#also I’m sorry if this comes across as sarcastic I genuinely find joy in this

[shadow-and-purgatory]

I love how in old gods of appalachia is like “and in these woods there are two queens, except not really”

[towerfandoms]

3AM Encounters

A/n: I feel like everyone uses that title but oh well I’m uncreative when it comes to titles. I’ve been simping a LOT for Shinsou recently so here enjoy this <33 and ik requests are off but for Shinsou I make exceptions ✨✨✨

Summary: Shinsou had trouble falling asleep and was laying in bed, counting as the hours passed by. That is, until he heard footsteps outside

Pairings: Shinsou Hitoshi x reader

Word Count: 2.4k

Warnings: none just fluff

Despite the many times Shinsou had laid awake at 3am, he still could never quite get used to the eerie silence. It was times like this when he truly understood the phrase “deafening silence”. The quietness felt too loud. The nothingness made him feel uneasy. During the day, he despised hearing the loud screeches of jumpy teenagers but now, he almost misses it. He could hear just about every little thing, the slight gust of wind from outside his open window, the creaking of his bed every time he shifted to get comfier and the footsteps outside.

Wait,,, outside?

Shinsou grabbed his phone from his bedside table and squinted at the screen, the harsh light illuminating his room. It was 3:15AM. Trying to make as little noise as possible as to not draw attention to himself, he heaved out of bed and looked out the window that was overlooking the gardens. He was surprised to be met with the sight of a black silhouette scurrying across the gardens, making their way towards the equipment shed. They were dressed in what seemed to be a black hoodie and pyjama bottoms. He couldn’t make out their face, their hood masking all their features. Leaning out a bit to get a better view, he noticed they were holding something close to their chest. He wasn‘t sure but to him it seemed like a box.

Now this peeked the teenage boy's interest. He wondered what was inside the box to make them run so early in the morning. They were most likely a student in his year as these gardens were predominantly used by second years, since they were right by their dormitories. Should he go after them and make sure they weren’t getting into trouble? Thinking, he had nothing better to do and the chances of actually being able to fall asleep were slim so he decided to investigate. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say or do when he met the person but he just hoped they weren’t up to no good.

He pulled on the first sweatshirt he found and carefully made his way down to the backyard. He stopped when he thought he heard footsteps and thought of just going back to his dorm and letting the person do whatever they wanted. He wasn’t the class president or anything so he wasn’t obligated to check on every little out of the norm. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep influencing his decisions but for some odd reason he desperately wanted to know what the person was up to. When he first joined the Hero Course in second year he announced to everyone that he wasn’t looking to make friends. However that soon changed as he got to know everyone. He still wasn’t the most sociable person but hey who knows, maybe he’ll find a kindred spirit when it comes to the inability to sleep. So he let curiosity get the better of him and pursued onwards towards the equipment shed.

Once he was outside the shed, Shinsou leaned his head against the rotting wood trying to listen in. He was surprised to hear low whisperings but he couldn’t make out anything bar a few hushed be quiet’s. He stiffly stood outside for some time, unsure whether to knock or barge in. He decided knocking would probably be silly so he opted with the latter. In one swift motion, he swung the handle and stepped inside.

The scene before him was baffling, to say the least. Whatever Shinsou was expecting, it definitely wasn’t this. The black figure from before was kneeling down,  their back to him, petting a large grey cat while a kitten was on their lap. There were three more kittens around them, all purring and rubbing their heads against them, whining for their attention. When they heard the door creak open, they rapidly swung their head around, eyes wide at the thought of being discovered. So they were quite surprised when their deep e/c eyes met with Shinsous' own lilac hues.

They both stayed staring like that, neither pulling away and refusing to break eye contact. After what seemed like hours but couldn’t possibly be more than a few seconds, Shinsou finally pulled away, looking to the side while sheepishly bringing a hand to rub the back of his neck.

“Sh-Shinsou!” was the only thing you managed to say, confusion clouding your brain. Just what was he doing here this early in the morning? Then an even more alarming thought popped into your head. Was he going to report you???

Sensing your disarray, Shinsou quickly tried to explain himself, snapping you out of your thoughts.

“Oh, um, you don’t have to worry about me snitching or anything haha,” he nervously fumbled out, “I-I just saw you running and was wondering what you were doing is all…” he trailed off, unable to look at you in the eyes.

Of all people he had to meet in the middle of the night, why did it have to be you. You were also in 2-A, in fact you sat behind him in most of his classes. You two had a few brief encounters but it was enough for Shinsou to feel butterflies whenever he crossed paths with you. You were really sweet to everyone, always smiling and happy to lend a hand to anyone in need. Well you were the class president, he supposed, it was your job after all. Still though, the level of kindness you showed them all was something that not even Bakugou wanted to push away. As if your looks and kindness weren’t enough, you also had a killer sense of humour. You were always sending the funniest memes, tweets and tik toks to their class gc and responded to his sarcastic comments with ones of your own. You were without a single doubt one of the most perfect people Shinsou had ever laid his eyes upon. And now here he was seeing you surrounded by cats??? Hell, in his eyes you were quite literally an angel.

“Oh! Whoops, I suppose I should’ve been sneakier,” relief evident in your voice as you chuckled softly. Thank God it was just him and not someone like Iida a stickler for rules.

However, the fact that he was here now meant that...

”Wait a second! Did I wake you up??? Oh my God no, I am so so so sorry. Ugh, I feel so horrible now,” your tone changing abruptly as you ushered out an apology.

“What? No, no, it’s fine. I was always awake,” he quickly replied back looking down to meet your shining eyes again. There was only one window and the moonlight trickled through, enhancing your eyes and accentuating all your lovely features. You really looked as though you were hand-carved by the Greek Gods themselves.

You met his eyes again, sharing a look of sympathy as you understood his pain.

“Oh, you couldn’t sleep either? That’s why I came down here. I found the mama cat and her kittens three weeks ago. No one seemed to be feeding them or even know of their existence so I was kinda like damn, alright I’ll take care of yous,” you rambled on, almost forgetting about the kittens beside you, desperately mewling for attention.

You stopped to take a deep breath and started playing with the kittens next to you, looking up at Shinsou awaiting his reply.

Shinsou on the other hand was so absorbed watching you play that he didn’t even realise you were finished talking until you gave a small laugh.

“Do you wanna come over here and play with them?” you asked a small smile splayed on your lips.

He could not say yes fast enough. He walked over to where you sat and carefully kneeled down so as to not scare away the kittens. He gently started petting mama cat who instantly became smitten with him. Shinsou slowly began to smile, the pure adoration for these kittens displayed on his face.

You allowed yourself to stare at Shinsou while he wasn’t paying attention. Shinsou was a beautiful man, even Kaminari noting his good looks. You two never had much interactions bar a few good mornings and complaining about training. The usual small talk. He was always polite and when in a good mood would throw a few sarcastic comments here and there. Though he was never rude, it always felt like there was a barrier between him and the rest of the class that no one could quite break down. However now, early in the morning you somehow felt closer to him. It was like he was slowly letting his guard down. Even though neither of you were talking, you enjoyed his company, the silence almost comforting.

Despite how much you enjoyed just being next to him and petting cats, you also wanted to talk to him. It was hard talking to him in class, what with the walls he surrounded himself with. You decided now would be the best time to get to know him if you ever wanted to make a lasting friendship with him.

You wracked your brain for a conversation starter, not wanting to be too dry to bore him away nor wanting to be too chaotic to scare him away. God, just why were you so nervous anyways? It's just Shinsou after all. Why did talking to hot boys always have to be so hard ugh?

You looked over at him again, admiring his toned body that could almost be seen through the sweatshirt. You let your eyes trailed down until you noticed his pyjama bottoms. They were baby pink with Hello Kitty printed all over it.

You had to suppress a scream of joy. They were without a single doubt the most beautiful pyjamas you had ever laid your eyes upon.

“I like your pj bottoms,” you said teasingly, though that wasn’t your intention.

“O-oh, thank you,” he muttered, surprising himself by getting out a coherent sentence. Inwardly though, he was cursing himself for not throwing on a pair of sweatpants. You probably genuinely meant it but it was still something Shinsou didn’t want to go around flaunting. Fortunately for him, it was too dark for you to see the tinge of red on the tip of his ears and cheeks.

When he looked back up at you, he was expecting a face of mockery but was pleasantly surprised to see you smiling, your eyes shining brightly under the dim moonlight. The peace he was feeling before returned and he started to feel more confident in your comfortable presence.

“Y’know,” he started, his deep velvety voice becoming more confident. “Aren’t you the class president? What would Iida say if he found out?” he asked, completely breaking the ice between yous.

“You wouldn’t dare,” you said in a low voice, feigning a look of mock fear.

“I don’t know, it just wouldn’t be honest. My guilty conscience would never be able to handle it,” he replied, a teasing smile dancing on his lips.

You couldn’t stop smiling at the thought that he was willing to continue the conversation. You wanted to see how much longer you could make it last.

“Hmmmm, well how about I make it even. If you want, you can join me to feed the cats. They need to be fed in the day too, so it’s not like we’re always breaking the rules.” looking down as soon as you finished, afraid of the answer. You didn’t want to seem like you were being too pushy but at the same time you really enjoyed Shinsous company. The morning was slowly coming to an end and soon you both will have to go back to your dorms. You’ll both have to continue classes the next day and pretend this night never happened. You wanted it to continue. So you waited with baited breath for Shinsous reply.

Coincidentally enough, Shinsou had also been thinking the same thing. He had thoroughly enjoyed his time. Though you both hadn’t spoken much, your presence really put him at ease. He felt so much more relaxed around you. It would be a shame if this was the first and last night of spending time with you and the kittens. So when you asked, he knew his answer straight away. He just had to somehow play it off cool and act unbothered.

“Deal. I guess I have enough time to visit the kittens. And you too, I suppose,” he added with his signature smirk.

You felt your cheeks heat up but managed to return a mischievous grin of your own. You quickly pulled out your phone and sighed with disappointment when you checked the time.

“Unfortunately, I think our time here has ended. It’s nearly 4am, the sun will be coming up soon. And we have annoying classes tomorrow,” you stated a bit sad about the fact that such an enjoyable night has come to an end. However he did say he’d continue joining you so that kept you somewhat excited.

Shinsou looked at you, mouth slightly parted in shock.

“4AM already? Shit, sorry for keeping you up for so long,” with that he tried to remove mama cat from his lap who had fully made herself at home on it. She lazily stretched and got off, a bit annoyed that her nap time was ruined.

You and Shinsou both stood up and brushed yourselves down, dusting off any dirt that may have stuck on to you from the old floors.

“I can walk you back to your dorm,” Shinsou offered, his hand rubbing the back of his next.

“How chivalrous,” you giggled slightly. “Don’t worry about it, besides we wouldn’t want anyone to catch you in those stunning bottoms now would we,”

“Shut up,” he rolled his eyes irritably but there was a pleased smile on his lips, indicating he wasn’t really annoyed.

You both made your way back to the dorms, whispering softly to each other occasionally. You broke apart to go to your separate dorms and try to get at least a couple of hours of sleep.

You lay awake in your bed, replaying the encounter and a bit upset at how quickly it had ended. You remembered his eyes, his smell and his deep velvety voice. You couldn’t stop smiling stupidly when you remembered your conversations. Somehow thinking about his voice managed to help you drift off to sleep, your last clear thought being Shinsou playing with the kittens.

A/n: I tried really hard to keep it gender, race and features in general neutral. If there’s any place where I could improve or switch up my words please let me know and I’ll be happy to oblige :)) constructive criticism/ feedback is always appreciated in fact encouraged so do not hesitate to tell me anything. Anyways thank you so much and have a lovely day yall <33

[sundimus]

Request for Fado! 21. “This. This makes it all worth it.” / Lacenet or siblings. (Went with Lacenet for this one!) /// Hallownest has not had a festival in a long time.

Back then, the festivities of the kingdom were the most anticipated events that the common bug would spend days and weeks and months looking forward to. A time where friends and family would all celebrate and feast together - a time of bonding and enjoying the joys that life has to offer. Hornet remembers growing up with the celebrations. While Deepnest had it’s own cultural celebrations, she had always been involved in the kingdom’s festivities as well. She remembers the excitement and the joy of it all - the lights and music and food that brought every comfort and feelings of camaraderie. The Pale King had even allowed Pure Vessel to carry Hornet around so she could participate in the activities herself, ever her steady babysitter. Hornet thinks back fondly at the memory of her forcing her sibling to take her everywhere she could possibly go - very demanding in a child-like way. Hollow had never complained back then. Of course, they wouldn’t have even if they wanted to, but Hornet can only hope that they had just as much fun back then as she did; even if they had tried to not feel it. It was during those times that she had felt closest to them, after all. But then the Infection happened, and all causes for celebration had been halted indefinitely. Enough time had passed and enough people had died to where most of the meanings behind the festivals had become lost. Hornet had been too young to remember them herself, but she figures that either Hollow or Lemm might know some meanings if she were to ask. However, time does heal wounds eventually. Elderbug had mentioned how he missed the annual Flower Festival - a time where, back when Dirtmouth still grew flowers and plants before the stasis, everyone would come together to eat and dance and converse with each other. He missed the sense of community and trust. Having loved the concept, Ghost and Ghoul had the idea to throw another flower festival again, despite flowers no longer being able to grow in Dirtmouth. But her siblings are stubborn, and had immediately traveled together to Greenpath to not only pick the flowers they can find there, but to also get Sheo’s help in crafting paper flowers to use as decorations. She sits on the ground in front of their shared house, waiting patiently for them to come home. “Are you excited, darling spider?” A soft sing-song voice sounds next to her, and an even warmer presence settles down beside her. “For tomorrow?” She looks at her girlfriend, who gives her a smile in return. “You mean for decorating this bleak and dull wasteland with flowers? I can’t wait.” She hadn’t meant to sound sarcastic - a part of her is genuinely enjoying the thought of participating in another celebration together with her family. Lace laughs softly at her comment. “Well this “bleak and dull wasteland” is your home now, so -” “Our.” “Hm?” “This isn’t just my home. You live here now, too. This is our home.” Hornet reaches over to grab one of Lace’s hands. “Me and you. Always.” “Oh... right,” Lace blushes, but squeezes her hand tighter, moving a little closer so their shoulders touch. “Always.” Any other words vanish for the moment, the serene quietness of the town and the brisk coolness of the air covering both of them comfortingly in the night. Neither of them say anything, each lost in their own thoughts. Hornet’s mind drifts to her mother, and how she might react to her throwing another festival so early after the death of a kingdom. She wonders if Herrah would approve and if she might have even wanted to help decorate the place as well. Maybe she’d even want to indulge in the activities herself. She wonders what it would be like to dance with Herrah properly for the first time. She knows she shouldn’t dwell on possibilities that have no chance of ever coming true, but she can’t help it. She wants to dance with her mother. “I’ve never been to a festival before,” Lace speaks up first, her voice cutting through the silence. “Pharloom doesn’t have festivals?” Hornet asks, a bit surprised. She figured that Lace’s vibrant and out-going personality would be naturally attracted to something like parties. “There is, but...” Lace shrugs. “I wasn’t allowed to go to any of them.” “Ah. My apologies, then.” “Don’t feel sorry for me. It was just one of those things, you know? But that’s alright - tomorrow means that I get to spend my first ever celebration with you. Seems worth it to me.” Hornet feels heat rush to her face, but squeezes her hand. “Yes. That makes it more special, I suppose.” “The party will be fun. I’m sure of it. Everyone laughing and having fun and being alive, despite everything that has happened. That all counts for something, right?” Hornet agrees. “It might make everything be worth it in the end.” -.x.-.x.-.x.- The “festival” itself had been put together fairly decently. The fake flowers that her siblings had made with Sheo were strung between the houses, a bunch of different bright colors almost lighting up the area. The real flowers they had picked had been woven onto handmade bracelets that everyone had been given to wear, should they choose. There definitely wasn’t as many people around that Hornet had been used to seeing at the Palace festivals, but a lot more had appeared than what she had been expecting. Of course Elderbug, Bretta, Cornifer, and Iselda were all present, along with Cloth, Myla, Tiso, and Quirrel. Ghost had brought Umbra to the party as well, and Hornet could see their bright wings flutter around the area excitedly. The Grimm troupe members are also celebrating with them. “How rude we would be should we ignore such a joyous occasion,” Grimm had said. Hornet suspects that Hollow is somewhere with him at the moment. Their presence is considerably welcomed - Brumm’s music seems to be echoing around the area, providing a great atmosphere for everyone involved. Hornet can see Ghoul and Elderbug dancing to the sound, although Elderbug’s “dancing” seems to be him just rocking back and forth slowly. Even though he likes to complain about too many people in Dirtmouth - specifically about the Troupe in general - Hornet has never seen him look happier. She’s not surprised that Ghost had managed to make so many friends and allies. Her smallest sibling certainly had an aura about them that was very gravitational. She feels arms wrap around her and instinctively tenses, ready to draw her needle, but the all-too-familiar laughter she hears from the “attacker” stops her. She turns around to see Lace’s gleeful face, and she relaxes instantaneously. “Nice to see you too, Lace.” “And it is always a pleasure to see you, spiderling,” she replies, moving her arms to wrap around Hornet’s neck. Hornet rests her hands on Lace’s waist, and they start moving their feet in a simple, slow, one-two dance. They don’t focus on anything else around them, their eyes solely locked onto each other. In the distance, Hornet thinks she can hear Ghost shrieking, but everything seems to drown out as she gets more and more lost in Lace’s warmth. She moves forward and rests her head on the other girl’s shoulder, engulfing her in a hug just to hold her. “Is the festival worth it now?” Lace laughs. “Yes,” Hornet replies softly, closing her eyes. Her voice holds a gentleness that she is not accustomed to just yet. “This makes it all worth it. I love you.” She feels Lace stiffen, and she pulls back slightly to look at her, suddenly worried that she had gone too far or had admitted her feelings too strongly. To her surprise, and somewhat relief, Lace doesn’t look upset. Instead, she looks shocked, and, if Hornet had to guess, hopeful. “Did you mean that?” Lace asks, her voice holding an excitement so prominent that it almost sounds breathless. “Yes - yes I did,” Hornet responds, now feeling a bit embarrassed. She has never said “I love you” to anyone other than her family before - she remembers learning the meaning as a little girl and shouting it to her mother and Hollow whenever she saw them, but that was so long ago. This is the first time she’s told someone who she was genuinely in love with that she loved them. Lace is the first person she has ever truly fallen in love with. That fact both excites and terrifies her. Lace visibly brightens even more, a wide grin spreading across her face. “Oh, Hornet! That makes me so happy to hear! I love you too; of course I do!” She feels a surge of courage at Lace’s response, and she blurts out her thoughts before she can stop herself. “May I kiss you?” Lace’s smile turns softer, and she lays a hand on Hornet’s cheek. “Yes,” she whispers. “Always.” They kiss surrounded by laughter and music and countless stars.

[dumbkiri]

My Universe

Part Two

Why do we fall?

Parts: [ 1, 2 ]

Summary: Jason returns home after two years and suddenly wants [Name] out of Wayne Manor for reasons he only knows. He finds out that [Name] is the key to a destructive future and needs to find out more about the legend he heard from Inklopiat, Aurora’s home world. If he fails to do so, [Name] may have to cease to exist. 

Pairing: Damian Wayne x HoH!Female!Reader

Word Count: 2.8k sorry not that long

Genre: Slight Angst? Fluff? 

WARNINGS: None...I think? I’m not sure

     Again, Damian’s heart had skipped a beat. He felt it stop for a second then start up again. Why did his chest hurt when he saw the fresh tears fall down her rosy cheeks? Was it because he knew that the fighting had upset her and he still continued to banter with her father? He shouldn’t make her feel like this. He never wanted to be the reason she was crying. 

     “Please, tell me that you guys also witnessed what I witnessed,” Dick pleaded looking at [Name] with wide eyes. His expression made it seem like he saw something phenomenal. And if he was being completely honest, it was extraordinary.  

     On the other hand, Damian never removed his green eyes from bright [e.color] ones. She was only staring at him and he was only staring at her. He knew she wanted to speak to him, he felt it inside. Her lips parted then closed shortly after. Her tears had dried up and there was a slim red ring around the outside of her irises. 

     Her [h.color] hair was long, really long and rested above her waist. Her skin glowed a radiant [s.color] making her eyes pop out even more. She looked at him with pleading eyes. Her lips no longer quivering because she knew he got the message she was trying to convey. “I’ll stop,” Damian said softly. He gave one last look at Jason and lowered his fist. 

     It was like a switch in him flipped. He was no longer angry. He wasn’t upset at Jason for suddenly barging in without notice. All he felt was a sense of calmness and it was because of [Name]. “I’ll stop fighting, for you,” He whispered the last part and gently placed his hand on top of her head. Damian knew she couldn’t her the sincerity in his voice or his genuine words, but he still spoke. He felt that she understood him.

     “What is going on here?” Alfred walked into the kitchen with haste and his feet came to a complete stop. His worn out blue eyes widening for a fraction. “Master Todd, you’re finally back,” Alfred said it with a tone of surprise. 

     Jason nodded his head, “Hey, Alfred.” 

     “Is that all you have to say?” Alfred said with quickness and an offended look on his face. He hasn’t seen this rogue boy in two years and he greets as if two years haven’t passed. “You left your daughter here at Wayne Manor for two years and you greet me like I haven’t done you a favor. As if your family hasn’t done a favor for you.”

     Damian and Dick stayed silent. Alfred has never been so forward and harsh before. Forward and sarcastic, yes. But this was a different phase. A mood that didn’t show often during this time. It was probably because Alfred was so caught up with taking care of [Name] that most of the time this old man was filled with joy. 

     It dawned on Jason on how much pressure he put on his family. He left for two years without a word to any of them. Then his eyes loomed over to Dick. He did keep in touch with Dick and he wondered why it was only him. "I'm sorry that I left her behind. With Aurora gone, I felt lost. How could I, me," Jason pointed at himself with disgust, "raise a baby all on my own?" 

     "You are never alone, Master Todd," Alfred's glare turned into a caring look. Then he brought his gaze to Damian and- "Oh my, don't tell me that this young girl is [Name]." Alfred gestured to the ‘young girl’ hiding behind Damian’s back.

     Stepping up, Dick nervously chuckled and walked over to the little girl. He placed his hands on her shoulders startling her. He gave her a warm smile and then looked up from her [e.color] eyes. “This is definitely the [Name] that was two years old five minutes ago,” Dick confirmed Alfred’s suspicions. 

     “I swear, there is always something that happens with you boys together,” Alfred shook his head with a deflated sigh. 

……

     “Her vitals are normal for a five year old kid,” Tim concluded pouring more coffee into his red mug. Then his fingers skimmed the keyboard typing along it. His eyes focused on the screen and analyzing the readings presented to him. “But her blood is quite special. From what Bruce has in his database, her blood is much like Superman’s.” 

     “So she’s an alien?” Dick asked. 

     Jason scoffed and placed his rough hands on his hips, “Half alien, Dick.” He pressed his lips in a thin line. His eyes scanned the room and he decided to come clean. “Aurora is from a planet called Inklopiat. It’s not too far from Earth, but it takes about six months to travel there. Any questions so far?”

     The room was silent before Dick broke the ice. “You left telling me that you were visiting Aurora’s parents. Not to a different planet.”

     “Wait,” Tim cut in, “he told you where he was going and you didn’t bother to tell us?” 

     “Hey, it was a tough time for him and if I knew he was traveling to outer space, I would have totally informed you guys,” Dick defended himself. “Kory knows more about space than I do, I could have at least let her travel with you.” Dick looked over at Jason. 

     “I asked her earlier, but Inklopiatians and Tamaraneans aren’t friendlies. I learned that the hard way, you were there Dick. When Aurora and Kory first met.” Jason’s words jogged Dick’s memory.

     Dick chuckled, “Oh, I forgot about that incident.” 

     Damian stepped in, “Back to the priorities, we need to find out why [Name] aged three years within seconds.” His green eyes stayed on Jason. He had to learn from the Inklopiatians for a year. Which means Jason got some information. “Did the Inklopiatians tell you anything about what could happen to [Name]?”

     Jason nodded his head, “They strongly believe in soulmates. There’s a legend about a man named Asht’n who was a fierce warrior. He only knew how to kill, it made everyone across the galaxy fear him. He went on rampages and murdered anyone who got in his way. The story is so old no one knew why he killed. Then one day it all stopped because he met a fair maiden. Her name was unknown and so were her orgins. All they know is that Asht’n fell in love with her and finally put his sword down just for her. Asht’n tried to make contact with the fair maiden, but she always ignored him. Little did he know was that she was deaf.”

     Jason paused and watched [Name] play with her stuffed lion with Alfred. 

     “When he found that out, Asht’n used his actions to show her how much he loved her. Of course, the fair maiden was also infatuated with the mysterious man. She accepted his gifts of love and when he confessed to her, the fair maiden cried. She cried because she could finally hear his voice for the first time. They lived happily together and raised a family. Some hundred years passed and Inklopiat was born. Keep in mind, all the children are born deaf until their soulmate realizes their love for them.”

     “I was waiting for some other guy to pop in and take the maiden away from Asht’n. So the question is, their story ends happily?” Tim questioned as he was quite taken by the legend of Inklopiat. 

     “Yes, their story ends happily, Timbo. Fun fact, for you, Inklopiatians also enhance their age to match their soulmates. [Name] obviously knows who her soulmate is and is trying her best to catch up with them.” Jason carefully glanced over at Damian. 

……

     ‘My granddaughter is very special, Jason,” Queen Nadia’n smiled as she placed green flowers on the kitchen table. She sprayed them with water and placed the sprayer on the table. A maid came by and picked it up then scurried away.  “Aurora’n and I always knew that [Name] would be special.”

     Jason shook his head and took a sip of the drink that a maid offered him, “Why do you say that?” He set down on a ledge looking out to the stars Inklopiat had to offer. The twinkling reminding him of his girlfriend. His heart still ached for her touch and her voice. 

     Queen Nadia’n walked out to the porch and stood next to her daughter’s soulmate, “Because the Elders said so. They told us that when you and Jayd’n were out catching the Saloms out by the river.” 

     Jason chuckled, “I hated those Saloms, they were sneaky bastards.” 

     “Language, Jays’n,” Queen Nadia’n gently scolded then she took the cup from his hand. Her eyes changed colors repeating a pattern from brown to blue to green to hazel. “The Elders blessed you and Aurora’n with a special child. A child that could end wars and stop the biggest foes even the Justice League has faced.” She put the cup down on the ledge. 

     “You’re telling me that [Name] has the power to take down anyone she wants? Even Superman?” Jason wasn’t believing a word she said. “I don’t get it, [Name] is only half Inklopiatian and the other half is human. I have no power to my name.”

     Queen Nadia’n shook her head, “Jays’n, let me show you something the Elders want you to see. A vision that shows [Name]’s true powers.”

……

     Jason never felt so scared in his life before. Laying at his feet was Batman covered in wounds and blood. Next to him was Barbara and Timothy all in the same disturbing fashion Batman was in. Their costumes had various holes in them and Batman’s mask was torn off. He knelt down and took Bruce’s face into his hands. “Bruce, wake up,’ Jason pleaded and looked around his surroundings. Everything was destroyed. Gotham was no longer standing. 

     “Father, is that you?” Jason heard a trembling voice coming from behind him. Slowly, Jason placed Bruce’s head down and he stood up. He turned his body to the voice and saw [Name] all grown up. Her hair was down and blowing along with the wind. Her face covered in dirt, but her eyes remained unchanged. They had not stopped sparkling. 

