#a guy came over. offered cake to our group. i ate some of it

[ward-leon]

okay okay im normal now. dw everynyan!!

[vxntagedior]

sweet but psycho

summary | everyone thinks you’re just eye candy for druig but they don’t see the fire in your eyes

pairing | mob!druig x fem!assassin!reader

warning | violence, gun, blood, minor character death, possessive!druig, badass!reader

word count | 1.0k

The bar was barely lit, the dingy fixtures were flickering above you, it wasn’t your scene. Staying by the bar, you nursed your drink, keeping one eye on the door, and the other constantly looking to your side in the private section of the bar.

Druig sat in the back corner having an eye on everyone who came and entered, speaking into his ear piece keeping you up to date.

“Must I say, you look gorgeous, beautiful.” He mused, looking over the bar, seeing the silhouette of your red dress.

“Stop, I’m working.” You said firmly. You took your job seriously, you didn’t let life and love get in the way of business.

Your hand brushed over your thigh, confirming the location of your gun strapped under your dress, seeing a big group of men enter who were just as out of place as you and Druig. 

The group of men, 8 at least all scattered through the floor, a few going towards Druig, some taking spots throughout the floor to keep an eye and one coming up to the bar next to you.

“We have two more outside.” Kingo’s voice filled your eyes, the rest of the Eternals had been placed inside and out the building to keep an eye on the two of you. You didn’t pay attention to the rest of your team, focusing on the man who was a few feet away from you.

Turning around, you looked back at Druig, the two men who came in coming up to his table. His eyes turned back to you, nodding his head, signaling for you to go.

Readjusting your dress, letting the red silk fall through your legs, pulling down the top of your dress a little bit to show off your breasts.

“How can someone like you be alone?” Bingo, you got him in. Fauxing a frown, you pout your lips a bit.

“Well.” You purse your lips, feigning an innocent look in your eyes. “I was supposed to meet my boyfriend for drinks after work, got off early, got all dolled up for him and he can’t even answer my texts.”

Druig was seeing red about the man who ate everything you said, seeing his hands on you, just wanting to walk up to him and talk some sense into him but remembering the situation at hand. 

“I’d be happy to buy a drink.” He offered. “Maybe get to know each other a little more, forget about that boyfriend of yours.”

“I’ve already forgotten.” You teased.

Getting him in the palm of your hand was easy, and keeping him lured and constantly wanting more from you was a piece of cake. Just after a few drinks and a lingering touch on his thigh, he just melted in your hands. 

Thinking of being able to walk out with you tonight, the man told you everything you asked about. His occupation, the dark business he was roped into, and finally what you needed, the location of crates that was stolen from Druig.

Looking across the room, you saw Sprite’s illusion nodding a head to you before leaving the building. 

“You wanna take this little date of ours away from the bar and maybe to my apartment.” He smirked, his hand itching farther and farther up your thigh.

“C’mon stud.” You grabbed his hand, strutting out of the bar, the guy immediately pulling you closer to him, both of you pressed against the walls, his lips pressing kisses up your neck.

It was the worst feeling in the world, just wanting to replace him with Druig, his soft kisses. The man was sloppy, sucking harshly on your neck, feeling his teeth against your skin. Just before he could reach your lips, you heard someone clear their throat.

“Well what do we have here?” The familiar accent made you quiver, peaking your head over the man, seeing Druig standing in front of you.

“You need something man?” The man was clearly displeased with Druig getting agitated for ruining the moment.

“I do actually, you have something of mine, Duncan?” The man’s eyes widened in fear, finally recognizing who was in front of him. “Well two things.”

“D-Druig.” He stuttered. “S-sir.”

“I think we’re past formalities.” He said darkly. “You stole from me.”

You were able to reach for your gun before he could grab his, reloading your pistol, pushing it into his skull.

“Not another move.” You said harshly, shoving the tip of the gun into his skull, emitting a groan from.

“You have whores running around for you.” He laughed looking back at Druig.

“What did you call me?” Druig could see from a mile away you had the situation at you, letting him sit back and watch. “I’m not some whore.”

Loading your bullet, your finger ghosting the trigger, the guy laughed again. “You’re really stupid aren’t you, gonna shoot me outside a packed bar.”

“Well it’s my bar, I don’t think they’d mind.” He didn’t get to say anything more before you pushed the trigger, the bullet piercing straight through his skull sending him to the ground in a pool of his blood.

“No one calls me a whore.” You spat at him, shoving your heel into his back.

“That’s enough, beautiful.” Druig spoke, bringing you to him, his arms wrapping around your waist, taking the gun from your hands. “You’re my little psycho aren’t ya.”

“Better than a whore.” You scoffed. “Never want to be touched like that again.”

“Not even from me?” Druig pouted his bottom lip starting to quiver, playing the part of his little innocent act.

“Could never deny you.” You whispered, pressing your lips against his. Druig wasted no time getting to the point, his tongue poking against your lips, his tongue running against yours. Moaning into his mouth, Druig’s arms kept you tight in his grip knowing you were already a wreck.

“You did well tonight.” He whispered, both of you parting, your foreheads resting against the others. “The others shouldn’t doubt you as much.”

“I gave them a reason too.” You shrugged. “Hit them when they weren’t looking.”

“Like this side of you.” Druig was possessive, everyone knew of you, and he couldn’t share you with anyone. “But I want it just for me.”

fin.

[allthefilmsiveseenforfree]

Old (2021)

Oh you guys. You guyyyyyys. Buckle the fuck up, I am so pumped to tell you about this absolutely GONZO mummified deuce of a movie. Spoilers will be had in this one, because you need to know everything. 

Old is the latest from M. Night Shyamalan and like....I think we all know M. Night’s track record. For every Sixth Sense, we also get a Happening or a Village. In some ways, he’s the most exciting director working today because every new film is a 50/50 coin toss, and mama loves living on the edge. The gist of this latest roll of the dice is that a group of different families who have all come to stay at a remote luxury beach resort get invited to go to a secluded private beach for the day, and after they arrive they discover they can’t leave. That’s not great, but the bigger problem is that they seem to be aging rapidly - like 2 years older every hour or so. That’s a solid “how are we gonna get outta this one” bottle episode premise, and in the hands of a better writer, it could be a fun sci-fi romp. M. is NOT that writer. 

Some thoughts:

I should have known it would all go wrong from the terrible foreshadowing starting at the very beginning scene. The mom of our main family, Prisca (Vicky Krieps) says “You have such a beautiful voice, I can’t wait to hear it when you’re older.” The dad, Guy (Gael Garcia Bernal) says, “Don’t rush this moment, enjoy the present while you can.” BECAUSE THE CHARACTERS WON’T BE ABLE TO LATER, DO YOU GET IT? dO yOU GEt iT? Wife leaned over and said “look at all the ferns - the oldest plants!” That last one was probably her projecting, but the point stands: there is nothing subtle about Old. 

There’s a lot of just like, shouting out loud the things that are currently happening onscreen. “She’s having a seizure!” “People who go back the way we came black out!” “The rust has entered your bloodstream; it acts like poison!” That’s how you tell stories, right? Just having characters point out events that are occurring right in front of their stupid fucking faces with no other commentary or reflection? 

An additional element that feels woefully ignorant at best and malicious at worst is the inclusion of a black male character (Aaron Pierre) who 1) is a rapper 2) is named Mid-Sized Sedan [I’ll give you a moment to deal with that detail emotionally] 3) says the single line of dialogue “Damn.” at least 4 times and 4) suffers the bloodiest, most violent onscreen death at the hands of a racist white man who is revealed to have paranoid schizophrenia. There are other gruesome deaths onscreen, to be sure, but the worst are body horror nightmares that could never occur in the real world - a woman whose bones are breaking and setting in the wrong position nearly instantaneously until she resembles a horrifying spider creature, and the aforementioned rust-in-the-bloodstream trick that leads to a Jeff-Goldblum-in-The Fly-bubbling-skin infection kinda deal. But Mid-Sized Sedan just gets stabbed in the chest repeatedly, brutally, a bunch of times by a white guy who pleads fear for his life even though MSS posed no danger to him, and it all happens onscreen when so many other characters are offered the mercy of offscreen deaths. I’m not sure if M. is trying to throw some real-world horror in and he’s just shit at it, or if it really didn’t occur to him how malicious this inclusion feels in a fantasy narrative, and I don’t really care. If you have a black character in your story and they die, you better think really long and hard about how it happens and what it means and it’s clear no one did that here.

Nothing to do with the film itself, but it did tickle me that someone brought a tiny infant to my pretty packed screening. The baby was very chill, thank goodness, and as far as I know did not age up to a kindergartner during the course of the film.

There is a Very Good Dog, a Yorkie, present for the first part of the film, but unfortunately the dog dies. It occurs offscreen, and given the premise of what’s going on on this beach, it’s not a shock when it happens BUT STILL. 

The old age makeup, at least on Prisca is pretty great. Good job makeup department!

At one point, Guy gets attacked by another beachgoer, and his eyesight is failing so he has a hard time fighting back. But you are surrounded by sand, my dude, and you can still see blurry shapes. You’re not gonna throw some sand in the eyes until you’ve been stabbed like 10 times? Not gonna try to push him down, or sweep the fucking leg, or do anything but just keep raising your arms and getting stabbed while yelling “I’ll protect you!” I’ve seen stale tuna sandwiches with better defense mechanisms than you. 

Like most fantastical premises, there are only a certain number of ways this narrative can end that really make any sense. It reminds me quite a bit of 2019’s Brightburn which was like “what if Superman but evil?” Either everyone is gonna die, or someone is going to improbably survive and you better have a real neat explanation for how that’s possible. Oh M. Night, when will you realize that your explanations are never as clever as you think they are? There’s no “twist” here really, simply a reveal, and it’s the equivalent of eating one of those sugar-free, gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free snack cakes I broke down and ate out of desperation when I was on Weight Watchers. That shit is “food” in the same way that the climax is a “logical explanation for all this.” Big Pharma is luring sick people to the resort through targeted ads, then arranging these excursions to the wacky time beach in order to test how medicine they secretly slipped into the guests’ drinks works over decades of life. These sneaky medical breakthroughs are saving hundreds of thousands of people’s lives, we’re told, and the scientists offer a moment of silence for each fallen group of unwitting human lab rats after they inevitably die. Because if there’s one thing the world needs right now, it’s more distrust of pharmaceutical companies and the ethics of modern science! I can’t think of one possible reason we’d want to portray molecular biologists, immunologists, and virologists in a positive light right now, can you? When will those assholes get off their high horses and stop being universally trusted and beloved by everyone, am I right?? 

My saddest takeaway, tbh, is that this is a stacked international cast, with at least half the roles going to POC - this is the future liberals want, etc etc - and the result is THIS.

Did I Cry? Of course not.

Not all is terrible! It’s a beautiful movie to look at, because M. Night’s direction is never the problem, but combined with the script, the acting, and the absurd narrative leaps needed to make this story make even a little bit of sense, the whole thing turns into a mess. Unfortunately, getting Old with M. Night is less “leisurely retirement at a plush resort in Florida” and more “rancid can of Ensure and a poop-choked pair of Depends.”

If you liked this review, please consider reblogging or subscribing to my Patreon! For as low as $1, you can access bonus content and movie reviews, or even request that I review any movie of your choice.

[full-hd-sun]

Instagram algorithms

Pairing:

Johnny/Ten

Warnings and genres:

Romantic Fluff, Happy Ending, Strangers to Lovers, Idols, Attempt at Humor, Dancer Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten

Summary:

They say, "Never say never." In an instant - you don't even think about dancing and it's annoys you, but in another moment - you are ready to make a room with a pole in your future apartment, so that "he" dances only for you.

     - By today, the shooting of the video is over! Thank you all for the work done, everyone is free! - said the director, and the guys could finally exhale. The staff collected the decorations, and the guys went to the dressing rooms. They had ten minutes to change - a car was already waiting for them on the street to take them to the dorm.

Johnny was sorry to part with his clothes for filming, because he really loved the style that the stylists chose for him. When he went to the store himself, he could choose clothes like a bum-style type, which upset him. While Johnny was changing, he had the thought that now he would have to return to his empty dorm room, where no one was waiting for him, and the second part of the bed was cold and not warmed by anyone’s body.

He had a neighbor named Taeyong, but the next week he is going to move to his boyfriend Jaehyun’s, so they would leave him all alone in the room. Sometimes he was so jealous of them. Johnny also wanted to have someone who could lie on top, and he would bury his fingers in the hair of this “someone”, which are still a little damp after a shower, and would exchange soft kisses with him, talking about something of theirs, secret.

And so the group was standing by the car. While the guys getting into the car, Johnny tried to order food delivery, because he is exhausted. He take a seat next to Mark, and they started discussing the filming and remembered how Jaehyun blushed when they forced him to shoot a video with the tackle phrase “Jeogiyo nuna hokshi namjachingu isseoyo”. After hearing it, Yoonoh blushed again and hid behind Taeyong’s back, who responded by gently stroking his head.

While they had such conversations, they quickly got to dorm, and fled to their rooms, because everyone wanted to wash finally off the makeup that irritated the skin. Taeyong took the bathroom, and Johnny cheered himself up and go to Instagram, while waiting for a friend to free room. Since he is a great connoisseur of high-quality photos, he follows many photographers and on average he spent four hours a day on Instagram.

      - This is outstanding ... Taeyong, come here! Look what a gorgeous shot! I’m crazy about this photographer! - Johnny yelled while lifting his phone into the air.

      - You say that about every photographer you follow, - Tae replied trying not to move his facial muscles to keep the mask from slipping. - And if it’s an animal on the photo ... - he did not have time to finish the sentence, because Johnny poked him with his phone almost in the face.

      - Just look! What color correction, what kind of exposure, and how well the background is visible, which does not distract from the foreground. Everything is harmonious as hell! - Suh shakes his phone. - I won’t find content on Instagram better than animals or professional photography, - Johnny switched to the recommendations feed.

      - I wouldn’t be so sure. I also thought so before, but you know, Instagram recommendations can throw something interesting. I’ve found so many edits made by our fans. When I’m not in the mood, they amuse me, - replied Lee, removing the mask and smearing the remnants of it on his neck with thin fingers.

      - Well, yes, artificial intelligence does not stand still, but it will definitely not be cooler than well-taken photographs or animals. - said Johnny, accidentally clicking on the first post in the recommendations.

The video showed a guy was on his knees and pressed his buttocks to the pole. When the calm music began, he threw one hand on the pole, and the other temptingly ran over the body. Then he spread his knees to the sides, grabbed the pole with both hands and turned over in the air, as if this did not require special strength, standing on his right leg, and wrapping his left leg around the pole. All his movements were smooth and calm, like a surface of a sea on an early sunny morning. The video was short, but Johnny seems to have spent a lot more watching, and Taeyong pulled him out of the trance by snapping his fingers to his ear.

      - Hey, I told you here how the guys and I spent the weekend, and you didn’t even hummed. You seem to have seen a new photo there that fascinated you? - said Lee and tried to look at the elder’s phone, but last quickly blocked it.

      - No, I thought about the upcoming photo sessions. Again, so many things will have to be applied, the hair will be torment ... - Johnny tried to redirect topic in another side, because he knew that Lee was a fan of crying about transformations during each comeback and how he fed up with everything.

      - Oh yes, this is awfull. They will paint me in long-ass colour again and dress something on me, like in Fire Truck’s era ... - Taeyong complained.

_-_-_-_ -_-_-_-_ -_-_-_-_ -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ -_- _-_- _-_- _-_- _-_- _-_- _-_- _-_- 

Several weeks after that video, Johnny followed actively that dancer. His name was Ten, and it turned out that he danced not only on the pole but also hip-hop, traditional Chinese dances, and even ballet ... Of course, pole dancing received the most views and admired comments. Suh watched and commented on all Ten’s videos, were on all the lives and tried to memorize every guy’s emotion.

- So, we have everybody here broken down by parts, so while the rap-line is being recorded, the vocals can have some rest. You can go take a coffee, - said the record director and disappeared into the studio with Mark and Taeyong.

Jungwoo promised that he would stay at the studio and write to the American in case of anything, so Johnny went to the cafe downstairs for calm breakfast with meringues and coffee.

He felt like a teenager when he thought about how to get attention from this handsome guy dancer. At first Johnny thought about writing Ten in direct, but he probably already has a lot of fans, so Johnny’s message will just get lost among a bunch of others. Then he thought to invite Ten as a backing dancer to their video, but they already had enough people, and then Suh thought if he received such an offer, he would definitely block this person. Therefore, Johnny was waiting for an opportunity to drive up to the guy as invisibly as possible.

Suddenly, a notification came that Ten had a new post. Opening it, Johnny flew out of this world altogether: in the video, Ten, slightly sag in the back, leaning on the pole only with his shoulder blades, but what Suh paid all his attention to was that the dancer was on high heels. Rather rhythmic music played, but Ten hit the beat with every particle of his body, captivating the American’s mind. He arching as if his bones were made from gelatin. Ten playfully shot his eyes into the lens, and Johnny felt like these eyes were hitting into his heart. Eagerly absorbing every movement, repeating Ten’s emotions on his face. When the dance ended, Ten found himself in the same position as in the beginning.

Johnny really regretted that he didn’t smoke, otherwise he would have smoked a whole pack. So he took a cup of Americano brought by the server and drank it all in a few sips. Johnny just forgot how to breathe. Previously, he did not notice a special love for dancing, especially the pole, he just did not understand the meaning. And now he is ready to find out the address of the studio where Ten dances, and even if this is some god-choked club somewhere on the edge of the city - Johnny is ready to come there and watch the guy dances, and then come to the hostel and will fantasize, remembering his cunning, fox gaze and light movements. Although somewhere deep in his soul he wanted Ten to dance only for him. Johnny was even ready to give him a room in his future apartment where Ten would dance only for him.

From such thoughts the blood rushed to the right place, but Johnny had no time to go to relax - he saw a message from Jungwoo: he wrote that it was time for them to go recording. So he quickly finished eating the meringue and having paid, ran up the stairs.

-_- -_- -_- -_- -_- -_- -_- -_- -_- -_- -_- -_- -_- -_- -_- -_- -_- -_- -_- -_- -_- -_- -_- - -

The guys were exhausted: they had a promotion for the “Cherry Bomb” tour, and the last city they sang was Seoul. Before the concert there were three days off, the group divided into units: one unit slept all day, got up to eat in the evening, and went to bed again, and the second unit just played games all day, ate a lot and lay in bed, conducting live.

The time was approaching midnight, when Johnny tired of watching YouTube, so he remembered about Ten’s Instagram. When he opened the application, he immediately saw a post about Lulu, a cute short-legged cat, very popular on YouTube, who also had a “brother”. It was a short video of Lulu trying to steal a piece of cake from the hostess. This made Johnny uwu-face and flipped down the page, bumping into Ten’s post. It said that they were recruiting for a pole dancing group.

At first Johnny lit up with joy, as this is a great opportunity to roll up to the guy and pull him into his net. But he is an idol, the day after tomorrow is a concert, he needs to rest ... He weighed the pros and cons for a very long time and finally went to Taeyong, who probably did not sleep because he is working on the lyrics of a new song.

Johnny tapped his knuckles gently on the wooden door. After a couple of seconds, he heard Tae’s stomping outside the door and a tousled head appeared from there with glasses slipping to the tip of his nose.

- Oh Johnny, it’s you. Come in, just try as quietly as possible - Jae-na fall asleep, he was spinning for a long time and could not sleep, - Lee whispered, opening the door wider and letting in the guest.

Suh sat down on Taeyong’s bed and wondered how to tell properly his friend about the situation, and decided that it would be better to dump everything on a clean one.

- Taeyong, I just decided ... I want to go pole dancing. What do you think about it? Johnny asked, looking up hesitantly at Lee, who was intently crossing out individual lines of the song in his notebook. He was not even surprised at this question and just asked.

-And who is this lucky guy that you want to attract? - with a slight grin on his face.

Johnny at first did not understand what the guy was driving at, and told that he had read somewhere there that it is useful for physical fitness, like you won’t be a jerk, but your hands will be strong. And then he realized, so he ran his eyes around the room, trying not to show it.

- In what sense of “lucky-guy”? I just decided for myself. I saw one guy dancing ... - Suh started talking, but was interrupted by Lee, who finished the sentence in his place.

- And you conquered him with your skills, am I right? Taeyong finally raised his head and turned sideways to his friend.

Johnny’s face was full of emotion, but the first thing Taeyong saw was embarrassment. He hit the mark.

- But how did you guess? - the American rubbed the tips of his ears.

- Well, first - you were never very interested in dancing at rehearsals, I never saw yours much zeal to dancing. Second, - Tae bent his second finger, turning his back to Johnny and recording something, - everyone has noticed for a long time that you spend a lot of time on the phone watching videos of some dancer on repeat. And our Doyoung, like a bloodhound dog, found him in your subscriptions and we also watched all of his videos. You have a good taste for guys, Johnny-hyung, - said Taeyong mockingly, making the elder blush even more and stare at the floor, - Well, third, even though you wear oversized clothes, yours “daddy” is all it is equally visible and he gives you up with giblets.

Johnny reflexively grabbed onto the aforementioned spot, covering it up, making Taeyong burst out laughing.

- But how did you all know? Johnny asked to deflect the subject from such an awkward moment.

- Well at least that you look hilarious when you watch him dancing and try to copy his facial expressions. And also, when you were dancing in the training hall with headphones on, I could admire how you tried to sit on the splits and your pants were torn right in the middle. - Lee could no longer restrain himself and burst into soundless laughter.

Johnny would fall through the floor if he found out that this shame was seen by someone else, but he can trust Lee, so they laughed, but not loudly, as Yoonoh tossed and turn in his sleep and Taeyong left to calm him down and sang him a song.

Johnny continued to sit on the edge of the bed, face propped in his hands, and watched about the couple. They were insanely cute: Jaehyun would often massage Taeyong’s back and legs on set because the latter was training too hard and was exhausted, and Yoonoh also brought food for Lee because Taeyong usually forgot to eat during day and then ate so much before going to bed and half of the night turning from side to side. Taeyong always asked everyone to be quiet in the car when Jaehyun fell asleep on his shoulder or lap; they were at the gunpoint of the cameras and behaved cautiously, no one could say that they were meeting, but the tenderness that they gave to each other was in the air and encouraged others to meet the soul mate, for whom they would want to move mountains. If they fought, then at most they could not talk for half an hour, one of them always came to another and childishly held out his little finger with the words “Make friends, make friends, Never, never break friends, if you do - You’ll catch the flu, And that will be the end of you”, and in the morning Mark and Donghyuck, who live next door, complained of banging on the wall and low sighs.

Johnny took a deep breath because he wasn’t sure guys like Ten needed a relationship. He seems to be married to the gym and pole. Meanwhile, Lee calmed Jung down and returned to the chair. Johnny looked up and asked hesitantly.

      - Well, since you already know everything about this, then ... Should I try?

Taeyong was silent for a minute, and then he spoke.

      - I think yes. It will be very difficult for you, but I am confident in you like in no one else.

      - To be honest, I’m terrified. I’ll be like a cow on ice ...

      - Love overpowers fear, - Taeyong whispered mysteriously and returned to his notes.

But really, what would he lose if he just tried? Yes, he will look ridiculous trying to climb the pole, but isn’t it worth it to make Ten laugh and cheer him up? When Doyoung was sad before the vlive, Johnny made him laugh in more ridiculous ways, and nothing, no one stopped loving him less because of this. Johnny decided that he should justify the feelings that arose in him six months ago, and he would rather get a refusal now than continue to sigh mindlessly for this guy.

      - You’re right, - Johnny whispered sharply and frightened Taeyong, who had already forgotten that Suh is still here, - I’ll take this first step towards winning the dancer’s heart, and either I’ll be refused, or I can bathe in his love.

＼（Ｔ���Ｔ）／ ＼（Ｔ∇Ｔ）／ ＼（Ｔ∇Ｔ）／

After speaking a little more with Tae and finally dispelling his indecision, Johnny returned to his room. Now he had to write to Ten about his desire to dance, but it was not as easy as he imagined. He could only hope that his message would not get lost among others. He opened a direct with Ten.

Hello! Saw yours last post about recruiting a pole dance group. Are there still free positions?

He wrote this with shaking hands, but was very glad that he dared to take such a step. Deciding to distract himself from waiting of the dancers answer, Suh turned on video. It was fourteen minutes to three o’clock in the morning when Johnny received an Instagram alert on his phone.

Hi Hi. Just in time for the last. When will it be convenient for you to come?

The American was as delighted with the message as the schoolgirl to whom her love was answered. He wanted to squeak, but remembered in time that it was now like night. So Johnny buried himself in the pillow and muttered something joyful in his own way and then exhaled deeply. For a long time he could not leave the message read.

I don’t know yet, because I have a work, but I would like to get to your group.

Johnny wrote to Ten, hit the send button and immediately fall asleep.

In the morning his message was read, but with no response. Johnny imagined thousand and one reasons of his stupidness and was already ready to cry in Taeyong’s shoulder but he was stopped by Mark, who pleased the older one to reconcile him with Donghyuck, because he accidentally deleted a game from theirs computer because of lack of memory, and now the youngest was mortally offended by him. During lunch and Johnny did not touch the phone again. And only when they went to their rooms, Johnny finally remembered the correspondence.

He had never run to the phone so quickly. Grabbing it, Johnny sighed with relief: Ten answered. He did not dare to open the message for a long time, fearing rejection, but then he remembered Taeyong’s words and said “Well, no matter what, i open” and read the message.

If you want, you can come to the introductory lesson tomorrow at twenty minutes to three in the afternoon.

Johnny could not believe his happiness: tomorrow he will see this charm boy live and that is why he became strange, because after that he happily jogged in the room and shouted - Who is sexy Frau? I am sexy Frau!!, without even thinking - Frau is a woman, but he can say so, he has such an event. He picked up the phone and wrote a message:

Oh, sure. What should I take with me?

The answer came quickly, as if Ten were expecting his message:

Yourself.

Johnny wondered if either Ten was as weird as he was, or that the message was not meant for him. But he decided not to upset himself and just hugged the phone, imagining tomorrow.

＼（Ｔ∇Ｔ）／ ＼（Ｔ∇Ｔ）／ ＼（Ｔ∇Ｔ）／

Arriving at the address showed by Ten, Johnny doubted for a very long time: was this message really was intended for him? Maybe Ten is expecting to see someone another. In moments like this, Suh forgets that he is an idol. He sat down on the sofa in the hall and waited.

Johnny was drawn from his thoughts by a human shadow blocking the light in front of him. He looked up and gasped - it was Ten who smiled to him. Johnny sat with his mouth open, and Ten realized how much he impressed Suh - he silently pulled Johnny with him. As the man stood up and followed the dancer, he noticed his height advantage and noted the strength with which Ten was pulling him forward.

They didn’t walk long, but during that time Johnny had time to study him: he had beautifully tousled silver hair, he was wearing a big loose T-shirt and sweatpants, and he smelled a mix of a little sweat and fresh mint. Johnny was so shocked to be so close to Ten that he didn’t even notice bringing him to the training room: it looked much smaller than theirs room, but it was just as cozy here, and Johnny thought the soundproofing was better here than in theirs company’s gym.

- So what dance would you like to dance? - asked Ten with honey voice, closing the door behind him. Johnny became very uncomfortable, because they were together there, and then his “daddy” made itself felt, showing through the fabric of tight jeans. I thought about wearing something loose,- he thoughts, and then looked up and caught the curious gaze of a dancer who was grinning and looking as sly as in his video.

- I would like to.. With you in ... I mean, dance on the pylon, you do it so wonderful and easily, it’s incredible ... - Johnny explained, looking at the floor like a child guilty of something. Ten only nodded in response to his praise.

- Well, since you are so amazed, would you like to see one of my best dances? - asked Ten after a pause and, without waiting for an answer, turned to the speakers behind him to find the music. - You can sit there - Ten pointed on the rugs.

Johnny decided that sitting down would be the best decision he made today. He sat down on the mat and, as it seemed to him, imperceptibly corrected his disgrace in his pants, but Ten saw everything watching the American in the mirror. Dancer just grinned at this maneuver.

Ten finally found the song, turned it on and ran briskly to the pole. He shook his head, stretched, and the song “Baby Don’t Like It “played. Johnny didn’t even immediately realize that it was a song from his group, he just thought he had already heard it somewhere.

Ten’s shoulders were wider than the guys his height, but he was very slim and flexible. Every movement of his hips made Johnny squeal inside, his arms were thin and even seemed a little feminine, but when he grabbed the pole, Suh opened his mouth in surprise and wondering where so much power in such a body. The song was alluring, and the atmosphere which Ten created with his dance was such that you can cut the air with a knife. At first, Johnny was controlling himself, but then he gazed at the guy. He even rarely blinked so as not to miss a single movement. There was nothing vulgar in dancer’s movements, but the way he presented the dance left nothing in his thoughts, except sexual fantasies. The guy glides along the pylon like a snake, and that sly look pins to Suh. Ten definitely understood his sexuality and knew what to press on. From time to time Johnny pinched his own hand to calm down a little.

Alas, Ten’s dance came to the end, and Johnny again did not even notice. His throat was dry, he wanted to drink even more than then in the cafe. With this dance, Ten finally won Suh’s heart.

- What do you think about it? - asked Ten. He slid down the pylon and sat on the floor opposite Johnny.

- You’re just like God, - croaked American. The dancer only smiled at this.

- You can just call me Ten.

Johnny didn’t know what to say to that and just hummed. He thought it would be much easier in live communication. Ten seemed not even tense. But he apparently felt that the tension was still there and emanated from Johnny.

- Well, will you sit and be silent, or will you offer to go on a date? - Ten interrupted the silence, getting closer to Johnny. Suh did not expect such a turn.

- Sorry, what?

- Come on, they’ve already told me everything about your love for me. I am the best friend of one of your group mate, and he told me about your feelings, - the dancer laughed, standing up from the floor and sitting down next to Suh, who was crazy about the situation. - At first I didn’t believe it either, because I have been a fan of yours group for a long time, and my bias is a fan of my dances, - Ten continued to twitter while Johnny was digesting the information. He could just use one of his morons - classmates, but he sat for six months like an idiot and suffered?

Did it suddenly happen that the person he loved was also a fan? Well, it flabbergasted me. Johnny just couldn’t help but smile with happiness.

Interrupting Ten’s speech, Suh pulled him into a gentle kiss, gently hugging the guy by the shoulders, because he was afraid of breaking Ten’s back with his strength. As expected, this guy is wonderful in everything, even in the kiss he brought his individuality. When they pulled away from each other, Ten chuckled.

- Well, actually, at first I would prefer to go on a date, but I also like your version. But wait a minute.

Ten got to his feet and turned the key in the lock, and then came back, knelt down directly to Suh and crawled on top of him like a cat.

- So where did we stop?

＼ （Ｔ∇Ｔ） ／ ＼ （Ｔ∇Ｔ） ／ ＼ （Ｔ∇Ｔ） ／

After a hot relaxation in the training room, Ten and Johnny took a shower separately, and Suh, like a gentleman, invited the guy to dinner. They went to the ramen cafe, where they ordered a few servings of noodles because they lost a lot of calories. It turned out they were like two pears in a pod: Ten argued with Johnny, who would eat two portions of ramen faster. Suh would win, but so as not to upset Ten, he patiently waited for him to eat his portions first, and then, like a child, rejoiced for him, clutching his cheeks.

Until recently, Johnny did not even know how to talk to a guy, but now they tried the forbidden fruit, albeit in the hall, but they will definitely repeat this in all places, because the elder now knows how much Ten fell in love with him during this time. Johnny could not want more, but fate rewarded him for restraint with a gift in the form of this adorable kitten.

[anjuschiffer]

The Host Club’s Busy Week: Who Let the Rich in the Bakery?!

So during the middle of the night (at least it was for me), a group of us in the Maribat Discord server came up with this AU and thus this was born. Wanna thank @ficsforthestars for instigating this AU! I had a blast writing this.

Also, some things to know before you read: Mari goes under the name Marin when she's part of the school and Mari/Marinette outside of school. Adrien and Felix are called Twins since they look identical despite their different personalities and having different surnames.

With that, I hope you enjoy this!

@-@-@-@-@-

AO3

@-@-@-@-@-

“A competition?” The twins asked, Adrien and Felix looking at one another and then back at Damian. 

It was another day at the Host Club, the boys lazing around as Mari was crowded by the clients that were in the club at that moment. 

