#again with Aus being ahead it is already valentines day here

[zoros-bandana]

Flowers - A Valentine's Day Post

(SFW)

Fluff/slight angst?/innocently idiotic Zoro

Warning: arguments, miscommunication

Summary: With Valentines Day fast approaching, Zoro gets reminded of his deeply rooted crush, leading to a series of troublesome ideas to ask you to be his.

Word Count: 2,200

Zoro huffed, dragging his feet behind Luffy as they followed Nami through the markets, under strict orders not to touch anything.

Every now and then his ears would prick, straining his eye over to where Sanji stood, showing you some beautifully inscribed vase or necklace he insisted matched your eyes. Your voice and laugher was always stronger with the cook, annoying him just that little bit more seeing you with him.

His mind would often wonder whenever he looked to you, wishing that it was him you were laughing alongside, leaning against as you immersed yourself in your amusement. You would always look so beautiful, so perfect, curling your lips in a smile that he would tear the world apart just to see one last time.

“Oi! Zoro!”

Zoro turned, realising his friend had ventured on ahead of them, lost in his own wishes. Grumbling to himself he steered away from you, dragging Luffy away to carry on as Nami's protective boarder.

Once again she had stopped at a stall, glistening in jewellery and items that deemed expensive but classy to her taste. Ignore her entourage - except for times when it suited her - left Zoro in charge of Luffy, making sure he kept himself occupied, but not enough to start unwanted trouble. His job was a painful reminder he wasn't chosen to accompany you instead, wishing to venture with the cook for reasons unknown to Zoro.

With one hand constantly on Luffy and in sight of both himself and Nami, Zoro admitted he had earned his reward, constantly distracting himself with whichever way you walked; following the sweet scent of your perfume.

“Why don’t you just ask her out already?” Nami questioned, realising her friends distracted state; met with no word after repeating her previous question to him.

Zoro looked back at the navigator, confused. “Huh? Who?”

“Y/n” Nami said simply, picking up an old map to inspect. “It’s clear you have a crush on her and with Valentine’s Day coming up it seems the time to do so. Take her on a date for Valentine's Day, Zoro”

Luffy laughed, amused at the prospect of his friends together. "You and Y/n?"

Zoro blushed.

"What about us?"

Attention moved to you, interrupting the conversation. Sanji stood close to you, sharing the same confused pout, both flickering your eyes between the three for answers. Zoro knew he had to move fast, quickly cutting Luffy off before he blurted out his feelings; knowing a secret was never safe with him.

"We're the worst with directions"

"The idiot finally admitted it..." Sanji laughed, his voice low.

"Uh-huh..." you hummed, unsure how to properly respond to his statement.

Turning around you fell in tune with Luffy, who had easily slipped from Zoro's grip, listening as he edged Sanji for a peak into the food basket at hand, wishing for an early lunch. Zoro stayed behind, shrinking further away as you began to walk, wishing to space himself out of embarrassment.

Nami sighed, standing next to Zoro, disappointed in how the interaction played out. She understood her friend was hopeless with love, however, she never realised how much he needed guidance to kick things off.

"Don't listen to him" Nami shrugged off the captain "just ask her"

"All you have to do is something nice for her and she'll be yours; trust me"

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

A pinch of regret sunk Zoro's stomach, watching Chopper run away from him, crying and calling out your name. He followed behind, half stalling, knowing how easy it would be to get your attention this way. Executing his plan was easy, doing it every so often just to have you interact with him, knowing he wasn't good at initiating things himself. He didn't care you would be mad at him for scaring Chopper, half the time he wasn't listening to what you were saying, just how you said it.

There was a twang in your voice, even when mad, that was sweet and melodic, making it hard to take you seriously. Zoro was aware he was larger, stronger, so any attempt of a physical fight you were out of your depth; another reason for him to pursue this crazy idea. It hadn't occurred to him that he would ask you out this way, he didn't plan on extending things further than this, but now he had a motive and was more willing to do something about it.

Zoro stopped, watching as Chopper ran into your open arms, hypnotised by how sweet you were with him; as how you were with everyone.

Well, almost everyone.

"Again? Seriously, Zoro?"

Rolling his eyes, Zoro attempted to act annoyed, not wishing to sink to the level of the shitty ero-cook.

He wasn't a simp like Sanji was.

Even if your voice lit up the room, stopping everyone who was close by just to get a chance to hear your charm, your wit, your jokes.

So what if you showed the most class and elegance even on the battle field, weaving through enemies as if you could do it in your sleep?

He didn't care that the morning light would always hit your face first thing in the morning, radiating you in a halo of gold as you sat across from him at breakfast.

That every single feature of you was carved so ethereal he would swear he was dreaming if it weren't for the song-like call parting through a pair of beautifully plump lips-

"He got in my way, ya know how it is"

You scoffed.

A horrific sound to Zoro's ears, aimed directly at him.

"Actually, no I don't" you stood up, holding Chopper to your chest. His body hung tightly to you, like a suffering child against their mothers chest. "Chopper doesn't deserve your kind of insatiable behaviour!"

"I don't even know what that means" Zoro spat, getting caught up in the growing tension, more aggressive than he intended.

"It means you can be such an asshole, especially to those who don't deserve that treatment!"

"It's only because I-" Zoro fumbled for the right words, choking as his confession brimmed, losing his train of thought.

"What?" your tone stayed bitter.

He wanted to tell you, to let you know that he did it to talk to you, knowing you always came to Chopper's aid. He wanted to admit it was because he wanted to ask you out on a date, to be his valentine. But he also knew you were upset, caused by his action, and it was beyond his capability knowing if you would say yes like this.

Realising this wasn't the time, Zoro sighed. "Don't worry about it, Y/n, it's nothing to concern yourself with"

Before you could argue more, he turned, storming back to his post to nap, ignoring the growing heat in his face.

He needed to try something else.

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

Sitting across from you, Zoro smiled to himself, enjoying the scene as you chose the seat opposite him at the table; a few spare seats littering the table to chose from. He took your seat as a good sign, picking your view of him over the likes of any of your other friends.

You had calmed down from the brief argument shared a few days prior, softer around him, even dismissing the slight comments shared between him and the young doctor. Using your distraction of the sniper beside you to his advantage, he continued to look over at you, ignoring the cooks growing suspicion.

"Oi, Marimo, quit gazing at sweet Y/n-swan like that!"

Zoro could feel the room grow quiet, hearing Sanji's claim, averting their attention towards him. Even through his embarrassment he continued looking at you, unable to avert his eyes as you met him; sharing an embarrassed look of your own. He noted how sweetly the blush formed across your cheeks, making you seem innocently angelic, framing your face beautifully. He also noted how he had been quiet for a while, needing to come up with an excuse.

And fast.

"Ya know I don't think I will"

Your voice carried over to him, low and timid; curious. "And why not?"

"Because you're so..."

Think, Zoro, think.

"Impressionable"

"Impressionable?"

"My" Sanji snickered, "that's a big word for you"

"I mean..."

What is that other big word Robin said? A? Ap? Appeal?

"Appalling to look at!"

Shit, he didn't mean to say that.

Your face dropped, distressed from his choice of word, mute to his fumbles to collect himself. Somehow the room got quieter, everybody knowing he messed up, unsure of how to assist him out of this mess; and neither was Zoro.

Quickly dodging Sanji's leg attack, Zoro pulled back away from the table, quickly drawing his sword. He hoped to rectify his mistake, after shaking off Sanji, however the brief glimpses of your face caused immense shame. You had cowered away, hiding your face as Robin consoled you, her arm around you.

Maybe he would take Nami's advice after all.

Do something nice for you.

Something more than his poor choices of words could do.

But what?

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

Fluttering his eyes open at the sound of the door close, Zoro knew he was now in the clear. It was late morning, leaving the rest of the crew occupied with various activities, yourself included, Zoro able to rest against the railing situated opposite the flower bed.

He knew you and Chopper were proud of this feat, straining the growth against treacherous and unpredictable weather. And in turn leaving an array of vibrant spikes of colour drawing the crews eye as they passed. Even Zoro fell to their pull, smiling to himself as he passed, blindsided by their elating abilities.

Making his way over to the patch he quickly snapped into action, aware he could be sprung any moment. Grabbing his fist to the stems of the flowers, he yanked hard, ripping up the flowers complete with dirt and exposed roots attached.

Satisfied with his catch, Zoro ventured to the girls room, eager to place his confession for you on the end of your bed. He thought it was obvious what he was doing, overhearing your keen interest in flowers and Sanji's blabbering of spoiling women with bunches of flowers.

You were going to love this.

How could you not?

Throwing the bunch on your bed, he pulled the note from his pocket, marked with a simple 'Z' for easy collection once found. Confident with his plan he smiled to himself, knowing the two-bit chef would just have to find someone else to ardour over.

For Zoro had finally won.

He would finally get his date.

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

"What the hell, Zoro!"

"Huh?"

Zoro looked up towards you, confused of you sudden outburst into the crows nest. You had interrupted his training, to which he usually would not mind, however, there was something resentful in how you appeared; throwing him off.

"Flowers? Really? MY flowers? You know it really must be some sick joke you're playing on me, terrorising me these past days"

Zoro turned to face you, unclear at what you were saying; never expecting you to be ungrateful for his act of service.

"I thought girls liked flowers?"

"They do, Zoro, when presented as a gift not littered all over my bed like a dog ripping up the yard! You knew that I was saving those flowers for Chopper's medicine"

His voice dropped, realising his mistake, his body washing over in regret. To him, he had done the purest act of affection he could, hoping to persuade you over. But in reality he made the situation worse, only pushing you further away from him. Every attempt he made only rooted a deep loathing for him, twisting him up inside. He only wanted to do something different, something bold, unsure how exactly to act; new to these feelings he had for you.

Remorseful, Zoro's face grew an embarrassingly bright red. "I thought you liked flowers..."

"I-" you hesitated, realising the change in tone. "Why do you care if I like flowers?"

"Because"

"Because what?" you pressed. "And don't try and shrug it off again, Zoro, I need you to answer me"

"Because" he repeated, looking further away from you hoping it would give him space. "Because I like you"

Silence filled the room, making Zoro squirm, he hated that deafening sound not knowing whether it was good or bad. He needed to say something, more than just a bleak confession, something just to fill the gap between you both.

"I like you, and I wanted to ask you to be my valentine but I didn't know how"

Again, it was silent.

Clearing his throat he pepped up his voice, growing colder. "But I know you're going out with curly-brow, anyway"

"Sanji?"

You laughed, taken aback, a weird mix of relief and amusement of his confession and wrong accusation. "Why the hell would I be going out with Sanji? I like you, Zoro, despite your rather idiotic attempts"

Knitting his brows together, Zoro thought for a moment, collecting himself. If what you were saying was true, than that meant…

"So I still have a chance?"

"You always did, all you had to do was ask me"

Your words surged some confidence into the swordsman, a typical cocky smirk finding its way to his face. Standing up straight Zoro came towards you, strutting much more prideful, freezing you in place. As he reached you, his hands came out to scoop behind you, wrapping you up in one quick swoop.

"Well in that case..." Zoro pulled you close to him, letting his hard body press firmly against you. His hands fell wonderfully into the curve of your back, holding you comfortably, as if he had done this many times before. Your hands fell against his chest, feeling his heart hammer rapidly against your palm, exposing his growing lust. His face lingered just above you, studying your expression before continuing, knowing full well he had your attention; making his next move his most simplest yet.

"Will you be my valentine, Y/n?"

[foolishlovers]

MUTUAL PINING FIC RECS: Below you'll find a list of Good Omens fics in which Aziraphale and Crowley are pining for each other.

You can request more fic recs here.

you play with my feelings (right from the start) by PenroseSun (G, 3k)

There were three things of which Crowley was absolutely certain: 1. Aziraphale, being an angel, was required to be kind and loving towards all things, even when those things were flawed or sinful or fallen. 2. Notwithstanding that obligatory kindness, Aziraphale would never, and could never truly love a demon, in any meaningful sense. 3. Despite this, Crowley was desperately, hopelessly, in love with him.

For To Quench My Thirst by apliddell (G, 6k)

After moving to Sussex with Aziraphale, Crowley is trying so hard to be satisfied with friendship and the suddenly beautiful life he already has.

Slow by write_away (T, 9k)

It started like this: A boy with the ability to warp reality met an angel and a demon and he made assumptions. You might say it started like this: An angel and a demon found a marriage contract hung on the wall of the angel's bookshop. They didn't question it. It also could have started like this: Once upon a time, the angel told the demon he went too fast. The demon took it to heart.   Aziraphale and Crowley find themselves somehow married. Crowley fears going too fast. Aziraphale forges ahead. Neither know how to ask questions of each other.

got a pretty face, pretty boyfriend too by KissMyAsthma, leukozyna (T, 9k)

Aziraphale and Crowley are next-door neighbours. They’ve been attracted to each other since they met. The only thing keeping them apart is a thin wall between their bedrooms and Atticus and Freddie, Aziraphale’s and Crowley’s respective life partners… or are they? A human AU glued together by misunderstandings and wet food.

speed limits (and how to break them) by darcylindbergh (E, 13k)

There is a trick people do with a mint candy and a bottle of cola which results in a small eruption, and something very like it, for much higher stakes than a laugh in a car park, is about to take place in Aziraphale’s back room. Or: what happens when you finally unscrew the cap on a six thousand years of repression, and drop in Valentine’s Day.

Something We Were Withholding Made Us Weak by triedunture (M, 17k)

"Yes, exactly. Retire." Aziraphale reaches for the last remaining tartlet brimming with summer berries. "Somewhere along the south coast, perhaps." Or: Crowley and Aziraphale learn to move in tandem.

32 Questions That Lead To Love by ffonippop (E, 32k)

”First formulated in 1997, [32] questions to fall in love is a study by psychologist Dr. Arthur Aron which took place at Stony Brook University, New York. The aim? Speeding up the creation of intimacy between two strangers.” The Cosmopolitan Okay, fine. Crowley was 32-Questions-That-Lead-To-Love-ing Aziraphale. Sue him. He had no expectations, all right? Just, an innocent curiosity.

Flowers From The Grave Of Our Friendship by WaitingToBeBroken (E, 50k)

Crowley is very good at temptation, not so good with what comes afterwards. Aziraphale knows demons don't love so he is happy to take anything Crowley would give him. Both of them are too blind to realize the thing they want is right in front of them.

Fledging by FeralTuxedo (M, 53k)

Cool Dad was at the school gate again. Clambering out of his ridiculous sports car like a great big spider, all black denim and designer sunglasses. What a prat. He made his way towards the entrance, followed by his equally lanky son. All the mums' eyes were on him. Which was fine. At least they weren't staring at Aziraphale for a change. Cool Dad high-fived his son goodbye, because of course he did, then sauntered back to his car. Making it look so bloody easy. Aziraphale Fell is much too young to be looking after eleven-year old Pepper. He barely has his life together as it is, with his minimum-wage job and a half-baked dream of trading rare books for a living. And as if adopting a recently bereaved pre-teen isn’t enough, there are some rather more adult problems to navigate: playground politics, the shadows of his own childhood, and the growing question of how Crowley, the only other dad at the school gate, feels about him. A human AU/kid fic.

Style and Substance by Cabernet_Woebegone (E, 89k)

“But y’know, if my boss finds out I’m helping you even a little, they’re gonna throw me out on my ass.” “Yes, I understand it is a bit of a conflict of interest for you… Is there something I can offer you in return? Something you would like?” Aziraphale questioned hopefully. You, Crowley thought loudly as he took a second sip. I want to know if you moan when you kiss the same way you do when you try something delicious. I want to know if your lips taste like Zinfandel. “Yes, actually.” Aziraphale is having difficulty running his restaurant, and it isn't helping that he believes the place across the street is trying to sabotage him. To his surprise, chef Crowley comes to him on friendly terms. Together they come up with an arrangement that could benefit them both.

On Espionage and Prophecy (or How to Accidentally, but Wholly, Fall in Love With a Soho Bookseller) by RockSaltAndRoll (E, 133k)

1941 is the London Blitz and the year that MI5 really comes into its own with the now infamous ‘double cross’ system. The service keep tabs on suspects, root out enemy agents and try to turn them into doubles. Anthony J Crowley is fucking great at this job. He can be sneaky, underhanded and damn ruthless but also charming and kind. It’s what makes him good at turning. Aziraphale is just a regular Soho bookseller who loves his shop and books and good food and wine when he’s approached by a woman claiming to be MI5, wanting to recruit him for espionage. The poor man is too trusting and gets the shock of his life when he’s approached by a charming but dangerous-looking man also claiming to be MI5. Crowley recruits Aziraphale to double cross a double crosser and Aziraphale takes to espionage like a duck to water. Danger, hijinks, and sex ensue.

Old Vines by sevdrag (E, 189k)

A.Z. Fell, one of the most respected names in wine and food blogging, has been sent on assignment with his assistant Warlock Dowling to spend six months in California Wine Country. Under direction (by his boss, Gabriel) to use this experience to double his blog followers and write a novel, Aziraphale is both excited and anxious about the opportunity. Anthony J. Crowley is the owner and viticulturalist of Ecdyses, a winery that unexpectedly fell into his lap eleven years ago when he hit rock bottom. He may be in debt, yeah, but he’s paying off his loans — and despite pressure from his lenders and their team of inspectors, Crowley has found a kind of contentment tending his little corner of terroir and producing extraordinary wine. Crowley’s old vines are the heart of his vineyard, and he’s never let anyone in. Crowley finds Aziraphale intriguing; Aziraphale finds Crowley enthralling. Turns out a famous wine expert and an experienced viticulturalist can still learn things from each other. The summer of 2019 unfolds.

[axailslink]

Be my valentine 🤎

Rosalie Otterbourne

Rosalie has never been nervous in her life but she's been trying to ask you to be her valentine all day and you're just not getting the hint. She can't be overly obvious that she wants you because if you don't feel the same way this could possibly go all types of wrong. Salome Otterbourne has been watching this from afar all day at first she found Rosalie's struggle a bit humorous but now she's starting to feel bad. Rosalie's fidgeting with her hands as she's talking to you and you're quick to notice grabbing them and holding them in your hands "are you alright?" Rosalie smiles seeing how you're so caring towards her the action bolsters the bit of courage she has to ask the question that's been burning her throat all day "Y/n you want to go to a drive-in movie with me tonight?" You nod "sure who else is coming?" Rosalie sucks her teeth in annoyance because once again you're not getting the point. "No one it's valentine's day everyone's busy and well I want to be with you if you're not busy or helping your parents or with my au-" You smile as you interrupt her "are you asking me to be your valentine Rosalie Otterbourne?" Rosalie looks around to see if anyone heard you. "Is that what I'm doing? I'm not sure I just really love being around you and you are amazing-" you let yourself get lost in her words as she watches the smile that spreads on your face which only causes her to to lose the bit of confidence that fueled the question that started this embarrassing conversation. "I've said too much?" you shake your head "no not at all. I think it's kind of cute" Rosalie laughs and shakes her head "wait I'm cute?" "yeah, you're quite a looker. Please tell me you already knew that." Rosalie shrugs "of course look at me" you nod as you look her up and down in a not so friendly way "yes look at you."

Vivienne Scott (Scotty)

You and Scotty are not strangers instead you are friends close friends at that she knows you well and that is why she can absolutely not ask you to be her valentine. This choice could ruin a friendship this could ruin many friendships everyone knows you don't date inside the friend group but what does that matter to Scotty? It doesn't. Not to her. She can't stop pacing the room holding a teddy bear about the size of herself as thoughts of doubt fill her head "maybe I'm doing too much but mother suggested this it feels like too much." Dean nods pointing at it in disapproval "yeah it may be a bit too much" Soctty paces the room faster now "shit shit shit sh-" Scotty is interrupted when your bedroom door swings open and you toss your bag onto your bed. "Why are you two idiots here? No better question how did you get in?" Dean rolls his eyes "that's not as important as Scotty's question" he pushes Scotty towards you and she's stuck her mouth is moving yet nothing comes out when it does. She's on the verge of tears now so frustrated with herself it's hard to watch so you aid the conversation along. "What is it Scotty? Is that for me?" she nods "yes" her words come out small and you nod "Scotty I won't judge you. Whatever it is you have to say I would never judge you for it. So say it with your chest and be confident. I love it when you're confident." Scotty smiles to herself and shakes her head "I'm sorry I'm trying I'm nervous what would you think of me?" you nod seeing as this is getting you no where you decided to take control of the conversation.