     “[Name], what happened here?” Jason asked cautiously stepping over the bodies that littered at his feet. He noticed Wonder Woman with her lasso held weakly with bloody and broken fingers. He saw Superman groaning with rubble above his chest, his breathing shallow. Aquaman was surrounded by a ring of fire and he was also passed out. “Please, tell me you didn’t do this.” Jason whispered. 

     [Name] took a shaky breath in, “I had no choice, they were going to kill me.” She clenched her fists tightly and a tear streamed down her face. She was holding back. “Father, they thought I killed him.” She pointed down the hill and Jason stopped walking. Surrounded by a multitude of flowers was the one and only, Damian Wayne. 

     The young Wayne had blood leaking from his mouth and a lone stream went down his chin. His back resting against the mountain of rubble. His eyes closed shut with dark bags underneath. His hands clutching onto a dagger and the other held a rose. “They thought I killed my soulmate, but I was only trying to protect him.”

     Jason ran over to Damian, not believing what he saw. Damian was strong, stronger than anyone. Jason put two fingers against Damian’s neck and found no pulse. Damian was indeed dead. He looked behind him and at the fallen Justice League. They were all either dead or on the verge of dying. “[Name],” Jason called out to his daughter from below the hill, “who were you protecting him from?” 

     [Name] sniffled and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. Her entire body was trembling and Jason didn’t know if it was from fear or...the adrenaline pumping throughout her body. Her clothes, the only damage done to it was that there was blood and dirt on it. She seemed to be unharmed, but he knew that her heart was breaking inside. It was like he was watching himself when he saw Aurora flatline. 

     “Hey, Princess,” Jason called out to her gently. He carefully climbed up the mountain of rubble being wary not to disturb Damian’s resting place. His hands gripped the top of the hill and he pushed himself upward. Jason would have lost his footing if [Name] didn’t grip his forearm to keep his balance. She looked at him with red eyes due to her crying. “I know you meant no harm to them. Although I need you to tell me who killed Damian, it’s important.” Jason clarified with importance. 

     At the mention of his name, [Name] cried more. “We were investigating the League. Damian believed that his grandfather came back to life and I told him that it wasn’t wise to go without Bruce. He didn’t listen to me.” 

     “The League? You mean to say Ra’s al Ghul is alive?” Jason asked dumbstruck by her words. 

     “They sent us a calling card,” [Name] pointed down the hill where Damian rested. She didn’t dare lay her eyes upon him though. She was ashamed that with her limitless power, she couldn’t save her soulmate. “The dagger that he holds, it’s from Talia. Damian said so because of the carving.” 

     Jason’s vision was starting to get blurry. [Name] noticed this and she brought her father in for a tight hug. “You have to promise me something, Father.”

     Jason wrapped his arms around his daughter, “What is it, Princess?”

     She pulled away just enough to look into his gunmetal eyes. He wiped her tears away and held her chin up high. She smiled at him, “Promise me that whatever happens, you keep Damian away from me. This is what the future holds if we are together, Father.”

     “But you two are meant for each other. Soulmates are-”

     “There’s more to the legend of Asht’n and the Maiden. In that story lies the truth. Father, if you don’t find the truth before Damian confesses to me on my 17th birthday then you have to keep him away from me. If not, the Justice League will come after me and so will Ra’s al Ghul.” [Name] explained more to him. She would have told him more, but her grandmother was pulling him out of the vision. “Promise me?” 

     “H-how do I keep you two apart? You guys are practically inseparable, Damian won’t let go of you.” Jason gripped her shoulders. He felt like vomiting right now. Something was pulling at his chest. 

     [Name] outstretched her hand and the dagger from Damian’s hand levitated to her empty one. Her fingers wrapped around the hilt of the dagger and her eyes glared at the weapon. “I’m not sure,” She brought her bright [e.color] eyes to him, “but when the time comes I’m sure you’ll know what to do. You’re a smart guy.” Adult [Name] finished with a smile. 

……

     Finally, Jason woke up from his episode and took a deep breath as he was trying to make sense of his surroundings. Apparently, he was on the floor of the bat cave because standing above him was his brothers. Damian had his arms crossed over his chest and most likely said something along a smart remark prior to him waking up. Meanwhile Tim and Dick were genuinely confused as to why Jason had suddenly passed out. 

     Before he could tell them what happened, [Name] had came into his view with her beautiful eyes. He sat up and blinked once at her appearance. Promise me. Future [Name]’s voice echoed in his head and Jason subconsciously nodded his head which in turn made little [Name] smile. She jumped into his lap and wrapped her tiny arms around his neck. Jason was astounded that she hugged him first. Did she know who he was? 

     That doesn’t matter right now, Jason mentally scolded himself. He had to make a promise to her and he was going to find out the truth about the legend in Inklopiat or else he would have to deal with [Name] himself. Jason hugged his little girl back with the same amount of love she gave him and pressed a kiss at the top of her head, “I promise, Princess. I’ll find out the truth.” 

......

Tags: @zalladane​ @buchanangaby​ @poisoned-pineapple​ @i-dont-even-know-fck​ @diabeticsugarush​

[justatiredghost]

Living for the moment ch1

A series of glimpses at Klaus’ life if he’d met Dave in his mid 20s. His life isn’t magically transformed, love can’t fix either of them when they’re both homeless and in a bad place. They’re not even really ready for a relationship yet. But maybe a supportive friendship can set them on a better path, the two of them inspiring each other to take care of themselves. It’s going to be a long and bumpy ride, and the question is, when will they actually admit to themselves that they have feelings for each other? 

-

Klaus was completely lost in the music, letting it carry him along however it pleased as it pulsed through the club, filling every part of him. He loved dancing and would often get caught up like this, feeling so free and light and just enjoying the moment, so it was a surprise when the sound of a laugh nearby caught his attention. Usually he would have just ignored it, sound tended to blur together in clubs anyway, but there was just something about how open and joyful it was that he couldn’t shake.

Glancing over, he found his eyes drawn to a man on the other side of the dance floor. The energy around him was so bright and inviting, only enhanced by his charmingly mussed curls and open expression, with a laid back grunge style going on that suited him. He was obviously a bit tipsy, but the smile he wore was just so genuine and radiant, it looked like he was having the time of his life. 

It was stunning. 

He drew Klaus in, made him want to be in on the joke, to be a part of his evening, part of the joy that surrounded him, and maybe even the cause of that smile. Even moreso when the man caught his eye and sent him a flirty wink that was so cheesy it nearly made him laugh out loud. 

There were too many people between them to approach, but they kept sending looks each other’s way and suddenly Klaus was more interested in this little game of theirs than he was in dancing. When the song finally ended and the man went to take a break, Klaus was surprised when he dropped into a seat at an empty table. It had seemed like he was friends with everyone around him, but apparently he’d come alone. Which meant Klaus’ choice here was an easy one as he also made his way off the dance floor. 

He’d forgotten that he’d promised some guy a drink earlier, but there he was waiting for him with a glass for them both and a hopeful smile. Klaus supposed he was fine enough, but he had different plans now and who was he to go against the flow the night had for him? It always paid to have a backup plan, though, and thankfully Klaus was nothing if not smooth, so by the time he extracted himself from the situation, he’d managed to convince the guy it was all his idea as he snagged the drinks for himself and left him standing there.

Apparently the man across the dance floor with the radiant smile had seen it all because, as Klaus dropped into the seat across from him, he started laughing. 

“That was too smooth,” he said. “Truly, I am in awe.”

“Good, then you can get the next round,” Klaus said, sliding one glass over to him. 

“Sorry to disappoint, but I’ll have to get it the boring way.” 

“That’s a shame,” Klaus said with a smirk. 

“Trust me, it’s not,” he laughed, but at least he didn’t seem to be turning him down. Instead, he leaned his elbows on the table, as if trying to lean closer.

“Klaus,” he said, raising his glass in a toast.

“To Klaus,” the man replied, raising his own.

“No, I mean, that’s my name,” Klaus chuckled. 

“You’re allowed to toast yourself,” he said easily. “Dave.”

“Then, to Dave as well,” Klaus said.

“To Klaus and Dave,” Dave said, taking a sip, and Klaus liked the sound of that for some reason. “So, what’s a guy like you doing at a table like this?”

“Well you see, when one is tired from a night of dancing and wants to take a breather and perhaps chat up another handsome patron—”

“Handsome, hmm?” Dave said with a pleased smile.

“Sorry, do you prefer to be called pretty?” Klaus asked.

“Yes, actually,” Dave said with a pleased smile. “My goal is to be the prettiest here, but it seems I have competition. Not that I could possibly complain about that.” 

“Oh, flattery will get you everywhere,” Klaus said, lounging against the table.

“Oh, no, I’m sorry, I wasn’t talking about you,” Dave said quickly, but there was mischief in his eyes. “I saw someone’s guide dog earlier.”

“What? Where?” Klaus demanded, spinning around and craning his neck to see over the crowd.

“I think he left, unfortunately,” Dave laughed. “He was a very good boy, though.”

“Of course he was,” Klaus said indignantly. “All dogs are very good boys.”

“On that we can definitely agree.”

Tonight was... different. Usually, when Klaus caught the eye of some attractive individual, things went in a rather predictable direction. Everyone was there to numb the pain for a few hours, to get what joy they could before the sun came up and they were forced to face the harsh light of reality again. This was a place for one night stands and harmless fun, no attachments. Usually it was all forgotten when the sun came up anyway. That’s why he liked it.

Tonight, though, they just kept talking. Sure, they still flirted, but they kept getting lost in conversation, joking around and playing off each other so well that suddenly hours had passed and neither of them had really made a move. Not that Klaus didn’t want to, of course. Dave was so engaging and charismatic and funny and Klaus didn’t want the night to end. 

He never wanted to stop talking to him, he wanted to know everything about him, like how he was able to make Klaus laugh so hard he thought he was going to cry, or why he always looked so pleased when it happened. He was just so interesting and pretty, and he seemed so soft, and-- he had to stop himself because it was completely unlike himself to be so caught up in someone. So why did he keep thinking of places he’d like to take him or just things he wanted to tell him? Just little inconsequential things that he just thought he might appreciate or find funny. 

It wasn’t until Dave headed for the bathrooms, excusing himself politely of course, that Klaus started to panic. His hands were clenched tightly together, knee bouncing restlessly with the loss of distraction. He wasn’t used to this. He wasn’t used to looking to the future let alone actually imagining someone in it, as if anyone would even stick around that long. He didn’t have friends, at least none he’d consider close, it just made everything too real.

He was here to get high, to find some semblance of peace and pleasure before the ghosts returned and ruined his life again; he didn’t want to make things more complicated by bringing messy feelings into it. Couldn’t get hurt or hurt other people if you didn’t know them well enough, after all. And he didn’t want the responsibility of anyone trusting or counting on him. So why couldn’t he get the image of Dave’s smile out of his mind? 

Maybe he was just too sober. Maybe that’s all this was. He was getting sober and thinking too much and he could really use a hit of something stronger than shitty alcohol. At least he’d spotted one of his dealers earlier. He needed to resupply. It was fine, he’d probably be back before Dave. 

-

Klaus stood in the alley, head resting back against the cold stone of the wall as he waited for the pills to take effect. He wasn’t exactly sure how long he stood there, letting the high take him, but when he finally returned to his seat, he felt much calmer. Unfortunately, Dave was still missing. No problem, he was probably just still in the bathroom, he could wait.

- 

Eventually, Klaus had to admit that Dave wasn’t coming back. It was too late for him to find anyone else to party with since the other guy who had bought him the drinks as well as the girl he’d flirted with when he’d first arrived had both long since left. With last call being announced, he knew the fun part of the night was over. There was no hope of getting any free drugs or a bed and he’d wasted a perfectly good party for nothing. His mood dampened, he headed out into the night, trying to decide if an alley would do for a bit of shuteye. 

“You had an unusually chill night,” Ben commented, falling into step with him. 

“I thought you didn’t like hanging around when I go out?” Klaus asks, hoping to change the subject. 

“I don’t,” Ben said, “But I got bored. You never take me anywhere fun so I gotta make my own somehow.”

“And you find it by stalking me?”

“Hell no, but you’re apparently impossible to escape.”

“I’m touched,” Klaus says sarcastically, pulling out a joint and searching for his lighter. “Fuck off.”

“Someone’s in a good mood,” Ben said, unphased. “You actually seemed like you had fun tonight. So why’d you ditch him?

“First of all,” Klaus said, coming to a stop as he pointed the unlit joint accusingly at Ben. “You usually hate all the people I hang out with. What’s with the sudden nosy interest? Second, I was the one who got stood up.” He turned and continued trudging down the street, muttering, “I hope he at least didn't feel like he had to climb out the bathroom window to get away.”

“It’s not like you’re a private person,” Ben persisted. “I’m just surprised when you have a night that doesn’t look like you’re headed for the gutter. And that guy didn’t stand you up. He waited at that table for, like, an hour while you were off with your dealer. He probably thinks you stood him up.”

“Oh,” Klaus said, feeling a bit guilty, but at least he’d finally found his lighter. “Well, his loss, I guess, that he didn’t wait another hour.”

“Yeah, you’re quite the catch,” Ben said and he could hear the eye roll even without looking.

“You know it,” Klaus said, waving his now-lit joint through Ben like he was trying to disperse smoke.

It didn’t exactly matter, anyway. Klaus wasn’t the dating type. He wasn’t really made for any sort of long term relationship. He’d tried it a few times and hated it. It just wasn’t worth the benefit of knowing he had a bed at the end of the day. He didn’t like feeling so tied to someone and it was only a matter of time before they got tired of putting up with him anyway. Even his family could barely stand him. The thought shouldn't have even crossed his mind. So why was he still thinking about this? And why could he still picture every detail of Dave’s face, down to the mischief in those baby blues? 

“So, what’s next?” Ben asked.

“Get off my back, man,” Klaus said. He was developing a headache. 

“Come on, I wanna go somewhere fun tomorrow. At least tell me we’re going back to the shelter tonight. I don’t want to sleep in a gutter again.”

“You aren’t even sleeping, what do you care?” Klaus asked.

“At least I can people watch at the shelter.”

“Creeper.”

“Shut up. You try to entertain yourself for hours when you can’t actually interact with anything.”

“Fine, fine, we’ll go to the shelter if it’ll make you stop,” Klaus said with a sigh, tossing his joint down onto the pavement and grinding it out with his shoe. 

At least he was on his own again. This was how it was meant to be. Well, Ben was there too, but neither of them really had much say in that. The point was, he’d probably never see Dave again and that was for the best. 

Or so he thought. 

[readyplayerhobi]

Peppermint | 02

; Hoseok x Reader

; Genre: Fluff, light angst

; Word Count: 14.1k

; Synopsis: Achieving your dream job is something that very people manage to do, which is why you’re all the more happier when you land a job on the film team at Poppin’ Culture; the biggest pop culture website, blog and YouTube channel around. What you don’t expect however, is to fall for the exceptionally shy and awkward colleague who is not even remotely your type. Or is he?

; A/N: I hope you enjoy :3 it’s been a joy to write him! Please reblog if you enjoyed to increase visibility and comment/send me asks with what you thought. Peppermint Hobi has been possibly the sweetest character I’ve ever written and I hope you all enjoy him too. Also, the links are still broken so you’ll need to go to my masterlist :)

01 ; 02

-

“Hey, I need you and Hoseok to go over the videos for the next week please? And also review your video so far. Let me know if everything else looks good to go and we’ll get everything scheduled for upload. You good with that?” Seokjin asks as he hands you a file full of the printed scripts and outlines of each video that was planned for this week across all the channels.

You’d question why you were being given it, but he’d begun to lean on you heavily in terms of the video uploading schedule for YouTube recently. Probably because you liked to run the film video ship tightly and whipped Taehyung’s lazy ass into shape more than a few times along with also calling out other departments for running behind schedule.

It had meant that you’d just de facto become the YouTube lead over the last few months. Something you hadn’t expected, but also not something you were going to complain about. It did let you spent more time with Hoseok after all, and you hardly needed an excuse to want that.

You liked to think that he enjoyed the time you spent together too, as he never complained about being pulled into random meetings with you or being given more work to do. Nor did he tell you to get lost when you wheeled your chair around to look at his screen to see what he was doing.

Not that he actually did that to anyone else either, but he seemed to enjoy your company more. At least, that’s what you’re telling yourself. Maybe you’re projecting, who knows?

Hoseok is currently away from his desk though and so once Seokjin departs, you leave a Post-it note on his computer screen before telling Jimin to let Hoseok know where to come in case he doesn’t see it. He nods slowly with no sarcastic comment for once, letting his glasses slip down his nose before he’s chewing on his lip once more as he focuses back on his own screen.

You take the file into an open meeting room and close the door, sitting down in the silent room and spreading everything out in front of you. A Pusheen notebook sits open on the table as you start to make a couple of quick notes from the information you read in the file. There’s three gaming along with one television themed video to go up this week. And then the film video that you’d filmed the voiceover with Yoongi last week.

The door opening quietly distracts you, causing you turn immediately and smile at the sight of Hoseok. He’s got a Breakfast Club shirt on today and some plain jeans, looking just as casual as he always does. It suits him though, and you eye the MacBook he’s keeping close to his body while holding a cup of peppermint tea in his other hand.

When he sits down, his eyes scan the desk and he frowns before pointing. “D-do you want me to get you a d-drink too?”

You shake your head and tell him it’s okay as he sets everything up, angling the MacBook in between you both so that you can watch the videos he and his team have created over the last week. Hoseok is hands down one of the busiest people in the office, and yet you never see him complain about the workload he’s given.

That’s probably a combination of him not being willing to complain but also the fact that he genuinely enjoys his job. And it shows, with the tender love and care that he puts into every video, no matter how dumb the topic is.

It takes a good hour to run through everything he’s fully completed already until you’re finally happy with all the videos and sign them off. You know that Hoseok will let Seokjin know now, who will in turn upload them all onto YouTube with the relevant tags and whatever else he does with them before they’re released into the wild.

The only thing left to do is look over what he’s done of your own video so far. This isn’t actually supposed to be going out till the very end of the week, so he has a little bit more leeway with it. But you’re surprised with just how much he’s done already, and as per usual it’s top calibre work.

And you’re not just saying that because you have a crush on the man, but because he’s genuinely very good at his job.

Watching him carefully, you take note without even meaning to of the way his delicate fingers glide across the keyboard of his MacBook with ease. The tiniest frown lines mar his smooth forehead and you have the strongest urge to reach over and gently move some of his hair out of eyes.

It’s looking particularly soft today, and your fingers itch to see whether it feels as you think it does. The strands are actually very straight today, with his hair parted almost exactly in the middle and it’s almost fluffy in how much volume it has, causing you to sigh quietly as you let your chin rest in your hand.

The deep brown of his eyes are focused firmly on his laptop, a sheen of light from his screen distorting them slightly behind his lenses and your lips tilt into the smallest smile. You’ve noticed over the last nine months that when he starts to work, he gets lost in it for hours.

Sometimes, he doesn’t even remember to take his lunch and you either have to Skype him to remind him or go get whatever lunch he’s brought in and give it to him. Or you buy him something at the deli nearby when you go when Jimin or Taehyung.

He likes a prosciutto, turkey and salami salad with mayo on wholemeal bread. It had taken a few different sandwiches before you discovered the one that made his cheeks round and his dimples appear while his eyes creased in food related happiness.

“Okay, so...I had to get a bit creative here because I couldn’t find any artwork that wasn’t copyrighted. So, there’s a little bit of the trailer in here along with the small snippets that I could find of actual footage.” Hoseok slides the MacBook towards you and gives you an expectant look as he presses the play button.

You pull your gaze from him to focus back on the screen, on your job, and watch the video as the sound of your voice flows out of the tiny speakers. He’s done a good job with this video, and given it’s only a list video then you’d only needed to record a simple voiceover for it.

There’s no music yet, but you know that Yoongi is working on that currently and there’s a few scenes that are obviously missing graphics that Jungkook’s team hasn’t finished. But it looks pretty good and the editing is slick as usual.

Grinning brightly at him, you smile and push the laptop back to him. “Great as always Hoseok.” You praise him firmly, voice light and high as the apples of his cheeks immediately turn a pretty rose gold. Taking your lower lip between your teeth, you watch as his eyes flick to you repeatedly before looking back at the screen.

He goes to take his laptop back and you suddenly decide to make a move, hoping that you’re doing the right thing. Your own hand lays over the top of his, the pads of your fingertips feeling the smooth, soft skin of his hand. Without even meaning to, you find yourself tracing over a prominent tendon there and Hoseok’s breath hitches immediately.

“You’re really good at this, you know that? I hope Seokjin and Namjoon tell you that, because you really are.” Hoseok doesn’t respond to your words, instead his eyes are focused on your hand behind his lenses. The slightest glimpse of a pink tongue flicking out to wet his lips has you biting your own before he slowly pulls his hand out from under yours and closes the lid of his laptop.

“Thanks. They do, b-b-but I’ll tell them y-y-you said so.” He’s stuttering again suddenly and you practically see the way he’s tensed and is breathing harder already. Frowning deeply, you take your hand back and clench it into a fist on your thigh before clearing your throat.

“I’m sorry, I just...am I reading these signals wrong? Because I think you like me but...I don’t know. I can’t tell.” You blurt out honestly, confusion evident in every tone of each word that falls from your lips and you cringe slightly. Honestly, you feel like a teenager again and it’s not fun.

Hoseok’s head dips even lower until you can barely see his face, though you do see the way his throat works as he swallows thickly. For a moment, there’s nothing but awkward silence between you both and your heart beats rapidly as cold panic begins to move through your veins sluggishly.

You had a really, really bad feeling that you’d completely misread the entire scene.

“S-s-signals? I-I-I didn’t k-know that I was g-giving any. I-I’m sorry if y-you thought that. I just…” He pauses and takes a deep breath, his voice cracking and quivering as he stumbles his way through his words but that’s nothing compared to the mortifying heat you feel running through you. “I’m sorry. I-I didn’t mean...I’m sorry.”

The distress on his face makes your heart clench, despite how tumultuous your emotions are right now and you feel compelled to put him at ease.

Reaching forward, you take his hand and simply encase it in both of your own. Shaking it slightly, you give him a bright smile that completely covers up the hurt and embarrassment you feel and let your fingers stroke over his skin comfortingly.

“Hey, hey it’s okay. I obviously got it wrong. It’s fine, honestly. Just...forget I said anything. I’m really sorry. That put you in an uncomfortable position and I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry, I should’ve thought more and you’re fine to say what you did. I won’t mention it again.” You’re babbling a little at him, probably to try and cover your bruised pride but despite that, you can’t stand to see the discomfort in him.

You should have just let him say something if he felt anything. Instead, you’d tried to hurry the situation along by being bold and while it normally worked, you’d forgotten for a moment that Hoseok was not like the other men you had dated before. Those guys would have loved you being bold like that, but it quite evidently sent Hoseok crawling back into shell.

Sighing heavily, you let your head drop as you pat his hand before lowering it back to the table and gathering your notebook and pen. “I’m sorry, again. Really. I hope you’re okay.”

He says nothing for a moment, staring hard at the closed shell of his MacBook with a clenched jaw and an oddly intense look. You can’t tell if he’s annoyed at you, or maybe annoyed at himself but he suddenly shakes his head in turn and looks at you.

“I’m okay. Honestly. Y-you don’t have to apologise anymore. It’s fine.” Hoseok’s voice sounds stronger as he gives you a tight lipped smile. Watching him carefully, you keep an eye on him as you rise from your seat and head over to the door.

He’s silent as you go, only nodding at you once as you leave with a careful expression. Outside the door, you lean against the wall for a second once out of sight of anyone else and let your head drop back against it, a deep sigh of regret leaving you.

You’d really thought you’d read the signs right and that he liked you in the same way you liked him. But apparently you were wrong, completely wrong. He was very quiet and introverted after all, maybe what you thought were signs of romantic interest were signs of just friendship instead.

It doesn’t stop the squeeze of pain around your heart as you swallow the rejection you’d just received. How humiliating; and with someone you work with too. If you knew Hoseok like you thought you did, then he would likely pretend this never happened. Which meant that you would have to as well.

But your hesitant and exploratory flirtations with him were going to have to end for definite. From now on, your interactions were going to have to be just purely as a friend with Hoseok. As painful and numbing as that is to your heart, it’s what you’ll just have to accept

While you’re coming to your own conclusions outside  about how to interact with Hoseok in the future, Hoseok himself was still sat in the meeting room staring at the wall with a carefully blank face. Until it suddenly falls and he whisper shouts out a curse before clenching his fists in anger at himself, letting his head fall forward in despair.

-

It’s perhaps an understatement to say that the atmosphere between Hoseok and you is tense in the next few weeks. You keep him at arm’s length in the office, including him in conversations like you always had but the little inside jokes between you both had vanished, along with the exchanging of food and drink.

The rest of the office certainly notices the sudden cooling of your budding friendship with Hoseok and reacts in confusion, though silently thankfully. You rebuff Jimin and Taehyung’s questions, and you try to ignore the sad looks Hoseok gives you from time to time.

It was your last intention to make things uncomfortable between you both, but you were being a little selfish and nursing a bruised heart right now. There had already been copious amounts of Cookie Dough ice cream eaten as you’d tried to deny your feelings had been anything more than the flutter of something new to Sunmi.

She would have probably believed you if you weren’t trying to create a whole new salty version of the famous ice cream with your tears. In fact, you were kind of surprised at the depth of how hard you’d fallen for your timid colleague.

Which was why it hurt all the more to have to look him in the eye every day and know damn well that he likely knows you obviously felt something for him. Otherwise, why would you have reacted with such embarrassment and humiliation if you hadn’t?

But above it all, you felt an overriding sense of shame that you were pushing Hoseok away when you’d tried so hard to pull him in. He must be so confused as to why you carefully avoided social situations with him except for when work demanded it.

You just needed a little bit of time. Most people got to recover from a rejection like that in peace and quiet, far away from the object of their desires. But you had to work with him every day, so close that shifting your chair to the side slightly would let you see his beautiful visage that made your chest tighten.

Dammit! Damn everything to hell.

Taehyung must see the way that you clench your fist in frustration at your desk, jaw tightening as you let out a strained breath between gritted teeth. Before you even realise it, he’s rolling over to bump against your desk lightly, causing your monitor to rock as you let out a noise of alarm as you steady it.

Looking over at him, you take in the black colour of his newly dyed hair with vague interest before meeting his mahogany eyes with a raised brow. “Yes?”

He snorts before rolling his eyes and reaching over, lightly pushing at your arm in response to your snide comment. “Calm down Snape. I’m just going to ask what you’re working on right now as it sure doesn’t look like the review you said were going to do.”

Eyes flickering back at your screen, you sigh deeply as you lazily re-read over a few details of the new work you’d started. “I finished that and already submitted it to Seokjin. This is just a video idea I had for the top animated films in recent years.”

Taehyung makes a soft noise of interest before spinning around until he’s shuffling his legs under your desk with yours, eyes scanning the screen as he reads over what you’ve written. His lashes are unfairly long, and you pout as you point it out and cause him to laugh.

“Thanks. I’ll make sure to show them off more to you to get you jealous.” He grins and winks. Jimin on the other side of the room, hair mint green, scowls at you both before pointing his finger at you.

“I’m watching you. I’m already green, don’t make me angry. You won’t like me when I’m angry.” You chuckle and roll your eyes, well aware that he’d made Taehyung have a Marvel marathon at the weekend. Including the terrible Hulk film, which you’d begged them both to ignore.

“Fear not, your man is safe from me. His lashes? Maybe not.” Taehyung flutters them at you with a kissy pout before looking back to read over what you’ve done for the script.

“The LEGO Movie over Coco? A bold move.” He murmurs before scrolling down and continuing to read. Placing your elbow on the edge of your desk, you sigh deeply as you nod your head.

