#aggressive bus drivers

[lionblaze03-2]

Kind of obsessed with Pam stardew valley. Btw. If anyone even CARES

[achorusofcrows]

an mbta bus is scientifically the best place to cry

[dailymanners]

If you take the bus, wave to the driver and thank them as you're getting off the bus.

Being a bus driver is an underappreciated and difficult job but still very vital to society. They still have to do customer service and deal with rude and even aggressive passengers, and on top of that have to deal with traffic and other drivers all day (and let's face it, there's a lot of bad drivers out there who aren't considerate about sharing the road). All while providing an invaluable service of getting us where we need to go. Showing them some appreciation can go a long ways for someone doing such an important job that usually gets little to no recognition or thanks.

[yawnderu]

CW: groping/chikan, dubcon, fingering.

Sweat beads on your forehead, your fingers tightly wrapped around your phone, the loud, roaring engine of the bus masking your sounds of discomfort. You can feel a man’s rough, calloused hand grope your inner thigh beneath your short skirt, the scent of cigarettes and hard liquor hit your nose, only grounding your senses even more, making you aware of your situation. 

Amidst the chaos around you and the sense of dread bubbling in your stomach, you force yourself to look at the man. A mask conceals his lower face, a cap pulled down to cover most of his features, except his hair and eyes. You can see danger dancing with anxiety in that dark gaze, his thin brows slightly furrow, daring himself to feel you up more. 

Simon Riley is a broken, disgusting bastard. That’s something he’s very well aware of, and yet he can’t help the sense of excitement that comes from touching you, from blocking your only way out with his burly body, such a monument when you’re small. Unable to tear his gaze from yours, his hand works in tandem with his disturbed brain, cupping your cunt through your underwear. 

“Shh, shh.” It’s not a threat, yet his presence is enough to quiet you down despite the way you want to protest, to ask for help from the bus driver, who seems to be blissfully unaware of what’s going on in the back of the nearly empty bus. You swallow thickly, the sensation of his thick fingers squeezing and stimulating your cunt is making your body react despite the unwanted attention. Your grip tightens around your phone, freezing and unable to control the deep, heavy breaths escaping through your parted lips. 

Simon runs his middle and ring finger to run up and down your clothed slit, the feeling of dampness coating his digits drags a muffled grunt out of him, his chest rising and falling with deep breaths that match your own. His hand trails the outline of your cunt through the thin fabric before moving up, easily sneaking through the waistband of your panties, biting his thin lower lip beneath his face mask to prevent himself from making any noise the moment his fingers are able to touch your wetness. 

“Fuckin’ hell…” He mutters, being as quiet as possible to not get the driver’s attention. Your back arches into his touch despite your clear hesitation, your body acting purely on its own. A shiver runs up your spine as he rubs circles over your erect, sensitive clit with his fingers, spreading your slick all over, not minding the mess he’s making out of you. 

You can hear his breath hitch the moment your legs part voluntarily to give him better access, looking away from him just to make sure no one is looking at you. Completely alone in the back of the bus, a sense of security starts to settle despite the rather unwanted situation at the fact that Simon doesn’t seem to be aggressive, just… a pervert. 

His fingers keep stimulating your clit for a few seconds before moving up and down your slit, his free hand grasping the thin string of fabric you have the nerve to wear beneath a miniskirt. He pulls your tiny panties up, the friction and pressure against your sensitive bundle of nerves almost makes you gasp, forcing your hand up to your lips just to bite on your own skin, trying your best to stay quiet. 

Simon’s lips tilt up into a knowing smirk, the way you’re giving yourself up to such a dog is nearly pure ecstasy for his fragmented mind. His stop is near, and so he doesn’t waste any time. His long, thick fingers sink into your needy cunt, your tight walls wrapping around them, clenching and nearly begging him to fuck you deeper— and like the proper lad he is, he obeys. 

Your walls pulsate around Simon’s fingers, your leg lazily draped over his lap, his hard, neglected cock pressing against your thigh, yet all he cares is how tight your pussy is. He has half a mind to bend you over and fuck you right there and then, though he decides to refrain for now, so have some self-control despite how abhorrently disgusting he is. 

The sounds of your squelching cunt are muffled by the loud engine of the bus, his fingers thrust in and out of your needy walls, forcing your breath to quicken the moment his thumb joins in his sin, rubbing your clit in circles. Your head is thrown back against the headrest, eyes fluttering shut and your lower lip captured between your teeth, biting hard to stop the filthy noises threatening to escape. 

Your hips buck up to meet the thrusts of his thick fingers, so long and rough, yet so good. Your body arches into his touch, a warm palm resting over your mouth to quiet you down as you cum over his fingers, tight walls pulsating as he helps you ride out your orgasm, his large frame hovering over yours almost protectively. 

His hand stops its motions after a few seconds, pulling out slowly and moving your leg off his lap gently, wiping your cum off of his fingers on the supple skin of your shaky thighs, just to leave a personal mark. He has the decency to pull your skirt down, covering you up before he gets up from his seat once the bus reaches his stop. His deep, brown eyes give you one last glance before he leaves without saying a word.

[the-magpie-archives]

Tips for writing London as a setting if you've never been there

London's a popular place to set a story! It's often imagined as sexy, cool, and suave. Whilst this is sometimes true, the thing that it predominantly is, is absolutely and entirely chaotic! So here are some aspects that you may not know about:

-Public transport is absolutely crucial to the infrastructure! Few people drive in London because of how well connected it is, and bus stops and train stations are often used as meeting points or details in directions.

-There's a LOT of crime, like, a lot. All cities have it, but London has a lot of variety. Stabbings are incredibly common (to the extent where it becomes a bit of a joke), almost everyone has a story where they've found or seen a dead body, and there are many money laundering/drug den fronts under the guise of highstreet shops (they're not well hidden).

-Despite it's chaos there's a strong code of etiquette most people hold themselves too. Some are actual rules (stand on the right side of escalators, don't queue jump) but some are simply social expectations (don't stop in the middle of the pavement, keep your bags close to your body, don't take up multiple seats.)

-A lot of tourists to the city are COMPLETELY FERAL and widely hated. They'll stand in the middle of the road, block up bridges, swing around cameras and selfie sticks in busy places, and completely ignore the social standards of polite society. People Do Not Like This. (also American tourists have a tendancy to just randomly start conversation with people? It's a bit weird and generally not done but it's not strictly a bad thing.)

-Rush hour is INSANE. We're talking almost static traffic, trains so packed that you're pressed into people on every side, buses that are so full they can't stop to let more people on. Some days it's better some days it's worse, but if you can avoid travelling at those times YOU DO.

-There are a lot of scam artists on the streets. Most major cities have these, they suck, they're aggressive, and they'll take your money! Some give you flowers and then force you to pay, some take photos of you and boost up the price to get them, there's always new ones, they're relentless, and you've gotta tell them to fuck off.

-Black cabs are not at all popular for normal people! They cater to tourists, rich people, and old people. They're great, the cab drivers are hard working and very knowledgeable, but they're also very expensive. Awful as it is, uber's cheaper if you're desperate, but buses go everywhere so it's just not really worth it.

[spideyjimin]

PART I: SHIVERS | un cielo di perle

“un cielo di perle” means a sky of pearls in italian

⏤ pairing: taehyung x female reader 

⏤ genre: college au, rich kid!taehyung, strangers to lovers, enemies to lovers, fluff, angst, and smut 

⏤ rating: 18+

⏤ words: 5,981

⏤ summary: taehyung doesn’t know how to love, he actually has never loved anyone, not even himself. he dreams of escaping this life, a life where he can do whatever he wants and where his parents don’t exploit him. his dream becomes a reality when he meets you; however, it comes with a challenge. at first, you hate him. but as the saying goes, there’s only one step between hate and love. and when taehyung loves, he can steal a sky of pearls for his lover.   

⏤ warnings: mature language, swearing, mention of sex, sexual tension, mention of epilepsy, mention of heartbreak, mention of breakup, mention of cheating, mention of financial struggles, and mention of health issues

⏤ author’s note: the first part is finally here! 🥳 it's been a while since it's ready but i wanted to be back from holidays to properly read it and correct it before posting it 🤗 i'm actually very excited with this series, i have soo many ideas for this & i truly hope you'll enjoy it. don't hesitate to let me know what you think of it 💜

⏤ playlist: brividi - Mahmood ft. Blanco

SERIES MASTERLIST | PREVIOUS | NEXT

Running through the campus, you mentally check that you took all your belongings. It would be a nightmare to get them back, probably someone would steal them. In the best-case scenario, you’d have to go to the lost and found office. That doesn’t enchant you really well. 

But you’re running out of time. Today’s lectures ended super late, and you must be at the store where you work. The manager is quite harsh and isn’t very kind when someone is late. That has never happened to you. You always make sure to be on time since you’re the type to be a people-pleaser. Being late isn’t even possible, so you run to catch the bus and ensure you’re on time. 

As you reach the pedestrian crossing, a stupid car passes by and almost knocks you over. Luckily, you take a quick step back to avoid being hurt. You instantly yell, insulting the driver since the person seems not to have seen you. When you yell, you see the driver, he’s also looking at you and you show him your best middle finger, making him understand that he’s an asshole. 

“Asshole,” you aggressively shout.

Nonetheless, the second you realize who it is, you instantly regret it. That man is no other than Kim Taehyung. He’s for sure the most recognizable man in the entire campus but he’s also the son of the big boss of your shop. Well, to make it short, you work at one of the many Kim Couture’s shops and it happens that the company was created by the Kim family. A family that Taehyung is part of. 

The cherry on top is that Taehyung will be coming to the store you’re working at. The other point is that he saw you yelling and showing your middle finger. A devious smirk appeared on his face. 

Shit! You’re definitely in trouble. 

Taehyung isn’t just Taehyung. He’s known to be a fucker, and a good one apparently, a rich kid, full of himself, pretentious, popular, exasperating, and crazily annoying. He thinks he’s the king of the world. That’s the way you perceive him.

At the end of the day, he’s a guy who grew up with a golden spoon in his mouth. He always had everything he wanted, and everybody always licked his boots. He does whatever he wants with people. It’s quite annoying but you won’t deny that he is charismatic. 

Again, that’s the way you perceive him but you ignore that it’s far from being the truth. 

Quickly after, the bus arrives and you jump in it. Your heart is beating like crazy, you’re so scared of what will happen and what Taehyung will do or say. After all, he’s your big boss’ son. If he desires to fire you, he has the power to do it. You absolutely don’t want to lose this job. It was already hard to find one with your limited experience, but you need to keep it. The tuition fees are costly. 

Getting into a prestigious university was your biggest dream, and through some miracle, you managed to do it. It came with a lot of work, obviously. You were determined to be there. However, you thought that it would be harder than that. You believed that you needed to be the daughter of wealthy parents. But through your own efforts, you were accepted, and you’re quite proud of yourself. 

Having a job is what allows you to pursue your dream. Your parents insisted on helping with the tuition fees, but you don’t really want their financial assistance. This is your dream, not theirs, so they shouldn’t have to pay for it. That’s how you see things. Certainly, balancing your studies with your job isn’t easy. But you manage to make it work and you’re very proud of yourself. 

Of course, you appreciate the fact that your parents want to help, but the fees are extremely expensive. You don’t want your parents to ruin themselves to support you, they already face financial difficulties. You don’t want to be a burden for them. So, you’re going to work a lot and as much as you can to pay for everything on your own. 

Working at Kim Couture is definitely helping a lot. The wage is good, it allows you to even save some money. You wished to use it to help your parents but they refused. In some way, you take a lot after them, and you can all be very stubborn when it comes to finance. 

Once you arrive at your workplace, you run to the back to change yourself. There is a strict dress code to follow as a Kim Couture employee. Today, you even have to make an extra effort to dress even better than usual. You have to be perfect because Kim Jihyun, Taehyung’s father is coming.   

It doesn’t enchant you to meet him and his son today, especially after this incident with the son. 

“Mister Kim is coming in 5,” your boss, Namjoon informs you. 

You hurry up to avoid giving another reason for Taehyung to kick you out. It’s already enough you insulated him and showed him your middle finger. The outfit is quite simple, it’s a full black one and a full one created by Kim Couture. Jacket, t-shirt, classic pants, and shoes. Luckily, you can do whatever you want with your hair, the most important is to always be presentable. You always have to be impeccable under any circumstances. 

Through this job, you already had the opportunity to meet famous people, going from a king to a singer. A lot of them are surprisingly very nice and polite. Some others are the opposite, rude as fuck. Those ones, you hate them. With the little experience you have now, when someone enters the store, you can already tell if they are going to be nice or rude. It’s all in their aura. 

Once ready, you run to the front of the store and take place next to your colleagues. You are all lined up next to each other while Namjoon gives clear instructions. Mister Kim will only come to give a little visit, he does it annually. However, this year, it’s his second time visiting this one because this store has been doing great. In any case, it will be your first time meeting Mister Kim since you joined right after his last visit. 

Your colleagues described the man in a non-flattering way. Kim Jihyun is certainly one of the most famous people, there’s no doubt about it, but he’s a horrible person. He shows no mercy to anyone. If things aren’t done the way he wants, he literally explodes. The employees of his stores are treated like shit since they are poor. He inherited the Kim Couture house from his ancestors, he’s very wealthy but he’s definitely the worst person your colleagues have ever met. 

Hearing the stories shared by your coworkers gave you chills running through your spine. That man is, without any doubt, horrible. So, you have to be perfect today so you get to stay here. But now, your biggest concern is what Taehyung will do. Is he a piece of shit as well and he will kick you out?  

An impressive car halts in front of the store. The door is opened by the doorman and two imposing men make their way inside. To be fair, Mister Kim is a frightening person, but what his soul gives off is powerful. You can only have respect for him as he walks near you. He’s wearing a grey suit with a white shirt underneath. The outfit is completed with a dark trench coat. This man breathes money from afar.  

Your eyes move now to his son, Taehyung. He’s certainly very charismatic and he also gives off a strong energy, but not as powerful as his father’s. Unlike his parent, he’s wearing a blue polo shirt with an evident white shirt underneath, and white classic pants. For a second, you take him in. You heard so many things about him at uni, and a lot from your friend Nari. 

Nari is your best friend but also a rich kid. Her grandparents made a fortune by developing an intelligent program that is sold worldwide. You met her a couple of years ago and surprisingly, a very strong friendship blossomed. Both of you see the world differently, but that vision is what has brought you together. Obviously, you sometimes have very animated conversations because you come from two different worlds.  

Nari’s family is close to Taehyung’s family, so she knows him. She doesn’t spend much time with him because they are very different. The way she describes him is quite similar to the rumors people spread on campus. He’s a fuckboy, arrogant guy, full of himself, and a cold-blooded person. The fact that he’s wealthy as fuck makes his personality even worse. 

Taehyung’s eyes land on you. It’s obvious from the way he smiles that he recognizes you. Your heart starts beating crazily. Shit! He follows his father who is walking and examining all of you while Namjoon introduces you. As they do so, you bow in respect. 

“This is yn,” Namjoon says once in front of you. 

“Nice to meet you, Sirs Kim,” you bow to the men. 

They simply nod. The youngest doesn’t say anything which reassures you. Hopefully, today, you won’t be losing your job. For a couple of minutes, you stay in the same position while the other employees are introduced. Mister Kim then gives a little speech in which he says how proud he is of this store, and a lot of other things you honestly don’t listen to. 

Since you sit down on chairs while Mister Kim is giving his speech, you choose to sit at the extremity. So, nobody is sitting to your left. Well, that is until Taehyung decides to join you. At first, you don’t notice him since you’re focused on his father’s speech. 

“So I’m an asshole?” he whispers in your ear, causing you to jump in surprise. 

“For fuck’s sake, you scared me,” you instantly reply in a whisper. 

The same devious smile that was on his face earlier reappears. For a brief moment, your eyes meet his, but you quickly turn your face to look at his father. It makes you uncomfortable to have his glance directly on yours.  

