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gpcwsl · 2 days ago

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Alessia Russo x Reader

- Next step -

MasterList

Warnings: very suggestive, kissing, making out, no smut though.

The night was alive with celebration. The Lionesses had just secured their Euros victory, and the team had taken over a cozy corner bar to revel in their hard-earned success. Bottles of champagne were passed around, laughter echoed throughout the room, and fans cheered in admiration. But amidst all the excitement, Ella Toone had a new mission: to get her best friend, Alessia Russo, to loosen up and have some fun.

“Alessia, you’re basically married to the game at this point,” Ella said, slinging an arm around her friend��s shoulders as they both sat in the booth. “Tonight’s the night. You need to let loose and—” She paused dramatically, scanning the bar. “Find someone to hook up with.”

Alessia, who had been sipping her drink quietly, rolled her eyes. “Ella, I’m not in the mood for a hook-up right now.” She glanced over at her best friend, amused by her insistence. “And I’m certain I don’t need your help with that.”

“Oh, come on,” Ella grinned mischievously, her eyes darting to a figure sitting alone at the bar. “What about them? A little fun won’t hurt.”

Alessia followed her gaze to you, sitting casually at the bar with a drink in hand. You had a relaxed air about you, not engaging in the group frenzy of post-victory excitement but rather observing with a quiet smile.

“Ella,” Alessia warned, but Ella was already up, pushing her toward the bar.

“Just go say hi. They’re perfect for you. Trust me,” Ella said, her grin widening as she nudged her friend forward.

Alessia hesitated for a moment, then sighed, getting up and following her friend’s plan—albeit reluctantly.

You noticed her the moment she walked over. Alessia Russo—one of the stars of the tournament, effortlessly glowing, her presence commanding yet down-to-earth. You’d recognized her earlier, but you hadn’t expected her to come up to you.

“Hi,” Alessia said, her voice smooth and warm. “Mind if I join you for a drink?”

You smiled, motioning to the empty stool beside you. “Of course. Can’t say no to company, especially after such a big night.” You offered her a playful wink, not missing the fact that she’d taken a deep breath before sitting down.

“Yeah, I guess that was a pretty big win for us,” Alessia said, her fingers wrapping around her glass. She seemed a little out of her element but was determined not to show it.

“You’re Alessia Russo, right? I’ve been hearing your name a lot tonight.” You leaned in slightly, genuinely curious and enjoying the warmth of her energy.

Alessia laughed, her cheeks tinged with the slightest shade of pink. “That’s me. But no need to make it a big deal.” Her gaze held yours, and for a moment, there was a brief pause, a subtle tension forming between the two of you.

She tilted her head, her expression shifting as her eyes softened. “I didn’t expect you to be alone tonight.”

You chuckled, shrugging. “Sometimes it’s nice to watch the chaos from the sidelines.”

“Well, I’ll be honest,” she said, leaning in just a little closer, “it’s much more fun to be in the chaos, don’t you think?”

Before you could respond, she moved her glass aside, her hand coming to rest on the counter, her fingers brushing against yours. The touch was subtle but electric, sparking a sense of anticipation. You met her gaze again, now more intense, the playful smile still lingering on your lips.

“Maybe you’re right,” you said, your voice lowering slightly. “But chaos can be a little… dangerous, don’t you think?”

Alessia’s breath hitched at your words, her lips parting slightly as she looked at you. “Depends on what kind of danger you’re talking about.” Her voice was softer now, the playful teasing replaced by something deeper, more intrigued.

It didn’t take much more than that for the atmosphere to shift. With a single motion, you slid your hand over to hers, your fingers lightly grazing the back of her hand. The small touch sent a wave of warmth through you both, and Alessia’s smile widened, her eyes never leaving yours.

“You know, I think I can handle a little danger,” she murmured, her voice low and seductive.

Before you could respond, she leaned in, her lips brushing against yours in a kiss that was electric, sending a rush of desire through both of you. It started soft and tentative, but the more your lips moved together, the more urgent the kiss became.

You gently cupped her face, deepening the kiss, your heart racing as her hands slid up to your waist, pulling you closer. The world around you seemed to disappear, the noise of the bar fading into the background as you were consumed by the kiss.

When you finally pulled back for air, both of you were breathless, your lips tingling. Alessia’s hand rested on your thigh, her eyes filled with a mixture of amusement and something much more intense.

“Well, that escalated quickly,” you said, a grin tugging at your lips.

“Sometimes,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, “you just need to throw yourself into it.” She gave you a sly smile. “Want to keep going?”

The tension between you was undeniable, and just as you were about to answer, you felt Ella’s eyes on you. She was standing a few steps away, clearly watching the whole interaction unfold, a teasing grin plastered across her face.

“Ella, stop staring,” Alessia groaned, turning slightly, but the playful smile never left her lips.

Ella raised her glass, giving you both an exaggerated thumbs-up. “I knew it. Go get ’em, Alessia,” she called, before turning back to the group, leaving you and Alessia to your moment.

Alessia rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress her smile. “She’s the worst.”

You chuckled, still captivated by her energy. “Don’t worry, I think she approves.”

With a smirk, Alessia leaned in again, this time brushing her lips against yours in a teasing kiss. “Good. Because I’m not done with you yet.”

The night at the bar was in full swing now, with the Lionesses continuing to celebrate their Euros victory in their usual chaotic, jubilant manner. The music was louder, the laughter was infectious, and everyone had long since loosened up, enjoying the euphoria of the win.

But amidst the celebration, Alessia and you found yourselves drifting into your own bubble, each touch and glance more charged than before. You both had drunk just enough to let go of any inhibitions, the alcohol loosening you up as your flirtation turned into something more heated, more urgent.

“You know,” Alessia slurred lightly, her words slightly unsteady as she leaned into you, “I don’t think I’ve ever been so impressed with a stranger before.”

You laughed softly, eyes sparkling with mischief. “You really don’t think I’m a stranger anymore, do you?”

She shrugged playfully, the tips of her fingers tracing a slow line along your arm, sending a shiver down your spine. “Not when you kiss like that. And definitely not when you look at me like that.”

You could feel the heat between you growing as her gaze dropped to your lips, lingering there. Every part of you wanted her, wanted to feel the electric tension that had been building between you since the moment you met.

“You’re making it hard to concentrate,” you said, voice low as you leaned in closer.

Her breath hitched as you brushed your lips against hers, the kiss slow and intoxicating, full of the need that had been building all night. The alcohol in your system made everything feel more intense, more urgent, but you both knew this wasn’t just a drunken whim.

This was real.

“Want to get out of here?” Alessia asked between kisses, her hands sliding up your back to pull you even closer.

Without saying another word, you grabbed her hand, leading her out of the bar. Neither of you cared about the stares or the noise—your focus was entirely on each other.

The cool night air hit your face as you stepped out into the street, your pulse racing. You didn’t even know where you were going, only that you needed to get somewhere quieter, somewhere you could have her all to yourself.

Alessia’s hand never left yours as she followed you, her body close enough to feel the heat radiating off her. The moment you found an empty alley, you stopped, turning to face her, your lips meeting hers again in a kiss that was hungry and desperate.

The world outside seemed to vanish. It was just the two of you now, your bodies pressed together as you kissed with abandon. Alessia’s hands slid down to your hips, pulling you into her as she let out a soft moan, the sound only spurring you on.

“God, you’re so beautiful,” she whispered, her voice low and thick with desire as she trailed kisses down your neck.

You leaned your head back, gasping as her lips moved to your skin. “Alessia,” you breathed, your hands gripping her shoulders as she kissed a trail lower, the heat between you growing stronger.

“Let’s get out of here,” she murmured, pulling back just enough to look into your eyes, her hands trembling slightly as she brushed a strand of hair from your face.

You nodded, barely able to form words. All you could think about was how badly you wanted her, how everything about this moment felt so right.

When you finally made it to your flat, the door slammed shut behind you as Alessia wasted no time, her lips crashing into yours as soon as you stepped inside. Her hands were everywhere—your waist, your hips, your back—pulling you closer, pushing you further until there was no space left between you.

The kiss deepened, both of you frantic now, the alcohol heightening every touch, every sensation. Alessia’s hands slid beneath your clothes, her touch sending waves of heat through you, and you responded eagerly, your hands skimming down her body as you moved together.

In a blur of motion, you found yourselves in the bedroom. Clothes were discarded, both of you too eager to waste time. The moment you were both naked, Alessia hovered over you, her body pressing down against yours as she kissed you with such intensity that it left you breathless.

“Are you sure about this?” she asked, her voice a mixture of desire and concern as she looked down at you.

You pulled her closer, your lips brushing against hers as you whispered, “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

And with that, the world outside ceased to exist. There was only Alessia, only the heat of her body against yours, the rhythm of your movements, the quiet sounds of your breaths as you gave in to each other.

Every touch, every kiss, was a promise, an exploration of the connection between you. You had no idea how long the night lasted, only that when the two of you finally collapsed together, tangled in sheets, you felt completely whole.

The next morning, you woke up to Alessia lying beside you, her hand resting on your waist, her soft breath against your neck. For a moment, you just lay there, the warmth of the morning sun filtering through the window, everything feeling perfect, peaceful.

When Alessia stirred and woke up, she smiled softly at you, her blue eyes half-lidded but filled with affection. “You’re still here,” she murmured, her voice thick with sleep.

“I’m not going anywhere,” you replied, pulling her closer, your lips meeting in a lazy kiss.

She smiled, her hand caressing your cheek. “Good. Because I’m not done with you yet.”

The days that followed that wild night were just as intense, though quieter. There was something uniquely intimate about waking up next to Alessia every morning, tangled in the sheets, her body pressed against yours. It felt like the two of you had crossed an unspoken threshold, and now everything between you was raw and real—no barriers, just the connection you shared.

You spent the next week basking in that new, deepened intimacy. The two of you would get lost in each other’s arms, your kisses lingering, your hands exploring slowly as if you were both trying to memorize the feel of one another. Every touch was more meaningful, every kiss more passionate.

One evening, as you and Alessia curled up on the couch after a long day, she looked at you with a glint in her eye that made your stomach flip.

“Hey,” she said softly, turning to face you. “Do you want to go away again? Like, just the two of us. Somewhere quiet. I think we need more time like that.”

You smiled, your fingers brushing along the back of her hand. “I’d love that. A weekend away. Just you, me, and nothing else.”

Her lips curled into a smile, and she kissed you gently, the kind of kiss that felt like a promise. “Let’s do it. I want more moments with you—just us.”

The weekend getaway was exactly what the two of you needed. You found a secluded cabin in the countryside, away from the prying eyes of the city and the hectic schedule of daily life. The whole weekend felt like a secret, a shared space where no one could interrupt the quiet moments you carved out for each other.

Alessia loved the calm. You would spend your mornings wrapped up in blankets, drinking coffee together, talking about anything and everything. At night, you would find yourselves by the fire, the glow of the flames reflecting in her eyes as she looked at you with that softness you’d come to crave.

One evening, as you sat by the fire, Alessia’s hand resting lightly on your leg, she looked over at you with that familiar, intense gaze.

“I love these moments with you,” she said, her voice almost a whisper. “It’s not just the sex, or the passion—it’s this—the quiet. The way I feel when it’s just you and me.”

You met her gaze, your heart swelling. “I love you, Alessia. I love everything about us, and I’m so grateful for this—everything we have.”

Without another word, she leaned in to kiss you, soft and slow, as if savoring the moment. Her fingers traced the outline of your jaw as she deepened the kiss, pulling you closer. Your bodies pressed together, the warmth from the fire mixing with the heat between you, and you couldn’t help but respond with equal urgency.

“You’re perfect,” Alessia murmured between kisses, her lips moving to your neck as you tilted your head to give her better access. “I never want to stop being close to you.”

“I don’t either,” you whispered, hands moving to her back, feeling the warmth of her skin under the fabric of her shirt.

Her breathing became faster as she kissed you again, her body pressing into yours as you both let go, letting the moment carry you away.

The following days felt like a dream. You explored the quiet countryside, taking long walks hand in hand, stopping by local markets and buying trinkets. But it was the nights that stood out the most, where Alessia would pull you close after a long day, and the two of you would fall into each other, bodies entangled, hearts racing, and love spilling out in every touch.

Each time she kissed you, each time her hands found your skin, it felt like an unspoken promise. There was no rush, no need to rush—just the simplicity of being with the person you loved, and sharing a love that was growing deeper, more intense with every passing day.

That night, after another quiet dinner by the fire, Alessia pulled you to your feet, her hands sliding under your shirt as she kissed you with an intensity that made your heart race.

“I want you,” she said, her voice low, almost growling in desire. “I need you. Right here, right now.”

You didn’t hesitate. The love and desire were so powerful, so overwhelming, that nothing else mattered.

You kissed her back with equal fervor, your hands roaming her body as she pulled you toward the bedroom, the passion between you both a silent language, saying everything that words couldn’t.

Once in the bedroom, you both stripped the last of your clothing off, your bodies bare and vulnerable but entirely consumed with each other. Alessia’s hands were everywhere, her kisses soft but desperate, her desire for you clear in every touch.

She pushed you gently onto the bed, her body following yours as she straddled you, her lips moving from your mouth down to your chest, her breath hot against your skin.

“Alessia…” you whispered, your voice trembling.

She looked up at you, her gaze dark and filled with need. “I want to feel you, feel every part of you,” she said, her voice almost a growl.

And then she moved, the two of you lost in each other as your bodies connected, moving together with a rhythm that felt natural, electric.

Each kiss, each movement was an act of devotion, the passion undeniable, your connection stronger than ever. There was no rush this time. It was just you and her, fully, deeply, and completely intertwined, both of you savoring every second.

The days after the getaway were quieter, but the bond between you and Alessia had deepened in ways words could never explain. The intimacy you shared wasn’t just physical—it was emotional, a connection that felt like it would last a lifetime.

And as you looked at her, your hand in hers, you knew this was only the beginning. Every moment you spent with her, every kiss, every touch, only made you fall deeper in love.

Life after the getaway was a whirlwind of domestic bliss. The quiet moments with Alessia, whether spent curled up on the couch or enjoying quiet dinners together, became more meaningful. You both reveled in the simplicity of being together, finding joy in the smallest of moments—whether it was watching Milo chase after his favorite toy or making each other laugh over the most ridiculous things.

But as the weeks passed, something began to shift. The casual conversation you’d had about a future together, a family, and the life you both dreamed of seemed to be inching closer to reality.

One evening, as you and Alessia were sitting on the balcony of your flat, sharing a glass of wine and looking out over the city skyline, the conversation took a turn.

“You know,” Alessia began, setting her glass down on the table, her fingers tracing the rim, “I’ve been thinking a lot about the future lately.”

You looked at her, intrigued. “What about it?”

She met your gaze, a slight smile tugging at her lips. “Well, I think I’m ready. You know, for the next step.”

Your heart skipped a beat, unsure if she meant what you thought she did. “What do you mean by ‘next step’?” you asked, your voice soft but hopeful.

Alessia chuckled, the sound low and rich. “I’m thinking about us—really thinking about us. About… starting a family.”

You froze, a mix of excitement and nervousness flooding you. “Are you serious?”

Her eyes softened as she leaned closer to you, her hand resting gently on your knee. “I’ve never been more serious in my life.”

For a moment, there was only silence as you processed her words. It felt like your heart was swelling, the weight of the future you both wanted becoming clearer. You reached for her hand, holding it tightly.

“I want that too,” you said, your voice thick with emotion. “I want a family with you. More than anything.”

Alessia’s smile grew, her eyes sparkling with warmth. “I’ve never been more certain of anything. I think we’re ready.”

As the weeks passed, the conversations about starting a family grew more serious. You and Alessia found yourselves discussing practicalities—where you’d want to live, how many kids you imagined, what kind of life you’d want to create for them. But beyond the logistics, it was the love that filled every conversation. The deep, unshakable love you both shared made the idea of starting a family together feel like the most natural step in the world.

One night, as you lay in bed together, Alessia pulled you close, her fingers tracing gentle circles on your back.

“So,” she murmured, her voice low and full of affection, “do you think we’re ready?”

You turned in her arms, meeting her gaze. “I think we’re more than ready. We’ve built something beautiful together, Alessia. And now, we’re ready to grow it.”

Her smile was radiant, and she kissed you tenderly, her hand moving to your stomach as if already imagining the future. “I love you so much,” she whispered.

“I love you too,” you replied, your voice thick with emotion. “And I can’t wait to see what comes next. Together.”

Several months later, you and Alessia were standing in the kitchen, preparing dinner together. It was a quiet evening, the kind where everything felt perfectly in place. As you chopped vegetables, you noticed Alessia stealing glances at you, a slight grin playing at the corner of her lips.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” you asked, laughing softly.

She raised an eyebrow, stepping closer. “I’m just imagining our little one running around here in a few years. It’s going to be amazing, Y/N.”

Your heart fluttered at her words. “It’s going to be perfect,” you whispered, taking her hand in yours.

Alessia pulled you into her arms, her lips meeting yours in a kiss that was filled with love and hope for the future. “I can’t wait to make this dream a reality.”

The next step was a small but significant one—visiting a fertility clinic to begin the process of trying for a baby. It wasn’t something either of you took lightly, but the decision felt right. You supported each other every step of the way, knowing that the journey ahead would require patience and understanding.

When the news came, when you finally saw those two pink lines on the test, the world seemed to stop for a moment. You were both overwhelmed with joy, knowing that you were about to embark on the greatest adventure of your lives.

“I’m going to be a mom,” Alessia whispered, her voice shaky with emotion as she held up the pregnancy test.

Tears filled your eyes as you pulled her into a tight embrace. “We’re going to be parents. Together.”

From that moment on, everything changed. You both began to prepare for the arrival of your child, from setting up a nursery to discussing names, to the tiny but significant moments that marked the beginning of your journey into parenthood. Every step was filled with anticipation and love.

One evening, as you both sat in the nursery, Alessia’s hand resting on your growing belly, she looked at you with a softness in her eyes that made your heart swell.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” she said, her voice filled with awe. “We’re starting a family. It’s just… incredible.”

You smiled, your hand covering hers. “It’s incredible because it’s with you. We’ve built this life together, and now we’re going to build even more.”

She kissed you gently, her lips lingering as she whispered against your skin, “You’ve made all my dreams come true, Y/N. I can’t wait to see the next chapter of our story.”

And in that moment, you knew that no matter what the future held, you would face it together, with love, strength, and a family of your own to cherish.

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tsumuus · 2 days ago

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Ahhh hooray and congrats on the 1k!! Your valentine's event is so so cute, I love all the ideas! Could I please request a box of chocolates for ushijima? ❤

Valentine’s Day had always been one of those days you admired from afar- watching classmates exchange gifts, witnessing the blush of first confessions, and relishing in the general warmth that came with the occasion. This year, you had decided to contribute in your own way, spending the night before carefully crafting homemade chocolates for your entire class. Each small bag was tied with a delicate ribbon, each filled with sweets you had put time and effort into making.

You arrived at school with a tote bag full of the individually wrapped treats, excited to hand them out during the break period. As planned, you walked around the classroom, placing them gently onto each desk while greeting your classmates. Laughter and delighted murmurs filled the room as your friends and peers discovered their treats, thanking you with smiles and teasing remarks about how dedicated you were.

Among the many little packets, there was one that differed from the rest. It held the same chocolates, but nestled inside was a handwritten note- a playful confession meant for your best friend, meant to be nothing more than a joke. Something silly, something lighthearted. A harmless Valentine’s prank. You had intended to hand it to her personally, grinning as she opened it. But in the midst of distributing your gifts, you must have mixed up the bags.

And so, completely unaware of the mistake, you spent the rest of the day in blissful ignorance.

It wasn’t until the final bell rang that the atmosphere shifted. Most students had already left, filing out into the hallways to continue their Valentine’s Day plans. You remained at your desk, gathering your belongings when a shadow loomed over you.

Wakatoshi Ushijima stood before you, his towering presence as imposing as ever. His expression was unreadable, but there was a certain softness in his gaze that made your stomach twist in nervous anticipation. You barely spoke outside of school-related discussions; you were acquaintances at best. He was admired by many, respected for both his talent and sheer presence.

“Thank you for the chocolates,” he said, his voice steady and deep.

You smiled, pleased that he had enjoyed them. “Oh! Of course, Ushijima. I’m glad you liked them.”

For a brief moment, you wondered why he had sought you out just to say that. But before you could think too much about it, he continued.

“I feel the same way,” he stated matter-of-factly. “I would like to go out with you sometime.”

Your mind short-circuited.

“…Huh?”

Your breath caught in your throat as you looked down at his hand. There, between his fingers, was a very familiar piece of paper- the confession letter. Your confession letter. Your joke confession letter.

Your heart dropped to your stomach, and panic surged through you like wildfire.

“Oh my god,” you breathed out, hands flying up to your face. “Oh my god, oh my god-”

Ushijima’s brows furrowed slightly. “Is something wrong?”

“Yes!” you exclaimed, then immediately regretted it when you saw his expression falter just the slightest bit. “I mean- no! I mean- Ushijima, I think there’s been a mistake.”

He glanced down at the note. “The confession was not from you?”

��Well- no, it was from me,” you admitted, rubbing your temples, trying to piece your thoughts together. “But it wasn’t- it wasn’t meant for you. I mean, not that I wouldn’t-” You groaned, feeling heat rush to your cheeks. “It was a joke. I wrote it as a joke for my best friend, but you must have gotten the wrong bag.”

Silence stretched between you two as Ushijima processed your words. You half-expected him to retract his statement, to walk away and pretend the whole thing never happened. But he didn’t.

Instead, he nodded once, a firm sort of conviction in his movement. “Regardless, I meant what I said.”

You blinked. “…What?”

“I have liked you for some time now,” he stated bluntly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “I just never found the right moment to tell you. This seemed like an opportunity.”

You stared at him, feeling as though the ground had shifted beneath you. “You… have?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

Your pulse thundered in your ears. The idea that Ushijima Wakatoshi- stoic, composed, admired- had been harboring feelings for you all this time was nothing short of surreal. And yet, looking at him now, seeing the honesty in his expression, you realized that he was serious.

It wasn’t a joke to him. It had never been.

A part of you wanted to scream into the void. Another part of you, the part that had always admired him from a distance, felt an undeniable warmth spread through your chest.

You exhaled, trying to steady yourself. “I- um. I don’t really know what to say.”

“Then take your time,” he replied, his voice gentle in a way you hadn’t expected. “I will wait.”

You swallowed thickly, staring at him, at the quiet patience in his eyes. The reality of the situation was beginning to settle, and for the first time since the conversation started, you felt yourself relax.

“…Okay.” You met his gaze with a small, genuine smile. “Then… maybe we can start with getting to know each other better?”

He nodded, a subtle curve to his lips. “I would like that.”

As you gathered your things, preparing to walk out with him, you realized something strange about fate- that even with all your careful planning, life had a way of leading you to unexpected places. Perhaps, just this once, a mistake had led you exactly where you needed to be.

valentines event | masterlists

a/n ty for the request :) this is the first fic ive ever written for ushijima🙃 hope you liked it

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abbysimsfun · 15 hours ago

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Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 135 (Heather's Home!)

Conrad was sitting in the kitchen with Lavender when Heather returned from Selvadorada. "Mommy!" Lavender squealed.

Heather beamed. She'd missed their joyful smiles, but she moved slowly, feeling nauseous again as her body still recovered from the spider bite. "You look a little green," said Conrad with concern.

"You should have seen me a few days ago," she mused. "It looks like the contractors finished the upstairs bedroom while I was gone."

"The snow melted just long enough for them to get it done," said Conrad, showing off the space where Ash would sleep once he returned from spending Easter with the Landgraabs. They both glanced out the windows, noting the falling snowflakes beginning to gather on the ground all over again.

Heather smiled. "Even if the snow doesn't want to leave the Bay, it feels like a new beginning. George and June's murder is solved and the town's doing okay. I'm back from vacation. New season. New bedroom."

"We've got new problems...."

Heather cocked her head in confusion. "Rafa still won't cooperate? We didn't have any trouble with cartels in Selvadorada."

"As relieved as I am to hear that, I'm worried they might've gotten to Rafa and it's holding him back. He won't give up Ximena, but I keep trying. I sent Felix to try to talk to him in Sulani after convincing Melissa didn't work."

"Felix is pretty persuasive," she said hopefully. "I saw on Social Bunny he has a new girlfriend."