“I know, but I just...I thought Coco was wonderful and beautiful and emotional. But I watched it once and never had an interest to watch it again. Whereas The LEGO Movie made me laugh so hard and I think I’ve seen it 20 times. Moana is higher though, I really love that film.” He laughs and nods, pointing to your little Funko figure of Moana on your desk in acknowledgement.

Finally he finishes and moves back with pursed lips, nodding slowly before running his fingertips along his jaw. “Interesting. But in the interest of fairness, I think you really need to do a poll of the entire office to get a general feel of what Poppin’ Culture’s Top 10 is. I mean, Inside Out was great but I doubt it’s in most people’s top ten of the 2010s.”

Sighing, you nod and begin to write out an email of every animated film of the 2010s, including popular anime films such as Your Name because you just know there’s lots of people here that love those too. It’s a long list, and Taehyung whistles with raised brows as you fill it out. Once it’s done though, you email it out to the office and ask them to only pick ten and rank those ten in order.

“You know, this list could just be ten completely different films and then we have no list at all?” Taehyung chuckles and nods in response to your sarcastic comment, tapping your nose before making a Yoda noise.

“Yeah, but then you just collate what you do get and ask everyone to pick out of those and so forth until you have a top ten. It’s fine, it’s what we do. Good idea though, run it by Hoseok to make sure he’ll have time to film and edit next week as he’s got a two week vacation afterwards so we’ll be running thin on the video department.

He rolls back to his own desk at that and you swallow, sadly reluctant to talk to Hoseok once more. It’s only when you lean back in your seat, crossing your legs while poking your tongue in your cheek when you realise how childish you’re being.

So he turned you down, so what? He’s a grown man, an adult who is more than capable of making his own decisions in regards to what he wants and who he wants. You were just being a baby because it wasn’t the decision you’d wanted, and you needed to understand this and let it go.

It was affecting your work now which is something you definitely didn’t want. But also, it was affecting your relationship with Hoseok. Even if he didn’t want to make things romantic between the two of you, he was evidently opening himself up for a potential friendship between you both.

And you knew damn well that for people like Hoseok, who struggled so hard in social situations, that gesture of friendship like that probably meant a lot to him.

Which probably meant he was hurting more than you right now given how you’d cut him off so coldly and harshly. Licking your lips, you reach forward and slick on some lip balm before opening up your Skype and bringing a new chat with him up.

You hadn’t talked to him via Skype since the incident, and it made your cheeks burn in shame to think how terribly you’d acted. Honestly, he didn’t deserve this and you sure as hell didn’t deserve his friendship.

[10:21] Y/N: Hey Hoseok. I don’t know if you heard but I’ve got an idea for a video, Tae got me to email it out to everyone so you’ve probably seen that. He said that you were going on holiday soon so...if you could let me know if you think it might work next week?

There’s nothing for a moment, and you stare at the screen with narrowed eyes as you take in the conversation box. Then you finally see the ‘Jung Hoseok is typing a message…” along the bottom and your heart jumps into your throat. Which is dumb, because of course he’d respond.

You’d messaged him about work. And unlike you, he’s not an asshole.

[10:22] Jung Hoseok: That’s fine. I’ll respond to your email. Send me the script over whenever you’ve finished it and I’ll look into it. If I can’t do it, Lisa can.

It’s almost painful how polite he is being, and you get the desperate urge to resolve the issue between you both. To smooth over the cracks you’d caused when you’d taken a sledgehammer of hormones to your relationship and caused hurt to you both.

Which is why your fingers are typing already, uncaring that the messages are monitored and could be viewed by Seokjin or Namjoon. Honestly though, the crap you’ve seen Jimin and Taehyung message each other - it’d be a surprise if they ever bothered to read Skype conversations ever again.

[10:23] Y/N: I’m sorry btw.

[10:23] Jung Hoseok: What for?

[10:24] Y/N: The other week. I got the wrong end of the stick and I’ve been a little selfish since then. I’m sorry for pushing you away. Again, I didn’t think about you and I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you or anything.

He doesn’t respond for a few minutes at that, and you wonder if perhaps you’d entirely misread the situation. What if he only wanted to be work colleagues and that was it? Man, you didn’t think that you were that bad at social situations.

[10:30] Jung Hoseok: It’s okay, I understood. I was giving you space too. You looked hurt and I didn’t want to make things worse for you. Thanks for apologising though. And I need to apologise to you. I...was rude that day. I didn’t mean to be.

[10:33] Y/N: You weren’t rude! You had every right. I was too forward and it was awkward and stupid. I think you’re pretty great, and I’d very much like to be your friend if you’d let me? I thought we were doing well before.

[10:33] Jung Hoseok: You weren’t too for

The message ends up abruptly and you frown in confusion before you see him typing again.

[10:34] Jung Hoseok: Friends sounds good. I’d like that.

You have to mash your lips together to stop the smile that so desperately wants to creep out at his kind words and you chastise yourself once again for pushing away this beautiful soul. As you respond to him again, happy that the two of you seem to be slipping back into the comfortable friendship you’d been engineering weeks ago, you can’t help but be thankful that Hoseok is the kind of person who forgives as easily as he does.

And also be thankful that you were willing to swallow that stupid pride and hurt that had been festering in you.

Huh, guess you had finally grown up in some ways.

-

Four months pass by after you finally reached out and sealed up the fractures in your relationship with Hoseok, and you were pretty pleased with the results if you were being honest. If anything, you were wondering if maybe the friction that had been caused had been a good thing bizarrely enough.

Like when you fracture a bone and it heals back stronger than before. That’s what your friendship felt like with Hoseok now, with the two of you becoming the closest friends in the office.

Mainly through text and Skype obviously, but he had whole conversations with you now without a single stutter and you’d been blessed by his blindingly brilliant smile more than once. It made you happy to know that he was content with everything when it came to you, and you’d even begun to take your lunch breaks with each other at the deli or diner down the street.

Just as you’d always thought, Hoseok was funny and sweet and everything you could ever want in a friend. Which was great, as it obviously meant that he made the most wonderful friend for you. But you’d also found that he was everything you could ever want in a man overall and that was where it got awkward.

You’d been so determined to squash your feelings towards him, but all that had happened was that he’d proven himself to be even more perfect for you and you’d fallen even harder. He liked a good portion of the films and music you did, with enough differences to make it interesting between you both.

Hoseok was an avid dancer apparently, which had blown your mind away, but he’d been put into dance when he was younger to try and get him out of his shell. It hadn’t worked in terms of his relationships with people, but he used dance to come to terms with his own emotions and feelings apparently.

The way he’d explained it was that if he felt upset or angry, he’d go rent a studio room for an hour or two and get the feelings out with his body. He’d told you that one lunch time as you’d both sat at a table, the bustle of the shop around you as he’d played a packet of sauce quietly. You’d commented on how tired he looked and he’d admitted to spending a large portion of the night dancing to try and get rid of some frustration.

Though he wouldn’t emphasise what the frustration he’d had was to you, even if you’d been curious as to why his cheeks had tinged that lovely rose they always went when he got embarrassed or shy.

That knowledge of his love of dance was a secret, something that only you knew in the whole office. Even Namjoon and Seokjin didn’t know apparently, the two of them classmates in college and later roommates with Hoseok.

Hoseok had told you that he didn’t like to tell people, as they either laughed at the idea of him dancing or demanded he perform for them like a show dog. You had done neither thankfully, instead just taking his hand in your own and giving him an encouraging smile. It was something deeply personal to him, and you’d just felt pride and happiness that he’d felt comfortable enough to tell you that.

And god, there were times when you thought you hadn’t read the signs wrong at all. Sometimes you’d catch him looking at you with an intense expression, eyes dark behind his glasses. Like all he wanted to do is reach over and grab you or something. You’d seen the same expression on his face when Seokjin had brought in pizza’s one day and none of you had eaten so far.

You were...surprisingly more than okay with the idea of Hoseok being hungry for you.

But you’d tried your hardest to push that thought away, tell yourself that he’d just spaced out for a few moments and you were just the thing he happened to be staring at unfocused. Because you were already struggling with him, with your attraction to him and your need to just be the friend he needs.

You couldn’t project your feelings onto him, not like last time. This friendship was too important to you to ruin like that.

Which was why you had been both happy and surprised when he’d finally agreed to come on the monthly work night out. As usual, it was just for dinner at some restaurant in the city that everyone decided on and then drinks afterwards.

What normally happened was that everyone got food drunk before then getting actual drunk. Blind drunk actually. Jimin, surprisingly, had an exceptionally high tolerance when it came to alcohol and usually drank everyone except Yoongi and Seokjin under the table.

You usually just sipped on a Southern Comfort and lemonade sedately while everyone else got progressively more wasted around you. For you, your days of not remembering the night before had ended in the early years after college. Now you liked to actually wake up and not feel like you looked like the human version of Gollum.

But this time, you’d spent the night with Hoseok sat next to you meekly. Taehyung had asked to go to the new Thai restaurant that had opened up and everyone else had been eager to go. You’d gone along because you always go, but Thai food wasn’t your favourite unfortunately so you’d not eaten too much.

It meant that you’d got to watch everyone else more though, and you’d made sure that Hoseok was comfortable and okay. Turns out he really liked seafood and he’d eaten a prawn green curry eagerly. Perhaps too eagerly, as the noises that had come out of his throat along with the faces he’d pulled had been more delicious than the food you were eating.

He’d even shyly offered you a forkful and you’d eaten it, unwilling to push him away when he being open with you. Plus, he’d had an endearing smile on his face that just lit him up and you couldn’t say no. It’d be rude to make that adorable expression vanish.

That hadn’t stopped him from laughing heartily at the face you pulled at not only the curry but the prawns too. It just wasn’t something you particularly enjoyed unfortunately, and his loud and gleeful laughs had caught the attention of everyone else too.

Jimin and Taehyung had been beyond shocked when you’d told them that Hoseok had agreed to your request to come with this time. Even Seokjin’s eyes had gone a little wide and he’d repeated Hoseok’s name twice, as you’d suddenly got amnesia or something.

Apparently, Hoseok had never attended a night out with everyone else. It was a running joke amongst the office, and you hadn’t realised until he’d agreed just how big of a deal it was. Sure, he’d never come even while you’d been here but you didn’t see the big deal that he didn’t want to spend his free time with the people he had to spend most of his days with to get paid.

The fluttering of butterflies in your stomach at the knowledge you’d finally got Hoseok to agree to come out with everyone had erupted into a hurricane of them when you’d picked him up outside his apartment. For once, there was no nerdy outfit that was ever so slightly ill fitting.

Instead, he had on a white button up shirt that was tucked into a pair of dark, skinny jeans and his hair parted and carefully styled. You hadn’t even known Hoseok knew how to style his hair like that, and the watch on his wrist looked bizarrely expensive for someone who probably wasn’t making a huge amount of money.

His job was good, but it wasn’t the rose gold watch on his wrist good.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, he’d flushed at your intense staring of the expensive jewellery before shrugging on his black pea coat and buttoning it up, shuddering in the cold as he’d climbed into your car.

“Graduation present from my parents.” Was all he’d muttered and you’d simply nodded your head in acknowledgement, wondering if maybe they’d be interested in giving you a graduation present too. Even if you had been graduated for years now.

Either way, everyone else had been equally impressed with how smart and handsome he looked with Jimin giving you the sleazy brow wiggle. The man had weedled it out of you a while ago about your unreciprocated feelings for the beautiful guy next to you, and he’d made it like a mission to try and get you both together.

Despite you telling him about the rejection you’d experienced. He was beyond convinced that Hoseok liked you just as much, but was just in denial or something. It had taken the threat of you destroying his treasured iPod Classic, of all things, to get him to agree to not push anything.

Didn’t mean he wasn’t going to make clear insinuations the whole night and subtle gestures to you when Hoseok wasn’t looking. You half felt like choking him, but knowing Jimin he’d probably have a choking kink and just moan at you to go harder.

Instead, he’d opted to plying Hoseok with alcohol once you’d reached the bar.

Which wouldn’t be a big deal, if it wasn’t for the fact that Hoseok was quite clearly a lightweight. Whether he was just genetically a lightweight, or it was just that he didn’t go out drinking very often you didn’t know.

But either way, Hoseok had gone red faced after one beer before he’d started to sweat profusely after two. His third had resulted in a glazed look to his eyes and he’d finally sat quietly for the last hour, staring vacantly across the room as he swayed ever so slightly.

It was simultaneously adorable and worrying, because you wanted to kiss all over his face with how obviously wasted he was yet you also didn’t want him to pass out or something horrific. Because right now, he looked like he could go either way. And despite what you’d told Jimin, you really did like his face far too much to watch him face plant the table.

At this very moment though, Jimin was trying to incite a shots contest with Taehyung and Yugyeom while Jungkook and Lisa are sat with their heads only centimetres apart. You’d think that something was going on there, but you knew full well that neither of them liked each other like that. Must just be a really intense conversation.

Sipping your drink slowly, you place it back down before taking hold of the long neck beer that Hoseok is trying to grab. You’re sure that if he was sober then he would have had a firm grasp within seconds. Unfortunately, he’s spent 30 seconds trying to grab it while muttering to himself under his breath.

Dipping your head to catch his eyes, you look him over while biting your lip slowly. His pupils are a little unfocused and he lifts his head suddenly, losing control immediately and having it roll on his shoulders before he manages to get himself back together.

Chuckling to yourself, you take hold of his hand and direct him to a glass of water. Guiding it back to his mouth, his takes a greedy gulp before grimacing at the liquid.

“S’not good.” It’s perhaps beyond endearing how childish and sweet his voice sounds, but you’re having to battle exasperation as he goes for the beer once more. Placing it on your other side and in front of Yoongi, you turn back to Hoseok and cup his face in your hands.

Peering at him closely, you try to take in the sight and establish whether he should probably go home. Not that you’ve even been here long though.

“Are you okay Hoseok?” You ask sweetly, giving him an encouraging smile as he blinks rapidly in an attempt to focus his eyes. A low hum leaves him, the only way you can tell he’s even done that is from the vibration in his jaw.

His head is heavy now, as he’s leaning into your touch with a dopey looking smile that when combined with his now closing eyelids makes him look beyond drunk. Hoseok has a pretty smile, and you can’t help but be amused that he’s pretty even when inebriated like this. A confounding mix of angles and softness.

“Is he alright?” Taehyung asks from across the table, nodding to Hoseok with a frown of concern on his brow. The others nearby all look over and eye Hoseok closely before looking at you with raised brows, and you feel a little proud that no one was trying to encourage Hoseok to drink even more.

If anything, people had been bemused by his presence tonight before slipping into roles that made him feel comfortable out of his comfort zone. And while it was amusing for everyone to see that their quiet colleague was a complete lightweight, it also inspired the caretaker spirit in practically everyone.

No one wanted Hoseok to get hurt or be sad.

“I think he is. Just...a little bit gone right now. I’ve been trying to ply him with water but...I don’t think drunk Hobi likes the taste.” A bright peal of laughter leaves you as Taehyung snorts in response, and you don’t see the way Hoseok smiles happily and loosely at the sound.

You do however, see the way his eyes go soft and become filled with a strong emotion you don’t quite understand as he looks at you. As you watch him in turn, he pushes his face back into your hands forcefully like a dog that’s been neglected. You can’t help but squeeze his cheeks and laugh as he pouts his lips like a fish for you before making bubble noises through those pursed lips.

“He’s pretty cute drunk.”

“You’re cute.” Hoseok blurts out, a hand coming up to cup your own face. Or at least, he probably intended that but the smarting of your skin tells you that he doesn’t quite realise his strength right now. You can’t find it in you to be mad though when he’s giving you that sweet smile once more. “I like you.”

“He’s more vocal when wasted, that’s for sure.” Taehyung observes, lifting his own bottle to his lips before taking a long swig and averting his eyes back to you. “Maybe he’ll tell us something interesting. Drunken minds speak sober words and all that.”

You roll your eyes in response as you let go of Hoseok’s face, patting his surprisingly firm thigh in consolation. “Don’t listen to him. He’s just mad that Jimin made him go to an Elton John concert.”

“Hey! There’s nothing wrong with Elton. Do not insult my man like that!” Jimin is pretty loud when he’s been drinking, though he is normally so his current decibel level is probably approaching airplane level. He’s pointing at you from his position directly opposite you, eyes squinting beneath his blonde fringe and glasses.

“There’s nothing wrong with Elton...but it’s just not Tae’s music at all. And you’ve made him listen to the man all week since the concert. Don’t complain if he goes all red rum on you tonight.” Tae is smirking at that, looking at his partner with a cocky look that has you snorting as you take a drink.

Your decision about whether to take Hoseok home is made though when he suddenly swings an arm over your chest, knocking you back into your seat with a cringing face to avoid being whacked while he points at Jimin. Or rather...he’s pointing past Jimin but you get his point.

“Hey! Lea...Leaff her aloooone. She’s...she’s...perfect.” He’s slurring his words and you can’t help but laugh quietly at the way he ends his sentence abruptly with a satisfied nod and tiny smile. Looking back at Jimin and Taehyung, you watch as they both bite on their lips as they try their hardest to hold in their laughs.

Neither obviously wants to hurts Hoseok’s suddenly bold feelings. Doesn’t mean Jimin isn’t going to tease him a bit.

Grinning at the drunk man, he rests his chin on his hand on the table and wiggles his brows. “She’s perfect huh? Tell us more Hoseok.” His eyes are dark in the crappy lighting of the bar, but you’re scowling at him immediately at the mischievous look on his face.

There’s silence from Hoseok for a few moments; the only sounds the eager buzz of conversations from everyone around you along with the music blasting out of the speakers strategically placed around the room.

But you can see Jimin’s question working its way through his mind slowly and you wonder what he’s going to answer with. After it seems like perhaps he didn’t hear, or maybe he even just forgot the question halfway through thinking of an answer, you lean forward to tell him that he doesn’t need to talk if he doesn’t want to.

Only he practically shouts out his answer. And it makes you recoil in response, not only because he was loud as fuck but also just because of what he said.

“She’s beautiful,” He nods happily, eyes closing while he brilliantly stunning smile of his own spreads over his face until it feels like his entire expression has been lightened with invisible rays of a sun you can’t see. “And pretty and smart and funny. She’s...nice. I like you. A lot.”

It’s like you’re suddenly underwater with how your body feels like it’s been dunked underneath, the bizarre sensation of static rolling through you while your hearing vanishes as you sit there in shock. He can’t mean that, he’s just drunk. That’s all it is. He’ll probably start regaling Jimin with how much he likes him too soon.

Only that doesn’t happen, and before you can say anything further Hoseok grabs your hand clumsily. Giving you the sweetest smile that makes your heart thump and your breath shorten because of how god damn beautiful it makes him look. It’s just not fair that he can make you feel like this.

“I’m a coward. I should’ve...should’ve said yes.” The two look a little confused at Hoseok’s answer, but you know damn well what he means and it makes your breath stutter as you press a hand to your chest. Is he...is he really talking about that day in the office?

“Okay Hoseok, I think we should get you home. Sober you up a bit before you say something you’re going to regret.” You said with a forced smile, looking at the other two with a glare that tells them to shut the fuck up if they want to live. They take your advice by miming zipping their lips.

Lightly pushing at Hoseok’s waist, and boy do you try to ignore the fact his waist is just as firm as his thigh, you slowly manage to get him standing. Well..he’s heavily leaning against you and swaying like he’s on the Titanic while he struggles to keep his head upright. But he’s up at least.

“I’m going to take him home, it’s been nice tonight guys and please don’t re-enact Fight Club again. Jimin...you whined about that black eye for a week and despite your pleadings, it was in fact a pole that you face planted and not Brad Pitt’s fist. Stay safe.” You say to everyone, waving at them while you wrap an arm around Hoseok’s waist and grab his jacket.

He hiccups in your arms before giving a ridiculously bright and happy goodbye to everyone and waving his arms stupidly in the arm. “Bye bye! I love you.”

Almost immediately he has everyone cooing and laughing over him, while Jimin snorts out a laugh and almost chokes on his vodka shot. “Hey Hoseok! Remember to tell her how you feel!”

Glaring at him, you mime your finger cutting over your throat at him as you try to usher Hoseok away while praying that the drunk man in your arms had been too busy trying to catch invisible butterflies to listen to his shit stirring colleague.

It takes you a good few minutes to direct him out of the bar and even longer to get him to your car. You’d pushed away most of the drinks tonight and nursed your one with the knowledge that you’d driven Hoseok here, and so would have to drive home.

Though, if you’d known Hoseok would be this much of a handful then you would have suggested taking a taxi instead. As it is, you’d had to chase after him when he’d gone drunkenly skipping down the road singing loudly to the Catchy Song from LEGO Movie 2 after you’d unlocked and opened the car for him.

And that was nothing compared to actually driving him back, in which he proceeded to sing Bohemian Rhapsody as loud as he possibly could get. All the parts of it as well; both high and low notes along with the guitar solo too.

You’d be more annoyed if it wasn’t for the fact he was simply charming with his eyes closed and face straining even redder than it had been as he put in maximum effort. The good news, thankfully, was that Hoseok had a surprisingly good singing voice; light enough to hit the high notes with ease but with an astounding huskiness when dropping low.

It was kind of captivating, and you half wanted to encourage him to sing more when he was sober. Though you definitely had a feeling that singing was something only drunk Hobi did...or alone at home Hoseok.

He spends the whole trip back trying to get you involved, slurring out your name repeatedly in the most delightful whine while his hands insistently pat at your arm. You finally give in when Bang Bang Bang comes on because that’s your true bop and how on earth are you meant to resist Hoseok bouncing in the car?

Ideally you would, because it’s dangerous, but you discover that singing for him makes him get an absolutely enchanting smile as he just watches you with big, glassy eyes that shine brightly beneath his glasses with every street light that passes by.

He quietens down as you get nearer to his apartment complex, going a little melancholy again and you frown in worry as he plays with a piece of fluff on his jeans. When you park your car in the spot he’d told you was good before leaving, you turn to look at him in the dim light of the nearby lamp post.

Hoseok’s lips do the sweetest thing when he’s pouting, whether it’s because he’s concentrating or upset about something. Every time, he’ll purse them together and they’ll almost meet up in the middle, creating a heart wrenchingly cute triangle of lips that you often get the biggest urge to kiss.

Like right now, when his long eyelashes are creating feathery shadows on his rounded cheeks, still red from his alcohol intake.

Switching the engine off, you pull out your keys and shift to face him. He carefully avoids your gaze and all hints of the extroverted drunk he’d been for the last fifteen minutes has vanished into thin air. What’s left is an even more shy version of his normal self.

Smiling softly, you reach out and take his hand before shaking it a few times playfully. “Come on Hoseok, we’re at your place now. I need to get you to your apartment okay?”

Hoseok watches you for a moment, his eyes scanning you all over before he nods slowly. You can practically see his thoughts running, perhaps not a million miles a minute given his inebriated state but fast enough that they’re running at least.

Finally, he nods in an over exaggerated fashion and you smile at him before getting out. It’s a bit of effort to get him out of the car without smashing the car next to yours, as apparently he’s forgotten how to walk or something and you end up half dragging him along to the door.

There’s a moment of panic when you wonder if you’re going to have to bring him back to your place when he just stares at the keypad for the longest time with narrowed eyes. As if the keypad had done something to personally offend him.

But then he’s practically stabbing the buttons with his finger, inputting his code while his tongue sticks out adorably from the corner of his mouth. Seriously, how on earth is a 30-year-old man this precious and cute?

He finally gets the code right and looks at you with such a bright smile of happiness, giggling to himself as you direct him inside with both hands on his waist as you push him from behind. “I like you.”

“I like you too Hoseok, now come on. We’re almost there.” You knew what apartment number he lived at thankfully, not only because his name was next to the list of occupants just inside the door but also because he’d told you once. And you remembered the little things he told you because you were completely whipped for this teddy bear of a man.

“No. No, I like you.” He over-enunciates too much with his head rolling on his shoulders as he tries to look back at you, causing you to chuckle and direct him finally to his door. It takes a few minutes of semi-quiet arguing over which gummy bear tastes best, why on earth he suddenly got that in his head you don’t know, before he finally inputs his door code.

And then promptly falls flat on his face when he trips over the entrance way while trying to slide off his shoes, causing you to snort attractively as you try to prevent your laughter at him. He lays there for a moment before a quiet whining leaves him, causing you to frown immediately and wonder if he’s hurt himself.

His wooden floor looks hard, and you’ll be damned if you let Hoseok break his pretty nose on your watch.

“Hey, are you okay? Is something hurting? Have you hurt yourself?” Concern laces your words as you toe off your shoes and kneel down next to him, resting a hand on his lower back while your other slowly pushes at his shoulder.

Hoseok groans quietly before bringing his arms up and resting his head on them, blinking up at your blearily before he lets out a deep sigh. “‘m sorry.” He mumbles, lips pursing in a pout once more.

Sighing at his rapidly changing moods, you gently tug on his arm as you finally manage to get him back to his feet. “What are you sorry for exactly? You’ve not done anything wrong.”

Even drunk, he knows the way to his bedroom and you keep him steady until he finally flops back onto his bed. You ponder for a moment if you should try and undress him, get him into the shirt and sweatpants that are folded neatly on the chair nearby but he’s already getting droopy eyes as his body relaxes into his bed.

“Okay, come on. Move over a bit, I need to get the covers over you.” He’ll be uncomfortable in the morning in his jeans but...well you’re definitely not close enough to be taking those off yet. Hoseok huffs and puffs as you maneuver him around the bed until finally he’s snuggled up underneath his covers, the sheets pressed against his chin.

“I’m sorry.” He says once more and you frown, kneeling down at the side of his bed and resting your head on your arms. Up close, you can see the softness to his beautiful mahogany eyes in the light from his lamp, his skin golden and clear.

Lips tugging up into a smile, you observe the way his cheeks are even softer and rounder, his left side squished into the pillow and causing his lip to pucker slightly. You were already head over heels for him, despite your best intentions, and you definitely didn’t need this adorable sight either.

“Why do you keep apologising Hoseok?” A hand reaches up to run through his soft locks without your permission, but your loathe to stop when he lets out a contented hum, eyes falling closed while his lips press together into a tiny smile that causes his dimples to appear.

“Cos I’m a coward.”

“And why are you a coward? You’re shy, yes, but brave when you need to be.” The words of consolation fall from your lips easily, unwilling to hear Hoseok put himself down like this. He shakes his head beneath your hand almost petulantly.

Yes, you quite like drunk Hoseok.

“I wasn’t brave that...that day. S’was a coward.” You freeze subtly at his words, a tiny crease in your brow if you wonder if he really is talking about the day you’d made a fool of yourself. Or had you? Was he saying that you hadn’t taken everything the wrong way? That you were right and he’d just chickened out?

“I love you,” The words are slow and filled with sleep, his eyes blinking tiredly at you as he curls into a tighter ball under the covers. Your own eyes must be as wide as dinner plates right now, with your mouth doing a grand impression of the opera singer in The Fifth Element as your brain struggles to process what he just said. “But you’re too good.”

Part of you wants to shake him back into alertness and pour a litre of water down his neck to sober him up, but the other part of you is just in shock. Are these drunken ramblings, or are they nuggets of truth that he’s blurting out now he has no filter attached?

“Okay Hoseok, I think you need to go to sleep sweetheart. We can talk about this when you’re sober if you want, this is a serious topic.” He frowns immediately as you move to get up, hand moving surprisingly fast to grip your wrist with a light touch.

You feel warm where his hand touches, obscenely warm and you’re sure that your cheeks are just as warm too.

“Don’t go. Stay. Please.” His voice is slightly whining, strangely high pitched yet hoarse and deep at the same time. It makes your heart clench and your stomach flip as your breath stutters with the way he looks at you intensely, strong brows coming together.