“And to answer your question,” you very quickly look at him. “Yes, you are.” 

You’re hesitant to keep going, too scared that he could do something you’ll forever regret. 

“You were about to knock me over,” you add. 

“You’re being a tiny bit dramatic,” he instantly claps back at you. 

You roll your eyes, he’s being annoying. 

“Could you please let me listen to your father’s speech?” you raise without looking at him. 

He’s distracting you which isn’t good. His father is your big boss, he’s doing a speech and you have to listen to it. It’s rather important. 

“Why would I do that?” he asks back. “I’m an asshole after all.” 

You want to laugh, he’s stupid but it’s definitely not the right moment to be laughing. Namjoon will kill you if you do so. You absolutely don’t want to lose your job because of an asshole. So now, you decide to ignore him, to act like he isn’t even here. A smirk appears on his face when he realizes you’re ignoring him. 

For the rest of Jihyun’s speech, Taehyung leaves you alone, which you’re grateful for. All you wish for now is to not lose your job. That guy seems to be an absolute jerk and the son of your big boss so he has all the powers in his hand. 

Afterward, he leaves you completely alone, giving you some needed peace. Once his father finishes his speech, the two of them leave the store, but before doing so, Taehyung winks at you. You roll your eyes, causing him to laugh a little. The stupid man who almost knocked you over seems to be trying to flirt with you. Does it surprise you? No, because you’re convinced that he does that to every girl so they forgive him for being an asshole. 

But you’re not like the other girls, you won’t forget what he did. 

“Remember me why we’re studying?” Nari asks you while you’re walking. 

“To be badasses!” you jokingly answer. 

Nari laughs at your answer, but she couldn’t agree more with you. You’re studying to have an impressive degree so you can find impressive jobs. She’s aware that all of this is a hundred times harder for you than it is for her. If she doesn’t like this or wants to try something else, she’ll have her parents' money. However, on the other hand, you don’t have that. She knows how incredibly hard you worked to be here, and she knows that you wouldn’t have chosen something just for the fun of it. 

“I don’t want to attend classes today,” she replies. 

“Same,” you answer. “But we have to if we want to be the strongest bitches the world has ever known.” 

Nari admires you beyond comprehension. You’re always so optimistic, always seeing the bright side of everything when the world has shown no mercy to you. Since you’re thirteen, you’ve been battling with epilepsy. It has been a constant struggle but you have shown how strong you are. 

Nari doesn’t know that being positive and optimistic is what helps you fight this terrible and invisible disease. Otherwise, you would have gotten into depression a long time ago. Being positive allows you to genuinely be happy. 

“You’re right,” she says with a bright smile appearing on her face. 

“I’m always right.” 

The two of you enter the lecture hall and take a seat at a random place. It’s quite an impressive room and there aren’t that many students so you can choose wherever you want to sit. There are still a solid 10 minutes before the class starts so you animately keep talking. At a certain point, she frowns, and you turn your head to see what is causing that reaction. 

As you do so, you notice Taehyung coming in your direction. Deep down, you hope that he’s coming for Nari, but inevitably, you know it’s not the truth. You know he’s coming for you. 

“Hi, yn,” Taehyung says with a stupid smile on his face. 

“What do you want?” 

Nari is shockingly surprised by the way you answer him. She totally ignores what happened yesterday with Taehyung. You haven’t talked about it yet, but thanks to this idiot (or asshole as you prefer to call him), you’ll have to do it as soon as he leaves.  

“Calm down, miss dramatic,” you roll your eyes. “I went back to the store yesterday and I noticed you forgot this,” he hands you a personalized pen. 

This pen was offered to you by your dad some months ago. It’s a black pen with your name engraved on it in white. It’s a very pretty one, and for sure, it was expensive but you didn’t say anything. Since your parents didn’t offer you anything when you graduated, they offered you the pen as a little ‘good luck’ gift for this new step in your life. You love this pen, you always take notes with it.

Honestly, you didn’t even notice you left it at the store. However, you would have noticed it during this class as you wouldn’t have found it. It would have annoyed you but it won’t now since Taehyung brought it. 

In a way, it moves you that he considered bringing it back to you. Nonetheless, you’re convinced he has a reason to do it. This is Taehyung after all, he’s known for being selfish. He wouldn’t do this just to be nice to you. 

“You didn’t need to bring it, you could have left it there,” you tell him. 

Taehyung deeply exhales, you can see in his eyes that he’s a bit exasperated. 

“A simple thank you would have been enough,” he says. 

Before you can answer, the professor enters the lecture hall and Taehyung takes a seat somewhere else. You take a quick look at Nari. She’s definitely surprised by everything that just happened. You will need to tell her. It’s nothing major but it’s for sure shocking that this man even acknowledges your existence. Outside of wealthy people, he doesn’t know anybody else here. 

For a brief moment, you turn your face to look for him. You quickly find him and to your surprise, he’s also looking at you. 

In all honesty, you barely know him but you can tell that you feel a lot of mixed feelings. You kind of hate him for what he did yesterday, although hate is a strong word. You simply don’t really like him. However, he’s captivating. 

After the class, as you’re walking on the campus, you explain everything to Nari. There’s not much to be said but she’s your best friend so it’s normal for you to explain to her how you met Kim Taehyung. 

Taehyung wakes up with a massive headache. He drank too much as always. His eyes try to adjust to the light but it takes him some time since the room is fucking bright. His face turns to his left, only to find a girl sleeping on his bed. Nothing new. 

For the past two years, his life has been made up of parties, hangovers, and lots of sex. That’s how he enjoys life. Well, that’s how he believes he enjoys it. Deep down, he knows he chose this life because two years ago, he didn’t want to stay at home. It was way too hard to be there, and partying, drinking, and having sex is a lot easier. 

Having girls in his bed is way too easy for him. All the girls are crawling at his feet, desperate for a little bit of recognition. Of course, he’s more than aware that he’s charismatic and he plays with it. Flirting is like second nature to him. It doesn’t take him much to make a girl crave him. It’s quite an easy game for him. 

However, when he realizes the girl who’s sleeping next to him, it instantly wakes him up. Shit! It’s Hyejoo. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he rapidly says while getting up.

Hyejoo isn’t any girl, she’s the daughter of one of Kim Couture’s investors, Park Daehyun. She’s super wealthy, even wealthier than him so Jihyun decided that Taehyung has to date her. And in dating her, he means to marry her. Not right now but he has to get with her and stay with her until marriage. The purpose is to make her a Kim. That way, her family will forever invest in Kim Couture. Honestly, it’s well thought out but Taehyung doesn’t want her, doesn’t want to get married, and most importantly, he doesn’t want to be used for the company’s interest. Nevertheless, that’s nothing new. 

His father has always put the company first. The rest doesn’t matter. He got married to a wealthy woman for the company, but he never loved her. Made children with her to ensure the future of the business. Luckily, a boy was born first so he didn’t need to try many times before producing an heir. He got a daughter afterwards but it was just a plus. So in the end, he has absolutely no consideration for his daughter, Yseult. Basically, he acts like she doesn’t even exist which is quite destructive for her. Taehyung tries as much as he can to protect her but it’s sometimes almost impossible to protect her from their father. 

With time, his mother started to be like his father. Her family was only good if it benefited the company. She always agrees with Jihyun, and in the end, they both use Taehyung for the business. They don’t see him as their child or even like a human at all. They only see him as the future CEO and the new face of Kim Couture. So they don’t let him do much. For sure, they let him party right now so he can enjoy life before being in charge of the company. But enjoy is a strong word. He doesn’t enjoy anything. 

When Taehyung was young, he remembers how loving and caring his mother was. He hated his father who was very severe with him but he deeply loved his mother. She was his everything. But as he grew up and she started to change, he also started hating her. He felt no more love towards her. Today, he doesn’t love anyone, not even himself. His life is quite sad in the end. 

“Good morning Taehyung,” Hyejoo says when she wakes up. 

“I have to go,” he simply tells her. 

She’s a bit confused but he doesn’t give a shit about it. He storms out of the room and basically runs outside. As he does so, he calls his chauffeur to come and get him. His parents don’t let him drive as they are scared something will happen to him. They trust Minho to always drive him anywhere. Things are a bit different now that he is in college, he can drive alone during the week but during the weekend, he can’t. Minho has to drive him anywhere he wants to. In a matter of seconds, he arrives to pick him up. Hyejoo tries to catch him but she doesn’t arrive on time. 

“Can we go to some random coffee shop?” Taehyung asks. 

“Yes,” the chauffeur answers while nodding. 

Taehyung looks from the window. Flashbacks from last night came back, he drank a lot and Hyejoo flirted with him. At first, he pushed her back since he didn’t like her but she was insistent. As he was getting drunk, he was letting his guard down so in the end, he couldn’t resist her anymore. 

He rubs his face while mentally insulting himself. He should have resisted because now, she’ll run around him even more. Hyejoo loves Taehyung, it’s no secret to anyone. She’s always around him, trying to make him fall in love with her. She’s also convinced that he’ll date and marry her as his father plans. Although she totally ignores that he doesn’t like her at all. He couldn’t actually care less about her. 

They arrive at a coffee shop, it’s a small one but it looks so cozy inside. Minho opens the car’s door to Taehyung and he walks to the entrance. His chauffeur remains in front of the car, waiting for his boss’ child. Taehyung is only going to grab a coffee and some pastries to eat while going home. 

He stands in front of the bar and checks the menu. He’s starving so he’ll take all the pastries that he craves. He orders and then moves to the right, to the little space where customers patiently wait. As he walks in that direction, a girl turns around, causing them to hit each other. Since she was holding a coffee in her hands, he got coffee all over his blue shirt. 

“Fuck,” he swears. “Could have been..” 

As he speaks and lays his eyes down on the girl, he realizes that it’s you. 

“You, again,” you mumble as you notice that he’s the guy hitting you. “You should be more careful,” you instantly tell him. 

“You’re the one who hit me this time,” he replies. “I was just walking to get my order.” 

“Well, I was going to leave after receiving my order.” 

Being around each other makes you both feel something you both never felt for anyone else. It’s weird since you’ve only known each other for like 4 days. He didn’t even know you existed until he almost knocked you over. 

Now, he’s covered in coffee which angers him and you lost half of your coffee which angers you as well. 

“Pff,” you say. “Now I have to order a new coffee because of you.” 

“If you were more careful, you wouldn’t need to do that.” 

You roll your eyes. Around him, you’ve rolled your eyes a lot. You’re even surprised by it, nobody has ever made you do that so often. On the other hand, he absolutely hates when you do that, he’d even say that it almost pisses him off. 

“Fuck you,” you simply say back. 

He takes a step closer to you, your faces are now very close. There is barely any space between you, his eyes roaming your face before halting for a couple of seconds on your lips. Your heart is hammering in your chest, ready to burst at any moment. This man is impressive. His face gets closer to you, and your heart beats even faster, something that never happened before. 

Taehyung notices that you don’t step back. Well, he doesn’t want to as well. You both glance at each other. For the first time ever, he feels his heart beating fast. No other girl, or anyone else, has ever made him feel that way. He notices how pretty you are. Well, from the first second, he laid eyes on you, he found you very beautiful. But now that you’re closer, he gets to see closely your beauty. You’re also very charismatic, you draw him in a way he can’t explain. Without realizing it, he’s attracted to you. You catch all of his attention when he’s near you. 

When he found your pen at the store, he could have left it there. But that was the perfect excuse to get to see you and talk to you. He can’t resist the urge of being around you. If he sees you, he only wants to get closer. Like right now. He could be talking to you without being this close, but he needs it. 

He takes in your sweet scent, you smell so good. 

Both of you are glancing deeply into each other. There is definitely something going on but you won’t admit it. 

After what felt like an eternity, he pulls himself together before getting closer to your ear. 

“What did you say?” he murmurs with a deep voice, causing shivers down your spine. 

“Do you want me to spell it out for you?” you dare to say. “F-U-C-K,” before you can even finish, he cuts you off. 

“Don’t you ever say that again,” he whispers. “Especially if you’re in the wrong.” 

“You’re threatening me?” your question almost sounds like an affirmation. 

“I’m just warning you, miss dramatic,” he says. 

Taehyung strongly stinks of alcohol but there’s also a bit of his cologne emanating from him. You don’t even doubt that he has a hangover and is most probably still drunk. 

“Oh,” you first say. “You think I’m afraid of you, asshole?” you then say. 

He’s caught off guard, causing him to take a step back to look at you. Usually, people get scared and leave him alone. Honestly, you’re kind of the surprising type. Now you’re the one getting closer to his ear before starting to whisper.  

“You should be the one being careful,” you murmur. 

The way you pronounced every word made him shiver. Fuck, he hates the effect you have on him. It’s been only a couple of days but you’ve been resisting him in every possible way. This almost feels like a challenge to him to make you fall onto your knees. 

“Or what?” he asks. 

“Well, you’ll have to discover,” you answer. 

Taehyung feels your breath crashing against his ear, and visible goosebumps appear on his body. You don’t notice as you’re concentrating on provoking him. As you take a step back, you’re startled by his burning eyes on you. To say that he’s devouring you is literally an understatement. Never before has a man looked at you that way. Thousands of butterflies are freed inside your belly. 

You don’t even know how to look at him or if you’re even looking at him the same way. The only thing you are sure of is that your cheeks are fully red. Even if this man impossibly angers you, he also manages to destabilize you. It’s so contradictory. But you’d be lying if you said you didn’t like the feeling of his burning eyes on you. It makes you feel desired. Desired by Kim Taehyung. 

“I need to order my coffee again,” you say as you put a clear distance between you. 

Taehyung simply nods and a few minutes later his order is ready. For a brief moment, his eyes discreetly glance at you while he grabs his order. There’s something so mesmerizing about you, and damn, he really wants to discover what you’ll do to him if he pushes you again over the hedge. 

While you’re sitting on the bus, you’re completely lost in your thoughts. You’re thinking about what happened with Taehyung minutes ago. Things with him are evolving intriguingly. You’re both always colliding with each other. It’s not smooth at all. But that man is so fucking annoying! How can even people like him at all? 

The music is blasting in your ears through your headphones. Sabrina Carpenter is singing ���Feather” for your biggest pleasure. It’s one of your favorite songs at the moment. Surprisingly, it’s one of the songs that has been reminding you that you were too good for your ex. Definitely, you’re better off without him. However, you try not to think too much about him because he devastatingly broke your heart. 

Kai, your ex, is the kind of guy that easily becomes friends with everybody. He’s super chill and super nice. You two instantly hit it off, you directly felt love but it took you some time to actually fall in love with him. Being loved and loving him felt so good. You both imagined what your future life together could look like. You were convinced that he was the one. But you were wrong. He never was the one. 

At a party, he kissed a girl. It wasn’t just a random girl, it was a girl he had a crush on a couple of years ago. It devastated you, especially since you were going through a tough time health-wise. You were also working too hard to get accepted at this prestigious university. It was just the last straw. However, since you were convinced he was your forever person, you forgave him. You thought that it was just a mere kiss, and he also did everything to make you forgive him. 

The reconciliation didn’t last long because you were such a mess. Everything was just too much and you couldn’t handle anything anymore. So you put an end to your relationship. You were devastated, to say the least. You thought that he was going to make his way back to you but he kind of didn’t. You had some conversations but they all ended up in sex. It was nice but nothing was being solved. However, he was doing that to keep you wrapped around his fingers. From there, everything became a mess. 

Kai hid from you that he was seeing that girl so he could have you. He was flirtatious with you, and you were having a lot of casual sex. You believed things were going to be solved and that you were getting back together. Today, as you look backward, you realize that it was merely a physical attraction. Nothing more. You never got back together because you ignored that he was actually with the other girl. 

It shocked you once you found out. Kai talked so badly of cheaters and he was there doing the exact same thing. What you didn’t forgive him is the fact that you were the other girl. He was cheating on his girlfriend with you while you weren’t aware of the situation. It broke you beyond comprehension. 