Today’s event: Tea with Marin (with cakes made by Marin). 

Damian smirked. 

“Marinette’s parents own a bakery, correct?” A series of nods. “Well, it just so happens that they’re very popular despite being a small commoner’s business, which leads to my next point.”

Damian shows them a flyer, Richard and the rest of the boys wondering what it was. 

“A piece of paper.” Tim says after skimming the flyer, going back to resting his head on the club’s pillow stash. “A flyer to be exact.”

“Correct.” Damian puts the flyer back into his case, Felix noticing other photos and templates in the leather file. Templates were marked in red, some notes scattered around the paper. 

What was Damian up to?

“What does this have to do with Marinette and her parent’s bakery?” Richard asked, something in his gut not sitting right. 

“Well, the bakery needs part-time workers or any volunteers that can help them this upcoming week.” Damian pulled out his remote to summon the club’s screen projector, showing some photos of Marinette’s parent’s bakery filled to brim with customers ordering cakes and other pastries, Sabine and Tom wearing panicked faces. 

Many of the orders and pastries were pink and red themed, the boys quickly picking up on the theme: Valentine’s Day. 

“But we also have our Valentine Day’s event coming up.” Jon chirped in, worried about possibly having to cancel their event to volunteer at the bakery. Not that he minded. Maybe he’d get to try some cakes there. 

“Like if we would ever raise a finger to prepare for the event.” Felix reminded the group, everyone nervously chuckling except for Damian. 

“Back to the matter at hands, we’ll be competing to see who can deliver the most pastries for that entire time we are there.”

Damian changes the slide, showing a map of the area around the Dupain-Cheng Bakery. There were dots scattered across the city, a lot circling around the outskirts of the city and around the bakery itself. 

“Sounds fun!” Adrien squeals, Felix placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“Seeing as this is a competition, I’m sure there’s a prize involved.” 

“Nothing gets by you, does it, de Vanily?” Damian wipes out a tiny envelope. 

“What’s it got?” Jon asked, wondering what a small envelope the size of Damian’s hand would contain. 

“A one day baking class with Marinette.” The boys simply looked at each other and blinked, turning back to Damian new with confused faces. 

“We can literally just ask if she-“

“-with just Marinette teaching you in the bakery.” Damian grinned as he watched everyone straighten in their seats, wanting to laugh at the serious expression that morphed onto Grayson, Agreste and de Vanily. “A one-on-on class. Usually it’s take a lot of membership points to even gain a class with her parents, but with their daughter?” Damian chuckled. “You’d have to buy a year’s worth of pastries to gather the amount of points needed to purchase the class session.”

“We’re rich.” Tim bluntly stated, gaining a few agreements. “We can literally buy three year’s worth of-“

“Drake, do they look like a factory to be able to produce that quantity of goods?” Tim mumbled a no. “There you have it.”

“So, who’s in?” All the boys raised their hands. “Let the game begin.”

Marinette felt a shiver go down her spine as she drank some tea with the ladies, turning her head to see the boys arguing with each other. 

A storm was brewing. 

----

“STOP GROWING MUSHROOMS BY THE OVEN SENPAI! YOU’RE GOING TO RUIN THE DOUGH!” Marinette screamed, pulling Dick away from their oven, allowing himself to get dragged out of the kitchen and into the staircase that lead to the apartment. 

Adrien and Felix giggled as they watched their friend get scolded by Marinette, quickly going over to the counter to hand Damian over the money they had gotten from their recent delivery. 

“Did he mess up again?” Felix asked Damian, accepting the water bottle the Wayne had offered. 

“He sure did.” Tim replies, sipping on his coffee. 

“And he was so sure he was going to get it right this time.” Damian grinned. “He ended up getting lost towards the end and had to get our driver to help him, only to be off by a whole number.” 

“Should’ve seen how embarrassed he got when he knocked on the wrong house door and apologized for bothering them.” Tim said, smirking into his  coffee. “Wish I had known about this instant coffee sooner. Don’t have to wait for it to be grounded or anything! Just add water and it’s done!”

“Well thanks to you, we’re a bag short.” Marinette scowled, causing Tim to jump. “I swear I just saw you drink a cup a minute ago.” Mari said, rubbing her temple as she made her way back into the kitchen. 

“It was actually five minutes ago.” Tim mumbled, taking another sip from the coffee before planing it down to help ring the customer at the counter. 

“Wait, just how much has he been drinking?” Adrien said, turning to Damian for answers. 

“For every five cups he pours, one of them ends up for him.” Damian answered, glaring at Tim as he attempted to steal another cup. “This coffee is for the elderly lady over there so you can’t have it.”

“Party pooper.” Tim muttered, watching Damian give Jon a blind eye. 

Said boy was sitting with the elderly lady, chatting away as the two ate some brioche. 

“I thought you guys were here to help, not to be babysitted.” Marinette growled through her teeth, making everyone go back to their respected jobs. 

She knew, she just knew it.

That shiver that rippled down her back that day was this. She was being warned about this disaster. 

When the Club appeared at her door that morning -at four of the morning mind you-, she knew something was up, she knew they were plotting something. 

And today was not the best day to interfere with her life. Today was one of the busiest days of the year, so Mari didn’t need this ball of stress to start the day, knowing there was more stress awaiting for her further on. 

But just as she had finished scolding them and demanded them to go back home, her father decided to walk by, his face brightening upon seeing them. 

He started to cry and hug Marinette and thanking her for getting her classmates to help them out, thanking Marinette for always being so concerned for her parents. 

As Tom welcomed them in, Mari could only watch in complete annoyance as she watched them have their way. 

Oh the work that awaited them, which led to now. 

Felix and Adrien had finished delivering their 49th order while Richard was still on his 23rd. 

While Mari wished she could go and encourage Dick, but she couldn’t, even if she wanted to. 

Her parents had their hands full and she was needed in the back, trusting Damian with the money, counter and managing his monkeys. 

He wasn’t the Club’s manager for no reason after all. 

With a heavy sigh and after slapping her hands on her cheeks, she headed back to the kitchen. 

-----

“Thank you all for helping us today.” Sabine said with a bow, the boys also bowing, though at different times. 

“Marinette’s lucky to have wonderful friends like yourselves.” Tom said, patting his daughter’s head. Marinette gave her father a smile but dropped it when she turned to see the club members, her eyes narrowed. 

“If anything, we’re lucky to have Mari for a friend.” Jon said, running up to Sabine. “Now we know where she gets her kind personality from!”

Thank Jon was the only thing that rang through the member’s mind, thanking the oblivious boy and his sunshine personality. 

Sabine hugged the boy. “I’m just so happy that my little girl is getting along with her classmates and making friends.” She let go of Jon, who wobbled to compose himself. “We were worried she wouldn’t make any, seeing as it’s a very prestigious school the lot of you attend.”

The twins looked at each other before grinning, Mari not liking it one bit. 

“Don’t worry about a thing Mme. Cheng!” Adrien said with a chirp, Felix noticing the cue to continue. 

“The three of us are in the same class and club.” Felix said, smiling at the cooing Sabine gave them. He continued. “We are very close friends, spending a lot of time together, working on club activities and schoolwork.”

“And because we spend so much time together, we’ve practically her favorite duo. We are best friends after all!” Adrien ended with a smile, shaking Felix’s hand behind his back upon noticing how Dick wilted at their right. 

“Oh Mari!” Marinette was smoldered by hugs, the Club enjoying every bit of it. 

-----

“So, who won?” Felix asked, sipping on some Earl Grey. 

The weekend had passed, the Club spending their glorious three days there, getting fed by the Dupain-Cheng’s. 

Jon -in particular- adored Sabine, one of favorite things about her was how comfortable he felt around her. Almost like having a second mother. 

Tim enjoyed simply being in the bakery, to sit in the aroma of freshly made coffee was heavenly. 

The rest simply liked the bakery because of Marinette and the feeling of being home despite only being there for a few days. 

“Yeah! Tell us Damian!” Jon chirped, stuffing his face with some cookies the Dupain-Cheng’s had given him. 

“Well,” Damian pulled out his screen projector again, taking out a pointer. “Seeing as Jon and Tim lost interest in the competition as soon as they set foot in the bakery, that leaves the rest.”

He changed to the next slide, showing four lines on the map along with dots of the same color. 

“Ooo, what are those lines and dots for?” Jon inquired. On the map, there were lines of different colors along with matching dots. 

“These four lines show the route each of us took when delivering the pastries. The dots show the orders that were successfully delivered.” 

At the corner, there was a guide that named which color belonged to who. Damian smirked when he saw Richard cower behind Tim while the twins glanced at each other before Cheshire grins graced their faces. 

Felix tried his hardest to not laugh while Adrien didn’t bother to hide it. Turning around from his place, Adrien laughed at his senpai. 

“Look at yours Richard! Your blue line is all over the city! And you only got 30 dots on the map!”

Richard curled into himself, his face burning with embarrassment. 

It wasn’t his fault that all the streets looked alike!

“Sad to see that you got lost while being a few meters away from the bakery.” Felix added, smiling at his amount of dots on the map: 96. Meanwhile Adrien felt cheated. 

“Why does Felix get 96?! We went the same way! We should’ve gotten the same amount!”

“You only got 69 because you failed to notice Felix sneaking in other orders as he joined you.” Damian filled in, wondering why-

“Wait… how do you have over a 100 orders?” Oh. So the sleep-deprived idiot noticed. “You were inside the bakery the entire time. Did you cheat?!” Tim accused, Damian raising a brow. 

“Me, cheat?” Damian put the projector away. “No my dear brother. I simply found a loophole.” He took out another remote, the boys watching in anticipation. “I simply used drones to deliver the orders, no walking necessary.”

“SO YOU DID CHEAT!” Adrien and Richard yelled, Felix simply frowning. 

“And as I’m the sole winner, I’ll be using the opportunity to gather more photos for Marin’s monthly magazine.” Damian smirked. “It has become a club favorite, even gaining more demand than his Majesty himself.” Damian wanted to laugh upon seeing Richard wilt even more, dragging himself to a corner to mope. 

“I should’ve known.” A voice spoke up, causing everyone to whip their heads to their eavesdropper. 

“Mari.”

“You did all of that just for fun?” She growled, walking up to the boys, her arms crossed over her chest, tapping her foot. “For your entertainment?”

“A bit, yes, however-“ Damian was shortly interrupted by a fuming Marinette. 

“So you did!” Marinette yelled, grabbing Richard’s attention. “I can’t believe you guys!”

“Marinette, we didn’t mean-“ Adrien started, only to see Richard walk up to Marinette and placed his hands on her shoulders. 

“It started as a competition.” Richard said, dropping his hands once he had her attention. “And we shouldn’t have treated something so serious like that as a simple form of entertainment. Sorry.”

Marinette looked at Richard, averted her gaze and turned away from him. 

He had that look again. Glazed baby blue eyes and a thin line for a smile… the chirp in his being gone. 

Letting out a sigh, Marinette turned back to the ashamed group of boys. 

“It’s fine. I’ll look over it this one time.” Marinette turned to Damian. “However, whatever prize you were thinking of giving better not be rewarded as a condition for me turning a blind eye.”

Damian nodded, ripping the envelope from the beginning in half, making the boys scrunch up their faces. 

“We’re sorry Mari. We promise not to do something like this again.” Jon spoke up, making Mari feel guilty for getting angry at the group. Darn him and his baby doe eye strategy. 

“Like I said, it’s alright.” Marinette restated, now wondering how she was going to tell them what she came for.

“Did something happen Mari?” Jon asked innocently, the club fully knowing she was the softest for him. 

The perks of being a young, childish prodigy. 

“Well, my parents wanted to thank you all for helping out at the bakery the other day, so they want you guys to come over next week.”

“Next week?” The boys sang, watching Marinette fidget under their gaze. 

“You see… it’s my birthday next week.” 

Everyone went haywire, Richard quickly picking up Mari and spinning her around, shouting that his little girl was growing up. Damian started to jot something down and made phone calls. Tim simply blinked before muttering something into his phone and falling asleep. 

The twins managed to pull Mari away from Richard to only squish her between the two, throwing one arm each over her shoulder. They talked about how they felt betrayed that Mari kept her birthday a secret and how now they had to go shopping for her gift. 

Something about a house and a new building caused her to break away from them, warning them that they better not do anything of that extreme for her. Ever. 

Jon offered her to buy her his favorite cake from this world-renowned patisserie, which upon hearing their name, Mari paled. 

She knew that person, her parents’ idol and there was no way in hell was she going to allow Jon to buy her something worth thousands of Euros over a simple birthday cake. 

Damn rich kids. 

But seeing them fawn over her like this, to argue and have fun like this… it was like a dream. 

A dream that was her reality and that she was thankful for. 

She was blessed to be surrounded by such loving people. 

She couldn’t wait to tell her parents that they all said yes. 

It’d be a nice day filled with friends at her parent’s bakery, having cake and-

The floor began to rumble, scaring the entire club members and the other people there, a few of the girls screaming for dear life.

The floor parted open, Nino standing on a rising platform, light beams beaming pastel colors and Nino bopping his head as party music blasted from his speakers. His turntables glinted and his mixer sparkled as people began to gather around the uprising studio.

“Who invited that moron of a DJ?” Damian snarled, noticing the twins tense. “It was you two, wasn’t it?”

They looked at each other and then at Damian. “What? He’s cool.”

Everyone watched as Nino lowered the music and whipped out a microphone, grinning madly. 

“Hey dudettes! You’re probably wondering why I’m blasting party music, but get this!” A spotlight came out of nowhere, landing right on top of Marinette, causing her to freeze. “Starting today, we’re going to countdown to Marin’s birthday! Give it up for the soon-to-be-birthday dude!”

All the girls that were present at that moment turned their heads in unison to look at Mari, proceeding to squeal and surround her, asking her why she had hidden her birthday from them.

This was why Mari thought to herself as she was pushed and pulled on from the mob of girls she was surrounded by. She listened as some girls promised to bring her some pricey fabrics, threads, perfumes and other things from high-end brands Mari only wished to glance at and never touch.

This is why she didn’t say anything, but Nino just had to go and say something, didn’t he? Nino and his loose-lipped self.

-----

That following week, up until her birthday, Mari came home with a mountain of gifts, her parents panicking upon seeing the gifts and not knowing what to do. Meanwhile, one thing rang in her mind.

Damn these rich kids. 

After settling on what to do with the gifts, Mari excused herself to her room, her eyes landing on a box on her desk upon setting a foot in her room. 

She picked up the box, noticing how delicately it was wrapped, a pastel pink paper with ladybug print all over it, a single red ribbon at its side with a note underneath.

The note had her name, Marinette using this sign to open it and cry upon seeing the picture. 

In a simply glass frame with a single ladybug in the corner, there was a single picture of the day the stupid idiots went to volunteer at the bakery, everyone smiling at the camera.

Marinette wiped a tear as she placed the frame on her desk, a single phrase in her mind.

Damn these rich idiots… what would I do without them?

[accioharry]

unsaid emily: rewritten (ch.1) | read on ao3

Her mom made the photo album, documenting Luke’s life until his death the first week after he died before she changed her mind and threw it in the attic with everything else. Knowing the recent pictures would be at the back, she flipped to the end, and her breath hitched in her throat.

On the page was a taped in picture of Emmi on her fourth birthday, sitting on the shoulders of her long-dead brother, Luke Patterson.

The same boy currently standing in Julie’s studio.

What if Unsaid Emily wasn't about Luke's mom, but his little sister he left behind when he ran away from home? Twelve years after his death, Luke comes face to face with his younger sister, Emmi, who isn't ready to forgive her older brother for abandoning her. JATP AU// boys died in 2008, not 1995. 

Emmi was exhausted.

Her alarm didn’t go off, making her almost late for school. She was lucky that Julie always walked to school with her, if it wasn’t for her best friend hitting her with a pillow, she’d sleep until noon.

She stood at her locker, fumbling with the lock that never seemed to open when she felt her two best friends appear on either side of her. “

Hey, underachiever!” Flynn nudged her, while Julie echoed with “Hey disappointment!” on her other side.

If a teacher heard them, they’d get a lecture about respecting other students, but are you really best friends if you don’t greet each other with an insult?

Emmi laughed, finally yanking her locker open. “Are we ready for class?” She looked between the two girls before she and Flynn looked over at Julie.

Music used to be the three girls’ favorite class, but after Julie lost her mom a little over a year ago, things had changed. Gone was their usual singing to and from school and jamming in Rose Molina’s studio, but instead, Emmi longing to go back into the room she nearly called home for the entirety of her friendship with Julie.

She never could explain her attachment to the studio in the back of the Molina garage. A lot of things in there were old, stuffed in boxes and bags in the loft that was there when the family moved in before Julie was even born. Rose caught Emmi looking through the loft when she was ten, and even though Emmi was terrified her best friend’s mom would be upset, she wasn’t. She never told her where the things came from, but never questioned it when Emmi would find an old drumstick to twirl or a worn-out band t-shirt to wear when she would get her own clothes dirty after playing outside with Julie. She loved that studio so much, and when Julie told her they couldn’t go in there after Rose had died, Emmi felt as though a part of her was missing, but she could never explain it.

“Do you know what you’re going to sing?” Flynn asked Julie, but Julie shook her head. The girls hated that the school had given her an ultimatum, to sing again or be thrown out of the program. They were pushing Julie when she wasn’t even close to being ready, and it made Emmi angry every time she thought about it. Her hand twirled the guitar pick that hung around her neck, if she was old enough to remember when her brother died, she might have felt the same way about music.

“I’ll know in the moment,” Julie shrugged, eyes flickering to Emmi’s hand on the guitar pick. “His birthday is soon, isn’t it?”

“Yup, Mom is making the cake like she does every year,” Emmi tucked the pick under her shirt. “She doesn’t talk about him, just puts the cake in front of me to blow out the candles, puts his stocking up for Christmas, and that’s it.”

“I’m sorry,” Flynn muttered. “I know this time of year is hard to be at home,” she smiled at Emmi reassuringly.

“I mean it when I say I’m fine, I was a kid when he died. I don’t remember him, I barely got to look at his pictures before Mom stuffed them in the attic with the rest of his stuff.” She shook her head, turning her attention back to Julie. “Enough about me, it’s not important.”

Before she could get another word out, the sound of heels hitting the tile floor made her groan internally, rolling her eyes. The three of them turned to see Carrie Wilson, their school’s queen bee, strutting to them, her boyfriend (and Julie’s long term crush) trailing behind her.

“Girls!” She squealed, a fake smile etched onto her face.

“Carrie,” Emmi jokingly twirled a piece of her brown hair around her fingers. “What can we do for you on this beautiful day?” She could hear Flynn and Julie snickering behind her.

“Always such a sweetheart, Emmi!” Carrie grinned, but Emmi saw right through it. “My group is performing at the spirit rally tomorrow!” She handed Emmi a flyer, the words “DIRTY CANDY” written in big letters across the top. “I’m sure you guys have nothing better to do,” she smiled at Flynn.

“Oh my gosh, Carrie thanks!” Flynn put on her sweetest, most annoying voice. “It’s not like it’s a required part of our school day and any of us have a choice!”

“Oh my gosh Flynn,” Carrie mocked back, “don’t bother coming!”

“Did she miss the part where you said it was a required school event? Emmi leaned over and whispered in Flynn’s ear, but Julie elbowed her in the side. “Ow!”

The three of them waited until Carrie had focused her attention on another student before they turned to each other.

“Please tell me we’re over Nick,” Emmi groaned. “All he does is follow Carrie like a lost puppy!”

“A cute lost puppy,” Julie sighed dreamily but snapped out of it when the bell rang. “Okay, guess it’s time for class.”

“You got this Jules,” Emmi smiled, “I know you do!”

-----

Emmi’s worst fear came true: Julie didn’t sing.

She and Flynn had followed their friend out of class, finding her crying on the stairwell. Anything and everything that had to do with music made Julie upset, and Emmi could only sympathize, watching her parents go through the same thing when her brother died twelve years prior when Emmi was only four. She couldn’t remember what he looked like, but she remembered not understanding what happened. One second he was hugging her, telling her he needed to go on his own but would always come home, and then a police officer was holding her mom as she sobbed, three weeks later. Christmas was never the same after that, none of it was.

Her parents had packed up his room and taken down all of his pictures within the first month, and it was only when Emmi was six her Dad took her up to the attic without her Mom knowing, to show her some things that used to belong to her brother. That’s where she found the guitar pick her father put on a necklace for her, and she’s never taken it off since. Her mom obviously knew about it, but she never said anything. It was an unspoken thing, the only token Emmi got to have of the brother she couldn't remember.

Flynn had a student council meeting after school, so Emmi walked home with Julie. Her parents worked late, so she often ate dinner with Julie and her family, which she loved. Even though Julie’s loss was still an open wound, she thought her family handled it ten times better than her parents did. Her brother was a forbidden topic at home, but at Julie’s house, her mom was everywhere, just as she should be.

She was sitting at the table working on a pre-calculus problem when Ray, Julie’s dad, came into the room.

“Ah, two of my favorite girls!” He smiled. “Flynn at student council?”

Julie nodded, her Dad pulling up a chair to sit next to them at the table.

“What’s up?” Julie asked, a nervous tone in her voice. Emmi bit her lip, she knew Julie was terrified of her Dad finding out she was kicked out of the music program, and frankly she hoped the ground would swallow her before she had to witness that conversation.

“Well, I got some news today,” he started, and Emmi really wished the ground would take her at any moment. Julie stiffened.

“From my realtor friend,” he continued, and both girls sighed with relief. If Ray noticed, he didn’t say anything.

“He said if we’re serious about selling the house, then we need to take pictures for when we list it on the market.”

Julie nodded in understanding, and Emmi squirmed in her seat. Julie wanted to move away, and no one, not even Emmi and Flynn, could talk her out of it. The way Ray and Carlos would willingly move their entire life to help Julie heal made Emmi once again jealous, her parents doing nothing but closing the door to her brother’s empty room before it became Emmi’s playroom a couple of years later.

“But,” Ray continued, “I was thinking you could tackle Mom’s studio?”

Emmi looked at her best friend, Julie’s eyes already filling with tears. “It’s okay if you’re not ready,” he placed a comforting hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “Carlos and I, we wouldn’t know where to begin.”

“It’s okay, I’ll do it.” Julie shrugged. Her eyes met Emmi’s, who cleared her throat.

“I’ll help,” she offered, and Ray smiled at the two of them.

“Great! Now I’m already late for Carlos’s game, where are my keys?” He stood up to look.

“Under the mail,” Julie and Emmi said at the same time, before Ray laughed, taking his keys and heading out the door.

“Jules,” Emmi muttered, not wanting to hurt her friend. “Are you sure?”

“I mean we’re moving, right? Got to face it sometime,” Julie shrugged, but Emmi knew that was the end of the conversation.

----

Walking to the studio felt like a movie, Emmi thought. It was dark by the time Julie had the courage to walk down the steps that were all too familiar, but like Emmi promised, she wouldn’t do it alone.

“I’m right here,” she told Julie. “Anytime you want to leave, we leave.”

“Okay,” Julie sniffled, and with one hand held tightly by Emmi’s, she pushed the doors to the studio open. She let go of Emmi to walk over to turn on the lights, and Emmi gasped as she saw the familiar fairy lights turn on around her, dropping her backpack on the ground. Julie walked around slowly, her hand running over the familiar grand piano that was covered by a white sheet, before she yanked it off, coughing with the dust.

Emmi found the ladder to the loft, smiling when she heard the familiar creak of the steps underneath her feet as she climbed. The drumsticks were right where she left them the last time she was here, and she didn’t hesitate to grab them. She never played drums or any instrument for that matter, but she always had fun twirling them around in her hands. Her feet dangled off the side as she rummaged through one of the dark bags left up here, but nothing stood out to her.

“Em! I found something,” Julie called, and Emmi rushed down the ladder and over to her best friend. “I didn’t know Mom had this CD?”

Emmi took it from Julie, flipping it over to look at the tracklist. “Sunset Curve?” She muttered to herself. “Why…why does that sound familiar?”

“It doesn’t sound familiar to me,” Julie shrugged. “Should we play it while we look around?” Emmi nodded, putting the CD in the player before pressing play. A guitar riff filled the room, and Emmi found herself captivated by it, almost as if she knew it.

She definitely knew that riff, but she couldn’t figure out where she heard it from. “Jules, I know this song—” she started to say over the music, but a loud screeching noise, almost as though someone was yelling, filled the room, forcing the girls to cover their ears.

Emmi blinked, and all of a sudden three teenage boys had appeared out of nowhere, falling onto the floor, groaning as they hit the ground. The music stopped in the background.

The girls stood frozen, watching the boys stand up, shaking the dust off their clothes.

“Woah,” the boy in the middle said, “how did we get back here?”

Emmi screamed.

[btschooseafic]

Hey you, what’s your dream?

Pairing: platonic!oc x ot7

Details: manager!oc, predebut/idolverse, partial BTS World!verse

Summary: Aviva and Hoseok celebrate their birthday at the dorm.

Warnings: This is a fictional story based on real events. The characters presented here are not the same as their real life counterparts. [9/2/21: some minor edits] [Masterlist]

Track 20: Birthdays

Birthday- The Beatles

“You say it's your birthday

It's my birthday too, yeah”

February 18th 2013

Aviva’s three-day suspension ended just before her birthday. Hobi suggested they both ditch and do something fun for the day, but she knew he was joking (mostly). He was in crunch time, really pushing to prepare for the debut, and she was eager to get back to work and do her best to support them.

It was a fairly normal day at work, with no one mentioning or treating her any differently because of the suspension. She was surprised when the office gave her a cake from Paris Baguette during her lunch break, even though it was a fairly standard policy, she had thought they might want to exclude her this time.

After work, Aviva went for out for a late dinner with Soonyoung. She stopped back at the office to pick up some paperwork, and was surprised to see the van still in the parking lot. Jin had offered to drive the boys back, so why were they still here? She went to the Bangtan Room and found them...

“Are you filming a Harlem Shake video?” She wondered, having walked in on a strange number of poses. Everyone froze. Namjoon blushed.

“Yep.” Hoseok tipped the brim of his cap away from his face to grin at her. “You’ll edit it and post it before the night ends, right?”

“What? No way.”

“But it’s my birthday!” He whined.

“But it’s my birthday!” She whined back at him. Everyone laughed.

“Won’t you bake me a cake at least?” Hoseok asked, pouting at her.

“Hmm…” She glanced at her phone. “It’s getting late. Anyway, didn’t the company give you one?”

“Yeah, but yours are better!”

“Paris Baguette is pretty good, I think...” But she was smiling.

“Why don’t you hang out with us, noona?” Jimin suggested. “We were gonna watch a movie at the dorm after this.”

“I can make extra popcorn!” Jin said excitedly.

“I don’t really care about popcorn… but, maybe I will hang out,” she thought. “Let’s head back to the dorm, okay?”

Jimin, Jin, and Hoseok cheered.

She texted Soonyoung to let her know, and then got to work baking a cake. They ate cake and popcorn as they watched Hoseok’s favorite movie (which also happened to be a favorite of Aviva’s). Aviva found herself on the floor leaning against Yoongi’s legs, with Jimin and Tae snuggled on either side of her. At some point Jungkook migrated his head onto her lap with his legs sprawled over Jimin. Yoongi and Namjoon and fallen asleep curled up in the corner of the couch, while Hoseok stretched out with his feet in Jin’s lap.

As the movie came to an end, Jin stood up and started to clean. Aviva tried to move to help him, but was weighed down by three growing boys.

Jin waved his hand. “Just let them rest for a few more minutes. Hoseok-ah can help me clean.”

“But it’s my—” Hoseok stopped at a sharp look from Jin. “Yeah, okay, hyung.”

“Hmmm, are you sleeping on the couch again, Aviva-yah?” Yoongi wondered, rubbing his eyes as the boys started heading off to bed.

“Yeah. I already pulled the blanket out.”

He nodded. “Do you need clothes to sleep in?”

“Damn.” She snapped her fingers. “I knew I’d forgotten something.”

“You can sleep in my clothes, noona!” Jimin said. Everyone looked at him suspiciously.

“You sound very… enthusiastic about that, Jiminie,” Namjoon commented.

“No, I just…” Jimin blushed. “I just thought she’d look cute…”

Aviva smiled apologetically. “Sorry, Jiminie, but there’s no way I’d fit into your clothes. You’re too skinny.”

He frowned. “I’m not.”

Aviva ran her hand through her hair. “Maybe skinny isn’t the right word…”

“She means she’s got a chest and hips and you don’t,” Hoseok said.

“Yah!” Jin hit his arm. “Don’t talk about her like that!”

“What?” Hoseok looked at him. “I thought I put that very politely. Anyway, with an elastic waistband, she’d fit in mine, Yoongi, or Tae Tae’s pants likely.” He looked around at them. “Rock, paper, scissors for it?”

Yoongi shrugged. Taehyung nodded, holding up his fist.

“Wait a second,” Aviva said. “Isn’t anybody going to ask me what I want?”

“What do you want, Avi-yah?” Yoongi asked, looking at her steadily.

She froze, her face going pink.

“Ah, never mind,” she said quietly. “I don’t… I don’t want to inconvenience anyone. Maybe I should just go home…”

“No, it’s too late to be driving,” Namjoon told her. “Anyway, you’re never an inconvenience, you’re our friend. We’ll take care of it, okay?”

“…You’re just saying that cause you know your shirts are the only one she fits in,” Jimin muttered. Hoseok tapped his chin.

“Actually, because they prefer a baggy fit, Yoongi-hyung’s sweaters, and some of Jin-hyung’s tops would work,” he thought. Namjoon looked at them.

Yoongi shrugged again. “I don’t care. This is stupid.”

“I agree,” Jin said. “…But I do kind of want to see Avi-yah in pink.”

Yoongi snorted. “Obviously she’d look better in white,” he thought.

“I think black,” Namjoon said. Hoseok nodded.

“Two rounds of rock, paper, scissors it is.”

Aviva turned to Jungkook. “Aren’t you still growing? If we end up the same size I’m only borrowing your clothes and staying away from this nonsense.”

Jungkook shrugged. “I don’t care. We all share everything anyway.”

Aviva ended up wearing Hoseok’s sweatpants and Namjoon’s baggiest Supreme shirt.

February 19th 2013

In the morning she turned over, glancing at her phone. It was fifteen minutes before her alarm was set to go off, so she decided to get up early. She went to the bathroom and washed her face, pulled her hair up, and then went into the kitchen for a cup of coffee.

“Avi-yah?” Taehyung squinted at her sleepily.

“Mmm. Morning Tae. Are you waking up?”

“Hmm…what time is it?” He glanced at the clock on the wall and shook his head. “No, I think I’ll sleep a little more, just need the bathroom... you’re waking up?” She nodded, shivering a bit. It had gotten weirdly cold over night. He looked at her thoughtfully. “Want to borrow a sweater? I bet I have one that’ll fit you too.”

“…Okay.”

He smiled. “Great. One second.” He went to the bathroom and then moved over to the closet, pulling out a large green cardigan. “Is this texture okay?” He asked, knowing she didn’t like things that were either too soft or too scratchy. He held it out to her and she ran her fingers over it.

“Just right.”

“Hmm.” He smiled again. “Let me help you.” He motioned at her.

“I can put it on myself.”

“Want to help you.”

She sighed and got down from the stool at the counter, letting him manipulate her into the sweater like she was a giant doll.

“Thanks.”

“Later.” He kissed her cheek and walked off, yawning. She stared after him for a moment and then shook her head, settling back down on the couch and pulling out her laptop.

Just as she was finishing editing Hoseok’s video, she got a message from her sister.

 ‘Hey, u ok?’

 ‘Yeah. Y?’

 ‘… u forgot, didn’t you?’

Aviva tilted her head, trying to remember what she had forgotten. Oh! She was supposed to be on a Skype call with her family for her birthday. She glanced at the time. She had long enough to speak to them for a while before everyone woke up and got ready for the day. She clicked through some settings and made the call. Her parents and her sister were sitting on the couch in their living room, Jen’s arms crossed over her chest as she pouted.

“I can’t believe you forgot about your own birthday call!” Jenny said.

“Yeah, hello to you too, Jen,” Aviva said. Jenny huffed. Their mother smiled.

“It’s good to see you,” she said. “You look... cozy. Is that a new sweater?” Aviva touched the cardigan.

“Ah, no, it’s not mine, I’m just borrowing it cause it’s cold in here,” she told them.

“Where are you?” Her dad wondered, his eyes searching. “It doesn’t look like your apartment.”