"He charmed Lilith without much trouble," Conrad agreed with a nod. "But the same lines won't work on Rafa."

"You could always arrest him and force his hand," she reminded him, but she knew her suggestion would fall on deaf ears.

"It's not just Rafa and his sister," he said carefully. He didn't even know where to begin with John Brindleton's town history lesson, so he skipped it - for now. "I talked to Ash about Ben and his dog and he figured out by himself that his accident as a toddler made it possible for him to see ghosts. Felix confirmed it's the most likely explanation."

"Because he was...Oh my Watcher...So he just sees ghosts? Plural? What if they frighten him?"

"He's not even worried about it. Says he's never met a ghost that he didn't think was living. Doesn't even know if he's ever met more than Ben and Captain Whitaker." She leaned into him, feeling dizzy, and Conrad held out a hand to support her. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Maybe I should lie down. Jet lag hit me on the way into the jungle, and it'll probably hit me again now that I'm home."

Conrad kissed her and put her to bed, taking Lavender to daycare on his way to work. Heather napped for most of the day, calling her parents to cancel plans to go to Henford for Easter dinner because the thought of spending an hour on the speedy Simmerloop made her feel as green as she looked. "I know Hazel's already in town for the weekend. That's good in case this is a flu or something."

"We're sorry we won't see you, but we just want you to rest if you're sick," said her father, Neal. "We'll miss your cooking, though."

"Maybe we'll make it to Henford for Mother's Day, if things aren't too hectic with the clinic rebuild."

"Get well soon, Buttercup. We love you."

"Love you, too."

She hung up the phone, content after a quick chat with her beloved dad despite her guilt over cancelling holiday plans. But she couldn't dwell for long on her feelings before she raced to the bathroom to be sick.

At work, Conrad was in the break room. While his coworkers talked about plans to celebrate his old partner Josephine's retirement party at the Salty Paw, he pulled himself away when his phone rang. "Felix! How's the beach?"

"It's not Felix." Rafa's tone curdled down the line. "He let me borrow his phone to tell you to screw off."

In the tropics, Felix rocked uncomfortably in his flip flops. "He didn't tell me that's what he wanted to say! I told him he might avoid prison entirely if he gives up his sister and he said he wanted to call you."

"And who the hell are you to promise something like that? You're just some weird lawyer who sounds a hundred years older than he looks!"

"Listen to Felix," Conrad urged, careful not to mention Rafa's name in front of his coworkers. "He's the most experienced attorney I know."

Even though Felix had passed the bar only recently, Conrad was telling the truth. He didn't know any other attorneys who'd practiced law as far back as the early 20th Century.

"If I get off with nothing but a slap on the wrist after selling my own sister up the river, the cartel will come for me, for sure."

"You said yourself they're not concerned with Sulani. I know what I'm asking you, and I wouldn't ask if I didn't need your help. She's been all but abandoned by the cartel. I'm sure of it. No one's visited her since she was put behind bars, but you know what she's capable of. You could keep her there, for your benefit as much as mine. Yours and Melissa's."

"You shouldn't have sent her here."

"But you weren't this mad when I did."

"Screw you, Conrad. And stop telling the Ngatas to spy on me. Oliana and her son come by every other day now."

"Maybe they care about you. I know what that's like."

The call ended with a click, and Conrad sighed. He was beginning to think he'd have to bring in the cartel to pressure Ximena, after all, but he didn't relish the possibility in the slightest. ->

<- Previous Chapter | Gen 2 Start | Gen 2.1 Summary

Gen 1 Start | Gen 1 Summary

NOTE: There was already a sneaky shot of the new bedroom in the Love Day installment because making spring crafts were the only way I knew how to make Valentine's-themed artwork without mods, and I'd already done the reno in the spring save when I wanted to put that shot in.

WCIF Pose: @novapark's Incoming Puke for Heather's bathroom shot. Love it even if Heather is suffering for it; thank you for sharing!

#sims 4 #sims 4 gameplay #sims 4 screenshots #sims 4 legacy #sims in bloom #ts4 #ts4 gameplay #ts4 legacy #ts4 screenshots #sims 4 story #ts4 story #legacy challenge #sims legacy #ts4 legacy challenge #gen 2 #brindleton bay #felix psyded #lilith pleasant #sulani

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veephoenix · 16 hours ago

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zutto — chapter sixteen | wc: 2.8k | series masterpost | prev. chapter

Chapter summary: Lia and Noah return to L.A. and Jolly surprises Noah with big news.

Reading time: 10mins.

Tags and trigger warnings: mostly fluff, mentions of Lia going back to therapy, 2 spankings.

General trigger warnings: this work addresses and depicts issues related to addiction, abuse, & violence, contains explicit sexual content, and explores themes of childhood trauma. Reader discretion is advised. +18

The sky was clear when they landed in Los Angeles. Before leaving the airport, they stopped at a Starbucks in the arrivals area for coffee and a quick bite to make up for the cheap food on the plane. Afterward, they took a cab to Lia’s apartment.

For the time being, they had decided to stay at Noah’s place since he had his studio there and he was meant to start working asap. Lia was already used to living within those walls so it felt like the right thing for now.

Noah dropped her off at her apartment to unpack and start a load of laundry, agreeing to pick her up later. In the meantime, he would do the same at home.

When he walked through the door, Jolly greeted him from the kitchen, pausing what he was doing to give him a brotherly hug and a pat on the back.

Noah had barely set his luggage down when Emery appeared in the hallway, waving at him. She was wearing baggy sweatpants and one of Jolly’s hoodies, looking very much at home.

“Hi, Noah.”

“Hi, Em.” He gave her a quick hug.

“Good flight?” she asked, stepping back and noticing the slight dark circles under his eyes.

“As good as it gets. I think I’m really jet-lagged, though.”

“I’m making coffee,” Jolly announced, busying himself with the machine. “Want some?”

Noah had just had one about thirty minutes ago, but he replied, “Sure. Thanks.”

He removed his backpack and sneakers, sighing as his feet finally found relief.

“Where’s Lia?” Emery asked, glancing over her shoulder at Noah as she walked into the kitchen to help Jolly. She retrieved three mugs from one of the cabinets.

“Dropped her at her place,” he explained. They hadn’t been apart for more than fifteen minutes, and yet he was already missing the warmth and peace she brought him just by being around. “I’m picking her up later. She’ll be happy to see you.”

“Em’s been staying here,” Jolly said, stopping the coffee machine and picking up the kettle.

Noah raised his eyebrows and looked at Emery, who had now made herself comfortable on the couch, waiting for Jolly to bring the coffee. She gave Noah a gentle smile.

“Nice. How long are you planning to stay?”

“As long as Jolly doesn’t get tired of me,” she replied.

Jolly pointed at her while passing a coffee mug to Noah across the kitchen isle. “Which is never happening.”

Emery laughed, her cheeks turning pink. Their comfort with each other was so obvious that Noah felt suddenly stupidly jealous. He was tempted to check the time on his phone. He’d told Lia he’d pick her up whenever she texted him, which he hoped would be soon—just enough time for her to sort her things and take a shower. Had it only been fifteen minutes? Because it felt like she’d been away from his reach much longer.

Emery’s laughter blended with a sarcastic snort from the hallway. When Noah looked that way, he saw Jesse strolling in.

“I need to fall in love and get out of this house,” Jesse declared, running a hand through his hair. He nodded at Noah. “Welcome back, man.”

“Hey,” Noah said with a nod.

“Where’s Miss Gremlin?”

“At her place. She’ll be here later.”

“Great. Well, I’m heading to the gym, so I’ll catch up with you guys later. Oh, and if you are doing laundry, grab my stuff from the basket, yeah?”

Noah raised his eyebrows, following him with his gaze. Jesse bent down to grab his sneakers from the shoe rack. “I just got back, and you’re already assigning me chores?”

“Consider it a welcome-home gift,” Jesse grinned over his shoulder, tying his laces. “Hope you enjoyed your holiday.”

“I should’ve made it longer,” Noah replied, but there was no malice in his eyes. He picked up his luggage again as Jesse waved goodbye and left. Noah muttered “unbelievable” as he started towards his bedroom.

“I promise I’m not giving you guys any extra work,” Emery added from the living room, raising a hand. “I do my own laundry.”

“Beware of Jesse,” Jolly warned, dropping onto the couch beside her with the two mugs of coffee. “He’ll rope you in if you’re not careful.”

An hour and a half later—showered, dressed in clean clothes, with the washing machine running and his room semi-organized—Noah returned to the living room.

He inadvertently interrupted a tender moment in the kitchen, where Emery and Jolly were exchanging whispers between kisses and affectionate touches. Neither of them seemed fazed when Noah walked in; Emery simply gave Jolly a long kiss on the lips, rose on tiptoes, then turned and disappeared into his bedroom at the end of the hallway.

Noah raised his eyebrows at Jolly as he crossed to the fridge, intent on finding something to eat.

“Dude, I’m so in love,” Jolly blurted out, leaning on the kitchen counter, his eyes frozen on the dark hallway where his girlfriend had just vanished.

Noah snorted. “I can see that,” he said, pulling open the fridge and grabbing a yogurt.

“I’m going to marry her.”

Noah froze, the yogurt halfway out of the fridge.

He turned slowly. “What?”

Jolly turned to look at him and shrugged. “I’m ready to marry her.”

Noah blinked once. Twice. “But,” he furrowed his brow, closing the fridge and setting the yogurt on the counter. “Wait. Are you serious? You’ve been together for what, a few months? Half a year?”

Jolly crossed his arms, still leaning on the counter. “We’ve known each other for six years. It’s not about the time we’ve been officially dating.”

“Yeah, I get that, but—” Noah blinked again, momentarily lost. He grabbed a spoon from a drawer to buy himself a moment. “I mean… Okay. I do get it, but…” His head was spinning. “I just got back from the other side of the ocean. I expected dirty socks everywhere and an empty fridge—not a bombshell about you wanting to get married. You never said much about it. Doesn’t it feel sudden?”

“Not to me. Not anymore,” Jolly’s voice softened. “She’s the one, Noah.”

“Yeah, Lia’s the one for me, too, and yet—”

“And yet, what are you waiting for?”

“What?”

Jolly shook his head but steered the conversation back to himself. “These past few weeks have been perfect. We work so well together, man. She doesn’t mind my bad habits—I don’t mind hers. We can argue and talk things through. She makes me laugh like nobody else. And waking up and seeing her there beside me is something I can’t even explain. And the sex… Fuck, the sex is good, man.”

Noah looked at him closely, spoon hovering over the open yogurt. “So, you’re totally serious. You’re really thinking about this.”

Jolly spread the back of his hands on the marble, standing to his full height. “Why would I joke about it? I’m telling you because you’re my best friend, and I can’t keep it to myself anymore. I need your thoughts.”

Noah tilted his head slightly, taking a bite of his yogurt as he considered it. “Okay, so… have you talked to her about it? Like, does she even want to get married?”

“We’ve talked. She does. She even wants kids someday. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

Noah shook his head, smiling despite himself. Could he picture Jolly as a husband? A father? No, but only because they’d been so caught up in the band, in working full time, that none of them had stopped for a second to consider wanting something more. Marriage. A family. It made sense, and honestly, Noah was sure Jolly would be great at both.

“Okay,” Noah said, his smile widening. He was suddenly infected by the same thrill coursing through Jolly. “Then it’s a yes from me. Go for it. When are you planning to propose?”

Jolly’s smile turned sheepish. “I don’t know. Haven’t gotten that far yet. We need to find a place first, a nice condo or a house. But I was thinking we could go check out rings next week, to get an idea about prices and stuff, and while we’re at it, maybe you could take a look too.”

Noah raised a slow, suspicious eyebrow at him.

Where is he going with this?

“Why would I want to take a look at engagement rings?”

“For whenever you grow a pair and pop the question to Lia.”

Noah stared at him.

Jolly pointed a finger at him and gave him a sideways look. “Don’t even dare tell me you’re not going to marry her because man, you’ve been breathing her as if she was your oxygen since you were kids. It’s just because you two were stubborn as fuck to admit you loved each other that you’re not married by now.”

“I—” Noah was exhausted, jet-lagged, hungry, and still reeling from Jolly’s sudden news about wanting to get married. And now, thanks to him, he was imagining Lia in a white dress and a flower crown on her head.

What the fuck.

“We haven’t talked about this, Lia and I.”

“Maybe it’s time you do. This is the perfect excuse.”

Noah stared at him for a long moment, torn between exasperation and amusement. As thoughts filled his mind, he realized he didn’t even know if Lia wanted to get married. “I came back expecting dirty clothes everywhere and no food in the fridge,” he muttered, “not life advice and a push toward marriage.”

Jolly laughed. “Well, now you’ve got both. Welcome home, man.”

When evening came, Lia and Emery curled up in the corner of the couch after dinner, talking animatedly, each holding a cup of tea, while the boys finished cleaning up the kitchen.

Somehow, Lia had mustered the energy to prepare one of the dishes Hana had taught her in Japan, and despite his exhaustion, Noah had offered to do the washing up afterward. Before picking her up, Lia had walked to the nearest supermarket to grab the missing ingredients. The moment she arrived at the boys’ house, she started cooking as if she hadn’t just spent the past twenty-four hours crossing the Pacific Ocean and trying to sleep in a cramped, uncomfortable airplane seat. Where she got the energy from, Noah couldn’t tell.

After the kitchen was cleaned up, the five of them settled on the couch and put on a new Adrien Brody movie. Jesse made popcorn and ended up eating most of it himself, ignoring Jolly and Noah’s comments about all his efforts at the gym going to waste.

Half an hour into the movie, Noah had already yawned three times. He was stretched out in the corner of the couch, legs extended on the sectional, with Lia nestled against him, his arm draped over her shoulders. Every now and then, she’d ask Jesse to pass the bowl of popcorn.

“I’m dozing off,” Noah murmured to Lia, rubbing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. “Shall we go to bed?”

Lia pouted, her eyes wide open. No trace of sleep in her expression, unlike Noah’s.

“How are you not sleepy?” He asked, frowning as he sat up a bit on the sofa, removing his arm from her shoulders.

“Hmm…” Lia bit her lip and looked up at him, still nestled at his side with her legs curled under her body. “I may or may not have taken a nap at my place.”

Noah’s eyes widened despite the look of sweet innocence in her face.

“Without me?” he exclaimed.

“Dude, shut up,” Jolly told him off without looking away from the screen, where Adrien Brody’s character stood in the pouring rain, his face shadowed under his hat.

Lia parted her lips to say something in her defense, but she didn’t get the chance. Noah stood up, and towering over her, he scooped her up in his arms, lifting her bridal-style off the couch.

“Hey!” she protested. “Where are you taking me?”

“Bedroom. To sleep. Good night, guys.”

“Help?” Lia called over Noah’s shoulder, but despite her theatrics, she was smiling, nearly laughing, and she had to admit it felt nice to be carried to the bedroom.

“Sweet dreams, lovebirds!” Jesse said. Next to him, Jolly and Emery laughed, waved their hands and said goodnight.

Once in the bedroom, Noah kicked the door shut behind him. Then, without warning, he threw Lia onto the bed. She landed with a soft thud, her hair fanning out over the gray comforter.

“That was so romantic,” she deadpanned, stretching before rolling onto her stomach, propping herself up on her elbows. She watched Noah with a raised eyebrow as he pulled off his hoodie and tossed it onto the armchair where Lia liked to curl up and read.

“Yeah,” he muttered, still giving her that mock-offended look she knew was just an act. “Almost as romantic as my girlfriend taking a nap without me.”

He walked over to close the curtains, then switched on the lamp on his side of the bed.

“And dramatic,” she added.

He stopped and gave her a long look. Two seconds later, his open palm landed on her butt with a sharp slap.

Lia gasped, eyes going wide.

“Did you just spank me?”

“Should I do it again for clarification?”

He didn’t wait for an answer. He grinned, and another smack followed, firm but playful. Even through her cotton leggings, a tingling sensation spread through her. She pressed her legs together, unable to look away from him, her cheeks warming.

He studied her reaction, enjoying this as much as she seemed to. He arched a brow at the realization. “You likethat, don’t you?”

Lia tilted her head to one side, lifting her feet off the bed and lazily crossing her ankles. “Maybe.”

He narrowed his eyes, shaking his head as he reached for one of her wrists, pulling her up. “Come on. Let’s brush our teeth. Then we’re sleeping, because I’m actually dead.”

“Hum,” Lia pouted, but got off the bed and followed him barefoot to the ensuite bathroom.

The moment they got under the covers, sleep was the last thing on their minds.

For the next half hour, they talked—about the next day, about Lia’s return to therapy, about how she planned to attend a yoga class beforehand. She had work to catch up on, so she’d spend most of the day at home, while Noah would head to the studio with the guys.

As they lay tangled up, Lia’s bare foot lazily brushing against his calf, she mentioned she was thinking about taking on more illustration jobs while the band focused on creating new music. It seemed like a good way to stay busy. She could focus on designs for new Bad Omens merch later.

“That’s a good idea,” Noah murmured, voice thick with exhaustion but still engaged. “You could also think about exhibiting your work.”

“In a gallery?”

“Yeah. Your art is sick. I’ll never get tired of saying it. You should put it out there more. Not just through the band’s merch. I told you before.”

The idea of her illustrations being displayed for people to admire—or worse, to judge—didn’t really sit right with her.

“I like being behind the work,” she said. “Just making things and putting them out there without having to… explain them. I don’t want to do artist talk or anything.”

Noah turned his head on the pillow to look at her. “Then don’t. You wouldn’t have to. Just exhibit the work and let it speak for itself. People will see what they want to see.”

“Yeah, and what if they see something that isn’t there? I’d want them to see what I see.”

“Art isn’t always about making people see your vision,” Noah said, thoughtful. “It’s about them feeling something. Doesn’t matter what. They don’t have to understand it. And you don’t have to explain it.”

Lia exhaled softly, letting the thought settle in the quiet between them. Maybe.

She rested her head against his shoulder after a while, pensive. Silence stretched between them as she mulled it over. “I don’t know. Maybe someday. I just like things the way they are right now. Making art without the pressure. Just… creating for myself first, you know?”

She paused, waiting for his response.

When she didn’t get one, she lifted her head slightly and looked up.

Noah’s breathing had deepened, his lips slightly parted, the steady rhythm of light snores filling the room.

“Of course you’re asleep,” she muttered. She lifted her head a little, watching him in the dark— the slow rise and fall of his chest, the way his eyelashes fanned against his cheek, the soft exhale of his breath.

Leaning in, she brushed her lips against his in a whisper of a kiss. “I love you,” she murmured before tucking herself back against him, letting sleep finally take her too.

— prev. chapter | chapter seventeen

Taglist:

@somebodyels3 | @respectfulrebel | @thecoyotescry | @bluestdai | @lacy1986

@sweetwombatpizza | @missduffsblog | @shilohrosechicken | @jilliemiw86 | @alwaysfightforwhoyouare

@chey-h | @ferduttini | @dominuslunae | @todressabladeupinred

#noah sebastian x ofc #noah x lia #the inevitability of love at second sight #noah sebastian fanfiction #noah sebastian fanfic #bad omens fanfic

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00valentina-writes00 · 2 days ago

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✞⛧ Apple picking gone wrong (Ellie x reader) ✞⛧

Warnings: Fluff, light humor, Playful Ellie, Slightly reckless behavior (breaking into an orchard)

Word count: 1.4k

It wasn’t supposed to go like this. You had it all planned out: a cute, quiet apple-picking date, just the two of you. The orchard was supposed to be the perfect place—rows of apple trees stretching out, the warm autumn sunlight filtering through the branches, and the air crisp with that delicious scent of fresh fruit. You had even imagined the two of you sitting on a picnic blanket afterward, enjoying the fruit you’d picked, maybe even making a small cider together.

But you never thought to check if the orchard was open. You assumed that, of course, it would be. And yet, standing at the front gate of the orchard, a cold wave of realization washed over you as your eyes fell on the sign: “Closed for the Season.”

Your stomach sank.

You turned to Ellie, who was walking a few steps behind you, her hands casually tucked into the pockets of her worn hoodie, her signature smirk painted across her face. She was probably thinking about the same thing—how this was the perfect date idea, and now it was ruined. You braced yourself for the disappointment you expected from her, but when you caught her eye, you saw something completely different.

Ellie didn’t seem upset at all. In fact, she looked intrigued.

She raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint flashing in her green eyes as she took a step forward, her boots crunching the leaves beneath her. “Well, looks like we’ll have to borrow some apples then.”

You blinked, unsure if she was serious. The orchard was closed for a reason. There were still signs of human activity—the area was gated, and there were security cameras scattered around. You frowned, taking a few steps back.

“Ellie, we can’t just—” you started, but she was already pushing past you, her eyes darting around the perimeter of the orchard.

“Oh, come on,” she said, her voice light, playful. “Where’s the fun in following all the rules? We’re just gonna ‘borrow’ a few apples. It’s not like anyone’s gonna miss ’em.”

She made air quotes with her fingers around “borrow,” her lips curling into that familiar, goofy grin. It was a grin that told you she wasn’t going to take no for an answer. And, you had to admit, there was something about the way she looked at you in that moment—eyes bright, her messy hair falling over her forehead, her whole face lit with excitement—that made you want to follow her. It was reckless, sure, but with Ellie, nothing ever seemed impossible.

You found yourself laughing despite your better judgment. “Breaking and entering, huh? You’ve really thought this through, haven’t you?”

“Of course I have,” Ellie said, her voice filled with that mischievous confidence you found so endearing. She was already undoing the latch of the gate, looking over her shoulder at you, clearly pleased with herself. “It’ll be fun. You’ll see.”

You sighed, trying to keep the frown on your face, but it was hard to stay serious when Ellie’s energy was so infectious. You loved the way her enthusiasm spread, how she made everything feel like an adventure. It was easy to forget that you were about to break the law when she made it feel like you were just playing pretend.

“Alright, alright. But I’m not going to jail for you,” you said, your voice teasing but with a hint of playfulness.

Ellie’s grin only widened. “Nah, you won’t. You’re with me, and nothing bad ever happens when you’re with me.” Her voice was almost reassuring, and you felt a warmth spread through you at her words.

As Ellie pushed the gate open with a small creak, you stepped through it, glancing nervously around once more. The place was quieter than you’d expected, the air still with the scent of apples and earth. Ellie led the way, moving confidently toward a row of apple trees in the distance, her posture relaxed but alert. She walked with a kind of casual grace, like she knew the world belonged to her.

You tried to calm your nerves as you followed behind her, your eyes still scanning the perimeter for any signs of security. But there was no one around. It was late afternoon, and the orchard was empty, the fading sunlight casting long shadows on the ground. The only sounds were the rustling of leaves and the occasional bird call from somewhere overhead.

It was quiet—eerily quiet—and that was when you noticed that you were alone. Really alone.

“So,” you started, glancing at her as she moved to the first tree and plucked a ripe apple from one of its lower branches, “you really think we’re going to get away with this?”

Ellie bit into the apple with a satisfying crunch, her eyes closing for a second in enjoyment as the juice dripped down her chin. She wiped it away quickly with the back of her hand and shrugged, giving you a playful look. “It’s not about getting away with it. It’s about the thrill, babe.”

You snorted, shaking your head at her. “You’re ridiculous.”

“I know,” she said with a grin, her voice softening for a moment. She stood a little taller, the gleam in her eyes fading into something more sincere, almost vulnerable. “But you know I like having fun. And right now, this—” she waved the apple in the air, her grin back in full force—“is fun.”

You watched her for a moment, feeling that familiar pull in your chest. It was like you had forgotten how much you loved this side of her—the side that could make anything feel exciting, even the smallest of moments. Ellie wasn’t just a reckless teenager anymore. She was someone who knew how to turn the bleakest situations into something worth experiencing. And right now, she was turning a closed orchard into something that felt secret and special.

She tossed you the apple she’d picked, and you caught it easily. “Try it,” Ellie urged, her eyes glinting with the excitement of rebellion.

You bit into the apple, savoring the sweetness. It was so crisp and juicy that for a moment, you almost forgot about everything else—the risk, the law, the fact that you were technically trespassing. You let out a small sigh of contentment.

“Okay, fine,” you admitted, tossing the core of your apple aside and watching it roll into the grass. “This is kinda fun.”

Ellie raised her hands in triumph. “Told you.”