"Scotty I have a question for you" she nods "y-yeah go ahead" "will you be my valentine?" you open your bag and hand her a simple flower. "Damnit I wanted to ask you" the disappointment is a clear expression on her face but there's no way she was going to ask you in the next five minutes and you wouldn't dare watch her struggle for that long. You laugh as you hug her the teddy bear she gifted in between you both. Dean smiles at you both "now kiss give her a little smooch" Scotty tosses the teddy at him "get out. you're embarrassing." Dean scoffs "wow embarrassing? Me the friend that helped you in the first place. Unbelievable" you laugh as your face is snuggled into her shoulder "Dean get out." You look at Dean past her shoulder with a knowing look and he slowly directs himself towards the door of course talking shit as he does but he leaves you both be.

Riri Williams

Riri has never actually asked anyone to be her valentine but she wants to be with you she wants to be all giggly, childish, and soft with you because that's how you make her feel. Riri sadly doesn't know how to gift you so she's simple buying a single flower and writing you a profound and meaningful letter. Nerves have never been her problem she is always confident in what she does but right now as she stands outside your dorm room she's torn her stomach is upset and her throat is dry yet she knocks anyways fear has never stopped her it won't now. When you open the door she grabs your hand and places both the flower and the letter into it "it's not much but I'm broke as hell but I still like you and I'm saving some money for our valentines festivities... If you say yes but if not that's fine." you carefully open the letter not too aware of her words because she seems to have spoken so fast it was hardly illegible "wait fucking minute did you say valentines day? Riri you want to be my valentine?" Riri shrugs "I'm trying to just maybe... I just noticed you were feeling me but if you're not it's fine I understand and I could always take the letter back to be honest it's a bit embarra-" you act off of impulse thoughts as you pull Riri to you by her shirt and gently peck her lips. "No I'm feeling you I didn't know you were so lovey dovey though" Riri groans and rolls her eyes "give me my letter back" you laugh and shake your head "no I think it's cute Riri Williams is a simp." Riri pushes you into your dorm and closes the door before speedily running back to her dorm smiling like an idiot. "She's too cute for her own good." You mumble as you just stare at the wooden door.

Jamie Harrison

Jamie paces her flat glancing at the time on her phone hoping to see you any moment now. Candles are lit in every corner and a handmade basket is resting on your shared bed down the hall. Jamie has always loved the holidays but has never gotten to celebrate them with a significant other and it wasn't like she ever wanted one but she wants you. you come into the flat and stop when you see her sitting on the couch as if she's been expecting you "what's with the candles are you trying to seduce me? Usually, I'm all for it but I'm kind of tired and just want to lay down." Jamie nods understanding as she gets up takes your bags "okay we can do that but I have a serious question" you hum as you head towards the room and Jamie follows behind "what?" "Will you be my valentine?" you spin around quick "I thought I was automatically your valentine? You got other options?" Jamie laughs and shrugs "well I have a few" you laugh and pull her to you by her waist. "I better at least be the best choice that crossed your mind" Jamie nods the smile on her face unmoving. "Well I did choose you but Miss Spleen was very upset I wasn't getting flowers for her." you immediately pull away from her heading to your shared room with a quick pace so happy Jamie can visually see the little bounce in your step "you got me flowers?" Jamie just watches as you run into the room and stare in awe at the sight in front of you. "I hope this makes you happy because I am now extra broke." you smile and nod "I am happy thank you but don't ever spend this much on m- wait a minute are those thongs?"

Shuri Udaku

Shuri has been in the lab all day but her mind has been elsewhere all she has been thinking about is her lovely girlfriend and how she can't wait to make your day with the question that is almost as important as "will you marry me?" "Will you be my valentine?" Yes it's cheesy and is such a childish thing to do but she knows you like that type of stuff and she's working to do anything that she knows will make you feel happy and more appreciated. As the elevator guides you down griot alerts Shuri of your presence and she's excited as she turns away from her work. When you arrive your hands are immediately on her face gently rubbing before you peck her lips softly she hums "how is your day?" You shrug "a day without my girlfriend because the lab has her attention? It's boring." Shuri shakes her head "you know you're welcome here whenever you'd like to see me. You're finding a reason to complain" you scoff but nod "maybe" Shuri laughs "well I'll be free on valentine's day..." You smile to yourself "oh?" She nods "and I'm hoping you can join me on the couch this weekend we'll watch a movie and cuddle you'll have all my attention." "For once" you mumble Shuri only laughs "wow the disrespect. I do everything to give you all the attention you deserve yet you clown me" you shrug "if the clown shoes are comfortable you must be a clown." Shuri laughs as she raises her brows "so what I'm hearing is you don't want the flowers I have stored in a case in the drawer next to you?" You're quick to open the drawer but Shuri grabs the case before you can. "Sad they're so pretty now how bad do you want them?" You try to snatch them but Shuri smacks your hand "do you want them?" "Of course I want them" She smiles as she hands them to you. "Thank you" Shuri returns to her work shortly after but not before she can give you a tempting kiss. "Mhm now take your leave" you scoff and roll your eyes "wow you're just going to kick me out?" She nods as she props her head upon her hand "yes you're a distraction. A beautiful one but still a distraction."

A/n: I'm honestly just trying so hard to push these other valentine's day fics out. But this is the combined fic. As expected not edited too well I'm a student.

Taglist:

@verachii

@mocha-aya

@shuriszn

@lolas-bunny

@louderfortheback

@lucillele

@shuri-lover

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@writesbyriri

@locoforshuri

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@sleepyshuri

[sunnyrosewritesstuff]

The Marali Festival Commentary Part 1

Honestly I’m really rather excited to do commentary for this fic, because I realized as I was doing my “Year in Review” that I couldn’t pinpoint any single scene or line that stuck out to me. THERE WERE SO MUCH in this fic that I loved, I couldn’t even narrow it down. So if you’ll indulge me, I’d be able to talk about it now. 😁

**SPOILERS FOR THIS FIC BELOW**

Chapter 1- Leave a Note

So first off, I feel like it’s worth mentioning again that this fic was made from a Valentine’s prompt list that was supposed to be 14 separate drabbles, and I was like “why not make it fit to one fic”! All it took was writing this chapter for me to know exactly how I wanted this fic to go (with some minor exceptions that I’ll get to with the later chapter commentaries).

If there is a chance you could even possibly feel the same, meet me on the sixth night of the Marali Festival. I will prepare a gift worthy of the Hero of Erebor. If I should fail at such a task, I hope that nothing changes between us. For you, Bilbo, are a gem greater than any the Halls of Erebor have seen before, and I am just the dwarf whose foolish heart stubbornly longs for you.

Forever Yours,

-T

Literally. Every. Person. Who. Commented. Knew exactly who “T” was.🤣 I think the biggest twist was the sincerity of the note as a lot of people thought Tabor was actually in love with Bilbo. 

However, Thorin never did anything about it leaving Bilbo to believe that he did not return his affections or he could not. Bilbo played ignorant on the former and made his peace with the latter.

This was one of my favorite lines in this chapter. Do you guys ever write those lines that you’re like “I could make a whole AU on my own fanfic just off this line?” This was the line for me.

When I finished this chapter, I anticipated Bilbo being ridiculously flirty and Thorin just being like ‘wtf’. But by the next chapter, I realized how hard that was without giving away the fact that Thorin didn’t write the note so I had to adjust a bit with how Thorin reacted.

Chapter 2- Flowers

“So Bilbo, what about you? Trying your hand at swordplay for the festival?”

“Most assuredly not.” The hobbit answered with a huff. “After all, I am no King’s Champion. Besides, Dwalin already told me there was no division for letter openers.”

So it needs to be noted that I had just finished Guardian of Kings, and was riding a bit of a high afterwards. So there are several nods to my fic throughout just because it was hard for me to completely let go of my first finished multi-chapter fic.

“Marali means ‘an element of passion’.” Balin corrected. “So we celebrate all that we are passionate about.”

This was actually more about Sunny fitting the story to the word prompts and less about what I thought dwarves were actually ‘passionate about’ BUT IT WORKED!

Chapter 3- A Small Favor

THIS CHAPTER WAS PROBABLY MY FAVORITE, AND DEFINITELY MY MOST ANTICIPATED ONE! This was also the last chapter I had finished ahead of schedule. Every chapter after this I wrote out on the day I posted it.

“Thank you, Master Baggins!” The young dwarf bowed, ready to charge down the path before pausing with a blush on his cheeks. “You really are…incredible.”

My hint towards it being Tabor (not that anyone needed it), but I really did want to convey that he admires Bilbo even if he’s not actually in love with him. 

On the other side of the arena, leaning against the wall, was his dwarf king. Bilbo felt his mouth go dry at seeing Thorin, bare chest glistening with sweat in the midday sun, as he took a swig from his canteen. Water slipped from behind his lips and trailed down his bearded chin…

You’re welcome for the fan service here.

“I see.” Bilbo hummed. “And must they be…t-tunicless?”

“Of course.” Ori was the one to answer matter-of-factly, not looking up from his quill and book. “It’s the ‘Passion of the Warrior’, showing off not just skill but battle legacies as well.”

What Ori meant to say is how else can Sunny torture Bilbo and her readers with how physically attractive Thorin is? 😏

"You know, something beloved that will make Thorin realize he has...your support." Ori interjected, fighting a suspicious blush taking over his cheeks.

It needs to be noted that I was still on the fence about posting this fic when @lordoftherazzles​ sent me an ask for a WIP game, and immediately fell in love based on this line.🤣 Good job Razzy, way to pressure me into writing. 

Bilbo thrust his white handkerchief with his custom “BB” embroidery into the dwarf’s hand. Thorin regarded the cloth with confusion before raising a brow at Bilbo.

“Thanks.” He grunted before proceeding to use it to mop up the sweat, blood, and grim accumulated on his face.

Bilbo’s smile turned to a grimace as Thorin handed the soiled item back to Bilbo. He took it between his two fingers, finding it somehow more attractive on Thorin’s face rather than his handkerchief.

THIS WAS ‘THE SCENE’. I saw this in my head vividly before I had even fully decided on how the rest of the festival was going to go. I love twisting tropes and this is just such a classic (and unfortunately very influenced by Shrek). 

His hand fell upon his little ring he always carried in his pocket, and his heart raced slightly at the thought of parting with it. No, that was better kept with him.

The hardest part of any ‘Bilbo remains in Erebor’ fic. How much do you mention the Ring...

“Heor, an old…rival of Thorin’s.” Kili hummed.

More fic stealing! 😄

A shy smile graced Thorin’s lips as he ducked his head, but his blue eyes sought him back out with their sparkling awe. And because Bilbo’s courage seemed to fade under such a gaze, he was only able to nod, straighten out his waistcoat, and march heavily back to his seat. Had he turned back though, he would have seen Thorin hold the button reverently in his hand before pressing it gently to his lips.

A perfect line to end on and @ye3honk​ did some AMAZING art for this scene in particular that I can’t get over. 😍

[words-etched-in-her-skin]

Ropes anon! Here to wish you a lovely Valentine’s Day! I hope you got to spend time with your partner dear! I have to work but on my break I decided to write a lively little story! It’s a human au that takes place on Vday. The girls are about 5 years old or so and I got the idea from a few very lovely animations that are linked below. I hope you enjoy it!💜

https://youtu.be/8ya4s5zoLlA

https://youtu.be/MJnoobubesI

I smiled up at Alcina as she kissed my cheek and walked into the kitchen to get a glass of wine before I saw Dani quickly walk in. “I gotta go tell mommy,” she said as she quickly ran over to me. “Oh hi, mommy,” she said with a smile that was brighter than the candles lit around the living room. “Oh hi, Dani,” I tell her with the same warm smile as I pick her up and set her in my lap. “I can’t go to bed. I sthared,” she said and I looked down at her with a soft smile as I leaned over to grab a blanket from the other end of the couch with her sitting up in my lap. “What are you scared of?” I asked her as I wrapped a blanket around her. “Scared by darkneess,” she said and I shushed her as I stood up, my arms tucked under her to hold her to me as I carried her to the kitchen. “What’s the matter, my baby?” Alcina asked as she set down the glasses and checked over Dani, who’s eyes were closed and her breathing was getting slower. “She’s scared of the dark,” I tell her as I pulled out a bumblebee nightlight out of the grocery bag that I had gotten earlier today, along with Alcina’s favorite wine and chocolates. She smiled as she opened the package for me and followed me upstairs to see Cassie and Bela in the door, both rubbing their eyes. “Come on, my little bugaboos,” I tell them as I began to lead them to mine and Alcina’s room instead of back to bed. “Mommy?” Cassie asked as Alcina pulled back the covers so I could put Dani down. “What, sweetie?” I asked as I picked her and Bela up while Alcina plugged in the nightlight. “Can you sing to us?” Cassie asked and I balked at her question as I tucked them in on either side of Dani. “You know I don’t sing, sweetie, but Cina does,” I tell her with a smile back at Alcina who rolled her eyes, but smiled still. “We heard you sing-inning in the bathroom with mommy when you two took a bath,” Bela said and I felt my cheeks go red. That wasn’t singing. I sighed and shook my head and sat at the end of the bed. “Go ahead and put something on,” I tell Alcina and she smiled, a vinyl record already in her hands as she made her way to the player. I smiled when the trumpets for “It’s been a long, long time” began to play. I chuckled as the tempo swelled and calmed before the girls’ eyes closed. I sighed before finally starting to sing. “Kiss me once, then kiss me twice, then kiss me once again. It’s been a long, long time. Haven’t felt like this before, my dear, since can’t remember when. It’s been a long, long time,” I sing before I noticed all three girls were sound asleep and Alcina was smiling at me from the doorway. I felt my cheeks go up in flames as I got up and quietly closed the door behind us. “I’d say a bed time lullaby is a better Valentine’s Day gift than any chocolate or wine, my love,” she cooed quietly at me before wrapping her arms around my waist and pulling me into a sweet kiss.

Hello, dear! And a Happy Valentine's Day to you! ♥️ I hope your day went well 😊 I did indeed get to spend the day with my partner, so thank you 🥰 Also, this was so sweet! The idea of Dani being afraid of the dark is adorable, and I loved the soft domestic vibe that you gave Alcina and Reader 😊 Also, the 'singing' that the girls heard 😏🤣

[lifeofkaze]

When Stars Ignite - Chapter 56

HPHM Rockstar AU

A/N: A quick heads-up for you! After this chapter, we will go on a temporary hiatus with publishing because of my upcoming Valentine's Day Challenge. The next few chapters are important ones and we don't our projects to steal each other's thunder. Normal publishing schedule will resume on the 21st February.

As always, Katriona Cassiopeia belongs to @kc-and-co and David Willows to @that-scouse-wizard

General Warning: This whole fic has a general warning of being NSFW / 18+. We will give specific warnings for every chapter in itself, but several adult themes will be more or less present in every chapter, may it be explicitly or in mention. These include sexual topics, drug abuse, (ab)use of alcohol, smoking and a whole lot of cursing.

Specific Warning: none

~~~

Find the masterpost here, the previous chapter here and the next one here. The songs featured before every chapter can be found on this pretty badass playlist here.

~~~

This work is a collaboration with @the-al-chemist

Taglist: @slytherindisaster @night-rhea @carewyncromwell @thatravenpuffwitch @anthamariemayfair @whatwouldvalerydo

I've found a reason for me

To change who I used to be

A reason to start over new

And the reason is you

~ Hoobastank - The Reason ~

Nursing hangovers was an imperative part of any morning routine at Glastonbury Festival. Some people chose the sensible way of hydrating and getting their circulation going, but most preferred hair of the dog while trying not to throw up, complaining loudly, or a combination of both.

After the morning she had spent with Orion, Lizzie didn’t know whether to feel empty or overwhelmed. Luckily, most of her friends were busy with their pounding heads, so no one questioned her being more quiet than usual. Pretending she was having an actual hangover instead of an emotional one, Lizzie kept her sunglasses on and stayed clear of anyone who could possibly question her, including Charlie, Skye, and especially Orion.

Much to her relief, Charlie was well taken care of by Artemis - the sight of them both returning with flower crowns had made even Lizzie’s lips twitch - and Skye was way too hungover to do anything but having a whinge about her questionable life choices.

Lizzie could tell that Orion was worried about her, but he was leaving her to herself as well. Whenever she looked his way he would give her a barely perceptible smile. It should probably encourage her, but instead, Lizzie felt her stomach twist painfully with how much she wanted him to hold her again.

They were spending most of their day loitering around the festival site; the sun was already hanging low in the sky when everyone gathered at a food stall selling all kinds of Mexican food before they would head out to watch the headliner of the day perform on the Pyramid Stage.

Lizzie sat a little apart from the rest and picked at her taco salad. She let their lively chatter pass her by and watched the others enjoy themselves instead. Her attention came to rest on David and Merula. They were sitting closely side by side, probably closer than they should be. They were trying to act like they always did, but Lizzie knew the pointedly casual remarks and fleeting smiles too well. Knowing what lay ahead of them if David decided to become a permanent member of Equinox would have broken Lizzie’s heart if she hadn’t felt so numb all over.

She thought about what KC had told her the day before - it seemed like an eternity had passed since then - and she looked over to where she was sitting with Murphy. They were discussing something and Murphy nodded as he listened to her, absentmindedly running his hand over her back.

A movement at the edge of her vision drew Lizzie’s attention and she saw that Orion was watching her again. His brow was furrowed and the look in his eyes was ponderous. He didn’t seem to like whatever he was seeing on her face, because his frown deepened and he made a motion to get up, but Lizzie shook her head almost imperceptibly and he reluctantly turned his attention away from her.

Lizzie sighed deeply. How had it come this far? she asked herself. Equinox had once been her greatest source of pride and joy. Now, every day she woke up feeling more drained than the day before.

She looked at the patterns of colourful light dancing over the Pyramid Stage. Lizzie didn’t know who was playing at the moment, and neither did care. This time tomorrow they would prepare to play their first headliner show, but the sinking feeling in her stomach had nothing to do with stage fright; Lizzie just genuinely wanted the show to be over before it had even begun. She couldn’t wait to go back home, lock her door and not come out of her bed for the next couple of weeks; at least she wouldn’t have to put on a happy face anymore when all she wanted to do was scream.

Suddenly feeling overwhelmed by the unfairness of it all, Lizzie threw down her fork and ran her hand over her face. Her thoughts were swirling inside her mind, falling over each other in a chaotic tumble, when all of a sudden everything quieted down and she knew what she needed to do.

More determined than she had felt in weeks, Lizzie stood up and walked over to where Charlie and Artemis were sitting. Charlie needed only one look at her face to know something was up.

“Hey Artemis,” he said, giving Artemis a stern look when he caught her drinking from his cider, “I think Andre wants to talk to you.”

Artemis turned her head to where Andre was sitting with Erika and Skye. “I don’t think he does.”

“Yeah, but you should really go and thank him again. For that pink dress he gave you.”

“Playsuit.”

“What?”

“It was a playsuit, not a dress.”

“Whatever,” Charlie said. “It got you laid and you should thank the Fairy Godmother of Rock ‘n’ Roll.”

“You’re just jealous that you didn’t get a pretty outfit.”

“Absolutely. Now go, Lizzie and I can have a chat while you’re gone.”

Flicking her hazel eyes between Lizzie and Charlie, Artemis finally caught on.

“Oh. Yeah. Fine,” she said and got up. “I need to ask Andre something anyway.”

She took Charlie’s cider out of his hands and walked over to Andre without looking back. Charlie shook his head as he watched after her.

“Don’t you even want to ask?” he muttered, not taking his eyes off Artemis.

“What?”

“I said Artemis got laid and you’re not even asking? What’s wrong?”

“Is it that obvious?” Lizzie sighed.

“It is. And I know that look in your eyes. It means something is going through that pretty little head of yours.”