“It’s the boys’ dorm. I… was editing a video,” she said vaguely.

“Oh, is JK there?” Jenny wondered, looking around excitedly.

“Hmm, he’s probably not awake yet,” she told her.

“Ah, too bad,” their mother said. “He was such a polite young man. And handsome too!”

“Mom!” Jenny said, her face flushing. Their mom just grinned. Their dad shook his head.

“What video are you editing?” He wanted to know.

“Um, just another meme one,” she told him. “I don’t know if you’d understand…”

“I still don’t understand what a meme is,” he muttered, rubbing his chin.

“Yeah, and I keep trying to explain it to you,” Jen said, shaking her head. The three of them talked for about fifteen more minutes before the door opened, and a sleepy Yoongi wandered in. His hair was impressively mussed, and his eyes were barely open. He was hugging his laptop to his chest.

He automatically went to sit on the couch, almost sitting on top of Aviva.

“Ah, oppa, I’m on a call, sorry!” She called out in Korean. He froze, and then slowly looked at the screen. His face flushed.

“Hello,” he said awkwardly in English, bowing.

“Um, guys, this is one of the group members, Yoongi,” she told her family.

“Oh, if he’s awake does that mean JK is awake?” Jen reasoned.

“Probably not,” Aviva thought. She looked at Yoongi, who appeared frozen in his bow. She nudged him. “It’s fine,” she told him in Korean. “You didn’t do anything wrong. These are my parents and my sister.” She pointed them out.

He straightened up and waved.

“I can’t… I’m not awake enough for this,” he muttered in Korean. “I just wanted to get some editing done, I forgot you were here…”

“Is anyone else awake?” She wondered. “They can come say hi if they want before I sign off. Jen would really like to see Kookie.”

“Hmmm. I’ll wake him,” Yoongi said reluctantly. “But you owe me coffee.”

“Sure,” Aviva said, not really caring. “Just don’t go back to sleep, oppa, it’s almost time to get ready to go anyway.”

“No promises.” He left the room.

“…He’s cute,” Jen decided. “Not as cute as JK, but…” Aviva snorted.

For the next ten minutes, various members drifted in and out to say ‘hello’ with Jungkook staying the longest.

Namjoon was excited for the opportunity to practice his English, although a lot shyer than he usually was when he practiced with Aviva.

“Is it true you learned from watching Friends?” Jen wondered.

Namjoon nodded. “Ah. Yes. Good T.V. show.”

“Avi!” Hoseok said, poking his head through the door. “Seokjin-hyung wants to know if you want an egg or toast or something.”

“I’ll take whatever,” she called back to him, glancing at the time again. “Ah, we should get ready.” She smiled apologetically at the screen.

“Okay,” Jen said. “Have a good day at work, Avi—practice hard, JK!”

“Yes, I will!” Jungkook said happily in English. “Thank you!”

“Nice to meet you, Namjoon, and good to see you again, Jungkook,” their mother said. Namjoon and Jungkook bowed.

“I will send you that article, Avi,” her dad said.

“Okay, baba, thanks!” She signed off and sighed. “I don’t want to read that article…”

“I thought it sounded interesting,” Namjoon said. She frowned.

“You read it, then.” She yawned. “I want to take a shower before we leave… are there clean towels?”

“I’ll find one for you, noona!” Jungkook said, running off, still buzzing with energy from having seen Jen.

“…He really might become your younger brother some day,” Namjoon thought.

She smiled. “I wouldn’t mind.”

Later that week, Kyungsoo finally called her into his office to lecture her about Namjoon’s song Expensive Girl song. Aviva did her best to smooth over any backlash from him and random Internet commenters, but it was a lot of work.

As their punishment, Aviva had Namjoon alone on dorm cleaning duty for the whole week, and assigned Hoseok to extra public speaking lessons.

She came to the dorm to pick Hoseok up for his lessons and found him cleaning. She squinted at him as he froze in the position of sweeping the entryway.

“Hobi… don’t tell me you two switched?”

“Okay…” He said. “I won’t tell you.”

She sighed. “Hoseok, it’s not a punishment if it’s something you enjoy doing. I know you secretly find cleaning relaxing, and Namjoon-ah finds the public speaking lessons fascinating.”

“Hmm. And that’s the problem.” He booped her on the nose, laughing as it wrinkled. “You know us too well, dear manager.”

“Just go wait in the car,” she told him. “I’ll have to speak to Namjoon-ah before we go.” She looked around. Hoseok pointed his thumb behind him.

“He’s in the living room.”

Aviva shivered as she entered the room. Namjoon was on the couch, holding something like a hockey mask in front of his face as Yoongi, who was sitting at the table, curled over laughing. She couldn’t help smiling, pausing in the doorway for a moment before stepping inside. She shivered again.

“You still haven’t gotten the heater fixed?”

Namjoon froze. “Ah, Avi-yah.” He put the mask down, his face going pink. “No. We couldn’t find anyone to come look at it, so I tried, and I think I made it worse.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

“Hmmm.” Aviva walked over to the heater, pulling off the top. “I think I can do this. The toolbox is in the bathroom closet, right?”

“Yeah, um. I could go get it for you…” His brow furrowed. “Are you sure you can do it?” She nodded.

“Pretty sure. I helped Soonie’s grandpa fix the heater at their place, and it looked pretty similar to this one.”

Namjoon nodded and left.

“A girl who knows her way around the toolbox… that’s kind of hot,” Yoongi thought, leaning back as he studied her. She raised an eyebrow at him. He flushed slightly. She walked over to him and ran her fingers over his soft fluffy hat, her lips twitching. He stiffened. “What’re you doing?”

“You look adorable,” she told him. His cheeks flushed even pinker.

“I thought you didn’t like soft things?” He grumbled, grabbing her hand and pulling it away from his hat.

She shrugged. “I couldn’t resist.”

He shook his head, smiling slightly.

“What are you doing over here, anyway?”

“Dropping Hobi off at his classes,” she told him. “There’s a nice cafe around there—want me to pick up anything for you?”

“Hmmm…” He played with her fingers for a moment before letting go, turning back to the computer. “I’ve been thinking, since you were technically off duty when Namjoon-ah posted that song… doesn’t that mean it’s not really your responsibility?”

“I’m still your manager, oppa, even if I was… suspended, at the time.” She rested her hand on her hip, studying him. “Are you saying I shouldn’t punish them?” He shook his head.

“No, I don’t really care about that. I just don’t want you creating more work for yourself than necessary.”

She smiled softly at him. “Yoongi—”

There was a loud crash. A moment later, a red-faced Namjoon rushed into the room.

“Okay, so I may have dropped the toolbox, and everything is everywhere, but I don’t think anything’s broken!”

“Aish, Joonie.” Aviva clicked her tongue, shaking her head. “I’ll clean it up—ah, but I can’t leave Hoseok-ah waiting in the car for so long…”

“Hosekie can take the train,” Yoongi said. “Namjoon-ah and I will help you clean up.” Aviva nodded.

“Thanks, oppa. Hobi better not skip his class.”

“Oh, I’ll make sure he doesn’t.” Yoongi grinned evilly. Namjoon shivered.

“Chen Aviva!” Hoseok sang out as he entered the kitchen.

“Huh?” She looked up at him from the sink. “How did you know I was still here?”

“I have my ways…”

She turned around, frowning as she noticed him staring at her.

“What?”

“You look really hot right now, like, figuratively, but also literally, what were you doing to get so sweaty?”

She glanced down at herself. She had stripped down to her undershirt, which was soaked through with sweat.

“I fixed the damn heater, but then it got too hot and I had to adjust it again before it killed Yoongi-oppa’s equipment and he killed me in revenge.”

“So… it’s okay now?” He wondered. She nodded.

“Finally, it’s okay. I’m gonna borrow your shower, I just needed to clean my hands off first and the bathroom sink is kind of… There was like… grease?” She shook her head. “I don’t know, Joonie did something weird.”

Hoseok nodded absentmindedly. “Well, after you get out of the shower, you can eat this.” He held a paper bag out to her. She peeked inside, her eyes widening as she smiled.

“How did you know?”

“Yoongi-hyung mentioned there was a cafe near my classes you liked, and so we Instagram stalked you to find where it was and what you like to get there.”

“That’s creepy, but also sweet,” she thought. “How did your lessons go?”

“Not as bad as I thought they would be, actually. I’m gonna start beating Joon at public speaking, next thing you know.”

“I don’t think it’s a competition, but I’m still proud of you.” She gave him a peck on the cheek on her way out.

Over the next few weeks, a few of Namjoon’s freestyles, as well as one of his and Yoongi’s collaborations had gotten Aviva thinking about the draft. Namjoon and Hoseok, having just turned twenty were eligible candidates and were required to take physical exams. Afterwards, they went out for drinks with Jin, Yoongi, Aviva, and Soonyoung. Aviva was trying to understand more about it, but it just wasn’t clicking for her.

“I don’t think it’s something you can really understand without growing up here,” Yoongi said.

“You’re probably right,” Aviva thought.

“Hmmm. You don’t have anything similar in the US?” Hoseok wondered.

“There hasn’t been a draft in the US since the Vietnam War,” Aviva told him. “I do remember my dad talking about how much anxiety it caused him and his friends. And my mom was worried about her brother when she was growing up.”

“Hmm, yeah. America has a lot of issues, but that’s not one of them, currently,” Soonyoung said. She sipped her drink. “Like, we could totally talk about the socioeconomic and racial aspects of US Army recruitment, but that’s a somewhat different problem.” Namjoon stared at her. “The system is majorly flawed, dude.”

“Most systems are,” Yoongi thought. He looked at Aviva. “But why are you bringing this up?”

“You’re right it’s not something I can personally understand. But… I see it’s stressing you out, so… I’m here, if you need me.” She looked around at the others. “For all of you, I mean.”

“Yah, that’s nothing special, Avi’s always been there for me,” Soonyoung said, wrapping her arms around the other girl possessively.

“Hmm, but that’s because you’re special to her, which must mean we’re special to her as well!” Jin reasoned cheerfully.

Soonyoung smiled at him. “Aren’t you sweet?”

Jin blushed. Everyone laughed.

[kennedycatherine]

04.27.21

We were thirteen and I knew enough to know that was absurd.

We still inhabited a school yard with children learning their ABC’s. Girls our own age hadn’t yet graduated out of training bras.

Aren’t our brains like, too underdeveloped for this?

A few nights I just watched.

They came in fun colours, like the vitamins my mom still set out with my breakfast.

I found the whole thing anxious and boring. Anxious because it was drugs, and we were thirteen and what if we got caught or what if something happened. Boring because they bored me.

Nothing happened.

I made sure they had water and popsicles and candies to suck on.

“You’ll bite your tongue off,” Kallie had said one night.

A small trickle of blood came from her mouth awhile later and she looked pleased. I knew she’d done it. When I looked at her, I wanted to call her a liar.

“I know,” I wanted to say, “I’m sober. You just did that to yourself.”

I felt very young and very old all at once.

They asked for lotion. Lotioned themselves from head to toe.

One night one of the girls did a runner. Just opened the front door to suburbia and took off down the street in nothing but skimpy shorts and a tank top into the chilled night air.

I worried about her, but I didn’t go after her.

There were babies to look after, real babies. 6 years old and one year.

I don’t remember their names, but I remember loving them. I remember feeling sad for them.

Every weekend their mom would leave. She was pretty and young and had a thirteen-year-old she trusted to handle things.

“Where does she go?”

“To the bars in some small town. I think a guy lives there.”

They had family photos in the house. She had a husband. I remember wondering how things had fallen apart so quickly? They’d had a baby only a year ago and now they were getting a divorce?

Except they weren't. He just worked out of the city for months at a time and neither of them cared, I suppose.

I sat on a bed with the 6-year-old once, playing a game or reading a story and I heard laughter downstairs and I was so angry.

I was angry that no one cared that there were children upstairs. I was angry that I was going to put a child to bed who had a mother but seemingly didn’t. I was angry that I had to do it at all, that I was expected to. That it had come to mean relief when I walked in the door. If I was there, it was handled. I didn’t want to handle it.

I wanted to call my mom.

I wanted to tell her what was happening, tell her that someone needed to hold these babies or feed them right and love them. Because surely, I didn’t know how.

But I didn’t want to ruin the fun. I didn’t want Kallie’s mom to be in trouble. I didn’t want my mom, who also had a seventeen-year-old who just couldn’t seem to keep it together, to realize that a house she’d deemed safe by proximity in our good neighbourhood probably wasn’t.

“Give me one.”

No one teased or questioned it. They just handed over the small plastic bag.

I don’t remember what it felt like, only that I didn’t care for it. I didn’t understand it. I was bored by it.

I stopped going. Those girls decided they hated me. I worried about those babies and over 10 years later, I still do.

I started to see my childhood best friend, Maddy, a lot after that. She was pretty and athletic and loud and adventurous and young, my age but, young.

She lived a few blocks away, in the opposite direction from Kallie.

Her mom was in the midst of a divorce. She was older than most of the moms because Maddy had been a “surprise.” A blessing, she’d say, but a surprise. So, the rest of her kids were grown and gone. She’d done it all, seen it all.

We were in the eighth grade, just a few months away from high school when she offered to buy us booze.

She promised it would stay within the walls of the house, my parents wouldn’t have to know. She just wanted us to get a feel for it so we could test our limits, learn our boundaries.

When she presented us with those sickly-sweet orange coolers, I winced. Alcohol had never really interested me. I didn’t feel mystified by it or interested in it.

We drank them anyway.

We had one each. Then shoved two more under our thick sweaters and walked to the nearby park.

There were always kids there, in that strange age range where you have some sense of freedom without actually having any and you crave it, always. You know how to sneak alcohol, ask people outside the convenience store to buy you cigarettes.

Uncool teens, acting very cool leaning against slides and monkey bars we earnestly used only a few years earlier.

By then I’d decided I liked Logan. He was in high school already, two years older than us, seemed nice enough and attractive enough to like, so I guessed I did. I showed him the stashed coolers under my sweater and shivered when the air hit me. He offered me his jacket.

I was only wearing it maybe a minute, not even long enough to brag, when the sirens hit and the park was lit up with red and blue. Everyone scattered in different directions. We hopped a fence and then another and another until we collapsed on her lawn, one cooler lost to our epic and brave journey.

The patrol car circled the block.

“It’s almost 2am,” they told us. We nodded.

They asked how old we were and I told them we were 16.

Maybe they believed us because it was dark but maybe they didn’t because we weren't.

“Do you live here?”

“Yes.”

“Go inside.” We did.

I didn’t drink much after that. All we could get our hands on were drinks that seemed to be a half pound of sugar and something that tasted like mouth wash. The group favourite was Troika which smelt like hand sanitizer and cost about $25 for more than a litre. Everything was vodka.

Every time I drank any of it, I was immediately and violently ill.

My entire body would flush, an ache in my collar bones that radiated and buzzed down my arms and go on and on and on until I’d have to peel my clothes off and stick myself to the coldest surface, let my body wretch and wretch until I’d vomited everything.

I’d find out a few years later that I’m alcohol intolerant with a vodka allergy.

But I’d given up trying long before then. Found my way to pot.

I loved it immediately. It calmed me down, it made me laugh. It made me hungry.

I suffered far fewer embarrassing stories and hallway whispers than most.

I had a starring role in only one story that would go down in infamy.

There’d been a birthday party, someone had made an ice cream cake that was immediately forgotten in favour of solo cups and bongs. I smoked my own joint and remembered that cake. In a haze I found myself alone in a tiny storage room, in front of a deepfreeze. Opening the lid, there it was, creamy and beautiful.

“Fuck yes.”

Then the door opened.

I turned and there he was. The hottest guy in our grade and he’d been calling me a dirty hippie for two years. I closed the lid.

“What are you doing?” He asked

“Waiting.”

“For?”

“You.”

He looked confused. He should've. I had no reason to be waiting for him, I hadn’t even spoken to him. I was 16 and stoned and I wanted to eat an ice cream cake at this dumb birthday party by my fucking self. I pushed myself on top of the freezer.

“Come here.”

He did. We made out on top of the freezer until I felt he was sufficiently distracted, and my job was done and then I pushed him out of the room.

Then I ate some of that cake alone as I’d intended.

Upstairs my best friend sobbed in a bathroom. Even now that we’ve long outgrown teenage angst and hormones she can be prickly, angry, deeply unaffectionate. Then, she was slightly volatile. She wanted to be alone, but I stayed – shoved myself into a corner of the bathtub as she refused to look at me or tell me what she was so upset about it. I waited her out. Mostly because I was stoned and relieved to be in a room away from a throng of sweaty, horny 16-year-olds.

Suddenly, she confessed something to me quietly. She’d made out with that same guy - the hot one I’d been with on top of a freezer - at a party the weekend before. I hadn’t known and she hadn’t stopped thinking about him, and he hadn’t looked at her since.

“I just want him,” she whined.

“I just made out with him on top of a freezer.”

She turned her startling green eyes on me. “You what?”

“I don’t know,” I felt deeply guilty, “there was a cake inside.”

She choked and then she laughed and then I laughed. We left and we laughed the whole walk back to wherever we slept that night.

I went to a performing arts college that had less than twenty students which became lesser and lesser as we viciously vied for the same thing. There were no parties or binge drinking or even any outings. We worked quietly and quickly, most kept to ourselves.

If school really was a competition, I won.

My instructor called me into his office, “I want you to go to this interview. You’re ready.”

I wasn’t supposed to be graduating for at least 3, maybe 4 months. I wasn’t ready. But I went. I got the job and I left, the school and the city.

I was alone and I was terrified, and I was working most hours of everyday and waking up every morning feeling like I’d made a massive mistake. I hadn’t. I was just 19 with no idea what I was doing, only that people seemed to believe I could, and I didn’t know why.

My sister and my grandfather became sicker and sicker with addiction.

I stopped smoking pot almost completely. I’d found alcohol that didn’t upset my entire system, but I never drank by myself. I was afraid that if I did, I wouldn’t stop. I’d fill the hole and then just like them, I’d never learn how to be whole on my own. I went for runs and I journaled and worked and tried to make friends.

I drove home for graduation and realized a few things. These people had three more months together. They were closer, most of them resented me for being given an opportunity that most days I wasn’t even sure I wanted.

There was a party afterward and I felt 13, lonely and bored. I wanted to leave.

My sister was really sick by then.

The best friend I’d made in school, Elliot, he cornered me in the empty kitchen. Most people had settled into the living room for conversations or the basement for beer pong and I hovered in the kitchen, feeling entirely silly in my cheap white dress. Elliot smelled like whiskey while he hugged me, and I wanted to cry. I'd missed him.

We’d had plans to get jobs together. We were going to become a morning show duo in some city we’d never been to, rent a house together. Spend our afternoons drinking beer, planning our show content and break into big markets before we were 25.

I cried when I took the job that meant those things wouldn’t happen and he’d hugged me then too. He was happy for me.

He pulled out of the hug in that kitchen and looked at me for a long time, with big open eyes. A nearly childish, wide stare. He took a deep breathe.

Then he told me he was in love with me.

I startled backward away from him and hit my hip hard against the stove. I was angry immediately. Because I was gay. Because people had been telling me he was in love with me. Because I chose not to believe them. I felt my trust had been broken. Because why? What can I do with that? I loved him. I couldn’t be in love with him. If I could, I would’ve wanted to be. He was so good.

And I was so mad because he was drunk.

I was sick of whispered late-night confessions and people telling me things that weren’t true. I was tired of people making promises to me and telling me they loved me and none of it mattering. I was just so fucking sick of everyone being wasted on something all the time.

It wasn’t his fault. I’d always felt loved by him, I appreciated him, I loved him. I wanted to be gentle with him. I should’ve been. It was just… there were so many things.

“What am I supposed to do with that?” I asked him.

“I just needed you to know.”

I left. He called me so many times, he left voicemails I deleted, and I never answered. I went back to my small town and my small job the next day. I re-read his texts, “I’m sorry, I was drunk” over and over and felt no relief in his excuses.

I didn’t drink for a long time.

A man I thought I knew told me he was in love with me.

I found my sister cold and blue on a floor, medically dead, though she miraculously survived.

My grandfather vomited on himself in the back of a van as we took him to the dry out centre where he'd eventually become sober for a brief time.

I was so tired.

When I moved back to the city, I found comfort in things again. I could drink and be fine. The world didn’t end. I didn’t crave it in the morning or when things got hard. I started smoking pot again. It calmed me down, it made me laugh. It made me hungry.

I took mushrooms a handful of times with my friends. I cried the first time because I felt like me. Present and responsible and in control and so deeply, disappointingly myself. I’d wanted drugs to be a void, even if I never took them. I wanted to believe that somewhere there was a way to just not be myself for a while.  

I was bored of myself.

I wanted to escape, and it wasn’t happening.

But the second or third time I learned to enjoy them for what they were and felt all too proud for simply having a nice time.

I begged my roommate to come to this EDM show with me. It was my co-worker’s birthday and she’d always been excessively, exceedingly lovely to me. When she sheepishly asked if I would be interested in going to this live show to celebrate her 37th, I swallowed down the price of tickets and said yes. Emphatically.

Matt, good natured and so easy, said yes. He liked live music and whiskey and leaving the house.

We got there and she was alone.

I asked about her husband. He stayed home with the baby. And her friends?

Coming, she said.

There were three of them. I thought back to days she’d cried to me in the bathroom and the coffees we’d shared in her office. I’d always thought of her as a sort of leaky faucet, spilling out without control. I hadn’t realized I was actually just in her circle. One of five.

She got adorably drunk. “Mom’s night out!” They all chanted and Matt and I stood off to the side a bit while I apologized to him on a loop for painting this night as an in and out affair.

“We can just leave whenever, I'm sure she won’t notice.” I’d said.

Eventually she asked me if I wanted to “score” in the alley. I laughed because it sounded so seedy and suspicious coming from the mouth of this quintessential suburban mom who I only knew as a woman sitting in a blazer, in an office, next to her family portraits.

I asked Matt if he wanted any. No, he’d brought his vape pen.

We went outside, me, her and her curvy friend with the insane curly hair. Some guy was already there, and the exchange was quick. She turned back and announced, “to the bathroom.”

The bathroom? Fuck.

It’d seemed seedy and suspicious because it kind of was. “Dumb stoner,” I thought to myself as we marched back inside with the bag of cocaine I’d thought would be a Ziplock of weak weed.

I don’t like coke. It makes me angry.

She lined it up, wide eyed, on the hard back of her red wallet. She yammered and mumbled and stumbled over her words quickly and excitedly. It’d been years, I couldn’t tell anyone at work, her husband could never find out, was I sure?

Once again, I felt bored. “I’m sure.”

The friend took her bump and turned back to me, “what’s your sign?”

“Cancer.”

Her eyes were frenzied, like I’d said something important.

“I knew it, I’m a Scorpio.” She wound her fingers into the hair at the back of my neck and whispered to me, “we’re like sisters.” Then she kissed me, hard and square. Her breath was sour, her lips were chapped and she pulled away with a toothy grin before offering the wallet up to my nose.

I looked at them, their excitement, I felt the overwhelming emptiness in my chest. I felt sad for someone, them or me, and how dull I found the whole thing to be.

I sniffed it through a receipt from a kids play centre and wondered, idly, if there are people who think mothers don’t behave this way.

I wiped and sniffled and felt the light burn in my twice broken nose, now irritated by thin white powder.

“Well, that took for-fucking-ever,” Matt yelled over his whiskey.

“It wasn’t pot.”

“Did you do it?”

“Yeah.”

He laughed, slung his arm around my shoulders and we moved into the crowd of dancing bodies. Mostly I felt sober and a little annoyed about the money I’d spent.

I found the group, buttoned one of their torn open shirts and hugged them goodbye.

Matt checked his watch in the cab, “we have to be up in like, less than 5 hours” he groaned and then called the wing place to make sure we could have some delivered.

He’s a sneaky drunk. You never know until it’s too late. As he poured himself a whiskey at our bar cart, I knew it was too late.

We settled into the couch, waiting for our food. He kept dozing off and I kept saving the glass tumbler he refused to relinquish, from falling to the floor and sloshing all over our new carpet.

When the food arrived, I ran to get it. I had the energy.

I decided to take the stairs and took a turn too sharply, smashed myself against a railing and yelped in pain. A bruise blossomed on my arm before I got back to our apartment.

I tried to sleep and kept waking with my knees knocking and my thighs wobbling. Matt came to my door, bleary eyed and dull. It was 6:30am. I hadn’t slept for more than seven minutes at a time.

“We gotta go, G.”

I looked at my packed bags on the floor. We were driving to his moms, 2.5 hours away.

“Yeah, I’m ready.”

He turned away and called over his shoulder, “Happy Easter.”

Jesus, I laughed, it is fucking Easter.

And while I sipped my third mid-afternoon coffee over a card game with his mom and sister, I thought - I guess if there’s a day to decide I probably n​ever have to sniff anything through my nose ever again, Easters as good as any.

[mf-despair-queen]

Sun & Moon - Taeyong

Author: @mf-despair-queen

Pairing: Lee Taeyong/Reader

Word Count: 20,850

Summary: Never did you think that your pen pal could be the love of your life. You saw the sun when he saw the moon. How could you be together when you were so far apart? It was easier than you thought - you just had to realize it. 

Warnings: NSFW, 18+, Protected Sex, Oral, Shower Stuff, kinda dirty Taeyong but I still love him.

Notes: I was supposed to write for Mitch. But. It’s Taeyong’s birthday (though I’m late by an hour). Happy belated Taeyong Day and I hope he had a wonderful day catching tiny froggies. The boys better have spoiled him with chocolate cake. 

Greetings Taeyong,

Was that too formal? I hope not.

I’m sorry if my Korean isn’t the best. I’m still learning and I’m hoping to improve more because of this. That’s why I agreed to this pen pal arrangement. Learning from someone who speaks the language is ideal and I want to learn more about you, your culture. Just anything, I guess.

I never did introduce myself. And my stupid self-decided to write in my new green pen on this puppy stationary. So, let me start again I suppose. My name is Y/N. I am finishing high school here in Boston. For my last years of school, I wanted to experience something new, something challenging, and something interesting. So, I decided to take our newly offered Korean course with the hopes that one day, I can go to Korea and not look like a doofus.

I don’t know what else to say right now, but I guess I can say I look forward to writing to you over the next couple of months. I can’t wait to learn more about my new pen pal! That sounded creepy, so please ignore that I just wrote that. 

Again, sorry for my horrible writing! I promise, I will get better!

Sincerely yours,

Y/N 

-

Dear Y/N,

It’s a pleasure to meet you - I guess?

I’m glad that I was chosen to be your pen pal. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to communicate with someone far away. Now I can experience that with you! These coming months will be fun. I look forward to writing to you all the time, sharing the things I do and hearing about you.

Let me start with a quick introduction. My name is Lee Taeyong. I go to the School of Performing Arts here in Seoul. I once dreamt of being a fireman, but I guess my love for music steered me in a different direction. I was recently recruited by a company here called SM Entertainment to become a kpop idol. I begin training soon and I’m nervous. Can you tell by my writing?

My sister is yelling at me to go to bed now, so I should wrap this up. Thank you for the thoughtful message before, and the equally adorable stationary! I love dogs. I have one - her name is Ruby. But, that’s a topic for another time, I suppose. 

I will leave you with this for your next letter to me tell me about yourself. You are so far away, but I want to get to know you. I don’t want to be just a pen pal. I want to be your friend. So, tell me everything there is to know about Y/N. What’s your favorite color? Favorite food? Do you like to take long walks on the beach? Tell me everything, Y/N.

Till next time, 

Taeyongie

PS your Korean isn’t that bad, but I will help you improve, just like you want. I will help you as much as I can and before long, you will be an expert! Thank you for joining class TY!

~

You glanced up at the setting sun as you walked home from your work, chuckling when you heard your phone ding with the familiar tone from Kakao Talk. Six pm for you, but seven AM for him. It never ceased to fail. Morning here, night there, and vice versa, every day like clockwork. But it made you smile to know that you had something to look forward to once you got back to your pitiful, lonely apartment, a bag of cheap Chinese takeout in your hand. Your feet ached from the long day on the job, and you wanted nothing more than to change into the fluffy pajamas you owned and kick your feet up to watch Netflix all night.

The constant ring of your phone kept chiming, making your headache slightly. A groan of relief left your lips when your apartment came into view, praying the notifications would cease soon. Pushing past the door, you kicked off your shoes, yanking the infernal device from your purse on the way to your room. The Chinese was left on your coffee table while you changed, dropping your phone on the bed to scan the onslaught of messages that kept popping up.

Taeyong was blowing up your phone with short, one-word messages, some consisting of tiny sentences. You laughed at his persistence to get you to answer, shaking your head. Just as you pulled on a baggy hoodie, the phone rang again, this time two words, all caps, catching your eye. 

CALL ME!!!

Your brow rose, pausing before you could dial his number. He sent one more message:

Video call, please.

With a roll of the eyes, you hit FaceTime, waiting for him to pick up on the other end.

“Helloooooooooo!~” he greeted cheerfully for someone who was awake at seven in the morning. His hand ruffled his newly dyed locks, his once black strands now a bright blonde that still suited his baby face. The same face with the dark brown eyes and the sharp jawline, the button nose and the plump pink lips that always got cherry red when he ate sweets. You couldn’t see much around him, or of him, but you could see he was wearing a loose tank top, one strap beginning to fall off his broad shoulders from being stretched out. A row of mirrors was behind him, indicating the location he was in: the SM dance studio. 

His lips curled into a bright smile when he saw your face, your sleeve covered hand hiding your face. “Don’t look at me like that! I just got off work!”

“I know,” he hummed, combing his fingers through his strands as he talked. “That’s why I wanted to talk! Give you a nice way to start your evening!”

“Well, aren’t you sweet?” you teased, trudging towards the living room. “Aren’t you at practice right now? I could have sworn you mentioned before you went to bed last night that you had early practice today because of your upcoming comeback.”

“Yeah. We’re all here. We were just taking a short break before we get back to the dance. We’ve been in the studio practicing for about an hour already,” he informed you. You nodded at his answer, flopping back on the couch. 

“Wait? Is Taeyong talking to noona?” you heard in the background. 

Taeyong let out a yelp when he was tackled from the side, his phone yanked away. The group of boys tried to stuff their faces in the phone screen at once, all screaming their greetings in unison. Your face scrunched up, using your free hand to plug your ears.

“One at a time, boys!”

Mark grabbed the phone was from Haechan, the boy who successful tackled his leader and stole his phone in the first place. Mark grinned, giving a victory sign. “Morning, Y/N!” he greeted, ignoring the arguments that ensued around him. 

“Evening, Mark,” you laughed. “What’s going on?”

“Oh, you know, the usual. Dance practice, recording new songs for the upcoming album, wondering when you are finally going to come visit us in Seoul.”

Your face fell at his final words, pouting. “You guys know I want to. I’ve always wanted to.”

“We know. Taeyong told us that you’ve always wanted to since they day you guys started writing to each other.”

You sighed, reaching blindly for the egg rolls in your bag. “I just can’t afford the trip yet. It’s hard enough sometimes to pay my rent, let alone saving for a plane ticket and hotel there.”

“We could help!” Jaehyun cut in, pushing Mark aside, the younger male groaning and complaining. “We’ve all agreed to help pay for your flight here if it means we get to finally meet Taeyong’s best friend.”

Your cheeks visibly reddened at the title, shaking your head. “I can’t let you guys do that though. I’d feel horrible for asking you to help me pay for a plane ticket out there. It just doesn’t feel right to me.”

“Even if we want to?” Doyoung asked, peering around Jaehyun’s arm. 

“Yeah,” you sighed. “If I’m going to come visit, it’s because I earned it. It’ll make the reward in the end even sweeter.”

The guys laughed, Jungwoo taking the phone. “Well, we hope you can come visit soon, noona! Especially Taeyong. He talks about you all the time, so we can’t wait for you to actually be here.”

You giggled when you hear a screech from behind, Taeyong flailing his way through the throng of boys to get his phone. “Alright, alright! Break’s over!” he called, earning a chorus of groans and whines. “No whining. Say bye.”

“Fine,” they all huffed in unison. From behind their leader, they all waved their arms wildly, giving bright smiles and victory signs. “Bye, Y/N!”

“Bye guys!”

Taeyong slipped from the room quickly, letting out a sigh. “Those guys,” he sighed, ruffling his hair. “Sorry about them. You know how much of a handful they are.”