The two of you continued picking apples, your laughter echoing in the otherwise still orchard. Time seemed to stretch out as you wandered between trees, occasionally tossing each other apples or sneaking small, playful gestures of affection.

“I still can’t believe you got me to do this,” you muttered, glancing at Ellie as she climbed up into one of the trees, her boots digging into the bark as she reached for the best apples.

“You love it,” Ellie replied with a wink, her hands grabbing hold of a particularly large apple. “Admit it.”

You couldn’t help but smile, leaning back against the tree and watching her with a soft fondness. “I do.”

For a while, you just stayed there, picking apples in silence. It was peaceful in its own way, the tension of the world outside melting away with each bite of sweet fruit. You both sat beneath the branches of one of the trees, surrounded by your stolen bounty, a moment of quiet rebellion.

The light of the setting sun filtered through the leaves, painting everything in warm hues of orange and pink. You felt a quiet peace, the kind you hadn’t experienced in a while. Maybe it was because of the simple pleasure of being with Ellie—or maybe it was because, for once, everything felt normal.

Ellie leaned her head against your shoulder, her body relaxed. “You know,” she said softly, her voice a little more vulnerable now, “this is perfect.”

You nodded, squeezing her hand lightly. “Yeah. It is.”

And in that moment, with the orchard surrounding you and Ellie’s head resting against your shoulder, you realized that maybe this—just being together, making the most out of a ridiculous situation—was the kind of date that mattered most.

“I’m glad I’m with you,” you murmured.

Ellie didn’t say anything in return, but the soft smile that stretched across her face said more than words ever could.

#loser ellie #ellie williams x female reader #ellie williams x you #ellie x fem reader #ellie williams x reader #ellie x reader #ellie the last of us #ellie willams x reader #the last of us x you #the last of us x reader #the last of us fic #the last of us #fanfic

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bluebirdinhissky · 2 days ago

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A best friend’s duty is to make you feel at home.

Hyunjin x Reader.

Bird note: This is a continuation of the Seollal celebration. Reminder, Reader is older than Hyunjin and not korean. Also WARNING, this is the longest I’ve written, so thank you so much if you read everything!!

[Masterlist]

The train ride to Hyunjin’s hometown had been peaceful, filled with easy conversation and stretches of comfortable silence. Now, as they stepped off the platform and into the crisp winter air, the reality of what was happening started to settle in: she was meeting his parents.

Hyunjin glanced over at her as they walked toward the station exit, her hands tucked into the pockets of her coat. She looked calm on the surface, but he knew her well enough to catch the tiny signs of nervousness: the way she pressed her lips together, the way she adjusted the strap of her bag even though it wasn’t slipping.

His parents had been excited when he told them she was coming. His mom had immediately started planning meals and didn’t hesitate to text Hyunjin after their call to ask what kind of meals she liked and just laughed when he told her she was as picky as him, or maybe even more; and his dad had casually mentioned how it would be nice to have “another artist in the house” for a few days. Still, he understood why she was worried. Meeting someone’s parents was a big deal, even if it was just as friends.

“Stop overthinking,” he murmured, nudging her lightly with his elbow.

“I’m not overthinking.” She shot him a look.

“You so are,” he teased, grinning when she huffed. “It’s gonna be fine. They already like you, remember?”

“That’s what you say, but what if…”

“Nope.” He cut her off before she could start listing possible disasters. “No ‘what ifs.’ Just relax, okay?”

She exhaled but nodded, adjusting her scarf as they stepped out of the station and took a taxi to his parent’s house. After some minutes of quiet ride, they arrived.

Hyunjin adjusted the strap of his bag as they stood outside his childhood home. He could still feel her nerves even without looking at her, her grip on her suitcase was a little too tight, her breathing just a bit more controlled than usual. He tried to act casual but her nervousness was getting to him, and he was starting to get nervous too but he was better at hiding it.

“You’re acting like you’re about to meet a king and queen.” He laughed.

“It’s your parents, Hyunjin.”

“Exactly.” He grinned. “Not royalty. Just two normal people who already like you.”

She exhaled unconvinced, but before she could talk herself into backing out, he opened the door and stepped inside.

The warmth of home wrapped around him instantly. The air smelled faintly of his mom’s cooking, and the space looked just as familiar as always, soft lighting, the hum of the heater, the cozy silence of a lived-in home.

“Hyunjin-ah!”

His mom appeared from the kitchen, her face lighting up the moment she saw him. And then her eyes landed on the woman beside him, and her expression softened with something closer to curiosity.

“You must be Y/N.”, she said in a heavy korean accent english. Hyunjin appreciated his mom’s effort to communicate with her.

“It’s nice to meet you.” She bowed politely.

“Oh, you’re even prettier than I expected.” His mom smiled, stepping closer. “Hyunjin only told me you were beautiful once, but I can see he was holding back.”

Hyunjin coughed. “Mom.”

Hyunjin barely had time to react before she continued, tilting her head as she studied her. “Now I think my son was lying. He told me you’re older than him, I still can’t believe you’re older than Hyunjin. You look his age.”

Hyunjin sighed. “Mom.”

“What? It’s true!” His mom laughed, turning back to her. “I thought he was joking at first, even now that I see you in person, I still don’t believe it.”

She smiled politely. “People usually think I’m younger.”

Hyunjin smirked. “She doesn’t just look younger. She acts younger too.”

She nudged him subtly, and he bit back a laugh.

His dad entered then, nodding in greeting as he took in the scene. “Welcome,” he said simply, his voice calm but kind. “I hope you had a good trip.”

She nodded. “Yes, thank you for having me.”

His mom beamed. “Of course! Any friend of Hyunjin’s is welcome here. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. Hyunjin talks about you all the time, so it already feels like I know you.”

She glanced at Hyunjin, who gave her a smug little smirk.

His dad, standing just behind his mom, coughed and sensed his son’s nervousness. “I hope Hyunjin didn’t give you too much trouble on the way here.”

“Hey,” Hyunjin protested, but she just laughed.

“He was actually well-behaved this time,” she joked.

His dad chuckled. “That’s good to hear. Let’s move to the livingroom.” and so they walked towards the living space where Kkami was already waiting by the couch, tail wagging excitedly.

“Oh, that’s right,” his mom said as she walked to the near couch. “Kkami finally gets to meet you.”

Hyunjin smirked. “He’s gonna love you.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure. Dogs usually sense when someone isn’t a dog person.” She gave him a skeptical look.

“Dogs love you,” he corrected. “Even though you don’t love them.”

“I don’t hate them,” she muttered.

Before she could say more, Kkami trotted forward, then, without hesitation, he wagged his tail even harder and placed his front paws against her legs, looking up at her expectantly.

“Uh…” She blinked.

“Told you.” Hyunjin grinned.

“Oh, he really likes you! That’s a good sign.” His mom said.

With an amused sigh, she hesitantly reached down and gave Kkami a few pats on the head. He responded by circling her feet before sitting down beside her, content.

“Looks like you have a new shadow while you’re here.” Hyunjin’s dad laughed.

“I hope you’ll be comfortable here,” his mom said kindly. “If you need anything, just let me know.”

“Thank you,” she said sincerely. “I really appreciate it.”

For some hours, Hyunjin played with Kkami while she looked at them. He asked her if she could take some videos of them playing, so he could show them to Stay some other time.

“Dinner’s ready!” his mom told them from the kitchen. He missed his mom’s meals so he hurried up while grabbing her by the hand, and she let go of it just before his mom entered the dining room.

At the table, the conversation flowed easily. His mom was full of questions, clearly eager to learn more about her.

“So, you and Hyunjin met through Hannah and Changbin, right?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I moved in with them when I first came to Korea, and Hyunjin was already living there.”

His mom smiled. “And now you two are best friends. It’s nice to see him so close with someone other than the ‘kids’.”

Hyunjin rolled his eyes. “Mom.”

She ignored him, turning back to his best friend. “You know, I was surprised when Hyunjin said you were older than him.”

She smiled, but there was a slight hesitation before she spoke. “Actually… I’m fourteen years older.”

There was a brief pause. His mom blinked, eyebrows lifting slightly. “Yeah, he said that, that’s why I didn’t believe it when I saw you”

His dad, unfazed, simply nodded. “Yes, you certainly don’t look it.”

His mom quickly recovered, nodding in agreement. “Exactly! You don’t look a day older than Hyunjin.”

“Told you.” Hyunjin smirked.

She exhaled in amusement.

His mom tilted her head curiously. “Is it ever awkward? The age gap?”

She glanced at Hyunjin before shaking her head. “Not really. He never makes me feel weird about it.”

His mom’s eyes softened. “That’s good. As long as you’re both comfortable.”

Hyunjin noticed the way she relaxed at his mom’s words, and for some reason, it made his chest feel lighter.

“So,” his mom began, setting down her glass, “Hyunjin told us you moved to Seoul for a change of environment. What made you choose Korea?”

Hyunjin just had mentioned bits to her mom about Hannah inviting her, but didn’t share the real reason. He noticed the small pause before she answered.

“I was heartbroken,” she admitted softly. “A relationship ended badly, and I fell into a really bad place. I was depressed, and I didn’t know how to move forward. Hannah suggested I move here, thinking a new environment would help me heal.”

Hyunjin’s fingers tightened around his cup.

He already knew this, of course. He had seen it, had watched her struggle, had held her when she broke down, had been there in all the moments she thought no one was watching. But hearing her say it aloud, to his parents, made his chest ache in a different way.

His mom’s expression softened. “That must have been difficult,” she said gently. “I’m sorry you went through that.”

She nodded. “It was. But… I had good people supporting me.” She glanced at Hyunjin. “And Hyunjin helped too. More than he probably realizes.”

“I did?” Hyunjin blinked.

“Yeah.” She smiled at him.

His mom watched the exchange with interest before turning to his dad. “See? Our son is sweeter than he pretends to be.”

“I don’t pretend!” Hyunjin huffed.

“It must be interesting, living together. Do you ever get tired of him?” His dad chuckled.

“Dad!” Hyunjin groaned.

“It’s a valid question. Hyunjin can be a lot.” His mom grinned, clearly amused.

She hesitated briefly before shaking her head. “I don’t get tired of him.” Hyunjin blinked, thrown off by how certain she sounded. She glanced at him before looking back at his mom. “He’s helped me a lot,” she continued. “More than he knows. He helped me be happier. Move on. Believe in myself again.” A small pause. Then, quieter, “Heal.”

Hyunjin felt something shift in his chest.

She had never said that before.

His throat tightened as he watched her, trying to process the weight of her words. He didn’t know what to say, so he said nothing, just letting the moment settle around them.

“That’s good to hear.” His mom smiled knowingly.

His dad, sensing the change in atmosphere, shifted the topic. “Hyunjin mentioned you like animals. Do you like dogs?”

“I’m more of a cat person.” She smiled nervously.

“She’s not scared of dogs, but she doesn’t get them.” Hyunjin smirked.

“That’s not true.” She protested.

“Well, Kkami will change your mind, I’m sure.” His mom laughed.

Right on cue, the sound of small paws tapping against the floor filled the room. Within seconds, Kkami came bounding in, tail wagging furiously.

“Looks like he already likes you.” Hyunjin grinned.

Kkami pushed against her hand, demanding attention. She hesitated before reaching out, and Kkami immediately leaned into her touch, tail wagging harder.

“Dogs always know good people.” His mom said the fact.

“So, you’ve been in Korea for a while now. Do you plan on staying long-term?” His dad asked curiously.

She nodded. “For now, I’m happy in Seoul. I don’t plan to move away.”

Hyunjin hadn’t realized how much he wanted to hear that until now. He had never considered the possibility of her actually moving away and he was glad he hadn’t think about it before.

His mom smiled, satisfied. “Then I hope this isn’t the last time we see you.”

Hyunjin smirked, nudging her lightly. “See? Told you they’d like you.”

She rolled her eyes, but her posture had relaxed, and for some reason, that made Hyunjin feel lighter, too.

The evening had passed more smoothly than Hyunjin expected. Dinner was warm and comforting, filled with laughter and easy conversation. His mom, as expected, had already taken a liking to her, and his dad, though more reserved, had seemed just as welcoming, but now, as the night settled in, the house was winding down.

His mom stretched as she stood from the dining table. “It’s getting late,” she said, suppressing a yawn. “We should all get some sleep.”

His dad nodded in agreement, already heading toward their bedroom. “Goodnight, you two.”

“Goodnight!” They both called after them.

She stood up as well, hesitating slightly before glancing at him. “Where am I going to sleep?”

“Oh, you’re staying in my room.” Hyunjin smirked, already enjoying this way too much.

Her eyes widened slightly, and for a split second, he saw real panic flash across her face. He barely managed to hold back his laughter before shaking his head. “I’m kidding. Relax.”

“Hyunjin!” She let out a sharp exhale.

“Come on, that was funny.” He grinned before grabbing her suitcase that stayed in the entrance ever since they arrived, forgotten. “I’ll show you.”

He led her down the hall, stopping in front of a door. Pushing it open, he flicked on the light, revealing a cozy, neatly arranged room. He rolled her suitcase inside before stepping aside to let her enter. “It’s not huge, but it’s comfortable.”

She took a few steps in, glancing around. The bed was neatly made, the blankets tucked in perfectly. A small nightstand held a lamp, and there was a window with thick curtains, keeping out the chill.

“This is nice.” She turned to him.

“Told you my parents would take care of you.” Hyunjin leaned against the doorway, watching her.

She smiled softly. For a moment, the silence between them stretched. The house was quiet now, his parents bedroom door already closed.

“You look cute when you’re shy.” He tilted his head slightly, gaze flickering over her.

“I… I’m not shy.” She stiffened.

Hyunjin smirked, stepping just a little closer. “Hmm, really?” His voice dropped, playful and teasing. “Then why are you blushing?”

“I’m not…”

“You are.” He leaned in just enough to make her flinch.

“Your parents are right down the hall,” she whispered, clearly flustered. She turned her face away, avoiding his gaze.

“And?” Hyunjin chuckled, thoroughly entertained.

“And they might hear you flirting and think something weird.”

“Something weird?” He bit his lip to stop himself from laughing.

“You know what I mean.” She huffed.

Hyunjin grinned. He could see her struggling, not because she didn’t want to flirt back, but because she was too shy with his parents so close.

It was cute.

He leaned against the doorframe, watching her as she nervously adjusted the sleeves of her sweater.

“Alright, alright,” he said finally, voice softer now. “I’ll be nice… for tonight.”

“For tonight?” She gave him a look.

“Yeah. Don’t think this means I’ll stop.” He smirked.

She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue.

Hyunjin chuckled as he pushed himself off the doorframe. “Sleep well, okay?”

She nodded. “You too.”

With that, he stepped back into the hallway, heading toward his old bedroom.

And as he walked away, he couldn’t wipe the grin off his face.

*The next morning*

Hyunjin was already up, dressed in a hanbok, an outfit that made him look even more regal than usual. He texted her asking if she was up already. As soon as she replied he went to her room, knocking on the door. She opened a few seconds later.

“Morning,” he said cheerfully, adjusting the collar of his hanbok. “You’re up early.”

“Yeah… it’s hard to sleep in when you’re not in your own bed,” she replied, stretching again.

He nodded, eyes lighting up. “It’s Seollal today, so you’ll get to experience a bunch of traditions. Get ready for some fun.”

“Fun?” she raised an eyebrow.

He winked, clearly enjoying teasing her. “Maybe not fun for you, but it’s going to be an experience, that’s for sure.”

Before she could ask what he meant by that, his mom appeared from behind him, hands on her hips as she smiled warmly at Y/N.

“Y/N-ssi, good morning! We’re going to wear hanbok today, so you’ll need to put one on too. It’s a part of the Seollal tradition. You’ll look beautiful in it!”

Hyunjin chuckled under his breath, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you pick one out.”

She shot him a playful glare. “What, you’re going to pick out my outfit?”

“Of course.” He crossed his arms, leaning back against the wall with a grin. “I’m a fashion expert.”

“Don’t let him fool you,” his mom chimed in, leading them over to the closet where they kept the hanboks. “He has no taste when it comes to picking out clothes. You’re better off picking your own.”

Hyunjin raised his hands in mock surrender. “Fine!”

His mom brought out a few hanboks, setting them down on the bed. The garments were beautiful, rich fabrics in shades of red, blue, and gold, with intricate embroidery that made them look like they belonged in a historical drama.

Hyunjin’s mom gently encouraged her to pick one that felt the most comfortable. “You’ll be wearing it for a while, so it’s best if it fits well.”

After a few minutes of careful choosing, she decided on a soft pink hanbok with delicate gold patterns that seemed to shimmer in the light. Hyunjin stood nearby, watching as she changed into the hanbok, his expression unreadable. When she was done, his eyes widened, and a soft smile spread across his face. “Wow,” he said, voice softer than before. “You look beautiful.”

Her cheeks flushed under his gaze, but she was saved by his mom, who came over with a small box of traditional accessories: a hairpin, a ribbon, and a decorative piece to hang on her waistband.

“Now, we’re ready,” his mom said with a smile, fastening the final touches. “We can begin the formal Seollal ceremony soon.”

Hyunjin, now standing beside her, explained the next steps. “The Seollal celebration involves a ritual called ‘Sebae,’ where we pay respects to our elders and ancestors. You’ll see us bow to them and make wishes for the upcoming year.”

She nodded, seemingly impressed by how seriously he took the tradition.

His mom looked over at them both, satisfied. “Let’s go. It’s time for the family ceremony.”

And so, with their hanboks carefully adjusted and the weight of tradition in the air, they joined his parents in the living room to prepare for the next part of the celebration.

*After the celebrations*

The house had fallen quiet, the celebration of Seollal a distant memory now. After the long day of traditional celebrations and catching up with his parents, Hyunjin found himself standing at the kitchen counter, putting away the last of the dishes. His mind wandered to the one thing that had been on his mind all evening: her.

She hadn’t been to his room yet. He wasn’t sure why, but it felt strange. Back home, she’d never hesitated to come into his room whenever she felt like it. But here, in his parents house, things were different. The tension from earlier in the day still hung in the air. They’d gotten along fine, of course, but he knew she was still adjusting. It wasn’t just the new environment; it was the feeling of being under his parents watchful eyes, and the worry of making a good impression.

He wiped his hands on a dish towel, his gaze drifting toward the living room. She was sitting on the couch, her phone in hand. She seemed a bit distant. He couldn’t help but feel a little curious, a little concerned, but mostly, he was just… impatient. He missed the easy comfort of their usual routine. Pushing the towel aside, Hyunjin walked over to the couch, leaning casually against the armrest.

“Hey,” he started with a teasing grin. “You’ve been here for two days already, and you still haven’t come to my room. What’s going on?”

She looked up from her phone, startled for a moment, and then she looked away quickly. He could tell she was uncomfortable, but he wasn’t sure why.

She cleared her throat, her fingers fiddling with the phone screen. “I didn’t want to intrude,” she said, her voice quiet.

“Intrude?” He raised an eyebrow, amused. “You’re not intruding. You’ve been to my room like a hundred times back home. What’s different now?”

She shifted slightly, her gaze still avoiding his. She seemed a little embarrassed, but it was the way she fidgeted that told him something else. It was like she wasn’t sure of the boundaries here.

“I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable,” she murmured.

Hyunjin’s smile softened a little. He understood now, it wasn’t just about his room or his parents. It was the fact that they were here, under his parents roof, and maybe she was worried it would look… different.

He leaned in a little closer, his voice dropping into a more playful tone. “Hey, it’s just me and you. Nothing to worry about, right? Besides, we’re best friends. It’s not like we’re doing anything weird.”

She didn’t say anything at first, but he could tell she was still nervous. He wasn’t sure if it was because of his parents or something else, but he wasn’t going to push her.

After a few moments, he stood up straighter, brushing off his hanbok. “I’m just saying, you’re making it awkward by not coming over.” He glanced at the door. “Come on, let’s go. I’m not going to bite.”

She hesitated, looking at him as if she was weighing her options. He could tell she wasn’t completely convinced, but he also knew that if he kept teasing her, she wouldn’t be able to resist.

“You should probably keep your voice down,” she said finally, her tone quiet and careful.

Hyunjin’s grin returned, but he didn’t press her on it. Instead, he chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “You act like we’re sneaking around.” He reached out and gently tugged on her wrist, urging her to get up. “It’s just me, beastie. Relax.”

She finally stood, following him down the hall to his room. He could tell she was still a little unsure, but he was glad she was going along with it. He didn’t want her to feel awkward about being in his space, especially not here.

Once they were inside his room, Hyunjin turned on the light, revealing the familiar surroundings. The room felt a little different with her here.

He tossed himself on the bed “See? Not so bad, right?”

She gave him a small smile, but he could tell she was still a bit hesitant. He wondered if she was worried about his parents hearing them, or if she just wasn’t quite ready for the familiarity of being in his childhood room like this.

He sat now on the edge of the bed, leaning back a little. “It’s just us, no one else. Don’t worry about it,” he said, trying to reassure her. She stood near the door, not coming any closer, and Hyunjin raised an eyebrow. “What’s going on? You’re not usually so stiff around me.”

She shifted again, clearly unsure. “It’s just… I don’t want to make things weird”

After a beat of silence, Hyunjin patted the bed beside him, an invitation he hoped she wouldn’t resist. “Come on, you can sit here. Nothing to be shy about. Nothing weird will happen”

She looked at him for a moment, then finally, to his surprise, walked over and sat down beside him. There was still a little distance between them, but he could tell she was starting to relax.

Hyunjin couldn’t help but smile. This was all still a little different, but with her, everything felt just like it always had been, natural, easy. Even if they were in his parents house, everything felt right. For a while, it felt like everything was back to normal, just the two of them, their usual easy conversation, and the comfortable silence between them that had always made their time together feel effortless.

Kkami had been quietly lying on the floor, but soon, his presence was felt as he trotted over, his tail wagging energetically. He immediately jumped onto the bed, nudging her with his nose, as if inviting her to give him attention. She flinched at first, not used to having a dog so close, but she didn’t push him away. Hyunjin noticed the way her hand hesitated, and he grinned. “He’s harmless,” he reassured her

“Yeah, I can tell,” she murmured, her voice soft, as her hand gingerly reached out to pet Kkami. He let out a small, satisfied yip, nudging her hand with his nose and Hyunjin found it a bit amusing how his dog had taken a liking to someone who wasn’t particularly fond of dogs.

They spent a few more minutes just talking, Kkami curling up between them, occasionally nudging her for more attention. Hyunjin watched her interact with the dog, noting how she had warmed up a little, even if she was still a bit reserved. Her usual reserved nature around Kkami was endearing, and Hyunjin liked that he could see her letting her guard down, even just a little.

But after a while, Hyunjin noticed a change. She had started to lean back against the headboard of the bed, her eyelids growing heavy, the soft rhythm of her breathing a subtle sign that she was getting tired. He glanced over at her, noticing how she fought to stay awake, even though she was clearly exhausted. He couldn’t help but smile at the sight, her usual quiet determination, even in something as simple as staying up.

“You know, for someone who didn’t want to come into my room,” he said softly, trying not to startle her, “you look like you’re about to fall asleep right here.”

She looked at him, a soft blush creeping onto her cheeks as she sat up a bit straighter. “I didn’t mean to,” she muttered, rubbing her eyes tiredly. “I guess I didn’t realize how tired I was.”

Hyunjin chuckled, shaking his head. “I told you it’d be a long day. You should get some rest. You’ve been up since early this morning.”

She nodded, standing up slowly and giving Kkami one last pat on the head. “You’re right,” she said, her voice still sleepy. She glanced over at Hyunjin, her expression soft. “Thanks for letting me hang out with you for a while.”

He smiled, leaning back against the bed. “Of course. You can come back whenever you want.”

She hesitated for a moment, standing by the door as if she were deciding something. Her eyes met his briefly, then she quickly looked down, suddenly shy. “Goodnight, Hyunjin. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Goodnight, beastie,” he replied, his voice warm. “Sleep well.”

As she left the room, Hyunjin couldn’t help but feel a little strange. There was a kind of quiet sweetness to the way she said goodnight, a gentle vulnerability that made him think about how much he enjoyed just having her around, even in the silence.

When the door softly clicked shut behind her, he sat for a moment, thinking about how much things had changed, how much closer they had become since she moved to Seoul. The bond they shared had deepened in ways he hadn’t quite anticipated. He couldn’t put his finger on exactly when it had happened, but he knew that whatever was happening between them, it wasn’t just friendship anymore and he couldn’t keep ignoring he wasn’t fine with just being friends.