Lizzie sighed again, deeper this time, and slumped into Artemis’ seat.

“Loads of things are changing, aren’t they?” she said.

“I guess,” Charlie said slowly.

“Tomorrow is the big day.” Lizzie’s eyes were fixed on the Pyramid Stage again, looking magnificent in the dusky light of the evening. “How does it feel, knowing your last bow as our pyro tech is almost here?”

“My last bow has been long ago. Artemis is in charge now.”

“You know what I mean. You’ve always loved your pyros, more than anything else.”

“Not more than anything,” Charlie said quietly.

“Doesn’t it hurt to give up something you love so much?” Lizzie insisted. “Seeing someone else take over what you’ve built?”

“Liz, what is going on?” Charlie asked cautiously. A buzzing energy seemed to surround Lizzie all of a sudden, something he’d never seen on her.

Lizzie didn’t answer him, but the look in her eyes was intense. Eventually, Charlie sighed and reached for his cidre until he remembered that Artemis had taken it.

“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t hard,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m fine with how it is. But knowing Artemis is already better than I could have ever hoped to be… fuck it, it stings like hell.” He looked over to where Artemis was laughing at a joke Andre had made, sipping on her stolen drink, and his features softened. “But it’s all good. Artemis is great, and not only at her job. She’s really grown on me, that one.”

The corners of Lizzie’s mouth twitched into the hint of a smile. “Who would’ve thought?”

“I did,” Charlie said and looked completely serious about it. “From the very beginning. Maybe I didn’t think we’d end up being such good friends, but I always believed in her. I think that’s all she needed, really.” A proud smile was forming on his face. “She’ll realise what she can do all on her own after the display on Sunday.”

“You’re not going to help her then?”

Charlie shook his head. “No, Ava’s going to be here by then, remember? And Artemis doesn’t need my help anyway. I’m going with her to her meeting with the leaderboard tomorrow morning, though. I can’t wait to see their faces when they see her in action. She’s going to blow them all away.”

Lizzie cocked a brow. “Not literally, I hope.”

Charlie rolled his eyes and shoved her playfully. They shared a small laugh before falling silent again.

“Do you regret stepping down?” Lizzie asked after a while.

“No. It wasn’t what I wanted, but for Ava I’d do anything. If there’s anyone I’d give the pyros up for, it's her.”

“Are you excited that she’s coming to see our show tomorrow?” Lizzie wanted to know, but the smile spreading on Charlie’s face was answer enough. “When is she arriving?”

“She has some last minute things to settle at work, so she’ll be arriving just in time for the set.”

Lizzie hummed in response, turning her next question over inside her head.

“What did you say when she asked you to give up the pyros?”

“She didn’t. She would never ask me to give up something I love so much.”

“Then why did you?”

“It was the right thing to do. She didn’t say it but she wasn’t happy, I could tell. Sometimes you need to choose between something you love and someone you love even more. It hurts, it always does, but there’s no regrets, not really.”

“Look at you getting all wise in your old age,” Lizzie teased, but it was absentmindedly; her thoughts were already far away.

“Not my fault you and Artemis are making me go grey already. But why do you want to know all this?” Charlie asked eventually. “Talk to me, rockstar.”

But Lizzie shook her head and stood up. “I’m going to miss you,” she told him with a small smile.

Charlie looked confused. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m just doing sound, like I do already.”

“I know,” Lizzie smiled and gave Charlie’s arm a squeeze.

Before he could ask any more, she had already left him and walked over to her next stop. She cleared her throat, ignoring Merula’s unfriendly look. Her whole attention was focused on David and her heart was beating rapidly in her chest.

“Do you have a moment? We need to talk.”

[votederpycausemufins]

I said I had another chapter ready. so It's time to post that.

tagging @helleborusangel because they like my writing and @hermitcraftheadcanons since they and their community made the au.

now... with that out of the way, let's recap evo... wait shoot i mean hermitcraft.

“Pixlriffs! Turn on the tv!” Came a voice that followed a door being slammed open.

Pixlriffs turned around in confusion to see Zloy having barged in, panting with his goggles askew. “Zloy? What’s going on?”

“Just turn on the recap channel! Hurry!”

Even more confused, Pixl slowly turned to his tv and turned it on, switching to the channel that showed their recap show. “I thought you didn’t like watching our own shows. It’s not even a regular recap, it’s just going to be a clip show from the livestream. Why are you so-” But he cut himself off. Showing on screen was a countdown to the season eight day one recap. “What? But it hasn’t started. We haven’t recorded anything.”

“I know! I was with a friend and they turned it on and said they didn’t think it had started yet. When I saw the countdown, I ran all the way over here.”

“Do you think they just had a scheduling mistake? We might need to call the broadcasters and have them fix things up.” Pixl suggested, and Zloy shrugged.

“Let’s just make sure that’s the case and see which episode they’re actually showing. For all we know they mixed things up and this is just the season seven, day one.”

“I hope that’s the case.”

The two recapers watched the timer go down. Elsewhere, people were also turned into the episode. Some were pleasantly surprised by the supposed new episode. Others were confused thinking the schedule was wrong. Those who knew the hermits were confused, not having heard the new season was starting yet.

Then finally, the timer reached zero, and a familiar jingle started. And then a voice that was definitely not Pixlriffs spoke the phrase “This week, on Hermitcraft.”

“Wait, what am I doing in the nether? I just joined the world.”

Zloy and Pixl looked at each other at something they had never heard Keralis say. This was a new episode, but one they hadn’t made.

“A new adventure starts in season eight, new places and mobs to explore and see. And also Grumbot and Jrumbot are Hermits now. Welcome to the Hermitcraft recap! The show where no one is where they should be. My name is Toon Noah.”

“I’m Mysterious Goofball, and our writer is Pin Valentine. Today, we’re looking at everyone’s first day on the new season of Hermitcraft.”

The first person, Noah, spoke up again. “In this season, the hermits managed to update all the way to the second half of the caves and cliffs update even though that isn’t possible.” He explained what was going on in this season. “Everyone is scattered across the map and even in other dimensions. Monsters are tough, regen is off, and using chat is out of the question, so surviving is going to be tough.”

“At the very least, they can still respawn, so certain people have chances to escape. Escape what that is? Well, let’s look at what the Hermits have been up to.” Goofball said, sounding so nonchalant about what they were about to talk about.

“Starting with Xisuma, who’s started out in the deep dark. The admin’s helmet has been disabled other than necessary functions. His visor also gives him a little bit of light, so he’s not completely blind. Plus the fact that sculks are bioluminescent. But the warden is too, which has been able to find him a number of times.”

“Also in the caves in Jevin,-” Goofball spoke up again. “-who’s found himself in some lush caves. He’s got glowberries for light and food and the axolotls are pretty friendly. Plus, with enough searching, he was able to find a bit of wood for simple tools.”

“Speaking of wood. Some of the hermits have found themselves in the jungle.” Noah quickly commented before some audio from one of the hermits played along with its clip.

“Helloooo? Anyone around? Impulse? Tango? Hey is that Grian? Nope, just a parrot. Ugh, and here I am without any seeds.”

Goofball spoke up again when the audio finished. “Both Zedaph and Tango are in the same jungle, but the size of the biome as well as the amount of foliage means they haven’t found each other yet. Tango at the very least has started mining, and Zedaph managed to find a jungle temple and has already started on using the redstone from there for a melon farm.”

“How do you even make a farm out of that?”

“It’s Zedaph, what do you expect?”

“Well, as for the last of team ZIT, Impulse had found himself in the middle of a sea temple.” Noah spoke, as the video showed Impulse dealing with being underwater in such a place. “Between drowning and guardians, he hasn’t gotten that far away from his spawn.”

“In other aquatic news-” Goofball said, another clip from the hermits playing.

“If I never see coral again, it’ll be too- wait, is that False? False!”

“-Stress and False are also nearby to each other, both spawning in coral reefs. False was the first to escape, needing to just swim out of her spawn.”

“On the other hand, Stress was completely encased in coral and had to slowly chip herself out of the colorful prison. But by the evening, Stress was able to get to the surface and join False and an island, chopping down trees. They even started a wheat farm. But here’s hoping they don’t have to deal with drowned.”

“While she isn’t a drowned,” Goofball continued from Noah’s comment. “Zombie Cleo started out in a village. Normally, that would be pretty good, but being a zombie…”

“Leave me alone! I’m not going ta kill any villagers! I’m a zombie but I’m not that kind of zombie!”

“She’s been having an issue with the resident iron golem. With a bit of luck, she managed to hole herself up in a house which the golem isn’t going to destroy, but the villagers aren’t the happiest about it.”

Then Noah took over speaking. “From villagers to illagers, Mumbo Jumbo found himself alone in a woodland mansion, making himself the furthest hermit in the overworld.”

“Come on. Almost. Almost!” The video showed Mumbo running before he was killed by a vindicator. “Oh come on!”

After that, Noah continued. “He’s tried and failed many times to try and get out of the mansion, but eventually just started breaking the walls for tools.”

“The illagers aren’t really happy about it, but not like he’ll be going far, so I don’t think he’ll easily lose those tools.”

“Well at least he’s got supplies.” The video transitioned to a mountain top with three figures standing at the peak. “Grian, as well as new hermits Grum and Jrum are currently stuck on the top of a mountain, surrounded by powder snow. It’s pretty lucky that the three of them stuck together.”

“I’m not so sure of that.” Goofball spoke up, sounding a bit frustrated or annoyed. “While Grian tried to fly down for supplies to little success, other than fall damage, he hasn’t managed to die, using some sort of magic.”

“But it looks like the fall damage came in handy for Doc, who’s further down the mountain. He’s having a bit of trouble surrounded by goats, plenty of them being the screaming variety.”

Goofball spoke again, no longer sounding as annoyed. “Yeah, but while hanging out with them, he heard a different kind of scream and did something pretty smart.”

“Wait, what was- is someone close by? It sounded like someone just- wait! The death messages!” He pulled out his communicator and read the messages. “Grian died to fall damage! Grian’s up there!”

“I guess he is the scientist of the group.” Noah spoke, the grin he had on his face audible in his voice. “It makes sense he would be the one to figure things out. But even then, he still can’t easily get down the mountain himself with all the goats messing him up. My guess is he’s really regretting being the goat father last season.”

“Doc isn’t the only one getting familiar with the new wildlife though. Hypno has found himself in a large flower forest that has plenty of mooblooms. He hasn’t been able to kill any of them yet, and there’s only flowers and no grass for him to get seeds from, so while the place seems like it should be easy to survive in, it’s really the opposite.”

“The best idea he’s had so far is following some bees to find their nest and hopefully a tree attached to it. If only he knew he was actually really close to spawn, being the closest to it.”

Goofball took control of the conversation again “Well, that’s not entirely true as three hermits managed to appear at spawn, those three being Joe Hills, VintageBeef, and Etho.” And the three hermits were shown in what looked much more normal than everything else that had been shown so far. “The three of them pretty quickly figured out something was wrong and started to make spawn a safe place, also gathering supplies so they can eventually find the other hermits.”

“Except Etho got a bit ahead of himself.” Noah cut in. “He had a bad run in with some mobs and ended up dying, finding out his respawn is a bit different than others. But at the very least, he managed to find Ren.”

“Ren spawned on a cliff of a ravine. There’s no water at the bottom, and all the blocks in reach are stone, so it’s not the easiest to escape from. Still, with little else to do, Ren started slowly chipping away at the stone to escape the ravine, only to fall when Etho surprised him by suddenly respawning there.”

“Okay, I got through two more pieces of stone. At this rate, I can probably get to dirt before the sun is setting so- Etho- ooooooh!”

“At the very least Ren is respawning just fine,” Noah explained “So the two of them were able to help Ren escape the ravine, so he’s the third person to escape his spawn area.”

“Well, that’s not entirely true.” Goofball started to correct. “Before Etho helped Ren and even before Stress escaped her coral prison, Cub actually escaped the mesa mineshaft he spawned in. It was a little tricky with the cave spiders spawning, but he lucked out with the loot of a chest and was able to get a crafting table and pickaxe out of it.” Cub had found some iron, torches, a few seeds, some bread, and then used the wood of the mineshaft to get him on his feet in terms of survival. “With a few respawns, he took out the spiders and their spawner. He’s able to move around freely, but not wanting to respawn again, his hearts are a bit low, so he’s staying near the mineshaft for shelter.”

“Then, sort of nearby the mesa of course, is the desert, where the last two overworld hermits are.” Noah said, and there was the slightest ruffle of papers, like he was checking a script. “Both XB and Iskall are stuck in the same large desert, trying to find some source of food, water and wood. So far, the best they’ve found are the sticks from dead bushes. Out of the two, XB is doing a bit better since he’s found a cave for some sort of shelter, but Iskall’s much worse off,the sand messing with his one eye.”

“Between the heat, the sand, and my eye, I can’t even tell what’s real anymore. That cactus could be a tree or a town or- nope! It’s actually a creeper!”

And then Noah continued with a transition. “Getting even hotter now, let’s look at the nether. There’s only two hermits there right now, with different struggles to deal with.”

“Keralis is the first and lucked out a bit, landing himself in a warped forest right near a basalt delta, meaning he’s got up to stone tools. Plus, since nether gold ore can be mined with wood tools or better, he’s also got some gold boots to help with any piglins.”

“On the other hand, Welsknight is in a much worse situation. He spawned in a crimson forest and is having plenty of trouble with the hoglins.” And that was emphasized by a clip of Wels being killed by one of the mobs. “He hasn’t gotten too much wood before dying, but at the very least, he secured his spawn just enough he has some room to breathe. And hey, if he makes it out of there, he’s got a fortress nearby. But now to end this off, let’s head to the end.”

“TinfoilChef, or TFC is on the main end island, spawning on an obsidian platform just a few blocks from the edge of the island.” Goofball spoke. “It’s close enough for him to jump, but he still takes fall damage and has to deal with the ender dragon after that.”

“Not to mention the endermen too, which Scar is also having trouble with. He’s stuck on a smallish end island out in the further reaches of the end. There’s an end city nearby, but he doesn’t really have the means to get there. At the very least he’s got food from the chorus plants, but that won’t help too terribly much.”

“And lastly, there’s BdoubleO, who we’ve- who’s been lucky to not die so far being in a special situation.” Though they hadn’t been saying much, both Pixlriffs and Zloy noticed the slight slip up Goofball gave. “He’s currently looping in the end void, teleporting up to the top when he finally gets too low. There’s nothing in sight for him to know that though, so he thinks he’s just falling deeper and deeper. But hopefully he’ll figure it out eventually.”

“Well, that’s everyone, so that pretty much does it for this episode of Ev- Hermitcraft Recap. I was Toon Noah-”

“And I was Mysterious Goofball and our writer was Pin Valentine. If you’d like to see original content made by us, you can find us if you already know where to look.”

“Don’t forget to give this show a good rating and tune in next week for the next episode of Hermitcraft Recap. Thank you all so much for watching and good-Bye~!”

Finally, the screen turned black, signalling the end of the episode. The whole time, Pixl and Zloy had just sat there in shock, watching the episode and not saying anything. The thought of their show being taken over by some new people was scary enough, but the situations the Hermits were now in was so much worse.

Zloy was the first to move, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He had felt it going off during the episode, but had been too stunned to do anything. Apparently, he had missed multiple calls and texts about what had happened with the episode, who had been put in charge, what was with the hermits, and more related to the whole situation.

“We need to see someone about this.” Pixlriffs said, in a similar situation with looking at his phone. “Make sure people know we have no connection to this and hopefully also see if the studio knows who recorded this. I would also like to say that this is all fake, but…”

“Yeah, that footage looked way too real. I think the Hermits are actually in a lot of trouble right now.”

“Then let’s do something about it.”

[strayinvelvet]

still at it

work is starting to pile and you kind of expected your boyfriend to support you, not annoy you

pairing: han jisung x reader

genre: fluff, implied enemies-to-lovers

wc: 1.3k

warning: swearing :(

a/n: happy hearts day, cuties! part of @districtninewriters​ dear skz, with love. this took so long mainly because of the recent news, yea. i’m so nervous about this i really hope i did the prompt and project some justice. phew (っ＾▿＾)💨. enjoyyy (ɔ◔‿◔)ɔ ♥

“You’re insufferable.”

You rolled your eyes at the neon yellow post-it note placed on your office desk. It’s still early in the morning and you have a long eventful day ahead of you which is why you tried to get to work as early as possible. 

The busy days have officially started for your company.  Your partner company is planning to launch a new collection in their fast-growing fashion brand in Berlin and your company, being the most sought out marketing team in the industry, is tasked to implement the most appropriate marketing and advertising plan for the collection. Even the people working for you are already on their desks working on what they are assigned to do. Some are having coffee while some are already writing papers that are nearing their deadline. In conclusion, everybody looked busy and none of them looked suspicious enough to be part of this very eye catching note thing.

Rolling your eyes once again, you sat at your table and picked up the surprise note. Truthfully, even at first glance, you already know the person behind it. How could you forget this one of a kind handwriting, the one you so hated to see back when you were in high school. Han Jisung. That little shit is still going at it.

You folded it in half before placing it in between the pages of your planner. As if on cue, your secretary knocked on your office door asking for permission to enter. As soon as she entered your office, she immediately briefed you of your schedule for today. Meetings, briefings and scheduling of future meetings and partnerships. Exciting. You’re starting to regret all of your life choices.

“Oh and by the way, is this yours?” she showed another yellow note, “this was stuck on your office door.” You sighed. Just how many of these did he make? “Leave it on my table and then meet me at the meeting hall for the first meeting,” you gestured towards your table. “Will do.” with that, she left you to do your own stuff. 

“And annoying.”

Yep, he’s one of the decisions you’re starting to regret (maybe not but you like exaggerating). You’re not gonna lie, at this time of the year, you expected little notes that would inspire you, make your heart sing love songs, or rush the blood to your cheeks. These notes, however,  only made your blood boil. You swore that when you see him once you’re back from Berlin, he’s going to get it. You kept the note the same way you did to the previous ones. Goodness, if only he wasn’t a major player of your partner company. 

You reached for your phone and dialed his phone number and true enough he answered just after two rings, “Are you fucking for real?”

You heard him laugh at the other line before asking your question, “Shouldn’t you be planning our marketing strategy?”

“I am and your lovely notes are helping me big time, seriously. And shouldn’t you be working on the collection’s designs instead of this bullshit?”

“Hey, I am currently approving those that are outstanding. I’m not like you who-”

You know he’s gonna bully you, you just know. So, you quickly ended the call before anymore bullshit comes out of his mouth. With your nth eye roll for the day, you stood up to attend your first agenda.

Hours passed and the series of formal business stuff is starting to get to you. Your butt is sore from sitting all day, plus your muscles are in dire need of a stretch. The last meeting of the day has just been adjourned minutes ago and you and your secretary are taking your time to breathe in your office. "Miss Y/n, your trip to Berlin is in two days. Have you packed?” well until your secretary went to business mode real quick. 

“Kim, please, give me a minute,” you laughed but answered her question nonetheless, “Yes, I have and oh, can you try to squeeze in my schedule for the first four days so I could have the last two to myself?”

“That would drain you,” she answered confusingly. She’s not wrong, tho. You contemplated for a while but honestly, you wanted to explore Berlin too and you can’t do that by sitting in a meeting room for a week. “Better than seeing Berlin through a floor-to-ceiling window glass pane.”

Kim nodded, "I will update your schedule. Maybe you should bring your boyfriend over," she suggested which also suggests that she doesn’t know who the notes are from. “It’s a business trip, Kim. And I don’t know if i should agree or disagree with that.”

You both laughed lightly before Kim left you to fix your schedule per your request. You, on the other hand, are willing to give everything just to lay on your bed or have a warm shower. Whatever door is nearer to your entrance. So you left as fast as you arrived at this building just to feel the comfort of your home.

The apartment you were greeted with is not the same apartment you left. You left yours with unfolded clothes everywhere, full trash bin and sink and a disorganized living room. You tend to be messy when you’re ridiculously busy. But this, the place in front of you, is like a whole different scene. Every corner is squeaky clean from the shoe organizer to the kitchen. The apartment lights are also set to dim with candle lights and all but enough to see everything. Soon after, the smell of delicious food wafted through your nose. 