“I know,” you laughed. “But I love getting to talk to them. Thank you for introducing me to your members forever ago.”

Taeyong laughed, tugging his lip between his teeth when he was done. “Well, I do have to get back to practice unfortunately. I’m sorry to cut this short. But I wanted to talk to you as soon as I got the chance. It makes the day much easier.”

“You know, you have always said that,” you chuckled. “You always said how receiving my letters while we were in school still always brightened your day and nothing could ever bring you down.”

Taeyong flushed, scratching his cheek. “I did, didn’t I?” he mused. He paused, passing his tongue over his lips briefly. “Would you… would you mind if I called you tonight when I get back from practice? I want to talk to you some more.”

You smiled shyly, nodding your head. “Of course, Yong. You can always call me, no matter what time it is.”

He laughed, rolling his eyes. “Don’t tell me that. I might end up waking you up at some odd hours without realizing it.”

“I’d still wake up for you,” you uttered lowly, knowing your face was red. Taeyong mirrored your color, shying away from your gaze. “Get to practice, Yong. Work hard and never give up. Fighting!”

The idol rolled his eyes, pushing back into the practice room. “I should have never introduced you to the guys. They’re rubbing off on you.”

“No. It was my Korean teacher. Also known as Lee Taeyong. Also known as you.”

“I take no credit in this.”

“Whatever. Have a nice practice, Yongie.”

“Thanks, Y/N. Talk to you later.” Taeyong ended the call with a quick wink, the screen going black. In the dark screen, you saw your red-faced reflection. You heart beat wildly in your chest. 

Sliding to the floor, you unpacked your food, mind wandering as you nibbled on the lukewarm chicken and vegetables. You recalled everything that had happened over the last seven years, leading up to where you were now. 

Being pen pals with Taeyong could never have turned out better. Throughout your course, you exchanged letters with Taeyong what felt like every day. You were neck deep in adorable stationary that was used to increasingly long letters that would be folded neatly and sealed, shipped overseas. He began to return the gesture with cute drawings in the corners of his papers, decorating his replies to the point your heart leaped when the envelope appeared in your mailbox, wondering what he had done for you at that time.

You had quickly become close friends despite the distance. Never having met, he always felt like he was by your side, helping you when you needed it. The amount of things you had in common, from hobbies to foods, to the style of music you jammed to, was unprecedented. He helped you immensely with your Korean, teaching you things that were well beyond the class. In return, you taught him bits of English, sometimes finding short sentences crafted in your native tongue from the man. It was a match made in heaven. 

So, when the program was ending, you both openly expressed your sadness. 

Not wanting the friendship that you had built, you had agreed to keep in contact, even if it wasn’t for a grade now. Letters turned to emails, which eventually turned to phone numbers exchanged and text messages flowing daily. The first time you FaceTimed was such a vivid memory, seeing his face on the other side of the screen for the first time was unbelievable. Sure, you had seen photos he had sent you, but seeing him - hearing him talk in his deep, smooth and velvety voice - was something you could never forget. It didn’t stop the occasional, handwritten letter on newly bought stationary meant solely for each other from being sent overseas. 

From there, you watched the man grow as an idol, meeting his group members along the way. You grew close to the boys you had never met personally, though the relationship wasn’t nearly the same as with Taeyong. He was definitely one of your best friends, if not the closest friend you had. Sometimes, it was mind boggling to think that your closest friend was someone thousands of miles away, more than twelve hours different, you left staring at the sun when he saw the moon.

It was obvious to you why you had developed a crush on the man.

Sighing, you pushed the empty tray away from you, glancing at your phone. Taeyong had sent you photos while they were practicing, making you laugh through a yawn. Leaving the used food dish be, you flicked the light off, headed for your room. Curling into the blankets, you fell asleep while staring at the many smiles of the NCT boys, mostly staring at the man you befriended through paper and pen years ago.

Your heart skipped beats the entire night.

You woke up to the ring of your phone, alerting you to FaceTime call you were getting. With a groan, you answered, rubbing your eyes sleepily. A smooth chuckle met your eyes, your eyes blinking open, the blurred image of Taeyong on the other side clearing up. 

“Good morning, sunshine,” he let out, voice deep and husky. His blonde locks were in disarray, his broad shoulders and long arms now covered in an orange hoodie. He was seated outside, his face only lit by his phone. 

“Good evening, starlight,” you yawned.

“Did I wake you?” he inquired, adjusting himself in his chair. 

“Yeah,” you mumbled, sitting up in the bed. Taeyong cooed softly at the giant yawn you let out, your hands instantly covering your face. “Shut up. I’m hideous.”

“Impossible,” he laughed. 

Ignoring the blush you had, you rolled out of the bed, grabbing a Starbucks mocha iced coffee bottle from the fridge. You unlocked the patio door, listening to Taeyong hum to himself on the other end of the call. You shut the screen behind you, headed out onto the patio to watch the sun rising over the water in the distance. 

“Did you have a nice practice?” you asked the man, sitting in a cheap plastic chair you kept outside for times like this. The answer you got was a hum, making you giggle. “Some conversation here, Tae.”

“Sorry,” he laughed lowly. “It’s late and everyone headed to sleep because of the intense practice. I don’t want to wake anyone up.”

“You didn’t have to call, you know.”

“But I wanted to,” he confessed. “I always want to hear your voice. And I wanted to talk. The best part of my day when hearing from you.”

You blushed, smiling widely. “Aren’t you sweet?” Taeyong hummed again, pushing his hair back with his hand. “Is the moon out tonight?”

“Yeah,” he murmured, turning his phone to show the brightly lit moon in the starry sky over Seoul. 

You smiled at the sight. “Beautiful,” you uttered. “The nights in Seoul must be beautiful all the time. I love seeing them, even if it’s just through this tiny screen.”

“Sometimes it’s weird to think we live under the same sky when we see different things all the time,” he said, turning the camera back to him. “I hate that you are so far away sometimes.”

“I know,” you sighed, sinking in your chair. “But I’m glad you are in my life. I didn’t think that being pen pals with someone because of a class in school could lead to something like this. When I agreed to do that pen pal program, I didn’t know I would meet my best friend in life.”

“Seven years now,” he chuckled. His lips pursed, rubbing together. “You know, you really have improved in your Korean since we first started talking. Both writing and speaking. You are so proficient now. It’s like you are a native here and have been speaking the language your entire life. I’m so proud of you, Y/N.”

“Thanks, Yongie. That means a lot coming from you,” you told him. Hugging a knee to your chest, your chin propped up on it. “So, what did you want to talk about? It’s late and you look tired. You should be sleeping, not talking to me.”

Taeyong hummed quietly, playing with the strings of his hoodie. “I just wanted to talk. That’s all. Is it a crime to talk to my favorite girl after a long day?”

You frowned at him, straightening in your seat to look at him better. His eyes avoided yours, staring at his lap. “Yong, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he retorted quickly. 

“Lee Taeyong, we have been friends for seven years. Even if we’ve never met, I know when you are upset. I can feel it from here.”

Taeyong let out a sarcastic chuckle, biting at the nail on his thumb. “You know, sometimes I feel like you know me better than I know myself.”

“Same goes for you, bub,” you told him. “Now, spill. You know you can tell me anything, right?”

“I know,” he whispered. A heavy breath left his mouth, making his chest rise and fall, and his nose flare. His brow was knit together, wrinkling his forehead cutely. His lips pouted, jutted out in his deep thought. “It’s just, lately, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. But only one thing goes through my mind. And I don’t get why it’s happening now.”

“Care to elaborate?”

“I just… I guess?” he sourly chuckled. His face turned red, mostly on the tips of his ears. “I can’t get this girl out of my mind.”

You heart stopped at his words, a sad smile rising to your cheeks. “T-that’s great, Tae.”

“You don’t sound too happy,” he chuckled weakly. 

“No, no! I am! You know I want nothing more than for you to be happy, right?” you asked, watching him nod. “So, tell me more. You’re crushing on a girl, eh”

“Crush? That doesn’t even begin to explain it,” he stated, sinking in his seat. “This girl, she’s just too amazing to describe. Smart, beautiful, funny. She completes me, honestly.” 

You stayed silent, keeping a straight face as you listened.

“You could say I’ve liked her for a long, long time now. And I’ve kept it secret for so long. I don’t understand why she’s all I can think about these days. Day in, day out, she’s always on my mind.”

“Maybe your mind is trying to tell you that you should tell her,” you offered, burying your broken heart. “I know it’s hard to think about a relationship when you are so busy with NCT, but sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants. You want to finally tell this girl how you feel.”

“You think?” he mumbled.

Through the screen, your eyes met - his dark eyes stared into yours, filled with a mixture of emotions. Slowly, you nodded, answering, “yeah, that’s what I think. You should tell her how you feel, Yong.”

“Alright,” he breathed, biting his lip. His gaze dropped for a second before returning to yours. “Then, is it crazy to say that I like my pen pal from seven years ago?”

You froze, jaw dropping. 

“Is it crazy to say that I like the girl I talk to everyday? The girl with the cute stationary? The girl that makes me laugh and feel whole?” he paused, combing his fingers through his hair. “That I like the girl on the other side of my screen right now?”

You bit at your lip, feeling him stare you down. You didn’t know what to say. Your heart had restarted, hammering against your chest. You picked at your nails unconsciously, unable to find the words you wanted to release.

“You can always say I’m crazy, Y/N. I know how weird it sounds. I have liked you for so long, but I've never had the courage to say anything. And just lately, my sister was talking about finding that right someone and I couldn’t stop thinking about you. And now that I say it aloud, to you, it sounds ridiculous. Like, why would you like me back? We’re just friends-”

“But I do,” you said quickly. Taeyong stopped talking, a weighted silence forming between you. You bit at the inside of your cheek before continuing. “I’ve liked you for a long time, Yong. But I never said anything because it seemed…”

You dropped off, searching for the right word.”

“Unrealistic?” he finished. The nod of your head gave him confirmation. “Yeah. That’s why I never brought it up. I have been fighting these feelings for so long because I couldn’t justify it. How could I possibly be with the girl I like when she is thousands of miles away?”

Taeyong was close to tears at this point, using the back of his hand to wipe at his eyes. You weren’t much better, sniffling quietly. Your face buried in your knees, Taeyong frowning at your action. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“No, no. Don’t be,” you choked. “I get what you mean. Long distance is hard. And given or situation - we’ve never met, we live worlds apart. It’s day for me when it’s night for you. It doesn’t seem logical to pursue a relationship when everything is against you.”

“Yeah,” he mumbled. “I guess part of me just wanted you to know exactly how I felt before I never got a chance. I know it’s not possible, at least right now, but I wanted you to tell you.”

“I appreciate it, Tae,” you whispered. 

“I guess, for now, we just...  go on with life,” he sadly said. “There isn’t anything we can do. I can’t tell you how mixed I am about this all. To hear you like me back is such relief, but it only broke my heart more because I know I can’t be with you right now.”

“Yeah,” you sighed. You blinked back tears, glancing at him. “We’ll still be friends, right? This isn’t going to change anything between us?”

Taeyong chuckled, shaking his head “Of course not. You are still my best friend and I’m not planning to let that change any time soon.”

“Good,” you laughed. Taeyong yawned, covering his mouth with his hand. That made you laugh more. “Go to sleep, bub. You need to rest. I don’t want you getting sick because you are exhausted.”

“Alright. I will,” he uttered. He smiled softly, the grin slightly lopsided, playing with the ends of his hair. “I’ll talk to you later, alright?”

“Sounds good to me. Sleep well, Yong.”

“Have a wonderful day, sunshine.”

The call ended, your phone dropped in your lap. A stray tear slid down your cheek, a staggered sigh released. Your heart cracked at the realization that your feelings, although reciprocated, were impossible. Your eyes stared at the light blue sky that was filled with wisps of white clouds, the sun rising above your head. 

Across the world, in Seoul, Korea, sat the young man, tears leaking down his own cheeks. His eyes were glued to the starlit sky, the moon shining down on him, making his wet face glisten. He silently cried, wishing that it was possible. But, you were too far apart.

Even if you were both under the same sky, you were looking at two different things.

~

“Hello~” Taeyong sang as soon as he answered your call. You were snuggled on your couch, sucking on a cherry popsicle that made had turned your lips red. Taeyong began to couch, dropping his phone to his bed and disappearing from view while you licked the red, icy treat, pushing it in and out between your lips. “Oh my god!”

“You alright, Tae?” you asked, concerned. 

“Fine, fine,” he choked, patting his chest to regain air. He grabbed at his phone, running his fingers through his hair. “Just didn’t expect to see that when I answered.”

“See what?” you inquired, cocking your head innocently. You weren’t sure what he was talking about. “I’m confused.”

“God, you’re adorable when you’re this innocent,” he murmured, shaking his head. 

“What?” 

“Nothing,’ he pushed, laying back on his bed. “Are you really eating ice cream this late? That’s not good for you, sunshine.”

“Neither is lying in bed when it’s almost noon,” you taunted. “You are an idol! Why are you in bed right now?” 

“I want to be lazy,” he whined, rolling in his bed until he was completely wrapped in his blanket. 

“Don’t blanket burrito right now!” you laughed. “Shouldn’t you be at practice? You have a comeback soon. You should be working hard, Yong!”

“We came back to the dorms to take a lunch break,” he hummed, curling further into his blankets. “We took some extra time though because Mark was going to record in the studio for some Station song. I don’t know much about it, but he sounds excited because he wrote the rap for it.”

“Aw, little Markie is growing up,” you laughed. “I’m sure he will do wonderful though. He is great at writing rap whenever you guys compose something together.”

Taeyong hummed in response, watching you eat your popsicle silently. His face, half covered by the blankets and hidden from your view, was bright red. His voice, when he decided to speak up, was somewhat muffled by his blanket, but still soft and velvety. “So, what brings about this lovely call from my dear best friend and former pen pal?”

“Former?“ you tsked. “I’m offended.”

“Don’t be! You graduated from pen pal to best friend! It’s a compliment!” he cried. 

“I was teasing, Yong,” you giggled. You hugged your knees close to you, turning to place the stick aside with the popsicle gone. “I just… I needed advice.”

“Advice?” he asked, sitting up in his bed. His face turned serious, but you couldn’t help but to snicker. His blonde strands stuck upright, pointing in various directions. “Are you alright? What’s going on?”

“I’m fine. Just…” You paused, using your finger to trace shapes on your knee, deep in thought. “I met a guy recently. At the cafe I stop at every morning when I head to work.”

“Oh,” Taeyong murmured, face falling. “Is that so?”

“Yeah…”

You frowned at the halfhearted smile he gave you. “That’s great though! Tell me more about him.”

“His name is Jackson-”

“Wait. Like Jackson Wang? From Got7?”

You laughed, shaking your head. “No way. Even if I met Jackson Wang, there’s no way I’d be with him.” You stopped before you let out the words because he isn’t as good as you.

“Right, right. So, Jackson,” Taeyong asked, trying to remain focused as much as possible. The fake tone of his voice made you cringe, despite his best efforts to seem interested. “What’s he like?”

“He’s sweet,” you confessed. “We’ve been talking every morning. He’s working at the cafe while he finished up university. We just kind of hit it off, you know. And today, when I went in for coffee, he asked if I’d be interested in going on a date.”

Taeyong looked away for a second, biting at his nails. “That’s great, sunshine.”

“Are you ok?” you asked, biting your lip. “I can always say no, Taeyong.”

“No!” he nearly yelled, shaking his head and lowering his voice immediately. “No, please don’t do that, Y/N.”

“But, Taeyong-”

“Look, I won’t lie,” he said, almost bitterly. “I know it’s been a few weeks since I told you how I felt, and that hasn’t changed. I still like you, so much. But we agreed not to do anything because of this situation. We’re too far apart to justify being more than this. 

“I’m not you boyfriend, so I can’t stop you from going out with someone. And as your friend, I’m going to encourage you to go for it. If you like him, go on the date. If you like him, date him. I’m not going to stop you because I care about you. I want you to be happy. And if your happiness isn’t with me, that’s fine.”

His voice crackled slightly, but he smiled. 

“I want to see my sunshine happy because that’s what makes me happy. That’s all I want, Y/N.”

“Taeyong…”

“Please, don’t worry about me,” he urged. “I want you to try if you want to. I want to see you happy. And over time, I’m sure this crush will go away. No worries.”

“Are you sure, Taeyong?” you asked again. “I just…”

You froze. I like you still too.

“I don’t want to lose you, Taeyong. You’re my best friend and I don’t want some potential boy to ruin what we have.”

“He won’t,” Taeyong told you, biting his lip. “I’ll always be here for you. There’s no way you can get rid of me. We’ve been through too much for me to want to leave now.”

“You’ve put up with me for seven years,” you laughed.

“Sometimes, I wonder how I lived,” he teased. “I guess you won over my heart with that cute stationary and treats you’d send for my birthday. Those candies you’d pick up from that one place. Those were the best.”

“The way to Taeyong’s heart: chocolate and cute animals.”

“Not going to lie. It’s true,” he chuckled, burying his pain. “I should probably get going. I need to round up the kids before heading back to the dance studio. We are supposed to meet Mark back there soon.”

“Oh, alright,” you frowned. 

“I’m sorry, Y/N,” he apologized. “I wish we could talk more. I miss talking to you all the time. This comeback practice is killing me.”

“It’s fine,” you told him. “I understand. You’re busy and that’s ok.”

“I really do miss you,” he confessed, giving a weak smile that you returned. 

“I miss you too, Taeyong,” you sighed. “I think… I will try with Jackson. It can’t hurt to try, right?”

“Right,” he croaked. “I’m proud of you. Keep me updated, alright?”

“I will. Bye, Yong.”

“Bye, Y/N.”

You ended the call, headed straight for bed after a quick message to the man from the cafe, accepting his proposition from that morning. Your heart ached sending the message, but you shook it off, telling yourself it would be alright in the end.

For Taeyong, he wasn’t as smooth. His phone slipped from his hand, tears leaking down his cheeks as soon as the pain struck. The boys heard his wails - they weren’t subtle. Rushing to their leader’s aid, the seven boys crowded onto the bed, hugging their distraught friend as he cried. They knew he was hurting, listening to him utter his problems lowly. They were sad to hear what had happened, not moving from the bed the rest of the day.

Mark returned from recording to find his friends sitting quietly around their leader who had fallen asleep finally, red faced, eyes puffed and tears staining his delicate features. Mark frowned, dropping his stuff and instantly crawling into the crowded bed to support his friend, sighing to himself. 

Why can’t they just realize they are meant for each other already? The Canadian wondered.

~

You frowned at your phone, finding the unanswered texts once more. 

Weeks had passed, and you should have been happy. The date with Jackson had been a success, leading to more outings until he had popped the question, asking you to be his girlfriend. You were excited, accepting without much debate. 

But something didn’t sit right with you.

You liked Jackson, but your mind always seemed to wander when you were with him. Something was holding you back, no matter how much effort you put in the relationship you were now in. 

It didn’t help that you couldn’t contact the man you wanted to. You craved hearing his phone, seeing his words or just seeing his face. You wanted to hear about his day, listening to him tell you stories about practice with the boys or things that happened along the streets of Seoul. You wanted to share laughs, talking while the sun rose and the moon set.

Yet, you couldn’t seem to get a hold of the idol. Texts remained on ‘delivered’, occasionally changing to be ‘seen’. Every FaceTime call would ring and ring, a blank screen displayed on your phone, your pitiful image in the corner frowning at the small screen. The other boys answered your texts without issue, so you couldn’t fathom the reason Taeyong wasn’t getting back to you. 

The idol you had known for near a decade plagued your every thought when really, he shouldn’t. You had a boyfriend, but Taeyong always had a way to slip into your thoughts. At night, you’d dream of him, unable to reach him when you tried. You’d think of him whenever you had the chance. It seemed odd that he was more on your mind now than ever before given your current circumstances. 

You were a wreck because of it. Every unanswered call and unreturned text broke a piece of you further. You could feel your heart sinking into your stomach, agony in the form of stomach acid at the bottom for the broken pieces to settle in. 

You placed your phone aside, beginning to pick at your nail polish as you waited. You were awaiting Jackson’s arrival for a movie date. A soft pink dress hugged your body to ready yourself for the warming weather, summer quickly approaching. Black flats were on your feet. A heart necklace hug around your neck, the reminder that your friendship with Taeyong existed at one point. He had sent the necklace to you from Seoul for your birthday three years into your friendship, and you hadn’t taken it off since. You had done your hair in cute curls that waved along your features, framing your face. Minimal make up covered your face but accentuated your natural beauty. 

A knock on the door made you jump. You stuffed your phone, unanswered text and all, into your purse. Checking yourself in the mirror, you attempted to remove the disappointment you could see in your eyes, not wanting your boyfriend to worry. When you felt you were acceptable, you rushed to the door, opening it wide.

“Hey you! Are you ready?” Jackson greeted with a large smile. But the smile disappeared before you could even respond. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” you said, too quick for your liking. “I’m fine. Let’s get going, shall we?”

“Something is definitely wrong,” the young man sighed. “Can we go inside for a second and talk about this?”

“I’m fine, Jackson. I promise. Can we just go?” you pleaded.

Jackson denied, forcing you inside to the couch. He sat beside you, taking your hand in his. The feeling of his hand in yours felt foreign. It didn’t feel right against yours - your fingers didn’t mesh together perfectly, no sparks making your skin tingle. You wanted to squeeze his hand back, but you couldn’t will yourself too, especially with the thoughts of your phone in your bag and the messages you kept sending going unread.

“Please, tell me what’s wrong,” he pleaded, studying the side of your face. 

“I told you I’m fine, J,” you mumbled.

“Like hell you are,” he huffed. “I can tell that there is something on your mind. I’m your boyfriend, Y/N. I should be able to tell when you are unhappy. And I’d hope that you can trust me enough to tell me.”

You frowned, digging into your purse. You clicked on your phone, knowing his brow furrowed at the picture from your lock screen. It was a photo of Taeyong he had sent you from his dorm, using a silly snapchat filter to give him puppy ears. He was hugging Ruby to his cheek, giving a wink with his tongue out. When he had sent it, he said the him and Ruby matched, and it was too cute not to save.

“Who’s he?” Jackson asked. 

“My best friend,” you admitted. 

“Is he the issue?” Jackson asked, watching you nod. “What happened?”

“He hasn’t been answering my calls for weeks now. And I’m just starting to worry about it. I don’t know why he suddenly isn’t answering my calls or texts. We used to talk every day and now I can’t get him to answer a simple greeting.”

“Have you gone to see him?”

You bitterly laughed, shaking your head. “I wish it were that easy.” Jackson stared at you longer, waiting for more. “I’ve never actually met him in person. I met him through this pen pal program while I was in school and we quickly became great friends to the point that we kept in contact. He lives in Seoul.”

Jackson rubbed his lips together, his hand disconnecting from yours. Your hands sat in your lap while his linked together, his head leaning on them. An uncomfortable silence formed between you, the tension palpable. You couldn’t look at the quiet man beside you, not knowing what he would say.

Hearing him let out a heavy breath, you felt your heart drop, your blood running cold. You felt sick to your stomach, already knowing that whatever he was about to say was not going to be good. You were dreading the words that were about to come out of his mouth.

“Can I be honest with you?” he asked.

“Of course.”

He sighed, leaning back on the couch, eyes to the ceiling. “Since we got together, I’ve felt like something has been holding you back. Like there was a wall between us that I couldn’t get through. And, now I think I understand.”

“What do you mean?” you asked, gnawing at the inside of your cheek. 

“Will you be straight with me on this?” he asked. You eyed him, mumbling a small ‘yes’ to him. “Do you like him? As in the childish like like. You have romantic feelings for that guy on your phone?”

You remained silent, making Jackson sadly chuckle. 

“I didn’t want to believe there was someone else, but I had a feeling there was a reason I couldn’t ever get more out of you. I like you a lot, and I know you like me too. But you like him more. I don’t understand why you are with me when you like him. I’m sure he likes you too, right?”

“Yeah,” you squeaked, clearing your throat to ease the lump in it. “But there’s no way we can be together. He’s just so far away. He’s too good for me. There’s no way I would be enough to be with him. But he’s in Seoul, I’m here. How are we supposed to be together if we’ve never met? If we’re worlds apart?”

“If you want it to work, it will,” he said with a kindhearted smile. “Nothing can stop two people if they want to be together. If their desire is strong enough, if their feelings are strong enough, things will work out. We are all under the same sky after all. It shouldn’t matter how far away you are because if you are meant to be, it’ll happen. I know that long distance relationships are hard to fathom, and they get a bad rap, but you can’t just give up because of it. And honestly, if you ask me, if you guys have been this close just through phone calls, texts, whatever, then it would work. You guys are connected more than you think, or maybe want to admit. No matter what, he will be there for you if you accept it. If he didn’t, he’s an idiot, no offense.”

“How are you so smart about this?” you asked with a short laugh, wiping at the tears that threatened to spill. 

“My parents lived long distance before having me. My mom lived in the UK while my dad was in LA. It’s not quite the same as you and your friend because they had been together before, but they were able to make it work because they were meant to be. They wanted to be together.”

“That’s pretty deep,” you laughed. Jackson joined you, wrapping a loose arm around your shoulders. 

“I don’t want to say this, and I’ve been dreading the thought for a while because of this wall. But,” he stopped, sighing. “I think it’s best if we break up.”

“I’m sorry,” you apologized. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be the perfect girl for you.”

“You can’t help it if your heart belongs to someone else. Just don’t let him slip away from you. You need to decide if you want to try. Is he worth it?”

“More than you know,” you laughed, a wide grin growing at the thought of the man. 

“Then don’t be afraid. I promise it’ll work out.”

“Thanks, J,” you said, turning in your seat to give him a powerful hug. His arms wrapped around your waist, crushing you to his chest. “You really are an amazing guy and I hope that you find the right girl someday.”

“I’m sure I will,” he chuckled, releasing you from his grasp. You walked him to your door, leaning on the frame after he stepped out. “Don’t be a stranger in the cafe though! I will always serve you that special iced coffee.”

“You better,” you laughed. “I’m sorry again, Jackson.”

“Don’t be. I’m sad, but I will move on. And I hope for the best for you and…”

“Taeyong. Lee Taeyong.”

“For you and Taeyong.” 

Jackson winked, waving one last goodbye. The thunk of your door shutting was similar to the way your heart felt plummeting. Loneliness was present, lingering over you in the barren apartment. You suddenly felt cold, realizing that you were single once more and still without your best friend. Your heart felt heavy in your chest, frozen and unbeating, weighing down your body. A staggered breath left your lips, a few stray tears escaping down your cheeks that were promptly wiped away. Limbs felt like lead, holding you in the empty doorway for longer than you wanted, staring at the sealed door, knowing it wouldn’t open again.  

Kicking off your flats, you rushed to your room, trying to escape the quiet space of your own home. Nothing was able to comfort the sadness dwelling in your chest, your body numbly laying on the bed, eyes glued to the ceiling. They traced the glowing star stickers that decorated the white top, the sight alone making you think of the man you desired. He loved the night sky just as much as you did, and every time you saw the stars and moon, he was first to plague your thoughts. Your eyes turned to the clock beside you bed, mentally calculating how late it was for him. 

After midnight.

The longer you laid in silence, you more your heart ached. You needed to talk to someone, dialing the first number you could think of.

“Hello?” their voice rang, deep and husky, laced with hints of sleep. You felt bad instantly, gnawing on your lip before responding. 

“Mark?” you asked quietly. Your low, cracking voice must have made him jump up. You could hear the shuffling of sheets and the squeak of the bed, a door opening and closing. 

“Hold on,” he whispered. 

Sitting up and curling into a ball while leaning against the headboard, you awaited, listening to the faint thud of footsteps on the other end. You hugged your knees to your chest, struggling to keep your emotions under control. You could hear a door slide open and shut, followed by a low curse in Korean before the phone line went dead. Your brow furrowed, pulling the phone away from your ear to check the battery.

Full.

You jumped when the phone suddenly went off again, falling to the blankets. The screen showed the face time with the boy you called, his silly face on display from the contact image. Swiftly, you fumbled to grab the phone, swiping to answer.

“Hey, sorry about that,” he said in English, voice low. Mark had a hoodie pulled over his head, his surroundings dark. He was sitting outside, like how Taeyong normal did. You could feel your heart sink at the thought, an inaudible sigh leaving your mouth. “What’s up? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” you whispered. “I just… needed to talk to someone.”

“Alright,” Mark hummed, unconvinced. “Why do you look all dressed up? Did you have a date with… what was his name again?”

“Jackson,” you told him, feeling your hand curl into itself. “And yeah. I was supposed to have a date.”

“Supposed to?” Mark asked, messing with the front of his curly hair. “Did he cancel on you?”

“We broke up,” you said flatly. Mark frowned, mouth opening and closing with no words coming out. 

“I’m so sorry,” he finally croaked. “Are you ok?”

“I’m fine, I guess,” you admitted. “It hurts a bit, but that’s not what’s bothering me. That’s not why I’m calling. I’m just lonely is all.”

“Is that all?” Mark hummed.

“Yeah,” you let out, letting silence commence. You couldn’t think of anything more to say, Mark not prying at first. 

“You’re not very convincing,” he chuckled. “What’s going through your mind, Y/N? You wouldn’t call this late for nothing. Lonely? Yeah, I believe that, especially after a break up. But there is something more that you aren’t telling me. You are still all dressed up, you’re ready to cry. So please, don’t keep doing this to yourself. Please tell me what’s wrong.”

“I…” you started, feeling a tear slide down your cheek. “How is he doing, Mark?”

Mark stayed silent. 

“I just…” you sniffled, more tears flowing. “He won’t answer my calls. He won’t read my texts. I can’t get a hold of him. I’m so worried about him. I can’t help it. I just want to know that he’s alright.”

Mark stayed silent, his gaze bypassing the phone to the city of Seoul and the night sky overhead. His head turned back to the dorm where his friends remained asleep, his frown deepening. You watched him ponder, your stomach churning uncomfortably. 

“He’s,” Mark started, sighing under his breath. “He’s not well. He’s in pretty bad shape honestly.”

“Mark, no,” you cried, shaking your head. “Don’t tell me that.”

“Would you rather I lie?” he asked firmly. You shook your head, hearing the young Canadian boy huff out a sigh. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but it’s true. He has not been himself since you got with that Jackson guy. He’s always unhappy, he’s not eating well, he’s not performing well in practice. We are all worried about him, Y/N.”

“I-”

“We are worried about you too,” Mark confessed sadly. You cringed at his words, steering your sight away. “We know that you guys liked each other. Taeyong told us everything. He told us because he was heartbroken that he couldn’t be enough for you. He always said how you were too good for him. And the whole distance issue, he didn’t want to keep you from having something special with someone you love because he couldn’t be there for you.”

“But he was always there for me,” you murmured.

“I know,” Mark stated. “He kept himself from having you, but he hurt himself by loving you. He’s in so much pain because he loves you with all his heart and knowing he couldn’t be the one to love you and make you happy broke him even more. He wants you happy, and it breaks his heart because he can’t be to one to make you happy in his mind.”

“But he does make me happy!” you scream, more tears streaming down your cheeks, makeup starting to run. “I’ve liked him for so long, Mark. I still like him. So much that it hurts. No matter what I do, all I do is think about him. When I sleep, I dream about him. When I walk down the street, I see things that remind me of him. I feel like he is always there, even if he is thousands of miles away. I can hear his voice, I can see his face, but none of it is real. 

“I just don’t know what to do, Mark. I want to be with him so bad. I want us to be together because no one makes me happier than Taeyong has. He has always been there for me when I needed it. He makes me smile, he makes me laugh, he makes me cry. But I don’t know how to make that work. How can I be with him when he is out of my reach? I’m not too good for him - it’s the other way around. He’s too good for me. How could I possibly wish to be with him?”

“You both need to realize one thing,” Mark huffed, voice strict. “The distance - it doesn’t matter! You guys have been friends for how long? Seven plus years? Yeah, isn’t that enough to prove that you are connected? Every night when we leave work, Taeyong will smile up at the sky, looking at the moon, and say how the sun is rising for you. He always smiles brightest when he says that. 

“Just because you don’t see the same thing doesn’t mean you are too far apart to make things work. It’ll be hard, but we are all in the same world, at the same time, under the same sky. Your hearts are connected, and you just have to figure out a way to make that work.”

“But how?” you asked, using the back of your hand to wipe at your tears. “He’ll never forgive me, Mark. He won’t answer my calls at all!”