Kai is still with his girlfriend, it’s already been more than a year. You don’t know if she ever found out that he cheated on her. Probably not. You don’t think she’d stay with a cheater but you don’t know her so you don’t know how she’d handle it. Maybe she forgave him. You don’t know. The only thing you’re sure of is that sometimes he comes back. Thank god, Nari is part of your life and forbids you to interact at all with him. 

You rest your head against the window. Recently, you surprised yourself by wanting to find a new boyfriend. For the past year, you decided to focus on your health and your studies. Having a partner would only distract you from your goals. However, today, everything seems to be on track so you don’t have any reasons to hold back. But it isn’t that easy. You’re not the type to easily make friends, but you aren’t desperate so you don’t really care right now. It’s sometimes a bit hard to be wanting someone around you and you don’t have anyone. 

You leave the bus when it halts at your stop. The massive building housing the hospital stands in front of you. Recently, you’ve been coming quite often for blood tests, doctor appointments, and hospital stays. Some nurses already recognize you. This has been your reality for a year already. Your health has been a big mess even though it’s been the case for almost 10 years. Lately, it simply hasn’t been easy in between seizures caused by your epilepsy and the hormonal dysfunction coming from Hashimoto’s disease. 

Hashimoto’s disease is an autoimmune disease in which your thyroid doesn’t work properly. It doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones. On top of that, your immune system attacks your thyroid. There is of course a treatment helping your thyroid to work properly. So, in summary, the treatment has to always be working otherwise everything gets out of control. 

Growing up with all that wasn’t simple, especially since you have never accepted being epileptic. Most of the time, it makes you feel like a failure so you don’t mention it to people unless it’s necessary. You don’t want anyone to look at you or treat you differently. You want to be seen as a normal person. But you’re not a normal person, and that’s what is complicated to accept. 

So you work a lot, sometimes way too much. You wonder if it’s not due to the fact that you’re a people-pleaser. But in general, you just work too much to compensate for your differences. Those health issues have a lot of impact, especially on your memory. For example, it’s hard for you to remember conversations. Most of the time, people have to repeat several times the same thing for you to remember it. 

At the hospital entrance, you notice Yseult, Taehyung’s sister. She’s coming out of the car to enter the building. You discreetly watch her. She looks a lot like her older brother, it’s evident that they are siblings. She also breathes money from afar, she also has that powerful aura. It seems like it’s a family thing. Before entering, she quickly scans her surroundings, almost as if she doesn’t want to be seen. It instantly arouses your curiosity. Why is she acting like that? 

Instantaneously, you grab your phone to text Nari. 

To Nari: Yseult is at the hospital & acting weird 

You wait until Taehyung’s sister enters the building before doing the same. Well, you can’t spy on her because you have an appointment but you’re for sure very very curious. 

From Nari: she’s probably just doing a check-up 

She’s right. It’s nothing, it’s simply your imagination. But it still leaves you wondering why she was acting like that. 

Later that night, while falling asleep, you see again Taehyung so close to your face. However, you chase away those thoughts because that man has been annoying you more than anything else.

[revluvzen]

[❤️‍🔥💪] "𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐱?" [💪❤️‍🔥]

top!Lucas/Wong Yukhei x bottom!male reader

---

WC: 2,4

Genre: Smut. MINORS DNI

Tags: Lucas is a college heartrob, Lucas looks like out of FraternityX, college classmates, friends-to-lovers / fwb, blowjob, "bro" to "slut" but still "bro", low-key rough sex (deepthroat, throat fucking), car sex, semi public sex, tricking into sex.

All individuals consent.

Enjoy!

---

Lucas is your hot, stereotypically jock classmate on some of your college classes. It's simply unavoidable falling in love with him. Every day since your classes started, he comes talk to you, his "bro", always with that cute goofy smile.

Today's one of those regular class days. Lucas is looking very handsome today, as usual. Black hoodie, gray sweatpants, and running shoes. Typical attire for him. "Hey, bro!", you greet him, him taking out his Airpods to get ready to chat with you, sitting next to you in the classroom. "Ayo! Wassup", he asked, his goofy smile charming you. "Ahh, just ready for another boring class". "Same here...", Lucas replied.

Class started, and you just can't avoid staring at Lucas often, just like you do every single class. He looks so hot, chewing gum, checking on his phone because he's getting tired of the class... taking the minimum notes he could take of whatever the professor is talking about. He's so tall, so sexy... His tan skin, full lips, sharp jawline, those big eyes... you just can't believe such a handsome guy is your friend. Could that change?

Class finished. Such a good day so far, you guys talked a lot in the break, having some good laughs with your friends. Time to go home now. Lucas had an out of usual proposal today. "Yo, uhm, I brought the car today, and I need to drive towards your place direction. I can offer you a ride, wanna hop in?", he asked, goofily smirking like always.

"Ohh, sure, thanks mate", you replied, excited. What better to spend some time with your friend at his car? This is new for you, he usually just drives towards the other direction, and you have to take the bus. You both leave the building and go to the campus' parking lot, where you see Lucas' car. "Here we go, hop in champ", he said, giggling. You replied with a smile, opened the door and got on the co-pilot seat, then closing the door. Lucas got on the driver's seat, and closed his door

Surprisingly, he didn't start the engine. You took some long seconds to realise, as you were checking your phone for a bit. When you turn your head to look at him, he's smirking at you. "What happens?" you ask, nervously smiling. "You think I don't notice when you look at me in class?", he asks, pressing the button to lock the doors. "W-What do you mean?", you ask, a bit shyly as you acknowledge the fact you do check on him often.

"You like me. You're in love with me, don't you?", he keeps asking. You don't answer anything, looking down. "Don't be shy... you can tell me. I won't judge you. I'm into boys sometimes as well. Don't be afraid", he kept telling you.

"Y-Yeah, I guess I do... I like you...", you answer. "Right...", Lucas sighs, nodding. He then suddenly grabs you by your nape, pulling you into a short kiss. His big lips smooches yours, so quick you can't even get to close your eyes. "W-What~", you stutter, before staring at Lucas for a second and then going back kissing him, this time making out already.

Lucas guided all the kiss, first softly biting your lips and then starting to pu his tongue into your mouth, to which you reply by doing the same. Your tongues dance inside of each other's mouth. "Mgmgh~", you moan inside of Lucas mouth, loving each part of it. You just can't believe you're kissing your crush and friend... and it's as good as you expected it.

You guys keep making out for long minutes, Lucas way of kissing getting a bit more aggressive and horny, starting to bite a bit more rougher your lips and putting his tongue deep into your mouth, making you moan quietly and squirm.

Lucas stops kissing you but keeps his face very close to you. "Y/N", he says, with his characteristic deep voice, staring at you with his big handsome eyes. You stare at him and reply: "W-What... did I do something wro-".

"Have you ever had sex?", Lucas said, interrupting you. Shivers run through your body when you heard that. Is what you've been waiting for ages finally going to happen? You get a bit shocked but find some breath to reply. "N-No, Y-Yukhei...", you reply. awaiting for Lucas reaction.

"Let's see if we can fix that...", Lucas said, smirking and starting to caress near your crotch. Right afterwards, he goes back on making out with you. You also caress his thighs, but get a bit more daring. You try putting a hand over his crotch, and you notice that Lucas' bulge is getting rock hard.

One of Lucas hands starts caressing your butt, to which you let him do because you're liking it. You start feeling the passion of the moment in your chest, a sentiment of euphoria bubbling inside of you. You start grabbing and kneading Lucas's bulge, loving how hard it's getting. You feel Lucas low groans inside of your mouth while you two keep on making out passionately.

At some point Lucas pulled out again, and stared at you just like he did previously. He whispered lower this time. "Y/N... Come over and suck me off... would you like to?", he said, outspoken like the bad boy he is. You had to get daring to reply to such proposal, thinking about how you're about to lose your virginity to your hot friend...

...specially when you two are in a car in the campus parking lot. "L-Lucas, what if someone sees tho...", you say, looking around. It's true that there's not people around currently, but you can see people walking far away. "Don't worry, Y/N... If you kneel in front of me, no one will see. The windows are high enough and the pedals are behind enough for someone to fit", he said, sounding strangely logical. "Have you done this before...", you asked suspiciously. "Uhm do you want to have sex or not-", he says, wanting you to ignore that. "Y-Yes, sorry", you reply, nervously smirking.

You get over the controls of the car and go knee in front of Lucas. He was right, your feet barely touch the pedals and head ends up right below of the windows. Lucas put a tiny pillow on the floor so your knees don't hurt. "Thanks...", you sigh. "No worries. Now, unzip it...", he says, staring at you from above. Fuck, he looks so hot like that. Legs spreaded, his big bulge showing, and his handsome face sexily staring at you from above. You're so thrilled...

You unzip Lucas pants, and lower his boxers just enough so his dick sticks out. You're shocked despite it being just like you expected it... A 23cm thick cock, veiny and tan like his body, trimmed pubes and slightly curved. You do a hard swallow when you see it, wondering how you'll make it to suck it all. "B-Bro, you're very... like... hung like a horse, d-damn...", you say, your voice trembling a bit. Lucas giggled quietly. "That's what everyone says", he jokes. "You can go at your own pace, don't worry".

You grab Lucas cock. It's very warm and soft. You can't lie, it looks tasty as fuck... You stroke it a bit to get it as hard as it can. It's the first time you touch a dick that's not your own... it feels so good already. "You can start licking it", Lucas suggests, to which you finally do. You put your tongue in the cock's tip and start swirling it around, then going up and down licking all his shaft as if it were a lollipop, making sure to get it wet with your saliva.

You then slowly take Lucas cock in your mouth, almost halfway through. It tastes so good indeed, you already have an obsession for it. You suck it happily, but kind of concerned about how will you do to take the bottom half of the cock if Lucas asks you to deepthroat him.

Lucas moans in pleasure, enjoying how good you are sucking him. "That's it, fuck... Keep sucking it...", he groaned. You kept sucking it good, your lips fully kissing and taking Lucas' big cock, tasting all his flavourful flesh. You slapped this tip on your tongue, trying to give him such a good blowjob.

You kept sucking his dick, up and down and swirling your tongue in it. "Do you like it, Y/N?", he asked, sexily. "Y-Yeah... I'm loving it...", you said, jerking him off for a second and then going back sucking him. "So fucking good... You're almost like a natural cocksucker... Woah... You're doing it amazingly... Look at me while you suck me", he ordered. Being called a cocksucker really turned you on, you complied with him and stared at him while keeping on sucking his big dick. "Just like that, yeah~", he groaned.

You can hear the voices of some students nearby. They are probably gonna get on their cars. You stop sucking him just in case they're close enough they can see. Lucas didn't agree tho. He grabbed you by your nape and forced you back on his cock, now making you suck him even deeper than before. "Don't worry, they aren't close enough, they won't see anything. Keep sucking, fuck", he said, enjoying it so much.

"Damn, from all the sluts I've gotten in here, you're the one of the better ones already...", Lucas sexily groaned, looking at your eyes. Despite you being his friend, it looks like he now can't stop seeing you as one of his fuckmates. It didn't help that, the moment he called you a slut, you just started taking his dick even deeper into your mouth, almost taking it entirely. "Fuck, fuck, just like that, yeah~", he said, while you jerked off the base of his dick.

Lucas started thrusting slowly upwards, now fucking your mouth. Your gag reflex activated, some saliva starting to leak out of your mouth. Nevertheless, you got used to it, and were able to take his thrusts. Lucas dick feels so fucking good inside of your mouth, you just don't want to ever leave from his dick. You're addicted. And he loves it as much as well.

"F-Fuck, if I knew you were this good sucking cock I'd have taken you here earlier, fuck", Lucas said, grateful of having tricked you into getting into his car planning to fuck you good already. "Now I'm gonna push your head so you take it all inside okay? Take a deep breath, bro", Lucas said and you nodded. He grabbed you by your hair and pushed your head deep into his cock, making you deepthroat his 23cm dick all inside of your mouth. You start gagging, some tiny tears coming out of your eyes as it was too much to take.

"You like it, don't you? Huh? Tell me, come on bro, fucking tell me", he groaned, thrusting upwards while you deepthroated him. You obviously couldn't answer; yet, you tried. "MgmghMGGH-", was all you could say. Honestly it wasn't a surprise to you that Lucas liked it rough... you actually liked it as well. You loved how such big cock tasted in your mouth, it was all you've been longing for so much time, having your friend's dick all inside of you.

Lucas let you take off his dick out of your mouth, letting you breath. You kept stroking him off while you heavily exhaled. You looked at him and smiled, letting him know how much you're loving it. Then, you went suck his cock again, now sucking it up and down thoroughly.

Both Lucas and you got very euphoric. The car got filled with dirty sounds such as your sloppy noises and moans and Lucas groans and dirty talking. You love your friend's dick so much you just can't stop sucking it, and that's having an effect on Lucas. His dick started throbbing, and you could feel that in your mouth.

"F-Fuck, I'm gonna fucking come, you bitch, fuck, I can't believe how of a fucking good cocksucker you're~ keep taking all my dick, bro, come on", he said, thrusting upwards while you sucked him good. You can feel the tip of his dick in the back of your throat, tasting his flesh, and his bitter precum flavoring all your mouth.

"I don't like cleaning my car, you better swallow it, okay?", he said, his voice breaking as his groans got louder. Let's hope there's no one around. Even if you're well hidden, Lucas dirty talking couldn't avoid getting loud and noticeable. You nodded happily to what Lucas said, sucking his dick so good and awaiting for his cream.

Lucas finally came inside of your mouth. Fuck, it's a fucking lot of cum. Warm, thick, plentiful and bitter cream spurted inside of your mouth, some directly getting down your throat, while his throbbing dick is still inside. You start swallowing, the closing and opening motions of your throat satisfying Lucas so much it even milks his until the very last drop.

You swallow most of his cum, leaving some in your tongue. Lucas takes his dick out of your mouth, and leaves it over your face. You can feel the whole weight of his fat long dick all across of your face. "Show me your tongue, now", he ordered, smirking, to which you showed him your tongue with some remains of cum still there. "Fuck, I never thought I'd finally see my friend taking all my cum like that. Call this a friendship strengthening pact", he giggled, goofy as ever. "Now seriously, I wish this happened earlier. You're such a good fucking fuckmate, gosh, I never expected you to be this good at sucking dick", he softly and sexily whispered, keeping on with the sexy atmosphere. "And I never expected your dick to feel this good, I loved it, Yukhei...", you whispered.

Lucas leaned over to kiss you, you both swapping saliva and his own cum in a passionate and sloppy kiss. You both make out for a long while. Everything is different now. You're not a virgin anymore, you lost your virginity to the your friend you've been attracted to for so long... And your friendship is not going to ever be the same. It's just going to get better from now on.

Lucas pulls out, a string of saliva mixed with cum falling in between you both. "You haven't come yet, did you?", he asked sexily. "N-No, I haven't...", you replied. "It's not a good first time until you get to cum, bro", he said, softly smacking your butt...

Part 2?

[mickeym0xley]

hi. i dont go here but I wanna talk.

imagine being Josef Newgarden, 13 and after trying a few sports and not being too good at any, you starting karting, you immediately pick up four titles. you love it. you travel to europe and become the first american to get a Formula Ford Festival title. Europe is harsh to you and in 2011 you return back to america. Something about the home soil fuels you and you win an Indy lights championship. you get into indycar the next year.

meanwhile, across the world in New Zealand, Scott Mclaughlin becomes the youngest driver to win a Supercars race. He breaks the record for most wins in a single season. He's dominant, simple. He's just like you in every way possible. Little do you know, your future best friend is watching you become Penske Perfect. He's watching and rooting for you from an ocean over.