The hints are giving you an idea of what is going on.

You went to the kitchen only to see a romantic dinner set up complete with those fancy utensils, fancy food, candles and wine, and of course, a yellow note.

“But i’m willing to suffer for you. Happy valentines, baby”

This dork, you thought while smiling like a goof (which you tried to hide). 

“Han Jisung!” you called him. His head peeped through the doors of your bedroom with a big grin on his face. “Were you surprised?”

You couldn’t contain the smile anymore and so you let it out, “come here.” You gestured to him to come over with your arms hanging in the air as if waiting for him to come nearer so you could wrap it around his neck. He came out with a bouquet of fresh daisies in his hand which he had to place on top of the dining table in order to accept your cuddle invitation. Jisung kissed your forehead before securely wrapping his arms on your waist. “Did you like it?”

“Aside from being partly annoyed, yes actually,” you tightened your arms around his neck so you could pull him down to give him a proper kiss. This wasn’t part of your relaxation plan but you are glad to welcome him in your routine, as always. The kiss was starting to get heated when you pulled away from him and loosened your grip, making him look at you with a questioning gaze.

“Thank you for cleaning my apartment and all this.”

“Anything for you, my love,” he kissed your cheek, “and I also did almost half of your work in Berlin so you could relax a little,” then he kissed your other cheek. For some reason, he has to accompany each of his sentences with a kiss. But nevertheless, it still made you giggle. “I’m not thanking you for the notes, though- wait, am i really insufferable?” You looked at him like you’ve just been betrayed. Out of all people, he had the audacity to tell you you’re the insufferable one?

He smiled, “no baby,” he pecked your lips before continuing, “ you just annoy me sometimes.”

“So you just had to annoy me first?” you asked with a smirk forming on your lips.

He shrugged, “guess I’m still at it.” This time, he accompanied his replies with a brush to your stray hair with his fingers just so he could look at you properly. You squished his chubby cheeks together, forming a pout in his already adorable face.

“Yeah,” you pecked the pout you forced, “I guess we’re still at it.”

end.

yayyy omg this may or may not be from an e2l au that is currently sitting in my drafts hmm 

[peaceoutofthepieces]

chapter 42

Fake Making-It

Social Media AU

previous chapter

it’s not proofread and most of it was written in the middle of the night and I think it probably kinda sucks, so sorry, but happy actual valentine’s day from these idiots 💕

~^~

Jens opens the door and immediately begins to shut it in Sander’s face.

Sander shoves his foot into the gap and wraps his hand around the frame, bravely, and forces it back. Jens lets go with a sigh, that turns even heavier when he spots Robbe at Sander’s shoulder. Sander keeps his hand pressed to the door and watches Jens cautiously, as if expecting him to slam it closed the instant Sander lets go. It isn’t an entirely unfair judgment.

“What is this?” Jens asks.

“A slight intervention,” Robbe tells him, sharing a glance with Sander. “And this time you need to listen.”

Jens leans out the door mockingly, but Sander furrows his brows at him. “Lucas hasn’t come back from Utrecht, no, and I don’t blame him.”

This puts Jens on pause and sets him rocking back on his heels. He blinks. “Utrecht? Why the fuck is he in Utrecht?”

“That’s where he lives,” Sander says slowly. “Or, where he grew up, at least. He’s staying with his mom.”

Jens knows that. He knows where Lucas’s home is, and he’s slightly (irrationally) pissed that Sander is treating him like he doesn’t, or that he’s stupid. He knows what and where Utrecht is; he just doesn’t know why Lucas is there. The message, however, feels pretty clear, and entirely contradictory to the messages on his phone. It makes him feel a little sick.

“Why are you here, then?” If Lucas doesn’t even want to be in the same country with him, then Jens doesn’t understand the purpose of further meddling. If Sander as mad at Jens for driving him away, Jens will point out that he didn’t tell Lucas to leave and then resort back to slamming the door. He might use the chain this time for extra security measures.

Sander slowly lets his hand drop from the door and asks, “Can we come in?”

Jens stares at him for a moment. He looks to Robbe and isn’t surprised by the encouraging nod he receives. He steps back, biting down another sigh, and sweeps his arm out in a ‘go ahead’ gesture.

The two filter into the apartment, Robbe squeezing his shoulder as they pass. They settle on Jens’s sofa side by side, and Jens drops into his armchair and looks at them expectantly.

“I know that you’re upset,” Sander says softly, “and I understand why. I also get why you’re angry. But I need you to be chill Jens for a second and listen. Will you?”

Jens glares at him for a second, but it feels uncomfortable on his face. He’s tired of feeling angry and he’s tired of being hurt. There is a chance, after all, that Sander will tell him something he wants to hear. The blond looks serious and confident—moreso than Jens has ever seen him. It might be that he’s sure of what he has to say, or it might be Robbe’s hand rubbing circles on his knee. Jens decides to nod anyway.

Sander’s shoulder sag on a breath of relief. “Okay. I need you to know you’re wrong. Don’t give me that face—you’ve already realised this yourself. I know you realise this. I need you to understand—none of this was Lucas’s fault. He hated every second of it. I should have stepped up for him the last time we were here and made that clear. Did Lucas talk to you much about how he was when he was younger, and what it was like for him coming out?”

Jens thinks back, but he can’t recall them ever broaching the topic. They’ve had some deep conversations, but there’s still plenty about Lucas that Jens doesn’t know or had ever thought to ask. He shakes his head.

“It wasn’t...great. He had a hard time with it. It made him do a few stupid things, hurt a few of his friends. But ever since he came out, he’s done everything he could to be brutally honest,” Sander huffs a laugh. He raises a brow at Jens and adds, “You’ve seen that for yourself. Think of the first day he met you, at least. Before I messed everything up. He wasn’t lying to you, then.”

He wasn’t. He was sassy and sure and a little harsh, really, and Jens had probably fallen for him on the spot. He offers a shrug.

Sander accepts that he isn’t going to get anything more and continues. “For as long as I’ve known him, Lucas has been unapologetically himself. He hates lying, unless it’s something small and basic like getting out of dinner with his dad or a way out of work he doesn’t want. White lies are the most he allows himself. From the very beginning, before you even messaged him that first time, he didn’t want to lie to you.”

“So what happened?” Jens asks, trying not to sound desperate. “Why did he?”

“I don’t know,” Sander admits quietly. Robbe squeezes his knee as he swallows, but then he looks at Jens with the same surety as before. “Maybe he panicked, too, but my best guess is that he did it for me. He wouldn’t have lost anything by telling you the truth that day, but he would’ve had to give me away, so he didn’t. It doesn’t matter that it was stupid. If there’s one thing about Lucas, it’s that he’s loyal to a fucking fault. He messed up before in that area too, but,” Sander pauses, licking his lips and shaking his head, eyes now downcast. “He’s done everything to make up for it since. It doesn’t matter that I didn’t deserve it. He’s just too good of a friend.”

Jens looks at Robbe, and his best friend meets his eyes, and for the first time Jens feels a pang of sympathy. He thinks of all the things that Robbe has done for him that he likely didn’t deserve, and what he’d do for Robbe in turn. He imagines himself in Lucas’s position, and comes to an understanding. If Robbe needed him, he would be there, no questions asked. No matter the reason or risk. There are lengths he would go to for his best friend that he’d scoff over with anyone else.

Still.

“That doesn’t change anything between us,” he mumbles. “It doesn’t change the fact that he did it.”

“No,” Sander agrees instantly. “It doesn’t change the fact that he messed up along with me. That he did lie and that it hurt you. But it changes your understanding, doesn’t it?”

Jens looks to Robbe again, who is now smiling knowingly. Another side effect, he supposes—Robbe has always been able to more or less read his mind.

Robbe speaks up, softly. “It doesn’t. He already understands, it’s just making him admit it.”

Now, Jens narrows his eyes. Maybe he overestimated the best-friend solidarity. Or maybe that’s exactly why Robbe’s doing this.

Sander’s eyes have brightened with Robbe’s reassurance, and he’s back to staring steadily at Jens, overly sure. “Robbe’s right. You’re upset because you think he lied to you about more than this. That he played you, or fabricated whatever you have between you. But you already know better. You know what kind of person Lucas is, Jens.”

Does he? This is what he’s been asking himself over and over, these past few days. The hurt has been almost buried under the panic of his outing, which he is yet to address, but still there has been space for this single question. He remembers everything he had shared with Lucas, the night they kissed. He remembers Lucas calling him out, for always acting like he knew Lucas by heart, but it had seemed like he was right and that Lucas was simply admitting it. Jens has always felt like he knew Lucas, from somewhere deeper than surface level facts. His brain and his heart have both been unsure, but there’s something adamant in his soul even now, something that extends to his gut. There is something in him agreeing with every word Sander says, screaming at him so that he might acknowledge what he already knows to be true.

“Lucas was always pissed at me, but there were times when he would come to me first and be so adamant that we had to fix things, that we had to tell you the truth. I didn’t realise at the time, but I know it was because of you,” Sander continues.

Jens’s chest tightens. “What do you mean?”

“It must have always been after he’d spoken to you. He said it a few times, that he couldn’t take you praising his honesty and lying to you over and over.”

Sander says this pointedly, as if acknowledging the center of Jens’s argument and demolishing it. His sole excuse, the center of his hurt, is that he has spent this whole time appreciating Lucas’s honesty while it has been founded on lies from the beginning. But it holds no weight, if Lucas had made the same point himself.

“I thought it was just because of the lie, but it’s because it was you,” Sander says firmly. “He wouldn’t have kept talking to you if he didn’t want to. Everything he shared with you, Jens, it means a hundred times more because of the circumstances. He could have made it easier for himself by avoiding you and hiding away, but he couldn’t. He could have let you try without offering up any of himself, but he didn’t.”

Jens, admittedly, has spent too much time pondering over that himself. It had been something that didn’t make sense. He could never truly believe Lucas would be cruel enough to go to such an extent—to fabricate enough information to convince Jens he was being honest and open; to earn his favour through such a dirty trick. He hasn’t been able to convince himself that all Lucas has told him has been a lie.

Robbe raises his brows at him, as if he knows Jens is caught. Jens ignores him and any expectancy to respond, letting Sander continue.

“It was killing him, and I know you could see it and just didn’t know what it was. Robbe told me, that you always wondered if Lucas was happy.” Sander gestures at Robbe, and seems sad now as he looks at Jens. “He wasn’t, with me. But even when things were fucked up, he couldn’t help it with you. It’s not the easiest thing to do, but you always seemed to make him happy, and I couldn’t understand it. I thought it was some weird kick out of rivalry, his way of trying to keep things light, maybe. I didn’t know. I didn’t see.” There seems, again, to be a silent acknowledgement that strengthens Sander’s sadness. I didn’t see it in my best friend, but you did. “The reason he lied, the reason he left—all of it’s because of me, not you. It’s not your fault. But it certainly isn’t his.”

It’s a little surprising, that Sander assumes some part of this is Jens blaming himself. It’s more surprising that he’s right. Jens hasn’t been able to help wondering what it is, what aspect of him makes it so easy for people to deceive him. What makes people want to. He’s gotten so used to it—being set up and knocked down. He has performed endless trust falls, and almost always ended up on his ass. This has felt even worse. Every day he’s been falling further and harder, breaking through the ground and gathering more aches and bruises with each passing moment.

Now, suddenly, he stops.

Something soft and warm catches him and wraps him up and says, You weren’t wrong. You were always right. You’ve always known.

The realisation hits him like a punch, knocking the breath out of him on a long, shaky exhale.

Sander and Robbe both notice, and beam at him, Sander letting out a sigh of relief. Robbe wraps himself around Sander’s arm and hugs the limb tightly, smiling so wide his cheeks seem ready to split. “Finally.”

“Alright,” Jens mutters, letting out a sigh of his own. There’s no heat in it anymore. “I’m as fucking stupid as the two of you have been,” he tells Sander.

“Well,” Robbe interrupts, politely. He squeezes Sander’s arm. “I wouldn’t think you’re on quite the same level. There was sense to your stupidity, and you were still right to be hurt.”

“You weren’t,” Jens points out, looking between the two of them.

Sander dismisses this with a wave and a lovesick look towards his boyfriend. Jens doesn’t understand how he never noticed that, at the very least. “Yeah, well, Robbe’s too nice,” Sander says.

Jens doesn’t have an argument for that. He does, however, have one final point he wants to make. “But,” he raises his brows, catching their attention and focusing on Sander. “I don’t think I’m the one who has to apologise to Lucas.”

The meaning is clear, and instead of shrinking away from it, Sander’s eyes finally light up in understanding.

He deflates just as quickly, looking down and plucking at Robbe’s fingers. “I don’t think he’ll ever forgive me.”

“You said it yourself,” Jens reminds him. “Lucas is a good friend. Loyal to a fault. He’s hurt and he left because of you, not me. That should be enough proof of how much he cares.”

Sander swallows. He leans against Robbe, who presses further into his side, and then he looks back up at Jens. “What am I supposed to do, then?”

Jens shrugs, raising his brows once more. “I’m guessing you both expected a nice romantic gesture out of me. So what do you think you’re supposed to do, Sander?”

~^~

Lucas opens the door and regrets it almost instantly.

“Don’t,” Sander quickly says, putting his foot inside the door. “Please.”

He’s standing on Lucas’s doorstep in the dark, shivering in his leather jacket. His white hair is tousled, restlessly rather than stylish, and the bags under his eyes could probably rival Lucas’s own. He looks like a ghost in the navy backdrop of the night, threadbare and flickering. The sight of him almost makes Lucas feel bad.

He shakes the feeling off and asks, “What the hell are you doing here?”

Sander shrugs. “I drove,” he says simply, as if that’s in any way what Lucas meant.

“You drove,” Lucas repeats. “Let me rephrase. Why are you here, Sander?”

Lucas supposes there’s only one possible reason, but he no longer feels sure. He doesn’t know what to expect from Sander, anymore. He isn’t even sure where they stand. Despite the messages Sander has been sending him constantly that he’s ignored, he’s been considering himself forgotten. He assumed instantly that Robbe would be more important, and he’s still fairly sure.

Sander takes a breath and gazes at him steadily. “I’m here to apologise.” Lucas opens his mouth and Sander holds up a hand. “Before you shut me down, that’s it. I’m here to apologise, nothing more, nothing less. I’m not here because I expect you to forgive me. But you deserve an apology.”

Lucas hesitates. Then he crosses his arms over his chest and nods once.

“Sorry doesn’t cut it,” Sander says. “I know that, but I could never think of anything else to say. But then I realised that, at the very least, I should have always told you the truth.” Sander takes another breath. “And the truth is that I love you, Luc.”

Lucas blinks.

Sander smiles at him. It’s small, but it isn’t sad. It’s sincere, and achingly familiar. Lucas would know exactly what it looks like without being able to see it, just from the tone of Sander’s voice. Everything about him is familiar. The crinkle of his eyes is something Lucas could picture just as easily, one shut slightly more than the other. He knows that droop is still there, without having to look, like he knows the same little scar will be.

He knows Sander off by heart, without having to see. He didn’t realise he was unaware of those words without hearing them.

“I love you,” Sander repeats, “and I really don’t want to lose you. It is the last fucking thing I’ve ever wanted.”

Lucas’s lips part. Then close again. This is not what he’d expected, but he hadn’t expected Sander at all. Not just here tonight, but ever. Sander had sailed into Lucas’s life on a Bowie record with his camera around his neck and a sparkle in him that Lucas has never witnessed in anyone else. He’s known, since seeing it for the first time, that it’s something he shouldn’t let go of easily. He knows, in the same way as he recognises everything else, that the spark is still present.

But it feels sharp and dangerous, now, instead of bright and warm. Lucas wants to shy away from the light instead of be drawn towards it.

“What about Robbe?”

Sander pauses, like he doesn’t know what Lucas means, and then realisation settles. “I haven’t lost Robbe,” Sander admits, watching Lucas’s expression. “The opposite, in fact.”

Lucas can appreciate the honesty, even though it stings. It isn’t surprising. He swallows thickly. “Guess it worked out after all, then.”

“No,” Sander denies immediately, shaking his head. “It didn’t. Not if it cost me you.”

Sander’s eyes are glimmering, and it has nothing to do with his spark. Lucas recognises the sight of tears gathering behind eyelids. It’s embarrassing, how much it pains him even now. It’s pathetic how much he wants to believe him.

“Why should I believe that?” Lucas whispers.

“Because you want to,” Sander says, equally soft. He takes a small step closer, but still doesn’t cross the threshold. His hands are shaking from nerves or the cold. “I know you do because I know you, Luc. That’s how I know how much I messed up, and that’s why I was so surprised when you told me about Jens. Because ever since I’ve known you, I’ve known you. We were always on the same wavelength. I didn’t realise how much I disrupted that, and I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself. But I can at least make sure you do.”

Lucas rubs his nose in an attempt not to sniffle, even though he could probably brush it off as the chill, too. “What?”

“You know I talked to Kes. I know you’re blaming yourself way more than you should, and I’m sorry that I caused that. I’m sorry that I pushed you back there. That’s what I’m here to apologise for.” He licks his lips, shaking his head, in another gesture that Lucas is too familiar with. “I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I can still fix things for you, even if I can’t fix us.”

“What?” Lucas repeats. “What do you mean?”

Sander steps aside, and then Jens is taking his place.

It’s only then that Lucas notices Robbe standing off to the side, as well, as Sander steps back into his arms. But it’s Jens that comes out of nowhere and makes himself the center of Lucas’s focus. He looks exactly the same as Lucas remembers, but Lucas isn’t sure what else he expected. Jens is as stunning as usual, just tired. There are shadows cast over his face, under his eyes and in the downturn of his lips, but it doesn’t change him. The difference, Lucas thinks, is that the last time he’d seen him, Jens was furious. Made up of jagged edges and barbed-wire words. The Jens in front of him now is the familiar version, too, the one that’s all sharpened soft lines and warmth, exuding calm despite the layer of nerves laced underneath.

The Jens in front of him now is in front of him. He’s here, with Lucas. He’s here, in Utrecht.

He’s smiling.

Lucas stares and barely manages to say, “What the fuck?”

Jens’s smile twitches, but in the direction of more-amused rather than less. He sweeps his gaze over Lucas. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen you look like shit.”

Lucas resists the urge to look down at himself. He knows he looks a mess. The sleeves of his hoodie are fraying and his sweatpants are too big, but they’re the most comfortable clothing he owns. He probably looks more tired than Jens, or at least less put together. His hair hasn’t been touched in days and very possibly resembles something nest-like.

He watches as Jens sweeps his gaze over him again, lingering on all the features of his face and softening. “But you still don’t, really,” Jens sighs.

Lucas isn’t sure what to say to that, or if he should say anything at all. He isn’t sure of anything at the moment, but he definitely can’t figure out why Jens is here.

“I’m sorry,” they say simultaneously.

It surprises Lucas. He opens his mouth to continue, to immediately deny, but Jens holds up a hand.

“Please, this time, let me,” Jens requests, and it’s so gentle that Lucas can only shut up and stare. “You don’t have to do any more explaining. I know I was wrong, or at least too hard on you.” Jens blows out a breath, smiling crookedly. “I think I was an asshole, actually.”

Lucas shakes his head. “You had every right to say what you did. I probably deserved worse.”

“You don’t,” Jens insists. Lucas’s heart stops when Jens also takes his hands. Jens himself seems surprised at the gesture, looking down at where they touch. He rubs his thumbs over Lucas’s knuckles while gathering more words, then looks up again. “I’m not going to apologise for being hurt. But I will for not believing you.”

“But...you were right. The whole time, I—“

“Was more honest with me than most people have ever been,” Jens cuts him off.

Lucas can only blink, helplessly hopeful.

“I know,” Jens starts. Pauses. Tries again. “I know that even if there was this one lie, or secret, or whatever you want to call it, that what we have—that was real. It is real. And I’m sorry, for being an asshole and ever suggesting otherwise.”

“Jens,” Lucas whispers. Then he can’t think of anything else.