“He’s hurt, Y/N. Not mad,” Mark chuckled. Using a hand to cover his mouth, he let out a stifled yawn, eyes fluttering to stay awake. “Here’s my suggestion. Think about what you really want, what the truth is to you. If you want to be with Taeyong, then figure out how to make it work. And when you’re ready, give us a call. We will gladly help you out because we want to see you both happy. And honestly, you are happiest with each other.”

“Figure out what my truth is?” you asked, Mark nodding. “You know, you’re still a child, Mark. You’re fresh out of Dream. How are you this wise?”

“I hang around with old men too much,” he chuckled.

“That’s a lie. You are all children,” you laughed. “Get some sleep, Markie. Sorry for waking you up.”

“It’s fine. You know we are always here for you, no matter what. If I was mad, I wouldn’t have answered. And the same goes for the others. You are family, Y/N. Please know that. It doesn’t matter to us if you are ten minutes away, or ten hours. Because we care about you.”

“Right,” you sighed. “Sleep well, Mark. And… please keep an eye on Taeyong for me.” 

“Will do. Talk soon, babe.”

“Love you, bro,” you laughed slightly. Mark gave a quick wave before ending the call. 

Dropping the phone aside, you laid flat to the bed once more, not bothering to change to clean yourself of the makeup. Rolling onto your side. You stared at the blank phone, resting a hand over it. You wished it would vibrate under your palm, chiming with a new message or call. But it remained still, cold under your touch. Your wish wasn’t going to come true anytime soon. 

“Figure out what my truth is?” you mumbled to yourself. “What is it that I want? Do I want to be with Taeyong? He makes me so happy, but… how can we? He is so far away. Is it possible? Can we reasonably be together?”

Thoughts of him ran through your mind, every moment you shared together over the years flashing by my dreamlike memories. A smile curled up on your face, making your cheeks hurt. When your hand pulled away from your phone, you saw the familiar picture of the idol set as your wallpaper. The sight alone made your heart tremble, skipping a beat. 

The tears began coming, unable to stop. The droplets clouded your vision, dripping to your pillow. Short hiccups left your mouth as you sobbed, clutching at your phone. “I want him so bad. He’s the only man to make me feel like this. Maybe Jackson and Mark were right and we are connected more than we know. Maybe we were being stupid because we believed we couldn’t be together. Maybe we can be happy together and stop fighting these feelings.

“How could I be so stupid to let this all happen? It was so obvious, and I let things fall through because of something as stupid as distance. 

“How can I fix this?”

You fell asleep, pained with puffy eyes and red, wet cheeks, clutching to the phone like it was a lifeline that would ring to pull you back. The entire time, you dreamt of ways to fix this, to get back to the man you loved - the man that told you he loved you back and you let go. You weren’t going to be stupid a second time. You were going to get the man you desired, that made you happy and complete, not caring about anything that stood between you.

When you awake, sore bodied and numb inside, the first thing you did was compile a message, simple in structure and straight to the point. The recipients: eight boys that grinned eagerly at the message that made all their phones buzz, their ninth member unsuspecting. 

I need to fix this.  

~

You took a deep breath, stepping off the plane. Your footsteps were hurried, pushing passed people with mumbled apologies as you hurried to gather your luggage. You sent a quick text before leaving the airport, staring up at the bright sky overhead. You couldn’t help but smile. Something about the sky felt different than home, the fresh air that was breathed into your lungs setting something alight inside. You were light on your feet as you skipped forward, elation forming a bubble around you that couldn’t be burst.

You were bouncing as you traveled through the foreign city, eager to arrive at the destination. Your eyes twinkled at you watched the tall buildings pass by, snapping some pictures for yourself as you went. Your heart was pumping faster the closer you got, beginning to burst out of your chest when you felt the taxi stop in front of your destination. 

The driver kindly helped you with your luggage before taking the payment you extended towards him, offering a multitude of thank you’s as gratitude for his service. You watched the car disappear down the road before letting out a ragged breath, turning to stare at the building. With luggage in tow, you made your way inside, the wheels of your suitcase thumping as you stepped through the building to find the place you needed to be.

Dry swallowing at the sight of security outside, you let out a shaky breath, unsure if you were able to do this. There was still a small line that you stopped at the end of, sending a quick message with shaky fingers. The slow-moving line prolonged your inherent agony, anxiety beginning to build up. Your stomach clenched with tight knots, wiping your sweaty palms to your jeans. 

The security stopped you, asking for your pass to get in. “I-I don’t have one,” you admitted timidly, biting at your lip. 

“Unfortunately, I can’t let you in, miss,” the man told you. 

“You don’t understand. I’m friends with them-”

“I’m sorry, I can’t.”

You opened your mouth to explain further, but thankfully, your rescue had come. “She’s alright, guys. She’s my friend,” Mark said, slipping from his spot at the table, apologizing to the fans as he did. “Go ahead and let her in.”

The security guard nodded, letting you by. You smiled gratefully at the boy, not saying anything more so he could return to his seat, apologizing once more and resuming the conversation he was having with the girl in question.

You stared down the line while you had time, seeing all nine boys of NCT sitting in different spots. Mark, Yuta, Johnny, Jungwoo, Taeil, Haechan, Doyoung, Jaehyun, and last, but surely not least, the man you were truly here to see: Taeyong. Even from the distance, you could see how pale he looked, giving somewhat fake smiles to people. He looked partially exhausted and drained, the normal glow he radiated diminished to near nothingness. You pouted at the sight, disliking the scene at the end of the row of tables. 

When the girl was gone, Mark gestured you forward. Before you could make it to the front of the table, he rounded it, giving you a tight hug. You were glad the others were distracted by their conversations and signings to see the quick gesture, Mark releasing you shortly after. 

“You’re really here,” he said lowly, not wanting to alert anyone. 

“I’m here. I told you I was,” you laughed. 

“I know,” he chuckled. “But like… you’re here. In the flesh. I’m finally meeting you!”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Markie,” you giggled. “How has it all been?”

“Rough,” he claimed, ruffling his hair. “But it’ll get better now that you are here.”

“I hope.”

Mark grinned, leaning on the table. “Man, I can’t believe it. You’re actually here. I get to meet my sister finally! We’re going to have so much fun while you are here.”

“I’m only here for a week.”

“So, we will have fun!” Mark chuckled.

“Yeah, yeah,” you laughed, pulling out the latest cd you purchased and pushing it his way. “Now, to make this official and to actually follow the rules, I’d like this signed please.”

“I think I can do that,” he chuckled, doing as you said, though making a joke out of the signature in the end so you could have a laugh later. Mark gave you one last hug before you left his table, whispering, “I will see you after the signing, babe. Glad you could make it.”

Leaving your suitcase with Mark, you followed down the line, receiving a similarly warm welcome from each boy. Each boy gave you a hug across the table, expressing their delight that you were finally in Korea, standing in person before them. No longer was there a silly screen separating you and them. They were in the flesh, warm bodies clinging to you before you got them to sign the shiny album in your hands. You were glad you managed to come, meeting the group of boys you cared about so deeply.

Lastly, it was his turn. 

Taeyong waved goodbye to the girl in front of you, combing through his hair briefly. You saw him exhale, his chest rising and falling with the deep breath and his nose flaring slightly. He leaned backwards in his seat to crack his back, having been sat for quite a while. You took a second to admire his beauty, in awe of his flawless physique in person. He was always handsome through the phone, even when he wasn’t trying, but before your eyes now - he was downright gorgeous. 

He wore a simple red and black striped shirt with black jeans, holes in the legs and knees. The sleeves were pushed up to his elbows to relieve some of the summer heat, a couple distinct arm veins running along his clear skin to his hands, running along the tops to his slender digits. His blonde hair was fluffy against his head, the ends of some strands curling upwards adorably. His dark eyes had yet to glance your way, long lashes shut against his cheeks as he relaxed for a single moment. 

With one last sigh, you saw his eyes flutter open, asking who was next. His voice was just as smooth and velvety as you recalled, deep and clear with every word he said. Your heart pounded against your chest, waiting for him to see who was standing before him.

It was in slow motion. His head turned towards you, finding you waiting for him. His jaw dropped, and his eyes enlarged. He slowly stood from his seat, tear beginning to form in his eyes. You remained still in your spot, watching him round the table, standing feet before you. His mouth opened and closed, unable to make out words with his suddenly dry throat. When he managed to get them out, they came out as croaks of words.

“Y/N?” he got out at last. “I-Is that really you?”

“Hi Tae,” you murmured, giving him a small smile. 

Taeyong let out a choked sob, covering his mouth to muffle it. His feet moved forward before you could react yourself, his long arms wrapping themselves around your smaller frame. Your bag slipped off your shoulder, and your newly signed album hit the floor between you, but that was the last of your worries. Tears sprung to your eyes as you wound your arms around his waist, burying your face in his chest. Taeyong burrowed into your hair, his body wracked with happy sobs.

“You’re here,” he whispered into your locks repeatedly, wetting them with his tears. “You’re really here.”

“I’m really here,” you repeated, giving him a tighter squeeze for the hug you shared. “I’m here, Taeyong. I’m here, bub.”

He backed away, keeping you within arm’s reach. His hands slid up your face, gently cupping your cheeks in his palms. His thumbs smoothed across your skin, wiping at the wet trails that stained them. His lips curled into a bright smile, teeth bared and all. His eyes continued to water, your image blurred but beautiful in his brown orbs. 

“What are you doing here?” he asked, biting at his lip. “Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be home with your boyfriend?”

You shook your head in response, placing your hands over his. “I don’t have a boyfriend, Yong,” you admitted to him. “We broke up a couple weeks ago.”

He gaped at you, short, incomplete thoughts reaching your ears. “But… you’re... what… why…?”

“I’ve done a lot of thinking lately,” you said, feeling more tears coming. “And I realized that I was stupid for not realizing sooner just how much I love you.”

He choked back a sob.

“I was stupid for letting you go and for agreeing to not pursue anything. Because, Taeyong, you complete me. You make me happier than anyone ever has. I was stupid to think that something as silly as the places we live could keep us apart. I realized that it doesn’t matter because the world can’t keep us from each other. It doesn’t matter where we are, or how far apart we are. What matters is that our hearts-” your hand was placed on his chest, feeling the rapid storm of heartbeats hammering to his ribcage, “-are connected. That even when I see the sun and you see the moon, as long as we are under the same sky, nothing can keep us apart. What matters is that I want to be with you, Taeyong.

“And, I hope you want to be with me still too.”

The idol choked on his sob again, pulling you closer to him. Your foreheads met, the man slightly hunched over to meet yours, but you made it work. Your noses bumped against each other, his minty breath fanning over your lips. They were near each other, closing in with each second that passed. The idol leader darted his tongue forward to wet his lips before answering, voice cracking slightly, though remaining angelic.

“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” he whispered. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited to hear you say that.”

“I’m sure I can guess, because it was just as long for me,” you laughed. “I’m sorry it took me so long to realize.”

“I’m to blame too,” he replied, chuckling lowly. “I let you go when I should have stopped you.”

“Well, we don’t have to worry about that anymore. I made my choice,” you confessed, biting at your lip. “And I choose you, Tae. It’s always been you. There’s no turning back and honestly, I have no intention of changing my mind.”

“Good,” he said.

With that, his lips were on yours in a sweet kiss - something you had been dying for without realizing it. You sunk into him, pushing closer to him until your chests were pressed against one another. Your arms clung to his waist, his saying firm to your cheeks. His lips were soft, moving perfectly against yours in the blissful connection. His head tilted just enough to ensure your lips could mesh together perfectly. The second his lips touched yours, you felt a shock run through your spine, every red light in your mind working to releasing the fireworks. 

When he pulled away, your lips were left tingling, craving more. His lips rubbed together, twitching into a shy, but excited grin. Your faces nuzzled together, refusing to move from the warm hug you were sharing.

“Tae?” you uttered softly, hearing him hum. “Happy birthday.”

He chuckled, shaking his head against yours. “You remembered?”

“Of course,” you laughed. “That’s partially why I worked to get here today of all days, especially knowing you had this fan signing.” 

“Well, I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday gift.”

His arms closed around you once more, nuzzling into the side of your head, inhaling your sweet scent. You hummed in delight, burrowing back into his chest, your joyous tears soaking into his tears. Your body was riveting with excitement, heart pounding, the sound in your ears, and stomach flipping with rampaging butterflies. For the first time in weeks, you were content, feeling an ease that hadn’t been present since the day your feelings were first confessed. To be in his arms was something you had dreamt of, and now to be here, you were reluctant to let go. 

The ethereal moment was broken, unfortunately, but a group of rowdy boys behind you cheering at the top of their lungs. The eight boys didn’t hesitate to rush forward, wrapping their arms around you in tight hugs. You couldn’t stop the burst of laughter that escaping, hearing Taeyong doing the same. His angelic laughter rang in your ears, the sweet melody better in person. Taeyong’s arms stayed firm around you, clutching you to his person, while the rest of the idols gathered around you, enveloping you in unexplainable heat. 

“Finally!” Johnny yelled loudly, the others protesting slightly at the sound. 

“Too loud, Johnny,” Doyoung attacked, grimacing at the sound that was aimed directly in his ear. 

“But seriously, guys. We are so happy for you. You are finally together! It’s about time you could be together without things to worry about,” Jaehyun chimed. 

“Did you guys know about this?” Taeyong asked as the hug dispersed, his arms never leaving you. Even though you turned in his arms to look at the boys, all eight with pleased grins, the leader’s arms stayed tight around your waist, his chin on your shoulder.

“We may have had something to do with this,” Jungwoo sneakily hummed. 

“She said she wanted to come visit and fix the things between you,” Taeil confessed. Your face lit up, feeling Taeyong’s stare into the side of your face. 

“We just wanted to help!” Haechan continued. “We needed to see the ship sail!”

“You guys were always so happy together and when everything happened, you both got so down,” Yuta frowned. “We wanted to help make things better because you are best together.”

“I think what they’re all saying,” Mark cut in, “is that we are happy that you can finally stop fighting your feelings. You guys are so happy together and we only want to see that continue. You deserve to be happy and you deserve each other. Were glad you have stopped fighting your feelings and realized that it doesn’t matter as long as you are together.”

You knew Taeyong looked confused, so you turned to him. “Mark is oddly smart for his age.”

“Hey!” 

“What? It’s true! You gave me some very good advice!” you exclaimed. “You are younger than me, Markie. Stop being so wise.”

“But, I’m still confused,” Taeyong admitted, his arms dropping from around you. You turned to look at him, noting his knit brows, wrinkled forehead and confusion laced irises. The other boys fell silent, waiting for their leader to continue. “Don’t misunderstand please. I’m thrilled you are here. I have wanted to meet you and hold you and… god, just you being here is my dream come true. But, I don’t get why. And how. Everyone is saying that we can be together, but you will have to go home eventually. I just… I don’t get it.”

You bit at your lip sharing a glance at the eight boys before facing Taeyong completely. “I wasn’t going to mention it until later because I wanted it to be a surprise. But as much as this trip is to meet you and tell you that I want to be with you, there is another reason I came.’

“What?” Taeyong asked, blinking. 

“The office I work for,” you started, smiling growing unknowingly. “There is one here, in Seoul. It’s still fairly new, so they are still building. I expressed my interest to my boss, and he managed to set me up with some time to discuss with the manager here for me to transfer.”

“Wait. So, you might…”

Taeyong was at a loss for words.

“Yes,” you confirmed, giving him a bright smile. “If accepted, I will be moving to Seoul to work permanently. And as it stands, since I’ve talked to the manager already in phone conferences, it’s looking highly likely that I will be moving. The fact that I speak English and Korean, thanks to a certain idol, is a major draw for them. So, I will know more in a few days when I meet with them. They will tell me for sure what the plan is.”

Taeyong’s eyes filled with tears again, fling himself forward, encasing you in his grasp. He let out a cheerful laugh that brought to light your own stifled giggles, curling your arms around him, pushing into his hold. Rocking you back and forth, he lifted you off your feet, spinning you in circles. 

“You’re staying,” he breathed, choking on his own laughs. “You’re really staying. You’re here and you’re staying.”

“Tentative,” you laughed, barely managing to speak. “But I’m confident in saying yes, I am here to stay.” once your feet touched the ground, you grasped his face, cupping his cheeks and smoothing your thumbs under his eyes. He had considerably brightened since you first saw him, color already returning to his paled face. He looked more like himself, even with the tear marks that streaked his cheeks. “I’m here to be with you, Tae. Because I’m tired of denying us. I want to be with you.”

“God, I’ve wanted to hear that forever,” he cooed, leaning forward. His lips hovered over yours, the smile contagious with the close proximity. “I want nothing more than to be with you. I’m sorry I was stupid before I let you go.”

“Don’t be,” you whispered. “Because we are here now. And nothing can keep us apart.”

Taeyong grinned, placing a second kiss to your lips - it was just as explosive as the first. Your eyes closed at the sweet connection, his lips harder to yours than before but just as careful. The tingling sensation returned, traveling throughout your body. Your fingertips itched, curling into his cheeks more. Your body pressed closer to him, one foot nudged between his, toes curling in your shoes. His lips dragged against yours, separating with a subtle smack before dipping in again for more, sharing multiple, short connections.

Your mind was blank, enjoying the sweet, supple taste of his lips. He tasted like honey, his lips luscious and plump against yours. They were a drug you never thought you’d want or have, the sugary taste he offered addicting.

“Alright well, I hate to break up this little romantic session you guys are having,” Jaehyun cut in, causing you and Taeyong to separate, panting slightly for lost air. “We should get going. We have things to do.”

“Yeah. If we wait, we’re going to miss all of the food!” Haechan cried, gathering his stuff. 

Taeyong’s brow rose, slipping his hand into yours. “Don’t we have more things this afternoon? I thought we had a radio interview after this.”

“It was moved until later this week,” Johnny mused with a smirk. Taeyong blinked.

“But I thought-”

“It took a lot of convincing,” Doyoung cut in, placing his bag on his shoulder. “It took all eight of us to convince our manager to shuffle some stuff around so we could celebrate today.”

“It’s your birthday, hyung! Did you really think we were going to be busy all day?” Jungwoo joked.

Taeyong scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Well, yeah actually. We’ve had concerts on peoples’ birthdays. What would make today so different?”

“Y/N,” all eight said, making you laugh. 

“With Y/N coming, we wanted to be able to have a nice afternoon where we could celebrate,” Taeil told the center.

“So, with a lot of begging and pleading, they finally agreed,” Yuta laughed with a bright, sunshine-like smile. 

“What are we waiting for?” Haechan whined, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Let’s go! I’m hungry!”

“What are we doing?” Taeyong asked, leading you away by the hand so he could gather his stuff. 

“Heading back to the dorm to have your birthday dinner,” Jaehyun told him.

“We’re grilling meat!” Jungwoo cheered.

“Taeyong-hyung, make us pork belly!” Haechan whined. 

“Haechannie, be nice!” you scolded. “It’s Yong’s birthday.”

“But-”

“It’s fine,” Taeyong laughed. “I’ll grill.”

“Yay!” the youngest screamed, hopping off the ground in his joy. 

“Well, let’s go already,” Mark chuckled, dragging your suitcase with him on his way out. 

Taeyong took your hand, placing a kiss to your cheek before leading you after the rest of the boys, headed for the two vans that were parked, waiting to take you back to the NCT dorms. Taeyong kept your hand in his, fingers laced, until you reached the doors of the building. Not wanting fans to catch sight of your interlocked hands, he broke off from you, helping to place a black mask over your face and putting your sunglasses over your eyes. You giggled at his delicate nature, one last kiss left to your lips before rushing out to the awaiting cars, piling into them before people could really catch sight of the moving idols. 

~

Upon arriving at the dorms, you were all ushered out back where the grill was already heating. Two tables were set up for eating, a white table cloth draped over the tops. Taeyong left your side regrettably to start cooking, Mark rushing inside to fetch the meats. You left him with a tender kiss, heading into the dorms to help prepare side dishes the leader enjoyed as a celebration of his big day. 

Doyoung, Mark and Jungwoo gave you a quick tour of the dorms, having you leave your suitcase in Taeyong’s room for the time being. You admired their cozy living quarters, elated that you were there in person. The smell of Febreze still lingered in the halls from Taeyong’s early morning rounds, making his home smell of his favorite scent. Little trash was scattered from their late nights. Beds were messily made, but you didn’t expect much from them - they were boys and had a rigorous schedule to adhere to. They had rushed out early from what you were told, unable to properly clean before your arrival, not that you minded.

Aiding Doyoung in the kitchen, you helped to prepare plates of various sides - kimchi, cucumber kimchi, pickled radish, tteokbokki, japchae. All things to help feed the nine hungry boys you were with. To go with everything was kalguksu, one of Taeyong’s favorite foods. Jungwoo helped to prepare some small sides of rice, rice paper included with the meal. To finish off dinner was the dessert you had stopped to grab on your way to the signing that Mark, fortunately, kept hidden from Taeyong’s eye until later. A chocolate cake with strawberries, decorate with strawberry macarons, to satisfy the leader’s insatiable sweet tooth. 

You figured if he knew it was in the dorm, he’d skip to the cake rather than eat a meal with everyone else. He always loved his sweets more than anything and wasn’t afraid to indulge in the rich chocolate over the delectable pork belly he was grilling.

You shared many laughs with the boys that helped to plate the dishes, carrying it outside to the table. Drinks had been brought out and poured. Smoke filled the darkening sky from the grill, the sun beginning to set in the distance. Lights were strung up around the small yard you were in, lighting the space. Music played from Taeyong’s phone, amplified by a speaker that was nearby. The delicious scent of grilled pork filled your nose, your mouth beginning to salivate. 

Placing the pot of kalguksu on the table with the rest of the dishes, making your way towards the grill where Taeyong stood. Small flames licked the grates as he flipped the meats, letting them cook on the other side. Gloves covered his hands, a hat pulled over his head to keep his hair back as he cooked. He held the long tongs in his hand, scissors placed aside so he could cut the meat when it was done. 

Your arms wrapped around him from behind, hands running along his chest. Your face buried into his neck, smelling the smoke from the grill that was pressed into the fabric. Taeyong chuckled, a large smile on his face.

“What are you doing?” he asked. 

“Just leave me be for a second,” you whispered to him, hugging him tighter. “I’ve wanted to hug you for so long, Yong. To feel you for so long. Just… let me do this for just a second.”

Taeyong blushed, biting his lip. The tongs were placed aside while the meat cooked, the man rotating in your hold to wrap his arms around you, hands left hovering in the hair so he wouldn’t have to change his gloves after. His face nestled into your hair, leaving tender kisses in the strands. A content sigh left you both, relishing in the peaceful moment under the soon-to-be night sky, the moon rising overhead to place a shimmering glow upon you. 

Remaining by his side, you watched him pull the meat from the fire, cutting the strips into bite sides chucks. Carefully he lifted a piece of the cooked meat towards you, letting a quick, “say ah!” as he extended the food your direction. It was hot on your tongue when you opened your mouth, the meat placed between your cheeks. Despite the heat, you let out a squeal, the pork tender, melting onto your taste buds. You happily chewed the pork you were given, savoring the tangy selection. 

Taeyong grinned, returning to the rest of the pork. “Good?”

“Oh, no. It’s not good,” you breathed out, swaying back and forth happily. “It’s amazing.”

“Is it?” he chuckled, watching you closely. 

“Yes!” you exclaimed. “God, where have you been all my life? Why have I been missing out on this until now?”

“Well, I guess,” he mused, leaning closer towards you, a knowing smirk on his face. “I just gave you more incentive to stay here.”

You smiled, wrapping your arms around his neck, pushing yourself closer to him. “You’re making a rather compelling argument.”

“I can give you more reason, if you’d like.”

“Oh?” you cooed, your lips nearly on his. “Please, then. Give me more reason to stay here.”

“Because I’m here,” he cheekily replied. “And, I want you to be my girl finally.”

“Eh?” was your response, backing away slightly. 

“I want you to be mine. Like, for real. I pushed you away enough, so no more. I want you to be my girlfriend forever and always.”

You blinked at him before placing your lips carefully to his, the kiss short and passionate. He let out a short whine when you pulled away, wanting more. But you smiled, weaving your fingers through his hair, scratching at his scalp. “Of course, I will be yours, Taeyong.”

He grinned, kissing you once more, both of your sets of eyes closing. The passionate connection was growing more heated, needier, the longer your lips were pressed together. However, it didn’t last as long as you wanted when you heard a familiar boy’s scream.

“Hey! Stop lip locking and watch the food! If you burn the pork belly, I’m suing!” Johnny hollered, causing you both to break part. Taeyong was less than amused at the comments, the tall smirking man left running as tools went flying in his direction, clattering to the ground feet away. The leader huffed in annoyance, relaxing into your grasp when you resumed hugging him from behind, his focus returning to the food he had to finish. 

The dinner was amusing, to say the least. Once everyone was seated and food began to get passed around, the jokes began flying, and laughter was a common sound heard amongst the group. The group of idols told you various stories you had never heard before, telling you about things that you missed in your absence. Guilt raided your body when you heard the different things that had gone on while you were busy trying to ignore the truth, trying to fight the feelings you had that never once diminished. You believed for so long that the distance would keep you from keeping happy, but the real heartache was from the denial that Taeyong was your true bliss.

Now, the euphoria of being committed to this man left you speechless, regretting the time you missed with them. 

While you ate, your hand slide over to Taeyong’s lap, a hand resting on his thigh. No one could see it from where you were sitting, the plastic table covering hitting your laps. Five people sat on each side of the tables, you at the end of your side with Taeyong to your right. The sudden touch of your hand on his thigh made him choke slightly on his meat, glancing in your direction. You just sent him a sweet smile, giving his leg a firm squeeze. 

Slowly, his hand laced with yours, but he didn’t just hold it. He pulled it further up his leg, resting on a certain, distinguishable bulge at the top. You blinked in confusion, seeing the faint blush that spread over his cheeks and an apologetic expression on his face. 

“Sorry,” he whispered low enough for only you to hear. “I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t help it right now. I’m just…”

“It’s fine, Yong,” you told him, giving him a soft kiss. His breathing stopped mid kiss when your hand gave him a squeeze, caressing him through his dark jeans. The kiss broke with a low smack of the lips, Taeyong smiling widely. “It doesn’t bother me at all.”

“Good,” he chuckled, moving his hand to your own thigh, ended dangerously high up. You fidgeted slightly, anxious to have his hands on you at all, but you didn’t say anything, cherishing his warm touch. You wanted nothing more than to feel him near you, so you weren’t about to let your nerves get the best of you. You smiled at him, giggling when he picked up another piece of pork belly, wrapped in a piece of kimchi, holding it towards you. “Now, say ah!”

You did as he obliged, letting out a content mewl of satisfaction at the taste. The ethereal taste made you dance in your seat, squeezing a bit more than intended. Taeyong had to let out a choked gasp for you to realize what had happened but covered it quickly with a chuckle.

“Man, you guys are so cute, it’s sickening,” Doyoung huffed across from you, sitting his water. 

You cracked a smile at him, hiding it slightly behind your own cup. “Don’t even deny that you love it.”

Doyoung made a scrunched-up face that was supposed to resemble disgust, but the grin told you otherwise. And before he could spit a savage retort, Jungwoo cut in. “I love it.”

“At least Jungwoo is on our side!” you scowled playfully at Doyoung. Taeyong just chuckled, shaking his head. 

“Calm down, children.”

“Hey! I am your girlfriend good sir! Don’t call me a child!” you huffed, bumping his shoulder. The idol laughed loudly, bumping you back. 

“You’re my baby now,” he cooed, placing a kiss to your cheek that made you red. 

The other guys laughed, fake gagging at the coupley actions they were forced to witness. The rest of dinner went just like that, laughter, jokes and plenty of teasing passed around the table, sharing good food and making memories you would never forget. And your hand never moved from him, a light blush on both yours and Taeyong’s faces from the intimacy that was going on under the table, unbeknownst to the rest of the boys. 

The eight group members agreed to clean up while you spent time with Taeyong, wandering the courtyard you had reserved for the afternoon. Your hands were linked together, fingers intertwined and grasped tightly. His large hand covered yours perfectly, your hands matching like two pieces of the same puzzle. Your head rested on his shoulder as you walked, stopping at a bench away from the others. 

Together you sat, staring up at the dark sky that twinkled with stars and the golden moon that seemed to smile down at you. Taeyong placed tender kisses to your forehead and temple, tracing his luscious, pink lips along your hairline. You could feel his smile, making your heart race. 

“This is the first time,” he uttered lowly, resting his head on yours. “The first time we are seeing the same part of the sky together. The first time we can stare at the moon together. The first time you aren’t seeing something different than I am.”

“You’re right,” you hummed. “But, it doesn’t change anything. Nothing can keep us apart now.”

Taeyong chuckled, pulling you closer to his side. “You’re right. Whether it’s the sun or the moon, the world is ours, baby. And nothing will keep me from you ever again. I let you slip away once because of something stupid. Not again. I have you here, in my arms, and I’m never letting go.”

“Taeyong,” you whispered, waiting for him to respond. When you heard his low hm, you took his hand into you lap, staring at it. Your voices were clear, and your voice was strong, at the words you let out. “I love you.”

“I know,” he mumbled. He glanced at you, his dark brown eyes sparkling, glinting with emotion. “I love you too, Y/N. So much. I have for as long as I can remember. And I’m glad that you were my pen pal all those years ago. Because I was able to meet the most amazing woman on this planet. I feel in love with my best friend. It didn’t matter where she was because she held my heart from the day I got her first letter.” 

Your heart skip a beat at the conviction in his voice, staring deeply at him. Slowly he closed in, his hand moving up to your cheek to draw you into him. His eyes fluttered closed, yours mirroring his. Your lips touched in a careful embrace, tentative at first. His lips dragged against yours, smacking when they pulled apart. Instantly, he was delving back in for another, confidence striking him like a chord. His lips pressed harder this time, tilting his head so sash them harder to yours. The kiss was firm and stronger than before, lips moving quickly against one another. 

Your lips parted when his tongue slid along your sealed entrance, letting him bypass your lips to gain access between your cheeks. Your tongues playfully swirled around one another, Taeyong hesitant at first until your tongue poked out to find the intruder. Multiple hot, open-mouthed kisses were shared between you, your bodies inching closer together. His hands rested on your waist while yours were tangled in his fluffy blonde strands, tugging at them incessantly. Your moans were lost to the multitude of kisses, his groans trapped in his throat. Any that escaped were muffled, swallowed before they could fill the air. 

The faint call of your names made you separate, lips swollen and faces red. Chests heaved with heavy pants, attempting to reclaim precious air that was lost. Your tingling lips rubbed together, savoring the taste of the man that lingered on them, letting your arms fall from him. A disappointed and annoyed grunt left his mouth, his hand tousling his hair before standing up, reaching for your hand. 

“We should head back,” he claimed, obviously disappointed for being interrupted. You giggled at him, taking his hand. Your steps were slow heading back, not wanting to rush. 

“I probably should actually head out,” you told him. 

Taeyong halted, jaw ajar. “What? No. You can’t leave already. You said-”

“To my hotel, Tae,” you teased. His jaw snapped shut, staring at you blankly. 

“Oh,” he let out slowly, exhaling in relief. Suddenly, his face lit up, turning to you. “Why not just stay here?” 

“What?” You asked. “Tae, I couldn’t possibly.”

“Um, he might actually be right,” Mark cut in. His phone was in his hand and he had a sheepish grin on his cheeks. “Your hotel called and said they were full. Guess you can’t go.”

You glared at the young male, knowing exactly what he was pulling. Taeyong seemed oblivious to Mark’s true deeds as he bounced in his spot, looking like a kid in a candy store. “So, you can stay with us?”

“I guess I have no choice considering I have no other place to sleep tonight,” you sneered, glaring at Mark. You seethed at him through gritted teeth. “Thanks, Mark.”

“Just delivering the message,” Mark claimed with a sly wink. 

Taeyong bounced more, placing a quick kiss to your cheek. “I will go check with Johnny to see if he is willing to give up his bed while you are here. He can take the couch or crash in Yuta’s room. I will meet you upstairs, babe!”

Taeyong took on running, leaving you with the young rapper. Once Taeyong was out of sight, your fist made contact with the Canadian boy’s ribs, whom groaned in pain at your hit. “I hate you.”

“Thank me later. I hope Taeyong likes the gift Johnny got him later.”

Mark ran off before you could strike again, your eyes wide. “Mark Lee! Get back here!”