In 2021, Scott comes over from Supercars. You werent ever too close to anyone on the grid- but you two click. You were so used to keeping your friends close and your enemies closer, that you let him in.

in 2021, you have a best friend. you both know that being teammates and friends won't work for long. you both can bet on it long before it happens. in 2022 you create a youtube channel and start making little videos with Scott. People like you guys, they think you're funny. You're not just Josef Newgarden, 2x Indycar champion and Penske driver, but also you're 1/2 of Bus Bros. This is the closest you've ever been with a teammate on this level. It's an emotional dynamic. It carries on into 2023 with a little less passion. Heartbreak in inevitable. Some days you wanna make sure he's okay, other days you hope he suffers. You wanna break his leg- quick and aggressively, he wants to beat your skull in. You'll film a Bus Bros episode that weekend and pretend you didn't openly say that in an interview. You mindlessly believe it will be resolved, that you two can fix it when it falls apart. Scott is a realist, saying you're a limited duo. You're both too egotistical to believe you're wrong is what he says.

2023 wraps up and it's your worst season finish. What happened to Penske perfection? You were bigger than the whole sky, a demon on ovals. You were everything Penske represented. Scott's making you soft. What happened to your perfection that people said was impossible? Scott is not only your best friend, but your teammate. And he's starting to win. He's the friend you held as close as your enemies until you realized he was just like them. Coming into the 2024 season, you unfollow everyone. Rumors are spiraling and you end Bus Bros, quietly taking down the merch site. Scott refuses to answer questions besides saying to ask you about it.

It's the streets of St. Pete, Penske has an illegal car- you all know about it. You and Scott get a 1-2. Podiums are publicity, everyone has their eyes on you. Be as cordial as you can, you'll crop him out of your photos later on instagram.

The cooldown room is more tense, Scott refuses to sit by you. The cars illegal, they figure it out in Long Beach. The St. Pete 1-2 gets stripped away from you. Scott sees things level and you're hungry only for another win, to be seen as the winner you once were. The Barber press conference is an embarrassment for you, you're spilling your guts on a white table while cameras flash. Scott admits to it and takes subtle digs at you in an interview. (x,x)

Scott takes pole position at the 500. Scott leads the most laps. But you won. Your hunger motivated you and here it is, the proof you're better. You lost your best friend for it. you're the first back to back Indy 500 race winner since 2001-2002. People are calling you the villain. This is how it ends. Scott makes fun of you during your speech, "I still love you my bus bro." And thats how it ends. You're still cropping eachother out of posts. You seldomly talk. It's not over though, and it never will be.

Oh and Will Power is there.

[kyufessions]

downpour

synopsis: your boyfriend picks you up after your class

pairings: non-idol, boyfriend! intak x g.n. reader

genre: fluff

word count: 1.4k

a/n: intak 🥹 our favorite golden retriever. also, not proof read as of yet, too tired lmao. italics are text messages from intak. (requested here.)

general taglist: @jwnghyuns @eaudenana @soobin-chois

the one time you decide to not check the weather it begins to downpour during your economics class. every day you stay on top of the weather, especially since nowadays it seems to become more and more unpredictable. but today, of course, you went with your gut. and oh how wrong it was. you didn’t even have to look outside a window to know it was raining- the aggressive patter of raindrops were telling enough against the college building.

as your professor finished up the lesson early due to the weather, you quickly searched your bag for an emergency umbrella but to no avail. sighing, and mentally cursing yourself, you pull out your phone to check when the rain would stop. luckily enough, you noticed a string of text messages from your boyfriend that you assume he sent during your class.

i hope class is going okay <3

oh shit it’s raining. did you bring an umbrella?

i’ll pick you up after class, text me when you get out!

♥️ see you soon

smiling at the messages, you quickly call him as you swing your bag over your shoulder. within a few seconds, he answers with an excited tone.

“your uber driver has arrived in parking lot B.” the smile was evident in his voice, the thought of it bringing butterflies to your stomach.

“thank you, baby.” you say before hanging up to

scurry towards the exit to get back home for the day. you felt bad that intak drove all the way back to campus after leaving only two hours ago from his own classes, but at the same time you felt extremely grateful. if it weren’t for him you’d either have to get soaked taking the bus or take a thirty five dollar uber- both options not necessarily being of interest for you.

just as you approached the glass double doors, you notice intak’s red car in the pick up and drop off center of the parking lot. smiling foolishly at the sight of your boyfriend tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, you quickly run to his car with your jacket over your head. as the door opens up, intak jumps at the sudden noise and puts his hand over his heart for dramatics.

“hey baby!” you spoke, turning your head in his direction and smiling innocently at his heightened state. a small fit of laughter leaves your lips as you bring your hand up to cup his cheek, pecking his lips quickly before putting on your seatbelt. “thanks for picking me up, you didn’t have to.”

“it’s pouring outside, i wasn’t going to let you get soaked getting home. besides,” he starts pulling off, starting down the road towards your place. “i’m your boyfriend. it’s my duty to take care of you.”

you give him a look, a smirk playing across your lips as you lay your wet jean jacket across your lap to start drying off a bit. “i can take care of myself.” you respond in a teasing tone, your eyes admiring the way he looks behind the wheel. he might’ve just gotten his license a month ago, but he definitely didn’t drive like it. you felt safe when he was behind the wheel, despite him being a new driver.

he puffs out his cheeks as hd turns a corner, being careful on the wet roads as the rain continues on. “i know, but i love taking care of my baby.” as he hits a stop sign he quickly moves his hand from the wheel to your face, squeezing your cheeks as he quickly pecks your lips over and over before a car beeps at him from behind. “i’ll take care of you as long as you allow me to.”

inside your apartment were you, intak, and a mini fort built from couch cushions and any and all blankets available. originally, he was going to come in for a late lunch and head home. but as the weather got worse and thunder started to roar in the distance, you both decided it was best if he stayed the night. so within the past few hours, you’ve both made dinner and cuddled underneath the fort with food, snacks, and in matching pajamas you kept in a separate drawer for whenever he stayed over.

a few weeks ago you both had started a new kdrama called It’s Okay Not to be Okay. it’s quite depressing, but the storyline is beautiful and definitely keeps you both interested. thanks to the growing storm outside, you’re nearly close to finishing the show and are almost done with your milkshakes and popcorn- the ramen long gone at this point.

intak’s head propped up on your thigh as you ran your fingers through his hair as your other hand held on the edge of the popcorn bowl to periodically grab some. gasps and mumbled comments could be heard from him every few minutes, along with little giggles when the main characters would get close to kissing or getting together.

“i’m glad we didn’t take this long to get together.” intak says, his tone playful as he leans his head fully back to look up at you.

“yeah, because you made it obvious from the start.” you replied, smiling down at the boy below you. the way his hair was fading into a dark golden blonde made your heart flutter more than ever before, the color suiting his skin tone perfectly and making him appear more luminous than ever before.

intak noticed the sparkle in your eye whenever you looked at him, the sight never failing to upturn the corner of his lips even just the tiniest bit. “i did not.” a pause. he starts thinking for a moment. “did i?” he looks at you with wide curious eyes- eyes he knows you love.

you nod, a smile breaking out. “i’m glad you did though, i would’ve been too scared to make the first move.”

“why?”

you think for a moment before deciding to respond. in hindsight, you didn’t have anything to be scared of when it came to intak. he was so loving, so caring, so attentive. and he knew how to make someone feel comfortable around him. but truth be told, his beauty and demeanor can come across as intimidating at first. he’s so bubbly, so smiley. and everyone loved him. not that you yourself weren’t lovable but to an extent, you felt like you had to meet his standards to surpass them in order to even be considered as his partner. but you were wrong; he proved that.

playing with his waves, you lean down and plant a kiss on his lips. whenever your lips met his, as cliche as it sounded, sparks flew as if it were the fourth of july. everything felt right. the time, the place, the way your lips synced up together- perfection. nothing ever felt awkward between you two, even from the first meeting.

heart pounding, intak kisses back without hesitation and brings his hand up to your face and begins rubbing circles into the apple of your cheek. as you pull away, he swipes away an eyelash and admires your features for the hundredth time that day. no flaw could ever be detected from you- he truly thought of you as an angel. “i love you.” he admitted, the words spilling from his lips. your eyes widened for a second, taken aback by the sudden confession. “you don’t have to love me back, but just know i love y-“

“i love you too, intak.” you respond, cheeks heating up from this moment. suddenly the thunder sounded like birds chirping, and the grey skies were a clear sky blue with no clouds in sight as the sun became brightly visible. everything felt right- everything felt perfect.

melting into his touch, you place a soft kiss to the side of his palm before responding to his previous question. “you intimidated me at first.”

shooting up from his comfortable place on your lap, you watch his movements as he shuffled onto his knees to be eye level with you. “me? why?” the disbelief and curiosity was evident in his voice, making you chuckle at his cute reaction.

you shrug, unsure of why you even thought so in the first place. “i guess because of how outgoing you are? and pretty. you’re very pretty, baby.” you sit up on your knees and wrap your arms around his neck, placing a quick kiss to his forehead before laying your head on his shoulder. “not anymore though. now i just think of you as my annoying and dorky boyfriend.”

wrapping his arms around your waist as he laughs, he starts rocking you both back and forth as the rain continues to downpour outside. maybe, just maybe, the weather should become more unpredictable more often.

[cheriladycl01]

So teach me - Sergio Perez x Trainee F1 Rookie! Reader

Plot: Sergio wants to take a year or two out leaving an open seat in Red Bull and who better for Christian Horner to get besides Red Bull is the Red Bull Trainee who was there reserve driver last year and has been training for this moment.

"Sergio, are you serious?" Christian asks his second Red Bull member, Sergio had just come to him telling him he wouldn’t be renewing his contract with Red Bull and that he felt 2025 was a good time to take some earned leave from the sport. and not fully retire he had requested to be a mentor for the youth Red Bull drivers. Before he took time with his family, he knew he'd come back in a year or two, but as of now his family were where he needed to be at.

“Yes, I’m being serious. I want to spend more time with my family” he admits. It was getting draining, the travelling back and forth and not seeing his wife and children for weekends on end.

“Okay, but I’m putting you with the hardest piece of work you’ll ever meet in Motorsports, she’s driven to succeed and is a phenomenal driver but she has … well let’s just say she isn’t the easiest person to get along with and she’s put us all through hell. So if you are serious about this, that's who you have to mentor. She's quite frankly the only person I trust to take your place" Christian said, already thinking about how the hell they are going to announce the new line up for 2025.

It was lucky really, Audi were coming onto the scope in 2026, and there was talk that they were keen on giving you a seat since you were doing so well. So maybe this was actually a good thing, as it scared Christian more thinking of you in an Audi than Sergio out of a Red Bull.

"She's in the back, you can go meet her" he advises pointing a pen towards the garage where they stored different components and the spare wheels.

He walked through looking for someone that would potentially be this absolute piece of work that Christian had made you out to be. You from the way described were clearly on the younger agenda of the grid and he knew communicating with you may be hard because of that but what he didn't expect was a complete and utter lunatic.

He took one look at you and assumed you were basically feral, you had your helmet on, stereo in hand walking towards the garage where his and Max's cars were banging your head to the loud and aggressive music.

"Oh lord" Sergio breathes out looking at you, already knowing this would be a long 3 months of him training you.

"Y/N please turn that down! We're trying to work" one of the engineers working on the car complains as he puts the power drill down on the edge, not wanting to mess anything up.

"Arghhh fine Marcino, but you know you love my music" you grinned taking your helmet off. Your curly hair came falling out around it, in messy knots.

"Y/N?" Sergio calls out and looks over to you, he steps forward into the garage and smiles at you extending a hand. You shake it, clearly you had some kind of manners and decorum, he couldn't help but think.

"What's up old man?" you stifle a laugh trying to look as serious as possible.

"Old man? I'm only 34!" he exclaims looking at his hands to see if he could in fact pass himself off as an old man.

"Well, old to me" you smirk, picking up the bottle of squash you'd left on the workbench earlier, taking a quick swig from it.

"So, long story short. This old man is going on leave for a year or two and retire..." he starts trying to explain his situation to you.

"Oh so you are old old" you laugh giving him a pointed look.

"No- look let me finish, I'm retiring my car for a few seasons and for whatever reason Christian Horner wants you to take my seat, but before you do that I'm going to be training you" he offers and you place a hand on your hip, almost daring him to continue.

"And why may i ask do i need you to train me for this?" you asks, obviously you knew he was good at his job. It was Sergio Perez stood in front of you but that didn't mean your demeanor was up to slip and slide and make you look like an incompetent nobody.

"Come on, surly even you know that. I'm the only Red Bull in the last few years that has been able to keep up with Verstappen, you wanna give into the pressure like Gasly and Albon or do you want me to show you how to drive on par with the current world champion" he asks crossing his arms like a strict parent.

"God jheez alright. What do you want? You want me doing pressup's or neck training. Or time testing. Or you wanting me to show you how i can drive?" you ask looking at him.

"You think Christian flew you out to Abu Dhabi as a special guest? No your our test drive for tonight in free practice and you'll be driving my car with Verstappen"

"Oh its on" you say. The engineers step back observing the car.

"Go get into the suit Christian left for you, it'll be your first Red Bull racing suit" he says patting your back making you shrug off.

"Don't touch me bro" you say giving him the side eye before going and changing into your fireproofs and your suit. Navy blue looked good on you, you left with the Red Bull cap covering the face and walking back out to where Sergio had left you.

"You want some help getting in or?" Sergio asks awkwardly, looking at you as you walked round the car, a finger swiping around the halo as you got closer.

"Woah, I can drive the car I just cant get in it alone... that's really interesting how have i survived this long in motorsports its insane" you admit, looking over the car. One of the engineers hands you over your own helmet that someone had made look a little bit more like that off a Red Bull Driver.

"Alright enough with that sarcasm okay?" he frowns, he hands you the steering wheel and you place it in the car, you feel about getting familiar with it.

"Are you ready?" he asks slapping the visor down.

"Yeah" you smile, nodding at him.

You pull out onto the track, Verstappen pulled out after you which felt odd having a World Champion behind you on the track.

"Right, first lap do as normal get a lay for the track and what the car feels like. Then we can do a flying lap" the engineer advises.

You do as he says, testing the track. Your tires were good and the car felt powerful. You come around and some of the others pit, meaning its time for your flying lap.

"Push the car to the max without fucking it for Sergio okay?" the engineer offers, you chuckle a little into the radio finding it funny.

"Why put me in the damn car if you think im going to wreck it, no trust in me whatsoever" you frown, shaking you head a little before putting your foot down.

You were an amazing driver, however it seemed to most that you were fearless and a rather aggressive driver. Suitable to be able to match Max's driving style, however as a rookie you still had your mistakes and over or under judgements that in races would cost you places and potentially put you at risk.

You managed to complete two flying laps by the timer had run out for FP1.

"What are the positions?" you ask.

"Oscar in first, your in second and George in third" making you gasp in shock, you knew you'd drive quick but you didn't think it was top 3.

"Where did you learn to drive like that" Sergio asks you as you hopped out the car. You pull your helmet off and then your balaclava your hair falling around your face in a mess of tangled curls.

"Practice, by watching races? Why?" you say not really sure what else to say. You'd never had like a specific mentor, it was just the radio engineer and the team you were with giving you pointers in the debriefs on how to improve.

"You take angles that you shouldn't far to tight, making your tire management awful. Your aggressive and nearly took out Lando today, because he was slower on the straight. You have lots to learn" he admits crossing your arms. You got to argue back, having disagreed with the prior statements but you knew that would get you nowhere.

"So teach me..." you say leaning against his car.

Taglist:

@littlesatanicassholebitch @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @stupidandunnecessary @clayra-g @daemyratwst @honey-belden @moonypixel @lauralarsen @vader-is-hot @ironcowboycopnickel @itsjustkhaos @the-untamed-soul @beebo86 @happylittlereader @ziejustme @lou-larcher5 @thewulf @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @chillyleclerc @chanthereader @annoyingmoonballoon @summissss @evieepepi08 @havaneseoger08 @celesteblack08 @gulphulp @fandom1ruined2me @celebstories @starfusionsworld @jspitwall @sierruhhhh @georgeparisole @dakotatankbig @youcannotcancelquidditch @zzonsbeek @tallbrownhairsarcastic @mellowarcadefun @ourteenagetragedy @otako5811 @countingstacksandpanicattacks @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @peachiicherries

[g1rld1ary]

come home with me ; anthony lockwood x reader

➻ hbd lockwood & co!! this was meant to be for the anniversary but as always I have greatly miscalculated the english timezone... (also totally feeling pre-valentine's excitement!!)