He leaned back against the pillow, a smile tugging at his lips. Despite everything that had changed, there was still something so comforting about having her around. He wasn’t sure where things were headed, but he knew one thing for sure: he was looking forward to whatever came next, something deep inside of him telling him she might actually feel the same.

With that thought, he drifted into sleep, the peaceful silence of his room enveloping him, leaving the thoughts of the day behind.

*The day after Seollal Celebrations*

The morning light poured through the window of Hyunjin’s room, waking him from his slumber. It had been a restful night, the warmth of the blankets and the quiet house making it easy to sleep soundly. He had gotten used to the comfort of his room, though the knowledge that his best friend was staying at his parents house still made him feel a little like things were on their way to become official. He tried to push those thoughts aside as he stretched out beneath the covers because he didn’t want to be more nervous, the day ahead promising to be a quiet continuation of the family celebration.

Hyunjin’s parents had already woken up, their voices sounding in the kitchen. His mom had started preparing breakfast, a traditional Korean meal of rice, kimchi, and side dishes, the smell of it wafting up through the house.

After getting dressed, Hyunjin opened the door and made his way downstairs, where the sounds of morning chatter and the sizzle of food greeted her. Y/N was already sitting at the table, talking animatedly to his dad while his mom arranged the food. She looked up when she saw him, her eyes softening into a smile.

“Good morning,” he greeted them, his voice a little more casual now that they were surrounded by his family.

“Good morning, Hyunjin.” They greeted him. He walked over and took a seat across from her. His mom joining with food not long after.

As they ate, the conversation flowed easily around the table. His mom asked about Y/N’s life in Seoul and how she had been adjusting, which was something she had mentioned the day before. “You are a brave woman,” his mom said, a warmth in her voice. “It takes courage to move to a new place on your own.”

Y/N gave a small smile. “It wasn’t easy, but I’m glad I came. It’s been… a good change.”

The rest of the morning was spent in a quiet, peaceful rhythm. After breakfast, they spent time playing a few traditional games. Hyunjin’s parents taught her how to play yutnori, a game involving a board and wooden sticks that is traditionally played during the New Year. Even though Y/N wasn’t very familiar with it, Hyunjin’s mom was patient, showing her the rules and laughing whenever Y/N made a mistake. Hyunjin, meanwhile, seemed to enjoy seeing Y/N try her best, though he also teased her when she got too competitive with his dad.

In the afternoon, after lunch, his parents took a nap, and Y/N was left to chat with Hyunjin in the living room. They sat on the couch together, Kkami curling up by her feet, occasionally glancing up at her as if waiting for her to pet him again.

“Do you want to go outside for a bit?” Hyunjin asked, stretching lazily. “Maybe get some fresh air?”

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

They walked outside into the yard behind the house, the cold air hitting them as they stepped out. The sky was clear, the sun still bright in the afternoon but already starting to dip lower. The house was set in a quiet neighborhood, the occasional sound of children playing or people calling to each other drifting through the air.

Hyunjin looked over at her, his hands stuffed into his jacket pockets. “So, we’re heading back to Seoul tonight, right?” She nodded, her gaze drifting to the horizon.

“Yeah. I don’t think I’m ready to go back just yet, though. I’m really enjoying being here, but I know it’s time to go home.”

He smiled at that, a little fondly. “Yeah. Me too. I’m glad you came, though. It feels… good, having you here.”

“I’m glad too.”

They stood there for a while, enjoying the calmness of the moment. Kkami, having followed them outside, was happily chasing his tail in the snow-covered yard. After a while, they went back inside to find that his parents were awake, and the evening was approaching.

The day had passed quickly, and before long, Hyunjin and Y/N were gathering their things, getting ready to head back to their apartment in Seoul. Hyunjin’s parents were already getting ready to go to bed, saying their goodbyes as they made their way to the living room to send them off.

“Thank you for having me,” Y/N said sincerely to his mom and dad, her voice quiet but appreciative.

His dad gave her a kind smile. “Of course. You’re always welcome here.”

As they left the house and took the train back to Seoul, the weight of the day seemed to lift. When they arrived, their driver was already waiting for them. The drive was quiet, just the soft hum of the car’s engine filling the space. Hyunjin glanced at Y/N every so often, wondering if she was thinking about the same things he was.

When the driver finally pulled into the driveway and parked, Hyunjin turned to her, the excitement in his eyes unmistakable. “We’re home,” he said with a playful grin. He couldn’t help but feel a little relieved. Having her at his side had become a normal part of his life here in Seoul, and even after the few days with his parents, he was happy to have her back in their shared space.

“Yeah. Feels good.”

Hyunjin’s eyes softened at her words, and he felt a pull to her. “I’m glad you came with me,” he said again, his voice casual but with a sincerity he couldn’t hide. It had been a little nerve-wracking, wondering how she’d feel about the whole family thing, meeting his parents, learning about the traditions. But seeing her hold her own with them, the way she opened up about herself, made him realize just how much she had become a part of his life here in Seoul.

They thanked the driver and headed inside the apartment, still empty, since Hannah and Changbin were not going to arrive until tomorrow

The silence stretched between them as Hyunjin tossed his jacket over a chair, the stillness almost too much without his friends around to fill it. He turned back to her, unable to keep the teasing tone out of his voice. “Hey, since it’s just us tonight, how about you stay in my room?” he asked, a playful smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “I missed having you there.”

“I guess… maybe just for tonight,” she finally said, her voice softer than usual, but she was playing along.

Hyunjin grinned. “What do you mean just for tonight? No, beastie, it’s where you belong.” The words came out almost too easily, and he could feel his chest tightening with something that was hard to name. He turned to lead the way to his room, already imagining the comfort of her presence next to him.

Once inside, the room felt more like his own. It had been strange, staying away for a few days, but now that she was with him, things felt… right. She set her things down by the dresser, glancing around the room like it was unfamiliar, though it wasn’t. It was as if something about the situation was putting her on edge, even though she had stayed with him many times.

Hyunjin leaned against the wall, his gaze following her as she moved around the room. He started to think about her words she’d said to his parents. He had been thinking about it all day, the way she had spoken so openly about him helping her heal. She had never said anything like that to him before, and it caught him off guard. He wanted to know more.

“I’ve been thinking about something all day.” He let the words linger between them, watching her as she stopped moving and turned her attention to him, her curiosity piqued.

“What’s that?” she asked, her tone just shy of cautious, like she wasn’t sure what he was going to say next.

Hyunjin took a small step toward her, his smirk never wavering. “That thing you said to my parents… about me helping you heal, about me helping you believe in yourself again,” he said, his voice softer now, almost teasing. “I didn’t know you thought that way about it.”

Her posture stiffened, and she fidgeted a bit, clearly uncomfortable with him bringing it up. Hyunjin could tell that she hadn’t meant for it to sound so significant, but there it was, hanging in the air.

“I didn’t mean to make it sound like a big deal,” she said, almost apologetically, her voice low and careful. Hyunjin took a small step closer, his eyes softening, a slight tilt to his head.

“But it is a big deal,” he said, his voice low and serious for a moment. “You don’t have to downplay it. I’m just glad you said it.”

Her lips parted as though she was about to respond, but instead, she simply glanced away, her hands shifting nervously in front of her. Hyunjin knew she wasn’t great at talking about feelings, at least not in such direct terms, but he didn’t mind. Her quiet sincerity spoke more than words could sometimes.

“I guess… I did mean it,” she finally admitted, her voice softer, almost like she was admitting something she hadn’t said out loud before.

Hyunjin didn’t say anything for a moment. Instead, he moved closer again, his gaze never leaving hers. There was something in her eyes, something unspoken, but it made his chest tighten all the same. He had always been used to joking around, to teasing her and flirt nonstop, but this felt like a deeper moment. He didn’t want to ruin it, so he let his smile return instead.

“You don’t have to explain it, Y/N,” he said, his tone light again, brushing his thumb across her hand in a slow, deliberate motion. “I’m just glad you said it.”

She looked up at him, offering a small, shy smile in return, and Hyunjin felt his heart beat a little faster. The tension was still there, thick and almost palpable, but there was something else too, something that felt too natural to ignore.

“Well, I guess we should sleep soon, huh?” he said, shifting the conversation to something else, making him ignore the thoughts of kissing her and maybe ruin the moment, though his words had a different tone. “Unless you’ve got other plans?”

She laughed softly, her smile reaching her eyes this time. “I guess we can sleep,” she said, the hint of humor in her voice easing the lingering tension.

She hesitated for just a moment, but then she climbed into bed. As they settled in, Hyunjin couldn’t help but feel the familiar warmth of having her close. The room was quieter now, the tension between them still there, but in a different way. He turned to face her, his voice quieter than before.

“I really missed having you here.”

She met his gaze, her eyes soft. “I missed you too,” she replied, and the weight of those words made something stir in his chest.

The silence between them grew comfortable again, and Hyunjin couldn’t shake the feeling that something was shifting between them, but for now, as the night stretched on, he let himself enjoy the closeness, knowing that whatever came next, they’d face it together.

#stray kids #skz #hwang hyunjin #hyunjin #hyunjin stray kids #skz hyunjin #hyunjin imagine #hyunjin x reader #hyunjin x y/n #bbihsp

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someone1348 · 2 days ago

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Happy National Tickle Day! Thats crazy! I didn't know it was today! I found out from @ryoko-loves-roses fic! So I wanted to celebrate with another Alice in Borderland fic! Idea from @saturnzskyzz so thank youuu for that! All the love my friend! 🫶💕

Anyways!

The people in this: Ler!Arisu, Lee!Tatta

Tw: Some angst/anxiety but it's mainly fluff! This is also a tickle fic, as are all my fics, so if you don't like it please keep scrolling thank you! :]

Semi season 2 spoilers as well so proceed with caution!

With that being said enjoy!! 🥰

____________~☆°��°☆°♡°☆~______________

King of Giggles

It was only just beginning...the next stage of the games had started, without giving them much warning. It felt like this would never end. They had been running for a while now, so long that day was already night again. The king of spades blimp had moved now, out of sight from them so they had time and shelter for the night. With the car ruined and no food they had to separate again and gather what they all needed. Tired and anxious, Tatta just tried to listen to what was happening. Arisu spoke but nothing was reaching his ears until he said his name. The mechanic blinked. Arisu wanted him to come with him?! Wait where were they supposed to go! He just nodded, trying to keep the confusion and stress in his head.

"Perfect, so Usagi and Kuina will try to find food! Me and Tatta will look for a new car!" Arisu said with the same determination in his voice he always had. Something Tatta couldn't help but always admire.

'Cars, we're looking for cars, got it!' The plan finally registered in his brain as they put their hands in yelling 'Team!' Before breaking off into their groups and leaving the site, promising to meet back here in an hour or two. Hopefully, it shouldn't take anyone that long anyway, but you never know what could happen in this place, especially at night. Grabbing a flashlight, Tatta walked silently side by side with Arisu as he tried to find where exactly the car shop was. If this place was an exact replica of Shibuya, then the place Tatta was looking for shouldn't be too far. The gentle, warm, summer wind was the only noise that could be heard other than their footsteps. It would've been nicer if they weren't in this situation.

Arisu spoke up to break the silence. "Hey Tatta..." The shorter man blinked, getting out of his head to respond. "Yes?" He raised his eyebrows in response as Arisu responded.

"Thank you for saving me...twice now" he laughed a little under his breath. Tatta smiled back a little at this. "Oh it's nothing! You saved me first! If you didn't crawl to me in the tag game I wouldn't have survived...so really thank you! I didn't do anything!" Arisu smiled more at this and pointed a flashlight in his face.

"Don't downplay it! You got me out of that room in the beach, with people shooting everywhere! And then, you totally helped me, all of us, dodge the king of spades by pulling up in that car! You're amazing Tatta!" He hyped him up as the other got a little sheepish.

"Oh stop it Arisu! You're my friend! That's just what friends are for!" He exhaled as Arisu sighed and nodded. The air went back to being a little thicker after that but it didn't last long. They made it to the car place Tatta knew of and looked around. The small glow of the flashlights was the only thing illuminating this place as they walked.

"Oh my gosh!!" Tattas face lit up as he ran over to an old shiny red convertible. Arisu blinked at the others surprise "What?" He joined him over to the car. Tatta was crouched down carefully rubbing the top of it with his free hand. "Look at the curves on this baby!" Arisu smiled at his enthusiasm. Not quite understanding it but he wasn't one to judge. It certainly looked nice.

"Yeah! It looks cool!" Arisu said as Tatta scoffed a little playfully "Cool? She's a true beauty! A 1966 Ford Mustang convertible...a red one at that! factory-style air conditioning, power brakes, wood rim steering wheel, styled steel wheels, new radial narrow whitewall tires and a power top!" He gushed on and on about the car as Arisu listened carefully with an eyebrow raise.

"Wow! You really know a lot about cars huh? That's amazing!" He smiled brightly as Tatta stood up again.

"I used to be a mechanic...I've always loved cars, ever since I was a little boy..." He hummed gently as Arisu's smile only grew.

"A mechanic?! That's awesome! I bet you were really good at it with your knowledge on cars! I wouldn't be surprised!" He placed a friendly hand on his shoulder as Tatta shrugged "Ehh...I was okay at the job..."

Arisu hummed "You do that a lot don't you?" He looked at him as Tatta hummed in response "Do what?"

The flashlight was back in his face like an interrogation. "Downplay yourself and your skills" Tatta closed one eye from the light practically blinding him.

"That's not fair..." Arisu put the light back down and raised an eyebrow "So? You keep being unfair to yourself and I don't like it, you are incredible and you need to understand that" He smiled as Tatta exhaled.

"Arisu..."

"I'm serious, you're a ball of anxiety! I understand that in this situation, but even out of the death games, when we have a chance to breathe you're still anxious" The other pushed his hat up to look Tatta in the eyes.

"Your optimism is one of the reasons I'm still here now...it really cheers me up! So now it's my turn to help you again!" Tatta blinked, a small sparkle in his eye as he said that. He helped cheer Arisu up...he's part of the reason he kept going...

"Wha- me?" Turning his head to face Arisu he was met with that same bright smile again. "But I didn't-" Arisu put a finger to his lips "The next thing out of your mouth better be something positive about yourself or else!" Tatta blinked as Arisu removed his finger from his lips.

"I-I don't know what to say!" Tatta said gently as Arisu's face formed a wicked smirk.

"Wrong answer"

With that Arisu took a step towards Tatta who's body moved without him thinking about it. With each step Arisu took forward the other moved back. Panicked 'waits!' and other pleas left Tattas mouth before he tripped backwards falling into the backseat of the convertible.

"Woah-" he tried to get up but he was stuck. Arisu stood over him with a playful smirk. "Look what we have here~ You're trapped in the car you couldn't stop gushing about, now that's funny!"

Tatta smiled at his playful attitude but was still a little scared. Arisu wouldn't hurt him, right?

"Oh shut up! Just help me get out of here, please!" He asked as Arisu's eyebrows raised again in shock and intrigue.

"Ooohhh? Telling me to shut up now? I didn't think you had a mean bone in your body! This definitely made it more fun!" Tatta kicked his feet a little as he tried to escape.

"Oh come on Arisu! Help me! Please!" Arisu giggled as he got closer "Did you forget why you fell in the first place? You're in trouble Tatta, you gave me the wrong answer, and now you have to pay the price"

Oh...right! That's what was going on at first. What was he planning?

"Listen I'm sorry! I just didn't think that I-" He didn't have time to finish that statement. Arisu's fingers were gently squeezing at his sides. Tattas eyes shot open as he felt the ticklish jolts of electricity. He can't remember the last time he was tickled. He was probably a child when that happened last. He forgot how ridiculously ticklish he was and what it felt like until now. There was nothing to stop the giggles that flew out of his mouth now.

"Ahaharisu! Hey! Nohoho!" He shook his head gently as he tried to push at his hands weakly. Arisu's smile only grew as he heard his precious laughter.

"Awwww!" He cooed, making the other a little embarrassed.

"Dohohon't coo at meHehe!" His giggles got a little louder as Arisu pinched his ribs with one hand and continued tickling his side with the other. "EHehe!- This iHis emBahAharssihHing!" His face was a little red now as Arisu giggled with him under his breath.

"Its not embarrassing! Everyone is ticklish! Plus it's only me and you here! Don't worry about it, you're thinking too much again!" he teased a little at the end, flicking his hat for emphasis before as he gently pinched around his stomach. A little surprised when not many giggles came out there.

"Hmm not so ticklish here, that's all good, I'll find your big tickle spot soon enough! Just you wait!" He moved spots as the man in the hat kept giggling.

"Aharisu!"

Arisu moved his fingers up, crawling them up his ribs like a ladder until he reached his underarms. He hummed a little tune before Tatta screamed a little, slamming his arms down. And yet, that wasn't his worst spot. It certainly made Arisu's grin bigger though.

"Oooo!!" He teased "Tickle Tickle Tickle~"

"AHAHaha! NAhAHA-" Tatta shook his head around and kicked his feet trying to fight the feeling off but nothing worked. He moved so much that his hat came off, his short black hair getting more messy as it continued.

"IHIhHit TihiHIHickles! ARisuhuHu!-" the gamer giggled and nodded at his friends giggly statement. "Mhm~ it's supposed to buddy!" He took a deep breath before teasing him again, "tickletickletickletickle-" his wiggling fingers moved faster as he teased him which only made him laugh more.

"PLEHEhehEHEAse!! HAHAHA!" His feet kicked more, eyes closed as he let the tickly sensation take over his body and mind. Exactly what Arisu wanted, for him to stop overthinking and surrender to the tickle monster!

"They should make another card in the deck! Just for you, Tatta! It would be a face card with a feather card suit. You'd be the King of Giggles." he smirked, blowing a raspberry into his neck while tickling his underarms still.

"AHAHA" the other tried to protest but couldn't. Arisu moved his hands out from his underarms finally. Tatta tried catching his breath but he knew, they both knew that this wasn't the end yet. Red faced and panting he finally spoke.

"Im...not...the king of giggles...that's not even a real card!" He smiled as Arisu smirked "You totally are, want me to prove it?" He teased as Tatta giggled anxiously.

"Arisu..."

"I know where you're most ticklish!" He teased as the other blinked. Even Tatta forgot where he was most ticklish. How would he know?

"Huh? How?"

"It was a simple pattern to figure out, process of elimination~" he wiggled his fingers teasing at him "You readyyy?~" He was skeptical but nodded gently anyway. More curious then anything.

"Where do you-" again cut off by his own laughter. This time it was a snort. No one expected that.

"Oh my god! That was perfect! I knew it had to be here!"

"AHAHAHARISUHUHU!"

He was squeezing the tops of his knees the kicks got greater as he laughed his head off. Arisu was having the time of his life now.

"This is too good! I gotta try something!" He moved his fingers under the car a little to tickle the backs of his knees. Tatta squeaked and threw his head back laughing. Thank God the King of Spades was far far away. His loud laughter would've drawn him over too quickly if the enemy was around.

"IHIHHIT TIHIHIHICKLES AHAHAHA IHIHHIT REHEHEAHAHALLY TIHIHIHICKLES!! AHAHARIHISUHUHU!" He thrashed a little as Arisu moved back up to the tops of his knees pinching that little spot right above the knee where the knee and the thigh connected, this made him snort again.

"AHAHAHAHA!!" He let himself laugh. Arisu's smile only got brighter as he kept going on that one little area.

"You're so ticklish~ I'm gonna getcha!" He squeezed one of his knees with one hand, the other still on the connecting spot.

"OKAHAHAY I CAHAHAN'T YOHOHOU WIHIHIHIN! HAHAHA!" With that Arisu stopped, granting mercy on the poor boy. Tatta giggled as he caught his breath, holding a hand to his stomach. Arisu giggled gently with him.

"You okay, Tatta?" He giggled more and nodded. "Yeah! Can you help me up though now, please?" Arisu nodded and took his hand, lifting him up and out of the car.

"Thanks"

"Of course"

There was a slight pause before Arisu spoke again. "Im serious though, you're amazing Tatta and I don't want you to ever forget that...Thank you...for everything"

Tatta smiled brightly at this before they hugged gently. "Thank you too, Arisu...for everything." Arisu rubbed his back gently before they both pulled away.

"So we're getting this car right?" Arisu asked

"Hell yeah are you kidding!? Get in! I'm not letting this baby go!" Tatta smiled and got in the driver's side.

The King of Giggles, huh? If Arisu says so...then I guess it's not that bad.

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

I love them so much and I love writing so much! I hope you enjoyed!

-K <3

#k writes tk things #alice in borderland #alice in borderland tickle fic #alice in borderland tickle #alice in borderland tickles #aib tickles #aib tickle fic #ler!arisu #lee!tatta #ticklish!tatta

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jeanmoreaux · 8 months ago

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kevin is a coward 😗

okay, sure, you’re entitled to your opinion. if that’s how you want to see it, there’s no one stopping you. it just seems to me that our reading, interpretation, and understanding of the story is fundamentally different. i cannot even fathom where this godawful take is coming from. if you look at kevin's life in context it’s a gross simplification of the dynamics at play. not to say that he didn’t make some questionable or selfish choices and hurt people along the way but idk how you could look at a deeply traumatised boy and call his (maladaptive) behaviour/trauma responses cowardice. just because you don't like kevin or respect his decision doesn’t mean he’s a coward.

#once again it feels like if the narrative doesn’t actively encourage or force empathy it’s kinda lost for most non-pov characters.#already said more than i planned to. oh well.#2024 is NOT the year i’ll get dragged back into aftg discourse again. not even for kevin day the loml.#i have been in various trenches before and i can’t go back there. those times are over; they have to be or i’ll lose my mind.#i'd rather use my time for anything else other than arguing with people. like rereading the books fjdjdkj #mish reads aftg #anon #answer #putting aside our disagreement on this matter i hope you have great weekend!!

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acourtofquestions · 4 months ago

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Dont be angry, Finnula said. Be smart.

#Chapter 23 #Kingdom of Ash #Sarah J. Maas #Elide Lochan #Finnula #no spoilers pls first read along w me chapter spoilers in post & tags below w more annotations/quotes/notes/reacts/perspective 3 of 4 #The City of Rivers… can Aelin get a City of Fire? cuz that would be cool & Elide already said “fear was another companion it can’t be worse #IT WAS LORCANS SHIRT😭 & he cared so much he lied so she’d use it from Gavriel/Rowan😭 OH ELORCAN😭😭😭#Yet this place seemed like a paradise. WHATS REAL? is it a Maeve illusion… but it sounds lovely; like Rowan could just fly around😭#Pink and blue flowers draped from windowsills; little canals wended between some of the streets ferrying people in bright long boats.#And though a good dose of fear would aid in her cover too much would spell her doom. -smart clever spy gal Annabeth Chase would be proud #And this city Rowan had told Elide had been built from stone to keep Brannon or any of his descendants from razing it to the ground.#when u know ur evil cuz you had to build in a backup plan for the day Brannons peeps eventually come to shut that shit down… my poor Aelin #Elide fought the limp that grew with each step farther into the city--farther away from Gavriel's magic… or Lorcan’s👀😭🖤🤨#okay Elide I see your mirror mirror Aos moves with the berry listen and compact trick she can do it with a broken heart #cycle. She hadn't been able to find the words anyway. Not with what it would crumple in her chest to even think them. WELL NOW IM CRUMPLED #As if she'd been weeping for weeks… yeah that fits the KoA vibes #But it wasn't the reflection she wanted to see. But rather the square behind her. — BRILLIANT QUEEN — lol thx Lorcan for having a mirror #if only anything could be a witch mirror then they could all cell chat and communicate cause the travel time in this one is rough #she was merely staring into a compact mirror no more than a self-conscious girl trying to fix her frazzled appearance — she is the best spy #A girl trying to muster some dignity. Let them see what they wanted to see-A girl far out of her element in this lovely well-dressed city #cornflower blue ALWAYS THESE SHADES #her golden-brown skin shone with an inner light. Her eyes were soft with kindness. And concern.#had always made them foolishly off guard and eager to get away. To tell her what she needed to know. — funny 2 watch Elide do this after HoF #The sort of voice Elide had always imagined great beauties possessing the sort of voice that made men fall all over themselves.#Cairn. One of the males swore; the other scanned Elide from head to toe. But the two females had gone still. — agreed he’s the worst #the portrait of hope—yeah child’s right cause no—Elide always naming people—If you escaped Cairn don't go looking for him again.—true #Cairn is blood-sworn to our queen. Still makes him a prick TRUTH — doesn’t need to be a far to catch the lie — WHERE IS SHE DAMNIT #She was about to do it again wheen… The dark-haired beauty from the tavern was standing behind her. — SHIT #Maeve was not in Doranelle. How long would that remain true? Had to make the next performance count. — how many had she done this already?🥹😭

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chiropteracupola · 1 year ago

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ack ow uh oh oh no

#em is posting about sharpe #one suspects that the emmothy may perhaps just be a wee bit too autistic for an infidelity plot of any kind #already well aware that lord rossendale is scum but now I dislike him more than finding him merely annoying #for reasons of his Improving Landscaping Plans :|#also I like that sally bunting pronounces badajoz with a hard j... implications thereof...#the mills! the general wretched state of Everything! the 'but all he said was - I know how to blow things up!' of it all!#'major sharpe what if you hit the bricks' I say repeatedly as things worsen on the whole labor area of things :(#do not have a lot of faith that this is going to go well :(#unrelatedly I had begun to wonder whereabouts I knew truman's actor from and it turns out he was smollett in the 2012 treasure island #OH and he was also in hornblower. that is probably why he's familiar.