“I know,” Jens reiterates gently. He steps closer, like Sander, and also doesn’t cross the threshold. But he comes close, toes brushing the line. Close enough that he can lean his forehead against Lucas’s while squeezing his hands. “I don’t need you to explain, or say sorry, or do anything else. I know, Lucas.”

Lucas lets out a breath, and finally lets something go. He’s been holding it for over a month, and with the weight and pressure gone, he almost feels like he’s floating. Jens’s hands are the only thing keeping him tethered.

This time, he thinks to ask.

“Does this mean I can kiss you again?”

Jens’s grin is blindingly beautiful, and he leans into Lucas without another word of explanation needed between them. It’s enough to let their lips meet and reassure each other that they know. This kiss is both softer and surer than their first, and comes as even more of a relief. Instead of floating, Lucas sinks, melting into Jens to the point he’s sure they’ll dissolve into one.

Even then, they press closer still. Jens slides his hands around Lucas’s waist and draws him into his chest, tucking them together in a tight embrace. Lucas buries his head in Jens’s neck and clutches on just as tightly, breathing Jens in and letting himself be swayed slightly.

He soaks up as much surety as he needs, and then he pulls back. Jens lets him go without question, still knowing, stepping out of the way to let Lucas come out into the night and extend his arms further.

There’s no hesitation in either of them as Lucas pulls Sander into a hug and holds on for dear life. Sander reciprocates with just as much force, almost crushing Lucas to his chest as he lets out a choked laugh of pure relief. Lucas squeezes him as tightly as he can, meeting Robbe’s glistening smile over Sander’s shoulder and feeling his own eyes water.

“I love you, too,” he breathes. “I’m sorry, too.”

Sander sniffs, and this time Lucas laughs, but keeps holding on and letting them both hide their tears. “Okay. No need to get all sappy about it,” Sander mumbles.

Lucas simply squeezes him tighter. There’s nothing he knows better than this.

“I don’t know what you did,” he tells Sander. “But thank you.”

“Don’t,” Sander dismisses. “You know I’d do anything for you, Luc.”

“If I’m being totally honest,” Jens pipes up from their side. “This utterly disgusting display of emotions would’ve probably worked better on Robbe and I the whole time. You guys were shit boyfriends.”

Lucas and Sander both laugh, and then Lucas extends an arm out and pulls Jens into their hug. Jens stumbles in surprise, but attaches himself to Lucas without fuss and draws Robbe along with him. Once they’ve created a bigger bubble, Lucas presses a kiss to Jens’s cheek and aims for a reassuring tone. “I promise we’re much better at it in the right circumstances.”

Robbe immediately hums in agreement. Lucas can’t even see him, smothered between Sander and Jens across from himself, but he feels the movement of Sander’s body as Robbe hugs him closer. “I believe that.”

“I might need a little convincing,” Jens says, snippy. Lucas scoffs and pinches his side. Jens flinches away with a yelp. “See, mine is faulty,” he complains.

Lucas removes himself from the huddle and blinks. “Yours?”

Jens turns with him, keeping a hand knotted in Lucas’s hoodie, and simply raises his brows. His nerves are betrayed when tries to reinforce his statement by making a joke. “The whole world-wide-web already seems to think so,” he says lightly.

It only has the effect of making Lucas’s face fall.

“Don’t,” Jens says, stepping closer to him again and cupping his cheek. “Sorry, that was stupid. I’m not mad.”

“But are you okay?” Lucas asks carefully.

Jens considers this, then shrugs. He presses a kiss to Lucas’s forehead, then keeps his lips there, brushing over the skin as he speaks. “Depends,” he settles on, carding a hand through Lucas’s hair. “Are they right?”

By way of answer, Lucas leans up and kisses him again.

Jens accepts it for a moment, then pulls away and bumps his freezing nose against Lucas’s. “A good boyfriend would probably invite their partner inside before they freeze their balls off.”

Lucas snorts, but immediately steps back through the door and pulls Jens with him, beckoning Sander and Robbe in after them and finally enclosing them in heat.

“Wait,” Sander says. “Where’s your mom?”

“Listening to everything in the sitting room,” Lucas nods his head. When Sander and Jens both freeze, wide-eyed, he lets out a laugh. “No, she’s staying at her sister’s like she does every weekend.”

Robbe shoots him an amused look as Sander and Jens both relax. Lucas looks between the three of them. “Did you even bring anything with you? Any of you?”

They all look at each other, and then Robbe says, “Uhh.”

Lucas closes his eyes and takes a breath, but he can’t wipe the smile off his face. “I can’t believe any of you.”

“Yes you can,” Sander dismisses. “And you love it. And we love you.”

Lucas flushes, and Robbe smiles at him and winds his arms around Sander’s shoulders, pressing a soothing kiss to his cheek. “Okay, I think you’ve made your point, hm? How about we get out of their way, now?”

“You can stay where you always do,” Lucas tells Sander. “Mom always has it ready for you, I think.”

Sander turns soft and gooey again, and wraps Lucas in another tight hug. “Thank you.”

“It’s okay,” Lucas assures, rubbing his back. “I was getting tired of being pissed, anyway.”

Sander snorts. “Lucky me.”

Lucas hums and then pushes him back towards Robbe. He lets his lips twitch up in a smile and raises his brows. “You‘ll have to share the bed, though, so I hope that’s okay.”

Robbe blushes slightly, but nods at Sander’s curious look.

Jens snorts. “Yeah, as if Robbe was going to complain.”

Robbe reaches up and smacks Jens’s cheek lightly, and Sander tucks him into his side before a full scuffle can ensue. With another thanks, Sander begins guiding Robbe away, and is only stopped by Jens saying, “Hey.” They both turn back to him, Sander curious and Robbe expectant.

Jens holds his hand out to Sander. After only a few seconds of hesitation, Sander takes it in his own and responds to Jens’s squeeze. “Thanks. For being a good friend to us, too.”

Sander’s lips curl in a smile, and he nods. Lucas watches the exchange with an overwhelming feeling of relief.

Then Sander and Robbe go, giggling on their way up Lucas’s stairs, and Lucas is left with Jens. Some of the panic returns. He does his best to stamp it down, swallowing before turning to Jens.

Jens smiles at him. “Hi,” he says quietly.

“Hey,” Lucas returns. “Are you hungry, or anything?”

Jens shakes his head, coming closer slowly, drawing Lucas into him with a little more hesitance than before. Lucas leans into him and kisses his neck in an attempt to soothe the worries away, relishing in the fact that he can, that he has Jens here and is finally allowed to act how he wants. That Jens is allowing him.

“I just wanna be with you,” Jens admits. “Can we talk about everything else tomorrow?”

Lucas swallows. “Okay,” he whispers. “Do you want to—I mean, I can sleep in my mom’s room and you—“

“Lucas,” Jens cuts him off, huffing slightly. “I just want to be with you. If that’s okay.”

“Well, you guys showed up ridiculously late, so it’d be pretty mean of me to send you away.”

“That’s true.”

“Was that the plan?”

“Maybe. Maybe we just couldn’t wait any more.” Jens kisses his nose. “Besides, you were never going to turn us away. You missed me, too. Can’t deny it, I have all your messages.”

“I can still kick you out if—“

Jens shuts him up with another kiss. Lucas doesn’t want to argue anymore, anyway, because they both know Jens is right.

~^~

tag list: @allthewayornowayy @wedarkacademia @lockerfivethreefive @yellowballoon @gucciboner @nora-keinwitz @moonskam @painfully-oblivious @zoenneforever @akucecilia @hischbabe @evaksobbe @alittleemo @boring-side-effect @franboos @debussyatmidnight @skam-wtfock-sobbe

next chapter

[oftenderweapons]

Mold Me New (1) – Taehyung

A Small Town Swoons story

Pairing: Taehyung x Reader

Wordcount: 3.2k

Genre: ceramic artist!Taehyung, divorced!reader, Strangers to Lovers, Fluff, Angst, Slice of Life

Rating: 18+ (for future smut and explicit thoughts)

Hello to my readers!!!  Welcome to the Small Town Swoons Universe! 🥰✨

In this episode: Introducing the reader’s backstory, exploring her life as a wife and then as a single woman who is slowly getting to know herself as an individual person.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: There are mild curse words, a bit of a sad vibe regarding falling out of love and getting a divorce, description of several bad dates and good ones that end badly, mention of getting drunk, mention of sex toys, mention of one night stand.

In case you like my writing, here is my directory for idol!AUs, scenarios and imagines, and in case you need it, here’s the Spotify music companion.

I forgot to mention, bc I’m dumb and bc we’re becoming one body with two souls, but this chapter (as most of the decent, edited things I post) was beta read by the magical @joheunsaram​ (she’s recently lost her previous blog and she’s rebuilding it, please go say something nice and YOU SHOULD FOLLOW HER SHE’S A QUEEN ,,,,, my queen 🥺✨)

Enjoy 💜✨

Navi: Chapter 1 — Chapter 2 — Chapter 3 — Chapter 4 — Chapter 5 — Chapter 6 — Chapter 7 

When you fall in love with someone, the feeling is like entering a chocolaterie. The scent engulfs you, full and rich and sultry, igniting your senses, the heat making your skin glisten in a light sheen of perspiration, making you exceedingly vulnerable to pointless stuff, like the way your lover exhales. Or their hands skimming your arms.

At least, that was what your best friend had told you.

You had none of that. To you love was a daisy being twirled under your nose, sharing cotton candy, the smell of crisp apples, flannel sheets, the sound of dead leaves crackling under matching footsteps, a sturdy but shiny steel band around your finger suddenly substituted by a golden one.

That had been the beginning of the end. When practicality and simplicity had turned into conventionality and disinterest.

When gifts stopped being things you loved and became things he thought you loved. And then things everyone loved.

When love became a chore, that's when everything crumbled. When kisses became just a good morning and a welcome back, when there were no more laughs echoing in the kitchen, when leaves kept falling but it was your footsteps alone making them crackle, when flannel sheets kept feeling warm but still something was missing — because someone was missing — when suddenly there was no more time for fairs and cotton candy, when daisies became roses, Love stopped making sense. It stopped having a meaning for you.

You were no longer sure of the life you had built with the man of your dreams, the boy you had fallen in love with when you were eight, the guy who had walked with you across the corridors of your high school, who had made you twirl under the lame disco ball of your prom, who had gone through college finals with you, who had spent three summers making your hangout spot into a home, turning the small old shack into a proper place for you to build a new life together. He was your first kiss, your first valentine, your first time. He was the man at the end of the aisle, the man who would walk with you until the last of your days.

But one day he started running and you still walked.

Or maybe you were both running in different directions, no longer on the path to the same destination, your priorities somehow switched.

Of course, it wasn't his fault.

It wasn't yours either.

You had both participated in this small unraveling, and you had both expressed the intention of changing, of finding compromise, an in-between, without either of you actually making the effort of fixing your trajectory, small habits and old pet peeves pulling you even farther apart.

The attempts — multiple ones — were painstakingly embarrassing. There were tears on both sides as you wondered what had caused this sudden rift that separated you — except it wasn't sudden, only your realisation was; the crevasse had been there for way longer. Maybe it had started as a small chipping the very day you met him, and it wasn't until now that you realised how the small sign had turned into an ominous presence, and then into unfathomable, inevitable doom.

And then the divorce.

It had been disgustingly easy, both parties agreeing on the procedures.

You didn't want the house. And you didn't need it. He didn't either.

Selling it had been exceedingly painless, you had shared the money, since he wanted to offer you stability. He already knew you would both suffer and he didn't want you worrying about rent. He was still your friend, after all.

Going back to being alone scared you at the beginning, until you realised that few things were truly bothering you. At least there wasn't this ghost of a human making you doubt all of your plans. You could plan dinner five days ahead or improvise. You could go to the restaurant as a last minute deal. You could go on long walks without the 'I'm sorry baby, emergency' making you rush back to town.

It felt like a bit of a liberation.

And your family's bookshop was doing well enough, since it was situated near the college and it also offered printing service.

Of course there were bad days. Sometimes you woke up searching for a body beside yours, however that feeling had significantly subdued after you had gotten used to the new bed. You missed human contact, being close, intimate with someone, having someone who knows you that deeply.

And then the true nightmare.

Finding someone new.

You were genuinely uninterested in dating. You had given it a go and it had sufficed.

It wasn't your world.

How could it possibly be?

You had never dated. You had basically offered your heart to the person that has always owned it. It's not like you had any experience in that labyrinth that is dating. All those unspoken social norms and the pining and tension. You only knew the comfort of a warm hug, the beauty of a kiss sparking from innocence and affection and slowly turning into steady, warm passion. You didn't like infernos, you liked candles. You liked the domestic hearth. You liked moderation.

And dating was all about extremes, from strangers to 'I'm inspecting your throat' on date one. And then suddenly it's date three and the same guy who brought you to a pizza place and a diner is suddenly going out of his way to bring you to a pretentious, expensive restaurant as a way to propitiate the possibility of you dropping your panties.

You had allowed this foolery only three times. Apparently all the suitable suitors were either really prone to pushing the pedal or had a passion for tongue gastroscopies.

The first one, Albert, had been quite the gentleman on date one. On date two he started making inappropriate jokes with a heavy body shaming undertone — a bit cliché for the stereotypical gym rat. And on date three he had dropped all pretenses at politeness and had outright palmed your ass in public, which made you rightfully uncomfortable. As you pointed that out, he proceeded saying that after all it was your third date and it was time to loosen up a little.

You didn’t even bother staying for dinner, left a bill on the table and left.

No matter the first disappointment, you decided not to let that disrespectful fool slow you down. And since your best friend knew everything about rat headed number one, you allowed her to set you up with one of her colleagues after she reassured you he was nothing like the one before.

Except somehow he was. The first date was at the local pub, and you somehow found yourself getting along well, his jokes were funny and he had good timing, he was relaxed, confident but still a bit clumsy and shy. He could be a good candidate.

But that was before he pushed his tongue to your tonsils as he kissed goodbye.

You gagged.

On date two he admitted you weren’t exactly his type. You were glad to reciprocate the statement after he told you his dream was having four children and a farm, alluding to the fact that his bride needed to be the perfect housewife.

You were pretty adamant that was not the kind of future you wanted for yourself.

Candidate number three was a guy you had met while grocery shopping, and somehow he had impressed you in an absolutely positive way on date one and two. Everything had been perfect, he was kind, considerate and well-mannered. Date three had been innocent, simple, down-to-earth. And then date four. Perfect dinner at his place. He had made you swoon and he had a very pretty cat he was very affectionate with.

He was the first man you had felt desire for in a very long time — almost eight months after your divorce.

The sex had been decent for being a first time.

And then he had entirely disappeared and never texted or called you back, which didn’t sit entirely wrong with you. You wished him all the best but you were actually glad. You liked being you and doing your own thing: having someone too much down your neck, getting in a relationship, having to check in with another person again felt more like a burden than a win.

Maybe it was just a coping mechanism to avoid facing the fact that he had been someone you could have liked, someone you could have built something with.

You were a happy woman, and it’s not like you really felt lacking or incomplete, like some of your single friends felt. And you had no intention of starting a family anytime soon, no matter if your old high school classmates had begun popping out kids left and right. You were more than happy to live the teen and early-twenty years you had spent in a relationship.

You were getting to know yourself in a way most of your friends didn’t have time to — you could already see them going through a midlife crisis after their kids became old enough to navigate life by themselves, which meant no more need for overprotective, and sometimes borderline suffocating, mothers, who suddenly found themselves with too much free time and too little tasks to complete.

Knowing your needs made you a stronger, better woman, and solitude had gifted you a level of introspection and balance that you doubted they could ever reach; maybe that was an arrogant consideration, but you knew there was no way knowing and loving yourself would ever bring you to crying over disrespectful, ungrateful youth whose only fault was that of growing up out of their mothers’ plans.

Unfortunately, there was no way your family — especially your grandmother — could ever tolerate the idea of you not needing a man and a family to be happy.

“Oh, come on, isn’t it time for you to bring a nice fellow back home?”

You shook your head as you and your grandma took a walk along the river, the sunny March afternoon feeling way too nice to stay at home. “Granny. There’s no people like Grandad anymore.”

“Oh, darling. You’re starting with the wrong role model. Not even back in my days we had men like him. He was the exception.” She nodded to herself with a sweet smile, remembering the husband she had lost a few years back.

“It’s so frustrating. And after all that happened… You know how it was. We were together for years. He was the only one I had. I don’t even know how to do these things. And books cannot teach you stuff like that. The more you read, the more you realise that most of these men had never even seen a rom com.”

“Oh, come on, but you have the internet these days! Can’t you find him in there? You have all these phones and computers and everyone has them, there must be a good one in the internet.”

She always said that “in the internet”. Like it was a physical place.

“I don’t even want to look in there, Granny. There are so many dangers in there.” You shuddered as you thought at the funny instagram pages where the people posted screenshots of the worst descriptions. All the embarrassing playboys and the fishermen and the lame wanna-be poets.

“Right… How can you know he is really is a person?” She considered, patting your back proudly. “You’re pretty. And you’ve always had the most perfect bum of all your cousins. Just like mine!” She grinned cockily, giving a playful smack to your ass, making you laugh loudly.

“It won’t last long.” You said, looking down. Solitude scared you sometimes. Being old and alone could be hard on the spirit and you had a feeling that old hag you would curse your dumb arrogance and inconsideration. However, for now you were still somehow making it through. Your divorce was finalised almost ten months ago. You could still consider yourself just fresh out of it.

“You’re smart. And I’m sure you have a lot to offer. You’re a good woman, and you’re far from being too old. There’s never a thing such as too old. Don’t let yourself be fooled. Look at me.” She said. “I’m still living a good life. Herbert has left me but I’m still here. Walking. Cooking. Drizzle keeps me good company.” She smiled sweetly at the mention of her dog, a lovely large poodle elegantly strolling at her side, its light grey fur finely trimmed by your grandmother’s expert hands. She had been a hairdresser for decades: learning how to keep Drizzle’s coat had been a cup of tea for her and he’d kept her distracted from grief after your grandpa passed away.

Her face formed a meditative pout. “Maybe you should just get a dog. Or even better, a cat. You’ve always looked like a cat child to me. So quiet and focused, like you knew some secret that nature would speak to you alone. You were always so attentive as a child!”

You smiled and looked at the path under your feet. Drizzle stayed unbothered as a loud, angry dachshund walked towards him, barking annoyingly. You had never felt sympathy for that small evil breed.

“I think I could get a kitten one of these days. Or a cat, from the shelter.”

“I’m sure you’ll find it in the internet!”

“So we’re really doing the party thing?”

“Listen, baby. It’s gonna be your first party as a free woman. Real mind blowing birthday sex.”

“I’m not a virgin, you know?” You stared at your face in the mirror, spreading some moisturiser over your forehead, inspecting the small lines there. You shrugged and let them be.

Maybe you would spend your best years single and find a sugar baby in ten or twenty years. Wait, weren’t those called toy boys?

Who cares.

Maybe it was time to get the post-grad you had always dreamed of. You would need to check your bank account before making that decision — maybe finally telling yourself yes could be the real birthday gift. That is, beside the huge dildo waiting in your drawer. Not being attracted to men or women didn’t mean you didn’t like sex.

You just found it difficult to imagine being with someone.

“Darling I’d bet an arm and a leg he never gave it to your right. You just need a bit more experience.”

All you needed was a hot bath, some candles and a good book. No man, no one night stand, no birthday sex could possibly make you as happy as decent jazz, wine and a novel.

“Why aren’t we doing that wine tasting at the winery out of town?”

“Because I want you choking on cheap alcohol, having all the fun you didn’t have on your twenty-first birthday because you were planning your own wedding. And I bet you’re the only one who wasn’t fucked in the bathroom of the Wickhead.”

Terry could be incredibly crude, but you loved her nonetheless. You loved her even more for it. She had never hidden anything from you, she had told you even the most embarrassing details of her own life. And she had always been the kindest, most faithful friend: she had driven you way out of town when you were eighteen and your period was late and you needed to buy a pregnancy test without all everyone and their dog knowing; she had chosen your wedding dress for you, spotting it and telling you it was going to be the one before you could even see it. When your marriage had started crumbling, she had spent countless nights with you, keeping you company when your husband was busy with his business trips. Though Terry had insinuated cheating, you knew he would never break your trust like that, and she had decided to trust your better judgement.