“Hoseok...I can’t-” You go to deny him only to sigh at the puppy dog eyes he starts to give you, squinting slightly as he probably can’t see you properly without his glasses on. “Okay. I’ll stay on the couch. Just because I don’t want you to like...vomit and choke in your sleep or something, yeah?”

He doesn’t respond verbally, just nodding slowly and watching as you stand up and look down at him. Hoseok is taller than you, something that always makes you feel small yet his calming and pleasing presence always makes that height feel safe.

But now...now he looks vulnerable and tiny in front of you and your heart swells three sizes in only a second. Sunmi was right dammit, you really were Marvel Cinematic Universe level of fucked when it came to him.

Your heart being the MCU and Hoseok being Thanos with a 50/50 chance of causing your metaphorical death.

Because, as you leave him to doze off and root around his cupboards to find spare blankets and a pillow, you realise that Jung Hoseok can either make your heart soar and bring excitement and joy into your life. Or he can crush you like an ant under his shoe.

But, as you begin to drift off yourself on his surprisingly comfortable couch, a strange thought runs through your head that causes you to feel a little bit of hope. He might be drunk, but maybe his comments mean that you hold the same power over him.

You just hope that sober Hoseok can find some of drunk Hoseok’s bravery to broach the topic again, because you don’t want to push him when he’s not ready. That had happened before, and it hadn’t worked. He had to come to you, on his own terms. Even if you were about ready to get on your knees and beg him.

-

Anyone else who had got as drunk as Hoseok would probably have spent the entire morning passed out in bed; mouth open, drool everywhere and unattractive snores leaving them. But Jung Hoseok was one of the most unique people you’d ever met, and that apparently applied to his morning after the night before habits.

Which was why you were woken up at 9am by the smell of crisp bacon and rich coffee along with the generic sounds of someone in the kitchen. Something you haven’t woken up to in a long time if you were being honest, and it made your stomach feel funny.

Particularly when you blink blearily, groaning softly through the pain of yesterday’s mascara clumping your lashes together. You’d have remembered to take your make off...if you’d actually remembered. Or if Hoseok had make up remover, and you were pretty positive he didn’t.

But what really makes it feel like Ant-Man himself is running around your insides is the cup of coffee steaming on the table in front of you. It’s in a Shaun of the Dead mug, his favourite movie, and you can’t help but smile as you rub at your face before taking it and sipping.

Whatever brand of coffee he uses tastes amazing, which is surprising given he prefers to drink tea in the office. In fact, you’re perhaps more than surprised as he’s managed to make it perfectly frothy and you swear you can taste vanilla and caramel in it.

You must have been deep in your coffee feels because you don’t notice when Hoseok quietly creeps into the living room until he’s handing you a plate filled with bacon and eggs. Eggs done exactly the way you like them, just as you always ask when you go to the crappy diner near work for a grease filled lunch.

“Oh...thank you.” You manage to get out, taking another swallow of coffee before putting the mug down on his Yoshi placemat and placing the plate on your lap. He doesn’t say anything for a moment and just nods before spearing a piece of bacon with his own fork.

Yet again, another hum of satisfaction leaves you as you chew the bacon before taking a scooping of eggs. “Did you add something to this?” You gestured with the tines of your fork before taking another mouthful and watching him.

His cheeks are stuffed full of food, causing him to give you wide eyes from beneath his glasses as he gives you the perfect impression of a hamster. Another forkful of bacon helps you to keep control of your face to prevent yourself from grinning at him.

He’d obviously taken a shower before cooking as his hair is inky black with the strands wet and sleek while his face has the fresh glow of someone who’s scrubbed hard. A faded Queen shirt adorns his torso and you snort lightly at the memory of him singing last night. His casual look is completed with the pair of grey sweatpants.

“Err...I cooked the bacon with maple syrup...and added pepper to the eggs. I know you like that.” Hoseok’s words are soft and light, like he’s not sure he wants to raise his voice higher and you nod happily.

“It’s delicious. You’ve never told me you can cook.”

“You never asked.” Snorting, you nod your head slowly and point your utensil at him in acknowledgement. He was right there, you hadn’t. Because you’d never had a reason to ask before.

There’s a silence that should be awkward between you both after that, and yet you feel at complete ease with him. It’s during this that you take the time to look around his apartment to get a feel for who Jung Hoseok is as a person. Homes are where people feel safe and comfortable and they often end up being reflections of their inner selves.

It’s perhaps unsurprising then that Hoseok’s apartment is small, yet unbelievably cosy and just...Hoseok.

There’s a huge, top-of-the-range television screen that takes up the wall in front of you with a Playstation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch set-up underneath it. The wall to your right is taken up with big glass doors that lead out to a small balcony, a few potted plants dotted around with cute video game characters sitting in amongst the flowers such as Link and Mario.

The wall to the left is just three bookshelves in a row that fill the whole space with plenty of storage. The top two rows of each are filled to the brim with books of various authors, from classics such as Homer’s Odyssey to Neil Gaiman’s American Gods. The shelf below that on all three shelving units contains a range of games for his consoles while the remaining three shelves are dedicated to Blu-Ray’s and DVDs.

It’s the collection of an introverted geek, and it tells you so much.

Placing your now empty plate down on his coffee table, carefully avoiding the small stack of books he’s obviously in the process of reading, you stand and move over to his shelves. His artwork around the room is minimal, with two matching framed retro style Star Wars posters adorning either side of his television.

On the one wall behind his sofa there’s a cool looking wood print that’s split into three blocks, depicting the futuristic world of Blade Runner. Combined with the fascinating array of toys that are dotted around the room, from the Funko collection of Game of Thrones characters to his Marvel Hot Toys, it’s like getting to see the Hoseok he keeps hidden from the world.

And it’s wonderful.

“I love your decorating, and all your nerd memorabilia. It’s so cool.” You say quietly, moving over to the bookshelves to run your fingers along the spines of his books and taking in the toys. He’s got so many, yet they’re artfully displayed in the exact right ways so that it doesn’t feel that there are too many.

Interspersed are a few pictures of Hoseok and what you presume to be his family; an older man with Hoseok’s smile, a beautiful older woman with Hoseok’s eyes and an astonishingly pretty girl that you presume to be his sister that he’s mentioned before. There’s a few others from what you guess is college, with his face looking more youthful than it does now and you smile at seeing Namjoon and Seokjin in some of them.

“You don’t think it’s too dumb?”

Frowning at him, you shake your head and crouch down to inspect his film collection. “Hell no. You’re talking to the person who nerds out over films all the time. This is totally awesome and I wish that I’d made mine more like this. Instead, I thought I’d try and be all ‘Instagram’ cool and now it looks like the inside of an IKEA catalogue.”

“I like your Instagram.” He mutters and you laugh softly.

“Yeah? It’s the fairy lights right? They sure do give a good aesthetic to stuff. You should try putting some in here, I bet you could get some beautiful shots with those as well.” Hoseok lets out a chuff of laughter as he stands and takes your plate before heading into the kitchen.

When he comes out, you’re sat cross legged on the floor and admiring his collection of steelbook Steven Spielberg films, each one portraying a beautiful work of art. He sits next to you and smiles before handing you a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste, causing you to flush as you suddenly remember your appearance.

“Is this your subtle hint to tell me that I need to clean up?” His lips part in a beautiful smile as he ducks his head, cheeks reddening.

“Well...as charming as I find the Quiet look, I think you probably want to feel a little fresher. It’s a new toothbrush, don’t worry. I wouldn’t make you use mine, that’s...so gross.” He looks disturbed at the thought and you smile, leaning forward to peck his cheek without even thinking.

“Was that a Metal Gear Solid 5 reference?” You tease before you’re up and bounding to where you’d seen his bathroom was last night.

Partly because you really need to pee, but also to get away from the mortification of the fact that you just kissed him and he’d looked like Hercules the first time he sees Megara. You’re sure that one day you’ll stop dropping yourself into it like this, but you’re not sure when that day will be because it’s certainly not now.

It’s only as you’re frantically scrubbing at your face with his peach facial scrub, which was surprising that he owned that but it is the 21st century and men like nice skin too, that you wonder what the hell you’re doing. You would have left last night if you hadn’t been worried he might vomit and die...or that he’d asked you so cutely to stay.

Scowling into the mirror as you brush your teeth, you wonder if Hoseok knows just how jumbled up he’s got you feeling. Sometimes it’s like you can tell he likes you as far more than a friend but then other times he recoils into himself and you’re left wondering if maybe you’d just imagined it all. If he wasn’t so sweet then you’d be even more frustrated with him.

Honestly, if he wasn’t just...himself then you’d have given up on him long ago.

But you’d been loathe to give up on your feelings for someone who was evidently struggling to come to terms with their own.

By the time you feel somewhat human after scrubbing your body with a clean towel you’d grabbed on the way in, you head back out to find him sat quietly on the couch. For a few seconds, you think that he’s just sat doing nothing and waiting for you to finish but you then catch sight of the Nintendo 3DS in his hands and chuckle loudly.

The noise makes him start, jumping with a bewildered expression on his face before he’s blinking up at you owlishly. His hair has dried by now and looks so unbelievably fluffy and soft that you have to physically clench your hands to prevent the urge to run your fingers through it till he’s purring.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“No, no. I-it’s okay. I was just...p-playing Pokémon.” He stutters out and you wonder why he’s doing that all of a sudden. Hoseok has become pretty comfortable with you lately, to the point his nerves triggered stutter has almost vanished so why he’s nervous now you don’t know.

In an effort to calm him, you give him a warm smile and shift until you’re facing him on the couch, foot underneath you while your knee gently presses into his thigh. You’d be lying if you didn’t say you weren’t hyper-aware of that contact, and from the way his leg tenses and his eyes keep darting down, you think he is too.

“Oh yeah? Which one? Pokémon Silver is one of my favourite games ever.” His eyes flick back up to you before a hesitant smile winds its way across his face prettily.

“Yellow. I downloaded it a few months ago a-and forgot about it until recently. It’s hard.” You nod understandingly, a hand moving of its own accord to rest on the warm skin of his forearm. Almost immediately, you can both see and feel the muscles of his arm moving underneath your fingertips and your breath hitches.

There’s nothing between you both for a moment before Hoseok suddenly takes a ridiculously deep breath, almost as if he’s getting ready for something and you frown at him both concern and amusement.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Ilikeyou.” The words come out fast and thick, to the point that you can’t even really understand what he’d just said. It was some unintelligible syllables, causing your brows to dip in at him. He’s looking at you so earnestly as well, like a puppy who just wants to be praised and loved. You’d totally do it if you knew what he’d said.

“What? I didn’t understand that.” Hoseok’s face falls and that cute pout appears once more and you finally give in to your instincts. Gently poking at his cheeks, you slowly encourage him to smile and give him a grin in response.

“I...I l-like you.”

Oh boy, you want to start doing Spider-Man flips around the room but you control yourself. Admirably well you think, as you place your hand back in your lap. Taking your own breath, that’s oddly shaking with your nerves, you nod slowly.

“Okay. Yeah, you told me this many times last night while drunk. Is this...I like you as a friend or...I like you as more than a friend? Because I don’t want to get the wrong idea again.” You were beyond proud of yourself for how stable your voice sounded when all you wanted was to scream and then Exorcist-style vomit.

Hoseok looks pained for a moment as he closes his 3DS and places it on the small side table next to his couch. “Y-you didn’t have the w-wrong idea the first t-time. I was just...a coward. Who panicked.”

As much as you’d like to scream in frustration at Hoseok’s miscommunication over the months with you, because honestly you could have been dating for months now then, you take a calming breath and centre yourself. You cannot get mad at Hoseok right now, because you know damn well it’ll just send him scurrying off with his fragile feelings.

Not that you’re trying to baby him, but it’s taken him over a year to get to the point that he can feel comfortable to admit this to you. And dear god, you were not going to wait another year.

“So...I was reading the signs right then? You do like me as more than a friend? Because I like you as more than a friend, even if I’ve tried to stop that after you rejected me,” He cringes at that before nodding. “I have to ask then...why did you tell me no? You could have told me yes but that you weren’t ready and I’d have backed off. Have I given the impression that I’m pushy or something?”

Immediately Hoseok is shaking his head and he shifts slightly until he’s almost facing you as well. His own hands come out to grab yours suddenly and you pause, surprised at how forward he’s being but also at how nice his hands feel in your own.

“No! No, god no. In fact, you’ve been amazing. Too amazing. In fact, you probably encouraged my bad habits and I really regret that. I-I’ve spent months agonising over the fact I turned you down and I didn’t even want to. It was like my mouth was suddenly moving and my brain was screaming no. And then you looked so hurt and I felt like the biggest idiot and the worst villain in the world.” He looks heartbroken at that, and you flip his hands until you can cup them in your own with an encouraging smile.

“And then you apologised to me and I wanted to tell you that it was okay and you weren’t wrong. But I chickened out again because I thought you might have gotten over whatever you felt and I liked you too much to not talk to you anymore. And these last few months have been...amazing. Honestly.” He gives you a sweet smile then and your heart flips a few times in response.

Looking down shyly at the sheer affection in his eyes, you bite your lip as you trace over the veins and tendons in his delicate hands. He always has such pretty hands, it’s not fair really.

“Why did you say no then? Besides you apparently being an idiot.” You’re not sure why you want the pain, but you know that the two of you need to get everything out in the open and clear before anything further can happen. Miscommunication detonated your chances months ago, you would be damned if you let it happen again.

Hoseok pauses though, eyes flickering around the room as he obviously carefully chooses his words. Though maybe he should’ve chosen more carefully when you hear what comes out of his mouth next.

“You're intimidating-”

“I'm intimidating?!” You can't help but cut him off, eyes wide while a hint of incredulity threads through your voice. A hand to your chest tried to check whether you feel bizarrely flattered, offended or hurt at his adjective.

Immediately his own eyes widen in horror behind his circular lenses, hair going wild as he shakes his head viciously with his hands out.

“N-no. That's not what I meant! Well I mean, it kind of is. But you're not intimidating like Cara Delevigne's Enchantress where she was just creepy but more like Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman. You're intimidating but b-beautiful and c-competent and you make me feel safe.”

While your mind tries to compute that, it snags on one unimportant thing. “Really? Suicide Squad? What is with you and the love for shit DC film's?”

Hoseok scowl immediately. “Wonder Woman is great, don't insult that. You're just a Marvel fangirl.”

“Maybe so. But that's because Marvel doesn't feel the need to make every film's colour palette look like it was filmed in the dark under the sea, or insist that every character has the personality of a walking cardboard box with money and a voice modulator. And I do like DC! I like Wonder Woman and I maintain that The Dark Knight is a cinematic masterpiece.”

The purse to Hoseok's lips tells you he wants to argue but he decides against it, getting the conversation back onto topic. It was his fault for his bizarre DC metaphor though.

“Intimidating to me, because as cliché as it sounds...girls like you don’t fall for guys like me. And I don’t fall for women like you either. I-I...my normal type is like...well...me. I usually date online, where it’s safe. My last girlfriend I actually met was three years ago, and it took four months before I met her. You...you are bold and loud and funny and kind and everyone loves you. You’re everything I’m not.”

Almost immediately you’re shaking your head while rubbing at his hands reassuringly. “Nope, nope. We’re not doing that Hoseok, we’re not putting ourselves down like that. That’s not happening. You’re not bold or loud but you’re sweet and quiet, a reassuring presence to have. You are just as funny as everyone else, it’s just your jokes aren’t as crass as others. You are so unbelievably kind and giving Hoseok. Everyone loves to be near you because you give off an aura of competence and calm. People love you, you just don’t see it.”

It’s possible you could fry an egg on Hoseok’s cheeks now, but you don’t care. You’ll compliment the man till the day you die if it means he’ll look at himself better.

Letting go of his hands, you cup his face sweetly and let your thumbs stroke the soft roundness of his cheeks. “We’re nothing alike and yet we’re so similar. And that’s what I like about you. You bring me peace when I’m nervous and anxious. You make me smile when I’m sad. You give me encouragement when I think I can’t do something. You are honestly, the best part of work because I know every morning that I get to wake up and see your sweet smile. I know you won’t judge me, and you even defend me on occasion with my crappy tastes-”

“They’re not crappy...just...unique.”

“And you’re diplomatic,” You chuckle at him, patting his cheeks happily. “You are so much more than you think you are, and I’m so happy that sober Hoseok has taken some of drunk Hoseok’s bravery for you to finally tell me this. Because I think...I think we could be pretty great together. I mean...if you wanted that.”

There’s an internal war going on in Hoseok right now. You can see the hundreds of micro-emotions flitting across his face as his mind tries to compute what’s going on. That he’s getting what he wanted this whole time.

“Are you sure? I mean...people might laugh at you in the office.”

That gets a deep sigh and an eye roll from you. “Hoseok, if anyone in the office has anything negative to say then I will tell them where to stick it. And I’m pretty sure most of the people in the office ship us together. There’s no way that Jimin hasn’t made a dumb ship name for us yet.”

He lets out a tiny puff of laughter at that and you just know, some part of you just knows that this is going well. It makes you want to be sick with the bees of excitement that buzz in your stomach.

“Please don’t think of yourself like that. You’re not something to be laughed at. Even in your own head. I would be honoured to date you, seriously.”

There’s nothing for a moment and it almost feels like the universe itself is waiting with bated breath for his response. And when it comes, you can’t stop the grin that spreads on your face.

“Okay. Okay...yeah. I..err...will you be my g-girlfriend?” He sounds so shy and yet you can practically feel the hope he’s radiating when he finally gets it out.

“I would love to.” You manage to get out, throat closing in on itself in the effort you give to not shriek out loud in joy and happiness. Instead, you settle for throwing your arms around his shoulders in a tight hug that has him laughing sweetly.

“I feel like a fourteen-year-old.” He mutters into your ear and you snort, shifting yourself closer until you can rest your face in the crook of his neck. He’s warm, and he smells so nice that your stomach squeezes on itself in happiness as it feels like your veins are literally sparkling.

“Me too.” You whisper, almost as if you’re telling him a secret. It must make him happy because his arms tighten around you. It’s amazing sometimes how the right person can make you feel youthful again. Neither of you say anything for a minute or so after that, just enjoying the strange new reality that you’ve both apparently wanted for months, and now suddenly have.

When you pull away, Hoseok’s gaze keeps darting around the room before flicking back to you bashfully. Taking his hand in your own, you carefully twine your fingers together and give his hand a squeeze that has his lips kicking up again. God, you never want to stop seeing those dimples.

“Hey...don’t worry if this feels weird. All new relationships feel weird and we’ll get used to it. Just...you can ask me or tell me anything okay? I’m your friend first.” He nods slowly, letting his other hand trace unseen patterns into the back of your hand before he gives you another smile.

“Can I...I mean...I’d like to…” You wait to see if he can get the words out but he loses his neve halfway through, going quiet while his cheeks turn apple red once more. But you’d seen the way his gaze dropped to your lips beneath the lenses of his glasses and you know what he was asking.

And you were glad he did, because you’ve wanted to do this to him for such a long time. It would have been painful to wait even longer.

Without saying a word, you keep eye contact with him and are beyond surprised when he maintains it firmly. Even when you get closer and closer to him,until finally your lips meet his in a brief and chaste kiss.

It’s over in a second, something that couples give to each other all the time without a second thought. And yet it felt far more intimate than you expected because of the sustained eye contact. Something that made it feel far more personal, and that’s to say nothing of the sensation of his petal soft lips against your own.

Neither of you move, until Hoseok’s hands disengage from yours to cup your face gently. They’re a tiny bit sweaty, yet you can’t find it in yourself to care when he leans forward again and kisses you once more. Only now it’s deeper, the pressure stronger and filled with far more emotion.

His head tilts to the side slightly and you feel the tip of elegant nose bump against your own cheek while his velvet soft lips move against your own. For once, you feel no shyness from Hoseok while he kisses you with far more passion and experience than you’d expected. Which is silly, as you know he’s had girlfriends.

And yet, you don’t care a single bit as he kisses with a year’s worth of pent up emotions that he’d kept hidden. All the frustrations of your miscommunications and his inability to be bold seep through and you soothe them with each movement, each touch of your hands on his waist that tell him silently that it’s okay.

By the time he pulls away, the kiss never deepening further than that, you can already tell that this was going to be one of the best decisions you’d ever made. Hoseok is smiling happily, pressing tiny pecks to your lips as if he can’t stop now that he’s begun. And you’re more than content to let him, wanting perhaps more of him than he’s willing to give right now.

But that’s fine; you’ll wait forever for this man if you have to. Because as you just discovered...he may take a while but when he commits, he commits with so much passion that you can’t even breathe properly.

“Let’s play Mario Kart.” You blurt out, perhaps ruining the intense moment but you had to do it someway. There’s no way that you can cope with the feelings you have for him right now, feelings that are far too strong and intense for a relationship that’s barely five minutes old with someone who’s taken a year to come to terms with himself and his feelings.

And maybe...maybe you’re not ready for that yet either. This thing, this bond you have with Hoseok is special and precious, and you don’t want to rush it.

Your comment throws him for a loop though. The way his brows crease together in confusion before he’s letting out a deep breath slowly, nodding as he lets go of your face. You wonder if you’ll ever get used to just how stunning he is.

“Yeah...okay. If you want. I’m playing Peach though.” Letting go of his waist, you watch as he shuffles to the end of the couch before stopping suddenly and looking back at you with a look of complete awe that morphs into a shy smile. It’s like he wants to say something, but he shakes his head and instead just leans back to kiss your nose endearingly.

He gets up then and begins to sort out the Switch, leaving you to watch him with what is possibly the sappiest expression you’ve ever had.

Yeah, you think you could get used to this. Easily. Because if there’s something you’ve discovered over your time knowing him, it was that Jung Hoseok was hard to understand at first, but so unbelievably easy to love.

[crystaljins]

Would I choose you? | 06 FINAL

Characters: Jimin x Reader

Word count: 8.2K

Synopsis:  Every year the graduating class of International Academy for Superheroes and Sidekicks are allocated to their future partner. They will work with their partner for the rest of their working lives.

Jimin, the star of your academy and picked as the favourite to succeed in life, is not pleased when he is allocated to you, the school loser.

Superhero!au.

Notes:  Endings are always hard. Did I wrap up everything in a way that is satisfying and says everything I wanted to say? Will the readers be happy with what I’ve given them? Are people walking away with that full feeling in their chest that means I’ve done a good job?

Whether I have or not, I present you the finale of “Would I choose you?”. It’s been an adventure guys. Let’s stick it out for just a little more, yeah?

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 FINAL

“Wow. I can’t believe the great Rainyguy is gracing me with his presence.” Jin announces as Jimin slides into the booth with him. It’s always a little hard to tell if Jin is being sarcastic or genuine. There doesn’t seem to be anything malicious in the relaxed way he is seated in the diner. His facial expression is open and friendly. He also seems to have ordered and eaten two dishes in the time it took Jimin to arrive but hey, Jimin’s not one to judge. 

“It’s good to see you, Jin.” He says, warmly. He holds himself back from blurting the question he really wants to ask, the one that burns hot on his tongue. The one about you. “I didn’t think you would want to see me after everything that happened with...” Jimin trails away, or rather, his voice dies in his throat before he can voice the words. He phrases it like there was some massive falling out, but really he’s not sure what happened. One moment he was furious with you for not answering your phone and the next you were packed and storming from the apartment. It’s not like he’s hurt by it, or anything ridiculous like that, just confused. It’s not like you were partners or anything or expected to give him even just one single phone call, just a phone call to let him know you were ok. It’s not like you have to tell him what’s wrong or anything. It’s not like it’s eating him up inside not knowing where you are or why you left or coming home to an empty apartment each night. In fact, he’d even go so far as to say he likes being alone! There’s no mealworms kept in the pantry and there’s no weird little birds living in shoeboxes in the laundry and he doesn’t have to go to sleep fearing he’ll wake up with a snake wrapped around him or a squirrel sleeping on his stomach. The apartment is empty and dark and lonely, just how he likes it. In fact, he’s better this way! You can’t distract him with those big, warm eyes of yours or your bright smile or your cute laugh or the way you fill him with this immense sense of contentment every time he succeeds in making you happy. That day he had allowed himself to get all these feelings out of his system, the day of the river cruise, hadn’t been enough, so you had done him a favour by leaving. Now he wouldn’t be bothered by them anymore.

Across from him, Jin laughs. He’s got an infectious laugh, one that is silly and full-bodied and Jimin finds himself smiling slightly in spite of everything.

“My mother always taught me to keep friends who makes good connections close, and with all your recent successes, you fall into that category.” Jin says cheerfully. Jimin blinks a few times, once again unsure about the joking nature of Jin’s comment. Would it kill the guy to tack on an “I’m joking” for the benefit of those who did not have empathetic powers like you? Jimin finally settles on offering a tentative smile.

“Thank you, I guess.” He says, slowly. “It’s still a little hard to believe.”

And it is hard to believe, how neatly everything fell into place for him after your abrupt departure weeks earlier. His mum had rung him the next day, like she’d been watching him and waiting for you to leave. She’d had a partner at the ready, a technopath named Charlotte and he’s been able to work on a provisional licence pending submission of the official paperwork to signal the change in partnership. And he and Charlotte work really well together. She had formerly been a hero but is happy to work as his sidekick. Her experience and skill have led to them taking down villains faster than ever (even if her reluctance to do the grunt work like manage evacuation of the area has led to some potentially dangerous situations). Jimin is literally living his dream. He’s in the newspaper every other week for dismantling a heinous crime ring or taking down a supervillain. And today he’s even receiving a medal for hard work at a gala thrown in his honour. He should be ecstatic. Overjoyed. Everything’s fallen neatly and perfectly into place like pieces of a puzzle slotting together since you left him.

So why does it feel so wrong? Why does he feel like every success is a failure? Why does he feel no joy in achieving what has been his sole goal since birth? He feels like someone has taken a piece of sandpaper to his heart, and now he’s chafed and raw but still with jagged, painful edges.

He… he misses you.

“Man, ditching (Y/N) was the best choice you ever made.” Jin says cheerfully, as he scans through the menu with vigour. It’s like he didn’t just eat two whole dishes by himself. Jimin can only watch incredulously and Jin flags the waitress. Jimin feels himself stiffen with anger at Jin’s words.

“Well, I mean… it’s more that she ditched you, isn’t it?” Jin says, after ordering another three dishes- two for himself and one for Jimin. Jimin opens his mouth to speak, but Jin cuts him off with a raised hand and releases an odd smile. It’s got a hard, tense edge to it. Gone is the friendly demeanour- Jin has a motive in asking Jimin to lunch. The realization clicks into place as Jin rests both elbows on the surface of the table and leans forward to watch Jimin with eyes that seem lazy but have an attentive edge lurking beneath the warm brown. “So weird, right? How she just cut off contact with everyone? She won’t even talk to me. She’s been ignoring all my calls.”

Jimin tries to conceal the way his figure stiffens with curiosity. He had assumed that you had only cut him out, because of the rude way he’d spoken to you. But if Jin has also been cut off, then…

“I wouldn’t question it, normally,” Jin says. “If it was anyone but her, I’d have thought they’d just had enough of us and wanted new friends. But the thing is, Jimin…” He tilts his head to the side and for the first time Jimin registers the concern that lurks behind Jin’s façade. He’s just as scared for you as Jimin is. Jimin feels himself soften at the recognition of a kind of kinship with Jin. “She’s not like that. She’d never do this sort of thing without a good reason. The longest she’s ever gone without speaking to me is a week because one time I thought it would be funny to sneak into her room and give her a bowl cut while she was sleeping.”