➻ word count: 3720

➻ synopsis: when your bus breaks down in the middle of the night, one Anthony Lockwood may just be your knight in shining armour

➻ warnings: slight mentions of drinking, clubbing & drugs, lucy making slight suggestive jokes if you squint, reader is shorter than lockwood, sharing a bed, fluff

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

You sat in your bus seat, checking you still had all your cash and your fake I.D. Satisfied, your purse snapped shut, changing shape as you gripped it tightly. Although you took the bus fairly regularly, you felt much more alone tonight than you had in a while. You’d left your friends and their ‘galentines’ celebration early, not in the mood to go clubbing but not willing to ruin their vibe. Plus, you weren’t ready to celebrate a holiday all about love so soon after being dumped.

You fiddled with the bracelets on your wrist mindlessly, knowing you were still a long way from your family’s apartment. You quickly scoped out the rest of the bus. A few middle aged couples — you imagined they were returning from sweet Valentine’s Day dates and ready to be home and in bed before one. You thought it was sweet that their love was stronger than their fear of the Problem, though the iron lined buses probably helped quell their apprehensions. Your eye caught the only other young person on board, a boy around your age who was staring out the window, rapier hanging off the edge of the seat and into the aisle. An agent, clearly, though you wondered why he was alone when they usually travelled in teams.

You quickly averted your eyes, not wanting to be caught staring at anyone who could proficiently use a sword. You bounced along in the seat until the bus began to slow, jerking the passengers around aggressively. When it came to a proper halt you felt a spike of panic run through you. You were all alone in an area you didn’t know and still at least a half hour cab ride from home way past curfew. To top it all off you were in your heels and new slinky dress, prepared for the safety of a club and not the outdoor weather. You were going to die, you were sure of it.

Then the lights flickered and dimmed. Great. You were almost certain this was the end when the doors were locked too. You rolled your eyes as you watched one of the adults jiggle the door around until it could be forced open, then reluctantly followed the rest of the passengers out onto the street. Just your luck, you were in the middle of a random residential street with no overhead covers except a tiny iron bus stop fifty metres away, which you reluctantly let the older couples hide in. At least the ghost lamps were on, and your very average senses told you there weren’t many ghosts out tonight; were you the only person in London — dead or alive — who didn’t have a valentine?

You watched as the bus driver pulled open the hatch to expose the engine, tinkering around nervously to hurry and find the issue. You leant against a ghost lamp as a shaky protection and felt a few freezing rain droplets land on your bare arms. Fabulous, the night was just getting better and better. You watched the driver huff in frustration and glance around nervously, you doubted you’d be getting back on the bus anytime soon.

You slid down the ghost lamp until you were sitting on the damp ground, past trying to impress anyone at that point. You telepathically tried to send your friends a message that you were going to be found probably ghost touched or hypothermic in the morning. You breathed a sarcastic laugh to try and convince yourself it was a joke, but you could feel the panic rising in the back of your throat. At sixteen you were not equipped to be stuck on the side of the road well into the night, past curfew and pathetically unarmed. You could feel someone’s stare and couldn’t tell whether it was at your sad excuse of a dress or at your position on the ground, but you were past caring, not even trying to shield yourself.

“Sorry, everyone, but I can’t fix this. Your best bet now is getting a cab and getting inside as soon as you can,” The bus driver explained apologetically, and some of the couples groaned, eyeing out the street for a taxi. You were past the point of feeling phased, tilting your head up to face the sky and embracing the storm on your face, not even thinking about the mascara tracks being run. When you reopened your eyes there were only a few people left; the driver, one couple, the teenager and you. You stood reluctantly, trying to think of a way to get yourself home.

You cracked open your wallet sullenly, expecting exactly was in there. A few dollars; enough for a few drinks but not nearly enough for a taxi to where you were going. You sighed, feeling defeat creep upon you as you tried to come up with any other method of getting home. You could return to the club — if you survived the walk — but even then your friends would be either too drunk or too high to be of any assistance. A huge crack of thunder drew you from your thoughts, a lightning storm was definitely brewing. Amazing.

You sighed, stress manifesting as the hot tears beginning to stream down your face. You felt utterly hopeless. You had nowhere to go and no way of contacting anyone, you couldn’t even use a payphone to call your parents as you’d promised you’d stay in while they were away for the weekend.

“Why tonight?” You asked the sky, more to express your irritation than to search for an answer. You could hear the agent escorting the couple down the street to a cab, easily soothing their fears with overconfident assurances. You knew he’d returned only by the occasional drag of iron against cement accompanying his footprints, presumably his rapier. Unknown to you he watched you as he approached, taking in your dishevelled state. You were pretty, undeniably, but the mascara smudged from rain and tears and your hair stuck to your face and shoulders made you look like you might’ve seen better days. He sucked in a breath and approached you.

“Hi,” He said, “I’m Lockwood.”

“Y/n.” You turned to him, hoping he’d realise you had no interest in talking.

“I know this sounds really creepy, but will you please come home with me? Promise I’m not trying to murder you, but this storm’s not getting any better and I can’t leave you to the ghosts in good conscience. My house is only a few blocks away; I live with another boy and a girl, both my age so we wouldn’t be alone. You can take all the precautions you like — keys between the fingers, walk on the other side of the street if you want,” He rambled and you sized him up. A lanky boy with a sword or the ghosts? You figured you had a better chance against him if it came to it.

“Ok.” You nodded, trying to smoothly push yourself off the pavement and appear well put together in front of the strange boy.

Lockwood led the way, holding the umbrella over his head. You followed a few feet away, cautious to be out of reach, just in case he did want to hurt you. Though you were jealous of his prior planning for the rain.

“Here, take my coat. You must be freezing.” He held it out to you and you gladly accepted, spaghetti straps doing nothing to fend off the cold. The coat was warm and enveloped you entirely, sitting below the hem of your dress. “So, are you in school?” He tried to break the silence.

“Yeah, for history. You?” You cringed as you realised the redundancy of your statement — his being an agent of some sort was more than obvious and only emphasised by the rapier he held out in front of him. He answered kindly anyway.

“I never did much school, I’ve been an agent as soon as I was allowed.”

“That’s cool, you in a big agency?” You asked, and Lockwood beamed with pride.

“Not exactly — not yet. I run my own agency, soon to be the best in Britain. Lockwood and Co, you might have seen us in the papers?” You raised your eyebrows.

“Your own agency, huh? That’s big stuff. Wish I could say I’d heard of you, but I avoid the papers when I can, it just depresses me. You might have to be just Lockwood tonight if that’s alright,” You joked and Lockwood laughed out loud, giving you a glimpse of an illuminating smile.

“Just Lockwood is perfect,” He answered, and the conversation quickly moved on, the two of you quickly losing the awkward silences.

“I got caught up in my research — a first, believe me. If I’d known about the bus and the weather I would have just caught a cab, or bailed earlier which is far more likely.”

“Tell me about it. My friends are out clubbing and I’m here walking in the rain with a stranger — uh, no offence.”

“None taken,” He assured you, “Wait, how old are you?” He didn’t think you looked old enough to get into a club, although the smudged makeup may have had something to do with it.

“Sixteen…” You trailed off, suddenly afraid he would judge you for your bad habits.

“So you’ve got a fake ID?” He raised an eyebrow at your nod. “Lucky. I tried to get one once but my associate George yelled at me for forty minutes straight, I never tried again.” You giggled at his explanation, the image making Lockwood seem younger, less intimidating than he’d initially been.

You moved closer as you walked, eventually ending up under the umbrella and feeling much warmer without the violent rain. As you talked more you noticed Lockwood was quite attractive, in an odd sort of way. Despite his old fashioned attire (you didn’t think agents typically wore shirt and ties), he had the loveliest smile and soft looking hair, though some of it was plastered on his pale forehead, unable to escape the rain entirely. What stood out most though, were his cheekbones. They were impossibly defined and quite dreamy, if you were being honest.

You talked about all sorts of unexceptional things, and you had the impression that Lockwood was doing his best to entertain you and distract you from your previous mood. It was working though, so you had no complaints.

“I’ve got a bit of sensitivity — very average — but I’m not going to waste my adolescence being stuck in the nightwatch ‘cause I can’t make it to really being an agent,” You laughed softly, “So I figured if I studied history I could be of more use, learn more about the Problem and all that.”

“You’d get along famously with my friend George, he’s obsessed with trying to figure out the Problem. For me it’s about the action, knowing that I’m actually putting all these ghosts to rest and having a meaningful impact on people’s lives.” You watched him circle his sword in the air, keeping the few Type Ones around further than they’d been lurking.

“Is that why you started your own agency?”

The walk seemed much shorter once the two of you started talking, and soon you’d arrived at Lockwood’s house, 35 Portland Row. The outside was unassuming, but beautiful in the classic English way. You caught a glance of the Lockwood & Co sign and couldn’t help but smile; you could feel the love and passion Lockwood had for the company from the small discussion you’d had about it. As Lockwood pushed open the front door a woman was just heading up the staircase in the hall, but turned at the noise.

“Jesus, Lockwood, what time do you call this? I was getting worried! Who’s this?” She looked at you, and you couldn’t help but feel self conscious under the beautiful girl’s stare. You thought she looked a bit teasing, and realised what conclusions she’d drawn. Embarrassing, but understandable.

“Luce, this is y/n. Y/n, Lucy, my associate. She’s staying with us tonight; our bus broke down and getting her home at this time is practically impossible.” Lucy nodded, but the amused twinkle in her eye didn’t dull.

“It’s nice to meet you then. I’d offer for you to bunk in with me, but I’ve got a nasty flu coming on and I doubt you’d want me anywhere near you.” She gestured down to the thick blanket wrapped around her shoulders and the steaming tea in her hand. You smiled to absolve her of responsibility and she waddled back up the stairs and into the dark.

Lockwood, in turn, led you up to the first landing and into his bedroom. He rifled through a chest of drawers as you tried not to snoop, eyes instead catching on the alluring movement of his fingers. He eventually handed you a t-shirt and some tracksuit pants.

“They might be a bit big, but they’ll do for the night,” He sounded embarrassed and you smiled in thanks. “The shower’s just down the hall, second door. You can go clean up.” You thanked him again before heading for a much needed shower.

You stood under the hot water, more than mindful not to take too long. You were so caught up in being grateful to be alive and not ghost touched or stranded in the middle of London that the weirdness of the situation hadn’t fully caught up to you until now. Once dried you put on the clothes Lockwood had given you and laughed slightly at your reflection. Despite your figure the clothes still unexpectedly swallowed you. It made sense since Lockwood was so tall, but you found it funny nonetheless.

You returned to find Lockwood sitting on the edge of his bed and stood in front of him awkwardly, unsure of how to proceed.

“So, um, I’m not a great sleeper so I think I’ll go read in the library for a bit and probably stay there. You can take the bed.” His previous easy confidence was gone, and Lockwood suddenly looked his age again, innocent and awkward.

“Are you sure? I can take a couch or something, I don’t want to intrude.” Lockwood assured you that he wasn’t going to sleep anytime soon anyway, and he was sure you needed the bed much more than he would. You bade him goodnight shyly, and thanked him for the millionth time before climbing into his bed, ashamed to admit how much you liked the pillow that smelt like him.

However, once it was just you in the dark, all your previous exhaustion had dissolved and you were wide awake, too on edge to sleep. You were in a strangers house on the other side of the city in the middle of the night, you very well may not live to see another day. Logically you knew you were being dramatic, Lockwood and Lucy both seemed lovely and genuine, but then again, so did Ted Bundy.

You felt like you’d been lying in bed for hours when the door creaked open and you inadvertently made eye contact with Lockwood creeping in, looking admittedly adorably soft in his worn pyjamas.

“Sorry,” He said, “I needed an extra blanket. Can’t sleep?” You used the light from the hall to glance at the clock, almost two o’clock. You shook your head softly, feeling almost guilty when he’d given up his bed for you. Lockwood stood in the doorway for a moment, seemingly hesitant about something. “Do you, um, do you want me to read to you for a bit? It always worked for me when I was younger.” He sounded sheepish but you thought he was the sweetest person on earth at that moment. You agreed quickly, and he slotted himself in on the other side of the bed.

You huddled in to face him and Lockwood cleared his throat softly. He had continued on from where he’d evidently left off in the library so the plot was a mystery to you, but his soothing voice worked wonders in calming your thoughts, weary eyes closing quickly to send you into a cozy sleep. Lockwood, unbeknownst to you, fell asleep uncharacteristically fast after you, novel left upside down on the nightstand. Despite his usual aversion to sleep, having a warm body and small snores next to him strangely made him want to start getting eight hours a night.

Lucy was assigned to wake Lockwood for breakfast the next morning upon George’s request, and silently sent a prayer before pushing open his door, wary of what she might find. To her surprise (and personal relief) you two were in bed together, but not in the way that she’d dreaded walking in on. You were both totally clothed, your head resting on Lockwood’s chest, his arm around your waist, effectively keeping you burritoed in the blanket. Lockwood’s eyes snapped open, a habit he’d never detested more, and groaned at Lucy’s good humoured snicker when they locked eyes. She shut the door behind her quickly, leaving Lockwood to deal with things on his own.

You woke not long after, feeling Lockwood stirring next to you and his breathing start to become irregular.

“Morning,” He slurred, still half asleep and wanting nothing more than to pay off his sleep debt with you keeping him safely in bed.

“Good morning.” You smiled sweetly, already in a good mood. You bent to collect your clothes off the floor, eyeing your dress with mild disgust — it would be quite the walk of shame home.

“Keep the clothes.” Lockwood gestures casually to your outfit and you shook your head vehemently.

“I can’t, they’re yours!” You protested but he seemed not to care at all.

“I don’t need them, just have them. They look good.” You flushed and dropped the fight, words lost in the vacuum of your brain. You busied yourself with rolling the cuffs a few times so it wasn’t quite as obvious they weren’t yours.

Lockwood led you down to the kitchen, asking you about your plans for the day. You were met with Lucy and one other boy in the kitchen, Lucy sitting at the table already tucking into her meal while the boy was standing by the stove.

“I mean, come on Lockwood, you couldn’t have given me any warning we had a fourth for breakfast? Bloody good thing we had enough eggs or it would’ve been you going hungry!” The boy muttered to himself, apparently unaware of your entry. You locked eyes with Lucy who was holding back her laugh and Lockwood coughed uncomfortably.

“Morning, Georgie,” He smiled an amused grin, practically blinding you in the early morning. George froze as he realised he’d been caught, then doubled down his mood with a glare in Lockwood’s direction but it simply bounced off the charm he oozed and you smiled. You introduced yourself quickly and explained the situation, not wanting to uphold the tension in the room. George wasn’t exactly as warm as Lucy, but then you got the impression that it wasn’t in his nature to be.

Lockwood and Lucy upheld forced small talk as you became nervous in the new environment and George simply had no desire to talk, at least, until Lockwood had the bright idea to get the ball rolling.

“So Georgie, y/n actually studies the Problem. Like, academically.” It was like a switch had flipped and suddenly George had so much to say you were overwhelmed with it all. You tried to explain your research area as best you could while trying to politely ask questions about his own knowledge and make a good impression. Lockwood must have sensed your anxiety as he put a hand on your thigh and gave it a reassuring squeeze under the table, chuckling softly into his eggs.

Your meal passed quickly after that, and you felt strangely at home in the cozy kitchen, amongst three people who were total strangers only hours before. Yet, it had to come to an end at some point, and it was soon time for you to go.

You collected your things, profusely thanking each of them for not only saving you (Lockwood), but also for the ridiculously delicious breakfast (George).

“You really saved my life,” You said, as Lockwood disregarded yet another thanks.