You had simply fallen out of love with each other.

And when you had moved into your new apartment, Terry had helped you repaint the walls and build the extra bookcases and install the shelves and fill your wine stand. Before leaving she had grabbed an unfamiliar box from her car, placing it on top of your bed, opening it and spreading out a set of “single necessaire”, as she called it. A couple toys, lube, condoms. To celebrate your re-found sexual promiscuity, she had said, though you objected, it was hard rediscovering something you had never had.

She had shaken her head and left you to “familiarise” yourself with everything.

“You know I’m not exactly a party person, Terry. This will end badly.” You said, sitting on your bed with your back against the headboard, your legs stretched out before you.

“You can allow yourself some fun once in a decade, you know?” You could hear her scoff on the phone.

“But I do have fun. Book. Wine. Bingo!” You explained, rolling your eyes as the booed.

“Come on, do it for me. Do it for your single friend who wants to get drunk and possibly sixty-nine? Please?” The other thing wrong with Terry is that if you ever met her in person, you would face the sweetest five foot three and a half — she insisted on the half — human being you could ever meet, with pretty wavy blonde hair and wide, sweet green eyes, the most boopable button nose and a sprinkle of freckles on her golden skin. She literally glowed in sunlight and her flowy gowns always made her look like a goddess: you could see men fighting for her, dying for her and going to war for just one of her gentle smiles.

“Don’t you have a FWB for that sixty-nine thingie?” You asked with an exceedingly inquisitive tone. It had been a while since she last updated you.

“Dumped him.” She replied curtly.

You tutted before exhaling. Emotionally constipated people — what’s wrong with them?

“He’s dating someone since he was ready for a relationship.” Terry sounded a bit colder than usual.

“And you weren’t?” You asked. You felt your tone hesitate with slight concern. You knew she would just put up a wall and ignore your question.

Fortunately, she didn’t. “I’m not ready to talk about that. It’s complicated, Frog.”

She was hurt and wanted a distraction.

“Okay, Terry. We’re going to get rip roaring drunk this Saturday.”

The line went silent.

“You know I love you right?”

“I love you too, sweetie. Now go to sleep, you have an early shift tomorrow.”

The line went silent after you bid each other goodnight, your body settling underneath the sheets once you realised your eyes were fluttering shut  as you tried to read a few pages to put yourself to sleep.

Placing down the book, you hugged the extra pillow, settling your face in the corner between your sleeping pillow and your spare one, the heavy woolen comforter acting like a weighted blanket. You placed another pillow behind your back, making a soft cocoon all around you.

Yes, sometimes you still missed being hugged to sleep.

The taglist is open!

Navi: Chapter 1 — Chapter 2 — Chapter 3 — Chapter 4 — Chapter 5 — Chapter 6 — Chapter 7

[julyarchives]

Elysian || (M)

Spending Valentine’s day with your boyfriend is always special, and Changgu knows how to make you happy in every possible way.

→ Pairing: Yeo One x Female Reader

→ Genre: Smut

→ Words:  1.9K

→ Contains: Smut; Established Relationship AU; Bath Tub Sex; Cockwarming;

→ A/N: Happy Valentine's Day to our beautiful followers! We hope you all like it and remember to celebrate this day radiating love to everyone, including yourselves ❤

The place was fancier than you could imagine. Changgu was waiting for you at the door with a flower bouquet of roses and sunflowers, always so thoughtful, remembering your favorite flowers. The carpet floor was covered in rose petals and a bunch of candles scattered across the room made the perfect romantic mood. It’s been months since you two have last seen each other. Dating an idol is putting up with tour and promotion schedules, which means limited dating time. But he made it. He worked things out with his managers so he could have free time to celebrate Valentine's together. You never doubted he would do it, he was a boyfriend out of a fairy tale.

You gently put the flowers in the vase on the nightstand as he took your suitcase away. As you two finished your tasks, you just looked at each other, and without saying a word you both knew what had to be done. Rushing to each other, he took you into his embrace like you were never meant to leave it. His lips crashing against your said all the unspoken words of longing and desire.

“Happy Valentine's Day, baby” he whispered between pecs. “I missed you so much”

His low voice sent chills down your spine

“I miss you too, Changgu” you beamed "happy valentine's"

He kissed you passionately, pushing your body against his, your hands exploring his toned back muscles. God, you missed that man.

“That is not all,” he broke the kiss “c’mon”

He took your hand and guided you to the bathroom.

It was luxurious and so spacious, a big window with a great view of the city, and the floor was high enough to not worry about privacy. The bathtub was already full with warm water and bubbles, the scented candles smelling amazingly like vanilla and cinnamon. Next to it, a side table with wine and chocolate-covered strawberries was meticulously arranged between more flowers.

“Shall we get in?” he places his hands on your shoulder, snaking in slowly down your back until reaching your dresse’s zipper, gently pulling it down as he planted kisses on your neck. You inevitably shivered, arousal shooting down your core.

He carefully undressed you, letting your dress pool at your feet, revealing your lack of underwear. Changgu chuckled amused, his hand caressed the curve of your bottom, and a slight squeeze took you by surprise

“You know just how I like it, huh?” he said and you bit your lip, reaching for him behind you.

You hooked your hand on his neck before turning around and kissing him slow and deeply. You could feel his smirk through the kiss, and you just knew that he was getting his dom on. You took the chance to start unbuttoning his dress shirt without breaking the kiss, and the feel of his warm skin against your bare body was overwhelmingly delicious. He held onto your waist. Although you didn’t have a small frame, his big strong hands made you feel petite.

“Why don’t you go ahead and get in, I’m gonna put us a glass of wine.” he said, the smirk not leaving his lips.

You followed his suggestion, enjoying the welcoming warm water and relaxing bubbles. He soon joined you, sitting across the thub, which was big enough to fit you two comfortably. The wine was the right kind of sweet just how you like it, and the strawberry, that he made sure to be the one to feed you, was perfectly harmonizing. The room was sensual and soothing, and you never felt so relaxed before. Changgu always knew how to treat you well.

Speaking of him, your eyes wouldn’t leave his figure. His freshly dyed hair was complimenting his tanned skin. His strong shoulders and chest had always been your favorite, it just made you want to touch him all over. You sipped your wine just admiring his beauty for a while, eager to just end all the pent up craving of him.

He noticed your stare.

“Like what you see, babe?” he took you out of your bubble, that smug smile still splattered across his face.

“Well, I guess I do” you winked back.

He moved closer to you, not breaking the eye contact, slowly like he was preying on you. All you could do was hold his gaze, but not daring to react, and you didn’t trust your words either. You were just hypnotized. His face was close enough that you could feel his breath touching your cheeks. His eyes trained on you, he took the glass from your hand and carefully placed it aside. Next, he grabbed you by the waist and in one swift motion he pulled you against him, so he sat back and you were now straddling him. Not missing the opportunity, he snaked his hand up your back, your foreheads touching now, you two just breathing each other in.

“You have no idea how much I wanted to have you like this again, it was all I could think about”

You held onto his shoulder, digging teasingly your nails in it. 

“You have me here, Changgu” you said his name slowly, knowing he loves when you do it. “What now?”

He didn’t wait time with words, his hand tugged your hair and closed the distance between your lips. His kiss was more eager now, hungry for yours. His other hand went down to your ass, guiding your hips to move as he pleases. He trailed hot wet kisses down your neck, finding your sweet spot and you couldn’t hold back your moans. You could already feel his member hardening against you. 

You reached down and stroke him slowly. Painfully slow. You just couldn’t resist being a tease, knowing that even though he likes to tell you what to do, in the end you knew just how to get what you wanted from him. And he loved it.

He pulled your hair stronger.

“Don’t get too confident, you know who’s in charge here” he said before biting your earlobe gently.

All you could respond was his name in a moan.

“Please, touch me” you plead

“All you had to do was ask” he answered with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

The feel of his fingers stroking you, the warm water surrounding you was so pleasing. You were already melting in his touch. You closed your eyes and arched your back, enjoying every second of it, when you felt his teeth grazing your nipples. He took it in his mouth, sucking and swirling his tongue around it, causing a million sensations to flow down your body. You hooked your fingers in his hair at the back of the head, encouraging him to keep going. You felt him hardening even more in your hands.

You couldn’t wait any longer, you needed to feel him inside you, so you started hinting, pushing your hips down to meet his’ as he bucked up to help with the friccion. He opened his mouth in small gasps against your breasts, so you knew he was liking it.

You pushed back, using his shoulders as leverage, to slightly lift yourself. There was no need to exchange words, Changgu knew what both of you wanted, so he wasted no time in aligning your hips as you sank down on him, earning a long slow moan out of him. You started grinding on him, biting your lip as an instinct. The steam from the hot water mixing your sweat was making everything more intense, and making Changgu look even better with his hair sticking to his forehead, as he watched you with hungry eyes. You two shared an intense kiss, his hands guiding once more your hips the way he liked it, always in control, grunting low and sexy and you bounced on his cock.

His hand soon slid down, grabbing your ass and dictating your movements, his lips not once leaving yours'. You started digging your nails in his shoulders involuntarily when he started hitting just the right spot inside you, and by now it was hard to keep your voice down, having to stop kissing because you couldn't hold back your noises.

"I missed those beautiful moans" he whispered right before nibbling your earlobe.

He started thrusting up, encouraged by your responses, and the water started splashing everywhere, but it wasn't like anybody was paying attention to that.

You took one hand away from him and started touching your clit, feeling your orgasm so close.

"Do you really think I'll let you cum that easy, baby girl?" Changgu said, smirking mischievously 

"Changgu, please" you cried, slowing down your hand so you wouldn't disobey him. You would never dare.

"You only get to do it when I said so." he said eloquently. 

"I'm so close, Changgu, please" 

"I'm gonna count to ten," he explained slowly, in between grunts "and then you can cum. You're gonna cum with me"

He didn't slow down or went any easier on you, his movements never lost pace. He kissed your neck, sucking and biting spots that you knew it would leave a mark later.

"One…" he whispered.

Vou moved your hand slowly, keeping yourself on edge, tugging the door on the back of his neck while he marked your skin.

"Two…"

You already felt like you were going to explode, but then he started pulling your hips down, getting deeper inside you. A scream escaped your lips and you almost lost balance, both of your hands returning to his shoulders for support.

"You're doing great, baby girl." He praised you, barely holding his moans himself "Three."

You buried your face in the crook of his neck, trying to control yourself. You dared teasing some light bites onto it, to which Changgu hissed before a long breathy moan.

"Four." He grunted, pulling your hair and forcing you to sit up arching your back, your breast bouncing on full display to him.

You grabbed the wrist of the hand who was holding your hair into a make-do ponytails and pulled it, showing you could take more.

"Five." 

Your other hand found your clit again, throbbing and eager to be touched.

"Six"

The countdown was speeding up and you knew that meant Changgu was getting closer too. You allowed yourself to moan loudly, repeating his name a few times, anything to drive him mad.

"Seven, baby" he panted "don't stop"

"Changgu, please, let me cum" you whined "let me cum all over your cock" 

"Soon, baby girl" he practically growled "Eight"

You sped up your movements on yourself and his thrusts became sloppier as he called the next number. 

He jointed foreheads with you, his heavy breath tickling your face and his lips brushing sensually against yours.

"You can cum now, baby" he finally said "ten."

It was all it took for your orgasm to hit you like an explosion, neither one minding the volume now, just sharing the simultaneous high of you two. You called his name like a prayer as you rode your climax until you were both finally done.

With him still inside you, you laid your whole front against him, hiding against the crook of his neck, only this time it was just for seeking comfort.

He ran his hands all over your back, softly caressing you. 

"You did so good, baby" he patted your head. 

You stayed in silence, just enjoying his warm embrace on you and catching your breath. You trailed with soft kisses your way to his lips, which he gladly attributed.

"So" he said after one last peck "will you be my valentine?" 

"Always and forever, my love" 

[higuchimon]

[fanfic] Fantasy of Magic

I am not going to do this.  Shou stared at the twelve levels of school above him.  He hardly believed that he'd made it in here in the first place. The entrance exam for the Enchanted Academy was one of the hardest in the world.  Finding out he'd actually earned a place made him wonder if someone had set a deception curse on him - it certainly wouldn't be the first time. 

But his parents proudly bought him everything that he needed, and now he stood out here, slowly ascending the stairs, certain that any moment now, one of those teachers would declare that he clearly had no talent at all and with a flick of a hand would toss him from these hallowed halls.  So far no one seemed to be inclined to do that.  Other new students surged past him, chattering among themselves, and none of them appeared to notice Shou even existed at all.

A figure ahead of him caught his eye - tall and forbidding, with an aura of being utterly flawless.  Or maybe that was just because he knew who this was.  His elder brother strode along on some incalculable errand, not even granting Shou a minor glance.  Shou followed him with his eyes for a few moments, holding back a deep sigh. 

I bet he doesn't even know that I'm here.  Ryou would probably one day be the Grand Arch-mage, the greatest of all those who used magic.  Shou thought he'd be lucky if he made it as a low level sorcerer, at best.  Though he wouldn’t mind being a researcher or a librarian. His great-grandfather had been a very well-known magical researcher and someone had to keep track of where the library books were.

Shou forged his way up the stairs, ignoring how other students flew by under their own power or floated by on the family magical carpets or whatever other devices they'd brought with them.  He wasn't the only one who was walking - though he did stop and stare for a few moments at one student who flew by perched on a massive dragon, laughing at the top of his lungs.

Most of the first day he never remembered all the details of.  There wasn't much to remember anyway.  He was assigned a room - it turned out his roommate was the guy with a dragon, and the dragon could turn into a person and that was a lot more interesting than he'd ever thought it would be - and the list of his classes would appear in the morning, or so he was told.  He took the time to stack all of his books and scrolls and get his pens sorted out, before his new roommate grabbed his arm.

"You're Shou, right?"  The dragon-rider asked, bright brown eyes sparkling at him.  "Come on, let's explore this place!  I'm Juudai!"  He waved a hand at the dragon-person, who even as a person looked a lot like a mixture of dragon and demon, with broadly spreading wings and a stern look in all three of their eyes.  "That's Yubel."

Shou blinked as the dots connected in his mind.  "Prince Juudai?"  He'd heard a lot of stories about the prince and his companion dragon.  When Juudai nodded, already tugging him towards the door again, Shou tried to bow his head.  "Your Highness!"

But Juudai just shook his head.  "You can call me Juudai.  Come on!  Don't you want to get to know this place?  We're going to be here for years!  We don't want to get lost."

Shou guessed that was true.  The idea of turning down the prince's request fluttered through his mind, but not very strongly, as he followed the other out into the corridor.  Yubel followed as well, and Shou couldn't shake the feeling that the dragon didn't approve of him.  But he kept his mouth shut and let Prince Juudai lead the way.

For all that this was an unofficial tour so they could get to know the area, Shou remembered very little of it.  Part of him was still exhausted from the long trip to get here in the first place.  The Enchanted Academy had been situated on an island in the middle of he ocean.  Getting here required either the ability to fly, be it by magic or magic devices, or teleport, or a vessel of some kind.  He'd hired a spot on a simple boat and taken the long way.  From how Juudai babbled, he'd flown with Yubel that morning, while his luggage was transported over via magic.

Shou didn't bother talking about himself.  He knew himself pretty well, and he doubted that someone like Prince Juudai would be even remotely interested in what his life was like or what he wanted it to be like.  Besides, even if he managed to make it as a researcher or librarian, what would the prince want to do with him?  Juudai, he quickly gathered, would make friends with moss on the walls, let alone someone like him.  So he wasn't special in any way.  Juudai would have done this to whoever ended up being his roommate. 

One part of their wanderings did end up sticking out in his mind, though.  Shou couldn't have said where they were.  All the corridors and rooms and everything else blended together as they wandered around.  But he turned a corner, trying to find Juudai, who'd wandered a little ahead of him.  He didn't want to be lost in the Academy in general - rumors had it people who got lost here were eaten by shadows or never seen again or sometimes eaten by their own lunch - but being lost on the first day, before classes even began, seemed a bit bad even for him.

A door he'd barely noticed opened up and someone darted out, a merry trill of laughter following them.  Shou tried to stop but they crashed into him a breath later, sending him stumbling back.  He squawked in surprise, grabbing onto the nearest wall, and struggled to keep to his feet.  The other person was a little taller than he was, with a long waterfall of brilliant gold hair,  Then he spied equally brilliant blue eyes, and the sparkle in them sent chills all through him, of a kind he'd never experienced before.  

"Sorry about that!"  The stranger chirped, straightening herself out.  "See you around!"  She waved briefly before darting down the hallway and vanishing from sight. Shou wasn't sure if she really turned invisible, teleported, or just turned down the hallway so he couldn't see her.  He stared after her, swallowing briefly, trying to put his thoughts together and not having anywhere near as much luck as he would have liked.

What he could remember of her face said she was pretty.  He'd seen pretty girls before and he'd always rather liked them.  But the sensation he gained of her magic - that floored him.  He had no idea of how someone could be that powerful. 

She's not going to notice you either.  Magicians like that don't notice librarians.  Shou kept himself very aware that he was next to nothing and always would be.  But maybe he'd at least get to know her name one day.  That would be good enough. 

As the days ticked by, it really didn't seem that likely that he'd run into her again.  Sometimes he spied a flash of golden hair from a distance, or hear an echo of laughter that he thought was hers, but he didn't really see her.  He didn't know what he would have said or done if he had.

Besides, he had a lot going on that gave him far more to think about than a powerful sorceress or arch-mage or whatever it was that she would probably end up being.  Every new student had to take basic magic lessons, and those absorbed a lot of his time and energy.  Most of the other first year students seemed to waft through all of it with the greatest of ease.  Even Juudai could flick out answers to Professor Chronos' questions - though Shou also got the impression that the professor didn't like the prince very much. 

Regardless, Shou spent as much of his free time as he could studying, impressing all the variations of magic into his head.  That was how it worked.  The first year one spent at the Academy was devoted to general information and skills, abilities that even non-mages could do.  Not everyone learned those things here, but more people knew them than didn't.  Those often involved changing the color of one's hair or eyes or feathers or clothes or healing minor ailments or anything small and useful.

Shou practiced those whenever he got the chance, when he wasn't studying what came out of the books.  He wasn't very good at them, but he studied regardless.  There wasn't a chance he'd make it as a librarian or an archivist if he couldn't manage these little things.

One more time.  Shou stared down at his fingernails and focused as hard as he could, gathering up the magical energy from all around him.  He'd been trying for two hours to get them to turn green, but so far he'd barely been able to manage a light tint.  They were going to be tested on it tomorrow and if he couldn't manage it... well, he'd do it.

Slowly he unleashed the magic, repeating the chant under his breath the required amount of times, feeling the magic taking hold.  He was doing it!  He was really doing it!  He was going to be a real magic user!  Maybe even better than his brother!  He'd be the Arch-mage!  The greatest of mages that ever walked the world!

The magic slipped away - not as fast as it usually did, but eluding his grasp so swiftly that he couldn't stop it when his nails began to shift.  Only they weren't becoming the deep shade of green he'd wanted.  They weren't even green at all.  His nails lengthened and thickened, twisting around one another, and no matter how hard he tried to haul the magic back to reverse it, nothing happened.

Shou stared again, but more in absolute despair than frustration now.  He tried to move his fingers, but they would scarcely twitch now.  They were thick and knotted, more like branches tied together than anything else, and he waved them uselessly. 

"Oh no,"  he groaned, sinking back against the wall behind him.  He'd been here in the garden for what seemed like hours now.  Studying here in the warm sunlight seemed like such a good idea at the time.  Now he wondered what would happen if he stuck his finger-twigs in the dirt, turned into a shrub, and got it over with.

I'd probably mess up being a shrub.  He tugged again at his fingers.  It wasn't getting any better.  If anything, he could spy little bits of moss starting to grow on what had been his fingers.  At least it was green moss?  How had he messed it up this badly? Ryou would never have done this. 

"Are you all right?" 

