forever burned into his brain. His thoughts started to race and a wave of emotions rushed over him as questions started forming. Why didn’t she tell me about the kiss scene? Was she really acting when she confessed to Hyung and kissed him? What if our relationship is all an act to her? Is she in love with Jinyoung-hyung? Is he in love with her? Is that why he didn’t want me to ask her out? ... Does she even love me?

Tears were now falling onto his cheeks as he threw away a petal-less flower, giving the others attention. His rage spent, he started stroking the flower’s soft petals. They feel just like her lips, he thought, more tears spilling out. He continued to sit in silence for a few moments, giving his emotions time to settle as he listened to the soft sounds of nature around him.

He wiped away the remaining tears with his sleeve, rationality slowly returning him to his senses. “She’s an actress,” he mumbled, “of course she has to look convincing when playing out a scene.” But it seemed so real..., the doubt in his mind rang, causing his heart to ache once more. “No!”, he whisper-shouted, shaking his head, “she loves me, I know she does. No one can fake a love as strong as our’s, not for so long. Besides, Jinyoung-hyung would never hurt me in such a way.” Doubt still hung in the air as he tried to believe what he just said.

He had no idea how much time had passed until he felt somone sitting down next to him. “I’ve been looking for you,” he heard you say. “Well, you found me,” Yugyeom said, staring straight ahead, unable to look you in the eyes. “You ran off in the middle of filming. You never do that. Is everything ok?” you ask, placing a warm hand on his arm. Yugyeom took a deep breath as he tried to fight the tears from coming back. “I’m fine. I just forgot that I wanted to pick you flowers,” he said shakily, handing you the remaining flowers still in his hand. “Sure, that’s why the ground is covered in flower petals, right?” you asked, clearly unconvinced. “I was ... testing them. They weren’t the right shape. Shouldn’t you get back to filming?” he changed the subject, wiping the sweat from his palms onto his jeans, eager to get out of the conversation.

“We finished my scenes, I’m free to go wherever you wanted to take me to celebrate. And Jinyoung should also be done by now,” you got up, taking his hand. “Let’s go find him. I’m sure he wants to celebrate with us,” you said, pulling at your boyfriend. “If you want to be with him so badly, then why don’t you two just go together and leave me alone!” he replied, the bitterness in his voice clear as day. You let go of his hand, shock written on your face. Yugyeom got up enough courage to look at you but immediately regretted his decision, the pain in your eyes tearing him up inside. He knew he shouldn’t have said that, he shouldn’t have taken his anger out on you, but he couldn’t contain his emotions any longer.

“Why are you acting like this all of the sudden? You were so excited to see me when you arrived,” you asked, squatting down in front of him so that you can look into his eyes. “Do you love me?” he asked, ignoring your question. Your eyes widened in shock at the unexpected question. “Of course I love you! Why-” you answered, before Yugyeom interrupted you. “Then why were you looking at Jinyoung the same way you look at me when you tell me you love me? Are you in love with him? Have you just been acting like you were in love with me this whole time?” Yugyeom spat out, a hint of darkness in his eyes. You took a moment for the questions to sink in and then burst out laughing at how ridiculous your boyfriend was being. “Oh so now our relationship is a joke to you?!” Yugyeom exclaimed, completely offended. “Are you even listening to yourself?!” you asked, inbetween giggles, trying to calm yourself. Yugyeom stared at you blankly as you took a deep breath.

“Babe, you do realize I’m an actress, right?” you asked, placing your hands on his shoulders as he nodded. “So you know that I have to act out scenes the way people want me to do them. Just like today where I had to ACT with Jinyoung that we were in love. And I have to make it look believable. So no, I’m not in love with him, but my character is,” you continued, locking gazes with him the whole time. Yugyeom went red with embarrassment, ashamed of how he let jealousy take control over him.

“And you know what? I never would have been able to play out that scene so well if it wasn’t for you. You’re the reason I know what true love feels like,” you whispered, cradling his head in your hands, stroking his cheeks. Yugyeom gave you his sweetest and, at the same time, shyest smile as every hint of doubt flew from his body, the warm feeling of love replacing it oncemore. He pulled you in closer so that you were sitting on his lap, covering your face in kisses as a silent apology, which you gladly accepted.

Once he was finished, he gazed into your eyes. “I love you, with every centimeter of my heart. I should have never doubted you. But why couldn’t you just tell me about the confession scene? It would have made things a lot easier,” he pouted. “I’m sorry, Jinyoung told me not to tell you. He said it was a surprise,” you told him, kissing his cheek softly. “Of course he did,” he sighed. The two of you sat in comfortable silence until your stomach started growling, causing Yugyeom to laugh. “I think it’s time to take you on that celebratory dinner I promised you,” he winked, lifting you up and walking over to his car with you in tow.

He saw Jinyoung leaning on the end of his car, arms crossed, the bouquet of flowers he had given you earlier in Jinyoung’s hand. Yugyeom wrapped his arm around you as a reflex, signaling to his hyung that you were his and his alone. You grinned at the gesture but said nothing, allowing your boyfriend to indirectly call you his belonging. “Hi Jinyoung-oppa! Sorry to keep you waiting,” you said as you reached him. “It’s fine. I haven’t been waiting for too long. Did you enjoy the filming, Yugyeom?” Jinyoung asked your boyfriend, faux-innocence coming from his words. “It was fine. Do you want to know what my favorite part was?” the maknae grinned evily before gently pulling you towards him, capturing your lips in one of the most passionate kisses you have ever had.

You were left breathless as he pulled away, saying, “THAT is how you kiss someone, Hyung. But your technique was convincing enough, I guess.” He opened the door for you, allowing you to seat yourself before going over to the driver’s side, leaving Jinyoung gaping at the maknae’s actions. “Are you coming, Hyung?” Yugyeom called, snapping Jinyoung out of his trance. Nodding, he got in as Yugyeom started the car and said, “Good. Because you’re paying for our date that you’re crashing.”

Mark   Jaebum   Jinyoung   Jackson   Youngjae   BamBam   Yugyeom