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kuethemoon · 5 months ago

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ooooooo i need to blow myself the fuck up

#mom just told me to go to pick something up #thing is i had already planned to stay home and game before i went to work #but in her eyes ‘i’m not doing anything worthwhile so i might as well go and do something’#and i said i didn’t want to do it because it was thrown on me so hurriedly #and then she went all oh well you’re just lazy and you never do anything when i tell you to you always need me to tell you three times #before you actually do anything #and i’m so mad because the way she’s acting it’s like my plans don’t matter because i’m not actually doing anything. i’m just ‘gaming’#and therefore my plans are unimportant #there’s nothing i hate more than not being prepared or having sudden plans #i planned to be home in this time period. and then you want me to be not #i literally said that i would go tmr or some other day and she still fucking yelled at me #know what’s funny? it’s not even her stuff. it’s shoes she bought for me #whatever i’m crying on public transport again !

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our-lady-of-mcr · 9 months ago

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#anyways im still mad today but its not lingering in my head like it was yesterday #thank fucking god for that lmfao #the more i think about it the more i realize that theres really no reason to be that upset bc yeah it sucks to lose #someone so close to me like that but......she was not afraid to give me red flags even when we were in a good place #and tbh this felt like a huge neon sign screaming get out while you can #and if the other girls we were friends with want nothing to do with me after this i honestly really do not care #i didnt see them often anyways and the one is basically still a teenager who drove me nuts 95% of the time #and the other 2 dont get into drama at all so i doubt they feel any type of way about me considering neither of them are that kind of person #im more annoyed that she did this right before we had plans for one of the girls birthdays and i have a feeling thats not happening anymore #i keep wanting to ask if were still doing anything but i would actually rather die than see b so..........no thank you #even if they do say anything ive already made other plans for tomorrow so......oh well #i feel so much less insane when everyone says i didnt do anything and its scaring me that i keep thinking back to the time era she accused #me of saying shit during and im like ???? i dont remember saying that. did i say that?? did i say you shouldnt have had your kid and i just #dont remember??? did i say we hang out to escape him and i just dont remember???? and all i can think of is false memories and a situation #where someone else said those things to me in that same time period. anyways i dont know why anyone would remember that specific of wording #if it wasnt to just be used as ammo later. but i genuinely dont remember saying any of that shit esp not that recently?????#and b is ungodly great at gaslighting and she also takes shit at face value and doesnt seek further info if shes not doing okay #so im just.....yeah im taking this as my sign #and to eliza from february.....bitch did i say any of that because i do not fucking remember it #self

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cauldroncreations · 10 months ago

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Top three things that my key to my parents house is good for now that we have basically no relationship:

1. Opening boxes (and by proxy looking kind of hawt)

2. Getting ear wax out of the covers of my earbuds (this nullifies the hawt)

3. I don't have a third. Self defense i guess ?

#my mom asked if we wanted to come over for easter and we had already made plans w my fiances parents several days prior #and my mom asked like the evening before #so i said we could come over that Tuesday instead #and she said ok #and then tuesday as we are about to head over i get a premonition #and i told my fiance hang on a sec let me make sure she didnt forget #she did lol #and she said 'i only invited u cause it was easter'#and genuinely. she doesn't understand why that is wrong to say lolol #like u complain about not seeing me then admit #that u only invite me over when it is obligatory for holidays #then go out to dinner w ur friends when we already had plans in place #like ok 👍#this was a couple weeks ago ik but it just has been bothering me #cause apparently she then went and told my sister 'oh i guess the in laws are gonna take priority now 🙄'#well yea cayse i am also a priority to them. like these people that i have known for a little over a year #have helped me far more in my adult life than u ever did in my childhood #and they care about my interests and hobbies and making sure i have essentials in my house #even before my fiance moved in #like they care abt me and u don't it is that simple

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letoasai · 7 months ago

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The Youngest Ancient

An idea where the JL has gotten word from Green Lantern that a planet has been destroyed. That threat is headed for Earth.

We could blame it on Darkseid despite the fact that i don’t actually know if that’s within his power set. Bad guy of your choice. Keeping it vague works too.

Danny finding out that one of his planets is gone and he’s not having it.

They were short on time. Monumentally short on time. Usually everyone would look to Batman in a situation like this. It wasn’t like his numerous contingency plans were a secret. The problem was time and an overall lack of information about the coming threat. All that was clear was the fact that Earth was in danger.

Not even a normal, run of the mill danger, but the planet bleeding out of existence kind of danger. Supposedly it could happen so fast that the citizens of Earth wouldn’t even know it had happened.

“There’s always begging an Ancient for help.” Constantine muttered, lighting another cigarette. As many members of the League as possible had gathered but brainstorming could only get them so far.

Multiple gazes snapped to him but it was Wonder Woman who spoke first. “You think petitioning the gods would be a wise course of action?”

“Could be the only course of action.” Flash muttered though no one looked happy about it.

“Nah, it’s a much crazier idea than that.” Constantine said flatly. “We’re not talking about any of those old hats we’re used to dealing with. I mean an Ancient. Their powers are next level stuff. Above the gods on the totem pole, if you will.”

Batman’s eyes narrowed. “You want to bring in a complete unknown.”

“I want the planet to fucking be in the same spot tomorrow, mate.” Constantine snapped back. They were out of time but he evidently had more practice at being reckless then the rest of the League. “Heard tales of a new baby Ancient. A likable kid that has many of the heavy hitters doting on `em. Word is the baby Ancient is rather agreeable. Makes deals. Likes to explore. That kind of thing.”

“Baby Ancient.” Superman repeated, clearly hearing the oxymoron in that title. “How does that work?”

“Well they gotta come from somewhere, don’t they?” Constantine shrugged. He didn’t know and he wasn’t going to ask.

“I’ve heard the same rumors.” Zatanna heaved a sigh, adding credence to Constantine’s claims. “Even if they can’t do anything themself, they might have enough pull with one of the other Ancients that can.”

Flash clucked his tongue. “We literally have everything to lose if we don’t do something. If no one else has any other ideas then we need to give it a shot.”

“How long do you need to prepare?” Batman asked, his frown obvious. He never fully liked ideas that he didn’t have a hand in.

Constantine sat up straighter, taking a pull from his cigarette and already looking exhausted. “Gimme an hour.”

“I’ll help.” Zatanna said, already standing.

“Forty minutes then.”

The light of the summoning circle was hard to look at. It was like a mini supernova right in front of them. The colors would have been amazing to look at if anyone could have opened their eyes to see it.

When it dimmed, leaving only a toxic looking green glow around the circle, a young boy floated in the center. His hair was white and flowed even in the tightly air controlled Watch tower. The freckles across his face seemed to glow just like his green eyes.

He was cute, and couldn't have been more than fifteen. He wore a skintight black suit, calf high white boots, and had a strange looking thermos hanging off his belt. So this was a baby Ancient. He looked utterly perplexed.

“Um…” He blinked, taking in every member of the Justice League slowly.

“Welcome to the Justice League Watch Tower.” Wonder Woman said, ever the diplomat. “We apologize for summoning you on such short notice.”

“Oh. Okay.” He was still blinking owlishly before his eyes locked onto one of the windows that currently had a vast view of space. The boy all but purred at the sight. “You can call me Phantom. What do you want?”

“You’re the new Ancient?” Constantine asked without as much tacked.

Phantom sighed, shifting to sit even as he floated. “So they tell me. I didn’t know there was going to be a superhero test.”

“We summoned you to request assistance if you are able to give it.” Batman said, taking over. “A threat is coming to destroy the Earth and we don’t have much time. Is there something in particular you would want in payment?”

“Besides souls.” Constantine muttered which subtly alarmed everyone within earshot.

“Destroy…Earth?” Phantom repeated slowly, head tilting. It was slowly occurring to everyone that maybe a baby Ancient really was too young to deal with something like this. “Why?”

Green Lantern sighed, arms crossed. “I’m likely the cause. Earth is the home base for Lanterns in this sector. The previous planet destroyed was also a home base.”

Phantom’s eyes jerked up, his full attention on Green Lantern. “Previous planet destroyed? Where?” He paused, “And when? I have been feeling a little off.”

No one knew quite what to make of the strange comment, but Lantern continued anyway. “A planet in the neighboring sector, 2813. It has been eight days, and before long, that threat will be here.”

“Is it possible you know of a way to prevent the destruction of Earth?” Wonder Woman asked, but Phantom seemed distracted.

He removed his gloves and was looking at the back of his hands. When that didn’t seem to tell him what he wanted, he tugged on his sleeve, making the fabric go invisible in small sections so he could easily look at his skin beneath it without the cumbersome task of rolling his sleeves up.

He was covered in glowing freckles, just like on his face, but one by one the League members took notice of the way they moved. Phantom would twist his arm one way and then another and each set of freckles would be replaced by a completely new set of glowing little spots. When that didn’t show him what he wanted, he kept looking, checking both arms first before moving down his chest slowly.

The League could do nothing but watch the strangeness before them as their follow up questions went ignored.

When he got to a spot under his ribs, Phantom screeched. “It’s gone!”

“Phantom…?”

Phantom looked out the Watch Tower window, his face morphing into one of fury. His eyes shined brightly and whatever he was looking for, he clearly found.

“T̢̜̞̮ͭ̓ͫͦh̨̻̼͓͓̜ͭ̈͆ȃ̴̩ͅtͯ̚͏͇̮̖̙ ̡̭͎̝̟͇͙̏ͣ̑͛m̵̭͉͈̳̟͎͈̲̋̋o͈̮̫͓̪͔͐͠t͉̬̉͒̈́ͪ͠h͉̠̭͓̞͎̺͓ͥͥ͘e̅͗̔̿҉̞̪̺̮̗̜r͙̪̼͈̐̉͞ ̫̥̳̿̾͒͑͞f͔̟͈͍ͯ̊̏́ù̶̯̬̫͈͕c̲ͣ̓̿͠ͅk̦̘̖̭͕͉̹̥̈̍̈́ͤ͘e͚̬͗͡ͅr̛̤̩̺͂̃̇̉ͅ.”

To say the Justice League was surprised by the shift in the boys tone was an understatement.

“Yeah, i’ll stop your threat.” Phantom growled, easily leaving the summoning circle. He shifted right through the wall and directly into space without a care.

Silence filled the room, no one entirely sure what they’d done by summoning a baby Ancient. “So that happened.” Flash commented. “Are we still planning for doomsday?”

“We’ll see…” Constantine muttered. “Though if that kid gets hurt, might be bad for the universe.”

“Not what we wanted to hear, John.” Wonder Woman said, looking out the window. Nothing looked unusual to her.

In an hour's time, Phantom returned just as distracted as he’d been when he’d left. He remained seated in the air as he held what looked like a cracked marble in his hands. It was surrounded by a mist, and inside sparked with many different colors.

Phantom seemed to be sealing the crack, a smile on his face.

Batman was the one to approach, and if he was anxious it was hard to tell. “Phantom.” He greeted cautiously. “You’re back.”

“Uh huh.” Phantom said, eyes glittering happily at the marble. “I got rid of your problem. Earth is safe.”

“Got…rid of.” Batman repeated slowly, a tinge of disbelief in his voice.

“So we’re good?” Flash asked. “Good work, kid.”

“Yeah, he deserved it.” Phantom said, finally cradling the smooth marble in his palm.

Constantine was still smoking, but his eyes were narrowed. “Do i wanna know what you’re doin’?”

Phantom beamed. “I got my planet back! It was a little broken but i fixed it.”

“Your planet?” Green Lantern repeated, adrenaline hitting him. “The destroyed planet!?”

“Yep.” Phantom looked pleased with himself. “Now i just gotta set it back in time eight days to get everyone back on track and i can put it back where it belongs.”

“Put it…back.” Batman seemed to have trouble with the skill set of one teenager.”

It was Superman who slid closer with a disarmingly charming smile. “May i ask what kind of Ancient you are. I admit i don’t know much about them.”

Phantom perked up. “I’m the Ancient of Space!” He ignored Constantine’s groan from across the room. “I’m really glad you guys called me about this! It would have taken me a while to find a planet destroyed out of the natural timeline.”

“And you have time abilities?” Wonder Woman asked softly. Time and Space was a heady combination.

“Nope! But Clockwork does.” Phantom said. “He’ll do it for me.”

“Will he?” The Flash stared.

Phantom didn’t seem to notice the incredulous looks. As far as he was concerned, everyone was simply taking his explanations in stride. Tilting his head back his eyes shimmered with power. “Clockwork!” he called, voice reverberating oddly. No one missed Zatanna paling or Constantine cursing. No one had time to ask either before a tear appeared just to the right of Phantom. It split the very air apart in a green haze before a portal opened and a man floated out. Wrapped in a purple cloak, the man floated like Phantom did but had a ghostly tail instead of legs and off putting red eyes.

He had a staff donned with clock gears and mechanisms that ticked in an unsettling way. No one needed an explanation, which was good because Constantine wasn’t going to give one.

This was the Ancient of Time. They had two Ancients in the Watch Tower.

Phantom didn’t seem bothered and held out his marble with a smile. “Fix!” he asked cheerfully.

Clockwork turned from what appeared to be an adult man to an elderly man in the blink of an eye. “You know time is sensitive, Phantom. Not everything can be changed on a whim."

Phantom’s smile lessened. He looked back and forth from Clockwork to the marble and back to Clockwork again. “I’ll cry. Swear to the Ancients, i’ll start crying.”

The elderly Clockwork shifted back into the form of a young man. “Do you think tears will alter the timeline?”

Batman smiled, almost. He knew a mischievous teen trying to get his way when he saw one. That theory proved correct when Phantom honestly did begin to sniffle, eyes becoming damp.

“An asshole destroyed a piece of me.” Phantom said, lips wobbling. “I felt it. I didn’t feel good.”

Clockwork’s form shifted again, this time into the form of a young child. He heaved a sigh, “If you start weeping you’ll summon the others.”

Phantom nearly whimpered, holding out the marble still. Every member of the Justice League watched with bated breath.

Clockwork crossed his arms. “How far back do you want it?”

“Yay!” Phantom beamed immediately, impressing upon how young he must have been. “Eight days! Actually, maybe nine. That might be better for them. I’m sure the…Green Lantern…people… can explain that they lost little more than a week in order to be brought back. That’ll be fine, right?”

Green Lantern was too stunned by the question to answer but it was fine since it seemed to be rhetorical coming from the young Ancient.

Clockwork turned back into an adult and held his staff out over the marble Phantom held. There was no discernible change other than the hands on the staff’s clock face moving. Phantom was nearly bouncing in place which was interesting to see considering his feet weren’t on the floor.

“Thank you, Clockwork!” Phantom said, looking delighted and completely missing the way Clockwork just sighed fondly.

“Hurry along home before the yeti’s start to look for you.” Clockwork said in a fairly familiar tone.

“Yes, yes.” Phantom said distractedly, tossing the marble up in the air where it disappeared. He tugged at his black suit right over his ribs and did the same invisibility trick again. He shifted twice until he found the patch of skin that held the group of freckles he wanted.

No one was close enough to see for themselves, but Phantom crowed happily. “Good! It’s back where it’s supposed to be!”

“It’s back?” Batman asked, a hint in his voice saying he had a hundred more questions.

“Yep.” Phantom said. “It’s really annoying to me when someone destroys one of my stars or planets before their natural life cycles have worn out.”

“Is that a map of the galaxy on your skin?” Wonder Woman asked, charmed by the constellation of freckles across his nose and under his pointed ears.

“No.” Phantom said. “It’s a map of every universe on my skin. They overlap so sometimes i gotta hunt for the one i want a little.”

“Every…” Superman sounded like he had the wind knocked out of him.

“Come, Your Majesty.” Clockwork said, opening a shockingly green portal with his staff. “You’ve had your fun.”

“Okay, okay.” Phantom mumbled.

“Majesty?” Zatanna whispered, confusion coloring her tone.

Phantom whipped back around to look at her with a sheepish grin. “Ah, yeah. I’m the King of the infinite Realm. Let me know if anyone else messes with one of my planets! Bye now.”

The Ancients departed and Constantine started wheezing.

“I take it no one knew the baby Ancient was a king?” Flash asked, a very startled silence taking over the Watch Tower.

I know i originally said that the planet had been destroyed but that somehow turned into it being eaten or absorbed or something so Danny got it back.

I really just wanted Danny to find a missing planet on his skin and freaking out over it.

Feel free to take this idea, though i’m sure something like it exists already. ^__^

Master List

#dp x dc #dp x dc crossover #Danny Phantom #The youngest ancient #justice league #Clockwork #Danny feeling the loss of a planet #whole solar systems on Danny's skin #star freckles

7K notes · View notes

starlightkyeom · 23 days ago

Text

lost in the west | kmg

(where your best friend pretends to be your boyfriend for the holidays so you can avoid more nagging from your mother. except your whole family thought you were already dating)

pairing: mingyu x f!reader genre: fake dating (kind of), friends to lovers, holiday!au | fluff, smut, romance rating: explicit, minors do not interact word count: 18.1k warnings: eating, drinking, mentions of christmas and holiday celebrations, reference to mingyu being afraid of heights, some minor family dynamic issues, so much kissing, fingering, big dick!mingyu, sex (just plain old missionary), i think that's it

author's note: thank you to the amazing @camandemstudios studios for hosting the winter with you collab! it's been so fun to be part of (even if i forgot for a second that i had to include sunrise sledding, but we're ignoring that). i'm sorry this is a little late as a holiday fic but sometimes life happens and inspiration just doesn't want to strike. i'm not even going to say it's longer than i intended because that's just my brand atp. this is largely unedited.

author's note 2: i think there's going to be an epilogue but idk when that will be possible

tag list: @vitaminkyeom, @tinyelfperson, @dokyeomkyeom, @miriamxsworld, @hongrizon, @klecksstorys, @gyuminusone, @aaniag, @straykidswhoo789, @kimseokgen, @haolistic, @vanishingboots, @babybae-shisui, @harry-the-pottypus, @pyeonghongrie, @nuttywastelandmentality, @writingbarnes, @tomodachiii, @gyuhao365, @jjin-kun, @divinityyy, @dibidibidismynameisleeknow, @tinkerbell460, @aidanjoon, @cookiearmy, @kaepjjangiya (join my taglist here)

“You’re bringing your boyfriend back with you, aren’t you?” your mom asks, which makes you look sharply toward the phone. It’s on speaker because you’re in the middle of folding laundry. Your best friend also looks over towards your phone with a grimace, which makes you wish it wasn’t on speaker.

The thing is…you haven’t told your mom that your ex and you broke up about two months ago. Didn’t want to deal with all the sighing and interrogation while you’re rushing to finish end of the year deadlines at work. Somehow, you know it’ll be your fault. Never mind the fact that he cheated on you in your own apartment. But, that’s another story. Your mother will say something about how you shouldn’t be so picky and everyone makes mistakes. Say that sometimes it’s not your most attractive trait that you’re dedicated to your job. Say that you’re not getting any younger and remind you how many of your friends from school are already married or even having kids of their own. That’s one reminder you don’t really need. You see it every time you aimlessly scroll through your feed. Or when you open the mail and see another wedding invitation.

You sigh. “Well, actually…”

“Oh, don’t tell me,” your mother says with her own sigh. “You broke it off with this one, too?”

“I’m not going to get into it with you,” you say, gentle but firm.

“I don’t understand what could have made you break it off. You said he was like your best friend,” she reminds you.

This earns an eye roll from one of your actual best friends, Mingyu. He takes over folding your clothes for you as something to do and as a way to speed up the whole process.

“Well, he’s not and I don’t see any reality where I will forgive him for what he did to me. So, let’s move on,” you say.

“Maybe that’s okay. You know, one of my friends has a son who’s single and I could just…” she starts.

“No, absolutely not,” you say. This causes Mingyu to stifle his laughter with a hand.

“I don’t understand what the harm in meeting him is. He seems very nice and you’re not exactly getting any younger,” she says.

There it is. The conversation always somehow ends up at the same point. You’re not getting any younger. All your parents’ friends have been planning weddings and getting grandchildren. They all seem to understand the importance of building a family. Why do you have to be so focused on what’s wrong with every person you date? Why are you too wrapped up in work? Your parents constantly remind you how you seem too wrapped up in the city life to realize what you’re missing.

“I just don’t think…” you start but then trail off when Mingyu starts waving at you to get your attention. He’s pointing at himself and mouthing something you can’t understand.

“I know you don’t think, but just…” your mom starts and you mute yourself so you can figure out what your best friend wants.

“What, Mingyu?” you ask, sharper than you intend.

“Take me back with you for the holidays,” he says.

“What?” you ask.

“Take me…” he starts.

“No, I heard you. What are you on about?” you ask.

“You can just feed your mom some line. Tell her you and I just started dating. It doesn’t matter. Anything to just get her off your case,” he says.

“I’m not…what is wrong with you? I’m not going to just fake date you like some weird holiday movie,” you argue.

“Okay, first of all, rude. Those movies aren’t weird, they’re great. And second of all, what do you have to lose? Your mom loves me and she’ll be thrilled to see me. I already know everyone that’ll be at the parties and dinners. My parents are out of the country visiting my sister and her new boyfriend for the holidays, so I was only going to my cousin’s as kind of a pity invite. It can’t possibly fail,” he says.

“There are a lot of ways it could fail, actually,” you point out.

“Wow, are you going to leave me stranded for the holidays? I’m already rethinking this relationship,” Mingyu says through a pout. “My own partner doesn’t even want to spend the holidays with me. Are you embarrassed to bring me around your family?”

“So what do you say?” comes your mom’s voice. You had been blocking it out while talking to Mingyu, yet it still catches your attention.

You quickly unmute yourself and look away from Mingyu. “I…actually can’t, Mom. I’m sort of seeing someone different, but it’s new so I wasn’t going to mention…”

“Oh, you already found someone new, that’s wonderful!” she exclaims.

You don’t have to look at Mingyu to know that he’s wearing a grin that’s entirely too satisfied. Even if he’s mostly kidding about being abandoned for Christmas, you know that it’s been bugging him that his parents decided to go abroad. You also know that he wouldn’t ever dream of inviting himself to tag long even if that’s what he wanted to do. He actually likes your family, sometimes more than you do.

“I’ll have to ask him if he’s willing to come with me, but…” you try to say before your mother cuts you off again.

“Tell him it simply wouldn’t be the holidays without him. I can’t wait to meet him. Oh, I’m going to tell your father. We may manage to get you married after all,” she says in seemingly one breath.

“I still haven’t…” you try again without any luck.

“I can’t wait to see you both! Love you!” she says.

“Love y-...” you say, but she’s already ended the call.

“I guess I have holiday plans after all,” Mingyu says and you fight the urge to throw a pillow at him.

“This is a terrible idea. I can’t pretend we’re dating,” you say and crinkle your nose.

“Oh, wow, have I offended your high standards?” he asks. “Should I remind you of your last two relationships?”

You do throw the pillow at him this time.