Shou jerked his head up at the words, ready to insist that he didn't need any help, really.  He could go to one of the teachers or aides and get this fixed if he couldn't manage it.  Or Juudai could figure it out.  He was really, really good at magic.  But he didn't need anyone else's help, really.

But when he met those sparkling blue eyes, and got his first really good look at her face, every single word died on his lips.  He swallowed and shivered.  Being so close to her - and where had she even come from so silently? - made him forget what it was like to even be able to talk for a few moments.  He swallowed again and forced words out.

"Yes?"  He could manage that much at least.  Whether anything else would come remained to be seen.

She leaned over, head tilted to one side.  "You were trying the cantrip for color changing?"

"Yeah,"  Shou admitted, his cheeks tinting a bit red with embarrassment instead of magic.  "I don't know what I did wrong."

"It's not that bad,"  she decided, bending over his twiggy fingers, her hair brushing against him.  "I can fix this.  Do you mind?"

Shou blinked a couple of times before what she'd said penetrated his mind.  "Um - please?"  What else could he really have said?  He didn't want to have those twigs any longer than he had to!

She bent over and whispered something that he couldn't quite hear.  It was probably a reversal spell of some kind.  Those were higher level magics - normally if cantrips went wrong they weren't on this level.  Magical energy swept over him, focused on his fingers, and slowly they began to return to normal, the stiffness fading away, followed by him being able to pull them apart, the moss creeping back, then vanishing altogether, until he breathed a heartfelt sigh of relief.

"Thank you, ma'am,"  Shou groaned in relief.  "Thank you so much."  He fidgeted, darting his eyes towards her.  "Um, my name's Shou.  Marufuji Shou."  It would be rude not to at least introduce himself after she'd helped him.  "It's a pleasure to meet you"

"My name's Autumn."  She grinned at him, and he would have sworn the air itself sparkled at the expression.  "I bumped into you back on the first day, didn't I?"

Shou turned even brighter red, staring downwards.  She remembered?  She'd probably laughed about that with her friends.  "Yeah,"  he admitted. "Sorry about that."

"It was my fault."  Autumn patted him on the shoulder.  "Hey, do you want a few extra lessons?  Just to help get those cantrips right?  I always have trouble with them myself."  She laughed, that ripple of music and magic that thrilled him inside and out.  "First time I tried, I turned my hair striped!"

Shou couldn't help but laugh himself.  "I wish I'd seen that."  He yelped a breath later, shaking his head.  He never wanted anyone to see his mistakes.  Why would she be any different?

But Autumn only grinned, and ran hr fingers through her hair.  In the wake of her touch, the golden hair transformed, leaving her with streaks of red, blue, pink, green, and black.  Then she shook it swiftly and the vibrant strands shone like sunlight once again.  "I kind of like it like that, but my master insists that I look normal while I'm at school."  She wrinkled her nose.  "Anyway, if you want some help, I can at least do that."

Shou tried to wrap his head around the idea that he was being offered help, by her!  Juudai had offered to tutor him, but Shou had never learned a lot from when Juudai tried to do it.  Mostly because Yubel hovered over their shoulders, and Yubel made him extremely nervous.  He'd never seen them eat anything that wasn't on a proper plate but everyone knew the stories about dragons and demons and he'd rather not gt his body or his soul eaten.

"Okay?"  He shook his head again, this time to force more words out of it.  He could at least make a decent impression on her, better than that first meeting!  "I'd like that."  There, he could talk!  Sensibly, even!

Autumn grinned at him.  "All right.  Then let me show you how that cantrip is supposed to work.  Here."  She settled next to him on the bench, taking his fingers in her own, and recited the brief spell.  He could feel the way that her magic worked, even as his fingernails turned just the shade of green that he'd been aiming for, and then turned back to their usual tint.  "There.  You want to try it?"

Shou set his jaw, gathered up the energy one more time, and focused all of his attention on getting it to work right.  He wasn't sure if it was because he had someone there showing him just how to do it correctly or because he wanted to impress her still or what, but this time, his nails changed, and he knew it was because of what he'd done.

"Congratulations!"  Autumn's grin glowed as brightly as her hair did.  "Hey, if you need any more help, then let me know."  She waved one hand towards the area of the Academy where long-term students - longer than the usual years of the Academy - lived, usually with their teachers.  She had said she had a master, after all.  That meant she had a lot of raw magical talent.  "I live over there.  Just send a message any time and it should get there.  I'm the only Autumn here, as far as I know."

Shou knew the area.  His brother lived there too, studying hard under Master Samejima.  He didn't think he'd ever be that blessed, though.  "I could always use some help,"  he admitted.  "I'm not that good at magic."

Autumn gave him a thoughtful look, one laced with a flicker of magical sight.  Then she shook her head.  "I think you could be.  You just need to believe in yourself more."  She patted him on the hand.  "We can talk about it over lunch if you want?"

Only then did he hear the bell ringing - it was indeed time for the noon meal.  Shou's stomach rumbled, matched by Autumn's a breath later.  Meals here at the Academy were always impressive; they needed to be.  Using magic took a lot of energy that could only be replaced by food.  Then what else she said clicked in.

"Over lunch?  With you?"

That brilliant smile lit up the whole garden.  "Yup. Come on."  She held a hand out to him, and Shou accepted the gesture, rising up.  The rest of the year didn't seem as difficult as it had before now.  Not with Autumn as his friend.

The End

Notes: I’m tempted to write Yubel x Juudai x Johan in this AU later in the week. I’ll see what the ideas want!

[kurinoot]

[day 4] four priceless treasures | sawamura daichi

-> the pandemic sure has limited us from meeting our loved ones physically, but even the pandemic can’t stop you from showing your love to your boyfriend this valentines’ day.

pairing: daichi x reader

themes: fluff, post-timeskip, pandemic au, flashbacks and all that stuff

word count: 2268 words

note: struggled a bit on this one bc I had to change a bit on specific parts of this fic after proofreading :) + my proofreader friend by the name of @msmeowski​ (who is a HARD daichi stan) didn’t allow me to post this one until it’s p-e-r-f-e-c-t lol but anyways, tell me what you think about this! and lastly, don’t forget to stay at home and be safe! also, I included a spotify playlist as a hyperlink somewhere in the story to add to the experience while you’re reading :)

You stared at your phone, texting your dad about your quarantine situation about giving him an update on your status before he replies with a ‘take care, I’ll see you soon.’ as you toss your phone on the bed and strode to the hotel balcony, taking in the solace of the wind blowing through. Luckily, it was your last day in quarantine and no symptoms have been detected so far. All you were waiting for were the results of your lab testing, and if affirmed negative, then you’re free to go back home.

You were then disrupted when your phone rang an oh-so-familiar tune that was meant only for him. With haste, you lay on the bed as you answered the call.

“Da~i~chi~!”, you teased with a short giggle “Did you receive my gift?”

“About that...can we have a video call?” Daichi asks as he clutches the parcel closer to his body. You hum in response, signaling a yes to at least see his face and see him open your gift. Giddiness fills your inner being before switching to a video call.

A few seconds later, your boyfriend graced your screen, still wearing his police uniform. Noticing you appearing, he flashes you a warm smile, happy to at least see you again albeit virtually. You gave him a warm smile, grateful for this opportunity that you got to see him again, and oh how you want to see and feel him ripped in his police uniform in the flesh.

“It’s a box.” Daichi replies as he closely inspects your gift for him for the day. You gave off a laugh as you rolled on your belly, kicking your feet on the air by his response.

“You sound rather disappointed,” your lips smirked with a mischievous thought in mind for him, starting with the box. “Were you expecting something more?”

Daichi flushed red as he looked away from the screen. “Not that I’m selfish, but I was expecting you. I really miss you, you know?” You could not help but get flustered at his honest response, since you’ve been away from Japan for a couple of years now.

Daichi clears his throat. “Are you doing okay? I know it’s been stressful for the past months.” while he lethargically removes his police vest. You can tell by the way he removes the vest and his dark circles under his eyes.

“I'm fine where I am, Daichi. No need to worry.” You calmly reassure him as you walk to sit down on the balcony chaise, looking at the sky while listening to Daichi's sexy voice. He chuckles as he weakly throws his police vest somewhere in his room, feeling the exhaustion taking over.

You look at him with concern, “The pandemic’s definitely taking a toll on you. Are you even getting enough sleep?”

He slouched as he ran his hand over his face, fatigue from the workload and the strict measures from the pandemic, answering your question.

“Look, as much as I miss you and really want to talk with you today, I want you to sleep. My surprise, I would say, require some walking.”, You say as your boyfriend who now wears a mask of doubt in his face.

“Anyways,” you continue. “Don’t open the gift yet! At least for today. I have a surprise for you tomorrow, that’s why you better sleep well tonight!”

You can see the slight scrunch in Daichi’s face as he replies “Aren’t you still overseas? And considering the situation, you won’t be back home easily.”

‘Ah of course, he doesn’t know that I’m already here in Japan, yet.’ You smile internally, feeling the anticipation and the adrenaline more as you already lay out your Valentines’ surprise for him in mind.

“Well, I had some help actually!”, you bounced back in reply. Remembering that you had your sibling’s help while you were still in transit from overseas.

“Look”, you say with a stern tone. “As much as I really want to talk to you tonight, I also want you to get some quality sleep. I can tell from here how tired you are, my dear Daichi.” You can hear Daichi let out a deep sigh, stuck between wanting to continue talking to you and wanting to take a good night's sleep.

You continue further with concern and underlying excitement, “I don’t want you to be so tired by the time you get to see my surprise tomorrow. You deserve it so much.” Daichi could only feel giddy as he became flustered at your concerned gesture, before agreeing and deciding to sleep.

Daichi wakes up the next day, feeling rejuvenated from the short conversation you both had last night. He’s fortunate that he has the day off work, as being an officer in these trying times can be proven stressful, and the distance between the both of you is definitely not helping the mental strain. He stares at the ceiling for a moment before he feels the familiar buzz of his phone. He opens his phone to the view of your text message.

You can open the box now!

Without any second thoughts, Daichi picks up the unopened parcel beside his bed. He grabs a cutter from his table and immediately cuts the package open. He slowly unfolds the flaps of the box to find a piece of paper and a used red radio he knows too well.

It’s my old radio... Daichi thought as he pressed the switch, and to his joy, it played a familiar song, albeit slightly static. The music then conjures a special memory of him riding his bicycle as you perched on his back when you were both still in high school. Furthermore, he could see the all-too familiar red radio dangling on his bicycle, playing the songs you both like.

You watch as the view of the Miyagi prefecture passes by, watching the sun set in the distance as Daichi pedals the bicycle on the way home with his old radio dangling on the right handle, playing Bread and Butter’s Summer Blue. Your arms tightened around his waist as your eyes closed, relishing the warmth of his broad back as your head lay on him, inhaling his mixed scent of salonpas and sweat after volleyball practice with hints of cologne. A smile plays on Daichi’s lips as he feels your warmth surging through him.

‘Summer blue, summer blue…

Sora dake ga aoi...’

The music started to fade in the background as it continued on to the next song.

He can’t help but clutch his chest in happiness and love, as he feels a surge of contentment in his veins. He closes and smiles as he immediately thinks of the precious memory. A tear then slips through his eye, missing your physical presence. He then wipes the tear that has threatened to pour more before starting to prepare for the day ahead. Relieved from the catharsis, he pulls out the piece of paper from the box earlier and reads a “Here’s your clue for the next surprise!” along with a haiku:

‘The smell of warm broth

Shared by the ramen couple

In the cold autumn’

If his memories were correct, he knew exactly where it was. You were regular customers ever since high school, there’s no doubt that it was the ramen shop that you and he used to go to almost every week, and your shared love for shoyu ramen somehow gave you both the reputation of the ‘shoyu ramen couple’ by the owner, as he calls it.

He saw the same shop from years ago as it exactly was as the smell of the broth enticing him to enter the old place.

The old man who owned the shop recognizes Daichi as he enters before greeting him behind the clear protective cover of the counter, as per safety measures as he went to the kitchen to prepare a special meal, ushering Daichi to an empty seat where they usually sit.

His eyes wandered around the empty place, looking for the possible next clue of the next gift. The owner then comes out with a bowl that has a recognizable smell and serves it to Daichi.

“Here’s your shoyu ramen,” The owner winked at Daichi, hinting at something before continuing, “Specially made, requested by your girlfriend.” Daichi, albeit somehow surprised, folded his hands together with an “Itadakimasu!” before quickly slurping the ramen he loved so much in contentment.

“That girl...her sibling came by saying that your girlfriend has a ramen request.” He chuckled before Daichi stopped to listen to his story. “She thought that you might be too busy to come by so she went ahead and paid for it as your gift.” The owner laughs as he resumes cooking, leaving Daichi in disbelief at the owner before looking at his bowl of shoyu ramen, reminiscing a memory.

As the leaves fall while you are walking down the street in a cold autumn afternoon, you pull Daichi’s hand, leading him to the familiar street right after he had volleyball practice.

“Let’s go to the usual!”, You smiled at him as he followed suit.

The place has seen its years with a smoke coming out from the ventilation shaft with a thick warm smell that led you and Daichi come in further, the owner greeting the both of you as usual with a smile before you two sit at your usual spot near the window of the shop. The owner was familiar with the both of you, eating at his place almost every week, and knows what both of you would order.

“Two bowls of shoyu ramen for the couple!” He teases that left you and Daichi flustered at his statement.

“A-anyways, the ramen w-will get cold if we don’t start eating now.” Daichi says, seeing his cheeks redden as he looks away before he digs in to avoid the awkwardness. You gave off a laugh, making his eyes gaze to you that somehow made him flushed even redder as you perched your chin on your hand, looking at him tenderly.

“Somehow...it makes me happy that we’re a couple.”

The owner tells him as he wipes the counter clean, “Keep her. You don’t find women like her nowadays.” He chuckles as he slips a piece of paper in front of the eating policeman, “She also requested to give you this.”

After a few minutes, Daichi had already finished the bowl cleanly with no traces, quickly grabbing a handkerchief to wipe his mouth afterwards.

“Thank you so much for the food!”, he thanks and waves at the owner before he leaves the establishment to go to his next destination.

‘New Year approaches

As the bell tolls from afar

We pray for good luck’

He chuckles as he reads the paper. “She never fails to impress me with her surprises...”, he breathes optimistically as he wears his mask and wraps a scarf around his neck before going outside.

As he arrived, he noticed the familiar shrine wearing down from the years, but was still being taken care of. A few women, mostly high school girls, prayed for the special day while holding each of their own stashes of chocolates. Daichi went up to the shrine, paying his respects before wandering around, looking for the next clue.

“It really brings back memories.” He whispers to himself as he looks around the place, a smile forming on his lips.

You both stepped in front of the shrine after you both celebrated and lent your wishes for the New Year, with hands and eyes closed in prayer. He could only look and stare at you still, hands and eyes closed in prayer. He smiles at the sight of you earnestly praying.

‘I pray that we would always be together.’

Daichi saw a paper dangling on the tree along with the other wishes, taking what seemed to be your final clue.

‘As the storm passes

Spring has finally come home

Awaiting blossom’

His eyes widen in realization as he rushes back to his house, only to find it unlocked. He catches his breath as he opens the door, without any second thoughts, he removes his mask as he enters to look for the final gift. He finds a couple of luggages sitting in the middle as well as a paper he knows too well. He inspects it further, shocked to see your name along with the words negative written in the results.

Daichi then scrambles as he hears the sound of the nearby bathroom door open, only to see you wet in your towel. You immediately went red in embarrassment before Daichi, overfilled with longing and excitement, rushed to ensnare you into a tight embrace despite your towel-clad body. You hold your breath further as he places a deep kiss on your lips, immediately tasting the shoyu ramen you know too well. You could only drown yourself in his kiss as you slowly close your eyes, wrapping your arms around his neck.

You both break the kiss afterwards, panting as Daichi pulls your head over his chest, longingly hugging you.

“I was expecting that you would be home a little bit later. I even haven’t dressed for you yet!”, you pouted as you rested in the comfort of Daichi’s arms.

Your boyfriend could laugh, flustered with the state of your undressed state, “I missed you, Y/N. I missed you very much.” You could only hug him tighter as you both smiled.

“I’m home.”

He smiled before kissing you again, but this time passionately as he embraced you once more.

“Welcome home.”

back to valentines masterlist

[peaches-writes]

sweet disposition

member: chan wc: 992 genre: fluff, friends to lovers au, college au note: wrote this after chan’s live last night + im just generally weak for this song

[6:48 PM]

“Sorry we’re late!” Jeongin apologizes for the both of you, immediately climbing up to the spot Changbin saved for him on the topmost step of the bleacher.

You send an apologetic look and mumble the same apology to everyone against the dim lighting of the campus gym as you follow behind, awkwardly squeezing into the last available space in between Chan and Jeongin on the second step.

Just my luck, you huff internally as you twist your body to Chan’s direction, facing the makeshift stage for tonight’s concert, a week of evading him after my embarrassing confession and I end up sitting next to him!

You unconsciously recall what had transpired between you and Chan last week in your brief dazed state, making your face heat up at how awkward you ran away on that day and how such sentiment seems amplified now every time you catch Chan eyeing you from his peripheral vision with a slight tilt of his head.

So you focus ahead of you, the bright neon lights focused on one of your senior, Jihyo, as she belts out to an original song. “Has Day6 performed yet?” You ask Jeongin against the bass of the music echoing loudly from where you sit because of a speaker being placed literally right next to your designated bleacher.

Glancing momentarily at the younger boy, he shrugs, “I’m not sure—“

“They’re next.” Chan curtly answers without so much as sparing you a glance, leaning back on the wood and metal of the rather uncomfortable seat.

“Oh.” You awkwardly reply, unconsciously moving away despite the limited space. Even without looking, you can tell that all of your friends around you are sending you sympathetic glances at the awkward situation you’ve gotten yourself into. “That’s a—that’s a relief.”

With that, the two of you return to the rather uncomfortable silence, cheering when the crowd cheers and clapping at the end of Jihyo’s performance—all the while avoiding accidentally brushing against each other.

“Do you think they’ll let us go rave by the stage now?” You hear Seungmin whine a step above where you sit, lightly feeling him shuffle around from the small vibrations on the bleacher.

“If you really wanted to go see Day6 up close, you should’ve agreed to help Hyunjin cover the event.” Minho tsk.

“But—“

“Seungmin, quiet, they’re up!” And as Jisung scolds Seungmin, the MC announces Day6’s name, said band entering the stage to loud cheers and whistles from the entire audience.

[7:12 PM]

“Hello, we’re Day6, thank you for having us tonight for the Valentine’s Day Fair.” Brian says into the mic while the other members busy themselves with quickly setting up and doing a brief soundcheck. “I’m Young K and I play bass and with me are Sungjin on acoustic, Jae on electric, Wonpil on the keys, and Dowoon our drummer!”

Your entire bleacher cheers louder than anyone else in the gym, having seated with your bigger circle of friends. Chan even joins Seungmin in holding up the latter boy’s poster for tonight, momentarily forgetting the tense atmosphere between the two of you.

“Let’s have fun tonight, okay? This first song is called Day and Night!”

[7:37 PM]

Some three songs, a lot of jumping and dancing on the bleachers, and a short interview with the band later, Day6 is finally down to their final song.

Chan seems to have forgotten that he’s apparently mad at you the entire time and you’ve unconsciously done the same, swaying and dancing together to the songs.

“For our final song, since it’s Valentine’s Day,” Even at that, the band receives more cheers, making them laugh. “and we’re seeing almost an even turn out of couples and friends, we’ve decided to cover this universal song—“

“Please be an original, please be an original—“ You hear Seungmin chanting behind you before getting smacked in the head by Jisung.

“Dude, you already asked Wonpil about their setlist, why are you still chanting?”

“—Because they might’ve changed it last minute!”

You scoff at this exchange, catching the rest of Brian’s introduction to their first song. “—So, yeah, this is for all the love and memories we’ve made in our youth. This is one is called Sweet Disposition, hope you enjoy!” And at that, the song begins to play.