Jimin bites his lip contemplatively as he consider Jin’s words. It does kind of go against everything he knows about you and respects about you. You are not the kind of person to storm off and quit over Jimin doing something petty like losing his temper. You stuck it out through the worst of Jimin’s temper tantrums, and while it doesn’t excuse him lashing out like he did, this is relatively small when compared to some of the stunts he’s pulled.

“Jimin, what happened?” Jin finally asks, cutting straight to the chase of why he even asked Jimin out to lunch in the first place. He’s not accusing in his tone, or angry. Just… worried. It is the gentleness with which Jin asks that has Jimin caving.

“I… I don’t know.” Jimin admits and his voice cracks without his consent. “We got a distress call that day, but she didn’t answer it. I…. I kept trying to call her but she wouldn’t pick up, and then when I came home, she was just sitting on the couch. Just staring into space. Two people had ended up in the ER in the time it took that distress call to be answered and so I just… lost my temper. I got really mad at her and the next thing I knew she was storming out of the room.” He admits. His voice rasps with unshed tears. Out loud, the situation is even more distressing and confusing and he feels like he’s opened up a part of him he’d been too stubborn to acknowledge was even there. He feels open and bleeding and vulnerable. Like Jin is a heart surgeon and shaking his head at the disappointing things he finds there. “I… I’m so sorry. I didn’t even get to tell her I was sorry for losing my temper.”

Jin watches him with an unreadable expression. Then his face softens into a comforting smile.

“You really had me worried there for a second, buddy.” Jin says suddenly. “That you had something to do with it… But I guess you really had no idea.”

Jimin pauses and glances up at Jin with confusion.

“I’m sorry for not telling you this earlier, Jimin, but there’s something you don’t know.” Jin says, his voice soft and sad. “I couldn’t be sure that you hadn’t helped convince her to leave which is why I didn’t say anything. But I know now that you didn’t do it… Jimin, I got brunch with her that day and the last time I saw her she was driving off in some sedan with your new partner Charlotte and your mother.”

Jimin’s eyes widen and his heart drops into his stomach.

“What?” He asks. Jin shrugs and runs his hands through his hair in distress.

“I didn’t want to ask you because I thought it was too convenient. You spend a whole day with her, softening her up- you should have heard her gushing about you, and then your mum swoops in not a week later with a new partner and she vanishes? And literally the next day you’ve got a provisional licence with your technopath partner?” Jin asks. He narrows his gaze. “But hearing your side of the story… don’t you think it’s interesting that (Y/N), the most conscientious and hardworking sidekick around, the most forgiving and gentle person you will ever get to meet, just up and leaves over a minor argument? And doesn’t answer her phone on the one day she spends a few hours with your new technopath partner? Someone who can control technology?”

Jimin too feels the beginnings of suspicion take root in his heart. He had had the thought before, that things slotted in too neatly following your departure but now things he hadn’t realised start to slot into place as well. Why had you just been sitting there, numbly in the living room and not answering your phone? Why had you brought up Emma shortly before storming out and how had you found out about what happened to her? How had his mother known you had left the very next day? How did she have a partner ready almost instantly? And almost all the paperwork had been finished too- the only thing yet to be completed is for Jimin to submit his signature signaling his consent. He had been holding out, though, refusing to submit it because… because…

Because of you. He’s finally brave enough to admit it, even if it’s just to himself. Because you were his partner. It doesn’t matter how well he works with anyone, or what the skill set of literally anyone else is or how quickly he can reach success with someone else. He doesn’t want success just for the sake of succeeding. He wants success with you. With his partner. He doesn’t know how you did it but somehow you wormed your way so firmly into his heart that a few weeks after your departure with literally all his dreams come true he’s still an emotional mess. He’s still holding out for you, hoping you will call like some poor idiot who got dumped. And it really feels like he’s been dumped or rejected. Perhaps that is why he’s been battling what he now admits is a broken heart for weeks now.

And he can deal with what it means that he’s so heartbroken over your departure later. After he’s gotten you back. Because with Jin’s words and the revelation that came with it, Jimin now knows exactly what’s gone wrong. And he’s got a lot of fixing up to do if he wants to see you again.

And he does. So much. He wants to see you.

“Well, I better be going.” Jin says suddenly, cheerfully. “Can you do me a favour though? I seem to have lost my address book. I keep all my friend’s contact details in it. I’ve been looking for it everywhere and can’t find it!”

Jimin blinks- there is a small black book next to Jin’s hands that wasn’t there before.

“You mean that-“ Jimin asks, pointing to the book in question, but Jin cuts him off.

“Ugh, never mind. I’ll never find it. I might as well just accept the fact that it’s lost.” He laments. “Keep an eye out for it if you do see it though- the first entry just so happens to be (Y/N)’s parents address and probably where she is hiding out right now as we speak. Oh well- see you later, Puddle Dude.”

And with that, Jin takes his leave, leaving Jimin alone with what is most definitely his “lost” address book.

++

As much as Jimin would love to go straight to you and confront you and get you to return to working with him, there is someone he must confront first.

Jimin’s mother is the kind of woman who likes to have control over everything. It comes with the territory of her ability to manipulate the elements, he supposes. And so naturally, if they are throwing a gala in her only son’s honour, then she will be there early. To ensure the decorations are to her taste and the food an acceptably luxurious enough level for her son to enjoy. Jimin has always been grateful for the way she’s always been there to handle every stressful situation in his life. And he had been so relieved when she’d been willing to accept him back into the family after he’d so forcefully cut her from his life. Ready with a sidekick and most of the paperwork. He had thought she was looking out for him, saving him from yet another disastrous situation. He had thought her a hero in the truest sense of the world.

Now he looks back and feels mild disgust and discomfort. He doesn’t know what exactly his mother did to you but he knows she’s more than capable of manipulating a situation in her favour. It was how she’d become such a successful hero. Because she could read a situation and take the sometimes dodgy steps necessary to ensure a favourable outcome for all parties she deemed important enough. And now she’s used those skills on you and Jimin is furious.

She stands at the entry to the function room, the place where the gala will be held after Jimin receives his medal that night. She is speaking to three people in business attire, and gesturing to various parts of the room. Likely she is not pleased with the simple decorations. Plain white table clothes and no embellishments in sight.

“Mother,” He calls, striding quickly across the last distance that separates the two of them. She blinks in surprise and turns to Jimin. A warm smile spreads across her face. Over the years, she has aged well but Jimin can see the faintest hint of gray hairs beginning to gather at her temple since she hasn’t had a chance to dye them back to black recently.

“Jimin,” She cries warmly. She tugs him towards her to press an affectionate kiss to his cheek and tilts her head so that he can do the same but he pulls away. A surprised expression flashes across her face at his rudeness, but she covers it quickly. “What brings you well? I was just sorting some last-minute details here with the gala tonight. Have you seen Charlotte? I heard she wanted your opinion on her dress and told her to come straight her so that I could-“

“I’ve been doing some thinking, Mother.” Jimin cuts across her smoothly, his tone cold and slightly detached. Inwardly though, he quakes at the blatant disrespect he is showing his mother and he is afraid what revelations this confrontation will bring. He has no doubt in his mind that his mother is the mastermind behind your departure, but he fears what exactly she’s done. What she’s capable of. He doesn’t know how far she is willing to go to get what she wants and frankly that terrifies him. Curiosity crosses her gaze.

“About?” She presses. She is still warm in her demeanour towards him but there is a suspicious and uneasy edge that lingers in her posture that he is only able to recognise because this is his mother. He knows his mother. He was raised by the intimidating woman who now stands before him.

“About (Y/N).” He says simply and her expression shutters and the warmth in her expression is instantly replaced with a cold, distasteful anger.

“Oh?” She asks, but the exclamation sounds gritted like she’s restraining the urge to clench her teeth. “What about (Y/N)?” She spits your name out like it’s a curse word and it is this that has Jimin feeling the first sparks of fury.

“I just think that it’s strange, is all,” He says, aiming to say the words loose and airily, but instead they come out tense and hurt. “I heard you spoke to her, before she left.” Jimin’s mother laughs, but it is uneasy.

“And you think I said something to her?” She exclaims. “Oh Jimin, I did no such thing! I just thought it appropriate to get to know her better, since she was clearly sticking around to be your sidekick.”

“Don’t lie.” Jimin retorts, and he just barely manages to restrain himself from snarling the words. His mother looks taken aback at his fury. She blinks a few times before attempting a smile.

“Jimin, darling, don’t-“ She reaches out, in attempt to console him, to dissipate his anger.

“What did you say? What did you talk about? Why did she leave?” He doesn’t mean for his voice to break on that last question but it does. His mother looks just as shocked as he feels that it happened. Then her expression hardens into anger

“I don’t appreciate you chucking accusations like this. If she wanted to leave after what happened with Emma, then that’s entirely her decision-“ She begins.

Jimin’s eyes go wide.

“Emma?” He cuts her off. “How… how did you know about Emma?” His voice starts to shake, even as he says the words. And Jimin had been angry before, uneasy, hurt, confused and suspicious, but now he’s feels a freezing cold pain settle in the centre of his chest. Like a razor blade it spread rapidly outwards. He had known, that his mother had something to do with your disappearance, but the definite confirmation of his suspicion hurts more than he could ever have imagined.

His mother’s eyes go wide as she registers her slipup.

“Oh… I… Well you see…” She says, as she desperately scrambles for an answer. Then her face sets and she faces him head on, clearly done with skirting around the issue. “I did it for you Jimin. Emma did go to hospital because that woman was incompetent and all I did was let her know as much. Anything else was entirely her decision.”

“Emma was in hospital because she was an accomplice to that villain and got hurt while trying to reverse the damage she had done. That had nothing to do with mine or (Y/N)’s failures that night.” Jimin replies stonily. “And you knew as much, didn’t you? You would have done your research- surely you’d know the only reason she’s not in jail is because she’s brain dead. And she’s brain dead because she realised the errors of her ways and tried to fix it and yes, we failed her because we couldn’t stop her in time. But you used that, didn’t you? You used her injury, her situation, her pain, and (Y/N) sense of justice to get the outcome you wanted, didn’t you?” He doesn’t mean to shout but his voice climbs in decibel. “You probably didn’t even tell her that! What lies did you feed her to make her leave?”

“I DID IT FOR YOU!” His mother screeches, and her eyes bug out of her head. Veins bulge in her neck with the force of her cry and her cheeks go bright red with the exertion. “ALL OF THIS! ALL I’V EVER WANTED WAS FOR YOU TO BE SUCCESFUL BUT YOU HAVE TO FIGHT ME AT EVERY. SINGLE. STEP.”

“Don’t pretend.” Jimin snaps. “You did this for you. For you and that stupid reputation you and father value so much. I hope for your sake and the sake of that stupid reputation you value so much that the general public never finds out this is what the nation’s heroes are like behind closed doors. Make sure to stay away from me and (Y/N) from now on.”

He faces his mother and clenches his fists

“Listen carefully, mother, because I will only ever say this once.” He tells her slowly through clenched detail. “I’m going to be a great hero. I’m going to work hard and succeed on my own merit, in my own way. And there may be a few mistakes along the way because (Y/N) and I are inexperienced but we will get there. And you can be there or you can back off, but if you want to be there, then know this: We’re doing this on our own. Not because of some stupid name and legacy we shouldn’t have to live up to. Keep out of our business.” Jimin turns and makes to leave, before he remembers one extra detail.

“And I don’t know how you could stoop low enough to have Charlotte block (Y/N)’s phone like that but I hope you know that two people went to hospital and one is still in critical care because you stopped her from answering that distress call.” He says, as a parting shot.

To his surprise, his mother looks angry.

“How dare you. I would never have Charlotte do such a thing, and I don’t care what you think- I know I was acting on your behalf to get rid of your useless sidekick but I would never endanger the life of a civilian like that. I’m just as much a hero as you are, Jimin, if not more. I don’t know anything about any distress calls being blocked.” She snaps.

Confused, this halts Jimin’s retreat. He knows his mother. He knows when she’s lying and… she’s not. She’s telling the truth. She really didn’t have Charlotte block your phone. But it is too much of a coincidence for you to miss your phonecalls within the two hours of hanging around a technopath like Charlotte… Jimin’s eyes widen.

“Mum, where is Charlotte right now?” He demands. Confused at the sudden turn of conversation, she pauses to consider.

“Well she was supposed to get here ten minutes ago, but I haven’t heard from her.” She says. She calls the attention of a passing worker. “Have you seen Charlotte?” She demands. The worker pauses to consider.

“That young pretty lady? She saw the two of you were conversing and left quite quickly, much like the rest of us did.” The worker informs them. “She wanted me to give you this, actually, it’s why I came back in here.” He says, holding out a familiar black book that Jimin had thought was in his pocket. It’s Jin’s address book.

Jimin’s heart leaps into his throat and he sets off sprinting before his mother can get a word in otherwise.

He has a bad feeling about this.

++

At the academy, it was compulsory to attend weekly counselling sessions, whether you needed them or not, and it’s compulsory to attend them fortnightly at Headquarters now that you are graduated. They were and are essential in teaching young and old heroes alike in a harrowing career how to care for themselves, and to catch any young villains in the making early before they gained access to public trust and government resources. And the number one thing they had stressed to you and continue to stress to you is that the loss or injury of a civilian is not your fault. Yes, heroes and sidekicks are gifted with special, unique abilities that put them above the normal population. And the gene that allows these wonderful abilities does enhance your abilities slightly above that of the normal population, so you are quicker, fitter, slightly stronger and with better reflexes, but you are still only a human. Falling from a three-storey building or taking a bullet or getting his the wrong way will still lead to your death. Though you are above the average population, you are still a fragile, pathetic human who can die and will die. So you cannot save everyone. You will not save everyone. And it is important that you cope with failure in a healthy way.

And so, like you have been the past few weeks, you continue to tell yourself you are fine. You have been taught that while it’s impossible to combat the initial thoughts of despair and anger at your failures (Jimin is especially bad at dealing with such emotions), taking the necessary steps towards self-care are what is needed to ensure a long and fruitful career in such an industry. That’s what you’ve been doing, while staying at your parents’ house. Eating well, exercising regularly, taking long, luxurious baths with bath bombs you purchased from the pleasantly scented body shop you pass on your morning trips to the café. You read a lot and pick up a few hobbies. The Labrador your neighbours own is an incredibly thoughtful and kind listener and always willing to lend an ear about your troubles. You’re ok. You’re really ok.

If only you could convince your parents as much!

“It’s really fine, guys.” You reassure them as they try and conceal the news report informing everyone of Jimin’s (or Hydro’s, as the general public knows him) recent successes. “I knew what I was doing when I left. I’m not going to resent him just because he’s doing well.”

Your father is easily convinced, but your mother has always been able to read you far better than you are comfortable with. The look in her narrowed eyes nears a glare but you know it’s just her scrutinizing you for the slightest sign that you aren’t as ok as you continue to insist you are.

“I’m really ok, mum.” You say, but it sounds false even to your own ears. “I’m fine.”

You know the longer you remain under her careful examination, the more likely your pathetic façade of togetherness will crumble.

“I’m going to go to my room.” You announce but the words are pathetic and weak.

Inside your bedroom, you crumble weakly against the doorframe. Because that’s what you are, isn’t it? Weak. Despite the knowledge that you shouldn’t carry the burden of Emma’s coma, despite the knowledge that you did everything you could, you can’t shake the guilt. You can’t stop picturing those other two nameless faces that were seriously injured because you couldn’t do something as simple as pick up your phone. Had everyone who had recommended you quit been right? What if your powers had been different? If you’ve had the powers of super speed or even mind-reading, would those people have been hurt? Instead all you can do is tell when someone is sad and communicate to a rat that it shouldn’t be living in your building. You’re useless. All your effort has been in vain. You lean forward to rest your face in your hands.

A knock on the door jerks you from your downward spiral. Hastily, you scrub at your face. You hadn’t realised you were crying.

“One second, mum, I just,” You cry, scrabbling to your feet. “I’m fine, I already told you-“

It’s not your mother standing at your bedroom door.

“Your parents let me in.” Charlotte announces, walking past you to enter your room despite you not extending the invitation. She regards your bedroom with mild disinterest. There are posters on the wall, following your childhood crushes- some are heroes, some are actors. There is a photo collage of you and your friends throughout your years together at the academy plastering on of the walls and your bedspread are cupcake themed. Jin had bought them for you for your birthday one year. “They were just stepping out for a moment, so they didn’t see me in.”

“I…” You start, but you are speechless and puzzled at her presence. “Why are you here, Charlotte?”

She doesn’t answer, staring at a poster of a famous hero from when you were a child posted right above your bed. The very same one that inspired you to pursue the path you are currently on. She reaches up and presses her fingers against the glossy surface.

“I’m also a fan of this hero, you know. They inspired me to go into this line of work as well. I was always drawn in by the glory and fame they had for doing something like saving people! And I was on a fast track to being the same until a certain incident last year… Would you like to hear the story of how I ended up without a sidekick?” She asks, rather than answer your question. You are on your guard, uneasy at her presence and the way it seems to electrify the air.

“Not really, but I have a feeling you’re going to tell me.” You respond. She laughs, but it isn’t a friendly sound.

“They quit. Call it difference of opinion… said they couldn’t bear to work with me another moment. That I was a sham of a hero. That I was only in it for the glory and that I didn’t really care about people.” She tells you. She regards you with eyes that are cold. Like you are a bug she’d like to squash under her feet. “Me? A sham? I haven’t been able to work for a year because of that entitled bitch. And then, finally, an opportunity falls into my lap. Yes, it’s a bit of a demotion, working as  a sidekick, but he has impressive specs and a good family. And he’s good at what he does and I still get the glory I used to when I was working as a hero.” She says. “And his mother practically begged me to work with him… how could I refuse?”

You glance at the door. She had shut it behind her, and you get the distinct impression that perhaps it was out of a desire to keep you trapped in here with her. The sensation of electricity crackling through the air grows stronger and you become aware of a strange dark emotion swirling with her. It is one you have only ever sensed around criminals and villains.

“And I was going to work like that. Until I retired- How could I complain? Sure, the government’s strict rules had ruined my career for good, but I was happy with my second chance.” She tells you, and putrid anger is beginning to creep into her voice. She clenches her fist and rips the poster away from the wall. You cry out in protest. She whirls around to face you, her eyes wide and glaring. “But then I overheard an argument that he was having with his mother today! And it sounded like he wasn’t happy to work like that anymore.”

At your desk, your computer explodes with a flash of light. You cry out in shock, throwing up your arms to protect yourself. The electricity in the air is real now, not just tension you can sense- it sparks around her.

“But I’m not ready to retire, and you’re standing in my way. He’s not allowed to call it quits on me. Not when I finally have my career back!” She cries. You swallow and step backwards, towards the door. She spots the action though and sends your ruined computer crashing towards the door. “What’s wrong?” She asks. “Are you afraid? Do you want to run away?”

Your bedroom is on the second floor. You don’t think you can make the jump without seriously hurting yourself and even then she could just follow and you would be prone and injured. What are your options? How can you get away from this woman?

“I won’t kill you.” She reassures you, even as her eyes glow electric blue from using her powers and her hair dances with static electricity. “I would have been simply happy with an agreement from you not to go back with working with Jimin, but you know, just for my state of mind I’d like some insurance.”

A jolt of electricity from the wall socket fires at you- you flinch and dive out of the way. A poster stuck to the back of your door sparks and catches fire.

“Luckily in this line of work I don’t need to seriously injure you- can you imagine that? A hero seriously injuring a civilian? The press would have a field day!” She says. “Just a mild injury- enough that you won’t pass a physical exam and be cleared to return to work.”

You wrench the door open and leap over the carnage of your computer, sprinting down your hallway but there are more electronics out here than in your bedroom. An electric cord from your desk lamp flies out and snakes around your wrist.

“Should I do something easy?” She asks, as she walks towards you while you frantically try and unwrap the cord from where it is tangled around you. You give up and turn once more to sprint down the stairs while dragging the lamp behind you but she grabs the cord with her hands and suddenly the two of you are engaged in a tug of war. “Like break your ankle? Or arm? Maybe a mild spinal injury?”

She releases and the suddenly release of tension has you tumbling down the stairs. You cry out in pain as you land on the bottom floor, against the landing.

“Or maybe I should cut out your tongue? That’s a double win- that way you can’t blab to the press or police?” She suggests, and a new cord plugged into the wall snakes around your neck and pulls tight. You gasp as you feel your supply of oxygen cut off. You scrabble at the cord. “Or maybe I should kill you? Is that the way to keep my career?”

You glare at her, struggling desperately to release yourself from the wire choking you but she’s using her powers to hold the electric cord in place.

“You’re crazy.” You gasp through your constricted airway, even as blackspots start to swim in your vision.

“And you’re dead.” Charlotte tells you.

“I feel like it’s your career that’s dead, Charlotte.” You hear a familiar voice call. Your eyes go wide and the two of you whip around to face Jimin, who is standing in his full hero gear, concealing his face. The tension releases on your neck and you crumble to the ground, gratefully drinking in the oxygen. Charlotte’s eyes go wide.

“Jimin!” She cries. “W-what are you doing here?” Jimin’s face is obscured by his helmet, but he tilts his head to his side.

“I think the better question,” He asks, releasing the lids of two bottles hanging off his belt. Water flows out of them and pools into two levitating orbs on either side of him. “Is what are you doing here, Charlotte?”

Charlotte has gone very pale, and she glances at where you are still crumpled on the floor.

“I…” She begins, scrabbling for an explanation that can get her out of this situation.

“Wrong answer.” Jimin calls.

And then chaos explodes.

It’s hard, in your injured state to keep track of the fight that ensues. At one point Jimin breaks into the kitchen and turns on your tap- he sends a barrage of icicles shooting at Charlotte. She sends your blender flying towards him and Jimin repels it with an ice shield.

You scrabble to your feet though a wave of dizziness overcomes you. You are a highly trained official- you should be helping your partner, not lying on the ground. You don’t have your super suit or your weapons on you. You’re essentially a civilian in this state. But you cannot allow Jimin to fight alone. The tv slams into his side and he cries out in pain. You glance around. How can you stop her?

She’s a technopath, so she draws her powers from the technology around her. She could only use your technology against you when it was plugged in or when there was battery powered. Your house is filled with electronics, so it’s not like you can suddenly clear them out. But… you can cut off power to your house?

As soon as the idea hits you, you stumble into action. You are still injured from falling down the stairs and your body is shaky from being strangled earlier, but you know where the switch is for your house.

Outside the night air is cool. You limp towards the power box and throw the lid open, slamming downwards on all the switches.

It takes a few moments, but all light flooding from you parent’s house shuts off. You sigh in relief and stumble back towards your front yard.

There isn’t a sound coming from your house. Did… did Jimin lose? Was your shutting off of the power not sufficient to stop Charlotte?

You crumble to the ground, exhausted and injured.

“Jimin.” You call softly. Then again, more loudly. “Jimin!” You cry. It isn’t long before you are sobbing in hysterics at your front door. Jimin’s name is almost indistinguishable in your warbled, anguished tone.

Then the front door bursts open in time with your front lawn lighting up with the red and blue of police sirens. Jimin drags Charlotte, restrained with handcuffs from his utility belt behind her.

He beat her.

++

The aftermath is strangely calm. You warn your parents what happened and get them to book into a hotel room for the night so that they can survey the damage in the morning. Jimin remains in costume to complete the arrest on Charlotte. Once you are cleared by the paramedics, you huddle in a blanket on your doorstep, waiting for the last of the police to leave for the night. You are a mere civilian without your uniform and prefer to remain that way.

It’s cold and Jimin’s body radiates heat when he finally settles beside you. He’s in his civilian clothes- formal suit and tie and dark dress shoes. He must have come straight from some sort of formal function. Jimin takes one look at your shivering form and wraps an arm around you, tugging you in close.

“Are you ok?” He asks in a low voice. You don’t respond for a moment, just reveling in the warmth of his body and appreciating the warm sensation his proximity gives you. You turn to face him and at this proximity he is unearthly beautiful. You can count each of his eyelashes and his concern presses heavily against your senses.

“I’m ok.” You say, but the sound is raspy and choked. Apparently it would take a few days for the swelling around your neck to go down and your voice to return to normal. Other than that, you are uninjured, however, save for a few bruises. You could go back to work this instant if you so pleased, according to the paramedics.

“I feel like… we have a lot to talk about…” He says slowly, but his words are slow and spaced apart as if he’s distracted by something as he stares at you. The words choke in his throat and die. “I… I missed you.” He confesses, like it is a shameful secret. “So… so much. I’m… sorry for yelling.” His voice cracks with the weight of his emotions. “And for taking it out on you- it wasn’t your fault. What happened to those civs… and what happened to Emma…”

He trails away and tenderly wipes at your cheeks with his free arm. It takes you a little while to understand that you are crying. He mirrors your expression- a single tear slides down his face.

“That wasn’t your fault either.” He tells you. You aren’t sure why, but you feel something in you snap and give way at his words. All the emotions you’ve been trying to hold back suddenly come bursting forth and you find yourself sobbing hysterically into his arms. He pulls you close and wraps his arms around you securely. One hand gently smoothes through your messed up hair while the other holds you against him so that you are completely encased by his figure.

He doesn’t say anything or attempt to explain until the last of your sobs have died away and you have just been leaning into his embrace for a few moments. When he is sure you are done, he begins his explanation.

He starts with Emma. Though his mother had told you that it was you in your mind-controlled state that injured her and lead to her comatose state, it turns out that story was a lie designed to manipulate you. Emma had been a young and accomplished engineer and when her gifted sister had enlisted her help to get revenge against the city that had taken their parents away from them, she had agreed. It had been her to design the mind-control beam and tank that had caused all that destruction. But when you had shown her kindness and helped her when her sister, the villain from that day had run wild, she had realised the error of her ways. You taking the hit for the family had been the trigger point for her to not let her machine be used to bring harm to others. While Jimin had been distracted trying to stop you from killing him or any of the civillians, she had somehow climbed into the doomsday decive despite her injured ankle. She had disabled it once and for all but the ensuing collapse had been what resulted in her now-braindead state. A terrible tragedy, but something that neither you nor Jimin could have prevented. Jimin had decided not to tell you to save you the heartache of another citizen that no one could have really saved and you had never asked. He had been to preoccupied with the whole beating-you-to-a-pulp thing and had thought it had been put behind you.

Rather than feel angry at his decision to keep the truth from you, all you can feel is relief that you weren’t the one to cause her coma. A fresh round of tears well up in your eyes and you tuck your face into Jimin’s neck.

After promising never to keep secrets like that from you again, he then moves on to the two people in the ER. One has been discharged, and is well on the way to complete recovery and while the other remains in care, the doctors are confident they will make a full recovery. Your phone hadn’t worked because Charlotte had tampered with it. She had been using her powers as a technopath to suppress any incoming calls. He’s especially sorry for that one- he said some especially nasty words that have him choked and embarrassed as he apologises.

He finishes his explanation with Charlotte and his mother. His mother, desperate to get you to quit and have a more “appropriate” partner work with her beloved son and to recover their tattered relationship, had gone through the resumes of every sidekick and hero currently on the waiting list. Charlotte’s had looked the most promising, and when she contacted Charlotte, she had agreed almost too easily. What his mother didn’t know, and what Jimin is most apologetic for, is that Charlotte had skipped out the last few months of psychological evaluation but lack of government attention to those on the waiting list had allowed her to get away with it. So the developing villainous tendencies, which had been noted as concerning but undeveloped from very early on in her career, had gone unnoticed and probably would have continued to go unnoticed until she overheard the confrontation Jimin had had with his mother that afternoon, confronting her over her role in your resignation.

Lastly, he scolds you for carrying all the burden on your own. He informs you that the kind of unhealthy mindset you took on would burn you out very early in the career and he can’t work if his sidekick burns out before she’s even reached her twenties.