Despite all the questions from your parents about just who is coming home with you for the holidays, you insist that it needs to be a surprise. You definitely think that your parents will be surprised when they see Mingyu on their doorstep. Even though you only met Mingyu in college, the two of you have been nearly inseparable since then. He’s come with you to countless family events to keep you company, especially between other relationships. Your parents buy him Christmas presents every year and insist on video chatting with both of you on his birthdays. Your younger cousins ask when he’s going to be coming around again because they look up to him, both literally and figuratively. It’s kind of annoying sometimes because you wonder if they like him more than their own family member. But, you reason it away with them liking him for the same reasons that you do. He’s just so easy to be around, though they get more of his polite company attitude than you do. Around you, he’s much more relaxed and somehow more prone to pouting to get his way.

More unfortunately, the pout always seems to work on you. You pretend to be annoyed with it (well, it’s not always pretending, actually), but you give in every time. Which is fine when it’s just the two of you. It’s less fine when other friends are around because they all have smug looks. Convinced that you and him are end game and neither of you realizes yet. The worst, though, is when he slips into the pout mode around your family and you have to deal with the looks from your family members. It’s all worth it to have someone to act as a buffer, even if you’ll never tell him as much.

Before you get to that point of seeing your parents, you figure that you should stop by to see your childhood best friend first. Of course, he already knows the whole story with Mingyu and doesn’t seem entirely surprised. After all, he’s also known your mom nearly his whole life. Somehow you went from kids forced together when the parents hung out to adults that actually still genuinely love each other, which means he knows Mingyu well too. In his role as best friend, your current situation will not spare you from his teasing. That’s a role he’s happily embraced all your lives.

The smirk on his face is present as soon as he sees you and Mingyu walk into the coffee shop. Mingyu hasn’t even spotted him while he unwinds his scarf and heads to the counter to order drinks. You say you’re going over to sit with your friend and only then does Mingyu notice you’re not the first ones here.

“Hey Kwan, you good on your drink?” he calls.

“Yeah, thanks,” he calls back before his eyes turn on you like he’s got a secret.

You make your way over to his table and try not to react to the look he’s giving you. Typical Seungkwan looking like he’s about to burst with the latest gossip. Even when he knows exactly why you have Mingyu with you and even said, over text, he gets why you agreed. Ugh. You know better than to think he’ll let you live for even a second. Sometimes you think you need better friends.

“Has he gotten taller?” Seungkwan asks, casting his eyes over at your other friend.

“No, but for real,” you say with a laugh. “I swear, I see him constantly and I still feel like he’s getting taller.”

“Constantly, huh?” Seungkwan asks, raising an eyebrow.

“We’re best friends,” you say with a sigh.

“And what am I?” he asks.

“Also my best friend. There’s no rule on having only one,” you repeat for what feels like the hundredth time.

“Are you nervous to head back to your parents’ house?” he asks, entirely switching approaches.

It’s not your first rodeo, though. “Why should I be? They like Mingyu, at least, so there won’t be any of the awkwardness beyond explaining that we’re dating now.”

“Which probably isn’t going to come as a surprise to them,” Seungkwan says.

“I mean, why wouldn’t it be a surprise?” you ask before you clock the look on his face. “Oh, don’t tell me this is more of that bullshit about how often I bring him around. You know my family is insufferable if I have to deal with them alone.”

“No, I just know for a fact that they’ve wondered if you were dating him before,” Seungkwan says as Mingyu finally joins you with two coffees in hand.

“That would mean she would need to have good enough taste to date someone as great as me,” he says when he sets your coffee in front of you.

“I’m so torn,” Seungkwan admits. “I could insult her taste in relationships, which, love you babe, but really? Or I could insult you as not really being any better than anyone she’s dated.”

“That one gets us both, though?” you point out, only a little offended.

“Option two it is,” Seungkwan agrees.

“Okay, enough of that. Fill me in on everything before I have to walk into the lion’s den,” you say.

It’s always the same when you catch up with Seungkwan. He’s thriving even though he chose not to leave the area where you grew up. It’s not that big of an area, but he’s found opportunities. You just found those opportunities a little further away. Just far enough away that your mother can’t easily pop by unannounced. That lead time before she shows up is usually enough that you can mentally prepare.

Seungkwan, for his part, really does brighten up the entire space, when he’s not being a demon. He’s got that kind of shine that can’t even be dulled by staying in the same general area as his family. He’s also better at setting boundaries, which he gently reminds you again. He doesn’t need the space and preparation time of his family showing up at his place unannounced because they all know that’s not allowed. It’s not that you’re a pushover, it’s just that it feels different. Even your parents seem to respect Seungkwan more than you at times. You try not to let the cynicism of being a woman seep into those feelings. But, it’s hard. Harder still when Seungkwan gives you the sympathetic look like he wants to agree and knows it won’t really help anything. He’s always been that special brand of ally. The one that actually does want to help and understands the inherent privilege.

Unfortunately, Seungkwan and his family won’t be coming to the events that your parents have planned for the next week, though they’re always invited. They wanted to do something more focused on their family instead. It probably seems like something over the top to anyone on the outside. To you, it just seems normal. This is how your parents always handle the holidays and most events seem to take place at their house.

All too soon, Seungkwan says that he needs to get back to something and reminds you that you can’t put off going home any longer. You’re already getting dangerously close to what your mother considers late. It’s probably not the best idea to test her patience before the week even starts.

Mingyu takes care of getting you over to your parents house. Maybe fake dating him for a week won’t be so bad when he takes care of driving without asking and doesn’t even need an address. Since he also already knows your entire family, he doesn’t need help with getting gifts to bring with him. That includes both something to give them when you get there as well as actual Christmas gifts. You remember telling him that wasn’t necessary and remember the look of horror on his face when he asked what kind of fake boyfriend he would be if he forgot. Despite the weirdness of the situation, you also find yourself far more at peace than the last time you brought an actual partner home like this. Mingyu has seen you through a lot of ups and downs. Knows when to be serious and when to crack a little joke to break the tension, even if it’s something only for your ears.

That all disappears as soon as your mother greets you at the door with a look of genuine surprise on her face.

“Surprise,” you say. It seems a little redundant because she seems shocked. “You, uh, you remember Mingyu, right?”

“Of course, of course, come in out of the cold,” she says, recovering quickly as she steps out of the way. “Let me get your coats.”

“I know this is probably a bit of a surprise,” you start.

“It definitely is,” she agrees as she takes Mingyu’s and your coats. “Your father is just in the family room.”

“I figured it would be a good surprise,” you offer as you start to follow her into the house.

“No, of course it is. We adore Mingyu, you know that,” she says with a soft smile for Mingyu. She’s always loved him. “We just, well, we thought you and him had broken up…”

“Broken…what?” you ask, your own shock now matching your mother’s as you come to a complete halt.

Mingyu seems to just stay quiet through this entire exchange. You’re wondering why until you look over at him to see that he’s barely containing his laughter. Of course he would find this whole thing funny. Maybe he believes Seungkwan that your parents have wondered if you were dating him. Or maybe he’s just quicker on the uptake. Whatever it, it would be annoying if your brain wasn’t working overtime to try and catch up.

“Yes, you said you’d broken up with a boyfriend. Your father and I realized we hadn’t actually met the last person you dated and we just assumed, since you only mention Mingyu. Well, you said he was like your best friend and we knew it wasn’t Seungkwan. Mingyu only made sense,,” your mother says with a shrug.

“Mingyu! What are you doing here?” your father asks, rising from his seat to shake your best friend’s hand.

“Dating our daughter, apparently,” your mother says with a skeptical look.

“Oh, good! I’m glad you kids worked it out,” he says.

“Did…everyone just think I was dating…?” you start to ask, looking confusedly between your parents. “Mom, Dad, I was not dating Mingyu. We were only…”

“Friends?” your mother supplies through her heavy tone of disbelief.

“Yes,” you say, eyes wide and desperate looking to Mingyu for support.

“We really were just friends,” Mingyu says. “I mean, I guess not just friends. But, seeing her go through another heartbreak just made me realize that I didn’t want to see her go through something like that again. I guess it just made me realize how much I do care about her. So, I finally said something.”

There’s a lot that you can count on Mingyu for. Driving, having an endless supply of oversized hoodies to steal, a stocked kitchen, the best meals of your life, 2 am chats, support through break ups, hating the same people, being scared of his own shadow, a perpetual golden retriever energy, endless loyalty, and the list goes on. Something you never expect to count on Mingyu for, though? The lie that spills so easily from his lips to try and get your parents off your case. Sure, he knows just how much you struggle with your relationship with them. This is different, though. The lie sounds so sincere and his face looks so soft when he glances over at you.

“You know, it’s okay if you just got back together,” your mother says, looking between the two of you.

“Oh my god, that’s not what happened!” you say, throwing your hands up.

“Of course, dear, of course,” your father says.

“I should go take our suitcases upstairs. Am I just in the normal guest room?” he asks.

It’s both a deflection from the conversation and a valid question all rolled into one. Whatever the case, it does work for long enough to have your mother refocus her attention on Mingyu to answer. That gives you at least a second to catch your breath. Bringing Mingyu was supposed to give you a break from your parents. And it will, you think, but it’s also bringing up a lot that you hadn’t planned on. You wonder what Seungkwan will say when you tell him about the reception. Probably that he told you so.

“Oh, no dear. We planned to have you stay in our daughter’s old room with her,” your mother says.

Great. Now you’re in an entirely new spiral because, what? She has you and Mingyu staying in the same room where there is only one bed? You can’t remember the last time she was this relaxed with a partner you brought home, which brings up even more questions. Has this really been the plan? Or is only the plan now because of how much they like him? Is this just another way for them to try and nudge you into marriage?

“But, mom…” you start to protest.

“We’ve got a full house with family, dear,” she says as an explanation.

“I know where it is, I’ll just take the stuff up,” Mingyu offers.

“I can help,” you say as a way to get out of this whole thing and to talk to your friend.

“Pretty sure I’m strong enough to get some luggage upstairs,” he jokes and you roll your eyes.

“Why don’t you go up with him anyway? Then you can freshen up before dinner,” your mother says with a poorly disguised look at your slightly wrinkled clothing.

Mingyu insists on carrying the bigger suitcases upstairs on his own, but you grab the smaller bags you had in the car with you. Well, except for his backpack that he also stubbornly carries. You don’t need a personal demonstration, you already know that he’s strong. You also don’t need to hear your mother talking about how nice it is to have such a polite young man around like he hasn’t been around a million times before. Once you’re inside the room and behind a closed door, you round on your friend.

“What the hell was that?” you ask.

“Your mom actually letting you and a boyfriend stay in the same room? I don’t know. It’s crazy, right?” he asks.

“Not that, what was with you?” you ask.

“What do you mean?” he returns, looking up from his suitcase where he had been getting ready to unpack.

“That whole answer you gave my mom,” you say and he looks almost pitying.

“I have to make it believable, don’t I?” he asks like it’s the simplest thing in the world. “Otherwise, she won’t buy it and she’s going to try to set you up.”

“I guess that makes sense,” you concede.

“Kind of wild that they thought we’d been dating, though,” he adds on.

“Yeah, what was that?” you ask with more force than you mean.

He only shrugs. “I don’t know, they’re your parents.”

“Seungkwan said the same thing,” you remind him.

“About people thinking we’re dating?” he asks, eyes back on his suitcase.

“Yeah,” you say.

He only chuckles before he looks up. “Come on, that’s not the first time either. How many of our friends have thought the same thing?”

“They’re just fucking with us,” you disagree.

“And my ex?” he asks with a raised eyebrow.

“Okay, well in my defense, she was insane. The whole idea that people of the opposite sex can’t be friends is an insane take,” you say.

“Yeah, I’m not exactly upset to be rid of her,” he agrees.

“Come on. We better hurry up and get back downstairs,” you say.

The rest of the day is somehow just as weird, but also comforting. As the rest of the family starts arriving, either to stay or just for dinner, you find out that most of your family thinks you’ve been dating Mingyu. Or that it was him that you broke up with and are now back together with. It’s hard to tell if it’s something coming from your parents or just a general vibe that the two of you give off. You can at least acknowledge that you didn’t talk about your last relationship much with your family. Hindsight is always clearer, but you still think you knew something was off in that relationship the whole time. Knew that he wasn’t destined to go the distance. Maybe that’s why the break up didn’t hurt that bad. Honestly, the worst part was thinking of facing your family alone for Christmas.

Mingyu saves you from that as he’s saved you countless times before.

That brings you to the more comforting part of the evening. You can’t tell if any of your family members actually buy that this is a new relationship. At least, none of them seem to think it’s fake. You can probably put up with it if they just think you’re lying about when you actually got together. That makes it all feel much easier. Then, there’s the fact that your entire family loves Mingyu. It’s the first time you can remember joining the dinner to kick off the family Christmas festivities in years. Your family takes the holidays very seriously and it’s Mingyu’s first time experiencing it like this. Yet, he slots right in with everything.

It also feels like he’s thought through this whole fake relationship in ways you didn’t. Sure, you talked about some of the ins and outs since this isn’t just a quick overnight trip. But, mostly, you just decide it’s easiest to keep it as close to the truth as possible. The friendship is so deep that there’s genuine love there. You don’t have to fake that. What you did not consider is physical affection. You’re not the kind of person that drapes yourself all over a partner, never have been. There’s a moment where you worry, as you watch your cousin and her fiancé, that you and Mingyu could be found out for not showing enough affection.

A few minutes later, you’re wishing he would be less affectionate. And you’re not even sure why you worried. The first thing you really learned about Mingyu was that he was incredibly physically affectionate. Tight hugs, random hand holding, an arm around your shoulder, a hand on your arm or leg. It’s all just par for the course with him. It’s gotten even more obvious now that he’s pretending to date you. It seems so innocuous, too. He’s got his hand on your thigh, giving the occasional squeeze, while he’s talking to someone else. He randomly plants a kiss on your temple. He leans over to whisper something to you on the pretense of being close and usually it’s nothing. You don’t even realize that it has most of your family giving each other knowing looks. Like they’re still not convinced you hadn’t been dating before.

By the time it’s late enough to go upstairs, you’re more than ready to have time away from your family. Every time you think that you’re social, your family is there to humble you. Or maybe it’s just that being around them is too draining. In any case, you and Mingyu head upstairs together. Thankfully, your parents house is big enough that it feels like there’s a little bit of privacy in your old bedroom.

“So, how’s this going to work?” Mingyu asks, glancing at the bed and then into the attached bathroom.

Okay, so maybe, even with how big the house is, you haven’t fully considered everything. You’re not really sure what to do. It shouldn’t be weird. You and Mingyu have shared a bed before. This just somehow feels intimate when your entire family thinks you’re sharing because you’re in a relationship and don’t know this is all pretend so you can have a little bit of peace for the holidays. Your gift to yourself. Shaking it all off, you turn to Mingyu.

“I mean, we’ve shared before. It’ll be fine,” you say.

“So are we not gonna talk about the last time we shared?” he asks with an eyebrow raised.

Racking your brain, you can’t really think of anything that would make him say that. Had something awkward happened? Did one of you do something that you should really remember? Just as you’re about to go into a full blown spiral, you feel Mingyu appear before you. He reaches out to smooth out the line between your eyebrows.

“Don’t hurt yourself there,” he says with a laugh. “You whined about me taking up too much space.”

“Oh my god,” you say and swat at him. “It was a tiny bed and you took up the entire thing! You can’t do this to me when I’m already wound tight over my family.”

“Sorry,” he says and throws up his hands. The sparkle in his eyes says that he’s anything but.

“I’m going to change and then start my skincare routine,” you say as you move to grab something to wear to bed.

Without even asking if you’re dressed, Mingyu comes into the bathroom to start doing his own skincare routine while you’re in there. He’s already changed into a t-shirt and shorts, which you know is more than he normally wears to bed. It’s somehow peaceful to go through your routines in silence like this. You consider that it might be in part because it forces him to be quiet. Not that you usually mind his chatter, it’s just that your brain is already tired from one night dealing with your family. You can’t imagine how the rest of the days are going to go and are thankful for the downtime when you’ll be able to get out of the house to do things.

Once you’re back in the bedroom, you both finish off all the little things you need to do. You plug in your phone after checking for any important notifications, grab the TV remote to fling it over to Mingyu, and slide under the covers. Usually you just kind of scroll before going to sleep or sometimes you’ll read. But, you think it might be weird to do those things when you’re sharing a bed with someone else.

“Do I need to make a pillow wall or something?” he asks as he’s flipping through to find something to watch.

Your head whips to the side to look at him. Even though it’s only his profile, you can see that he’s smirking. Purposefully not looking at you because he knows it’ll break the little composure he has. To deal with that, you whack him with a pillow.

“Just don’t drape your entire body over me,” you say.

“Why?” he asks and does turn to look at you now, wiggling his eyebrows. “Afraid it’ll be too close?”

“No, you fucking goober, you’re just heavy,” you say through a genuine laugh.

“How is this relationship ever going to work if we’re calling each other names?” he says, pretending to be heartbroken.

“Same way it has for like 8 years,” you joke back with a soft smile.

“Are you saying you love me?” he asks, hand on his heart. This is one of your favorite things about your friendship with Mingyu because he’s so dramatic that it takes your mind off everything else.

“I don’t know, I’m rethinking it,” you say and turn back to the TV.

“I love you too, you know,” he says, voice soft enough to make you turn back to him.

“I know, Gyu. I don’t think anyone else would put themselves through this for me, so thank you,” you say honestly.

He just shrugs and goes back to a lighter place. “Well, I didn’t have good holiday plans and who can say no to this level of entertainment?”

The next day actually gives you time to catch up with some of your family members more personally instead of everything being such big conversations. That’s especially true for your cousin, Mimi, who’s only two years younger than you and has always been your favorite of your cousins. Even if you go months without seeing each other, it always feels like no time passes. There’s just a level of closeness and understanding between the two of you. You can complain about your mothers since they’re sisters and honestly the same person, just in a different font. It’s easy to be on the same page about things as well.

You’re actually a little surprised to see that she’s here alone, even though you know she recently got out of a bad relationship. Somehow, it seems her mom is more understanding than your own. She was also much more honest about how the relationship fell apart after 3 years and her mom is sympathetic about it. When she says it like that, you understand. Your last few relationships have all been measured in months rather than years.

“You’re not, like, actually dating Mingyu though, are you?” she asks quietly when it’s just the two of you.

“Mimi,” you hiss and look around.

“We’re alone,” she assures you with a wave of her hand. “So, spill.”

“No,” you say hesitantly. “Why?”

“I’m just curious,” she says unconvincingly.

“He was with me when my mom was bugging me about the holidays and bringing someone with me. Then she was going to set me up, so he just offered…” you start.

“He was the one who suggested it?” she asks, far more curious than she should be.

“Yeah,” you say simply. “Again, why?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know. I’ve just always thought he was cute and I was wondering if he’s actually single.”

“You cannot hit on Mingyu,” you whisper through gritted teeth. She gives you a look you can’t place before brushing it off.

“Oh, I’m not saying I would. It’s just good to know I could,” she says.

“You can’t,” you remind her. “Everyone thinks we’re dating.”

“Don’t worry, I wouldn’t do it anywhere anyone else could see,” she teases.

Of course, another of our cousins picks that moment to join you, so you can’t further chastise Mimi. It irritates you all the same though. How does she think it’s just fine to do something like that when you’re supposed to be in a fake relationship? Could she not just wait to hit on him until the rest of your family wasn’t watching with too much attention?

Normally, Mimi is a respite from the rest of your family. She’s one of the few people that you’re always completely honest with. Now, she’s taken that away. You try to go about the rest of the day with her knowing that the relationship is fake and she seems like she’s trying her best to get under your skin. Every part of you wants to stop her from chatting so much to Mingyu and you can’t. It would seem weird when everyone knows that you and your cousin are close. Weirder still when she always knows Mingyu relatively well from every other time he’s been to some family event.

When you excuse yourself up to your bedroom for a second away from your parents and their incessant hint dropping, Mingyu slips into the room just after you. Which is odd, considering you had not even seen him also slip away. The second odd thing comes when you look at his face. He looks more serious than usual, more tired. It doesn’t fully make sense because he’s incredibly social. Loves to be around people in the way all true extroverts do. Something must be wrong.

“Can I talk to you?” he asks after closing the door.

“You don’t ever have to ask,” you say with clear apprehension.

“Did you tell Mimi we weren’t actually dating?” he asks, still looking at you in a way you can’t place.

You exhale, thinking it’ll be nothing. “Oh, that, yeah. I’m sorry I didn’t mention it to you, I just…”

“Did you also tell her that I’m very single and she should go ahead and shoot her shot?” he asks and you stop short hearing that.

“I - what?” you ask.

“She just kind of cornered me and was laying it on super thick, but she said it was fine because she knows we’re not really dating and that you’d encouraged her to…” he starts and you immediately cut him off.

“What the actual fuck, Mimi?” you say in frustration.

“I mean, if you want me to…” he tries to start again, looking a little like a lost or kicked puppy. It makes you immediately close the space between you and him.

“Gyu, no. I did tell her that we weren’t actually dating, but I absolutely did not tell her it was okay to do any of that, let alone encourage it,” you say.

“So you don’t want me to flirt back?” he asks. He’s still looking Too Serious when he says it and you’re not really sure how to feel.

“Since we’re supposed to be dating, I’d prefer you didn’t. But, if you think she’s pretty it’s not like I can stop you,” you say noncommittally.

“Of course I think she’s pretty. You and your whole family are pretty. It’s like something in a TV show or some shit,” he says and this is a Mingyu you recognize because he’s rolling his eyes.

“Oh yeah, says the guy who looks like that,” you say and vaguely gesture at him.

“I…did you just compliment me?” he asks, totally off track from wherever he was going.

“That depends, did you compliment me first?” you deflect.

“You’re such a shithead,” he grumbles and you tsk at him.

“Now, now sweetheart, should we really be name calling?” you tease.

He fixes you with his attempt at an unimpressed stare, but he’s nowhere near as good at it as you are. Like every other time, he relents first. “I’ve probably told you how beautiful you are hundreds of times in our friendship.”

“Which I’ve always returned,” you lie.

“Be so for real. I have to pull most compliments out of you,” he says through a snort. When you open your mouth to protest, he cuts you off. “Most compliments that are not about my cooking, I should say.”

“People fall all over you,” you say with a good natured eye roll of your own. “Do you really need to hear me also say you could easily be a model?”

“Doesn’t hurt,” he mumbles through a pout.

“Oh, beautiful Mingyu,” you start, taking on the silliest voice you can muster. “You’re so pretty that I could cry. Your face breaks hearts every day, your smile lights up the room, your hair…”

“Okay, okay, enough,” he says even though he looks pleased.

“I cannot believe Mimi, though,” you say.

“I’m glad you’re not trying to push us together,” he admits.

“Why? Not interested?” you tease.

He answers seriously, though. “No. She’s pretty, sure, but no, I’m definitely not interested, even if I wasn’t pretending to date you.”

That honest answer strikes something in you. Not that honesty is unusual between the two of you. It just feels like there’s also an element of vulnerability in the response as well. Like he’s saying something that you just can’t quite decipher. You just brush aside for now, though, since there’s nothing else you really can do.

Mingyu, as it turns out, has one winter time tradition that he’s always wanted to try and never had the chance to do: sledding. He’s never lived in any place where it’s snowy enough or there’s enough free space. But, up here in the relative mountains where your parents live, sledding is a way of life. It’s something you’ve done countless times growing up with friends or family. Part of you is even a little thankful that he wants to do it, too. It’s been years since you’ve gone sledding and getting to see his face when you go for the first time feels special. Feels like something that’s just for you.

Which is why you’re up before the sun.

Last night, when you talked about sledding and getting an early start, Mingyu was on board. Now that it’s time to actually get up, you can see it written all over his face that he’s regretting every decision that’s ever led him to this moment. Like the true best friend that he is, though, he’s keeping the actual grumbling to a minimum. You’re not sure why you’re not also grumbling. You’re not a morning person. But, you’ve never gone sledding at sunrise either and something about it just seems like it’ll be magical. Like it really will make it an entirely new experience for you and him to share.

The house is quiet as you grab the bag of snow pants and winter jackets that you packed the night before from the closet in the entryway. Everything feels so peaceful in the house and just as still when you leave. Like even the soft sound of the door is too much while the whole world sleeps. You can hear the slight crunch under your feet as you trudge over to Mingyu’s car and take care not to be too loud getting in. Thank him again for driving when you know it’s way earlier than he wants to be awake. All he does is smile like there’s nowhere else in the world he would rather be.