“It’s nothing, you would have done the same. You, uh, you should come around again sometime.” You beamed, nodding quickly.

“Yeah, I have about a thousand more questions for you — not an exaggeration,” George said, and you easily agreed to share more of your research with him.

“Plus, we like seeing Lockwood blush,” Lucy added cheekily, and then it was your turn to blush, forcing your eyes down to the floor as both George and Lucy laughed at the pair of you, mirror images in your embarrassment.

Although it may have looked like you were making a post-Valentine’s Day walk of shame, you were gleeful. You hadn’t at all imagined your night would turn out as it had, but you’d made new friends — and maybe the start of something more, and managed to avoid being ghost touched which you always counted as a win. You ignored the judgemental looks you received in slept in joggers and club ready heels, and delighted in getting home before your parents arrived back and noticed you were missing.

You locked the door to your apartment behind you and dialled the number Lucy had made you promise to call when you were safe and sound, hanging up with plans for dinner at Portland Row the following week.

You flopped back on your bed and grinned. You were sure you’d see more of Lockwood & Co in the future.

[insideout-black]

CONDITION #296 - BIPOLAR DISORDER (BP/BD)

(Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that each last from days to weeks.)

Inspired by Gary the bus driver's 5 Angers. I know it was just a joke by the animators, but I’ve always been intrigued by how come Gary's emotions are all Angers and nothing else. My guess is that when a person falls into mental illness, some emotions might gain the ability to infect and assimilate the rest. In Gary's case, it would be Anger, which is why he is always so rageful!

But what would happen if there were two infectious emotions at the same time??

The following is the full diagnostic report of Bipolar Disorder, attached with the scan results of neuroimaging to showcase its development in Riley's mind.

STAGE 1 - INCUBATION

※ Random exchanges in skin colors and facial or body features observed

Manifestation: Joy and Sadness are mutualy infected. They can no longer make Riley feel their respective emotion accurately anymore. For instance, Joy may cause Riley to feel sad or occasionally, even plunge her into profound sadness, and vice versa. Despite it is never possible to do so - physically speaking. And what's worse, just a light touch from them can overwhelm Riley with excessive emotion! Due to this instability, both are heavily restricted from using the console.

STAGE 2 - OUTBREAK

※ Coincidental contact triggered an assimilation event. The likelihood of its occurrence is notably heightened upon simultaneous engagement with the console

Manifestation: The bodies of Joy and Sadness begin to inadvertently assimilate each other. As both grow increasingly deformed with each passing day, no emotion dares to approach their former colleagues as they all fear it is some sort of unknown infection. Anxiety—Riley’s secondary dominating emotion—secretly begins to take charge in stealth whenever the duo is not present.

STAGE 3 - RAMPAGE

※ Unsuccessful assimilation eventually resulted in a persistent interlocking state, wherein bodily form undergoes cyclic shifts in an unpredictable pattern

Manifestation: The failure has ultimately left Joy and Sadness trapped within their own body. Still, the absorption did not stop there and is what continuously twisting their physical form. Riley’s mood state shifts whenever one of the emotion became dominant by possessing most of their shared body and hindering the suppressed emotion from reaching for the console herself, which is essentially forcing the latter into dormancy. On top of that, the failing to break free from this agony has intensified the aggression among themselves, even to the point where they are starting to believe that eliminating the other half in order to regain control of the console and the body - as well as for the betterment of Riley's mental health - is an inevitable necessity.

Yet as their conflict deepen, so is Riley's internal turmoil…

Summary: Bipolar Disorder is the horrifying result when two infectious emotions (in this case: Joy and Sadness) failed to completely assimilate with one another, causing the host to suffer emotional swings from both ends instead of just one.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and please DO NOT take this as an actual or 100% accurate portrayal of Bipolar Disorder. This is intended solely as an imagination project and is based on the comments from people with Bipolar plus my own interpretation. Always consult a professional if you have concerns!

[dmajor7th]

Renouncing the throne would not set Wilhelm free

A question asked of those in the Young Royals fandom: Are you Team Monarchy or Team Abdication?

For those who wish to see Wilhelm fulfil his birthright, the desire comes from him being able to find peace with himself and thus the role, and setting an example by living as the first openly queer monarch in Swedish Royal history. That it denies August the position also helps this argument.

For those who wish to see Wilhelm renounce the thrown, the desire comes from wishing him to be free from the shackles of unasked for expectations, and emancipated from the pressure that crushes down on his wellbeing, his romantic relationship, and his ability to live a "normal" teen and adult life.

But here's the thing: Wilhelm is marked for life. Refusing to become King, and removing himself from all royal duties and the Crown itself, will not lead him to become a "normal" person.

There is a real world, contemporary example of a prince forsaking his duties and being no freer from the media circus that haunts him—Prince Harry of the British Royal Family. The details of his conflict and departure from his royal duties are widely publicised, no less than in his own autobiography. To be sure, the pressures and scrutiny he has faced growing up are horrific—least of all the media treatment of his mother's death—and the racialised aggression towards his wife is beyond disgusting. It makes total sense that he would want to remove himself and his own family from the shit show that is being a royal in the Internet Age.

But rather than give him and his family the peaceful life he seems to crave, the media fire has only intensified. How much of this is driven my him I can't say; but the point is, making an effort to step away form his expectations has not freed him.

And so, to Wilhelm. He can chose to renounce the thrown, and he can choose not to become King, but he will always, always, be Prince Wilhelm. Unless he were to completely cut himself off from society, run away into a forest and never be seen again, he will forever be marked as a Prince.

Wille has also stated that he actually likes the monarchy. Who would he even be outside of it? He can't just get a job in a bakery or be a bus driver. What would he do? How would he live?

What I want is for Wilhelm to be able to find peace with himself and his place in the world, and based on what we've seen in season 3, I don't think it's more likely that will come to him outside of the monarchy than within it. He is a young, troubled man who needs considerable help and support, and I don't think leaving the framework he's accustomed to—with all of the resources it provides—to walk into an even greater media fire will help him.

I want Wille to be happy and I want him to be free. But moving away from his family and birthright is not, for me, the answer.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Blind Offer 2

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as noncon, manipulation, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: After a leak causes you to evacuate your apartment, your landlord offers a vacant unit that’s too good to be true. (short!plus!reader)

Character: Steve Rogers, additional characters to come

Note:  This is one of my Corrupt-A-Wish requests but I won’t reveal which one right away because it’ll be part of the plot!

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me &lt;3

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!)

Love you like I love turning intended one shots into series. Take care. 💖

You come out of work exhausted. The back to school crowd is still in full effect and infringing on your stocking time. Rather than pop your earbud in and lose yourself in barcodes and inventory counts, you more often found yourself searching out a salesman or running to the back to grab a device yourself.

You yawn into the crook of your elbow, feet carrying you out of routine rather than any coherent thought. There’s a flash of headlights as you pass a car idling along the pick up area and you slow down as you squint at the tinted windshield. The interior bulb flicks on and Steve leans forward, giving you a look through the glass as if you should be expecting him.

You slow down and approach the driver’s side as he rolls down the window. You lean in and give a sheepish smile, “uh, I…”

“Didn’t text?” He finishes your sentence, “I figured you were busy.”

“Oh, well, you didn’t–”

“Have to come get you. Yeah, I figured you’d say that again. Really, it’s kind of selfish on my part. Thinking of you waiting in the dark alone, it’s kind of my fault you even have to so I can at least give you a lift.”

“That’s… nice of you but tomorrow, I can catch a bus.”

“If you insist,” he shrugs, “I won’t twist your arm with my kindness.”

You laugh softly, unsure of his humour. It’s more akin to passive aggression. As if even thinking of passing up his offer is an insult. Wouldn’t it be worse to use him for free rides? You’re already getting to stay in a property well above your lease value.

“You gonna get in?” He prompts.

“Yeah, sure, sorry, I–”

“Hey, thanks for the help on that Lenovo,” Remo calls as he walks out the front doors, shooting you a three finger wave, “not bad for a warehouse jockey.”

“No problem. Have a good night,” you wave back.

You skirt around the hood of the car and grab the door handle. It snaps back and you wait until the locks clack back loudly. You get in and gently shut the door. You unreel the seat belt as Steve adjusts his rearview.

“You got a lot of friends at work?” He asks as he shifts gear, resting his toe lightly on the gas.

“Eh, I guess,” you lean your arm on the door, “busy day. Did a lot of running around.”

“Huh, yeah, maybe I should stop in tomorrow. Need some stuff for a few units. Got a security cam I need to replace and– you got appliances, don’t you?” He rambles over the steering wheel.

“Yeah, uh, I think. Mostly to order,” you rest your cheek against your knuckles and watch how you pass in and out of the yellow cones cast by streetlights. “I guess you’re still looking for a new washer then?”

“Well, they don’t make the same model anymore. Space is pretty compact which means I need something with the same dimensions. I’m shopping around,” He taps his fingers on the wheel, “I’ll figure it out.” 

You nod and give a hum. No use worrying too much about it. You only rent the place, it’s really not your problem to think about the washer. He did say it already had issues before you.

“So, how do you like the place?” He asks abruptly.

“Huh, oh, yeah, it’s very nice. Big,” you answer nervously.

“Yeah, that one’ll go for a lot. A few showings but no bites yet. Probably won’t get anything until I can get you back to your place, heh,” he says the last part casually as if it isn’t directly aimed at you.

“Mmm, um, then I hope you find a washer soon,” you pull your arm away from the door and sit back in the seat. “I hate to be in the way.”

“In the way? I’m the landlord, I knew what I was getting into,” he assures you lightly, though it does little to assuage your doubts. “Oh, and since you didn’t really get a chance, I got a few groceries and left them at the place. Just to get you by.”

“You– Oh, gosh, how much do I owe you?”

“Consider us even. You’ve been pretty cooperative with all this back and forth, I’m the one who owes you.”

“Well, I don’t mind paying for my food–”

“Really, sweetheart, do you always react so adversely to kindness?”

“What? I’m not– no.”

“I’m being nice. I can tell you, there’s not a lot of landlords out there like me. I actually enjoy helping my tenants…” he turns onto a dark street and you shiver. You’ve never been down this way but you don’t live on this side of town. “I always said, whatever you need, just ask.”

“Sure, um, thanks,” you murmur.

He turns back onto a lit avenue as a glint of light flickers over him and draws your eyes. You catch him peeking at you, his blue eye reflecting the flash before he can look back at the road ahead. You shiver and cross your arms. It didn’t seem like he was looking at your face.

“Fresh sheets on the bed too. Hope you don’t mind, I did a once over when you were gone. Just to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Quick vacuum and all that.”

“It’s your place,” you say, “I’ll be sure to leave it how I found it.”

He inhales, deep enough for you to hear, “I know. You’re not a troublemaker, are you?”

You swallow and furrow your brow at the dashboard. Again, it’s not just his words but his vague tone. You don’t understand the question.

“Good girl like you always pays her rent on time,” he praises, “I can tell you, that’s not always the case.”

You let out a breath, “oh, aha, yeah, well, scheduled payments… technology, right?”

“Mhmm,” he sucks his teeth and lets his arm rest on the console between the seats, ”it’s so easy to be lazy these days.”

🖤

Steve walks you up to the front door. Just in case you can’t get the code right, he claims. You get it on the first try and thank him. Again. He lingers, as if reluctant to leave you, as if he’s expecting to come inside with you. Almost as if you should invite him in.

You say good night and lock the door behind you. You take your time untying your black sneakers and hang your hoodie on the coat rack. When you dare to peek out the window, he’s only just striding down the path back to his car.

It’s slightly creepy but then you feel guilty, thinking maybe you were being rude not asking him in for a tea or something. You don’t know. This whole situation is awkward as hell.

You wander into the kitchen, your stomach growling from the measly microwave dinner you ate on your break. Steve’s ‘small shop’ is much more generous than you expect. Overdoing it seems to be a trait of his.

You read the side of the organic milk in the curved bottle. You know that it costs three times as much as your usual carton of skim. And the greek yogurt, definitely expensive. All brand names, none of the generic discount bin goodies you thrive on.

You let the fridge close as you take out the boxed butternut squash soup. Fancy, you think as you peruse the label. Gourmet, so it claims. You put some in a small pot and heat it up on the gas burner. As you do, you thumb through your phone, pacing around between stirring the thick orange puree.

You eat rich soup with a brioche bun from the market bag. You’re thankful now Steve didn’t ask for compensation, you’re not sure you could foot that bill. And to think, after him praising your timely payments, you would default on a grocery receipt.

You shut off the lights downstairs and flip on the sconce above the staircase and follow it up to the second floor. You come down the hall with a yawn, the bedroom door open and waiting for you. Your duffel is on the dresser where you left it.

You sift around for a loose tee shirt to sleep in and pull out your toiletry bag. You go into the bathroom and change before unzipping the pouch. You take out your cleanser and wash your face over the sink. You pause as you drop the bottle through the open mouth of the blush coloured bag, a fuchsia shape poking out from under your mouthwash.

You reach in and retrieve your bullet vibrator. What the hell? You definitely don’t remember packing that in your hasty evacuation. Besides, why would you put it in there? You shake your head and drop it back to the bottom. 

You pat your face dry and take out your tweezers, cleaning up your brows and a few vagrant hairs along your chin. You put them away then ply on your night cream, making a face at yourself as you brush your teeth. You flip the switch off and use the light on your phone to find your way to bed. 

You lay awake for almost an hour. You’ve never been good at sleeping in strange places. The house feels so empty it’s eerie. Your ears are pricked for any noise but there isn’t much. The walls are so thick, you don’t even hear the rustling of the tree that casts a shadow through the window or the chirp of crickets. Despite its luxury, the house is desolate.

Your eyelids start to itch and you feel your muscles ease. You start to drift down, a slow swirling descent that tingles in your sockets. That shell starts to encase you, little by little, paralysing you as it drags you down.

BANG!

It isn’t loud but sudden. The dull noise jars you up, chasing away the advance of your fatigue. You look around, heart beating wildly, searching for the source. It sounded close but you can’t be sure. It could’ve been all in your mind as you tiptoed the threshold of your unconscious.

You bounce to the edge of the bed and stand, wobbling through the dark until you find the switch by the door. The light shines out around you as you stop in the doorway, glancing trepidatiously towards the stairs. You near the top and turn on the next light, a cautious progress through the spacious house.

You go down each step, one at a time, and when you get to the bottom, you illuminate the entryway too, the front room, and finally the kitchen. There’s nothing there. You didn’t really expect to find anything. The noise felt much closer to the bedroom.

You return to the second floor, shutting off the lights along the way, and you peer down the hallway. You didn’t check up here. You pad along the soft runner rug and peek into the bathroom before you approach the closed door of the study.

You touch the handle and a zing of fear courses through you. You should just go back to bed. You don’t need to know.

You turn it and inch inside, snaking your other hand in to flick on the lights. The same. Nothing there. You shut the door and proceed to the second bedroom, the door is slightly ajar so you kick it open with your foot and let the light in the hallway pour in. Empty.

You’re imagining things. It’s being in this strange house. Whenever you stayed the night at your grandmother’s it was the same thing. If you weren’t awake, waiting for the creaks of the house to prove something sinister, you were trapped in shallow night terrors that felt too real.

You return to the bedroom. You don’t turn off the light right away. You grab your charger and plug in your phone, opening up the white noise app you never used. You scroll through the choices with their dreamy names; serenity, fantasy, rejuvenation…

Your thumb hovers over the start button as you hear something else. Muffled and hollow. You frown, you can’t tell if it’s real or your mind playing tricks. There’s such a surreal distant effect to the scream that you can’t be sure it’s not some stray cat yowling in the street. The silence that ensues feeds your doubt. You’re looking for peculiarities, that’s all.

You press play on the soothing wishing noises and set your phone on the night table. You get up to shut off the lights and quickly nestle into bed, pulling a pillow over your head to block out the room. You just need to make it through the first night.