Midway through his explanation, the two of you had moved inside and were seated close together on your ruined couch. You could worry about what had happened to your house in the morning. What you are more preoccupied with is the way he holds you close and leans his head against the crown of yours. You can feel the vibration of his words as he speaks.

“Which leaves one last thing…” He says at last. He pulls away and you look up to meet his gaze. There’s something soft and warm in his eyes. “For me to explain. You remember the day of the river cruise?”

How could you forget? It was the day when you realised that what you were feeling wasn’t just a highschool crush. It wasn’t feelings of warmth towards you platonic partner… it was love. You loved Jimin- you had fallen in love with him. Slowly, you nod your head.

“You remember how I asked you not to read my emotions?” He asks you. Puzzled with where he’s going with this, you nod. “Well… why don’t you read them now?”

You hesitate for only a moment, before reaching out towards him.

Instantly you are overwhelmed with the swirling intensity of the emotions he is feeling right now. Relief, at your safely, joy, to be reunited….

But the one that shines the strongest and most intensely is what leaves you speechless. Because it is the same emotion you feel when you look at him, the one you have been fighting for months, the one you’ve been trying to hold off ever since being allocated as his sidekick.

It’s love. Jimin loves you.

“Jimin,” You say softly, completely thrown. He smiles.

“I don’t need an answer.” He says. “I’m really terrified right now, but don’t feel pressured to answer or reciprocate, or anything like that. I just wanted you to know, so that you knew what you were getting into, if you came back to working with me.”

“Jimin…” You say once more. You want to give him an answer, but the words remain stuck stubbornly in your throat. He cuts you off before you can voice your answer aloud.

“Come home.” He begs. “Please. I’m scared of what I’m feeling… but I think I’m more scared of not seeing you again. I know… I know a lot has gone wrong. Not just today, but through our whole relationship. But, we’ve gotten through everything, and we’ll get through it. So what do you say? Will you be my partner again?”

“I will. But on one condition. Don’t… don’t be scared of what you’re feeling.” Is what you manage to say rather than the confession that sits stubbornly on the tip of your tongue. He gives you an odd look and offers you a hesitant smile.

“Yeah?” He asks. “Don’t be scared?” You nod determinedly.

“At least… don’t be scared alone.” You say. His eyes widen just slightly. “Be scared with me. Cause I’m scared of what I’m feeling too.”

He just stares at you, speechless for a moment.

“What I’m trying to say is… you’re not the only one who’s scared of-“ He cuts you off by pressing his mouth to yours. The kiss is intense, but short and sweet. When he pulls away his cheeks are flushed and he looks slightly breathless.

“Was that ok?” He asks you. You feel slightly breathless and air-headed as well, but you offer him a nod.

“Yeah.” You say softly. “It was.”

You are about to lean in for a second kiss. Because this moment is perfect and you want it to last forever. You love Jimin and he loves you, and while not everything is sorted in the moment, it will be. So you lean towards him and his eyes flutter shut in anticipation but the sound of his phone going off interrupts you.

It’s the familiar sound of a distress call. But rather than be disappointed, the two of you smile at each other. Because this is what you do. The two of you are heroes, and bruised and battered as you are from the events of the night, together you can handle whatever this call has to offer- no, whatever life has to off. Because you’re partners.

And that’s what you’ll do. For the rest of your life, as partners, you will fight side by side. For every obstacle, every fight, every difficulty, the two of you will overcome it. Together.

“Feeling up to it?” Jimin asks.

You offer him a smile and nod.

“Let’s do it.”

[justkending]

Knock, Knock. Part 27.

Chapter Summary: You get home from the airport and are greeted by a good friend when you get home. Things escalate later too...

Pairing: (single) Jensen x Reader

Warnings: Cussing. Fluff. Slight Smut?

Word Count: 3400+

A/N: This series is going on a lot longer than I thought it would. I will more than likely be wrapping it up soon! All in good time though, and won’t leave any loose ends;) Let me know what you all think! Feedback is appreciated! xoxox

Part 27:

Thank God the ride home was quiet and just filled with telling your driver directions here and there. The rest of the time you were going through your phone seeing all the news of, “Jensen Ackles and a New Girl?” “Is Jensen Ackles finally off the market again?” “What does Danneel think of Jensen and his new significant other?” “Who is the mystery girl that J. Ackles has wrapped up in his arms?”

You rolled your eyes at all the nonsense. Jensen was right though, they didn’t have any pictures of you holding hands or kissing, but they did have you two being really close when he was trying to shield you from the cameras. Luckily, you really couldn’t see your face in any of them because of the angles and your sunglasses.

Was this what your life was going to be like all the time now? I mean you had been out and about with Gen and Jared before, but the paparazzi was never really a problem. Sure you had a few fans and people come up every once and a while to take pictures with them, but they never even gave you a second glance half the time.

Now, that’s all they wanted to do was to get up and personal with you. Find out who you were. What color eyes and hair color you had? What was your job? How did you know Jensen? How do your ex’s feel about this? Was it serious? How long had you two been with each other? All that stuff that half of you were still trying to figure out for yourself.

“Ok, we’re here.” your driver said sweetly turning to smile at you. “Nice house. Fancy neighborhood you’re in.”

“Family friend actually.” you said gathering your things, and also not wanting anyone to know where you lived. If this person found out he was at Jensen’s house, who knew if he would leak that he dropped off the mystery woman everyone was freaking out about. “I’m just dropping in to visit for a little.”

“Oh, well have a great time! Do you need any help with the bags?”

“No thank you! I should be good!” you thanked as you pulled it all out.

You waved him off as he drove down the street, and started your walk to the front door. You pulled out your key, and were just about to put it in the lock when it opened abruptly making you slightly fumble back. You grabbed at your heart caught off guard at the motion.

“Y/N!” Jared said grinning widely at you. “We missed you kiddo.” he said moving to grab your bigger bags leaving you with just your backpack.

“Hey Jar! You scared the shit out of me.” you sighed walking in behind him.

“Sorry about that. I saw the car pull up and immediately rushed to see you.” he laughed stopping in the living room and turning to give you a big bear hug. “When Jensen told me you were grabbing a Uber instead of riding back with us I was confused, but once we got in the car he pulled up all the news that's floating around.”

“Yeah, that…” you sighed loudly. “Things are definitely changing, that's for sure.”

“How you feeling about all that by the way?” he said concern evident on his face.

You let out a long breath before answering. “Honestly, I’m fine. We’ll figure it all out. I’m just glad the feelings are all out there now. No more fighting them, and trying to put them in the back of my mind.” you chuckled.

“Good thing too. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could wait before I confessed everything and anything to you.” Jensen said making an entrance into the room.

“There you are!” you smiled. “I was wondering where you were.”

He walked over with a huge smile plastered on to his face, and wrapped his arms around your waist picking you up off the ground as he gave you a tight hug, and pulled you close to him. Just when he was putting you back down, he leaned down and gave you a quick peck on the lips. One that you gladly returned with a smile etched on your face as you leaned into it.

“Ok, ok. I get it. You’re all cutesy and in the beginning of a relationship, but this is going to take me a second to get use to.” Jared said shaking his head as he went to the couch to sit down.

“Oh, hush. You saw this coming from a mile away.” Jensen said still having an arm wrapped around your waist.

“How would he have known?” you asked looking up at Jensen.

“I-” he started, but Jared interrupted.

“He’s been asking me when he could ask you out literally since the day he met you.” Jared answered grabbing the remote, and flicking on the TV.

“Really?” you teased squeezing Jensen closer to you. “Is that so?”

He started to blush.

“Yes, but our friend here told me I needed to lay off.” he said throwing Jared under the bus.

“Is that true Jared?” you asked turning to him with a raised eyebrow.

“Maybe. You were such a close friend Y/N/N that I didn’t want things to end bad and make things awkward. It sounds selfish now that I say it out loud, but I was just looking out for you two.” he said almost like he was a puppy who had just got scolded.

“It’s ok Jar. I’m not mad.” you chuckled lightly as you pulled away from Jensen and went to grab your suitcases. “I know you only had good intentions about it.”

“Besides, I think it worked out for the better anyway. You guys got to know each other as friends before diving head first into a relationship.” he smiled happy that you weren’t mad, and actually proud of himself.

“Sure…” you dragged out. “Cause that was your plan all along wasn’t it?” you said sarcastically.

“I’ll take credit for it.” he said smiling and closing his eyes like a toddler proud of his artwork.

You scoffed, but couldn't help the smile that formed on your own face.

“I’m going to go unpack, take a shower, and check some emails. I’ll be back down in a little.” you said turning for the stairs Jensen’s eyes on you the whole time.

“You just got home. Don’t you want to sit and relax.” he said wiggling his eyebrows at the last word.

“Hey! I’m right here!” Jared shouted throwing a pillow at his friend.

“I think we’ll have plenty of time to relax Ackles. Right now, I want get this airplane smell off me, and into some new clothes.” you winked as you started up the stairs. “Promise, I’ll be back in 30 to 45 minutes top.” you disappeared onto the second level of the house, and Jensen watched until you were out of sight.

He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that you and him were even a thing. Now that it was, he didn’t want you out of reach for even a minute. Especially since he hadn’t really got to show you what you mean to him since you’ve literally been in public your whole 5 hours of your relationship. Now that you were home…

“Damn. You really got it bad for her.” Jared said interrupting his thoughts.

“What? I-”

“Don’t try to hide it. You haven’t torn your eyes away from her since she walked in.” Jared laughed crossing his feet on the coffee table as he flicked through channels. “She’s really got you in your head doesn’t she?”

Jensen scoffed and went to join his friend on the couch.

“I-I…” Jared just gave him a side look before turning back to the TV. “Ok, fine! Yes, I got it bad, and you know what? I’m not afraid to admit it. I finally have her, and I’m literally the happiest man on earth.” Jensen said falling into the couch and throwing his arms over the back. A genuine, joy filled smile on his face.

“Wow. I never knew when I would see the day.” Jared said now staring at his friend.

“What day?”

“You’re in love dude.”

“What?! Jared-”

“Don’t fight me on it Jay. I didn’t even see you this giddy when you were with Danneel, and Gen and I thought she was going to be the one.”

“What are you talking about? We just started dating not even 12 hours ago-”

“Doesn’t matter. You have feelings for her more than you even know.” Jared said plain and simple. “Listen, I was going to hang out here since it’s late and everyone is asleep at home, but I think I’ll go ahead and hit the hay. You and Y/N take some time to yourselves. I mean you love birds do need some alone time-”

“Jared, love is such a strong word. I don’t know-”

“You never know at the beginning.” Jared interrupt as he got up and headed to the door. Jensen right on his heels. He turned to his friend when he reached the door. “Then one day… It’s as plain as daylight. You ask yourself how the hell you didn’t see it before, and want to slap yourself in the face for ignoring how blatantly obvious it was.” Jensen just gave him a blank stare. “You’ll see it soon enough.” he opened the door, and took a step out. “Tell Y/N Gen wants to hang out tomorrow if she can. We can all get lunch or dinner or something. See you later dude!” he waved.

By the time Jensen registered the whole conversation Jared was already headed out of the driveway in his car.

“Wait!” he mumbled to himself. “Love?” he said still looking out the door. “It’s too early for that right?”

He thought about it for a few minutes stuck in the doorway. Then he shook his head trying to clear the thoughts. This was too much to think about right now. Right now, he wanted to see you again. Even if it had been only 20 minutes. But like a school boy who just found out his crush liked him back, he still had a flutter in his heart when he thought about you. That wasn’t love? Was it?

__

He made his way upstairs hoping that you were out of the shower by now. Sure enough, the bathroom door was open and the room was empty, but filled with steam showing you had just got out. He walked across the hall to your room and put an ear to the door.

He heard the sound of your record player playing Love me do by The Beatles. Of course that’s what was playing. A grin pulled at his lip before he gently knocked on the door.

“Come in!” you shouted from the other side.

Jensen walked in and found you on the ground with your computer in your lap, and papers spread all around you. You had on some leggings and a sports bra, with a towel wrapped around your head. It reminded him of the first time he came home from Vancouver, and you left him with a bruised nose showing him just how capable of handling yourself you were.

Whatever you were looking at, you were extremely focused on. You hadn’t even acknowledge him walking in as you sorted through some papers, and tried to balance the falling towel on your head. The corner of his lips pulled up into a smirk looking at how comfortable you were around him already. Maybe Jared was right. It was a good thing you guys were friends before you dated. You skipped the whole having the feeling you needed to ‘look decent for each other all the time’ stage.

Yet again, you always look perfect even with no make-up, hair up in a towel, and he definitely wasn’t going to complain about you not wearing a shirt.

He tucked his hands into his pockets as he looked down at all the papers not able to make out what they were exactly, and stood behind you.

“What’s all this?”

“Hmm?” you hummed putting a pen in your mouth as you reached over for another file. “Oh, when I got out of the shower and went to check my emails, I saw that I have an IEP meeting coming up.”

“An IEP meeting?” He asked sitting on your bed and looking over your shoulder.

“Yeah, Individualized Education Program.” you said turning to him. Confusion written all over his face. You giggled, and turned back to the mess in front of you as you removed the towel from your hair. “It’s paperwork and assessments we do for children with disabilities that helps them learn better in school. Technically just a meeting to see what we can do to accommodate their struggles, and make sure they are getting the best education they can. Since I’m the school counselor, I’m required to be there and help come up with an accommodation plan.”

You stood up, and ruffled your hair as you took the towel over to dry on your vanity chair. When you turned around you saw Jensen’s eyes glued to your body, and remembered how you weren’t wearing a shirt.

“Sorry, forgot I just got out of the shower. I should probably put some clothes on.” you chuckled embarrassed.  You blushed, and walked over to your dresser pulling out an oversized OU t-shirt, but before you could put it on, Jensen was just inches away.

“Hey, I’m not complaining.” he said pulling your hips to him. “I like this look.”

You laughed and leaned into his touch. Your back was against his chest as he kept you close.

“Jay-”

“You smell really good.” he purred into your ear.

“Well, I did just get out of the shower.” you teased throwing your head back onto his shoulder.

He took this opportunity to really look you over. Your face was mere inches from his and all he could think of to do was stare and smile.

“What are you looking at?” you chuckled smiling and showing your perfect smile.

“You.” he answered.

“Wow, you’re a cheesy one aren’t you Ackles?” you said pulling away just slightly, but he kept you from getting too far as he pulled you back, and spun you to where you were now facing each other, but he still had his arms wrapped around your waist. “What’s gotten into you?” you laughed again placing your hands on his chest as you looked up at him through your long eyelashes.

“You’re stunning, you know that?” he smiled looking back and forth between your eyes.

“I don’t know about that, but-”

“No, really. How the hell did I not make a move sooner?”

“You’ve said that once or twice. But you know? I’m just as much at fault. I could’ve easily made a mover sooner too.”

“Well then I guess we were both stupid and at fault for this not happening earlier.”

“Very. Honestly though? I liked getting to know you as a person before hand.”

“Oh yeah. I think I can agree with that.” he said looking up as if he were thinking about it before looking back at you. “Hey, what do you say we go on a date tonight? Our first official one?”

You cocked your head. “What kinda date are we talking?”

“Not sure yet. Have anything in mind?” he asked.

“Can we stay in? Maybe order in, and watch a movie?” you answered.

“You don’t want to go out?”

“Nah, if we did that then I would have to keep my hands to myself.” you said with a sly look.

“Oh.” Jensen said raising his eyebrows. “We wouldn’t want that.” he teased back. “Dinner and a movie it is. Keeping it plain and simple.”

“Just how I like it.” you said with a soft smile. Jensen looked down at your lips and pulled his bottom lip with his teeth. You watched as he did it, and quickly found yourself reciprocating the look. “You bite your lip like that again, and I’m not sure if I can hold myself back.” you said as your eyes lingered on the pinkness of his lips.

“Why hold yourself back?” he questioned in a low tone.

“Good question.” you said looking back up into his now almost black eyes.

You didn’t hesitate to close the very slim gap that was between you two, and Jensen didn’t hesitate to meet you halfway. You both found yourselves in a heated make out session that was slowly moving toward the bed.

Jensen kept a tight, but gentle grip on your hips as he pulled you closer to him. You both started shuffling to the edge of the bed. You weren’t sure exactly where this was going to end up, but after all this pent up emotions you shared for each other, you weren’t exactly upset where you were standing now.

You felt his tongue needily swipe across your bottom lip, and without thinking twice opened up to him. Damn was he a good kisser. Your hands started to explore upward, and grabbed onto the short hairs on the back of his head as you deepened the kiss. A low moan was the result of the movement. His hands traveled up your body as well sending shivers and goosebumps with every inch he touched. He eventually made it to your face and cupped both of his hands around your cheek pulling you close.

Next thing you knew, the back of his knees were hitting the bed causing you both to fall back on the perfectly made bed. You both grunted at the force, and you landed on top of him. You broke off laughing at the incident, and him smiling at the pure sound of heaven coming out of your mouth.

You stared at each other for a brief second before he pulled you back to him, and continued the passion that was filling the room. The next swift movement of him flipping you to where you were on your back, and he was hovering over you catching you off guard, but made you more excited in the moment nonetheless.

You could tell things were escalating quickly, but before you could decide to let this feeling of extasy continue or to cool off, his phone interrupted you for the second time today.

He pulled back annoyed at the interruption, but you just giggled and placed a hand on your kiss swollen lips.

“You’ve got to be kidding me! Can’t a man have a moment?” he was still hovering over you as he reached in his back pocket and pulled out his phone. He looked down at it seeing who it was, and rolling his eyes. “I have to take this.” he said looking down at you sadly.

“It’s fine Jens.” you laughed placing a hand on his chest and feeling his heartbeat racing. “Take it.”

He leaned down giving you a quick peck before tossing his body over, picking it up, and walking out of the room and smiling at you before closing the door behind him.

You sat up resting on your elbow as you watched him go out.

“Probably a good thing that we were interrupted. That was getting a little heated.” you breathed out catching your breath. You stood up and grabbed the shirt that you meant to put on a while ago, and threw it over your head.

You walked over to the vanity, and looked at your disheveled damp hair. You groaned at the mess it was in, and combed through it with your fingers before grabbing some styling product to help tame it a bit.

Once you had it the way you wanted, you let out a content sigh and walked back over to the paperwork scattered all over the floor. Of course they would send you all this work over break. It wasn’t like this could wait one more week. Sure, this kid needed an IEP, but you could have waited like 2 days before going back to school and been fine.

You rolled your eyes as you grabbed your laptop and some other pieces of paper, and relocated to your now shifted bed.

Just about 10 minutes later Jensen knocked again.

“Come in!” you shouted again, and he made his way in looking at his phone. You could see a different emotion on his face, but you weren’t quite sure what it was. “Hey. Everything ok?” you asked putting the papers down.

“Yeah, yeah.” he said running a hand through his messy hair. “It’s just I completely forgot about something.”

“What’s that?”

He paused looking back at his phone then at you with a face that was almost apologetic.

“My parents are coming over tomorrow morning.”

Tags:

@shamlesslydean @sleepless-sin @unabashedsoul97 @sandlee44 @gripmetight-raisemefromperdition @cabbagewithissues @supersleepygoat @anotherwaywardsister @spnwoman@ravengirl94 @carryonmywaywardcaptain @ezilyamuzed @thosekidswhohuntmonsters@purpleskiesandcherrypies @anise-d-castle6 @adoptdontshoppets @casper57x @tailsoflightning@spookycowz @eve05glee @snffbeebee @angelessquirrel @mirandaaustin93 @natura1phenomenon@tftumblin @gh0stgurl @screechingartisancashbailiff @kersumgen @herscrunchiehairtie@dreaminemz @staradorned

[yourhero404]

Izuku and bakugo proposing to their s/o!! 💗💗💗if not please ignore 😊😊 thank you

A/N: Sure!! Sorry I took so long, but this dumb binch has had a rough and very busy few weeks (oh the joy of holidays :^) ), I hope you like them!!

MIDORIYA

If his hands weren’t in his pockets fiddling with something, they were tapping on (Y/n)’s knuckles or twitching out in the open as though they didn’t know what to do. (Y/n) didn’t think twice about it- they’ve been with Midoriya long enough to know it’s just something he normally did, but to this extent was certainly suspicious. What was more suspicious, however, was how often his eyes darted around the dimly lit dining room of the most prestigious restaurants in the city. The fact that they were even there was odd too- both of them enjoyed the simpler things in life anyway.

“Are you alright?”

“What?”

Their question caught him off-guard, he actually jumped in his seat a bit the moment they spoke. Nervously waving the question off, he continued to look behind them as though he were waiting for someone else to walk up or give him some sort of sign; He did this all throughout dinner and well after dessert, too. Every time they asked what was bothering him, he just flashed them a smile and changed the subject- what was going on? Was there a reason their boyfriend was on such high alert? He was even starting to shine until the dim lights, he was nervously sweating like crazy.

“Honestly, Izuku, what’s up with you?” their hand reached across the table to grab onto his, “And don’t just wave it off this time. Something’s up and I can tell.”

“You can?”

“Honey, people who don’t know you could see you’re one straw away from being a puddle of nerves on the floor.”

“Well, I um,” he looked behind them once again and light up instantly, giving (Y/n) a large smile, “Why don’t we go out on the balcony and talk about it!”

“The balcony?”  

They were whisked to their feet and smoothly guided toward the large balcony that they had been near all night, all before they could even finish their sentence. Midoriya seemed… excited now, still nervous, but much lighter and bouncing on the balls of his feet. The second they stepped on the balcony, (Y/n)’s suspicions halted in order to take in the breathtaking view in front of them. Fairy lights danced behind Midoriya as they wove in and out of the design in the metal railing with vines wrapping alongside them. Flower petals have been tossed about, leaving a soft scent that eased the tension, and the stars above them provided a false, but welcome, sense of warmth. (Y/n) needed to take a moment just to appreciate the view itself, and another to calm their heart at how soft and gentle their love looked surrounded by it all.  

Midoriya pulled them close, fingers still trembling a bit as they rested upon (Y/n)’s hips; His smile wavered every so often as he let out a soft laugh as well, (Y/n) couldn’t help but look at him as star-struck as they had been the first time he held them this close. His breath fanned across their face, warming their features and protecting them from the cold around them, the both of them just… existing with each other for a while before Midoriya actually spoke.

“(Y/n), I uh… You know I’m not… very good at speeches, right?”

“I beg to differ.”

“Okay, well,” he laughed a bit to himself, “You know what I mean. I can try and try again to be prepared and attempt to say the right thing, but it comes out wrong every time. I can plan attacks, but I can’t plan my words very well.”

“You’d be right.”

“Thanks,” he sighed, giving a sarcastic smile before brightening up again, “My point is, I’m just… I didn’t… I couldn’t find the right words to describe just how much I love you, and how loved I feel just knowing you’re always in my corner supporting me no matter what. And I… Well, I still don’t have the right words, but I do know how I feel, and I- Um,” he mumbled a curse to himself fairly quickly, “I need to do this before my nerves completely paralyze me and I never get the words out.”

Getting down on one knee, he brandished what he had been fidgeting with all night- a small box. The ring inside was stunning- small and simple at first glance, but bright enough to rival that of his smile, and (Y/n) wouldn’t dream of anything else. Their heart practically leaped from their chest as tears of happiness filled their eyes and their smile mirrored that of their boyfriends.

“(Y/n), will you marry me?”

BAKUGO

As much as Bakugo disliked working with others, his (s/o) was a vastly different story. Having someone who could practically read his mind, move and work on the same wavelength as him was a godsend- not to mention having someone he can let his guard down around at the end of the day was something he never knew he needed until he was fortunate enough to get it. He loved them, it was obvious and he never let a day go by where he didn’t express it to them in one way or another, and it was time he kicked it up a notch.

Never being one for the simpler things in life, yet also avoiding anything seen as what he called ‘mushy love shit’, Bakugo decided the only way he was going to propose was going to be a heat of the moment type of deal; When he’s completely overwhelmed with just… how much he loves this idiot, he knows he would never regret it. He doesn’t plan for it- aside from the ring, whenever he may get it- and he goes about his business as usual, that is, until today.  

It really should’ve been a standard take down- (Y/n) acts as the decoy, Bakugo knocks them off-guard, and the two of them move in close working together for the kill shot (despite however many times (Y/n) disagrees with the name). For some reason, the villains in front of them were throwing the two of them off- or maybe it was their own faults for being distracted- but (Y/n) would be damned if these lowlifes got away from them.

“Bakugo!” they yelled, everything about them disheveled, dirty, and splattered in blood, “We are not letting these bastards leave this block, got it?”

“You’re damn right,” he shot them a toothy grin, the excitement of the brawl evident in his eyes, “I’ll go after them!”

“No!” they yelled, stopping him in his tracks, “I’ll go! It’ll be faster!”

“How the hell will that be faster?”

He got his answer as they charged towards him at full speed- he bent his knees and braced himself. The second they got within range, he grabbed onto their forearm and spun the both of them around, using his blasts to gain speed, he roughly threw them in the direction of the escaping criminals in the distance. Bakugo instantly took off in the same direction, catching up with them to find both criminals apprehended- one trapped beneath (Y/n)’s feet and the other one being held down by (Y/n) sitting on their back- they obviously stopped trying to resist. He gave them a lopsided smile as he held his hand out to help them back onto their feet while the nearby police take the others into custody.

“I’m starting to think you just like it when I throw you.”

“Maybe I do,” they teased with a smirk, “You can’t tell me it doesn’t feel good to just… toss me away like that.”

“You would think,” he pulled them flush against him with his arm wrapped around their lower back, “Especially with how fucking annoying you are. But no, not really.”

“Really?” their eyebrows drew together, “You feeling okay? Did all of that head trauma finally catch up to your brain?”

“I’m perfectly fine, thanks. Definitely better than you.”

“I dunno about that, you sounded like you genuinely didn’t like throwing me, sounds unlike you.”

“I didn’t like throwing you,” his head tilted slightly as his gaze met theirs “I was afraid that maybe I threw you too hard- I don’t wanna hurt you, (Y/n), no matter how much of a little shit you can be and no matter how much some days I just want to strangle you.”  

Bakugo leaned in to their lips and gave them a kiss so soft and slow, he felt himself melting into them far before they melted into him- damn he was soft around them and at this point, he was too afraid of losing them to ever fight it. His heart started to race and the strong feeling of butterflies in his stomach started up, and when he parted from them, he felt as though a part of him were missing- he took that as his body’s way of telling him it was time.  

He gazed into their eyes, watching each movement- they were always like the night sky to him, not in colour, but in the sense that they were always there watching over him, giving him a sense of warmth, vast and inviting and certainly not short of beauty or surprises. The way their head tilted in confusion was adorable, he could hear them speaking and see their lips moving, but all of it was drowned out by the sound of his own heartbeat. Before anyone else came by to talk to them, to ruin this moment with them, he whispered the one question that left his heart completely vulnerable in hopes that they’d take good care of it.

“Hey, (Y/n)… Marry me.”

[byunskjm-blog]

Dream

Pairing: Baekhyun x Reader

Genre: Fluff, Smut, Angst, High School! AU

Length: 7.5k

Masterlist

If you could go your senior without being noticed you’d love that. But that is not how it works out. Like any other teenager struggling to figure out the craziness that is life, you had very few hobbies that piqued your interest. Those being track and choir. When you’re taking 4 AP classes you are very prone to stress and running helps you relieve it. A couple of laps around the field and you feel refreshed and energized. Singing was something that brought you joy and genuine happiness. You’ve been singing since you were a tot running around in your diaper. As your mom likes to say, “If you weren’t crying you were singing.” Your friends Jieun and Chungha say you radiate, “Big Bitch Energy” but you couldn’t help if that’s how you came off to others. You were a type A kind of person. Everything had to be done properly and neatly, it’s how you have always been. You met your best friends in 6th grade by chance. You were walking around the track because you weren’t in dress code and it just so happened that Jieun and Chungha weren’t either. You all started to walk together and share your common interests. You found out that they also liked to sing but Chungha loved to dance more than anything. Jieun was a theater kid. From then on it has been the three of you against the world.