~

You sat on Taeyong’s bed, waiting for him to finish cleaning the dorm to his liking. When you returned inside, the outside spotless from your night, you finished Taeyong’s birthday with a bang, eating the cake you got. The man drooled at the sight when it was placed in front of him, ready to devour the entire thing in one sitting. Thankfully, he agreed to share - though he seemed reluctant at that and divided the cake into ten equal pieces. 

After the cake were presents, things ranging from gag items such as a pack of Febreze to practical items like a new camera and fabric markers for his fashion design hobby. One small box had contents unknown. All you knew was whatever was inside left his cheeks ablaze and the box tucked away into his room as soon as he opened it. He had bolted, stumbling over limbs and discarded gift boxes on his rush to his room. 

Your fingers ran through your hair, grimacing at the oily feeling. After the long travel time and the heat of the day, you felt disgusting. But you didn’t want to do anything without permission. You waited until Taeyong walked back into his room, shutting the door behind him. Before the door shut, you noticed the lights were out, indicating that everyone had gone off to their respective rooms for the night. 

Johnny had happily given up his bed for the days you were there, gathering clothes, pillow and blankets from his bed before carting them off to Yuta’s room down the way. You were thankful for his generosity, partially because you weren’t sure how comfortable it would be to sleep with your boyfriend for the first time in the same bed with someone else in the room, and partially because you were alone with Taeyong. That was nerve wracking enough. 

Taeyong flopped onto his bed, wrapping his arms around your waist. His head settled into your lap, near purring when your fingers automatically combed through his hair, relaxing him. “You’re here,” he whispered happily, hearing you giggle softly. “You’re going to sleep with me tonight, right?”

You blushed, choking on your own saliva. “I-I mean…”

Taeyong corrected himself before you could finish. ‘I-I meant like… in the same bed! You won’t be sleeping in Johnny’s bed, right? You’ll sleep beside me, in the same bed, under my covers, while I snuggle you?”

“Of course,” you laughed. “But can I perhaps shower before bed? I feel gross after the flight and being out all day.”

Taeyong smiled up at you, taking your hand and kissing the center of your palm. The gesture made your lips twitch upwards, biting back a smile yourself. “Of course, babe.”

He led you to the bathroom attached to his room, shared by him and Johnny, and whoever stood on the other side of the opposite door, digging under the sink for a towel. The bathroom was rather large, glass shower, marble countertops, large mirror, sparkling clean toilet, probably due to Taeyong’s OCD. He had a box of cleaning supplies nearby to wipe everything down as needed. The fluffy green towel he pulled out was placed to the counter, pointing towards the shower. 

“If you didn’t bring your own stuff, mine is the left, top shelf.”

“With the bottles neatly arranged, perfectly aligned, from shampoo to soap?” you teased. Taeyong chuckled nodding.

“You know me so well,” he breathed. A hot blush rose to his face, the idol clearing his throat. “If you need anything just holler.”

“I will,” you murmured. Your eyes followed Taeyong as he went to lock the door on the other side so someone wouldn’t accidentally walk in on you. He gave you a lopsided smile before headed towards his room. “Actually, Tae, wait.”

He paused, glancing back at you. You were fidgeting in your spot, nervous energy leaking from you. “What’s wrong, babe?”

“I just…” you started, glancing at the shower. “I’ve never used a shower in Korea. Can you show me?” 

Taeyong chuckled, nodding his head. Leading you towards the shower, he stepped inside, clothes and all. “You just turn it like this and it’ll start right up. Best to warn you it does take a moment to heat up though. If you want to adjust the heat, turn this one here.”

“I see,” you uttered. You pressed against his back, Taeyong’s breath hitching in his throat. Your arms hesitantly wrapped around his waist, hugging him close. “Would you, perhaps, stay with me while I shower?”

Taeyong dry swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “Oh?” was all he could muster. You nodded against his back, clutching his shirt tightly. Your face was hot, your stomach felt tight, and you were afraid of his answer. You had dared to ask him something so bold, and you weren’t sure how he would respond so soon into your relationship. Part of you thought you were rushing, but the other part said it was just right. 

You wanted this. 

“I-I was just thinking,” you began. “I’m new here and I’m kind of afraid to be alone. I was thinking someone could stay and… keep me company.”

Taeyong turned in your grasp, cupping your face. His thumbs brushed along your cheeks, smiling once before pulling you into a kiss. It was intense from the start, heating up until your lips were dragging along each other fiercely. He showed no signs of backing away, leaving you alone to shower. He pushed you for another kiss, sliding his tongue between your cheeks, tracing the inner linings.

Your hand flailed behind him, his feet stepping back from your weight pushing against him. Without looking, you found the knob for the shower, twisting it blindly until water was pouring over your forms, clothes and all. You both broke away with a gasp, the icy cold water hitting you. It was heating up, but the shock startled you, causing you to jerk back in surprise. Your eyes met Taeyong’s, and after a second of staring, you both burst out laughing.

Water dripped down your forms, clothes clinging to your limbs. Taeyong pushed his hand through his hair, the locks pushed back against his head. With the water droplets sliding down his face, dripping from his hair, and running along his hands, he looked gorgeous, your gaze unable to tear away from him. Water ran along his sharp jawline, dripping from his chin. His striped shirt was hugging his chest and arms, his dark jeans hugging his thigh and slim legs even tighter. 

Taeyong grinned at you before peeling the wet shirt off his chest, over his head. He tossed the wet cotton into the corner of the shower with a wet, squishing thump, his torso left bare before you. He wasn’t the most muscular man around - Jaehyun had proven that more than once by walking around shirtless in the dorm while you were on a call with Taeyong. But you couldn’t stop admiring the lean build he did have. Muscles along his arms, abs that accentuated his lean physique, a small scar on the lower right side of his abdomen - your hands reached out to trace along his fine form, memorizing every inch of him. 

He watched you silently before dipping his head down for a heated kiss. His lips ravished yours for a minute, placing multiple lip-smacking kisses to your lips. His hands ran along your sides until he found the hem of your shirt, giving it a small tug. His lips broke away from yours with a low smooch, biting his lip.

“It’s only fair,” he teased. Wordlessly, you rose your arms, giving him the answer he desired. The man pulled your shirt away from your body, tossing it with his in the corner of the shower. You shivered at the exposure, biting your lip. His prying eye made you self-conscious, left only in your bra that did nothing to hide your erect nipples from the shower you were in. He held your wrists before you could try to shield yourself, leaning forward to please loving kisses along your shoulder and collarbone. “Beautiful.”

With the shower raining over you, cascading down your topless bodies, Taeyong’s nimble fingers unhooking your bra with ease. With it discarded with the rest of the clothes, his breath hitched, swallowing thickly. His eyes asked for silent permission before proceeding, your nod allowing him to touch you. 

His fingers brushed along the side of your breast before cupping it completely. The pad of his thumb swiped over your nipple, hearing you mewl at the pleasure it caused. He smiled at the angelic noise, wetting his lips with his tongue before delving in. His hand fondled the right breast while his mouth attacked the left, lips wrapped around the pert bud. Your hands wove through his wet strands, moaning louder than before. 

His lips broke from your chest with a pop, gazing up through his lashes at you. “Quiet, babe. Don’t want to wake the guys.”

You nodded, tugging your lip between your teeth to stay silent. The idol leader resumed his assault, red suckling kisses littered across your chest. The man placed kiss after kiss to your taut bud, flicking it with his tongue and swirling it between his cheeks. Swapping after a bit, when one nipple was swollen and overly sensitive, he repeated his attack. 

He pulled from your chest with a pop, moving up to your lips. Your bottom lip was indented from your teeth, soothed from the kiss he placed upon it. Amidst the kiss, he tugged at your belt loops. The kiss broke, Taeyong’s lips brushing yours as he spoke. 

“It’s kind of hard to shower with jeans on,” he joked. You laughed at him, unbuttoning your jeans before reaching out to undo his. His dark brow rose, watching you quietly.

“You’re right, Yong,” you hummed. “So, let’s fix that.”

You tugged his pants down, gulping at the bulge in his black Armani underwear. You helped him peel the black denim from his legs, struggling from how much they stuck to his slender legs. Once they are off his ankles, you pushed them aside. Taeyong did the same to you, though he took longer to remove your pants. His lips laid kisses down your wet legs, letting out a staggered breath before dipping his face between your legs. A kiss was placed to your covered heat, a gasp leaving your lips.

“Tae,” you stammered, gripping his shoulders. He hummed below you, fingers wrapped around the sides of your panties. “Please.”

Your low plea told him to do it. He tugged them down, tossing them away unforgivingly. Now bare to him completely, your nervousness spiked, self-conscious before him. But he continuously uttered compliments under his breath, praising you without worry. Every word he uttered, you could hear his sincerity, elation rushing to your heart. 

His lips met your moist core, your fingers digging into his shoulders, leaving crescent shaped indentures in his skin. Breathing became difficult in the heat of the shower, steam rising around you. His tongue flicked through your folds, kitten licking you a few times before sticking his tongue deep inside you. Despite his earlier warning, you moaned his name, slumping forward at the pleasure you felt. 

His tongue swirled around your core, tracing your walls with the tip. His hands gripped at the backs of your thighs, holding you against him as he attacked your center, slurping up whatever you already released from the arousal that was building since the shower began. His tongue didn’t stay long inside you, exchanged for a single finger.

He was cautious at first, testing the waters of what worked for you, not wanting to do something you didn’t like. He uttered that he didn’t want to pressure you into anything, or make you uncomfortable, and that couldn’t be more admirable to you. The fact that he cared meant everything to you and solidified your conviction - you wanted this more than anything with him. 

The single turned into a double after a few slick thrusts, your moans becoming uncontrollable. He gave you a glinted stare but didn’t slow his thrusts. They sped up instead, the tips curling and nails scratching pleasurably at your inner walls. Your legs felt weak, beginning to shake in his grasp. Your walls were spasming around him, hugging his two digits tightly. The thrusts made a squelching noise as he moved, filling and spreading you with the two slender phalanges. 

When his lips met your clit, you broke. A loud moan of his names, and a hug of his fingers inside you, and you were releasing around him. You slumped forward even more, glad Taeyong was holding you up and you could use his shoulders for support. Otherwise, you could have been face first on the shower floor, the water pooling around your body instead of your feet.

Taeyong’s thrusts eased until you stopped shaking against him, pulling his fingers from you. His lips pressed to your pussy one last time, tenderly kissing it before standing. He placed a soft kiss to your lips, hugging you to his chest.

He grabbed his shampoo, rubbing it into your hair as you relaxed against him. He tilted our head back into the water, combing through your strands to get all the suds out. He repeated the process with the conditioner, sighing when he felt your lips press to his chest while scrubbing the conditioner into your hair. You did the same to him once your body could stand straight, listening to him laugh when you struggled to wash his hair. You had to stand on your toes to reach, falling into him a few times. 

He ran his soap along your body, your giggles sounding when he passed over spots that tickled. The bubbles passed over to his limbs whenever your rubbed against each other, your hand reaching to take the soap from him. Your hands were slow to move over him, rubbing the soap to his body, admiring his perfect physique. 

A groan left your lips when you realized he still had his underwear on, Taeyong chuckling under his breath. His fingers played with the band, hands covered in soapy bubbles, pushing he black fabric away from his body. His shaft was erect, making you blush hotly. You hand with the soap trembled, swallowing when you reach down to touch it. It twitched under the lightest graze, making you jump.

Taeyong chuckled, taking your hand, wrapping it around himself. “Like this,” he taught you, showing you how to stroke him. He pulsated in your grip, a throaty groan leaving his lips the more you stroked him, rubbing suds along his length. 

“Sorry,” you told him when you pulled away, putting his soap back. “It’s just… been a while I guess.”

“That one drunken one-night stand doesn’t help much when you’re in a relationship,” he chuckled, making you sneer. “Hey! I know you told me that in confidence and I never told the guys! But you know I’m in the same boat!”

“Because you’re such a lightweight,” you giggled. 

“Yeah. Never let me drink,” he chuckled.

“But I think I’d love to see that one day.”

“Soon, baby,” he hummed.

Rinsing off the soap and the remainder of the conditioner, Taeyong turned off the water, the last of the water that pooled around your feet disappearing down the drain. He rushed to grab the towel for you, wrapping it around your body for you before grabbing his own from under the sink. 

He brushed through your hair for you before yelling you to head back to his room while he cleaned up. You laughed at his OCD, kissing his softly on the lips and doing as he requested. Taeyong went to work, diligently hanging the wet clothes to dry, while you sat on his bed, not bothering to seek out your pajamas. You sat in just the towel, hugging it to your chest, contemplating what to do next. 

You were jetlagged from the flight, but you were tired enough to fall asleep immediately. You were still wide awake, and the only thing that could be causing that was the ache between your legs. Even after the shower activities, you were anxious and aroused, wanting to do more than you already had. Your heart was pounding in your chest, pumping blood to your lower region. Your body was heated, craving his delicate but sensual touch. You weren't ready to call it a night - not when Taeyong was still awake, dressed in a single blue towel. 

Your head shot up when you heard the bathroom door shut, giving you privacy. Taeyong leaned against it, eyeing you like you were some sort of prey first. His hands were behind his back, one knee bent as he leaned backwards against the sealed doorway. 

You gestured him forward with the curl of a finger, the man gladly striding over to you. His long legs carried him forward quickly, making short work on his advance, his footfalls brisk and nimble. His lips met yours before he even hit the bed, crawling over you instantly. Your back fell to the bed, returning the kiss he ignited. His body rolled against yours, hips grinding into you. The towel around his waist creating a wall between skin. Your own towel rode up from his movement, loosening the tie on the front.

Your tongues battled for a minute, open mouth kisses creating smacks that bounced off the walls, resonating in the confines of the bedroom. The man pulled away, dragging his lips down slowly, hauntingly sucking at your bottom lip before separating completely. 

"What do you want?" He asked, voice deep, a velvety husk surprising you. His eyes cracked open to look down at you, a dark glint present in his orbs. "I don't want to do anything if you don't want it."

"I want you," you confidently told him, not bothering to hesitate. 

"You're sure?" He asked. 

"One hundred percent," you confided. "I have never been more sure than I am right now that I want you, Taeyong. I love you and I want nothing more than to show that to you."

"I mean, we don't have to do this to show that you love me, " he laughed. You scowled, slapping his chest. "But, the thought of making love to my beautiful girlfriend is something I surely want to make a reality. Because then, she knows I love her too. And I have no intention of loving anyone else."

Your hands laced with his, his lips pressing to yours. 

"I'm giving you all of me, Taeyong. My heart - please take care of it."

"And I'm giving you all of me, Y/N. Though, you had me from the start, baby. So, it’s time to claim what is rightfully yours."

Your lips connected in a passionate kiss, your bodies rolling against his sheets. Your hips rolled together, grinding against each other without the physical contact of skin on skin. His cock was hardening under the towel - you could tell. Through the fluffy towel, you could feel it poking up at you. The towel that covered your body was pushed up more, riding up to your lower stomach, exposing your legs are aching core. 

Taeyong ended up on top of you, gripping the tie of your towel. It had already begun loosening, so it didn’t take him long to rid you of your only cover. Your body wiggled against the bed so he could pull the towel away, dropping it to the floor to collect later. Gradually, his lips trailed down your body, repeating the things he did in the shower. His fingers toyed with your center, prodding at your core, while his mouth focused on your chest, placing suckling, lip-smacking kisses to your nipples.

The pleasure you felt made your eyes close, gasping for air. Mewls of happiness left your lips. You back arched off the bed, pushing further into him, earning a grunt that vibrated your chest. Your legs attempted to close, but his hand kept that from happening, fingers thrusting in teasingly. Your hands found the blonde tresses atop his head, weaving your fingers through them. Raking your fingers along his scalp, the man purred, a low pop sounding when he pulled away. The idol moaned at your touch, nuzzling into your chest, directly between your breasts, letting you pet his hair, focusing on his fingers between your legs.

“I love the way this feels,” he murmured. “I love the way you run your hands through my hair.”

“You do?” you uttered lowly, struggling to make words.

“Yeah. Now I know why you always said you liked the feeling.” His lips curled against your chest plate, sucking a loving kiss to it. His fingers sped up, drawing out a loud moan. “What about this? Do you like the feeling of my fingers inside you?”

You choked on your words, nodding hastily. Your lack of words made Taeyong chuckle, his fingers stilling and disappearing from inside you. The loss made you whimper at him, Taeyong chuckling. His body rolled to yours, his face directly before yours.

“You’re mean,” you whined. Taeyong grinned, kissing you softly. “Also, who knew you were so dirty. I’ve never heard you dirty talk before.”

Taeyong’s face visibly brightened, his eyes widening. “I-I…” he stammered, swallowing a lump in his throat. “Did you like it?”

“I did, actually,” you admitted, heating up. “I like seeing this confident side of you. You’re so sweet and soft and it makes me love you but… you’re a badass on stage. Confident, sexy, dominating. That’s what I’m seeing now, and I love it.”

“Well,” he mused, licking his lips. The corners curled up with a smirk. “How about I show you a good time now? This is our stage, baby. Let’s put on a good show.”

“For no one?” you teased. 

The man pouted, crawling off you. “Way to ruin my smooth moment, babe. I was trying to be sexy and reference this on-stage persona you say I have.”

You giggled, crossing your arms over your chest, watching hi rummaging through his neatly organized closet, pushing his shirts, arranged by color, aside to find what he wanted. “You can’t deny that you act different on stage, Tae! You are the sweetest person, but your confidence during a performance is beyond me.”

“I don’t act different though!”

“You’re such a liar,” you laughed. “What are you doing anyway?”

“Finding something,” he told you, cheering when he found the box. You recognized the blue gift box - it was the gift Johnny gave him. He sat beside you, opening the box. “I thought it was a joke. Didn’t think I’d use it.”

You leaned on your elbow, keep a hand over your chest, hugging your breasts together. Inside the box was a handful of boxes of condoms, your face flushing. Taeyong pulled out a small note, showing you the message scribbled to the paper. 

Better safe than sorry this year. Have fun, TY, but not too much fun. - Youngho

You laughed, dropping the note back into the box. “That Johnny, man,” you sneered, Taeyong nodding in agreement. 

Placing the box on the ground, he held one box in his hand, taking a deep breath before pulling it open to retrieve the square packet. His flipped the sealed pack between his fingers, staring at it then you. “You’re sure?”

“Yes,” you replied without hesitation.

“Good,” he grinned. 

Your breath stilled when he tore the packet open with his teeth, grimacing slightly afterwards. You giggled at his instant regret but kept quiet. Taeyong stood from the bed, dropping his towel with yours, rolling the condom to his length. He pushed you onto your back, hearing you squeal in excitement, crawling between your legs. 

“Well, hello,” you giggled, wrapping your arms around his neck.

“Hello, beautiful,” he grinned, kissing your lips multiple times, each kiss making a sloppy smack. His lips trailed down your jaw, your head tilting away as he neared your neck. “If at any point, you want to stop, you just need to say so.”

“I will,” you whispered. 

Taeyong pushed up on all fours, using one hand to align himself at your core. Pushing forward, a sharp breath filled your lungs. Your walls were stretched, each inch of him sliding into you until he was fully seated. Stilling, he let out a sigh, burying his face in your shoulder, shaky breaths hitting your skin. He was pulsating within you, tightening the knot in your gut. You eased into his size, Taeyong growing accustomed to the warmth and moisture that seeped around him. He was sensitive, even though the rubber.

Carefully, he began pulling out, pushing back in swiftly before the head of his cock could escape. You moaned at the feeling, your body jerking, a jolt running up your spine. Steadily, his thrusts picked up, bucking his hips into yours. Skin slapping together filled the stale air of the room, hips rolling into each other. 

Taeyong hovered over you, resting on his hands, staring down at you with dark eyes. His lip was tugged between his teeth, watching you contort in ecstasy, listening to you mewl at the feeling. The tip of his cock pushed deep into you, repeatedly hitting your sweet spot. Each thrust grew harder, pushing further into you, feverishly slamming into you. Sweat covered his forehead, making his face glisten. 

“Do you like this?” he asked, panting heavily. Your nodded, wrapping your arms around him, dragging your nails down his back. He bucked deep into you, eliciting a loud moan from you. The noise made the idol grin, picking up his pace. His grin grew, reveling in the way your pussy held him tight, squeezing him as he pushed relentlessly into you. His length slide along your tight center, making your stomach tighten even more. The feeling of your nails clawing his back, leaving long, red scratches to his skin, was euphoric, his skin tingling, craving more from you.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” he sassed, kissing along your face. His teeth nipped at your ear, never missing a beat with his thrusts. “I love hearing you moan, baby. I love knowing my girl is happy and enjoying how I make her feel.”

“Taeyong,” you whimpered, clinging to him.

“You like this, baby?” he asked again, feeling you nod. “Good. I’m never going to stop loving you. I’m never going to stop making you feel good. I’m going to make you feel like this for the rest of your life.”

“Oh god,” was all you could say. 

Taeyong rolled you over, surprising you, your body situated over his. Your hands rested on his firm chest, his shaft still nestled deep inside you. His hands rested on your hips, circling himself under you. The smirk on his face made you hot, stomach clenching and core clenching. 

“Come on, baby,” he hummed. “Show me your moves.”

“Tae.”

“Please?” he asked, biting his lip. “Give a guy a birthday treat and ride him.”

You choked slightly, shaking your head. “You and your sexy, on stage mode.”

“Are you arguing?” he mused.

Leaning forward, your chest pressed to his, you placed a tender kiss to his lips, smiling against them. Taeyong inhaled sharply at the kiss, following after you when you pulled away. “Of course not. I love it,” you told him. “I could get used to this.”

“Same,” he hummed. 

Pushing up on his chest again, you rolled your hips into his, hearing his moans rumble low at first. They grew louder the faster your rolled against him, feeling him sliding in and out of your core. The new angle with you on top of him felt new, your own mewls mixing with his groans. You were tighter around him, and he was able to reach deeper into you. His tip pushed into new spots, hitting something different every time he slid into you. 

Taeyong loved watching you bounce on him, exhilarated when he felt you fall forward, elbows on either side of him. You continued to push down onto him, splitting your focus between your hips and your lips. Kisses were placed along his sharp jawline, the idol leader doing as you did before - tilting his head to the side to you could pepper his slim neck with wet kisses. 

Taeyong pushed his hips up, thrusting up into you. Your moans were pressed into his skin, feeling yourself nearing your high. Taeyong hugged you close, panting into your ear. He was desperately chasing his high, thrusts sloppy and erratic. The slapping of skin, the smack of hips colliding, amplified, ringing in your ears. But his silvery voice was louder, whispering sweet nothings into your ear that made your body hot.

“Cum for me,” he rasped, voice choppy yet smooth. “Cum with me.”

Your body went weak, collapsing completely against him. Your walls hugged him closely, the knot burning away in a fire within. Your juices spilled out around his rubber covered shaft, warming him. His heart beat unevenly, His lips pressing to the side of your head before the tight warmth and moisture became overwhelming. Strings of white shot from his tip, filling the gap at the end of the condom. His seed spilled out in bursts, the sticky fluid seeping out of the slit. Your walls milked every drop out, dribbles escaping as he came down from his high. 

You shared a loving kiss, lips sensually pressed together. Smiles made their ways to both of your faces, sharing open-mouth kisses that smacked together loudly, lips dragging along each other. Your noses bumped, and your foreheads stuck together. Your bodies were sticky with sweat, regrettably peeling from each other so Taeyong could pull out before growing soft. 

Waddling to the bathroom, the idol discarded the rubber in a tissue, grabbing a wet towel to wipe himself and you. Cleaning himself of the sweat and arousal that coated his shaft, mostly on the tip, he returned to help you clean up, kissing along your body to ease your aching limbs. While you finished up, he took a moment to pick up the discarded towels, straightening up his room. 

You giggled, placing the towel aside, watching him freshen the room with a bottle of Febreze, original scented, spritz of the air fresher covering the heavy stench of sex that lingered. Taeyong placed the Febreze aside, grabbing fresh underwear and athletic shorts to sleep in. Upon your direction, he retrieved underwear for you, along with your sleep shorts and a baggy band shirt. He helped you get dressed, the two of you sharing laughs when your arms got caught and he slipped off the bed after you kicked him for tickling your feet.

The idol crawled into the bed with you, pulling the covers over your bodies. Your head laid on his chest, his strong arm curling around you. His nose burrowed in your hair, inhaling deeply. “Did you ever think that when you first sent me that letter, we’d be here now?”

“Honestly?” you hummed, tracing a finger along his bare chest. “I knew I’d come to Korea eventually. I always wanted to visit. But I didn’t think I’d be in the bed of my best friend, my boyfriend, the love of my life. I didn’t think I’d fall for this amazing guy far away from me. I thought that was impossible.”

“But, nothing is impossible,” he said, running his fingers through your hair. “I was stupid to even propose what I did. I didn’t want to hold you back because I was here, you were there. And it hurt me so much to try to let you go.”

“I was just as stupid, Yongie. I let it happen. But no more,” you laughed. “We won’t let that get in the way again.”

“Of course not,” he scoffed, hugging you tighter. “You’re here now and I’m not letting you go ever again.”

“You better not,” you laughed, trying to escape his grasp. “Now stop smothering me!”

“Never!” he screamed. Laughter broke out when you heard the other boys in the dorm screaming at you to quiet down, curling into each other again. The small window of his dorm room had a perfect view of the moon setting, the sun ready to rise in a few hours. 

You fell asleep in his arms that night, under the same sky, the glow of the moon smiling down at you. You’d finally see both sides of the sky together, the sun and the moon no longer apart in your eyes. You had your pen pal, your friend, your love, and nothing could keep you away from that.

Together, you were one.   

NCTzens Tag: @brien-odylan, @poppyshawn, @belleknows

[imagine-avengers]

Bakery Part One- Bucky Barnes Series

1/5  All other parts can be found on my masterlist once they come out!

Right in the heart of Brooklyn sat a small little café called The Pastry Corner. It was owned and operated by Melody Rogers and frequented by her brother, Steve Rogers. The café was small, not able to sit more than twenty people. The exterior was a pastel sea-foam that was painted over the old stoned making it pop out from the other businesses in the area. The inside had worn white brick everywhere besides where the photo wall was, which was where Steve Rogers and his friends sold their art. Walking inside you smell the pastries, bread, and coffee, a sense of comfort washes over you whilst you take in the rustic interior along with the array of plants, which were Wanda’s doing.

The café was unique in the sense that you didn’t get to order a specific drink, the barista, Natasha, was a wizard at reading what people would like and there was never a complaint with their order. Then there was Wanda, the cashier who’s friendly smile kept customers coming back for more. But the real reason people came back, was for the pastries and baked goods that Melody made fresh daily, from breads to cakes, Melody made them all with the help of her friend Maria, whom also made breakfast, lunch sandwiches, which were a big hit. The bakery was open everyday of the week, except for one, Sunday, which the group all spent with their families, occasionally Melody would go in and prepare the bread for the Monday.

The day started as usual, Melody had gotten to the café at four in the morning and began her routine of baking. Around six, Maria showed up to help, and six thirty came Natasha whom prepared the coffee and finally Wanda at six forty-five when she began opening everything for seven. At seven on the dot they were open and had their normal regulars whom came in before work or class to grab a pastry and coffee for breakfast. Then the eight-am rush came of everyone going to work for nine, after the rush it would slow down until around ten which is when everyone began trickling in for lunch before the lunch rush at twelve. After the lunch rush was over and the last of the pastries were in their displays and Maria was cleaning the kitchen, Melody would head behind the counter, her apron full of flour, her hair in a messy bun with more flour, but a smile adored her face as she helped serve customers their pastries all while Natasha was preparing coffee orders.

“Your croissants are really the best in Brooklyn.” A regular, Anna, stated as Melody bagged the pastry.

“Well we try our best. Have a good day.” Anna left as Melody glanced towards the clock. One thirty, Steve, Sam, and Bucky would soon be coming in with some new art pieces they had made so Melody moved behind the counter and began bagging pastries for the trio, all of their favorites before asking Maria to make the three their lunch. Just as Melody went to ask Natasha to make coffee, the trip came in.

“Hey Mel.” Steve greeted his sister as the three came in, all covered in paint and carrying different canvas’ and photos.

“Hey guys.” Melody responded cheerily as Natasha began their coffee before Melody began making Steve’s dragon-fruit lemonade.

“I see the three of you were busy today.” Natasha spoke as she set Sam and Bucky’s coffee’s on the counter.

“Always are Nat, can’t seem to keep these paintings on the wall.” Sam spoke to his longtime friend as he was hanging the slightly wet canvas on the wall.

“Mhmm sure Sam.” Natasha responded just as Steve finished hanging his own paintings and moved towards her and kissed his girlfriend of five years, Sam doing the same with Wanda. The three grabbed their drinks and lunches before falling into a spot by the window, the girls continuing to work, each one getting a break.

“Pietro is bringing the new books in today right?” Melody asked as she was helping a customer.

“Yeah he should be here around three.” Wanda responded whilst she rung up a customer.

“Fantastic. I’m gonna head upstairs and grab some of the old ones that I stole.” Wanda’s brother owned a local bookstore and the two owners would often trade coffee and pastries for books for the patrons to read.

As Melody walked past the art wall towards the stairs which led to her office, she stopped and stared at a photo, one that Bucky had taken. The photo itself was simple, but Melody recognized it immediately, it was a black and white of a woman sitting in a window with a cup of coffee, Melody recognized it because it was her in her apartment. Melody hadn’t been seeing James ‘Bucky’ Barnes for long, six months at most, and she hadn’t expected him to take a photo of her doing something so mundane. The time that Melody and Bucky had known each other he only took photos of places, animals, and inanimate objects, never a person. Melody stopped staring at the photo and looked towards Bucky, who’s eyes were already on her. Tilting her head towards the photo with a smile, Bucky grinned but looked away as Steve spoke knowing that if Steve knew he was dating his sister, he’d flip.

 “Pietro.” Melody greeted the blonde a few hours later. “Thank you for the books, they were lovely.” Melody handed off the small box as Pietro finished setting up the new books on their display by the photo wall.

“I’m glad you enjoyed them. Now tell me about this photo.” Melody looked up and knew which photo he was referring to.

“Uh no comment.” She shrugged.

“Melody, you and I both know that that’s you and James Barnes doesn’t take photos of woman.” Melody rolled her eyes.

“Mel someone’s asking for you!” Wanda called causing Melody to give Pietro a small smile.

“That’s my cue.” Walking to the counter Melody was met with an older woman whom looked less than pleased. “Hi, I’m Melody, what can I do for you?”

“I said I wanted to speak with the owner.” The woman stated snidely.

“Yes ma’am, I understand that,” The woman cut Melody off as she spoke.

“If you understand than why isn’t the owner in front of me?”

“Ma’am, I am the owner. Now what seems to be the problem?” Melody was slowly losing her patience, Steve and taken Nat out to get something different for lunch and Sam had left to the studio to finish a piece, leaving only Bucky with Melody and Wanda, Maria having left twenty minutes prior.

“My problem is that I asked for an earl grey tea and this is green tea.” The woman held her cup up.

“I’m so sorry, I’d be happy to make you a new,”

“She doesn’t want a new cup.” A man whom Melody assumed was her husband came up next to her. “We want a refund and a dessert.” Melody stared at them.

“I can give you a refund or remake your tea but I can’t give you a free dessert.” Melody spoke evenly as she glanced to the side where Bucky had been taking photo’s out the window, but was now staring at her, waiting to step in.

“That’s insane! We want compensation and a free dessert!” The man argued as Melody held her hand up towards him trying to calm him as other patrons began to stare, the same time she did, Bucky showed up next to the man.

“There a problem here?” Melody looked towards him.

“Yes, this bitch is trying to say she’s the owner and refuses to give us what we want.” The man spoke looking to Bucky whom rose an eyebrow.

“Firstly, she is the owner. Secondly, she’s not a bitch, she’s a human being doing her job. Now she offered to remake your wife’s tea and even give it to her for free, which she doesn’t have to do. But what she really isn’t doing is giving you a pastry for free. Wanda give them the amount for the tea.” Wanda handed the money to Bucky who shoved it into the mans hand. “Now get out.” The man stared at Bucky but he and his wife left as Melody gave him a smile.

“Thank you.” Bucky nodded before grabbing his things and moving to the counter where he sat until five when the two girls began closing for the night, Melody already having gotten the doughs started for the following day. “Go home Wanda.” Melody spoke as she began cleaning the counters. “I can finish here.”