🖤

The next day, you leave earlier than usual. The change in your bus route and prospect of a narrow transfer from one bus to the next, has you anxious. Before you leave, you double check that you have your bus pass and some spare change just in case. You hook your bag around your shoulder, the security system announcing your exit; ‘front door open’.

You pull the door shut and hit the lock icon on the pad. You test the handle to make sure it’s closed and for a moment, you’re disoriented as you hear the door unlock but it doesn’t budge. You frown and look up as a shadow emerges from the unit next to yours. It wasn’t your door.

A man with long brown hair poking out from under a ball cap turns to punch in his code before locking it. The pad flashes red confirming the door is secured. He scowls at the handle as he drops his arm straight, his hand balling to a fist as he mutters.

“Morning,” you greet, the typical squeaky greeting you give to your neighbours.

He winces and turns as he looks up at you. You must’ve surprised him. You give an apologetic wave and tight-lipped smile. His blue eyes shock you, bold but bright in his chiseled face. He tilts his head slightly before he spins without response and stalks away. You watch his broad shoulders as he marches across the street without looking.

Not the friendliest of neighbours but the first one you’ve encountered. It’s a little less offputting knowing you’re not the only one around. You let out a long breath and make your way down the paved pathway to the sidewalk. You peek back at the unit next door. The curtains are drawn and the place looks dark even at the peak of day.

You shrug it off. You should only be there for a couple more days. That’s it. That’s all you have to get through.

[bloodmoonmuses]

the weatherman's weathered heart | mark lee

genre: weatherman! mark lee x reader, enemies to lovers, slowburn

[series masterlist] [next chapter]

chapter one: coffee hit and run

This is the third time you’ve told yourself you’d stop drinking coffee, yet here you are again- preparing to do the literal opposite. Autumn has wrapped her fingers around summer’s waist, nippy morning air whistling through the crack of your bedroom window. Your cat, Luna, is napping on an armchair, making you jealous of her furnace-like warmth. You shrug on a denim jacket, a sturdy one passed down from your dad, then make your way down the block. Marnie’s, the ever beloved independent coffee shop in your hometown, is a seven minute walk from your house. 

The conveniency of such is where you place blame for your lack of a backbone. It’s also on your way to work, Jagerman Printing Co., making the practice of scooping up your double americano (with a hefty splash of half and half) a staple in your morning routine. 

A bell rings upon your entry and you shuffle into the short line. There’s three people in front of you: At the front of the line stands the town’s school bus driver. He gets a London fog, requesting half the amount of lavender syrup. Next is an artist type, struggling to hold a thick stack of photos in his hands as he orders his iced macchiato. You’ve seen him in your shop before, attempting to flirt with your coworker, Hongjoong, so he could get a discount on his prints. Finally, just in front of you, is a man in a suit. His hair is aggressively and artificially blonde, navy blue ensemble making it practically glimmer. He’s quite spiffy. Maybe he works at the bank, you think to yourself. 

The alleged banker gets an iced americano. Triple. With an extra shot of espresso. The cashier, Marnie’s eldest daughter named Minnie, jokes that he must be really tired. The blonde man scoffs, but in agreement says, “You have no idea.” He tips generously, 4 dollars and some change, then side steps to wait for his drink. 

Now it’s time to receive your poison. When she recognizes your face, Minnie says, “Your usual?” 

To which you say, “Yes, please.” You tip as well, walking over to the side counter to wait. You pull out your phone, opening it to see that Hongjoong has texted you.

HJ (derogatory): This newspaper intern is clueless. Typo on the order for this week’s batch. Need more prints.

You: omw soon. Chat her up, can’t afford any negative reviews. 

HJ (derogatory): No promises.

You rock back and forth on your feet, thinking about how many more newspapers the girl could possibly need. The most compelling news story you had read in the last year was about the town’s duck pond. This wasn’t exactly the New York Times. The error probably meant you’d be going into work a bit earlier tomorrow. Regardless, you liked your mundane job. Going into printing technology wasn’t the most glamourous, but where else does an affinity to paper and a concerning level of attention to detail lead you? 

The menial admin work, e-mails and scheduling brought you comfort. You liked managing your little team. Some projects were more fun than others: birthday invitations, wedding save-the-dates, highschool yearbooks… Disdain only arose in you when people didn’t know how to do their job. Like this intern. 

For some reason, the interns at the newspaper office across town were in and out like goldfish at a pet store. It felt like every other month you were having to explain to some poor kid how to properly put in a printing request for the coming week. Maybe you should do admin work over there. They’d probably think you were a genius. Or a magician. 

You’re snapped out of your internal dialogue by the feeling of being shoulder checked. Hard. A few seconds pass, during which you register the sensation of liquid soaking through your shirt. The scent of espresso enters your nostrils and you scoff at the situation. Did someone just… spill their coffee on you? 

You whip your head around, words caught in your throat, in an attempt to see who just ruined your morning. In a blur, you recognize the offender to be the blonde man who was in front of you in line. He’s running out of the door, half empty cup sloshing around in his frantic hand, while screaming into his phone. 

“What?! I didn’t approve that poor excuse of a fucking article!” he says. “…Already in print? I said no, that journalist, she-” 

“Hey!” You yell after him, looking at your chest in shock. “I think you spilled something!” 

The bell above the door rings, signaling the alleged banker’s exit. The man doesn’t even look back, too engrossed in his argument to care.

When the adrenaline begins to fade out, you make eye contact with Minnie, who you assume saw the entire exchange from her spot behind the counter. She places your double americano on the counter, the side of the cup with your name sprawled on it facing outward. You walk up to the counter and take the warm drink. 

While handing you some napkins, Minnie says, “At least his was an iced drink.” You look down at your cream colored top and the dark splotch that now adorns it. Fuck.

—

When you arrive at the printing shop, Hongjoong is beet red. The guy holds so much anger in that little body of his. He can be surprisingly intimidating, when the situation permits such.

“You do realize there’s a big difference between one hundred and one thousand, right?” Hongjoong says, voice laced with annoyance. 

The mousy intern shakes. “Yeah, but– I just figured, y’know… since this is a weekly order, you might’ve realized it was a typo on your own.”

Honjoong chortles. “Oh, so it’s my fault? Newspapers are an antiquated form of media to begin with, and I’m not really sure why we continue to deal with this bullsh-”

You interject, shooting the intern an apologetic smile. “Take it easy, big man. You’re not scaring anyone in that vest,” you say. The intern stifles a scoff. “We’ll just print the rest tomorrow. No biggie.”

“Um, ‘yes biggie’. I don’t wanna work overtime. Gotta finalize the design for those marathon flyers too,” Hongjoong retorts.

He gives you the up-down, taking note of your frazzled demeanor and adds, “What’s with the stain on your shirt?”

“I’ll do it then,” you sigh. “I’ve got nothing better to do. And the stain? Don’t wanna talk about it.” 

Hongjoong humphs. 

Sliding behind the front counter, you place your satchel and americano down at your desk. Then, you head to the back, grabbing the boxes of newspapers you do have printed. They’re still warm from the press, the scent of the ink calming you down- if only slightly. 

“Here’s a hundred copies. I’ll have the others by nine tomorrow morning. Just… be more careful next time,” you tell the intern.

“Got someone to help you carry these?” asks Hongjoong. The intern shakes her head. “I’ll carry them out. Which one’s your car?” The girl points and he promptly gathers the boxes. 

“Hey, by the way,” you say to the girl, “do you know why they need an extra three hundred? The order is usually seven hundred copies a week.”

“Something about an interview with a weatherman. The moms here really like him-”

The door to the shop opens again and you think it’s Hongjoong, but when you turn, it’s the man from the coffee shop. He’s still on the phone. Great. The offender of your coffee hit-and-run is here to add insult to injury. What are the odds of that?

“Speak of the devil…” the intern says under her breath. 

“I’m not exactly sure how the article got approved for print in the first place,” the man whisper-shouts into his phone. “I was told it was going to focus on my passion for meteorology or my down to earth persona. Not digging into my personal life. Whatever the intent, I want it scrapped. Entirely.”

Hongjoong now re-enters the shop, glancing at the suit-clad man, recognition flickering on his face. “Wow, we’ve got a small-town celebrity here in Jagerman’s? To what do we owe the honor?”

Finally, after hanging up the phone, the previously alleged banker says, “I’m here about the newspaper.”

“Just packed up the first batch of copies,” says Hongjoong. “Since when did you work for the newspaper?”

“I don’t work for the newspaper, I’m Mark… Mark Lee?” He says. Then, he looks at you expectantly.

Hongjoong simply laughs. 

“Is that name supposed to mean something to me?” You ask, agitation rising in your chest.

“Channel 127 News? Beloved weatherman and meteorologist?” Mark continues. 

Hongjoong laughs again. “A real big shot,” he says.

You shake your head. “Not ringing a bell.” 

At this, the bank- weather…man scoffs incredulously. “Well if you crack open one of those newspapers, you’ll see my face all over it.”

“Ah. Popular with the moms. Well, as I told this young lady here,” you gesture to the intern, “we’ll have the rest of the copies tomorrow. There was a misunderstanding with the printing order.”

“That’s what I’m here about. I don’t want them printed.” Mark crosses his arms.

“Well, they already are,” you huff. You had cut the intern some slack, but this guy? He’s a grown man pouting over some paper. And he spilled coffee on you. Honestly, you were more upset about the latter- and the fact that Mark seemingly has no recollection of this. Are you that invisible? Forgettable? 

Nevertheless, the weatherman persists. “Then I don’t want them distributed,” he says.

You cross your arms, mirroring Mark. “You have no authority over that decision.”

Mark exhales dramatically, pinching his nose bridge in frustration. “Are you always this rude to your customers?”

“Do you always spill coffee on unassuming printing technicians?” At this, Mark pauses, finally placing your face. As recognition floods his features you add, “Four shots of watered down espresso on my new shirt. It’s a shame really.” Mark’s face flushes.

“What could possibly be in this article that would make you come all the way here? The news station is on the other side of town,” you inquire.

Mark stammers. “It’s nothing-”

“An affair? Tax fraud? Oh my god, I’m the first to hear about Weatherman-Gate,” says Hongjoong.

You chuckle. “‘Small-Town Weatherman Commits Tax Fraud”. What a headline. I’d actually read that.”

“I didn’t commit tax fraud. I just… didn’t approve of the article. So that’s illegal, right?”

The intern tuts. “You undergoing the interview was the approval. No take backs.”

“‘No take backs’? Are you a toddler?” asks Mark.

“I’m 21,” she responds, chipper as ever.

“So, you are a toddler,” you and Hongjoong say in unison. 

“Jinx!” exclaims Hongjoong. “Buy me a coke after my shift?” You wave off his question, returning to the issue at hand.

“I’m sorry, but this isn’t my problem,” you say.

“Look, I’m sorry I spilled coffee on you, I am, but this is my livelihood. I’d really appreciate it if-”

“You’re gonna have to go to the newspaper office,” you contend. “Like I said, this isn’t my problem.” 

Mark goes quiet. As you turn to walk back to your desk, he whispers out a plea. The quiver in his voice makes you stop in your tracks.

“Please.” You spin back around to see that his eyes are now glassy. For a moment, you think he’s about to cry. 

You look over to Hongjoong. He’s not having any of it. Knowing him, he probably thinks this Mark guy is full of shit. However, you (unfortunately) have empathy. Whatever’s in this article, he doesn’t want it to come out. You sigh. The admin at the newspaper isn't gonna like this one bit.

“We only have a portion of them printed,” you confess. “If you can get the editor to change the article by tonight-”

Mark erupts into a gleeful cheer, effectively cutting you off. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” He engulfs you into an awkward embrace, jumping up and down like a little girl. 

Hongjoong snaps a picture. “A lot of Facebook moms are gonna be jealous of you,” he says.

While in Mark’s hold, you remember the stain on your shirt. “One more thing.”

Mark immediately concedes, finally freeing you from his death grip. “Yes. Anything. I’ll do anything,” he says.

“You owe me a new shirt.”

a/n: feedback is always appreciated! thx for reading! <3

[happysaddca]

This took entirely too long and the ending is a touch rushed but @wyervan said anime beach episode and I laughed. So hard. Because Ellis has trauma.

CW there's mention of drowning and medical malpractice. Ellis talks about, very briefly, being intersex. Specifically CAIS.

There's a little bonus at the bottom of the fic.

“No.” 

“You like nature.” 

“I don't like water.” 

“Please?” 

Ellis makes a face at the oven door. They’re busy preparing a quiche for the arcade staff and Moon is meant to be helping. His ‘helping’ is laying out on the bed, toying with Eos’s tail and tormenting Ellis with promises of a vacation, just them and their employers. The problem is, Moon’s not wrong. Ellis loves traveling; it’s why they converted Sue to begin with. And it’s been months since their last trip. They’re itching to travel. 

They just really, really don’t want to go to the beach. 

“Ellis?” 

Moon’s voice brings them back into their body, where they haven’t moved for what, twenty, thirty seconds? Just staring at the timer on the oven. It’s blinking. Had they even set it? “Moon, I can’t swim.” 

“We’ll teach you.” He doesn’t even look up, still playing with Eos’s tail. 

Ellis shakes their head, squeezing their hands into their palms in an attempt to stop the buzzing. “Where will everyone sleep? My bed is barely big enough for you alone Moon, and I’m not sure how ethical sleeping with my employers would be, practicality aside.” The image of Moon tucked against their chest, resting their chin on his head. The intrusive thought leaves them hot even as they shove it far, far, far away. 

What’s been wrong with them lately? Too many long distance phone calls with Helen retelling her middle-aged romances in lieu of actual conversation maybe. Ellis knows they’re weird—their employers, that is. And the novels. And themself, if they’re being honest. 

Fuck, they’re middle-aged now. Maybe this is a midlife crisis. A midlife crisis where they're imprinting on their boss. That thought is shoved away too, buried with every other little embarrassing thing they've done and thought and felt the past eight months. 

If Moon answered, they missed it and are looking dumb again. They pretend to fiddle with their hearing aid. “What?” 

“Rent a place near the water.” 

Ellis looks up and squints at him. “You guys don't have the money for a three, hell, even a two bedroom place. Sun was just complaining about not being able to fix the neons that some asshole cracked until next month.” 

Moon shrugs. As Ellis continues to stare, he pulls Eos up into his chest, nuzzling into her back. Ellis doesn't stop, knowing Moon can feel them staring just like when he does it to them. 

“You could always sleep in the bus if it makes you uncomfortable. Sun and I can share a bed.” 

Again, Ellis has to put away an errant thought. “You two do that often?” 

“Often enough.” He looks up from Eos, the question clear. Ellis looks away. They can never seem to match Moon for his unrelenting stare. “Come with us. The bus will be more comfortable than a car.” 

“Ah.” They can't help their smile. “So that's your angle. You want to nap in comfort instead of folding up like a pretzel.” There’s a bitter taste in the back of their mouth they’re careful doesn’t come through in their voice.

“Yes.” The timer beeps. Ellis has to punch the button hard to make sure it shuts off before pulling on a glove. They almost miss the rest of Moon’s reply. “Would like you there too.” 

And this is how Ellis finds themself driving to a beachside condo, doing their best to ignore Sun’s backseat driving and the fact they could fold so easily. 

Sun is being aggressively annoying. When Ellis adopted Eos, they had sectioned the driver’s seat and paraphernalia into a pseudo-cab, complete with a lockable door so the nosy cat wouldn't work her way under the pedals while the bus was in motion. It was also a good place to hide things like the fire extinguisher, their bat, first aid kit, just a bit everything they didn't want in the main part of the bus. 

And Sun keeps unlocking it whenever Ellis takes a turn slightly weird or has to tap the brakes, all in the name of avoiding colliding with smaller vehicles. Checking on what they’re doing, letting Eos slip in between their legs. The argument would end with Ellis demanding to see Sun’s commercial driver’s license (class B for passenger vehicles and buses). And then they’d have to slow and park by the curb, push Sun out of the driver’s cockpit, and lock it. 