The drive to the hill where you’re going to sled is quick and also tranquil. Even the music is soft like Mingyu is afraid of disrupting the peace. Or maybe you’re both just appreciating something different than the normal bustle of life in a city. It’s never this kind of quiet there and there’s something kind of beautiful about it. Even the parking lot is empty when you get to the small hill that you used to sled down as a kid. You’ve never seen it empty before. Then again, you’ve never been before the sun rose, either. Mingyu takes care to unload the sleds before you both bundle up. It’s not terribly cold, but you make him put on the waterproof gear anyway.

He stops at the bottom of the hill and looks towards the top. “We’re going all the way up there?”

You can hear a little bit of nerves in his voice. Mingyu has never been a fan of heights. This isn’t that high, though, and you nudge him playfully. Well, it doesn’t seem high to you. “I think you can manage. Come on.”

Climbing up to the top is always your least favorite part because it uses the most energy. Not that you mind the activity, it’s just a lot of work for a relatively short ride back down the hill on the sled. At least this hill has stairs built into the slope off to the side to help you. Once you’re at the top, you plop down with Mingyu right beside you. It’s less about catching your breath and more about appreciating the view. It seems like you can see for miles even though you’re not that high up. The sun starts to rise and you know it’s all worth it. All the shades of orange and pink stretch across the horizon as the sun makes its way over the distant mountains. There aren’t any words that come to mind to really capture how beautiful it is. The colors are more vibrant against the white of the snow all around you. Everything feels magnified in the quiet space. All either of you can do is utter out a soft wow to express your awe.

And then the quiet really is broken.

“Okay you expect me to slide down that on a piece of plastic?” he asks with a hint of panic in his voice.

You follow his gaze and look down the hill, because it really is only a hill. Not anything crazy. It always looks a little more intimidating from the top, but it isn’t anything all that high.

“Oh come on you giant baby,” you tease and nudge him. “We got all the way up here, how else are you going to get down?”

“Walk back down the stairs they so nicely provided?” he offers.

“That’s crazy,” you say.

“I’m afraid of heights!” he shouts, more panic in his voice.

“I know, Gyu,” you say, instantly softening as you approach him to put your hand on his arm.

“I didn’t really think this through,” he admits.

“Why did you agree to sledding down a hill?” you ask, genuinely curious.

He’s quiet for a moment as he looks out over vista before him. You watch as a calm comes back over him. The kind of calm that can only come from a setting as pretty as this one. Watch him take a couple steadying breaths. Even though you’ve been friends with Mingyu for years, you’ve never really seen his fear of heights firsthand. Couldn’t have imagined it would kick in for something as seemingly innocuous as a small sledding hill. Though, admittedly, it is a pretty decent size. It’s definitely not just the kind of hill people sled down in their backyards or local parks.

“Because I wanted to try sledding and do something new. And this hill seemed important to you,” he says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “I’m not going to say no to something you ask me to do when you get that look in your eyes.”

“What look?” you ask to avoid considering a deeper meaning to his words.

“I don’t know. You get all starry eyed,” he says with a shrug.

“How about this? We can go down together and check it off the list. You don’t have to sled again,” you offer.

“We came all the way out here,” he says, unsure.

“And I got to see the prettiest sunrise of my life with my best friend beside me,” you say easily.

“Okay, okay. I can at least try,” he says.

You get up and send the smaller of the sleds down the hill without anyone on it in case you really only take the one ride. It would be a hassle to have to come back up and get it. Then, you position yourself on the bigger sled that’s meant for two people (or three kids sometimes when you were younger). Once you’re in place, you motion for Mingyu to settle in behind you. Point out where he can put his legs on either side of you, which already feels closer than normal even with how affectionate Mingyu can be. You adjust so that your back is pressed against his chest. It’s about the right balance to the sled so that you’re less likely to topple over on the way down. Mingyu has to crowd into your space to wrap his arms around your middle because he’s bigger than you are, something you hadn’t considered when suggesting this. You can almost tell that he’s considering burying his face in your hair, but stops short.

At least, until you push over the edge with a combination of wiggling and using your hands to push your forward. That’s when he buries his face. Then, you’re slowly picking up speed as you slide down the completely untouched snow. It’s always best like this, in your opinion. Before there are lanes carved into the snow. Yes, those lanes pack the snow down and can make you go faster, but you can also catch an edge and topple over more easily.

None of that is really on your mind once you start descending though. All you can think of is the way Mingyu’s body feels pressed against yours. How it’s very foreign but also very comforting. How you can understand why your whole family so easily believes that you’re together. The comfort is effortless, something you don’t ever think about. It just exists. You focus on how funny it is to have this giant of a man wrapped around you like a koala with his head buried in your hair now because he’s nervous. You don’t even consider any other way that it might make you feel. When you let out a squeal of delight as the sled picks up more speed, you feel, rather than hear, him grumble by the tickle of his breath in your hair. It only makes him cling more tightly to you.

It’s almost disappointing when you feel the sled level out at the bottom of the hill and slow down. It’s been the perfect way to relive one of the parts of your childhood that you loved the most. Getting to do silly little things like this really was one of the best parts of winter. You’re fully stopped before you realize that Mingyu is still clinging to you with everything he has. So, you carefully place a hand over his and feel him untense the tiniest bit.

“It’s okay, we made it to the bottom in one piece.”

Slowly, he loosens his grip on you and actually looks up. Again, you feel this rather than seeing it. You feel the absence of his body heat and only then realize just how tightly he was clinging to you. Mingyu pulls his face out of your hair and seems to look around, as if testing that you’re really at the bottom of the hill. Like he’s not sure it’s over that quickly.

“That wasn’t so bad.”

“No, it was a lot of fun.”

“Do you think…could we maybe go again?”

Both of you are standing up again now and it makes you whip your head around to look at him because you can’t believe this scaredy cat actually wants to go down again after how much it took to get him down the first time. His face is hopeful, though, and you’re not about to start saying no to that face now. Not when you never have before. So you match his smile.

“On one condition,” you finally say. Mingyu only looks at you like he’s waiting for you to continue. “You have to actually keep your eyes open this time.”

“You don’t know I had my eyes closed,” he insists with a pout.

“Gyu, your face was in my hair,” you say through a laugh.

“Okay, fine. Eyes open. But, I have my own condition, too,” he fires back, still kind of pouting.

“Yes?”

“I want to ride together again.”

It’s easy to agree to that. Even though you don’t say it out loud, it’s kind of fun riding with him, especially when the hill is so untouched. He’s tall and muscular, very helpful when it comes to carving a path and also picking up speed. He adds to the momentum and you like going faster. You don’t consider telling him that he wouldn’t go quite as fast without you because you would be losing on as well. It’s not a bad deal for either of you, really. Mingyu gets to work a little on a fear of heights on something much more manageable and you get to live out your best sled dreams.

Each run gets a little bit easier. Mingyu holds up his end of the bargain and actually opens his eyes, which is more entertaining to you than it probably should be as he curses all the way down that first run. But, he keeps wanting to go and you’re not going to stop him. Don’t realize that maybe he also keeps going because he loves to see the way your face lights up each run. Neither of you makes an effort to get the other sled again either.

By the time the sun is fully risen, yours and Mingyu’s cheeks are rosy from the cold. And also from the way you’ve taken to running back up the steps to the top like kids. You have to admit, even if it means he’ll get a big head, this is the most fun you’ve had in your hometown during the holidays in a long time. Honestly, it might actually be the most fun you’ve had anywhere in a while. It’s nice to get back to something simpler without worrying about anything else. Life can get busy back in the city between work and chores and endless responsibility. Sometimes it’s nice to just take a break from it all. Remember that there are more important things than just working all the time or being stressed about things you can’t really control. Maybe there’s something to simplifying life a bit.

Now that the sun is rising, it’s a more acceptable time for people to be out and about themselves. Kids can convince their parents to take them sledding as well. At the first sign of people approaching, you and Mingyu agree that it should be your last run. You’re starting to get a little tired and you know it’ll get loud. You don’t mind having the kids around, you just know it gets harder to avoid everyone and you have to wait longer between each run. Besides, you planned something post sledding as well. It catches you off guard that he actually seems a little sad to be leaving.

That is, until you take him to this little hole in the wall of a breakfast place. It’s something new because you’re not usually in this area when he comes with you to family events. Not that it’s far, it’s just a few towns over and there are closer places. Until winter comes around again and the elderly couple that runs the place roll out their secret recipe for hot cocoa. Honestly, you could probably just drink that without even ordering anything to eat and be the happiest person in the world. The food is amazing too, though, and you didn’t eat before leaving to go sledding. You and Mingyu order a few things to share and laugh all the way through it, talking about sledding and the trip so far.

“Thanks for this,” he says as breakfast is winding up.

You’re a little surprised at both his words and the gentleness of his tone. “For what?”

“Taking me sledding like this. That sunrise was amazing and I, well, I guess I didn’t think I’d have as much fun as I did,” he admits, a little more shy than you’re used to.

“I’m glad you trusted me,” you say and can’t quite place the look he gives you.

“I think I’d trust you with just about anything.”

The day before Christmas is always the same. By then, you’re in desperate need of a break from your family and you think they may be in need of a break from you as well. So, each year you get together with Seungkwan and some of your other friends that still live in the area. Anyone with a partner brings them along and you have a nice, boozy brunch. This year, Seungkwan is hosting because his place is spacious and the group seems a little bigger. It’s also nice to get to really spend some time at his place since he’s only been there a few months.

Typically, a few people in the friend group will bring over some pre-made things to warm up the next day as well as everyone bringing whatever they want to drink and share. That’s the same for this year with a slight change. Mingyu, once he sees the kitchen, says that he just has to make some food as well. After taking an inventory, he heads back out to buy more things that he needs, ignoring any of your protests and only agreeing to take your card so you can sort out the cost with your friends. (You’re not going to do that because you don’t mind just covering it, but you don’t want him to cover it either.)

When he gets back, he immediately goes into the kitchen and your friend Vernon’s girlfriend offers to help. She drags Seungkwan’s sister, who doesn’t usually come around, with her as well. Mingyu only leaves the kitchen long enough to bring you one of the mimosas that he made, insisting there’s a special ingredient. Then, it’s back to fully focusing on the food. Not that you really mind. It’s nice to just be in a low stress environment with your friends to catch up, have some drinks, and laugh a lot.

Vernon, after looking around to make sure nobody else is listening, shows you and Seungkwan the ring he’s been walking around with for the past few weeks. Apparently, he’s finally settled that he’s going to propose to his girlfriend tomorrow on Christmas Day. You’re thrilled because they’ve been together forever and she already feels like family. Seungkwan nearly bursts into tears, which you have to quickly cover so nobody realizes what’s happening. You love that your best friend is like that. It’s just not the time if you want to keep it a secret that Vernon wants to propose.

It also feels nice to be in a group where you don’t have to pretend. Nothing changes all that much for how you and Mingyu are together because he’s always affectionate with you. But, you get to trade any of the not-so-subtle comments about when you’re going to get married to the relentless teasing about how he passes as your boyfriend so easily. It’s nice to have someone joking about it and you find you don’t even mind. Especially when Mingyu chimes in with his own little comments from the kitchen. There seems like there’s a lot of laughter in there as well.

“You’re going to have to dress him better if he’s going to keep posing as your boyfriend,” Seungkwan jokes and you look over at the kitchen.

Mingyu is wearing this kind of awful green zip up sweater. It’s not even that nice, soft material. But, he insisted on wearing it because he wanted to wear something with Christmas colors and it was the only thing he had apart from his outfit for tomorrow. It makes you roll your eyes again remembering it.

“I know,” you sigh. “Usually he dresses so well and then there’s that.”

Your eyes drift back over to him in the kitchen again and you kind of wish you hadn’t looked back. You catch him as something falls off a spoon he’s using to taste test and onto his skin. And, without seeming to think about it, he sucks it off his hand. Then, licks along his finger for good measure. It makes your heart stutter a little in a way that’s completely foreign to you. Why are you so entirely transfixed by someone who’s supposed to be your best friend and fake boyfriend doing that?

“Hey, you good?” Seungkwan asks, snapping in front of your eyes.

You shake your head to clear it before turning back to him. “Yeah, sorry, zoned out for a second.”

“Uh huh,” he says skeptically, but you catch his eyes darting over to Mingyu.

“Don’t,” you warn him, causing him to throw his hands up in defense.

“I won’t,” he says. “But, if you decide you want to talk about it…”

“Talk about what?” Mingyu asks. You hadn’t even seen him leave the kitchen.

“The issue she’s having with Mimi,” Seungkwan lies quickly.

Mingyu rolls his eyes. “She won’t leave me alone.”

“And that seems to be driving both of you crazy,” Seungkwan observes.

“Well, yeah, our bestie is just being a good friend and she knows I’m uncomfortable,” Mingyu says before you can answer. Is that all it is? For the first time, you’re not sure.

“I’m not sure how I feel about sharing a best friend,” Seungkwan says with feigned distaste.

Mingyu tries to give The Look again, but fails even worse than with you. Nobody can outdo Seungkwan and so he gives up. “Food is ready.”

“Oh good, I’m starving,” Vernon interrupts.

The rest of brunch goes by without Seungkwan making any other comments. To you, at least. You don’t see him sit down next to Mingyu after the food is done like it’s casual and unplanned. Nothing that man ever does is either of those things, though. What you do notice is how easily he fits into this group of friends. Sure, he knows Seungkwan pretty well and he’s met nearly everyone there. But, he doesn’t get to spend much time around them. Not really, in the grand scheme of things. It isn’t really surprising, if you think about it, because they’re all close friends of yours and he tends to think you have good taste where friends are concerned.

It is a little weird, you think as Mingyu sits on the other side of the room, that he seems to be a little glued to his phone now that things are getting closer to wrapping up. He checks it mid conversation and furrows his brow at whatever he sees. Both seem unusual. Mingyu is always one of those people that gives his full attention to a conversation. Unless it’s an emergency, he likes to be present in a moment. It’s one of your favorite things about him. It’s also unlike him to be so upset by something on his phone. You can’t think of any person that would be creating that reaction from him. Or anyone that he wouldn’t just ignore until later. You try to put it out of your mind as best you can. If it’s something serious, he’ll talk to you about it. At least, you hope.

Any other time, you would be thrilled to have your favorite cousin staying at your parents’ house for the holidays. She’s always been your confidant and one of your safe spaces. Now? You can’t stand it. You really wish she would be literally anywhere else. Just the sight of her is getting to be enough to set you off. It seems like she’s really taking it to heart that Mingyu is single. You’re not sure what her game is and you hate it.

Of course, she manages to corner you the second you’re back to your parents’ house. You’re not exactly paying all that much attention, though. The end of brunch with your friends had been a little weird, even if nobody else noticed it. Mingyu accepted all the praise for the things he made, but was distracted by his phone. Someone, you’re not really sure who, kept sending him messages. Whatever it was didn’t seem to be making him happy. Not that you really have any right to ask him who’s blowing up his phone. It’s just a little weird. Usually he’s so present in events like brunch. It’s odd to see him constantly checking his phone. Odder still that he had headed off to the bedroom as soon as you got back. You’re a little buzzed from the mimosas. Mingyu, on the other hand, is very sober.

“There you are,” Mimi says, appearing as if out of thin air. It makes you jump back, hand on your heart.

“Jesus,” you gasp out.

“No, Mimi,” she jokes. Any other time, it would make you laugh. You’re not so entertained with her now.

“What are you sneaking up on me for?” you ask instead.

She rolls her eyes and looks around. “I’m not sneaking up on you. I was just trying to catch you away from the others.”

“Why?”

“Why do you have that fake boyfriend of yours on such a tight leash?”

Out of habit, you look around to make sure nobody is listening. Everyone seems too busy, though. “I don’t have Mingyu on a leash.”

“Then explain why he’s basically refusing to answer any of my texts,” she says, arms crossed.

“I don’t know why…wait a minute. Was it you texting him while we were at brunch?” you ask.

This, somehow, seems to satisfy her. “Oh, so he’s not telling you who’s texting him.”

“I didn’t ask, honestly.”

“Well, I don’t see why he’d be ignoring - “

Your brain catches up then. “Hang on. How the fuck did you get his number?”

Mimi rolls her eyes again with a huff. “Please. You’ve had the same passcode on your phone for ages. I just grabbed it when you left your phone out.”

“That’s so fucked, Mimi. You can’t just go through my phone or take his number,” you say.

“You’re no fun anymore,” she says with a whine.

You’re not interested in hearing anything else she has to say because you just want to talk to Mingyu. This is getting insane that she’s going to this amount of trouble just to try to get to him. Yet, it’s also weird he kept it to himself that she was texting him. The two of you have talked a lot about the shit Mimi pulls in order to get close to him. Why is it different now that she’s texting him while he’s out with your friends? Is he starting to get worn out from dealing with the insanity of your family? Every other time he’s been around, it’s been really chill. This time, not so much.

Up in your room, you don’t initially see Mingyu. You’re not sure what you’re expecting. Maybe him on his phone texting or else complaining to another friend about how this whole trip is going. Or even talking to his sister about getting out to see her instead of staying here. None of that happens, though. Instead, you find him in the bathroom applying a face mask. It’s a little ridiculous and definitely the last thing you expect. But, you also know that it’s a sign he’s carrying some amount of stress.

That’s the thing about being as close to someone as you are to Mingyu. To most people, he’s got this unfailing streak of energy and kindness. He’s the kind of person that lets himself be bullied by all his friends even though he could definitely take them. It’s all part of making sure everyone is enjoying themselves and most things just roll off his broad shoulders. There are hidden depths to him, too. Sometimes he gets a little worn out because he’ll keep things to himself instead of burdening someone else. He takes so much onto his own plate and you wish he wouldn’t. At least, not always. He’ll go until it feels a little unbearable and then finally speak up. He’ll force a smile even when he doesn’t feel like it just to make sure nobody else realizes anything is wrong. In a way, he folds in on himself a little. But, you’ve been friends for years so you know his tells. Know how to spot the signs. It takes you a little longer this time surrounded by family and some friends. This is one of those signs, though. Taking the time to do a face mask, even if it’s in the middle of the day, to just give him an excuse to be quiet.

You’re not usually the one to initiate physical contact with him. Not because you don’t want to, he just never really gives you the chance. He’s like a human koala most of the time. With his back to the door and his eyes closed to enjoy the feeling of the mask, he doesn’t even hear you approach. Your hands wind around his waist, hugging him tightly from the back and your head rests between his shoulder blades. For the briefest moment, he tenses and you worry that he’s using this as a break from you. Then, he realizes it’s just you and his entire body relaxes. He puts his hands over yours and sighs softly. After a moment, it doesn’t seem like it’s enough because he turns in your arms and pulls you tight against his chest, wrapping you so tightly in his own arms that you would complain in any other situation. Not now, though. Not when he’s putting himself through all of this just so you don’t have to have a stressful holiday experience.

When it’s like this, you don’t dream of pulling away from Mingyu. There’s so much that he does for you and it’s so rare that you can do anything for him in return. So, you’ll stay tightly pressed against him as long as he wants. You won’t be the one to break the hug first. If you can take even a little bit of whatever he’s feeling onto your own shoulders, you will. This trip has been so much better than you could have expected in most ways and you’re determined to be more conscious of his needs. Eventually, he does pull away and let you look up into his face. He looks much more at peace than you expect. Maybe your hugs do have healing powers like he always says. Mingyu turns to remove the face mask and wipe his face before turning back to you.

“I’m sorry,” you say softly into the space between you.

“For what?” he asks.

“For the whole drama that is my family,” you start. “Mostly, for Mimi, though.”

“Ah,” he says and his face falls a little.

“Gyu, I would never have put you in this position if I had known she would be like this,” you say earnestly.

“I don’t think anyone could have guessed she’d pull all this,” he says with a humorless laugh.

“You should’ve told me that she was texting you and bugging you like that,” you say without any accusation. You just want to be able to share in his burden.

He only shrugs. “We were with your friends and you looked so happy. I didn’t want to bring it down. How did you even find out she was texting me?”

“She told me,” you say with an eye roll.

“Really?”

“Well, she cornered me and asked why I had you on such a tight leash…”

“Kinky,” he interrupts and it nearly makes you choke.

“And then, when I asked how she even got your number, she told me she’d gone into my phone and taken it,” you say to avoid thinking too deeply about Mingyu and any kinks he might have.

“Bold,” he observes.

“Do you like that?” you ask before you can stop yourself.

The second the question comes out of your mouth, you wish you could take it back. What is going on with your brain today? First you’re losing your train of thought watching Mingyu lick something off his finger. Then, you’re wondering about his kinks. Now, you’re wondering if he likes someone that’s a little bit bold. It’s got to just be the atmosphere that you’re in. Or that you’re pretending to date him. It’s messing with your mind and you’re not responsible for the way you act.

The worst part is that Mingyu’s entire face changes. He gets that knowing look on his face when he meets your eyes. A little cocky. The look that says he knows just how attractive he can be. It’s not usually directed at you and you’re not really sure what to do now that it is.

“Sometimes,” he says. “Not necessarily from someone I’m not actually interested in, though.”

“Good to know.”

Mingyu arches an eyebrow and okay, that’s devastating. Maybe you’re still a little under the influence of the mimosas. There’s no other explanation for the way your knees go a little weak at such a simple movement. “Is it?”

“Huh?” you ask, shaking your head to clear it.

“You said it was good to know and I asked if it was,” he repeats, smirk only deepening.

“Oh, sure,” you say and he seems momentarily surprised. “You know, so I can tell Mimi.”

You’re actually not entirely sure what makes you say it. It’s not like you would ever want him to consider Mimi. It might actually drive you crazy if he went for her. He gets that look on his face that you’re all too familiar with. Affection mixed with exasperation. Nobody seems to get it more than you.

“Too bad for her that I’m very much not interested,” he says.

“Shame. I don’t know how I would get over the loss.”

“Luckily you don’t have to because you’re stuck with me.”

“Until you actually have a crush on someone again.”

Even though you say it, you want to take it back as soon as it comes out of your mouth. Images come rushing into your mind of Mingyu falling in love with someone that actually lasts. Someone that could take your best friend away from you. Which should be what you want, right? You should want him to be happy. And you do. You just can’t really stand the thought of a life where he’s happy without you being right there by his side. This trip makes you think about a lot more than you bargained for.

“I do have a crush,” he says softly.

“Oh, of course,” you say and look away from him. That’s fine. This is all fine.

His finger is under your chin the next second to pull your face back around to his. It’s the look of patience that you also see a lot. Especially when he’s trying to teach you something in the kitchen. Or explain something from work. Or really just talk about anything he’s passionate about.

“The crush is on you, dummy,” he says softly.

“What?” you ask, not sure you heard him correctly.

With a shake of his head, he steps back to lean against the bathroom. “Of all the times I pictured telling you this, I never considered telling you in the bathroom attached to your old bedroom at your parents’ house.”

“We don’t…” you start and he shakes his head again.

“No, this probably fits,” he says with a light laugh. The kind when he’s just a little caught off guard himself. “I thought I wanted to tell you after brunch with your friends and, I don’t know, I could be misreading the whole thing, but I think you’re ready to hear it now too. I like you. I’ve been more than happy just to be your friend because I didn’t want to say something before we were both ready. I’m happy to be here as your friend that’s only pretending to date you because I’d do anything to make life easier for you.”

“Mingyu,” you say, so low it’s barely above a whisper. Like you’re afraid to break the quiet in the limited space between you.

“You don’t have to say…” he starts, only to be interrupted by a loud knock at your bedroom door.

Your senses are entirely overwhelmed and you wonder what he sees as you look up at him, eyes wide in wonder. Before this, you would say that your brain could process too many things all at the same time. That it always had a million things going on. Now, you can’t seem to do any of that. Can’t focus on anything other than your beautiful best friend before you and the fact that apparently he has feelings for you. You see his mouth move, assume it’s to answer the knock, and have to shake yourself back to reality. Need to come out of this day dream so that you can react to whoever is at the door.

“Too bad, lovebirds, you have to come downstairs. Attendance for games and cookie decorating is mandatory on Christmas Eve,” your cousin calls back.

“Mimi, just…” you start to call out to her and Mingyu shakes his head.