“Are you sure?” Wanda asked but she was already pulling on her coat.

“Yes, Bucky’ll help me lock up. Go before Sam call’s and complains that I’m hogging you.” Wanda smiled at the two and bid them goodnight before disappearing out the door. “Can you grab those mugs?” Melody asked pointing towards the mugs that sat on the tables by the door.

“Of course.” Bucky moved and grabbed both mugs before going and depositing them in the kitchen to be cleaned the following morning. “You gotta get some more help in here babe.” Bucky stated as he noticed the disarray of the kitchen. “The four of you are going to go insane.”

“We already are my love.” Melody spoke as she entered the kitchen. “I hired two new people last week, they start tomorrow.”

“Oh yeah? Does that mean you’ll be spending less time here and have more time for me?” Bucky teased wrapping his arms around his girlfriends waist.

“I wish, unfortunately not, I can’t leave someone else to make the pastries. But Tony and Pepper recommended the kids, they were interns for him, said MJ always made the best coffee so she’s gonna learn from Nat and Peter is gonna work the counter with Wanda and dishes when needed.”

“What about you and Maria, you need the help and you’re financially stable that you can afford someone.” Bucky spoke as Melody moved out of his arms and started the dishes.

“I dunno James.” She spoke softly. “I like baking, hell I love it, this place is my baby, I can’t just let anyone into the kitchen.”

“Baby, what about Nebula, you said she was a wizard in the kitchen, even if she comes in for the afternoons, give you a break.” Melody thought about it a moment before looking back at her boyfriend.

“I’ll consider calling her if you tell me when you took that picture.” Bucky smirked.

“The night you agreed to go out with me, you didn’t want to do anything fancy so we ate pastries and Maria’s sandwiches in your apartment, you had just made a coffee and looked peaceful.”

“Don’t you think Steve is gonna say something?” Bucky shook his head.

“Nah, can’t see your face, he’ll probably think it’s some girl I slept with before.”

“James.” Melody groaned and turned towards him. “He’s going to notice because you never photograph people like how Sam only paints birds and scenery whilst Steve only draws people and animals. They’ll notice that mister still life and scenery has a photograph of a girl, much less a pretty girl whom looks exactly like me.” Bucky just shook his head.

“We will cross that bridge when it comes, okay? And it isn’t for sale, it’s actually for you, figured we’d leave it up a couple days and then you could take it home. Now come on, let’s get you cleaned up so I can take my girlfriend out to dinner.” Just as Bucky spoke the bell in front went off.

“Girlfriend?” Natasha spoke as Melody turned to her.

“Nat.”

“I forgot my wallet earlier, but this is so worth having to come back.” Nat stated, her wallet in her hand.

“Nat.” Melody moved towards her brothers girlfriend. “You can’t tell Steve,”

“Steve would flip.” Natasha stated. “He would kill you Buck.” Bucky shifted on his feet.

“I know that, why do you think we kept it to ourselves? We both know that Steve already stated that Melody was off limits,”

“Wait he what?” Melody asked.

“Uh oh.” Natasha spoke.

“He sorta said we weren’t allowed to date you.” Bucky stated as Melody nodded tossing Bucky the keys.

“Lock up, I’m going to have a few choice words with my brother. He at home?” Natasha nodded and Elizabeth ripped her apron off before storming out. Melody stormed the two blocks towards her brothers apartment and pushed the door open not knocking, causing him to jump from his spot on the couch with Sam, the two watching TV.

“Mel?”

“How dare you! How dare you tell your friends that I was off limits! Who the hell do you think you are? Did I tell Natasha you were off limits? No! How dare you try to get involved in my love life! I will date whoever the hell I want and if that includes your friends, then fine!” Melody stated as Steve stood there staring at her before she turned to leave, stopping at the door. “By the way, I’m dating Bucky, might be fucking him too but that’s not your business.” Melody slammed the door and made her way back to the bakery but Bucky stood outside Steve’s building.

“What did you do?” He asked leaning against the side of his motorcycle, arms crossed.

“I’m sick of him trying to control my life Buck.” She mumbled moving over to where he was standing. Bucky dropped his arms as Melody wrapped hers around him, him doing the same.

“You brother is going to kill me, you know that, right?” Bucky asked softly as Melody shook her head.

“He won’t do shit James.” She spoke to him. “You locked up, right?” She asked pulling out of his arms.

“I did.” Bucky slipped the keys into the pocket of Melody’s jeans. “Come on, I’ll drop you off at home.” Bucky grabbed the helmet from his bike and handed it to her.

“I thought we were gonna get dinner?” She asked softly, putting the helmet on her head.

“No, best not to, Steve’s gonna end up showing up at my apartment in about a half hour.” He spoke as Melody nodded slightly. “But I’ll make it up to you.”

“Fine.” She spoke. Bucky climbing on the bike, she climbing on behind him. Bucky dropped her off, the two standing at his bike kissing for a minute before Melody began backing towards her apartment. “You sure you won’t come in?”

“No, I should be going. Looking forward to that confrontation with your brother.” Melody nodded.

“Fine. Call me afterwards, okay?” Melody entered her own apartment and made herself a small dinner. Melody spent the rest of the night inside her apartment, no word from Bucky at all.

-

The next morning came faster than Melody would have liked. Waking up to her phone going off at three in the morning after falling asleep on the couch sucked. Melody groaned and turned her phone off before heading to shower and get ready for work. Arriving at the bakery, Melody opened up the back and began her daily routine of baking. Noon came around, and someone asked about a particular photo on the wall, it was of the New York city streets.

“I’ll have to call the artist, give me about five minutes.” She spoke at the counter before moving to the back and pulling out her phone, ringing Bucky. The phone rang and rang, eventually Melody left him a message explaining someone wanted to talk about a photo before she went back to the customer. “Unfortunately the artist didn’t pick up, but if you leave your contact information I can have them call you.” The customer did that and Melody slid it inside the cash register drawer.

“You okay?” Natasha asked around four, when Melody was staring at her phone.

“Huh?” Melody looked up at her. “Oh, it’s just,” Sighing Melody ran a hand through her hair. “Bucky was supposed to call me last night and he never did, he’s still not answering me.” She spoke softly.

“Steve stopped by there not long after you left his apartment.” Spoke Natasha as she made a peppermint coffee. “He got back around eleven, that’s probably why Bucky didn’t call, he knows you go to sleep early to be here.” Melody nodded slightly.

“I guess. I’m going to go clean up in the kitchen.” Heading back, Melody did just that. At five thirty, Natasha and Wanda both left and Melody continued cleaning before heading out at a quarter to seven, stepping outside she found Bucky leaning against his bike. “Hi.” She said softly before locking up and turning back to him.

“Hey.” Bucky didn’t meet her eyes for a moment.

“Uh, did you get my messages?” She asked, fiddling with the keys in her hand.

“I uh, yeah.” Bucky nodded looking up at her and stood from leaning against his bike, Melody stepped closer to him. “I don’t think we should see each other anymore.” Melody stopped moving and stared at him.

“What? But, everything was fine yesterday.” Her voice dropped. “What happened?”

“Nothing happened Melody.” Bucky shoved his hands in his pocket. “I don’t want to lead you on, I don’t see this going anywhere.” Melody nodded.

“Steve got to you.” She stated.

“This has nothing to do with Steve,”

“It has everything to do with him James!” She raised her voice. “We were fine until he talked to you. After that you stopped answering my calls and my texts.” Her voice dropped as it broke.

“I stopped answering because I don’t want to lead you on Melody. We’re done.” Melody nodded, tears falling down her face.

“Fine. Fine.” She mumbled.

“I’ll have Steve get my photos,”

“Don’t bother.” She spoke. “Leave them, Nat will deal with the transactions from now on, happy? You won’t have to deal with me at all.” She moved past him and headed to where her car sat.

“Don’t be like that Mel,” Melody turned around and glared at him.

“Be like what? Cold? I think you deserve for me to be like this James.” Melody shook her head. “You say you didn’t want to lead me on, but what have you been doing for almost six months?” She asked. “Tell Steve you were a good little boy.” She hissed turning back to where she was parked. Melody sat in her car a moment before starting it and driving home.

This is part of a five part series. Thank you all for reading! 

Until next time my lovelies!

[dangerousfellowslove-jadyn]

Harry’s very late Birthday Special!!

I grabbed the snack cakes we had found out in town recently. They had been hidden in the storage room so Harry wouldn’t find them. He was the one who usually prepped for dinner. Right now he was distracted, Judy had offered to go with him on a safe patrol. Today was his birthday and I really wanted to surprise my boyfriend. I held them close to my chest as I exited the room, making my way to 1-C. Ethan and Lawrence were standing on some desks, putting up a Happy Birthday banner. There were a few other decorations in the room and Eugene and Zion had found a game of twister. There were a few games for the fun day we had planned. Sue and Hailey were draping a blue tablecloth over the tables. Scarlett was making sure the banner was straight. Everyone had a job. “Jadyn, which one do you think he’ll want to play the most? Monopoly or twister?” Eugene asked. I laughed. “Are you guys seriously fighting over that? He’d be happy to play both.” I replied. Eugene stuck his tongue out at me. “You’re no fun..” He said. I could tell he was teasing. I stuck my hand in my pocket and clutched the matching bracelet set I had found out in town. We finished setting everything up. “Jadyn, will you go get them? They should be on the roof.” I nodded. Leaving the room and heading to the roof. Judy and Harry were giggling at each other.

I knew they were good friends. “Hey!!” I said making my presence known. Judy laughed. “Hey you! Come to steal your boyfriend back?” She asked. I laughed back nodding shyly. She went on her way back down the stairs while I walked over to Harry. Pressing a sweet kiss to his lips. “Happy Birthday..” I whispered. He smiled. “Thank you.” My arms wrapped around his neck and his wrapped around my waist, holding me close as we stared at one another. “You look pretty...” He ventured. I blushed. I had braided my unruly blonde hair with some fake flowers for the occasion. “Thank you.” I echoed. He laughed softly and we just stayed in each other’s embrace..before he began tickling me. I laughed, struggling to get away. “Harry stop…” I said between giggles. He only did when the door slammed open. It was Judy looking worried. “You guys come here!!” Her voice was urgent. “Judy what’s wrong?” I asked, trying to keep a smirk off my face. “Just Come here! Quick!” Harry and I chased after as she ran to 1-C. She threw open the door and turned quickly, shouting Happy Birthday in chorus with everyone to Harry who looked stunned. I laughed, grabbing his hand. “You guys..put all this together..?” He asked. “You have your girlfriend to thank. She wanted to do something special for you.. “ Lawrence told him. He looked at me and I blushed. “Well, just because we’re in an apocalypse doesn’t mean we can’t have fun…” Harry placed a kiss on my cheek. “I love it. Thank you guys!!” All the presents were neatly piled onto the table, all except mine. Well, Along with the bracelet set I had also found a teddy bear and a card. Even though the card was signed by everyone, the teddy bear was from me. Harry saw the chocolate and vanilla snack cakes. We had struck gold and found an entire box of each. Harry moved towards the card, looking at all the names signed on the inside, his face was beaming. Lawrence had found some old newspapers in the library and all the items were roughly wrapped in them. “Well open your stuff!!” Eugene encouraged. Harry laughed a little before obeying, carefully unwrapping everything. He picked up the first thing he saw. SUE was written on it in bold blue letters. He saw the book. “I don’t actually think I’ve ever heard of her before..” I shook my head. “Shel is a dude.. And he’s only known for some of the best poems ever written. They’re complicated but super fun.” I explained. He looked embarrassed but thanked Sue and continued on with the presents. They had all used the same sharpie. Eugene and Zion’s was wrapped together, making a very strange shape that puzzled Harry. But he opened it and laughed at the brush before thanking them for the deck of cards. Scarlett’s was next, It was made of plastic, but whenever Harry shook the snow globe the two figures dancing together on the ice rink would spin as the snow fell around them. “This is nice Scarlett, Thank you!” She told him he was welcome. Harry was surprised by the knife, but understood why it might be good to have one. The heavy bag of sweets intrigued him, but he opened it and understood. “I hope you plan on sharing..” Eugene teased. “Of course I will.” Harry said, grabbing a couple of starburst and popping one playfully into my mouth. I chewed it as I savored the taste of the pink starburst and Harry opened the next present. “I haven’t seen this game in years…” He ventured. It was the twister set. Ethan was next, Harry laughing but loving the thought of a kiddie bowling set. Judy was last. Harry noticed that the bear was holding something wrapped and he grabbed it. It was the pin. It was a simple giant smiley face and Harry loved it. “Thanks you guys, all of you!” He was happy with the bear as well. “Want some Cake?” LAwrence asked playfully. Harry grinned, taking one of the vanilla snack cakes and opening it. We ate and chatted happily, Zion and Eugene about the games they wanted to play. Twister seemed to be at the top of the list.. I was eager to play. It had been years since I had played twister. Harry was eager to play it himself. Everyone finished what they wanted of the sweet treat and I took Harry off to the side as the others set up the twister mat. “I have another present for you..” I whispered. He looked surprised. I took the bracelet set from my pocket and handed it to him. He looked at it. It was simplistic. An infinity sign running through the words his and hers. The double stranded black band was stretchy. The words a beautiful silver.  He took it from me gingerly. “Sweetie I love it..” I smiled. Feeling happy. He took the ‘his’ off the cardboard and asked for my wrist before putting it on me. It fit perfectly. He took the ‘hers off and put it on himself before giving me a quick kiss. “Thank you..” I smiled as I gave him a hug. “You’re welcome. I’m glad you like it.” We were interrupted by Zion. “Oi, If you lovebirds are finished, twister is ready.” The mat was huge. Taking up a lot of space on the floor the others had to move some of the desks out of the way. First up was voted to be Harry, Judy, Ethan and me. We played for a good ten minutes before Judy tripped. This tripped Ethan, who tripped Harry and ultimately me. Judy was on the bottom with three people on top. We were in a fit of giggles from our failure. I rolled off the dog pile, followed by Harry, Ethan and finally Judy who was blushing like mad. She really liked Ethan. The others had a turn on the twister mat before we decided to move on to something else. “Anyone want to play Monopoly?” Judy questioned. “Duh!!” Eugene replied. We set it up. We played for at least two hours, all of us taking turns. “Aaand Hahahah you owe me moola birthday boy!” Eugene teased as Harry’s scottie the dog piece landed on boardwalk. “You’re gonna make me go bankrupt Gene..”  Harry replied. “Just wait till I put a hotel, then you’ll owe me triple.” I laughed. “You say that but I own the best properties in the game!” I cheered. “Whatever! Everyone knows boardwalk and park place are the best!” Eugene argued. “Someone has to land on them first!” I replied. He stuck his tongue out at me before munching on his chips. “My turn!” Judy cheered.  She rolled doubles. “Oooo better not do that again!!”  I warned. “Aaand hah!” She passed go. “200 monop money if you please!!” she said turning to Lawrence who had agreed to be the banker. He gave her 200 in monopoly money. She rolled again and rolled a five. When we got bored of Monopoly (Harry won. At the end Lawrence made a rule that Harry had to have a birthday bonus.) Everyone thought it was funny. Bowling was next. Harry and I formed a team. Then it was Judy and Ethan. Scarlett and Zion. Eugene and Sue, and Jay and Hailey. Lawrence offered to keep score. Everyone used the heavy plastic ball and we had the time of our lives. I gave Harry a kiss every time he scored well. We fell into a fit of giggles when Judy’s shot went completely off and rolled under a bunch of desks. It was our only ball, so I went after it, being the smallest of the group. When I came back Judy thanked me and Harry felt kind of bad as he picked a couple of dust bunnies out of my braided hair. We continued to bowl until it got dark. We had found candles and sat around the desks as we played card games with the new deck of cards. Bullshit was one game. Poker was another. Zion and Lawrence had found a bunch of Alcohol, and we sat around drinking different drinks as we played cards. I teased Zion as he sipped his vodka. “You look like an old man at a frat party..” He laughs, “What can I say? I grew up watching old men drink at gala’s.” He replied, earning another laugh from me. The entire atmosphere was relaxed. Zion won poker but Eugene was the only one who bet against him so he had to give up the next bag of chips. Next up was Slapjack. We were all having the time of our lives until we got a little too into it and moved the desks, making the game into fifty-two card pick up. We separated a little bit after that. The others going off and playing other games or drinking. Judy had confessed her feelings to Ethan. Turned out the quiet boy reciprocated and they held hands for the rest of the night. “Who wants Tequila!!!” Judy called. Harry and I had been munching on candy and even though Tequila shots looked like fun he looked positively beat. It was getting late. “Are you alright?” I whispered. He nodded. “Just a bit tired..” He confessed. “Do you want to go to bed?” I asked. He looked at me. “I don’t want to ruin your fun..” He ventured. I smiled, my hand coming to rest gently on his cheek. “You will not ruin my fun by admitting you want to sleep.. I like spending time with you, even if that’s just cuddles..” I assured him. He smiled, feeling a bit better about it. “Now let me try again.. Do you want to go to bed?”  I asked. A playful kind of smile playing on my lips. He nodded. “That would be awesome..” I nodded before standing. Extending my hands to help my sleepy boyfriend from the floor. He took them and got up, catching his balance easily. “Guys, we’re heading off to bed. My baby birthday boy is tired and I could use the rest myself..” I told them. They all accepted it. “Alright. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t..” Zion teased. I snorted but gave no reply and this just made his jaw drop and I quickly exited the room holding Harry’s hand as they all said goodnight and gave some final ‘Happy Birthdays’ to him. We bid them all goodnight and he told them thanks one last time both for the wishes and the presents. “Feel free to keep partying guys..” He told them. They had already planned on doing just that and with that we exited the room to the hallway. I made my way to his room, now the room we shared on occasion. Opening the door and leading him in before closing it. Harry slipped off his hoodie and went straight to the bed and I slipped off the light jacket I was wearing and laid down behind him. “Are you alright?” I asked. He nodded before speaking. “This is the best birthday I’ve had in a long time..” He ventured. I was surprised. “Really?” He nodded against me but said nothing more. I wrapped my arm around him, pulling him close even though he was much bigger than me. He held my hand against him, giving it a chaste kiss and I rested my head in the crook of his neck. “I’m not going anywhere.. So you just rest..” I whispered. His breathing gradually became even and I whispered one last thing before drifting off to dream-land myself. “Happy Birthday, my love..” 

[zachsreaderinserts]

Friends That Are Beneficial

ship: iamwildcat x male!reader x thegamingterrorizer x vanossgaming

warnings: gta au, reader is a sweet bean, this is mostly platonic

The blaring of my phone had woken me up from the best nap I had taken in a while. Grumbling under my breath, I looked over and saw it was Evan calling me.

"Hello?" I muttered, my voice deeper than usual.

"Hey, Y/n, my lovely best friend! My best pal on all of the Earth whom I love very much!" In the background, I heard gunshots and explosions going off.

"Evan? What's going on?" I sat up immediately, putting him on speaker. I started getting dressed, preparing for the worst.

"Our heist isn't going as smoothly as planned. The group is split up into threes and right now, Terrorizer, Wildcat, and I need a backup driver. Can you be near the pier within five minutes?"

"I can try! Do you want me to bring the truck?" I put on a pale sweater and shorts, trying to go for the innocent vibe.

"Yes. The least suspicious, the better." Shoving on tennis shoes, I ran to my white truck outside, jumping in with a duffel bag I had prepared for situations like this.

I sped away from my house and started for the beach, getting closer to the wailing of sirens and gunshots. I did an illegal turn into a small alleyway, calling Evan again once I parked.

"I'm between the bakery and the surf shop. Try to not get me arrested."

"I gotcha. We'll be there in a few." And with that, he hung up. I sat on the hood of my truck, scrolling on my phone mindlessly. Not even a few seconds later, there was a loud explosion about a block away, which made me jump.

Evan Fong, my friend for two years, rounded the corner with two men following them. They looked dirtied and bruised, but I could tell they were victorious from the smile on one of their faces.

I tossed over the duffel bag full of clothes, smiling kindly.

"Hurry up, boys. The faster you change, the faster we leave this area." Evan threw off his mask and red jacket, replacing it with a yellow jacket and a black baseball cap. The guy with the pig mask took off the mask and the helmet, placing my navy hoodie on top of his bloody shirt. and the last guy simply buttoned up his flannel, taking off his mask that only covered half of his face.

They proceeded to put their own duffel bags, as well as mine beneath the backseats, before climbing in. I turned to Evan, handing him some money.

"Be a doll and get us some cake pops." He nodded, smiling as he walked away with the money. I jumped into my truck, pulling out so I was parked on the curb front of the store.

"What's Vanoss doing?" Pig boy asked me, confused by why we were still in the same place. "We need to go!"

"The best way to hide is to hide in plain sight." I conveyed, turning in my seat to hold out my hand. "Y/n L/n. A pleasure to meet you two."

"Tyler." Pig boy grunted, shaking my hand firmly. His hand was rough compared to mine.

"Brian." The other guy had an Irish accent, which kinda shocked me. I heard the wailing of sirens and turned back around in my seat, pulling out my phone.

"If anyone asks, we're a group of friends about to go roller skating together. Evan wanted us all to hang out together and this is our first time meeting one another." Right as I finished talking, a police officer had knocked on my window.

"Excuse me, sir," he looked serious as I rolled down my window, "have you seen three men, all wearing masks, running around?"

"I'm sorry, officer, but I've just been waiting here for my friend to come out of the cafe. I did hear an explosion from that direction." I pointed to where I had heard the sound, causing the officer to sigh.

"Yeah, that was them. They seemed to have just vanished under our radar." He looked at me, grinning. "Well, if you do see them, don't hesitate to call the station."

"Loud and clear, sir. Have a nice day!" As he walked away, Evan exited the store with a bag of goodies. "I said cake pops, Evan! Not everything they're selling!"

"I'm hungry!" He whined, climbing into the passenger seat. "Would it be okay if we stayed at your house for the night? I wanna wait out any searches for the night."

"Sure thing. How do burgers sound tonight?" I put on my sunglasses, driving away from the beach and towards my neighborhood.

"I'm down," Tyler mumbled, getting comfortable in the back seat. Brian just shrugged, accepting a cake pop from Evan. I held my hand out, getting a (chocolate/vanilla) one from him. I ate happily, swaying left and right in happiness.

As we made it to my garage, the boys proceeded to climb out. I turned off the truck, hopping out as well.

"You made this?" I looked over, seeing Brian inspect one of my paintings. It was a simple one, with a bouquet of flowers in a person's hands.

"Yeah. You gotta earn money somehow." I unlocked the door, letting the boys come in behind me. "I only have one guest room, so one of you guys have the choice of bunking with me or sleeping on an air mattress."

"I'll bunk with you." Evan offered, still eating his snacks from the cafe. I slapped a croissant from his hand, frowning at him.

"I'm about to make dinner, turd. Stop eating junk." I put the snacks on my counter, turning to go to my fridge. "Evan, be a dear and show the others where they're sleeping." I heard their footsteps disappear up the stairs as I pulled out premade burger patties.

I went to my backyard to prepare the grill when Brian had peeked his head out.

"Can I have a drink?"

"Yeah! Yeah! You don't have to ask." I reassured him, smiling softly as he grinned back. I started grilling to food, humming lightly as I did.

Suddenly the three came out, carrying their own lawn chairs and drinks. As they sat near me, I turned around and smiled at them.

"You guys like your room?" Tyler and Brian immediately grinned, both seeming pretty happy.

"Oh hell yeah! Your blankets are so soft." I chuckled at them, flipping the burgers. "So, how do you two know each other? No offense, but you don't seem like a mafia or heist type of person."

"None taken. Evan and I met back during your first big heist. He was bleeding, so I took him here and patched him up. After that, he just kept coming back here whenever a mission went south." Evan nodded, messing with the hat he wore.

"That was two years ago!" Brian looked over at Evan, his eyebrows raised high on his forehead. "You've been hiding this guy from us for two years?"

"Well, Y/n never wanted to get involved. Yeah, they're my getaway driver from time to time, but I respected that decision."

"Man, that's really soft for you." Tyler joked, causing him and Brian to both laugh at their leader. Evan blushed, his face full of mock-offense.

"I'm not soft!" I couldn't help but laugh as well as Evan started slapping his friends on the arm. "Take that back!"

"You're slapping him like a girl would, Evan. That screams soft to me." Evan sent a glare at me as I flipped the burgers one last, seeing that they were almost done. "Just saying."

"You're the softest out of the four of us!" Evan sounded like a child as he pointed at my outfit. "You're wearing pastel and you live in a white house five minutes from the beach."

"Ah. You caught me. Guilty as charged." I placed my hand on my forehead, acting as if I were dying. The others laughed at my theatrics. "Can one of you go get the buns, some plates, and ketchup from the kitchen, please?"

"I got you, Soft Boy." I picked up the unused spatula, throwing it near Tyler's feet. He let out a shriek, running into the house.

After more hilarity had ensued, we all had our plates and our burgers. We all sat around in my backyard, talking comfortably as the sun began to set.

"Oh shit." Evan cursed under his breath as he answered his phone. "Uh, hello--"

"I'VE BEEN TRYING TO CALL YOU FOR THREE HOURS! WHERE ARE YOU, VANOSS?" Evan pulled his phone away from his ear as a male screamed at him from the other side.

"Okay, calm down, Delirious--"

"CALM DOWN?! YOU'RE TELLING ME TO CALM DOWN--" I quickly grabbed the phone from Evan, putting it up to my own ear.

"Hello? Delirious, right?" The man went silent as if I could literally hear his confusion. "This is one of Vanoss's friends, Y/n. I'm letting him stay at my house for a few days to avoid getting caught."

"Oh." Delirious just said, already calming down. "So he's alright?"

"Yeah, he's fine. A little bruise here and there, but he's good."

"What about Wildcat and Terrorizer?" My eyebrows furrowed for a second before it clicked.

"Oh, you mean Tyler and Brian? Yeah, they're here too."

"Ok. Cool... On a completely unrelated note, where do you live?" Letting out a giggle, I shook my head.

"You could've just asked." After relaying my address to him, he had asked me to put Evan back on the phone. I gave back the phone, picking up the dirty plates and going to the kitchen.

"Sorry about Delirious. He can be a little..."

"Special." Brian snickered.

"Yeah, he's really special," Tyler emphasized. My nose crinkled as I grinned at the boys.

"It's all good. I'm just sad you guys have to go so soon." Brian scoffed, flopping onto my couch.

"Oh no. Now that I know that you exist, I'm never gonna go back to the penthouse."

"Oh hell no, this is my safe haven!" While Evan and Brian bickered, Tyler walked over, smiling down at me.

"Could I get your number?"

"Oop. That was smooth." I still pulled out my phone, handing it over to him. "Call me sometime, cutie." Tyler's eyebrows rose with interest and he grinned at me.

"Well, I just might have to now."

[tintinwrites]

a friend in me | Poe Dameron x Reader | Part Three

A/N: So happy to continue this cute story!!!!

Rating: T

Warning: Naughty language. Canon-typical danger?

Word count: 1,145, apparently!!

Summary: You and Poe Dameron are friends. Only friends. And colleagues. Nothing more than that. Even if you might secretly have a thing for each other, you both assume your feelings are unrequited. And both of you can come up with, like, eight hundred reasons why you can’t be together. So you two are only friends. You know, really close, really loving friends. An eight-part series inspired by these gifs.

Part One | Part Two

GIF credit: winterswake

“You can do this.”

“Next time you ask me to come on a mission with you, I’m gonna run far away while screaming.”

“And I accept that, but you came on this mission with me and you have no other choice right now.”

“I actually hate you.”

“You don’t hate me.”

“I don’t. But I’m very angry. Why did you have to mouth off to them like that? Why do you do these things?”

“You know, sometimes I don’t even realize I’m doing it until someone has a blaster to my head. Ladies first.”

“Ladies first?! Stupid pilots that get us in trouble first!”

The dirty, rocky hill you were standing on was so steep that it was almost a cliff. You might have been able to walk down it with little difficulty if you took time and paused when you needed to; there was no time, however, and the ground you could see below looked so far.

You weren’t sure if that was scarier than the yelling and pounding of feet that steadily became louder from behind you.

There was a tug on your hand as Poe took hold of it, lifting it in the air and squeezing it.

You turned your head to see him looking at you with the smallest hint of a smile.

“You’re right. I’d be a real dick if I didn’t go first.” He released your hand, looked at the steep angle below, and jumped before you could stop him. He had the audacity to let out a loud and happy ‘woo!’ as he slid down the side of the hill on his ass.

“Poe Dameron,” you shouted. He was an idiot and he was going to get himself hurt.

You were also going to get hurt if you didn’t do the same stupid thing he just had; the group he had angered was closing in on you.

With your eyes closed, you jumped off much like he had and landed on your rear, sliding down at a terrifying pace.

It wasn’t really as dangerous as you thought it would be, so you cracked your eyes open. You were almost to the bottom.

You might have even been smiling.

Then you saw a rock directly in your path that you knew was going to seriously injure you if you hit it. Your hands grabbed at the earth beneath you even though it hurt like hell, searching for purchase so you could slow down or get out of the way.

You did manage to barely get out of the way, though your sloppy actions made you turn to the side and go over a bump in the dirt, sending you painfully rolling the rest of the way down.

You were stopped by one of Poe’s outstretched arms as he lay flat in the sparse, scratchy grass, flopping to the ground with a soft grunt.

You could feel him panting hard.

“My back was hurting from my last mission. That really took care of it.” His ability to joke even after being chased and rolling down that hill made you poke him in the ribs, sitting up and shoving down on his shoulder to keep him from standing. “What the—”

“Do you even know what a complete idiot you are? You could have easily been killed! You should be called 'the best mouth-offer in the galaxy’ or 'the best, most arrogant man in the galaxy’! What if you had been hurt?!”

“—were you worried about me, kid?”

“Of course I was worried about you, Poe!” It occurred to you how close you were to him now, slumped against his chest in your exhaustion. His lips were full, you thought. “My hands really hurt.”

Your weak subject change had Poe sitting up and pulling you with him, cupping your hands in his to get a look at your palms. They were covered in cuts from the rough dirt and small rocks.

He looked up at the hill. “Seems like they went to find another way down. Let’s get back to our ships while we have a chance.”

You stood up with him and watched him look for the direction your ships were in. “Aren’t you going to kiss them?” Your eyes widened when you realized you had said that out loud unlike thinking something like that and shooing it away like you normally would.

Poe didn’t give you a chance to take it back or laugh it off. He grinned quite slyly, walking over and taking hold of your hands again to press gentle kisses to them.

Did he notice how much you enjoyed it?

Did you notice how he wanted to keep kissing up your arms until he made it to your lips?

You both pulled apart in a bit of an awkward manner.

He wasn’t a man who could stay awkward for long, putting an arm around your shoulders and leading you to your ships. “I bet I can make you smile.”

“I’m going to be angry with you.” Even though you were too busy trying not to think of his lips to be all that angry.

“What if we go to that one planet? You know the one I’m talking about.” He smirked as you looked up at him with intrigue. “I believe you were talking over the comms once when we were flying by it, telling the squadron how there was this woman there who sold the tastiest little cakes.”

“You actually remember that?” It was something you had said when the two of you were colleagues and there was no reason for him to have even been listening.

“I pay attention sometimes. What would you say if we took a detour on the way back to base and I treated you to a couple cakes?”

You beamed up at him like he’d offered you the entire universe. “I would seriously love you forever.”

Poe had never felt his chest squeeze the way it did as you smiled at him and vowed to love him.

That was fucking weird.

He decided to focus on how weird it was rather than what getting so excited from your affection might possibly mean. Colleagues in a relationship could be dangerous in your line of work, and he didn’t want to mess up your friendship in any way.

He dared you to a race as per usual when your ships came into view and you were a bit slow thanks to some pain from rolling down the hill; he declared you the winner since it was his fault that you couldn’t run at top speed.

You went to the planet and Poe bought four cakes, and the two of you ate them while sitting in the shade of his X-wing.

He offered you his second cake and you suddenly saw a guy you could love forever.

Though you knew that you couldn’t.

[wildflowerirwin]

Runnin’ Just in Case - ai (7)

Previously  Fic Playlist

Summary: It wasn’t love he was chasing, but he’s running just in case.

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: some heavy stuff happens in this chapter :/

Words: 2k

As fall approached and the leaves began to fade from green to orange, life on the ranch slowed. Preparations for Piper’s arrival had begun and the small bump on Bethany’s frame was slowly growing. Ashton had been keeping a detailed calendar of all the milestones and often tried to get everyone to celebrate with him, but it was usually only himself and Bethany. “Guess who reached 24 weeks.” Ashton grinned, pulling a cake from the fridge.