“Sweet disposition—“ The crowd immediately becomes calmer, opting instead to raise their hands in the air and sway more gently now to the lively yet nostalgic song. Looking around, you even see some people take out their phones and point it towards the now dim stage. “Never too soon—oh, reckless abandon—like no one’s watching you—“

You sway your hands upwards with the crowd around you, head tilting from side to side. At this point, you try to forget about all of your recent troubles, your studies, your relationships with some people, and especially how you ran away after hurriedly confessing your feelings to Chan in front of almost the entire class.

“A moment, a love, a dream, a laugh, a kiss, a cry, our rights and wrongs—“ You chant the lyrics under your breath along with everyone else, that is until you feel someone’s hand on yours, momentarily stopping you from waving them. Glancing to Chan, you see him expecting you to look his way, intertwining your fingers before casually facing in front again.

“A moment, a love, a dream, a laugh, a kiss, a cry, our rights and wrongs.” With your hand in his, Chan continues waving your hand to the music for you, his grip loose in case you want to pull away.

“So stay there, ‘cause I’ll be coming over.”

He then turns to you, whispering, “Are you okay?”

In response, you tighten your grip on his hand, feeling a sense of relief.

Behind you, you hear Minho say, “Hey, look at them making up! Jeongin move over here, you’re third-wheeling!”

m.list

[wonjnz]

goodbyes in the form of night and day.

summary: from ballroom dancing in royal courts to waltzing with the bustling city in your view, you suppose you'll always seek comfort in the sky and the clouds and stars that come with it.

genre: hurt/comfort, (supposed)soulmate!au, reincarnation!au, wc: 1.2k

pairing: wonjin x reader x jungmo

warning(s): none, song inspo: mundo - iv of spades

a/n: happy valentines <3 JJDJDJD tho this is bad like BAD bad ; v ; also will edit later !

ham wonjin entered your life with a simple hello and a shy wave. you noticed there was emptiness in his eyes when he first met you.

you also felt warmth and comfort with him, other than your parents and close friends, you've never felt this with someone. he felt like he was meant to meet you, in a local café at one in the afternoon.

you thought it was just a simple love at first sight situation, hoping you'll get over it right after the two of you part ways — but he just kept coming back over and over again, blossoming into a nice friendship between you two.

you learned he wanted to see what's beyond the horizon ahead, what the line between the sky and ocean had for him. his brightness when it comes to telling his plans match the brightness of the stars twinkling in his eyes, sparkly, you think.

you were the opposite though, you're content laying on the clouds without second thought. the hues of pink, orange and a twinge of dark blue present during a sunset is already enough to comfort you as night covers the town like a blanket.

and so, wonjin brings you on the boat with him to discover everything. sailing it away from the clouds you're used to your whole life, and at this point you realize you're in love with him.

quite like the dreams you had nights before, where you were both ballroom dancing as he lovingly describes you as “the brightest star among the darkest of skies,” you propose that he's the moon then. he replies with a small chuckle and a “yeah, perhaps i am.”

maybe wonjin felt the same familiar feeling with the horizons as you did when you first met him. it's as if you're meeting with an old childhood friend and you're talking about the years you spent without each other.

though, what he's looking for beyond the horizon wasn't you. it was someone else, someone much more better. the sparkly eyes you noticed when you're talking with wonjin wasn't as bright compared to when he's talking about her.

and on nights when both of you are talking on the phone, the moon being the only thing bright enough for your eyes to distinguish, you just want to stop and ask, “you seem lonely tonight, mind if i join you in the night sky?”

morning comes quickly, the clouds feel unfamiliar to you and you're frantically looking for the horizon ahead. you figure someone managed to get to it first, it must be her then.

after that, you noticed your dreams felt emptier than before.

ham wonjin entered your life with a simple hello and a shy wave and ended it with a silent goodbye. you should've said goodbye, when you saw them happily dance under the moonlight, the night still young and the morning horizon in their hands.

you should've said goodbye, when they happily celebrated their third anniversary, the morning horizon in their hands are seen in the form of a promise ring. “i love you,” he says to her, the moon in his eyes matching the stars in hers.

but you tell them, “congrats,” with a small smile on your lips. she hugs you first, telling you that you're one of her best friends. then wonjin hugs you next, telling you that if it weren't for your support this'll never happen.

you've been looking for comfort at the skies for a long time after that, no longer thinking of the horizon, maybe you're content with what's here and here only.

and so, koo jungmo enters your life with a quiet i love you. it became his hand that helped you point the stars ane form a constellation and not wonjin's. he didn't lead you beyond the horizon, though he did lead you somewhere higher than the clouds you're used to.

jungmo sees you as the orange sky during the sunrise. much like the dream he had before, where both of you snuck out of your palace and danced until the sun started rising, replacing the moon with the sun.

and so, jungmo says i love you. he says i love you when he notices the hurt in your eyes when you see wonjin, he says i love you when he notices your clouds are filled with thunderstorms and he'll try his best to clear them for sunshine.

“i think i met you under a sky like this.” jungmo says while he walks you home after a date, you tilted your head, “you still remember?” you ask, looking up at the sky; it was a mix of colors, some hues of yellow, blue and pink present as it mixes into an undistinguished color.

“of course i do,” jungmo smiles softly, you hit him playfully, “simp.” you tease. jungmo chuckles with you, his laugh felt so genuine and so lovingly that you can't help but chuckle along.

and you realize, you're content with life, the sky bringing you both melancholy and comfort to you. when you look up at jungmo, feeling the warmth of the afternoon when he looks back at you as he murmurs an i love you.

and you say it back without regrets flooding your mind, jungmo smiles softly at your improvement. he's been having thoughts that you'll probably leave him for wonjin and get hurt again, which is probably why he's been more protective when you're around him.

he remembers another one of his dreams, where he was watching you as you dance with wonjin. although there were tons of people twirling around the ballroom, his eyes can't help but focus on you and wonjin.

but the next time your parents hosted a royal ball, he wasn't with you. weird, he thought. you looked a bit lonely, standing by the balcony as if you're looking for something or someone, rather.

you were a bit apprehensive when he held out his gloved hand, asking to dance with him, but nonetheless you still grabbed it. it didn't feel the same, but you guess this can be some sort of remedy for your unrequited love.

you didn't realize some stray tears stained your cheeks until jungmo reached out to wipe them. you looked away for a while, afraid he might think you're ugly because of that, but when you look back at him your met with a small smile — a smile as if he's saying he's there for you.

and he kept that silent promise, sneaking into your room whenever he notices you've been awfully quiet lately. sometimes he'll even send you letters when either of you are away for royal duties.

he was almost like the sky, always there for you and you'll always see clear shades of blue whenever you're with him. jungmo brings you comfort, and love as a small undertone to it.

so when both of you say quiet i love yous under marmalade skies during autumn, you realize the sky is yours now. and as you watch horizons blossom into something beyond it, you'll always go back to the hues of the sky you've come to know and seek comfort in.

“you know, you're like the sky somehow, i don't know why though.” you suddenly say, jungmo looks at you as he tilts his head. “you're the stars that come with it then, morning and night.”

the conversation brings you a sense of familiarity, and it makes you smile a bit. “yeah, perhaps i am.” you answer.

so you suppose the good in your goodbye was when wonjin was the first to let go.

[tracybirds]

Don’t talk to me about timelines XD lockdown 3.0 was an unpleasant surprise but it did give me some fun fodder to play with. Missing from this were the stream of Valentines to Covid that spread around my section of NZ social media XD I was tempted to make Scott write some, but alas it didn’t fit. Obviously plenty has been fudged, it’s definitely not meant to be taken too seriously and more allows me to collect together some of the mixed emotions of getting a five hour countdown to lockdown D: That was not fun lol like far out, and we had to prepped for remote learning by 9am the next day. Scott is not allowed to complain further in his swanky apartment and no job XDD

In all seriousness, this is Scott’s story for FabFiveFeb2021, hosted by the ever lovely @gumnut-logic (Happy Birthday! still the right day in Aus, I didn’t miss it right :0 either way *hugs*** and I hope it was a nice day :DD)

Prompt used was “Are you kidding?” - it really resonated on Sunday evening ahaha (okay I will stop rambling in my defense it’s post midnight and I have feverishly pummelled this out in a couple of hours, it had been itching at me all day.... I missed that feeling :DDD)

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

Scott was International Rescue through and through, but in the murky waters of the central business district, he thrived.

It was a closed meeting, stretching into the long shadowy hours of the evening. Legal advisors quibbled over clauses while Scott exchanged pleasantries with the company representatives, talking up his local ties to New Zealand’s City of Sails.

“My Dad taught me to sail, right out there in the harbour, you know.”

A casual remark but carefully designed to make himself seem approachable and down-to-earth, just another “one of the guys”. His associate had also sailed once, a national representative in his youth, although time and his new habit of lunch meetings had left those days long in the past.

Personal connections made more money than the lawyers in the background ever could, and Scott prided himself on the homegrown touch.

“Mine too,” said the jovial, middle aged man. “Although I reckon it wasn’t near as pretty a yacht as yours. I’ve read up on you as well, you know.”

Scott laughed, clapping the man on the shoulder.

“Len, I knew we’d get on. What do you say to dinner? This has been going on for far too long.”

“I know a great place that keeps a table reserved for me. Even on Valentine’s.”

“I’m flattered.” He nodded to Van Zyl briefly before addressing the small crowd.

“Ladies, gentlemen. You’ve done some good work, and it’s been a long one. We’ll leave it here for the night and reconfer in the morning.”

He acknowledged the tired smiles and leaned back and listened as the chatter evolved from the dry intricacies of patent law into cheery conversation of dinner plans and family time ahead.

He turned and looked out at the city, lights starting to turn on in the early evening light. The sun wouldn’t set for another half hour or so and he wanted to make the most of what they had left in the day.

So did the rest of the Auckland population it seemed. Cars were flooding into the area, people starting to stream into office buildings.

“So, Federal Street?”

“Len, what’s going on down there?” he asked, jabbing a finger down at the street below.

“Sorry?”

He and Len watched, dumbfounded as the office buildings lit up one by one, lights turning on and off again mere minutes later.

“Mr Tracy! Mr Van Zyl!”

“Charlotte, what is it? What’s happening?”

“Oh, Scott, I mean, Mr Tracy, sorry sir.”

“Charlotte. Take a breath,” commanded Scott, letting the authority of Thunderbird One bleed into his voice. “Tell us what’s happened.”

Charlotte shook her head, her hand creeping up over her mouth. She handed him her tablet.

“It’s a civil defence lockdown, effective midnight.”

A cold dread crept up Scott’s spine.

“Tonight?!”

Len pulled out a comm beside him and started dialling. The person on the other end picked up at the first ring, and dimly Scott could hear her calm, measured voice transmitted through the device.

“Can I help?” he asked, still staring at the stark words on the page.

“I… uh... help? Sir?”

“With the civil defence response, with the company, I don’t know!” He looked up, desperation in his eyes. “What can I do to help?”

Charlotte shook her head, pressing her lips together tightly.

“Mr Tracy, we have an isolation response in place, at your father’s request. Leave the board to organise the company, you need to get home and…”

“No.”

Charlotte’s voice pitched up a near octave.

“Sir, I must insist…”

“There are lockdown protocols on the island as well,” snapped Scott. “I can’t just go home, risk my family, my Grandma.”

She shook her head again.

“You can’t help here. They’ve done it before. It’s Level Three, people will be able to collect gear tomorrow if needed, we’re set up for remote offices and the last thing people need is you dilly-dallying in the top office.”

A loud shrieking alarm pierced through her final words and Scott flinched at the sound.

Len yelped next to him, dropping his comm with a curse.

“Damn emergency alerts, don’t they know the whole country has heard by now? Why do they just SHUT UP!” he bellowed at the still beeping comm. “It’s so unnecessary, the first time we went under, I thought we were about to evacuate for a volcanic eruption. Staying home, it’s hardly an emergency.”

Charlotte did little to hide her scorn, but Scott smothered a smile as he read through the full message.

“Okay, fine,” he said at last. “I can bunker down at the apartment for a few days.”

“Weeks, I’d be prepping for,” interrupted Len. “Hard to say of course, but they keep extending them.”

“You know why we do it,” said Charlotte, coolly.

He shrugged. “Doesn’t mean I have to pretend it’s a holiday like everyone else seems to do.”

“Well, there never was any rest for the wicked, they say,” quipped Scott.

Len barked a sudden laugh.

“You’re alright, Tracy. Shame about how this ended, I’d have liked a bite with you.”

“Well, there’s always next time. Maybe we’ll find time for a shared celebration after all this.”

“My treat, Tracy, my treat,” he said with a chuckle. “Take care now.”

Scott nodded a farewell and turned back to Charlotte.

“You’re going to be fine?”

“I’ll go stay with my Mum,” she said, easily. “She doesn’t like to be in her house alone, and I can’t say I blame her. Holotech’s just not the same as being there, you know?”

“I certainly do,” said Scott, thinking of his brothers, hundreds of kilometres away. “Thank you, Charlotte, I’ll be seeing you.”

“Good luck, Scott.”

***

The downtown apartment was a mere fifteen minute walk from Tracy Tower, but with Charlotte’s words echoing in the back of his mind, the thought of potentially weeks stuck in an incredibly well furnished, yet incredibly unstocked apartment plaguing him, he opted to swing past the local supermarket. Located at the heart of the city, it was never quiet at the best of times but this was unlike anything Scott had ever seen.

The tension in the packed shop was thick as the throng that filled it. Over half the customers were already wearing masks, glaring suspiciously at those who had gone without and Scott self-consciously tugged his rain jacket higher.

Essentials, he thought wildly, just eggs and milk and bread and….

There was no bread. No flour either and the confectionary aisle was already looking sparse. He grabbed a few chocolate bars and threw them in the basket.

“Excuse me,” he said, waving down a frantic and wild-eyed shop assistant. “Do you have any bread out back?”

“No way man, haven’t you heard? Lockdown hits in like three hours, people are going mental.”

“But I don’t have any food at home, I was meant to be flying back tomorrow morning.”

The shop assistant, Ariki as his name badge proclaimed him, grimaced in sympathy.

“That’s hard luck that is. You don’t live in Auckland?”

“No, I don’t. But I won’t be able to get home now either.”

He nodded, like he’d heard it before.

“You’re thinking this is like last year, aren’t you?”

“I, uh, yes.”

“Right,” said Ariki, still nodding along with him. “Right, well it’s not quite the same so don’t stress out. Look, you can still get takeaways this time, we’ll be restocked tomorrow and all the real crazies–” he nodded towards a pair who were arguing over what looked like the last can of baked beans, “–yeah, they’ll be tucked up at home, refusing to take a step outside, it’ll be sweet as.”

Scott stared at him, then looked over at the line snaking through the frozen food aisle, between the meat and dairy and coiling up in the sad looking and so-called fresh produce.

The two chocolate bars and eggs he’s managed to grab hardly seemed worth it at all.

“I can put those back if you want.”

“Yeah,” said Scott, dazedly. “Yeah, thanks that’s be great.”

Ariki smirked a little.

“We’re reopening at seven, yeah? I’ll see you then.”

“Thanks again,” called Scott as he hurried from the shop.

The rain that had been threatening its arrival all weekend was starting to appear, and Scott hurried home, ducking his head down and shoving his hands in his pockets. He knew there’d be enough food for at least his dinner tonight and Ariki was right, he could sort the rest in the morning.

A swipe of his keycard, and he shut out the world with a muffled slam of the door and a sigh.

He shucked off his rain jacket, not bothering to hang it up, and trudged into the kitchen. It wasn’t like there’d be anyone around to complain for a while and he was starving. Lunch, the little afternoon tea nibbles they’d provided, even his last coffee felt like it had been drunken in another life.

Dinner, then finally he’d call home.

He didn’t doubt they already knew what was happening, was probably wondering why he hadn’t called, but none of them had even been swept up in the chaos of lockdown preparations.

He stared blankly in front of the fridge, the cold, bluish light illuminating him in the dark room. The sun had fully set by now, and the last vestiges of twilight had given way to the true, deep night with the onset of rainfall.

His carefully defrosting steak wasn’t on the shelf, and he looked around him in confusion, wondering if he’d accidentally left the meat out on the bench. He was hungry enough that he didn’t think he’d care and his stomach was well practiced at digesting the indigestible, bug and all.

On the kitchen counter was a neat pile: a plate, used utensils and cooking equipment all stacked together, waiting to be washed.

Scott blinked.

“Oh, hey, Scott,” called Gordon’s cheerful voice from behind him.

Scott whirled around, gaping at his younger brother, suddenly in their New Zealand apartment and not where he ought to have been – namely a thousand odd kilometres north east of the kitchen they were standing in.

“Are you kidding me?”

“What?”

“You,” Scott shouted, jabbing a finger towards Gordon. “You ate my dinner!”

“Oh, crap.”

Gordon bolted a split second before Scott charged at him, yelling wildly with all his might.

“Scott, I’m sorry, it was – shit, I mean – come on, it was past nine, I thought you’d been out, and I, oh damn, I, Scott, damn it, I’m not dressed.”

“I don’t care, you ate my food, have you seen the grocery stores? It’s absolute chaos, you traitor, you can go out and get me something, put some pants on and move.”

Gordon yelped as he dove over the couch.

“Okay, I can see there’s been some errors in judgement here,” said Gordon, panting. “I’m sorry, Scott, I really am.”

Scott glared.

“Not good enough.” He paused, eyeing Gordon as he cowered behind the sofa. “What are you even doing here?”

“Uh, excuse me?”

“Here. What are you doing in Auckland?”

“Happy birthday to me too, love you bro, congrats on surviving another year.”

“You came to Auckland for your birthday?”

“Yeah.” Gordon sat up cautiously. “Couldn’t exactly see Penny, and it’s not like there’s many other places that will let us in.”

“I thought we counted as a US territory.”

“John cleared it with someone, I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Didn’t want to be stuck at home for my birthday. And look how that turned out.”

He did look extraordinarily sorry for himself.

Scott sighed, and reached out a hand.

“Go get some damn pants on,” he grumbled. “And go look for Virgil’s emergency snacks, I know he stores them everywhere.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“I mean it, don’t you dare come back unless you bring me food.”

Gordon snorted.

“Sure, wouldn’t want to provoke the wrath of a starving Scooter.”

Scott jerked his body towards Gordon, and smirked as he bolted up the stairs towards the bedrooms, before sinking down into the cushions and closing his eyes.

The comm beeped gently, a stark contrast from the blaring alert from earlier.

“Hey,” he said, opening an eye as Virgil was projected in front of him.

“Tell me you’re not–”

“Oh, I am.”

“Gordon too?”

“Yep.”

“Damn.”

“Tell me about it.”

They were both quiet for few seconds, thinking about how rapidly the world had seemed to shift around them.

“I suppose it’s only for a few days,” began Virgil, but Scott was already shaking his head.

“We gotta do the full two weeks. After that, we ought to be able to clear an exit with the harbourmaster and the coast guard, even if it’s not over, but we can’t come back earlier. The only reason we could move freely before without our helmets is because–”

“Preaching to the choir, Scott. I get it.”

“You gonna be alright without us?”

Virgil shrugged. “Rescues are down what with more people staying at home. Alan and I can handle the small change, and Kayo’s been itching for some POD practice recently. We’ll manage. Besides, you’re the one stuck with Gordon.”

“Hey!”

“Food,” growled Scott and Gordon threw a muesli bar and a tube of M&Ms at him.

“Is that mine?”

“Gordon ate my dinner and the shops were out of everything,” grumbled Scott. “Blame him.”

“It’s my birthday, I don’t deserve this.”

“Cry me a river.”

“Alright, don’t kill each other before the two weeks is up. John’s already organised a betting pool, don’t give him the satisfaction of winning again, he’ll be insufferable.”

“Oh, he’s on,” said Gordon, grinning. “Tell him I put fifty bucks on Scott tipping me out of bed or off the couch by the end of the week.”

“Got it.”

“You can’t bet against us,” said Scott, mumbling around the chocolate. “I thought you were on my side.”

“You tried to murder me over a steak.”

“The jury would have never convicted.”

“Okay, I can see you two are going to have a fun time,” said Virgil, loudly over their bickering. “See you in two weeks.”

He didn’t wait for a response. After all, two weeks was a smidge outside even his patience.