The fact it was unlocked half an hour later without the key did not go unnoticed. Apparently both clowns are masters of breaking and entering. 

It’s a two day trip given the late start, and Sun is magnanimous enough to insist that he and Moon use Ellis’s tent to sleep overnight while Ellis has their bed. Ellis does not sleep, too aware of their presence outside, feeling vaguely paranoid and also bad that Sun felt they needed so much space. But there’s just not enough room for everyone on the bus, not without piling on top of each other. 

The trip really isn’t that long, and the second day has them pulling into the driveway of a bungalow while the sun is still rising. Every house looks the same, shades of pastel and cream with bleached wood fences and sand everywhere. The driveway is barely long enough for the bus, and Ellis parks with a frown, staring down the beach just past the bungalows. They flinch when someone slams the main door open. 

“C’mon Nova! The day isn’t gonna get any younger!” Ellis watches Sun running like an errant wind up toy, all angles that somehow avoid catching on the fence as he leaps over it. They stare after him, face impassive. 

“How the hell can he have so much energy? I don’t even own coffee.” 

“He’s just like that. Should see him when he’s properly manic.” 

Ellis flinches again, realizing one of them had unlocked their door once again. They reach behind them, shoving Moon back by the face before standing and stretching. One foot is used to push Eos back away from the driver’s seat. “Not sure I could handle that honestly. Need help moving the food in?”

Moon fidgets with something in his hands, and Ellis realizes he’s holding the most absurd sunhat. They decide not to wait for an answer, slipping around him to grab the bags out of their ice box. “Just lead the way Moon. I’ll check out the kitchen while you and Sun go out back.” 

“You’re coming out with us.” 

“Nu uh, I’m not.” They don’t look at Moon, face growing hot. “Even if I could swim, and I cannot as I have told you, I don’t have a swimsuit.” They pull away when Moon tries to take the bags from them. “Just give me the keys and you can go right out.” 

“No.” 

Ellis can feel the back of their neck and cheeks grow hot, and they chew on the inside of their cheek to stifle their initial reaction of decking him… somewhere. Not the face, they don’t think. They also don’t think for long, pushing the bags up their arms and shoving Moon’s stupid hat out of the way to dig in his pockets. Wallet, knife, they barely pick up the odd little whine Moon’s making until they’ve successfully pulled the keys out and see that Moon frozen in place, braced against the counter. “You okay?”

“Fine.” Moon looks away, letting Ellis take the keys and grabbing the final few bags to take inside. He does follow them towards the stairwell, scooping his and Sun’s bags along the way. 

The bungalow is small, a glorified studio apartment, really. Sun comes in through the back door when Moon unlocks it, scooping their bags and Moon so they can both change. Ellis busies themselves in the kitchen, unpacking slowly, trying to avoid— 

“Oh, Nova~!” 

Sun. They don’t move when his warm hands hit their shoulders, squeezing just a touch too tightly. “Please let go of me.” 

“Moony tells me you don’t have a swimsuit.” 

“I don’t swim.” 

“You can borrow one of mine!” 

“Sun I can’t—what?” They turn and take in what he’s wearing: pale blue fabric that looks like it belongs more out of 1940’s photoshoot than here in the present. They look him over. There’s way too much thigh. “What the actual fuck are you wearing?”

“Come on; I have a couple of options.” Sun grabs their upper arm, his grip boding no argument. 

“Sun, wait, no…” 

They are dragged into the bedroom, where Moon is pulling on a swimshirt. Ellis immediately goes hot again and looks away, but not before noting the way his body hair culminates in a generous treasure trail. Sun’s got their attention faster anyway as he pulls out a pair of laughably orange trunks. 

“What about this?” 

They can only shake their head, staring at the trunks as they try to motion to their chest. “Won’t work out well unless that beach is good with nudity.” 

“Ah, right.” Sun drops the trunks like they’re fire, digging around in his bag. Moon turns and reaches in to pull out a bottle of sunscreen. “Moony, did I pack my other suit? The striped one.” 

“Packed half the house more like.” Moon helps with one hand, dragging out the suit in question. Ellis pulls back immediately. 

“No.” 

“But it’s perfect! We’ll be twins!” Sun holds the suit out proudly, and Ellis can feel the heat all over again. They kind of want to die here and now. Maybe the water will rise up and take them away in some horrible manifestation of fate. 

Moon slips away while Sun shoves the suit into their hands. “Now change and meet us outside. Don’t make me change you myself.” 

“That’s sexual harrassment,” Ellis manages to say, staring at the stripes. Sun leans in close, tucking his long hand under their chin and lifting it, just a little. Can he feel how hot they are? The panic starts in hard. 

“We’re not at work right now Nova. So if you feel anything is especially untoward, you can’t hide behind the rules.” 

They remain frozen in place, heart hammering against their sternum as they realize they can count every freckle, see the colors in Sun’s irises clearly. He releases them and laughs. “You don’t have to look so frightened Nova; just come out in the suit for pictures!” 

Ellis manages one shaky nod before the door is shut. They sit on the bed, trying to catch their breath before giving the suit a more critical eye. On a closer inspection, it’s not the worst. The black and white stripes are definitely in their wheelhouse, and it’s covering. 

It also belongs from the same era as Sun’s swimsuit. The man did dress like he was from the seventies half the time. And maybe since they’re a head or so shorter than Sun and Moon it won’t show off so much thigh. But why is there a belt? 

They do change and pull their shirt on over it, taking their time to leave. They peek out the back door, seeing Sun’s already started making a new friend and Moon is wearing his hat. Okay, so maybe they’ll forget about Ellis. They can start on an early lunch and sneak out to Sue and just be out of the way and the door is slamming open, a hand grabbing theirs. 

“Moon, no.” They try fruitlessly to dig their heels in. Maybe with Sun it would’ve worked, but Moon’s not as slender, and he easily drags them outside to Sun and the woman. 

“Yes. We’re taking a picture.” Moon pauses at the door, noticing the tshirt, and unceremoniously grabs the back of it, pulling it over Ellis’s head. It catches their glasses, cushioning them when he drops the shirt behind them. “There. Fits you well.” 

Ellis is unable to answer. They can feel Moon take their hand again, pulling them along. He smells like sunscreen, they note, feeling only mildly hysterical for focusing on such a minor detail. Moon calls out to Sun, who waves them over to his new friend eagerly. The person he’d befriended is holding the cellphone Ellis isn’t sure belongs to Sun or Moon. They just both have it at various times. 

“Is this your friend?” The stranger is smiling at Ellis. She looks nice, they think. Pregnant, judging by the belly. 

“Yes indeedy. Moony, you’ll need to push your hat back. Nova?” Ellis makes a noise, unable to stop Moon from pulling them into a side hug. Sun pushes in on the other side. “Make sure you smile nice and big. We can put it up in the office bulletin.” That gets another, fainter noise from them, and they drop their head against Moon’s shoulder, hiding. 

“Is she okay?” the stranger asks, and Ellis twitches but doesn’t move. 

“They’re fine, fine. Just take the picture! Maybe we’ll get another one by the end of the day.” 

There’s no snap, but there is profuse thanks from Sun before Moon takes the phone and pockets it in his, Ellis is embarrassed to note, very normal swim trunks. He looks normal, but he stands out between the three of them. Moon pulls away from Ellis in time to avoid the beach ball aimed directly at them. It knocks Ellis right in the head. 

“C’mon Nova, throw it back!” 

“I’m gonna throw it at your head,” Ellis warns, turning to go after the ball. They spike it at Sun’s face, as promised, but it gets caught up by a stray wind and flies away. Sun runs after it, smacking it back their way before it can hit the ground. “Sun!” 

“Get it!” 

Ellis obliges, kicking it back at Sun, who is able to catch it before the wind does. He’s laughing, and despite everything, Ellis is starting to have fun too. Until the wind kicks up hard, nearly blowing Moon’s hat away and catching the ball, sending it into the water. Sun starts after it, making it up to his shins while Ellis hesitates on the edge. 

“Come on. It’s not that far out.” Sun catches the ball, watching Ellis, who remains with their feet firmly planted on dry sand. “Moony, help!” 

Moon walks over to Ellis, but he just shrugs, glancing their way. Ellis makes a face at him, turning back to Sun. “I’m not going in the water!” 

“You’re missing out on the fun.” Sun trudges back, splashing heartily as makes it to the shore and grabs Ellis’s wrist. “Come on. The suit is old, not fragile.” 

Ellis can feel their heels slipping in the sand and they panic when they touch the water. When their jerk doesn’t immediately free them, they brace against Sun’s grip and punch him solidly in the arm. Sun loses his grip in surprise, and Ellis falls, unable to catch themself. They land in water that is no more than ankle deep. 

Moon starts for Ellis, but they’re moving, scrambling backwards out of the water and back into the sand, forcing themselves up to their feet once they’re free. They kick sand at Sun, furious and terrified and ready to wring his skinny neck the moment he was safely out of the water. “I told you I don’t swim! I can’t swim I never swim I nearly drowned when I was fifteen you fucking asshole!” They kick more sand Sun’s way. 

Sun and Moon remain silent, unmoving and staring as Ellis retreats further from the waterline, walking backwards, tripping over the sand and landing on their ass. They stay down, closing their eyes, hiding their face in their hands. 

When someone touches them, they flail their arm, hitting knees. Hairy. Could be either of them. The legs don’t more, nor does the hand, so they jerk away. Of course it’s Moon. They get back to their feet, hands balled into fists at their side. “Don’t touch me. Don’t take more photos. Don’t fucking drag me back to the water.” 

“We weren’t—” 

But Ellis isn’t listening. “I am going to make lunch. Come in when you’re ready.” And they leave, trying to dust the sand sticking to their wet suit with one hand. 

To their credit, Sun and Moon do not follow, giving Ellis the space they need to cool down. There’s plenty for them to cook, and they throw themself into that, taking out their hearing aids and pulling their shirt back on so they can focus without being cold. So they don’t notice when Moon reenters, though they do flinch when he drops their hearing aids back in their line of sight. 

“Eat a dick.” Any reply is muffled, indistinct. “An entire dick. You and your… whatever. You’re both assholes. I told you I can’t swim.” Moon’s presence so much later still draws tears to their eyes, and they focus on chopping down the celery for chicken salad. 

They tense when Moon touches their cheek, figuring out how to put their hearing aid in place and turning it on. “You nearly drowned?” Moon asks. 

Ellis continues to chop, the celery at this point nearly juice. They feel Moon hovering, but it’s not something they can just say. They drop the knife, rubbing their eyes with the palm of one hand. “Yeah. When I was a kid.” They try to pick up the knife and drop it, watching it clatter uselessly onto the floor. “Fuck.” 

They bend to pick it up, but Moon stops them, using his foot (safely clad in a shoe) to push it out of the way. “Don’t.”

“I’m fine Moon. I need to cook.” They reach again, nearly lashing out when he wraps an arm around their shoulders. They’re pulled to the little couch not even five feet away. “I don’t need you taking care of me.” 

“Sun sent me in.” Moon settles next to Ellis, giving them space. Just  not enough to get up and leave, as demonstrated when they try and Moon pulls them back down. “Talk.” 

“There’s nothing to talk about.” They aren’t allowed up, Moon’s fingers curled in the collar of their shirt a reminder that they are indeed trapped. “Aren’t you hungry?” No response. Ellis closes their eyes, wondering if they could nap here, but Moon’s stare can be felt even like this. “It’s really not interesting.” 

“I can judge for myself.” 

Ellis sighs and shifts, not wanting to look Moon in the eye. There’s another uncomfortable shrug as they try to release themself from his hold, but Moon isn’t budging. “I drowned when I was fifteen. Kinda nearly died sorta deal and the foster home I was in couldn’t take me to the ER immediately so I just sat in the hall waiting unable to even breathe cause it felt like the water was still in my lungs. I got… I got pneumonia and nearly died. And while I was finally in the hospital, they left my chart open and I saw that I was, am. Intersex. It’s…” They fall quiet, fiddling with their thumbs, trying to pull at a hangnail. “They thought I was a girl and I make the estrogen and stuff, but I don’t… I don’t have a uterus.” 

Moon is silent, and Ellis knows they overshared. They pull their legs up, curling into themself. “I ran away after that,” they finish lamely. “When they wouldn’t even get me the medicine I needed after leaving the hospital. I nearly died again hiding in the woods.” They tighten their grip on themself when Moon lets go of their shirt. 

They did not expect to be pulled into a hug. It’s a little awkward, mostly because they don’t unfold into it, trying instead to make themselves smaller, but Moon doesn’t let go. He doesn’t speak, but he doesn’t leave or let go, even when Ellis slowly settles, letting their legs drop again. 

Moon lets them lean into his side, stroking their hair. And Ellis finds themself tearing up again, starting to break down. They try to hide their face again, but there’s no disguising the sound. And Moon doesn’t move, just holds them until they settle down. 

“Please don’t make me go back in the water,” Ellis whispers. Moon nods and when they settle more or less against his chest, he squeezes him tight. “Please don’t.” 

“We won’t,” Moon promises, once. Ellis is slow to calm down, feeling more embarrassed by the wet stain they’ve made on Moon’s shirt and their own hot, tired face than anything else. There was something a little… freeing in being honest. In not being okay. 

Moon lets them go back to cooking after he washes the knife, passing it back handle first. Ellis watches as he returns to the beach, to Sun, pulling his hat back on before he reaches his partner. Ellis can’t make out their faces, but they do duck away when Sun and Moon look back to the bungalow. 

The chicken salad isn’t as good without the celery, but the celery also isn’t very usable so they finish the sandwiches, plating them up in time for the back door to open once again. Sun and Moon take their plates and sit to eat. 

“Help me with this Nova,” Sun says, and they pause in taking a bite of their own sandwich. “Is it or is it not a bad idea to try and fix speciality lights on our lonesome, without the proper equipment?”

“The neon lights?” Ellis asks and joins them. “Don’t they work with like the gas in the tubes or something?”

“The gas?”

“Isn’t neon a gas?” they ask, but none of them are entirely sure. The argument—hiring a professional versus trying to DIY it with a welding kit—feels normal. Ellis is laughing at Moon’s insistence that he could do it himself. They start gathering the plates, but Sun stops them. 

“I’ve got it. Go out with Moon and just enjoy the daylight for a bit. Don’t get to see it much with the arcade, huh?” 

Suspiciously nice. Ellis hesitates and Sun manages to wrangle the dishes away while they’re thinking. Moon drops an arm over Ellis’s shoulders. “Keep your shirt on. We’ll stay away from the water.” 

It takes a moment, but they agree, letting Moon guide them back out. The ball’s on the porch, and Moon snags it casually, but he doesn’t move far. He tosses the ball to Ellis while they’re still on the porch. They catch it, waiting for the trick, but Moon just waits, catching it when Ellis tosses it back. 

By the time Sun comes back out, they’re in the sand again, trying to keep the ball from flying too far with each toss. Sun is holding a pair of buckets and shovels, offering them up. “Sand castles?”

Ellis looks from him to Moon and back again. “I’ve never made one before.” 

“Always a good time to start.” They have to catch the bucket and shovel before they can begin, collecting wet sand to bring back to a point of safety away from the water. And Sun nor Moon fight it or given them an odd look. In fact, they treat Ellis very normally. 

And it’s nice. By the end of the afternoon, they are ready to barbeque, shooing Sun and Moon away to enjoy the water while they work. And Sun makes more friends, who brings food over for an impromptu potluck, and someone even compliments Ellis’s “shorts” while discussing the finer points of vinegar and tomato based sauces. Ellis doesn’t hold their vinegar based opinions against them, even if it’s laughably wrong. 

And they’re eating with these other people, Ellis sitting next to Moon, leaning into him as they listen to Sun laugh, and things are okay. They tuck themselves under his arm and pick at their ribs to chew around the bone and it’s good. The day’s been overall good. 

They fall asleep on Moon, missing who picked them up and carried them back into Sue. They don’t miss how, come morning, both their bosses are in the bus, demanding they take them all out for breakfast.