“Ash, please. We don’t need a cake every 4 weeks.” Calum groaned. “I’ve gained as much weight as Bethany has.”

“Are you calling me fat?” Bethany asked, looking at Calum.

“Well..” Calum started. “Yes, and no. You’re fat because you’re pregnant and you have a beautiful baby growing in you. You’re not fat in an unappealing way.”

“So, you’re saying fat people are unappealing?” Bethany raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms.

“No! No, that’s not what I’m saying.” Calum sighed. Bethany knew what he meant, but she enjoyed giving him a hard time.

“Enough, you two.” Evelyn shook her head and stood up. “Who wants to go into town and get the remaining lumber and supplies for the stables and barn?”

“Ashton and I were gonna go to town anyways, so we can get stuff.” Bethany said, pulling a slice of cake onto her plate.

“I’ll go too, because Bethany can’t lift anything.” Michael said, smiling at Bethany. It had only been a week since Michael had noticed the calf chart, but earlier than anyone had assumed. He was upset with himself that it had taken 3 weeks to notice, and the subtle comments from the others never registered in his mind.

“Thank you, Mike.” Evelyn smiled and began taking the dishes to the kitchen. “If you see that Barry guy in town, tell him to stop calling. No matter how much he pesters us, I’m not selling my ranch.”

“I really don’t get good vibes from that guy. It’s like he’s only here to start something.” Luke sighed. “He’s been very friendly with the Atkins’ though.”

“Money attracts money.” Bethany rolled her eyes and forked another bite of cake into her mouth.

“Well, we better get going if we want to get back before dark.” Ashton sighed and put the cake back in the fridge.

The three of them made it town faster than usual, as Michael was driving. “What are we picking up?” Mike asked, parking at the lumber yard.

“Dax has it all set aside for us. My mom called it in a few days ago.” Bethany said and slid out of the car. She let out a deep breath as she rubbed the side of her bump.

“You good?” Ashton asked, his large hand rubbing over her stomach.

“Yeah, she just kicked my kidney.” Bethany sighed, placing her hand over Ashton’s. Ashton pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before leading her inside.

“Was wondering when you lot would be by for this here lumber. Been sitting in the bay for a week.” Dax said, coming out of the back room.

“Sorry, things have been a little crazy at the ranch.” Bethany smiled. “There’s a lot to do to get ready for the baby.”

“Speakin’ of your little one, the guys and I have a little surprise for ya.” Dax grinned and led the three of them out to the shop where an oak crib was waiting.

“Dax, it’s beautiful!” Bethany gasped. “Y’all didn’t have to do this for us.”

“It was nothin’.” Dax chuckled. “Besides, this here wood came from your daddy’s tree.”

“What?” Bethany looked up at Dax, tears pricking her eyes.

“When that storm hit back in August and knocked the tree down, Old Man Montgomery let us take the tree for the wood. When we heard you was expectin’ a little one, we thought we’d use the oak to bring your daddy home again.” Dax smiled, his eyes soft.

“Thank you, so much, Dax.” Bethany sniffed and hugged him. “You have no idea what this means to me.”

“Your daddy was a good man and a better friend. Now, he’ll always be there for your little one.”

“How much do we owe you for the crib?” Ashton asked, pulling out his wallet.

“No, no, son. This here is a gift for y’all. No need to pay for this.” Dax smiled softly at Ashton.

“Dax, y’all must’ve worked late nights to get this done. The least we can do is offer some compensation.” Ashton said, hoping Dax would let him give something.

“Keep your money. I know times are tough with the ranch right now.” Dax offered a small smile.

“We really appreciate it, mate.” Ashton smiled and loaded the crib and the supplies into the truck. As they were getting back in, Michael noticed Bigshot Barry walking out of the grocery store.

“What’s that guy still doing here? He’s been here for months.” Mike rolled his eyes and started the truck.

“I don’t know, but I have a really bad feeling about that guy.” Bethany sighed and buckled her seatbelt. Michael sighed and pulled out of the parking lot.

“Do we need anything else in town?” He asked, glancing at the couple.

“No. Now that we have a crib, the nursery is almost set.” Bethany said, her palm rubbing across her stomach. Michael nodded and turned onto the highway, driving them home.

Michael and Ashton brought the lumber over to the barn and the stables, where Luke and Evelyn were doing the finishing touches on the beams of the stables. “There you are. I was wondering when you’d get back.” Evelyn said, setting the drill down.

“Yeah, we got the lumber and screws and shit.” Mike said, nodding to the truck. “Dax made a crib out of Dave’s tree.”

“He did? Oh, that’s perfect.” Evelyn smiled softly. “A little piece of him will always be with our little Piper.”

“It was exactly what we needed.” Ashton smiled.

“Yes, it was.” Evelyn smiled at him. “Why don’t you guys get started over here. I’m gonna head to the west barn and finish up some of the interior so it’ll be ready when the frost hits.” She pulled off her work gloves and laid them on a hay bale before walking away.

“Did you see the asshole in town today?” Luke asked, looking at Michael and Ashton.

“Yeah, when we were leaving. Why?” Ashton furrowed his eyebrows.

“He called about an hour ago. He told Evelyn that if she doesn’t consider selling, she’ll regret it.” Luke sighed softly.

“That sounds like a threat.” Michael said, picking up the drill.

“That’s what I thought too. Then, after Evelyn hung up on him, she got a call from the Atkins’ farm. I guess some cows got loose and wandered into their pasture. Calums over there now trying to round them all up.” Luke explained.

“How would they have gotten out? They’re in the south pasture, which has an iron fence. The only way they can get out is if someone opened the gate.” Ashton pondered.

“Calum said the gate was open when he went over there, but the lock was still locked.”

“So, someone broke the gate open.” Michael said, shaking his head. “It was probably the Atkins’ trying to scare us.”

“That’s what we figured. We’ll just have to keep an eye out.” Luke sighed and went back to work.

Bethany had left the group and gone to the house to make dinner. As the time passed, the boys slowly made their way into the house. “Hey, we talked to your mother and she said she’s gonna eat later. She wants to get the barn finished tonight.” Michael said as he hung his hat by the door.

“Okay, I’ll leave a plate for her in the microwave.” Bethany nodded and filled a plate, setting it in the microwave. She handed out plates to the boys and they each filled their plates.

“How are the stables looking?” Bethany asked as she sat at the table.

“They’re coming along nicely. The framing is all set up, we just need to install sheetrock and plastering, before any other major changes can happen.” Luke said, scarfing down his meal as if it were the last he’d ever eat.

“That’s good. Mom was hoping to have them done by the time the fair started, so we could enter it in the building event.” Bethany said, slowly eating her food.

“You okay?” Ashton whispered to her softly.

“Yeah, my stomach’s just feeling a little weird. You know that feeling you get before something bad happens?” She looked back at him as he nodded. “That’s the kind of feeling I have right now.” She sighed and ate a couple more bites. “It’s messing with my appetite.”

“Nothing’s gonna happen, love. Please finish your meal, you barely had any breakfast or lunch today and you are eating for two now.” Ashton said, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“I know, my love.” Bethany smiled softly and ate another bite. Ashton’s heart fluttered at the nickname. Neither of them had said the L word yet, so hearing her call him her love made his heart skip a beat. He smiled to himself as he continued eating his own food.

When they had finished, Michael helped Bethany bring the dishes to the kitchen. Bethany had just started loading the dishwasher when a loud booming sound shook the house, the front windows shattering. A scream flew from Bethany’s lips as she backed up against the counter. “What the hell was that?!” She yelled, placing her hand over her heart.

“I have no clue.” Michael said, following Luke and Ashton out of the house. Bethany jogged behind them to keep up, her heart stopping when she looked up. The barn was nearly completely enveloped in bright red flames.

“M-Mom?” Bethany tried to call out for her, but the words were stuck in her throat. Luke quickly grabbed hold of Bethany’s arms, keeping her standing.

“She’s probably not in there. She’s probably getting buckets of water.” Luke said, though he knew his words weren’t helping. Bethany let out another scream as the wood cracked, part of the roof caving in.

“N-No..” Bethany gasped for air, her lungs denying her of a breath.

“I’m going in.” Ashton said, looking at the three of them. “I have to get Evelyn out of there.”

“Ash, no.” Bethany whimpered softly as tears streamed down her cheeks. The thought of losing her mother and her boyfriend on the same night was sending her into a panic.

“I have to.” Ashton said, pressing a lingering kiss to Bethany’s lips. “I love you, so much.. Both of you.” He whispered softly as his hand gently rubbed along her small bump, before running into the barn.

“No!” Bethany screamed, a new wave of tears cascading down her reddened cheeks. “Ashton!” She screamed, beginning to run after him.

“Bethany, stop!” Luke yelled as he grabbed ahold of her arms once more, holding her back. Michael pulled out his phone, quickly dialing 9-1-1.

“I can’t lose both of them.” Bethany sobbed, her eyes never leaving the flames. The wood of the barn crackled in front of them as the rest of the roof tumbled down, the flames rising higher and higher. Bethany’s knees buckled as she fell to the ground, Luke kneeling with her. Bethany let out a final pained scream before collapsing into Luke’s arms, the sobs wracking her body.

Tag List: @lukespumpkinspice@calumculture@kinglycalum@babylon-corgis@novacanecalum@spookymashton@dontdoitluke@isabella10028@calumamongmen@bumblebet-20@lockthisheartinchains@bitterbethany@sublimehood@myloverboyash@ironicallyirwin@lashtoncurls@mukesreject@sanfrancjsco@boytoynamedcalum@opinionatedpisces-official@blahehblah @lukehemmings@harry-hallows-eve@findingliam-o @gh0st-0f-y0u-95

[qvestchen]

Lockscreen // Yuwin NCT : Chapter Six

Summary: There’s a thin line between reality and playacting, and Dong Sicheng tripped hard over it when he fell head over heels in love with Nakamoto Yuta.

Author: qvestchen

Status: Ongoing

Chapters: Home, Previous, Next.

Lockscreen // Yuwin NCT

Chapter 6: he flirts so openly

“Dong Sicheng, your biggest competition is about to come.”

Winwin twisted and turned in his bed.

He was lost in a maze that was a zoo and everywhere he went someone was chasing him. There were lights on him, he was on a stage and the audience were chanting. They all sounded like Haechan. His face was wet and the floor was heavy around his legs. He tried to run away but he was in a swamp, sinking slowly.

Haechan appeared before him just as he was neck-deep in the swamp. Only he morphed into Yuta who was crying and then Taeil who was crying and then Haechan who said, “Dong Sicheng, your biggest competition is coming.” Then their manager, “Hello? Where were you for our debut? You’re late. The debut was two hours ago. You missed it.” Kun was crying now.

Then Yuta shouting his name.

He opened his eyes and swallowed, disoriented and the ceiling of his bedroom swimming before his eyes. He sat up quickly, relief flooding through his veins after realizing it had all been a dream.

“Winwin, are you okay?”

He looked up at Yuta who had woken him up. Yuta’s hand was cool against his sweaty, warm forehead. Suddenly Winwin realized he was shirtless in bed and Yuta was too close. That and images from last night cleared away the remnants of the dream from his mind. He pushed Yuta’s hand away slowly.

He was red when he answered, “Just a dream. I’m okay.”

Yuta nodded.

The front door bell rang across the dorm and Winwin was experiencing the change in Yuta’s facial expression first-hand. Yuta had begun to wear a tired expression lately, as if he was clenching everything inside his chest. And suddenly Yuta’s face looked as if the sun had shined suddenly from beyond the clouds. He smiled, looking in the direction of the sound, and without a word practically ran out of the room leaving Winwin in middle of what could have been a conversation.

Winwin frowned and pulling on a t-shirt quickly followed him, wondering what was up with his roommate (had he ordered something?). The living room was in an uproar. He caught sight of Johnny, Taeyong and Taeil just chatting loudly and laughing in a circle and at the center, with Yuta laughing and clinging on to his arms, stood Hansol.

He felt Haechan and Mark run past him and hug the tall boy who was smiling so warmly at everyone. How-have-you-beens were exchanged and Doyoung was telling everyone to at least let the poor guy have a seat first while Johnny was phoning Ten to come over. Everything was perfect.

When Haechan had told Winwin his biggest competition was coming, Winwin’s first thought had been that Haechan and the Ouija board were a load of bull. His second thought at a weaker instant had been that it had to be a Chinese group that could affect WayV’s debut. Nowhere had it occurred to him that it could be a person who could walk into his life and cause something even remotely akin to the disaster that he was feeling at the sight of Yuta practically glued to that person.

He greeted Hansol who hugged him and asked how things were. Winwin was on auto-pilot. He gave all the correct replies, hoping they didn’t sound as thick to the others’ ears as the words felt on his tongue. His eyes never left Yuta, Yuta who was smiling uncontrollably, who was talking as loudly as Haechan, whose eyes were shining and whose gaze never left Hansol.

In his most pathetic moments, Winwin had felt a twinge of jealousy at the way Yuta was so comfortable with Taeyong and Johnny but he had always known that they were all close friends. He had often even laughed at Jaehyun who used to get jealous when Taeyong spent time with Jonghyun or Seungcheol. He hadn’t thought he would ever “stoop to that level, Jaehyun” but right now, he felt like he could crawl into a little hole and cry.

Sure, there had never been any relationship of that sort between Yuta and himself but right now he felt so replaced. It was only then that he realized something.

Despite all his doubts and insecurities, Yuta did behave special with him. He closed his eyes and he could picture it. Yuta woke him up most days in the softest voice, he always did Winwin’s laundry when he was doing his own, he helped Winwin with Korean without ever expecting anything in return, he tried to learn Chinese for him, he cheered him on for all his performances as well as for WayV, he calmed him down whenever he was nervous, he always knew if something was off, he never held a grudge when they argued, he always asked him if he ate and took him out for food, he told him to sleep and sometimes he nagged awfully but right now, Winwin, who was hit with this flood of a realization, missed even that.

He looked at his group of friends and everything was the same as it always was at breakfast. Everyone was behaving the same. Hansol didn’t even stick out as he explained, “I had a day off and I just had to come over to see you all. It’s been ages since we met for a meal. Oh right, wait, I brought cake and ice-cream.”

Winwin had always liked Hansol hyung who was kind and caring and he knew nothing had changed in Hansol either.

He knew what had changed. He stared at Yuta who was sitting opposite him, conversing nineteen a dozen with Hansol. Winwin was, extraordinarily today, invisible to Yuta. And it hurt to realize that.

He ate his breakfast mournfully ignoring Jaehyun’s concerned but knowing looks. All he could do was stare openly at Yuta. Thanks to this, he was able to spot when Yuta’s plate was empty. He placed toast on it and nearly cried out in frustration when Yuta didn’t even glance in his direction.

He cited practice as his excuse before retreating to his room from where he emerged in record time to announce he was leaving.

Ten turned to Johnny. “What practice? I was pretty sure all of WayV had a free schedule today.”

“It’s probably some solo stuff, then.”

It was only afterwards that Yuta and Hansol found themselves alone in Yuta’s room.

“So…” Hansol started.

Yuta hugged him affectionately. “I can’t believe you actually came. Thank you for coming.”

Hansol rolled his eyes. “My best friend keeps destroying my beauty sleep every night. I knew I had to come.”

“Aren’t you really busy right now? I’m sorry for troubling you so much that you had to come on a hard-earned holiday.” Yuta said, looking guilty.

“Oi, stop being so formal.” Hansol punched his shoulder playfully.

Yuta brightened up. “But I’m really happy you came. I feel like everything is going to be fine now.”

“Of course, it is. Tell me everything and we’ll figure out a foolproof plan for you.”

“You remember how I was going to tell him after practice that day?” Yuta said, his smile fading.

Yuta watched as the members began to leave from the practice room. His left foot was tapping continuously. Okay, he would tell him. He took a deep breath.

He opened his mouth.

“Yo, Yuta hyung, are you coming? We’re going to get pizza,” Mark said, Haechan already tugging at his sleeve.

“I, uh, I guess not really,” Yuta said, laughing awkwardly. “You go on.”

It was now just Winwin and Johnny in the practice room. He waited wondering if he would be able to catch Winwin in the room last or he would have to follow him outside.

Johnny went on practicing and with a quick nod in his direction, Winwin finished packing his bag and went out.

“Don’t overdo it,” Yuta called out quickly to Johnny before following him outside.

He caught sight of Winwin near the elevator. “Winwin-ah.”

The latter turned around at hearing his name and raised an eyebrow. “Yuta hyung.”

“Hey, uh, well,” Yuta wanted to curse himself for being so nervous, “I was wondering…uh, are you hungry?” He cringed internally. He was so bad at this. Despite telling himself that the worse that could happen after his confession was that Winwin would reject him and cut off ties with him only for Yuta to die single and regretful in old age, he was feeling all of his little bravery ebbing away.

Winwin frowned. “Why?”

“We could grab a pizza,” Yuta offered with a quick smile. Please say yes, please say yes.

“You should have gone with Mark and Haechan then. Should I call them? I’m sure you could catch them if you made a run for it.”

Yuta sighed. “Ah, I meant pasta? Noodles? We could get some dessert too? I don’t know. You pick.”

“I’m not really hungry.”

“A walk, then?” Yuta was getting desperate. He had plans and they were all coming to nought.

It was Winwin’s turn to sigh now. “Some other day. I’m just going to turn in.”

“C’mon, we both know you’re going to stay up late playing games anyway. Let’s goooo.” Yuta looked down. “I have something to tell you.”

Winwin looked at him suspiciously. “What is it?”

“It’s—I’ll tell you over dinner. It’s something we need to talk over. C’mon, please, please?”

The elevator opened. Winwin ducked his head, ignoring Yuta, and walked inside. He punched a button. “Please take the next one. I’d like to be alone.”

Yuta stood gaping at him. He let the elevator go.

He told himself, despite being utterly confused by the curt behaviour, that it was okay. He told himself he had to walk away from the elevator before someone saw him break down. He told himself he would let go, that this was it with Winwin, that this was the final hint he had been waiting for, that this was a sinking ship and he had to swim away.

He was trudging down the stairs intent on taking the long way down so that he wouldn’t have to see any of his members. He stopped and sat on the stairs after a floor. I’m okay, this is fine, he told himself, wiping a stray tear. I should be happy I didn’t get to make a fool of myself by telling him I like him. This was disaster averted.

Then why did it hurt so much?

He needed to distract himself. He called Hansol. It went to voice mail.

He called Taeyong. It went to voice mail.

He called Johnny. It went to voice mail.

His message inbox was empty except for a message from their manager, “Hey, I’m scheduling a VLIVE of you and Winwin. Is Friday okay? Drag him along too, kiddo isn’t listening to me.”

Of course, he wouldn’t. Judging by what had just happened a VLIVE was one of the last things Winwin would agree to do with him.

He didn’t reply. Instead he stared at his phone until the screen lit up with a new message.

Taeyongie: hey, you called? *>*

I’m out with jaehyunie

Wanna join us for dinner?

Yuta: called you by mistake

Dw enjoy dinner

Taeyongie: I’m sending you the location

Come on :))

Yuta: I already ate

Don’t worry

I’m going to sleep, don’t disturb, okay?

Taeyongie: sure?

Lemme know if you change your mind

Until then, good night, Yuta-kun <3

It was all pretty hazy after that. He remembered buying some beer and weakly flinging empty cans at a caricature he had made on a fence (which suspiciously resembled an manga version of Winwin), he remembered being hauled by Johnny back to the dorm, remembered Johnny crying, remembered crying himself, remembered being sick in the bathroom, remembered Winwin appearing, watching a movie he wasn’t paying attention to and sleeping and dreaming, dreaming of soft hands caressing his hair, remembered telling himself with a smile, even within the dream, that it was a dream.

“The next morning,” Yuta told Hansol, “he behaved like nothing had happened. So, of course, I had to behave like nothing had happened either. Just goes to show how little he cares for me while I basically…”

“Yuta,” Hansol said, softly. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.”

Yuta shook his head, telling him it was fine. “But get this, last night, out of the blue he asked me what I think of him? No warnings, no hints, nothing. I freaked out so bad” He put his head in his hands. “I’m such a coward. I wish I had Taeil hyung’s guts. He flirts so openly.”

“What did you tell him then?”

“Nothing. Long story short, I think he still hates me but was just checking to make sure.”

Hansol made a face. “First of all, Winwinie doesn’t hate you or anyone else. He’s a softie. Secondly, you’re going to give me stress if you behave like this. Just come clean like I told you. He deserves to know just like you deserve to say it. What happens next isn’t in your hands. But what can happen right now is.” He ignored Yuta’s alarmed expression. “Now, here’s what you are going to—” He broke off abruptly as the bedroom door opened.

When Winwin had returned home after his self-imposed exile from the dorm, he had decided he would head up to his room and just stay there until his feelings sorted themselves out. He would call Jaehyun and Ten and tell them everything over a tub of ice-cream and just ask for advice.

He let himself into the dorm which was quieter than usual with everyone probably resting on the day off. He climbed upstairs and opened his bedroom door. The sight in front of him did nothing but worsen the mess that were his feelings.

He watched as Yuta and Hansol broke off from whatever they were talking about and Winwin wasn’t a fool to not know that it was definitely about him. His thoughts went back to his question to Yuta last night and his face flamed with embarrassment at imagining both of them laughing at his expense.

“Oh, Winwinie. Hansol was just leaving. Come on in,” Yuta said in an overly bright voice. He got up from where he was sitting with Hansol, pulling him along too. “You’re late, right?” he asked pointedly.

Hansol looked between the two of them and nodded quickly. “Yeah, I’m leaving. No need to see me to the door. Goodbye, Yuta, Winwin.” He walked to the bedroom door. “Oh, Winwin-ah, I brought some cookies for you. They’re by your bed.” He got a glare from Yuta. “Alright, I’m off then.”

Winwin closed his eyes, steading his breath as the door closed leaving just Yuta and him in the room now.

“Why did you tell him to leave?” he said with gritted teeth, anger evident in his expression.

So, tonight was going to be it, a small voice whispered in his head. Everything had been building up to this. The night where they finally fought it out, the night that would destroy the fine balance they had both achieved by leaving everything unsaid, the night where they stopped pretending. He knew they would never be the same after this because this was where it ended, without ever having really begun. He wanted to take all of the hurt inside his heart and turn it into fuel for this night.

oh my god! a lot of stuff happened in this chapter...where do we begin? YES IT WAS HANSOL and he got someone jealous lol the whole yuwin situation is a mess right now...they better sort it out soon ugh.

you got the background to the whole yuta-johnny scene that occurred in the last fic, ten past six. (yayyy we successfully connected it!) do you have any idea why winwin turned down yuta's suggestion to go and have dinner together? we need explanations! (don't worry, you'll get them!)

this update also showed us how winwin feels which is rare because he tends to just bottle everything up...my poor boy :( someone tell yuwin communicating their feelings is vital here.

also what did you feel about the chapter? did you like hansol's cameo? the next chapter is going to be good so hold tight.

hope you enjoyed the update! thank you so much for reading and supporting!

love, positive vibes and foolproof plans~~

[averagemarvelbitch]

The One Where Steve Proposes (Or Not)

Summary: Someone takes a picture of Steve and posts it on Instagram. The group chat goes nuts, Clint is way too emotional about all this and things are not exactly as they seem. Don't trust what you see on the internet, that's the first rule!

Tags: Stony, brief mention of Bruce/Thor

Chapters: 1/2

AO3

If you like it, leave a comment or send an ask!

Hawkman ― OMG OMG OMG DID YOU GUYS SEE THAT

Black Swan ― WTF Barton, saw what

Hawkman ― HOLD ON

Hawkman ― I’M GONNA SEND YOU THE THING

Big B ― What’s going on?

Black Swan ― idk

Hawkman sent a photo.

Black Swan ― Holy shit

Hawkman ― I KNOW

Hawkman ― STEVE IS GONNA PROPOSE Y’ALL

Big B ― Let’s not jump to conclusions here. I mean, you can’t even see if he’s holding anything

Black Swan ― Steve just walked in. He’s smiling. He’s holding a tiny Tiffany’s bag

Big B ― Holy shit Steve is going to propose

Hawkman ― STEVE IS GONNA PROPOSE

“Hey, what are you guys talking about?”

Natasha quickly, but discreetly, hid the screen of her phone from Steve.

“Just discussing what we’re going to order tonight”, she lied flawlessly and without blinking, “Are you and Tony having dinner with us?”

“No. I’m taking Tony to Mario’s tonight”.

“Oh. That’s where you two had your first date, right?”

“Yeah”, Steve chuckled, taking a bottle of water from the fridge, “How do you know that?”

“I’m a spy, I know everything”.

“Okay. Well, I’m going to take a shower and get ready. JARVIS, can you make sure Tony doesn’t forget our date tonight, please?”

“’I’ll make sure Mr. Stark is on time, Captain”.

“Good luck, Steve”, Natasha can’t help but say.

Steve looked at her a bit confused. “Uh, thanks?” And left the kitchen.

Hawkman ― Nat

Hawkman ― Nat

Hawkman ― Nat

Hawkman ― Nat

Hawkman ― Nat

Hawkman ― Nat

Hawkman ― Nat

Black Swan ― He’s going to do it tonight.

Hawkman ― OMG

Big B ― Wow, really? Where?

Black Swan ― Mario’s. They had their first date there. It’s sweet.

Hawkman ― OUR BOYS ARE GROWING UP SO FAST

Black Swan ― Please try to control yourself.

Big B ― It’s a pretty special moment, I get why he’s so excited.

ThunderThighs ― GREETINGS, MY FRIENDS. I SEE THE GOOD CAPTAIN HAS DECIDED TO WED THE MAN OF IRON. A MUCH JOYOUS OCCASION. I HAVE ALREADY BESTOWED MY CONGRATULATIONS UPON THE SON OF STARK OVER THIS HAPPY NEWS.

Hawkman ― YOU DID WHAT

Big B ― Oh, no

Black Swan ― Shit, Tony must be freaking out. Clint, penthouse NOW.

JARVIS ― Mr. Stark may surprise you with his reaction, Miss Romanoff.

Hawkman ― Uh, did anyone know JARVIS can invade the group chat?

Hawkman ― Also, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, THOR, don’t tell Steve or anyone else about the proposal!

ThunderThighs ― HAVE I DONE SOMETHING WRONG? IS IT NOT CUSTOMARY TO CONGRATULATE A FRIEND WHEN THEY ARE TO BE WED?

Big B ― Just come to our room, I’ll explain everything.

ThunderThighs ― AYE, YOU CAN EXPLAIN THESE CONFUSING CUSTOMS WHILE WE BATHE.

Hawkman ― Oh man, not in the group chat, COME ON

Natasha and Clint were the first to arrive. They stepped out of the elevator and looked around. They expected to see Tony pacing back and forth, pulling his hair from his head, panicked at the very idea that his partner of three years wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. They did not expect to find Tony in his closet, an excited smile on his face as he looked through his clothes.

“What do you think, JARVIS? Too formal?”

“Yes, Mr. Stark. I think the tuxedo is a bit formal for dinner at Mario’s”.

“Right. Something more casual. Maybe the blue shirt? Steve likes that one”.

“Uh, what are you doing?”

Tony turned and smiled at Natasha and Clint, who were standing in his doorway, looking thoroughly confused.

“Hey. You need something? I’m kind of busy, I have a date with Steve”.

“Yeah, we know. Thor… told you about the date?”

Tony laughed. “Oh, yeah. He congratulated me on my upcoming engagement and offered to teach me a few tricks for the honeymoon”.

“Yeah, sounds like Thor”, Clint replied, snickering.

“So, you… seem to be fine with it”.

This time, it was Tony’s turn to look confused. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know, I mean, I guess we thought you would be a little freaked out over this. You know, marriage, commitment”.

“I don’t know why everyone thinks I’m afraid of commitment. I proposed to Pepper when we were together, you know. I like the idea of getting married, of spending the rest of my life with someone I love who loves me back”, Tony said, taking a navy blue shirt from his wardrobe and putting it close to the door, “Just because I slept around when I was younger doesn’t mean I have an aversion to commitment”.

“That actually makes a lot of sense”.

“Great. Now can you two please get the hell out? I need to take a shower”.

Steve was waiting for Tony in the communal kitchen. Natasha, Clint and Thor were sitting at the kitchen island while Bruce cooked. The captain kept sneaking glances at the elevator, absently touching the pocket on the inside of his jacket. Every time he did it, Clint would squeal quietly, earning himself a slap from Natasha. When Steve turned to look at his teammates, he found them all staring at him with knowing smiles.

“Uh, is everything okay? You’re all acting weird”.

“Everything is fine, Cap. We’re just happy that Bruce is making his famous chilli for us”.

Steve narrowed his eyes, clearly not believing a word out of Clint’s mouth, but he didn’t have time to argue. He turned back as soon as he heard the familiar ping of the elevator and smiled at his partner, who exited the elevator.

“Hi”, Tony greeted with a big smile.

“Hi. You look incredible”, Steve whispered before pulling his boyfriend in for a long kiss. They were suddenly interrupted by a loud sniff.

“I’m sorry”, Clint said, clearly holding back tears, “I’m just so excited for the chilli”.

Steve just stared at him disbelieving while Tony glared from behind him.

“So, we should go”.

“Right, yeah”, Steve replied, still confused, “we should go”.

As they left, Steve could have sworn he heard Natasha say something like you’re such a human disaster, Barton.

Mario’s was completely empty. All the tables had been removed, leaving only one in the middle of the restaurant, with a white tablecloth, two blue orchids and some lit candles.

“You got the whole place just for us?”

“I know how much you hate when people keep interrupting us. I thought maybe we could have the whole night for ourselves”.

Tony smiled and pulled his boyfriend down, giving him a quick kiss on the mouth. “You’re absolutely perfect, did you know that?”

“Ah, Anthony! Steven! Welcome!”

“Good evening, Mario. How’s business?”

“Good, good. Come, sit, we have a special menu just for you”.

They sat down at the table and, after a quick look at the menu, ordered their respective plates. While they waited, they talked about their week ― Steve told Tony all about the new recruits at SHIELD who thought Captain America was really swell until he started making them drop and give a hundred pushups; Tony told Steve about the shareholder’s meeting he had had earlier that day and how he had finally convinced the others to green light his new green energy project. When the plates came, they ate and talked about their plans for the weekend ― there was an exhibit at the MoMA Steve really wanted to see ― and reminisced about their first date and the early years of their relationship.

By the time dessert came, Tony couldn’t hold himself still. He couldn’t wait anymore. He picked at his cake, glancing at Steve.

“Tony. I just wanted to say… You know you mean the world to me, right?”

This is it, Tony thought, nodding at his boyfriend with a smile, this is it.

“I love you. And I want to make you happy. Always”.

“I love you too”, he replied, his hands slightly shaking.

“So, I got you something. Something I thought you might like”.

Steve retrieved a little black box from the inside of his jacket and put it on the table in front of Tony, smiling.

Tony couldn’t contain his joy. His smile was so big his cheeks actually hurt. He slowly opened the box, the words already forming on his lips.

“I d… I…”, his smile faltered as he stared at the little opened box, “wow. Uh, this is…”

“You don’t like it?” Steve asked, confused, “It’s just like the one you broke the last time we fought the Wrecking Crew. It took some time because they no longer make this kind of watch. I thought you might like it”.

“I loved it”, Tony replied with a fake smile, taking the watch from the box and staring intently at it, “I absolutely loved it. It’s beautiful, thank you”.

“Are you sure? You sound weird. It’s okay if you didn’t like it”.

“No, I like it. Yeah. So, I’m done with my meal. Maybe we should go”.

Steve, still confused with his boyfriend’s reaction, nodded. “Okay. Yeah, let’s go home”.

They stayed silent all the way back to the tower. Steve tried to get Tony to talk, but the brunette would only answer his questions with a nod and a curt reply, all the while with a smile that Steve knew he reserved specially for the press.

“So”, Steve said, pressing the elevator button.

“I have some work to get done. Otherwise Pepper is going to have my head”, Tony said with a humorless laugh.

“I’ll wait for you”.

“It’s gonna be a long night so… I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Thank you for the watch”, he didn’t wait for an answer. As soon as the doors to the elevator opened, he ran out, not even glancing back at his boyfriend ― boyfriend, not fiancé ― as the doors closed.

Steve stood there, not really understanding what he had done wrong.