“We’ll be right down!” he cuts across you. He waits, seeming like he’s listening for the sound of Mimi walking away from the door. How he can hear anything over the pounding of your heart seems unthinkable. Somehow, he must hear something because he turns back to you with soft eyes and speaks in an even softer voice. “It’s okay, we can talk tonight after dinner or when we come to bed. There’s no pressure for you to even say anything. Our friendship is the most important thing in the world to me.”

With that, he gives you a quick peck on the top of the head. Something that’s immediately gentler than anything you’ve experienced with him during the entire course of your friendship. The smile he gives you as he steps around you to lead the way down to interact with your family has you go weak in the knees. Has he ever smiled at you like that before? Or is it a new smile? Once upon a time, you would have said that you had every facial expression of his memorized from years spent in each other’s company. Years spent sharing private jokes, going on adventures, complaining about work and family and everything in between. But maybe, you think, there are still things that you can learn about Mingyu. Maybe there are still things that you can learn from him as well.

When you don’t immediately follow after him, Mingyu turns around to grab your hand and pull you along with him. There’s something about the way he threads his fingers through yours and squeezes that makes your heart pound again before settling down. His touch is gentle, like it always is, and filled with complete care. You don’t notice the way he glances back at you every few steps. Not with concern, but with curiosity. He would have bet he knew your every facial expression and can’t fully place the way you look now. Somehow, even though he can’t completely tell what you’re thinking, he knows that he made the right decision. Knows it was time to tell you what’s been on his mind. Knows that, no matter what, he’s still going to have his best friend on the other side of this trip.

It’s chaos once you and Mingyu get downstairs, like it always is at your parents’ house on Christmas Eve. Though, this definitely seems a little busier than years past. You’re not sure why that is either, but everyone seems to want to join in on the traditions that your parents cling to. In any case, it’s a good thing for you because it lets you just blend into the group of people without your parents paying entirely too much attention to you. Mingyu uses your hand intertwined with his to pull you into him, the way he has countless other times on this trip, and presses a kiss to your temple. Then, he’s off into the kitchen, throwing a joke at your mom about how he’s here now and she doesn’t need to worry. He looks over his shoulder and winks at you as your mother puts him to work mixing ingredients. You honestly don’t even know how you react in response. It must be okay, though, because he smiles back at you.

You love to decorate the cookies and will happily help make them in other situations, but there are already too many cooks in the kitchen. Instead, you help to set up some of the card tables that your parents keep for times like these. It gives people the chance to figure out what they might want to play and who they want to join them. It really is a nice tradition, no matter how you feel about your parents. And since your mother usually spends more time on baking and decorating the cookies, she doesn’t notice if things get a little too competitive between you and the cousins. Or if your father eggs the rest of you on while he watches. She has her favorite parts and lets everyone else do whatever it is they want to do. As long as everyone takes a break to help with decorating the cookies. Not that it’s ever a concern, that’s most people’s favorite part.

Once the tables are all set up, you settle into a board game with some of your cousins. Usually, you’re one of the more competitive ones. Board games come pretty easily to you and you pick up on the strategy quickly. If your cousins notice that you’re not nearly as invested this time, they let you have it. And they do notice it, pretty quickly, but let you have it. It’s easy to see you’re distracted and to see that you keep glancing into the kitchen at Mingyu. They just let you have it. It’s in their best interest, anyway. It’s nice to get the chance to win without you being fully committed to beating everyone around you.

This kind of setting really gives you a chance to think without shutting yourself away in your bedroom. That’s too obvious. You can’t just say that your best friend confessed feelings for you and now you need to figure out what your own feelings are. Not when he’s pretending to be your boyfriend already. Not when your whole family already thinks you’re lying about having just gotten together with him. And not when your mother would probably kill you if you missed out on traditions that may be older than you are.

All the spiralling in your brain is just cover, you realize, for the bigger picture. Mingyu likes you and he thinks this is the right time to have a conversation about it. He also knows that your friendship is the most important. You agree. He’s one of the most important people in your life, but is he more than that to you too? Is it possible that it’s more than friendship? That’s not something you ever considered. When you and Mingyu met in university it was through someone you were dating at the time. The relationship was, fortunately, very short lived. But the friendship with Mingyu, that was the stuff of stories. That instant connection that survived the breakup. The two of you always joke that your friendship was meant to be and that’s why it lasted when the relationship didn’t. Why others could come and go from your lives but you two are forever. Especially when either of you has dated someone that had an issue with the friendship. It’s insane to think that men and women can’t be friends. A completely archaic way of thinking.

That makes you think about your friendship with Seungkwan, though. Someone in your life who has also always been a constant. Someone who supports all your rights and your wrongs, even if he gives you a hard time too. And that’s when something else clicks. Your past partners haven’t objected to your friendship with Seungkwan nearly as often as your friendship with Mingyu. It’s not that he’s not attractive, because he definitely is. It can’t be that you’re not as close. Seungkwan has been with you through a lot. It could be that there's been more distance between you and him since you moved away, but you’re not sure that’s it either. He’s a constant in your life even from a distance. When you can’t see him, you regularly FaceTime him. So, no, he’s still present even if he’s not in the same city.

And then it hits you. You don’t watch Seungkwan lick something off his finger while he’s cooking. You don’t get jealous of your cousin hitting on him, regardless of what else is going on. You don’t seek out physical affection in the same way. Don’t find yourself looking over at Seungkwan for his reaction to everything going on around you. Don’t want to know his thoughts on something before you make each big decision. Seungkwan is your best friend and he means the world to you, but the thought of him constantly kissing you on the cheek or the temple or forehead or even the back of your hand doesn’t unleash butterflies in your stomach.

Holy shit. You’re in love with Mingyu. Definitely in way over your head with feelings that should have been obvious to you. It’s impossible to pinpoint when it might have happened or how. Maybe there isn’t a specific time. Maybe it’s something that happens slowly over time. You know that when you first became friends it was only that, a friendship. Someone that you could be yourself around and feel at home with in a very foreign environment. Somewhere along the way, it’s morphed into more. He really is the person you want to share all your news with, the person that you look to for support first. It’s so clear to you that your feelings are there now that he’s confessed and gotten you thinking about it. When you meet his eyes across the room, you wonder if he can see the realization on your face.

Now that you realize that you also have feelings for Mingyu, you’re not sure how you missed it before. If you consider the traits you’re looking for in a partner, he ticks off every box. And if you’re being completely honest, he’s been the reason for adding some traits to your list. So, not that you’ll admit this to any of your most recent exes, but maybe they had a point when they questioned your relationship with Mingyu. Not a big point. They still had shitty reasons for disliking Mingyu, but a small point nonetheless.

The rest of the evening seems to go by entirely too slowly, even if you do enjoy yourself. Much to the dismay of your cousins, you’re no longer distracted and you proceed to kick their asses at any game they suggest. You do go a little easier on them than normal, though, and avoid any of the trash talk. Thankfully Seungkwan isn’t there to point out that being in a good mood makes you soft. Even decorating the cookies is more fun than you can remember. You try not to think about whether that’s because Mingyu sits right next to you the whole time, trying to sabotage your cookie designs or make you laugh with his own. Spoiler alert: it absolutely is and you’re already down horrendous. It’s even easier to act like a cute couple in love now than it was before. And you also ignore the realization that it being so easy to pretend to be in a relationship with your best friend should have also been an indicator. Nobody ever said you were the most observant when it came to your own feelings.

Finally, you get a free moment to go upstairs. It’s time to get changed for Christmas Eve dinner and that gives you both the chance to excuse yourselves. The only person who seems to be tracking the movement with some amount of interest is Mimi. You’re too caught up in reaching out for Mingyu’s hand to notice, though. His smile at the action is immediately familiar and new. Familiar because you know his face better than your own and new because you didn’t expect to see him looking at you like that.

“I didn’t expect your mom to have me working so hard in the kitchen helping with the cookie dough,” he says once you close the door.

“Oh, I did,” you say through a snort.

“How was the - “

“You were right.”

You both go to speak at the same time and Mingyu’s mouth closes the second he realizes what you said. Whatever he wants to ask dies on his tongue over three words from your mouth. They might just be the second best three words you could say to him right then.

“About?” he prompts.

“It was the right time to tell me,” you confirm for him. It’s clear that he’s biting his tongue to let you say whatever you need to. Even if he knows by the look on your face. “I like you too.”

“Thank fucking god,” he says with an exhale. “When Seungkwan told me that I should tell you because he caught you watching me, I thought he was being a shit and…”

“Wait, what?” you ask. Fucking Seungkwan. Of course.

“Oh, yeah, at brunch earlier he said that he noticed you watching me while I was cooking and that if I liked you like he thought I did, that I should probably tell you,” he says a little sheepishly.

“You know what? Forget Seungkwan. I need to see something,” you say and close the space between you.

Before Mingyu can ask anything, you’re on your tiptoes, hands cupping his face and lips pressed to his. He wraps his arms around your lower back to pull you tighter against his body without missing a beat. And that really is all you need to know. Everything is in that first real kiss. Any lingering hesitations slip away. You can feel his promises and the answers to the questions you know you’ll have to actually ask in that kiss. For now, it just feels like coming home. Like you found the person that can get through all the bullshit and remind you about what’s actually important in life.

“Wow,” you say when you pull away.

“Yeah,” he agrees.

“Is that what I’ve been missing out on?” you wonder.

“Just how long have you liked me?” he says with an all too knowing smirk.

“I only realized today so I’ve got some catch up to do,” you joke.

“We both do, I think,” he says.

Without having to say a word, both of you get ready for Christmas dinner since your mother insists that you get dressed up. Every few seconds one of you seems to catch the other looking. It feels exciting, but you’re also a little shy. There’s a lot to talk about and a lot to navigate. You know you can’t put it aside. It just doesn’t feel as time sensitive now. This is one of the most important people in your life and it’s going to work out. At least, if you can get through the whole drawn out affair that is dinner first.

Which you do. Through all your mother’s courses and all the formality that she insists on following, you have Mingyu by your side. You’re not even distracted by Mimi on the other side of the table. She can’t seem to take her eyes off you while you and Mingyu can’t take your eyes off each other. More than once, you entirely miss a question and Mingyu has to nudge you to prompt you. It’s not your fault, you reason. He’s just so insanely attractive and made all the more so because you know that he’s a genuinely wonderful person.

Every part of you wants to skip the after dinner drinks and go back upstairs with Mingyu, but he quietly insists that you should stay. Even laughs when you turn his signature pout back around on him. If he makes a good point that you have nothing but time, you still want to take advantage of some of that time right now. Instead, you sip on your rumchata and curl into Mingyu on the oversized armchair by the fire. Despite trying to leave a little bit of space, you’re basically sitting on his lap at his own insistence.

Once the first people start to call it a night, you look at Mingyu with nearly pleading eyes. That gets a light laugh out of him as he nods to agree that you can go upstairs to your bedroom. You say your goodnights to everyone in the room, wish people a Happy Christmas Eve, and lead the way back up to your room even though he doesn’t need the directions

It’s nice to have uninterrupted time to figure everything out with Mingyu now that your feelings are out in the open. And once you’re both changed and through your skincare routines, you get into bed just to talk. It’s remarkable how much can fall into place so easily. It’s obvious that he figured out his feelings first. You insist that yours are already just as strong. The two of you depend on each other in everything without realizing it. Turn to each other for support. Share in all the best news. Suffer through any heartbreak together. In the years of friendship, there’s something deeper than either of you ever expected.

Honestly, it’s not even something either of you just held onto or harbored for years. The feelings really came suddenly. Mingyu shares that he wasn’t just waiting around to tell you that he had feelings for you. He also shares, though you already know, that no part of him felt entitled to your returned feelings. Had Seungkwan not said something, he’s not even sure if or when he would have said something. The last thing he would ever want was to make you uncomfortable. As much as he cares about you and wants to explore the relationship, you’re also the best friend he’s ever had. You feel the same. It’s a little scary and exciting at the same time. You trust Mingyu with your heart in a way that you’ve never trusted anyone else.

It’s entirely too late into the night by the time you and Mingyu fall asleep. How the two of you have so much to say at this point in the friendship is something to be studied. But, eventually you drift off, completely intertwined with Mingyu. He’s been a cuddler this whole trip and you’re not sure how he’s gotten himself even more attached to you. Yet, he does. It’s like any space between you would be too much. It’s too much satisfaction to give him that he’s right. He can tell anyway.

When you wake up, it feels too early. A fact only confirmed when you check your phone. None of the little cousins or your cousins with kids are staying at your parents’ house. So, you know that it doesn’t have to be an early start to the morning. You consider if you can drift off back to sleep. In the night, you ended up with Mingyu spooning you. His arm is loosely draped over you and your back is pressed somewhat lightly into his chest. When you go to adjust to think about drifting back off, your ass brushes against his hips, you feel something press into you. That stops you for a moment. Obviously, you and Mingyu talked about sex the night before. About how you wanted to try to take it a little slower since this means so much to both of you. And obviously you know that it’s relatively common for a guy to wake up a little hard. Your brain knows all those things. Knows what you should do. You should just reposition and go back to sleep.

That’s not what you actually do though.

So carefully that it could be an accident, you wiggle against him, a little harder this time. You yawn like you’re actually just adjusting to get comfortable and fall back asleep. He might let you get away with it, too, if you didn’t do it more than once, pressing further back into him each time. You know he’s awake by the sharp intake of breath and then the way he moves his hand to grip your thigh. The way his fingertips dig into your skin there makes you grind back harder without pretending it’s anything else.

Mingyu puts his lips to your ear. “Are you trying to drive me crazy?”

“No,” you whisper.

“I thought we said we were going to take it slow,” he says with incredible difficulty.

“I can move slower,” you answer immediately. It feels gratifying when he snaps his hips into your ass.

“You’re teasing me,” he whines.

“Not if I follow through,” you say. “I want you, Mingyu. I don’t want to wait.”

“Fuck,” he hisses as you continue to grind into him. “I want you to.”

“Then…” you start and immediately cut off as his hand winds back around to your front. He grabs your pussy through your shorts that suddenly feel too flimsy. Runs his long middle finger up your core and you immediately know you started something that he’s going to finish.

But his hand is gone entirely too quickly. Worse still, he pulls back. It’s only long enough for him to turn you towards him and then pull you on top of him. Your brain catches back up once you’re straddle over him and he pulls your face towards him. You kiss him like you haven’t yet. Full of desire and desperation. Nothing like the first few kisses you share. Those kisses were to make sure this was right. This kiss is to ruin him. Maybe to ruin yourself as well. His hands are on your hips, anchoring you to him, not that there’s anywhere else you could possibly be.

It’s never been like this with anyone. Just some heavy kissing and you’re already getting turned on. Already wondering what’s next. What it’s going to feel like. If Mingyu is the type of person that will take his time with you. It’s hard to imagine when he seems just as desperate as you are. At least, he tries to anchor you in a certain position so that you can’t grind too much. Maybe he does want to savor it. You really are down horrendous for this man because you think you could just kiss him like this forever and never quite get enough.

All too soon, Mingyu rolls the pair of you over again. Now he’s hovering over you and nobody has any business being that hot. And then he pulls back, somewhat straddling your legs without putting too much weight on you. In one movement, he pulls his shirt over his head and casts it aside. Okay, now you really think that nobody has any business being that hot. And sure, you’ve seen him shirtless before. This is just different. You don’t even realize as he’s reaching for your shirt until you feel his fingers brush the skin of your stomach. He’s looking for permission, but you’re a little impatient and pull the shirt off yourself. You’re not sure that anyone has ever looked at your body with so much love. Like he’s just as amazed as you are. He peppers your chest and your chest and your stomach with kisses. Showing you just how much he loves every bit of you. It’s the safest feeling in the world and you’re not really sure how you got this lucky.

Mingyu is so gentle when he pulls your shorts off. Trails kisses along your thighs as well and makes you shiver. Chuckles when he pulls his own off and you swallow at the sight of him. He’s a big guy and somehow you’re still not expecting his dick to be big like it is. Haven’t ever really thought about it in all the time you’ve been friends. You expect him to be all confident seeing your reaction. There’s something else there too, though. Like he’s a little nervous about this. You’re not really sure what to say to reassure him, so you just pull him back to you to kiss him again. He adjusts into you almost immediately, half laying on top of you while still making sure that he’s not crushing you.

This time kissing him is very different, though. He moves one hand between your legs. It’s gentle at first. He only runs his finger up your center a few times. Catches each moan with his kisses. Slowly works a finger inside you and pumps at a languid pace. It turns you into a whiny, squirming mess entirely too quickly. Empties any thoughts or worries out of your head. You know you can’t be too loud and you hate it. Nobody should be able to kiss this well while also hitting the perfect spot with each pass of his fingers. He adds a second finger and you’re sure that you’re done for. Sure that nothing else will ever feel as perfect as him again. You reach to stroke him and he pulls back.

“What’s wrong?” you ask, unable to hide the concern in your voice.

“No, nothing,” he assures you quickly. “I just, um, well I really want to fuck you and I’m not sure I could handle it if…”

“Do you have a condom?” you ask, already ready to say it doesn’t matter if you have to.

“I might?” he says more like a question and gets off the bed to cross to his bag with too much speed. In any other situation you might laugh. Now, you just want to feel him. A moment later, after rifling through his bag, he comes back up with one.

He’s moving back to you, unwrapping the condom, and then he looks up at you. There’s a question in his eyes.

“Yes, Mingyu, I want this. And yes, I want it here,” you assure him.

Thankfully, that’s the only confirmation he needs. In the next second, he’s pumping himself a few times and rolling the rubber onto himself. You move to reposition, but he doesn’t let you. He gently presses you back and gets between your legs. Carefully, he lines himself up and presses in.

“Oh fuck,” you hiss out, trying to stay quiet.

“Too much?” he asks and stills.

“No, Gyu, just move, please,” you whine out, pulling him into you.

He does exactly what you ask and snaps his hips so he’s fully buried inside you. It’s a stretch in the best way. Like this is exactly how it’s supposed to be. You can’t help it, you moan out the first time he thrusts and he catches the second moan with another bruising kiss. Probably better to have bruised lips than to have your family hear the screams you let out as he fucks you. Probably better than having them hear his moans as well. They vibrate through his chest and it gives you a sense of pride. Mingyu is a taker in every sense of his life. You know that it must be killing him to keep quiet now.

The two of you fall into a perfect rhythm without even trying. There’s nothing awkward about it being your first time. Knowing each other as well as you do as friends seems to translate here. Or maybe Mingyu just pays much closer attention to you than you realize. You run your nails down his back and his thrusts stutter so you do it again. That seems to get to him. He picks up the paces of his thrusts. Pulls his dick almost all the way out of you before quickly snapping his hips to bury himself in your pussy again. Never in your life has sex as simple as this position felt so good. Never has anyone you’ve dated felt this perfect.

When Mingyu’s thrusts start to stutter, you reach down between your bodies to rub your clit. Seconds later, your pussy clenches around Mingyu and your vision whites out. You can feel Mingyu release and try to pick up the pace to work him through his own orgasm. He half collapses on you, breathing heavy. Both of you have to catch your breath from all the kisses to muffle the noises as well. He tries to roll over so that he’s not on top of you and you cling to him, not ready to lose contact just yet.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he assures you.

“I know.”

“That was…”

“Better than I was expecting.”

You can feel his eyes on you even without looking and it makes you smile. Can imagine what he’s about to say before he even opens his mouth.

“Oh, you didn’t think I’d be any good?”

You laugh at that as you turn to face him. “No, I thought you’d be good. I just didn’t expect our first time where we had to be quiet because we’re in my parents house to be that good.”

He considers your words for a second.

“I guess I can take that,” he concedes.

“Come on. We have to clean up and get downstairs,” you say and he sighs dramatically. But, then he gets up and helps you up with him.

Half an hour later, you’re downstairs at the kitchen table sipping on a peppermint mocha latte and picking out your favorite pastries from the spread your mother has out. Mingyu has his chair pulled close to you and his arm along the back of your chair. Your cousin is sitting on your other side, cheerily humming under her breath. In a strange move, she isn’t even trying to speak to Mingyu. Just as you’re trying to figure out what’s going on with her, she turns to you.

“Have a good morning?” she asks knowingly.

“We’ll talk about it later,” you hiss back, casting your eyes around.

“No need,” she waves off and shoots a smirk at you. “I got exactly what I wanted.”

“I don’t…”

“Seungkwan and I have been talking a lot. Plotting, I guess you could say. Seems like it finally paid off,” she says and your jaw hangs open.

“Are you…did you just…” you stutter out.

“As long as it’s real now,” she says and doesn’t wait for confirmation. Doesn’t need it, when it’s written all over your face. “We can talk about it later but I am sorry.”

“You and fucking Seungkwan,” you grumble.

It is a weight off your chest, though. Mimi has always been your favorite. A safe space in all the insanity of your family. It’s good to know that she’s still that for you. The two of you can argue about her methods, or her alliance with Seungkwan, later. It’s hard to ignore that it did actually help. You’re in this place because some of your favorite people meddled to help you and Mingyu see sense. Maybe you can say all is well that ends well.

In between all the chaos of breakfast and making sure the presents are under the tree, you manage to tell Mingyu about what Mimi had really been up to. He seems relieved. Not even annoyed, just happy that things can settle into whatever the new normal looks like for you and him. You also find time to whisper all the things you want to do to him when there aren’t prying eyes around. It may be cruel, but you delight in the way the blush rises up his cheeks and the way he shifts in his seat. You’re going to have a lot of fun playing with him, you already know. He’s so easy to rile up. Now you have brand new material to use on him.

Your mother works to corral everyone into the living room where the Christmas tree is so that people can start opening presents. You always hold back and watch at first. Don’t even make an effort to find anything that might be for you. It’s more fun to see people’s reactions. Does your mother like what your father picked out? Are your cousins humoring their parents? Did someone manage to get something that’s genuinely a surprise? There’s never a dull moment. In fact, you’re so lost in thought watching that you don't notice wasn’t beside you until he plops back down and nudges you. Hands a small, beautifully wrapped box over to you.

“Go on, open it,” he urges you softly. It’s clear he’s trying not to draw too much attention.

Exchanging gifts with Mingyu isn’t new. It’s something you do every year. This is unexpected though. Usually you exchange gifts away from other people because they can be a little silly. Nothing about this feels silly, though. With a final questioning glance at him, you pull the ribbon off and carefully ripping the paper. It’s immediately clear that it’s a jewelry box. That makes your heart hammer. You can’t even look over at him. Surely this is something he had already. It’s not like there’s been any time to go out and get something in the midst of all your confessions.

There’s a necklace inside the box. Something that looks old, important. The kind of thing you can tell has been well worn and loved without looking cheap. There’s a pendant hanging from the chain with your favorite stone in a setting that you instantly love. It’s the most perfect gift that anyone has ever given you and it makes you a little emotional. You turn to Mingyu, tears welling in your eyes, and want to have the moment just for the two of you. Unfortunately, your mother and several other family members watch your reaction.

“It’s beautiful,” you say softly.

“Do you like it?” he asks, still unsure.

“I love it,” you say earnestly.

“It was my grandmother’s that she got from her grandmother before her. She told me to hold onto it and that I would just know when I should give it to someone,” he says and that does you in. Any last resolve disappears.

The only response you can think of is to just kiss him. A real kiss pressed to his lips full of all the words you can’t say about how much a present like this means to you. How sure you are that you two are making the right decision. It’s so meaningful.

“I love you,” he says quietly, trying to keep it just for the two of you. Which doesn’t happen. Not that it matters. Your parents have heard you saying you loved each other this whole trip. It means something different now, though.

“I love you, too,” you say back. “So much.”

“It’s a beautiful necklace,” your mother offers as Mingyu helps you to put it on.

“I thought it would look good on her,” he adds to your mother.

“Almost as good as a ring,” your mother says. It’s the least subtle comment in the entire world.

Mingyu doesn’t miss a beat. Just smiles and nods a little. “Well, maybe you’ll have to invite me back next year and see what the gift is.”

“You have a deal.”

For the first time, you’re not upset with your mother for bringing up marriage and the idea of settling down. You’re just basking in the affection coming from Mingyu and appreciating your new necklace. Soon, you’ll have to leave this little bubble. Trade the idyllic snow covered scenery where everything moves a little slower for your life back in the city. But, you’ll be taking a different relationship with Mingyu back. You think that maybe he’ll be the key to you finally figuring out how to balance it all. Maybe he’s been the answer all along.

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