School was over at this point and it was just you and a couple of clubs who were meeting after school. You were walking back to the choir room from the bathroom when a voice hit your ears. It was so smooth and honey-like, you really question if it was real or just a delusion. You walked closer to the source to find out if this voice you were hearing was actually coming from a mouth. When you saw a 5’9 boy merrily strolling down the hall without a care in the world you confirmed it was in fact not a dream. But even if it was you didn’t want to wake up from it. He was about to walk through the double doors but you needed to know who it was or else you’d end up pulling your hair out over it.

“Excuse me!” You shouted from across the hallway.

It managed to reach him in time because he turned around with a confused look on his face. You knew immediately who those droopy eyes and round cheeks belonged to. Byun Baekhyun.

Not to be too stereotypical but Byun Baekhyun was the IT boy at your school. He did it all. He was a football god, great in academics, and apparently possesses the voice of an angel. Every girl wanted him and only the prettiest could have him. But have would be too exaggerated because these girls had him for one night and never again. That was another thing about Byun Baekhyun, his commitment was his best attribute. You have heard a lot of things from a lot of girls about him. Most of them were praising him and his flexibility which repulsed you to the point where you wanted to vomit in class. But his reputation was different from the way he presented himself to others. He was usually kind to others who spoke to him, he stood up for people who were too afraid to stand up for themselves, he never let things with girls get too far. He let them know ahead of time what they were signing up for.

He just stood there looking at you with confusion, “Can I help you?”

Now it was your turn to stand there and look absolutely dumbfounded. “Uh. I- I just. You know what I’m sorry. Forget this happened.” You were embarrassed. What the fuck was that? You were never one to feel shame but his gaze just did something to you. It made you feel like a fish out of water.

“No, what did you want to say?” His tone made him seem like he was genuinely interested in what you had to say to him. He walked closer so he could get a better look at you and hear what you had to say from a closer proximity.

The closer he got the more nervous he got. God, you were turning into those girls you made fun of. The girls who became putty in his hand after one glance. “I wanted to say you have a nice voice and you should consider trying out for choir.” It was a miracle that you managed to get all of that out without a hitch in your voice.

He seemed a little shock that you actually heard him. Being labeled a jock left him little room to try out in activities like choir. It didn’t fit his brand. That’s why he kept it a secret from everyone. It worried him that you knew because he didn’t you but it was apparent that you knew him. He replied with a small chuckle and the shake of his head.

“What’s so funny?” You were finding your voice again and you weren’t scared to show it.

“It’s just cute.”

Your eyes widened at his statement. “Cute?”

“You know, you thinking I’d try out for choir.” There it was, the asshole that he tried to keep covered with a curtain of niceness.

You folded your arms over your chest and raised an eyebrow, “Is someone a little scared of his jock friends finding out he can sing?” Your voice was belittling him and making him feel a little dumb.

He scoffed, “Look I don’t know who you are but just keep your mouth shut about this ok.”

You rolled your eyes and gave him a bow, “Yes my king.”

The pair of you separated after that and he had definitely left a bad impression on you. You thought that he could possibly be different from the stereotype but that was obviously untrue. Byun Baekhyun was just like every other jock at this school, an ass. As you were walking away your peripheral vision caught some junior looking at you then the spot where you and Baekhyun were talking. You just ignored her and continued on your way. But that would come back to bite you in the ass.

The next day at school you were exhausted and looked terrible. You didn’t bother with makeup or a decent outfit. To say the least you bummed it.

“You look gross,” Chungha commented.

“Gee thanks.” You sarcastically said.

Before you could even make it to your locker you were stopped by Baekhyun who just stood in front of you with a very stoic face. You could figure he was pissed off.

“I need to talk to you,” his voice harsh which was totally different from yesterday.

“Okay aft-”

“No. Now.” He grabbed your arm and practically dragged you into an empty room.

You kept telling him to let you go but he didn’t until you were both in the room and the door was locked. Yeah, you were a little scared but who wouldn’t be.

“What the hell Byun?!” The anger was bubbling under your skin. Who was he to think he could just grab you as he pleased like you were some object of his.

“I could say the exact same thing.” The confusion that painted your face said enough. “I told you not to tell anyone!” He said slamming his hand on a desk which made you flinch.

You felt wronged more than anything. “I didn-”

“Don’t fucking lie. It is everywhere, “Baekhyun is gonna join choir and become some geek” who else knew besides you?” He was intent on blaming you even when you had nothing to do with it.

But you stood your ground, “You really think I care enough to start some dumb ass rumor about you? Newsflash, not everything revolves around you. I don’t care what the fuck you do but don’t you ever accuse me of something I didn’t do.” You walked past him with daggers in your eyes directly aimed for him and him only.

When you got out the room Chungha and Jieun swarmed you with questions about what happened. Of course, you told them everything and they both shared the same feeling of disgust as you.

To say your whole day was shit was an understatement. You were being extra bitchy to people and you felt bad but it was just your way of taking out your anger. You then realized that lashing out on other people wasn’t right so when school ended you laced up your shoes and started your run around the track. The football team was on the field practicing but you didn’t pay any attention instead blasting your music and running several laps. Soon you felt the pent up anger and stress leave your system with every step you took. You were so caught up in what you were doing that you didn’t notice some bulk object running beside you. You glanced over at it and saw Baekhyun. Almost like it had a mind of its own, your feet stopped completely. You pulled out your earphones and looked at him with irritation.

“What did I do this time? Kill your dog?” You were obviously still pissed at him.

“I don’t have a dog,” He was trying to be funny but you were annoyed and a joke wasn’t gonna erase that.

“You really are a piece of work,” You scoffed before putting your earphones back in and continuing your run. But you could still see him following you from behind. You tried to ignore him and continue your run but he wasn’t letting up anytime soon. So you stopped again. “What do you want?” The annoyance oozing from your lips.

He was a little winded from the running, he hunched over trying his best to catch his breath.

You grew impatient and started to walk away but his hand clutched your wrist as an attempt to stop you. As if his touch was lava you remove yourself from his hold.

“I just wanted to apologize. I know you didn’t do it.”

You laughed at his apology, “Oh really? What made you come to that revelation? Was it the part where I told you I didn’t do it or when you realized I didn’t fucking do it?”

He looked at the floor feeling guilt for making you feel so mad. But in his defense, you were the only logical suspect. When he found out it was one of the girls he slept with that started the rumor he could only think about how bad he felt for doing what he did to you. “What would you have thought if you were me?”

“I would have thought logically and come to the conclusion that not everything is about me and not everyone cares enough to stoop so low. That’s what I would have thought Baekhyun.” You were done talking to him and you showed it by plugging your buds back in your ear and jogging away.

You thought that would be the end of it but from the distant, you could hear him yell, “I’m sorry!” He stopped following you so you just ignored it and finished your lap.

After running you head over to the choir room to try and get in some practice before going home. It was just you alone in the room because not many people willingly choose to say at school. You sat down on the piano bench and began to play an all too familiar melody. Naturally, you started to sing the song. As the lyrics flowed of your lips you got lost in the music which was normal for you. Then it came to an end and you heard clapping and whipped your head to the left where it was coming from. Baekhyun.

“Can you not take a hint or are you just that dense?” You said whilst collecting your music sheets.

It was like he didn’t hear a single word you said because he walked closer to you. “I just want to genuinely apologize and I want to know that you accept it.”

“Why is it so important to you that I accept your apology Baekhyun? I’m not your friend so it doesn’t matter if I hate you or not.” You were using logic at this point.

“But it matters to me. I don’t want you to hate me.” His voice got immensely quieter.

“Too late for that,” the bitch was jumping out.

“What can I do to make it up to you? I’ll do anything.”

You were so fucking confused on why it mattered to him so much. He was Byun Baekhyun and you were… well, you. He shouldn’t care if he hurts my feelings, he shouldn’t apologize. So why is he? But you thought about how you can use this to your benefit and you had an epiphany. This would be a great way to try out the duet you wrote. “Sing with me.”

His eyes grew, “Huh?”

“Sing with me. I’ve been working on this song, it’s a duet and you would be the perfect test monkey.” You pulled out your music sheets for the said song and set it up on the piano. You sat back down on the bench and patted the empty space beside you to signal Baekhyun to sit.

He let out an exasperated sigh and took his spot next to you. “I don’t even know the lyrics.”

“Just follow along,” you pointed at the sheets above the piano. Your fingers started playing the music that was on the sheet. Then Baekhyun began singing and you could physically feel your heart race like it was running a marathon. It was now your part. He seemed to have caught on quickly and even started playing on the other side of the piano making sure to keep the same rhythm.

Well, I don’t care even if you’re a sweet liar.

Well, I don’t care because I will make you believe.

And as if it was prohibited you both stopped singing and turn to face one another. Your hands managed to touch when it was on the keys. Staring into his brown orbs sent a wave of shock through your body. It felt as if you were in a maze and couldn’t find your way out.

“You made that?” He asked dumbfounded on how amazing it sounded.

You nodded, “I still need to finish it but I think it is getting somewhere.”

“You are really good you know that?” He complimented.

Why on earth were you blushing? His words shouldn’t have that effect on you. But here you were. “Thank you.” You checked the clock and saw it read at 2:30 pm. You had work at 3. You cursed under your breath and began packing up.

“So does that mean I am forgiven?” He looked up at you with hope in his eyes.

“You are forgiven but it doesn’t change how I feel about you.” You threw your bag over your shoulder and left him in the room alone.

That night you went home and fell on your bed face first. All you wanted to do was sleep but your mind was too preoccupied with Baekhyun and what happened in the choir room. It gave you the motivation to finish the song. It was like you wanted to prove something, not to yourself, but him.

School came again the next day and you were just as tired as before. You were running on a 2-hour nap because you stayed up till 3 AM working on the song. You were regretting it now. Jieun approached you with a cup of coffee in hand. Unsure if it was for you or not, you still snatched it and drank it.

“Hey that was mine,” she pouted.

You gave a small smile, “Sorry Ji I needed it more than you.”

“What time did you go to sleep?” She asked with a motherly tone.

“3” you softly spoke under your breath.

“What?”

“She said 3!” Chungha yelled out of nowhere.

You got startled and placed your hand over your now racing heart.

“Maybe if you went to sleep at an appropriate time you wouldn’t have to steal other peoples coffee.” Jieun scolded and Chungha nodded along with her.

“I’ll buy you one tomorrow,” you stuck out your pinky for her to grab onto. “I promise.”

She rolled her eyes and connected her pinky with yours and touched thumbs to seal the deal that was made.

“What were you doing that made you stay up till 3 in the morning?” Chungha asked as you guys began walking towards your lockers.

“Finishing a song.”

Jieun and Chungha shared a look, “Of course.” They said in unison.

The three of you had lockers next to each other. You were on the left, Chungha in the middle, and Jieun on the right.

You took your books out of your locker and put your book bag in. You closed your locker and was greeted with a smiling Baekhyun leaning on the locker beside you. You screeched in shock and dropped your book. “Jesus fucking christ Baekhyun!!!” You punched his arm in retaliation. His laugh hit your ears and you couldn’t believe he found this funny. You sent him a death glare and he shut up and bent down to grab your books.

“Sorry I didn’t mean to scare you like that,” he said trying his best to repress the smile growing on his face.

You turned around to find your friends but they were nowhere to be found. “What is this time Byun?”

“Nothing just wanted to ask if you were gonna be in the choir room after school.”

It was confusing why he wanted to know that but you still answered him. “Yeah, I am. Why do you ask?”

“No reason,” He hummed before walking away to his class to leave you in a confused state.

“You really are something Byun Baekhyun,” you whispered to yourself. You shook your head and smiled while heading to your first class.

You found your lost friends at lunch and approached them with a playfully angry face. “Thanks for leaving me this morning.”

“You seemed busy,” Chungha teased.

“Since when are you and Baekhyun buddies? Last time I checked you hated him, and that was yesterday.” Jieun said peeling a tangerine.

“We aren’t.”

“That’s not what it seemed like this morning,” Chungha said.

“He was just being dumb which is normal for him.” You didn’t really wanna talk about this topic anymore so you changed it to Chungha’s upcoming dance competition. They had no problem talking about it for the whole lunch period. You had one more class till school was over and you were nervous as the clock ticked closer to the end. It was nerve-wracking because you had no idea what Baekhyun was up to. The curiosity was eating you alive. But the time came when the bell rang.

You walked towards the choir room with a knot in your stomach. Of course, he wasn’t going to be there right after school, he had practice. So you made the executive decision to preoccupy your mind with music. Time flew by once again and you didn’t notice Baekhyun’s presence. His hair was wet like he just got out of the showers.

“You’re here,” he said with a small smiling growing on his lips.

“I said I’d be.” You said trying to remain cool, calm and collected.

Without permission, he sat beside you like he did yesterday. “Did you finish the song?”

You shook your head no and looked down at the keys. The feeling of disappointment flooded, but why? Why were you scared of letting him down when it came to this song?

“You mind if I help?” He asked hoping you would let him.

You shook your head and let him take your music sheets which was something you didn’t even let Jieun do.

“How about finishing it with harmonization with us both,” he suggested and you took it into consideration. “Something like… Dream when you look at me just like that I feel like you’re so mine. Dream that makes me want to fall asleep again - such a sweet dream. That’s you.”

You couldn’t avoid eye contact while looking at him. Something about him kept you drawn to him like a magnet. “I like it.”

“Really?” He asked feeling proud of himself and happy you seemed to approve of it.

You nodded and without notice started playing the notes for the song. Naturally, you both fell into your own world that only consisted of you, him, and music. By the end of the song, you found yourselves closer than you started. His face was in front of yours and you felt this urge to connect your lips just to see what it would be like. Just as you were about to your alarm went off letting you know you had to go. You quickly broke away from him and got up. “I have to go but thanks for helping with the song. I appreciate it.”

“Wait before you go I need your number.”

You raised a brow, “Why?”

“Because I like doing this with you and I want to do it more. And instead of me popping up on you all the time it would be easier to just text you.”

You contemplated it and you liked how useful he was in a music sense so you gave in and gave it to him. The smugness never left his face even after you left. He made you regret giving him your number because he practically spammed your phone with dumb useless texts. To the point where you had to mute him. When you got home you replied to him.

You (9:50): Why are you blowing up my phone?

Byun Baekhyun (9:51): Where were you? :(

You (9:51): Work.

Byun Baekhyun (9:52): Do you think you can help me write my own song tomorrow?

It was surprising that he actually showed an interest in songwriting. You thought he was just being nice at first but it seems as though he really found a passion for it.

You (9:55): Meet me in the choir room after school.

Byun Baekhyun (9:55): I’ll be there.

Days passed and soon you and Baekhyun had been meeting up for nearly a month. The texts between you were constant. Most of the time they were just Baekhyun being a flirt. It was back and forth sometimes. Your times after school were either working on Baekhyun’s song or fixing your duet. Today he decided to walk you to your car, it was windy out and your hair kept getting in your face. He helped you in your car and you rolled down your window to talk to him before you left. His arms were perched on the sill as he looked at you with sparkling brown eyes. The wind once again managed to push hair in your face but Baekhyun pushed it behind your ear gently. Even after he was done he didn’t move his hand. “Go out with me.”

The question threw you for a loop. You didn’t know if you were daydreaming. Did he really just ask you out? “What?”

“Go out with me. On a date. We can do the whole thing where I pick you up and tell your parents I’ll have you home by 10 and we go out, eat, talk about everything. Doesn’t it sound fun?” His hand still on your cheek.

You let out a chuckle, “You don’t date.”

“That's true but that was also before you.” His words came out as sweet as honey as he removed his hand.

“And what makes me different from other girls Byun?” You knew what made you different but you wanted to see if he knew.

“Come on a date with me and I'll tell you.” He quipped.

You were hesitant but his intentions seemed pure and genuine. “Fine. We will do the whole cheesy romantic thing.”

His smile brought out the softness in him. “I'll pick you up at 6.” He winked before walking back into the school.

The whole drive home was just you thinking of what you would wear. You wanted to look nice but not nice to the point where Baekhyun thinks you were trying to impress him. It was currently 3 and you didn't have work today so you had 3 hours to get your shit together. You took a shower and shaved your legs first and foremost. Then you moved onto your makeup. Lately, you've been watching makeup tutorials and you thought you developed a talent but you were wrong. you had to restart your eyes like 5 times. But eventually, you got it to a decent and cute point. You had another hour before Baekhyun would pick you up, enough time for hair and clothes. You decided to go for a half up half down moment and curl the ends. Deciding what to wear was the hardest task for you. You opted for a cute plain white tee and a cute pleated skirt because of the impending summer weather. After all, you shaved your legs so might as well flaunt them. Your timing was perfect because by the time you did your touch up you heard the doorbell rang. You went with some simple black heeled boots that went up to your ankle. You threw them on and opened the door to see Baekhyun decked out in a white hoodie with a jean jacket for an overcoat and washed out jeans. His soft brown hair was simple and managed to keep a wavy texture. It's amazing how he could dress in something so ordinary and still look like he walked off the runway. He beat you to the punch of complimenting.

“You look pretty,” He said with a cute blush.

“I could say the same for you.” You smiled. “I guess we unintentionally matched.”

“If this isn't a sign then I don't know what is.” He chuckled.

You playfully rolled your eyes. “So where are we going?”

“Well, I was thinking we could eat dinner at this new restaurant that opened up. Then see where that leads us.” He opened the door for you like a gentleman.

You both buckled up and Baekhyun started the car. He was driving towards a pretty nice part of town. He pulled into a restaurant that was pretty bare. Not many people were there which was nice for you because it would suck having to talk over others the whole night. But even if no one was there it was fancy enough to need reservations which Baekhyun made ahead of time.

“Table for two?” The hostess asked, to which Baekhyun nodded. “Ok right this way.” She led you to your table and Baekhyun walked ahead to pull a chair out for you. You thanked him for his kind gesture. “Here is the menu. Your waiter should be with you shortly,” both of you thanked her before she left to take care of more customers.

“I heard the chef is world class.” You commented after seeing the name Do Kyungsoo on the menu under the chef’s special. You remembered reading some article about how much he has accomplished for himself at such a young age.

“Well, then I guess we have to get the chef’s special.”

“It’s only right,” you played along.

But when the waiter came to get your order Baekhyun had ordered the specials. You weren’t bitter because you were looking forward to practically anything on the menu.

Baekhyun took this time to try and get to know you better. Although you guys hung out every day after school for a month he still felt there was more to you then what meets the eye. So you guys talked and talked. Talked about how you broke your wrist when you were 7 because you tried to backflip off the monkey bars. Talked about how he stole his class pet on accident. You told him things that you have only ever told two other people in your life and it was scary. Why were you telling him everything so quickly? It was like it was second nature to you. Then you guys hit the topic of music while you were sharing a chocolate cake for dessert.

“I think I’ve always had an interest for singing but I didn’t have people around me to encourage it.” He paused to look at you. “Until I met you.”

You shook your head modestly with a piece of cake in your mouth, “I merely let you know that you were talented and had potential.”

“Yeah, no one has ever said that to me besides football scouts. My parents are very busy people and never really had time for me. The only time my dad acknowledged me was when I had a football in my hand.”

It’s like you could physically feel your heartache. You were fortunate enough to grow up with parents who supported you in everything you did. Even though Baekhyun had an envied lifestyle to most what went on behind closed doors was heartbreaking. You reached across to hold his hand in yours. His eyes found yours and your gaze held. “You have more value than you think.”

With his eyes still fixated on you, he gave a cheeky smile. “When it's coming from you I believe it.”

Dinner came to a close and you offered to split the check with him but he refused and paid for it in full. You were the kind of person who didn’t like when people paid for you. It made you feel dirty, maybe it was just the way you were raised. So to set things equal you offered to pay for games at the arcade. Baekhyun didn’t seem to mind it. The arcade wasn’t a far walk from where you had dinner so you decided to just walk. It was a bit chilly outside due to the fact that it was early March and you were in a skirt. A shiver ran over you which was picked up on by Baekhyun. He took off his overcoat and put it on you. You gave him a small thank you and held the jacket close. It smelled like strawberries a familiar scent of Baekhyun’s. His hand had grazed yours more often than not and eventually, he took your hand in his and laced his fingers through your own. The gesture was a little surprising but it gave you some added comfort and warmth you didn’t know you needed. The walk was quiet and when you arrived at the arcade you got $20 worth of coins to use between the both of you. Baekhyun was instantly drawn towards the shooting games and you weren’t the least bit shocked since you were aware of his love for PUBG. You agreed to play against him even if you lacked the skills but why not try and give him a run for his money. As expected he beat you and even though you knew he would you still gave a small pout.

“How about basketball?” Baekhyun suggested.

“I suck but I guess we could try it.” You said being a good sport.

You lied, you were amazing at arcade basketball. After losing to your dad for 17 years you got tired and decided to dedicate yourself to get good and you did. You just wanted to play around with Baekhyun and see how big his ego could get. When you won him 78-56 it was his turn to pout.

“You hustled me,” he said upset from his loss.

“I wouldn’t call it hustling. I just told a white lie,” You gave a smug grin with your reply feeling amazing from your win.

Both of you played more games and went back and forth beating each other. You always found a way to redeem yourself after a loss. Eventually, you guys ran out of coins and had to go. You left the arcade the way you came in, hand in hand.

“How the hell are you so good at air hockey?” Baekhyun asked feeling the defeat.

“My dad never let me win so I had to get good.” You shrugged. “What about you? There is no way you can be THAT good at Mario Kart.”

“Me, Chanyeol, and Sehun play it almost every time they come over.”

In the period of time that you guys were walking to the car, you got closer to him. Close to the point where you could rest your head on his broad shoulder. The ride home was peaceful and the music in the back was white noise. But he sang along to a song that came on the radio and his voice was enough to make the smile stayed glued to your face. Your hands still stayed attached even while he was driving. He would turn to you to sing at certain parts which made you blush like a dork. But he only found it cute. You were disappointed when you saw your house in sight. It meant the night was over. Being the gentleman he was, he walked you to your door.

“I really enjoyed tonight.” You hummed in honesty.

“I did too. I hope we can do it again.”

“I’d like that,” you nodded. A big part of you hoped he would kiss you before he left. It felt like a perfect ending to a perfect night. As if he was reading your thoughts he leaned in to connect his lips to yours. It was like you thought, his lips soft and pillowy with enough power to send a shock through your body. The kiss deepened before you both instinctually pulled away when the door opened. You separated from each other when you saw your dad standing in the doorway. Feeling ashamed the two of you looked down, avoiding eye contact with your dad at all costs.

“You must be Baekhyun,” his low voice rumbled making Baekhyun even more nervous.

Your date looked up with an awkward smile on his face, “Yes I am sir.” He was being so formal. He stuck his hand out for a handshake from your father to which he accepted.

“I hope you treated my daughter well. I’m happy you had her home when you promised.” His grip on Baekhyun not letting up. “In the future, I hope you keep it up.”

Baekhyun nodded rapidly in response and tried to pull his hand away. You noticed his hand being squeezed and put a stop to it. “Dad Baekhyun was just leaving.”

Your dad let go and Baekhyun immediately took his sore hand and tried to shake the pain off. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

You waved goodbye and stepped into the house before your dad closed the door. As soon as it closed you looked at him with a serious glare.

“I think he likes me,” your dad joked.

You groaned and stomped upstairs. You were too preoccupied with the whole debacle downstairs that you forgot to give Baekhyun his jacket. You shrugged and decided to give it back on Monday. After removing all your makeup and settling down in comfortable closed you laid in bed just thinking about everything that happened tonight. If someone had told you that you would be going on date with Byun Baekhyun you would have laughed in their face. The Baekhyun you met was different from the Baekhyun you saw tonight. You noticed a light change over the time you have been with him. He was more open and optimistic about things. At one point in your after-school rendezvous, you considered him a friend. Then you thought about everything he told you tonight and how vulnerable he made himself, just for you. You didn’t want to get your hopes up but you could see this going somewhere and you did not mind it one bit.

The dates became more frequent and less extravagant. Baekhyun knew you weren’t the kind of girl who was about the glitz and glam. It was a change of pace from the girls he was with before you. You were the kind of girl who took pleasure in the simple things in life. You liked going to the park and just relaxing on a blanket while you guys talked. You liked going on those duck boats where you could just laugh and enjoy. You liked car rides where you both could sing along to the radio. To put it in simple terms, you liked being with Baekhyun. Wherever he was you were smiling and having a good time. There was one date that stuck out from the others. It was your 10th date, you guys had just got back from a very fun time at the roller rink. Up until this point Baekhyun had never tried to make a move on you. He wanted you to know that he wasn’t into you for those reasons. You appreciated that he always prioritized your comfort. The night was still young and he invited you into his house. It wasn’t the first time you’ve been there. Both of you sat and talked about the events of the night and how you kept falling down. He seemed to get a kick out of it. His parents weren’t there and it wasn’t surprising. Baekhyun practically lived alone and it saddened you a bit. Baekhyun was still mocking you about your hard time at the rink and you pouted. He apologized and gave you a peck to make it better. You still pouted wanting to get more kisses from him. He fell for it and somehow you ended up on his lap with your tongue battling his for dominance. His hands had a firm grip on your waist while your hands were tangled in his hair. Unexpectedly you grind your hips down on his which emitted a moan from his lips. You pulled away with bruised lips.

“You’re playing a dangerous game here baby,” his voice low and rough which only worked in sending a tingle through you.

You smirked knowing exactly what you were doing. You moved your lips to the shell of his ear. “And what do I get if I win the game?”

“What do you want?” Baekhyun asked with a raised brow.

You gave him a look of seduction, “You.”

“Then let the games begin.”

It was unclear what the game was exactly but that didn’t stop you. You got off his lap to instead get on your knees between his legs. His bulge was apparent to you and you bit your lip in excitement. Your fingers worked on undoing his button and zipper but before your hands could pull down his pants to free his member his hand stopped you.

You looked up in confusion.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” This was a first, Baekhyun normally didn’t care about how things unfolded between him and his other partners but with you, he needed to know that you wanted this as much as he did.

“I’m sure,” you said with a brief nod before going back to what you were doing beforehand.

This wasn’t your first rodeo. You had experience but Baekhyun had more. It intimidated you. What if you weren’t as good as others? What if you couldn’t please him? But you put your worries aside and decided to give it your best. Both his pants and underwear were off and it left his erect cock out in the open. You now knew why girls kept coming back. Your hand gripped his length and began pumping it his precum spreading around the tip. Baekhyun let out a string of moans as you worked your hand up and down. You decided to take it up a notch and wrap your lips around it. That was the key you needed to unlock the Baekhyun you wanted to see tonight. He moved your hair from your face as you took him in deeper and deeper to the point where you could feel him in the back of your throat.

“You look so beautiful with my cock in your mouth.” He provoked you to continue. Your hand and mouth worked together to bring him to the edge. “Fuck baby I’m gonna cum if you keep doing that.” That’s when you pulled away.

You wiped the sides of your mouth, “If you are cumming anywhere it’s inside me.”

That flipped a switch, he pulled you up and quickly brought his lips to meet yours. “I need you now.” Desperation oozing.

“Then take me.”

That was all he needed to lift you up and bring you up to his room. You squealed at the sudden action but you were ready for what was to come. Literally. You were still fully clothed but Baekhyun changed that real quick. He discarded every piece of clothing you had on leaving you bare in front of him. Normally you’d feel embarrassed but Baekhyun made you feel beautiful in your own skin. He followed after and removed his clothes as well. It was dark and the only source of light you got came from the beaming moon. Baekhyun was working on making a hickey museum on your neck. His lips trailed down your body further and further till it got to your dripping core. Normally you would have loved for him to ravish you with his lips but the only thing you wanted right now was his dick. Before he could swipe his tongue over your folds you pulled him up.

“I just want you tonight,” you said looking into the eyes you began to adore as time went on.

He reached over to his nightstand and pulled out a condom. You were on the pill but it was nice to know that he was safe. A little extra precaution wouldn’t hurt. His lips found yours again and he passionately kissed you before he slowly pushed himself into your entrance. The stretch was sensational, he fits you perfectly. His thrusts were slow which Baekhyun wasn’t used to. He was more of a fast paced, hard, and dirty kind of man. But this time he wanted to savor every moment with you. He wanted to make it pleasurable for both of you. His name never sounded as beautiful than it did now when you were saying it. He picked up the pace a little which drove you crazier. You didn’t need to say it for him to know you were close. His hand reached between your bodies and began to rub your clit to give you what you needed to bring you to that state of euphoria. After a couple more thrusts you were coming done around him, your breathing ragged as you whispered his name. Baekhyun wasn’t finished yet but you knew what he needed. His erection kept going as your pussy clenched around it. He didn’t last long after that. He unloaded himself in the condom and finished with kisses between your breasts and face. The room was filled with heavy breathing and the smell of sex. He pulled out and rolled over to lay beside you. He took off the condom and threw it in the trash by his bed.

You and your body were exhausted. You turned over on your side to face Baekhyun. He still managed to look breathtaking. He was tired as well. You didn’t want to make him drive you home and quite frankly you didn’t want to leave either. It was a good thing your parents were out of town for their anniversary. The timing was amazing. Baekhyun was struggling with staying up. His eyes kept drifting in and out of consciousness. Meanwhile, you just laid there admiring him and how adorable he looked. His shaggy hair blocked his eyes slightly so you gently moved it. Being this close you could see all his moles that marked his beautiful face. You traced them like it was some game of connecting the dots. He must have been asleep because he made no complaint. This sight was something you treasure. You felt like you could fall asleep like this every day. This is what falling felt like. It felt like the world was just the two of you. You had fallen and you didn’t want to get up.

“I love you.” You whispered to yourself even though it was meant for him.

Just as you were about to follow after him and sleep you heard his soft voice. “I love you too.”

[spn-ficfanatic]

How To Save A Life (Ch. 2)

Chapter 2 of 2 (Ch.1 HERE)

Summary: The events of the day-from-hell catch up to you and Dean, helping you realise your true feelings for one another

Characters: Reader x Dean, Sam

Chapter Word Count: 2664

Genre: Flangst

Warnings: Swearing

The ride back to the motel was quiet. Sam and Dean shared glances at you in the backseat where you insisted you sit, and after a while you just shut your eyes so you didn’t have to see it anymore. You hated the concern in their eyes, the pity. You hated the image of Dean or Sam having to breath life back into you, of them having to pump your heart in a desperate attempt to bring you back to life. It embarrassed you and you wished for nothing more than the ground to swallow you whole.

The car stopped and the engine cut off, and you opened your eyes to find you were back at the motel. Gently you lifted yourself from your seat, walking to the door slowly. You were starting to ache all over, you didn’t remember a time that you had felt so horrible.

“So you can take one of the beds Y/N, I’ll crash on the couch tonight,” Dean told you, grabbing his wallet from the counter. “I’ll be back in a bit.” Before you could even take your shoes off he was out the door.

“Was it something I said?” you asked Sam dryly, and he gave a lopsided grin.

“He’s getting us some food and beer, he’ll be back in 20 or so. Jump in the shower, I’ll bandage that wrist for you once you’re dressed.”

“I can do it, ’s fine,” you responded quickly, and before he could argue you were already in the bathroom and shutting the door.

Finally you were alone, though sometimes having only your brain for company was worse than anything else. You turned on the water, knowing the hot took a while to start coming through, and began undressing. With a busted wrist and 3 busted ribs (you’d counted in the car) the process was agonisingly slow and painful, but eventually you were under the warmth of the shower. You had been half expecting to have some sort of PTSD episode the next time you even touched water but instead this was glorious. You closed your eyes and let the warm water run through your hair, down your back and front as it washed away the cold salty remnants of your dip in the ocean. With it you hoped the memories would wash away also but a flash of the merman’s face as he dragged you under proved otherwise. You opened your eyes in an instant and his face was still in front of you, staring at you and laughing. You knew he was dead, Dean promised you as much in the car back to the motel. You shut your eyes tight and opened them again, grateful to find he was gone and only the god-awful green bathroom tile stared back at you.

Your heart was racing, your brain felt like it was ready to implode, and before you realised what was happening you punched the tile in front of you, right where that snarky bastard’s face was a moment earlier. When you didn’t feel the pain you couldn’t help but do it again, and pretty soon you had made a bit of a mess of both the wall and your good hand. A loud knocking at the bathroom door pulled you out of it, and you looked up with wide eyes, trying to catch the breath you hadn’t realised you’d lost.

“You ok Y/N?” Sam called out, clearly trying to hold back on his panic for you but failing.

“I-I’m fine Sam, sorry,” you told him, your voice somehow both shaky and strong at the same time. You watched the door handle like a hawk, hoping he wouldn’t come in to check on you himself, and sighed in relief when you saw his shadow from under the door move away.

Surveying the damage, you were bummed to find your previously good hand was now in worse shape than your sprained one. You ran it under the water shakily, a mixture of blood and water running down your arm. Thankfully you hadn’t broken any bones, but you would definitely be nursing it for about as long as your sprained wrist. You checked the tile next, and kicked yourself when you saw the damage you’d caused. The poor owner of your stolen credit card was going to get a rude shock when the bill came in.

Resigned to the fact you couldn’t stay in the bathroom forever, you finished rinsing off without allowing any further distractions and carefully wrapped yourself in your towel before braving Sam’s wrath.

“Errr…” you started as you stepped into the room. Sam looked up from his laptop, looking concerned. You started to wonder if that expression would forever be glued to his face when he looked at you from now on. “Sorry about the mess. Really. I don’t know what happened.”

Sam nodded, eyes instinctively going to your hand. He stood and came to you, and lifted it gently to his eyeline.

“Don’t worry about it. Dean and I have punched a motel wall or two,” he told you with a tight smile. “I’m just sorry you hurt your good hand in the process. Definitely gonna need me to wrap it for you now huh.”

“Yup. And it’s gonna make bathroom visits a joy for the next couple of weeks,” you huffed out a laugh. He smiled unenthusiastically in return before stepping away.

“Shall I do it for you now, or would you rather dress first?”

“Oh, clothes are good. You shower, I’ll be ready for you when you get out,” you told him with a smile, trying to make it look genuine so he would stop with the pity party. Didn’t work.

“Alright, be out shortly,” he told you, placing his hand on your shoulder and patting it before heading into the bathroom and closing the door. You sighed a breath of relief and ambled over to the bed you’d be sleeping in for the night, sitting down.

“Take your time Sammy, really,” you shouted before he could turn the water on, and you hoped he got the message. The shower turned on and you relaxed, letting the towel fall to the mattress before starting the dressing process.

You got as far as pants before realising that you wouldn’t be able to put your bra on alone. Didn’t seem like you would be going out again today anyway so you slipped on a loose shirt to wear for the night, and gently lay yourself down on your tummy across the bed. You honestly hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but as soon as your eyelids closed your body took control and within a minute you were out for the count.

Dean half expected Sam to be wrapping your wrist when he walked in, so he made no attempt to enter the room quietly. Juggling bags of food and drink he used his foot to awkwardly kick the door open as he stumbled through the threshold and put them down on the nearby dining table. He’d heard the shower the second he’d stepped in, and looking around he spotted you laying across the bed. His heart started to race, and while he didn’t want this to now be the first reaction he’d have every time he saw you unconscious the events of the day were still too fresh in his mind.

“Y/N?” he called out, part of him not wanting to be too loud in case you were asleep, the other part hoping to wake you up immediately.

He approached the bed slowly, honestly scared of what he might encounter when he reached you. He couldn’t see you breathing, you were face down so the rise and fall of your chest was impossible to see, and you weren’t snoring like you sometimes did. It drove him crazy but god-damn it he would give anything to hear you snort in your sleep right now. Standing above your head, he reached down and with a shaky hand he felt for your pulse on your wrist. He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt a strong steady pulse under his fingers, and could have cried when you moaned slightly and shuffled your legs into a more comfortable position. He frowned when he spotted your knuckles though; gently he sat down on the mattress next to you and lifted your hand to inspect the damage.

“Dammit Y/N,” he muttered in disapproval, and as the shower turned off he decided to get Sam’s dinner ready before tending to your wounds.

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

You weren’t sure at first if you were waking up or still dreaming. You could feel someone holding your hand. Wait, no, not holding. Wrapping. Ah yes, you threw a hissy over dying for a few minutes and punched in the bathroom wall with your sole-functioning hand in retaliation to the universe. Smart move Y/N.

“You should tell her how you feel man,” Sam was saying through a mouthful of food, and while you knew eavesdropping was a big no-no the context of the conversation you’d woken up to was much too tempting to ignore.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about Sammy,” Dean replied like the stubborn ass he is, and if you’d been properly awake you’d have rolled your eyes.

“Sure you don’t. Because it’s not like I’ve seen you two together for the last 20 or so years. Not like I didn’t know about the kiss you two shared, or the night you’d spent together 2 months ago. I mean, it’s not like we know EVERYTHING about each other Dean,” Sam replied sarcastically, and you nearly giggled.

“Wait… seriously? You knew about that?” Dean replied with surprise.

“Ha. Yer Dean, the whole motel knew about it,” Sam laughed, taking a sip of his drink.

“Huh. Damn.”

“So cummon, when will you tell her? Because if her nearly dying wasn’t enough motivation for you I don’t know what else will be.”

“Look it’s not... it’s not that simple. So just drop it, OK?”

You heard Sam scoff, but the conversation didn’t continue and after a few minutes you decided it was time to open your eyes. Your eyelids fluttered open, your sight adjusting to the bright light in the room before settling on Dean.

“Hey you,” you told him, your voice hoarse and your throat sore. He looked at you with surprised wide eyes, and his face lit up when he saw you were awake.

“Hey yourself, you doing ok?” he asked you, his voice a little gruff.

“Throat’s a little sore,” you shrugged. “Actually I take that back, everything’s a little sore.

You heard Sam shuffle around in the kitchen and soon he was handing you a glass of water and some painkillers. You thanked him as you sat up, ignoring Dean’s offer to help, and drank the water and pills down in one fell swoop.

“I uh, I just remembered I need some new socks. I might head out and get those before we skip town,” Sam commented, and just like that he was out the door and you and Dean were alone. He turned back to your busted hand and clipped the bandage together before reaching for your busted wrist to start wrapping that as well.

“So,” you cleared your throat. “What’s the damage Doc?”

“No broken fingers at least,” he tutted with a frown. “What were you thinking?”

“I was pissed. Don’t get all high and mighty and act like you’ve never punched a wall Dean.”

He sighed and nodded in resignation. “Fair enough. And hey, at least now you’re symmetrical.”

You laughed lightly as he smiled, and you kicked your foot out to tap his hip playfully.

“Shaddap.”

Silence fell as he gently strapped your wrist, which thankfully was already feeling a little less painful thanks to your primo painkiller stash. You watched Dean as he worked and saw the concentration in his eyes as he carefully wrapped the bandage in the right places, making sure it wasn’t too tight but was tight enough to help it heal. You felt his fingers brush against your skin and shivers ran up and down your spine. You felt your heart rate quicken as you saw him lick his lips and, almost on instinct, you felt yourself leaning into him. He looked up at you, his green orbs reflecting in your eyes, and his brow furrowed in confusion.

“Y/N? You alright?” he asked you, reaching up to feel your forehead. “You look a little out of it, are the drugs kicking in?”

You shook your head and cleared your throat, pulling yourself back into your sitting position.

“Sorry, no, I’m fine. Was just thinking is all…”

“What about?” he asked nonchalantly as he turned his attention back to your hand.

Oh fuck it, you thought to yourself. “About kissing you.”

The bandage slipped from his fingers and rolled off the bed, leaving its trail from your wrist to the floor. His eyes shot up to stare at you, looking like a deer in headlights.

“I-I’m sorry, what?” he sputtered, sure he’d misheard you.

You didn’t bother answering, opting instead to show him. You leaned forward again, this time without stopping before your lips were on his. He pulled you closer instantly, breathing you in as he reciprocated the kiss hungrily. He moved closer to you, resting his hand on your back before gently laying you down on the bed.

“Wait, hang on,” he stopped suddenly, holding himself up above you as his arms straddled your torso. “What’s happening right now?”

“I heard you before,” you admitted, feeling your cheeks redden. “And it’s not as complicated as you think it is.”

He frowned, and before you could stop him he pulled away and sat on the bed next to you.

“Dean, cummon.  You say it’s not that simple but I don’t understand what’s so hard about it,” you argued.

“You’ve been with us long enough Y/N,” he said quietly, looking at his hands. “You know what happens to the women Sam and I love.”

Your heart jumped to your throat, but realising that he didn’t notice what he’d actually confessed to you, you pushed on.

“Yer ok, they die. Guess what Dean? I just died, like, an hour ago.”

“Yer I know, I was there,” he replied angrily.

“Yes you were. And I dunno about you but I wasn’t dating you when that happened. Shit happens Dean, regardless of whatever our relationship is. If you hadn’t been there, I still woulda jumped into that water to save the kid. The only difference is that you and Sam wouldn’t have been there to save my life. Did you ever think for a second that perhaps we’re good for each other, instead of assuming the worst?”

Dean didn’t answer, instead looking down at his hands and furrowing his brow as he pondered what you’d said.

“If I’d lost you today...” he started, his voice cracking.

“But you didn’t,” you interrupted. “And I might lose you one day, or Sam. Or maybe both, heck knows you two like to do everything together.”

Dean huffed out a laugh despite himself and you smiled in response. You ran your fingers through his hair, your nails scratching his scalp lightly, and he let out a soft moan.

“Stop worrying about what could be. We’re alive now, so let’s live. We’ll worry about the end when it comes, and based on statistics we’ve got at least another 3 years before I die again.”

Dean looked up, his eyebrow raised. “That’s not funny,” he scolded you, the hint of a smile in the corner of his lips betraying him.

You shrugged feigning innocence. “It’s a little funny.”

“Oh you think so?” he told you, all pretense now gone as he grinned and leaned over you, pressing his lips to yours.

You hummed and nodded in agreement as you let life happen... At least until Sam came back with his new socks.

My Masterlist

Tag Lists (Open)

“Dean/Jensen” taglist: @lilydarcy (won’t tag *SOB*), @mrsambroserollinsacklesmgk​, @perpetualabsurdity​

“Everything” taglist: @angelsandwinchesters​, @grace-for-sale​, @growningupgeek​, @iamnotsaneatall​, @nanie5​, @waywardasfudge​, @ronja-uebrick, @im-dead-inside05​, @julzdec​, @adoptdontshoppets​, @meghanbeinghappy​, @sleepylunarwolf​ , @sammysgirl1997​, @imaginationisgrowth​

[riverdalexreader-blog]

Hidden / Jughead Jones x Reader

HIDDEN / JUGHEAD JONES X READER Word Count: 1675 Warnings: Profanity, mention of drug abuse. PROMPT: The reader (fem) is Cheryl’s younger sister. She is also Jughead’s secret girlfriend. They keep it private in fear of Cheryl and her parents’ reactions, but one day Cheryl catches them. (Request)

You ran through Eversgreen Forest, your boyfriend Jughead in hot pursuit behind you. You screamed as you looked behind your back and realised how close he really was, causing you both to laugh and pick up pace.

Sooner than you would have liked, you reached the bank of Sweetwater River and instantly screeched to a halt so as not to plunge yourself straight into the water. Jughead crashed right into you, almost knocking you in himself, but he caught you at the last moment and spun you around to be staring into his brilliant blue eyes.

“Looks like I’ve caught you.” he grinned, pulling you further from the river’s edge and onto the stable land.

“Looks like you have. But it’s okay. You’re not as bad as I thought.” you teased him.

“Whatever Blossom,” he laughed and sat down next to one of the trees, beckoning you to sit next to him.

“Blossom? Okay, Jones.” you kicked some of the dirt away from the area of forest undergrowth next to Jughead and lowered yourself down.

“You can’t get your pretty little Vixen outfit dirty can you?” he chaffed.

“Shut up.”

“You know I love you really.” he put his arms around you and pulled you close to him. You leaned on his shoulder and watched the river water flow by, the peaceful tranquillity of the situation bringing you immense comfort.

Both of you spoke to each other, joked and had just a genuinely good time in each other’s presence. You couldn’t believe how lucky you were. It was in Riverdale High’s library when you met Jughead. Being in the year below him, you shared no classes but the pair of you did share this one free period on a Tuesday morning.

You would spend each of these periods in the library studying and catching up on homework. Occasionally Jughead would be in there too, sitting at the same table in the corner, typing something up on his laptop with a to-go drink from Pop’s by his side.

One day, however, he broke this pattern. As you highlighted keywords for an upcoming history test, you heard the chair on the opposite side of the table scrape against the floor. You looked up and saw Jughead sitting across from you.

“Mind if I join you?” he asked. You flashed a brief look at his usual corner table, assuming it had been taken by one of the other students. It hadn’t.

Nonetheless, you accepted and he stayed in his seat, pulling out an actual textbook and not his laptop you were so used to seeing him on. The mutual studying stopped soon after it started and conversation broke out between you two.

The period ended and he left for his next class, leaving you in the library smiling to yourself. Despite the fact you had just met him, there was something about Jughead Jones that you loved. So you decided to ask your older sister in his year about him.

Bad idea.

“Jughead Jones?” she scowled at the mention of his name, “That hobo? He’s really weird and he comes from the Southside, ew. Why?”

“No reason, I just heard his name today, that’s all...”

Your family’s views of the Southside and its residents didn’t change your opinion on Jughead. When next Tuesday rolled around, you eagerly dashed to the library in hopes that Jughead would be joining you again. That’s where you found him already sitting at the table with not only his Pop’s drink but one sitting across from him in your seat too.

“You got me this?” you asked when you reached the table.

“Yeah. I didn’t know what to get you so I just got a cherry soda because you’re a Blossom,” he explained.

“More of Cheryl’s thing, but I still like it.” you giggled and sipped at the drink.

Once again the study period deteriorated into a chatting period. Things continued like this until you and Jughead decided to start meeting up outside of school.

It was a summer’s evening and you were sitting around the back of Pop’s with him when he asked you out. You accepted happily. Because of your family’s views, you decided to keep it quiet for your own safety, you could never be too sure what they would do even to their own daughter.

Which brought you to where you were now. Sitting in his arms in the forest, laughing at one of his sarcastic little jokes and then leaning in. Eyes closed. Slightly chapped lips meeting yours. Sensations of joy spreading throughout your body and knowing you could do this forever and ever but-

“Y/N?” the voice was oh so familiar and you didn’t even have to open your eyes and turn around to see who it was.

“Cheryl- I-” you began but was cut off immediately afterwards.

“Jughead Jones? Seriously? Even after what you’ve been taught about the type of criminals on the Southside? After what his father did to JJ?”

“No, Cheryl-”

“And here? The bank of Sweetwater River. Where that gang crawling with crackheads and criminals, that he’s,” she pointed a finger at Jughead, “Probably a part of snatched him snatched him up and killed him? I can’t believe you.”

With that, Cheryl turned swiftly on her heel and stormed out, disappearing behind the trees.

You wanted to run after her but something held you back. Tears welled in your eyes at the mention of Jason, Cheryl’s fury and her disapproval of your relationship.

Jughead took action immediately, “It’s okay,” he cooed, “She’ll come around.”

She’ll come around. That’s what Jughead had told you. But, no matter how much you wanted to trust his judgement, you didn’t think she was going to.

It had been weeks since the run in at Eversgreen and Cheryl still seemed furious. You sat next to your mother at the dining table, Cheryl across from you. She gave you dirty looks as you ate and at that moment something snapped.

Anger rushed through your body. Why was she giving you such a hard time? She should be happy for you. Basically your entire life she had insisted on finding you a boyfriend, but now you finally had one she was disapproving and cruel. You understood she was upset about Jason, you were too. But that was FP, not Jughead.

You didn’t want to cause a scene in front of your mother and Nana Rose so you bit back your words and rose from the table, claiming you weren’t hungry anymore and going back to your room.

About ten minutes later you heard Cheryl go into her room across from yours and took this as your chance to give a piece of your mind. You strode into the room, slamming the door shut behind you and before she could even open her mouth exploded into a rant.

“Cheryl, I want to know why you’re so pissed off at me for nothing!” she opened her mouth but you cut her off, “Don’t even begin to speak. Yours and mom’s and every other Blossom’s derogatory views of the Southside need to stop. It’s literally a side of town. Yeah, there are more criminals, but that’s because us Northsiders treat them like shit so much that they just resort to gang violence and crime instead of trying out life. Instead of helping, people like our family and that Alice Cooper and even the fucking mayor of Riverdale just keep taking shots at them even though they’re already down.”

You paused for a second but Cheryl stayed silent. You continued.

“And Jason. I loved him just as much as you did. So why am I dating Jughead? Because his father helped do what happened to Jason, not him. He had no part in it. I want you to be happy for me Cheryl, I want to be like how we used to be. But if you’re gonna keep degrading Jug then forget it because he makes me the happiest girl in Riverdale and doesn’t deserve you constantly degrading him.”

Similarly to how Cheryl did a few weeks ago, you turned around and headed back to your room, leaving Cheryl in a stunned silence.

It was a few days after your eruption at Cheryl when she came to your room.

She walked in, sat at the end of your bed and begun speaking.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said, Y/N. And- well- you’re right. Even though I never particularly liked Jughead I should at least be happy for you. Which is why I am going to give him a chance.”

You were shocked.

“I’m sorry for the way I acted and the way I've been treating you these past few weeks, Y/N. Please, forgive me.”

“I forgive you.”

And that was that. The feud was over. Finally, you felt at peace. The next few hours were spent in your room discussing all the events that had taken place in each other’s lives in the weeks that you were arguing.

When you went to sleep that night, you smiled to yourself. You finally had your sister back.

From that day on, everything improved. You could now be more public about your relationship with Jughead and even invite him over to your house without worrying about being walked in on.

Cheryl and Jughead had reached this awkward stage between strangers and friends. Although they were wary of each other still, you were happy with their friendship because it was better than you would have ever expected to happen.

Cheryl was the one to open the door when it was sharply rapped three times.

“Oh, hi Cheryl, is Y/N in?” it was Jughead, wearing his signature beanie and S shirt.

“Yeah, just wait here a sec,” she said and walked back into the house, calling up the stairs for you.

You ran down and thanked her, said goodbye and left the house, hand in hand with Jughead, excited for the date that was about to commence and happy that you didn’t need to be hidden any longer.

[wonderlustlucas]

joie de vivre - kim yugyeom

⇢ prompt “What an odd individual. What an odd joy.” ⇢ pairing yugyeom x female reader ⇢ word count 10.7k ⇢ genre fluff & comedy ⇢ warnings swearing & a gross amount of fluff ⇢ summary (i couldn’t come up w a summary but camille did so here u go heheh) In this sweet and relatable story of hopeful romance and inner girl power, you find yourself meeting and getting to know the effervescent boys of GOT7. With exotic food orders and the unmistakable heart-fluttering that defines young love, Joie de Vivre delivers a humorous and cleverly fun take on the awesomeness of your favorite K-pop stars.—beach!au ⇢ a/n wow i can’t believe i’m finally posting this. since july i have deserted & gone back to this damn chapter so many times & i’m just so happy i can finally post it. nevertheless, considering it’s almost christmas & i have zero summer vibes left, this is probably going to be on hold for a looong time since i have so many autumn & winter inspired works i wanna write, so i apologize for the tease. i’d also like to give a big shoutout to my friend camille who edited this for me (along with helping me in various other ways) since i didn’t have time:) & last but not least, i wanted to have this up for yugyeom’s birthday but couldn’t make time, so happy belated birthday to my love, i hope your year is full of all the happiness in the world❥

i ii iii iv v vi vii

moodboard

Contrary to all the whining and complaining that ensues at the start of each grueling summer year, it truly is the beginning of the most thrilling months.

A time when, despite the startlingly tremendous surge of obnoxious, vape-induced teenagers hoarding the boardwalk like flies drawn to an outdoor barbeque, and the influx of ignorant young children flopping through the ocean waves like they are training to become fish, there is always a milieu of genuine elation hanging in the air.

This constant joy—whether it is emanating from the relaxation that oozes from unwinding vacationers flooding the beach and boardwalk, continuous hours wasted away doing nothing and days melting into one another, or simply the enkindling of town—makes up for all the downsides that arise with the start of summer.

Over years of enduring this unnamed cycle of life, you have come to appreciate that there are four types of joy; the expected, the unexpected, the habitual, and the unknown.

The expected—a joy with which you are familiar and the elation it will give you.

The unexpected—aware of the plan, but not expecting the joy that will result from it.

The habitual—occurring so frequently that, while still appealing, is more of a routine rather than a new and exciting experience.

And the unknown—any choice resulting in a different ending, a different joy.

However, despite recognizing these, the unknown sort of joy is the most enigmatic because, named for this specific reason, you never know when it is happening or when it will be.

Even so, one such occurrence is most certainly not a habitual joy. Rather, a royal pain in your ass: when Kim Jinae, in an effort that you could never grasp entirely, decides to wake not only herself but also the two of you up at a time that you should most definitely still be dead asleep nearly every day during your months off.

“You know,” you huff, deeply inhaling the morning ocean hair to fill your lungs. Your body is sagging in sheer exhaustion as you follow her peppy steps—how is she still so fired up?—a few feet behind, sneakers skidding lazily against the worn wood of the boardwalk. "I really miss when your shift was in the morning, and we worked out at night. I hope you know I hate you for guilt-tripping me into this."

Jinae scoffs, coming to a stop and whipping around. “I’m sorry, but who wants to spend the whole damn day down at the beach? And who guilt-tripped who into switching shifts?”

You huff heavily, accepting defeat because she's right, but you would never tell her. You look away to peek at the waves approaching the shore nearly a football field away that reflect apricots and azaleas on the horizon from the remaining sunrise. Your irritated thoughts are replaced with the wonder of today’s plan. “Speaking of, what are we doing today?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugs. You make a mental note to never ask her anything again because—Lord knows—Jinae is zero help. “I assumed we were just doing the usual.”

You sigh, following her silently down the wooden steps from the boardwalk, the ocean now faintly hushed behind you. You wipe away a bead of sweat dripping down from your hairline. “Can you make breakfast before I have to leave?”

Jinae mutters something under her breath, then twists around to face you. “You’re a real brat, you know?”

You beam. “Learned it from the best.”

Your first joy, practically your best friend since you could walk, quite possibly your soulmate—Kim Jinae.

While some days do in fact seem to drag on endlessly, working only four hours a day and four days a week during the summer months is a bargain worth paying for and an opportunity sent by the heavens. It pays what your parents don’t, you tell yourself when service is slow and customers bark at you as if you’re the one doing the cooking. A little extra in the cookie jar, you whisper under your breath after covering eight tables at once, shifting uncomfortably in your uniform as perspiration dribbles down your spine while darting from the sweltering kitchen to each consecutive table.

However, most days seemingly fly by. After all, eight to twelve are prime breakfast hours, and so the quaint diner is not half as cruel as some prior jobs. Not to mention, it is right on the boardwalk, which makes meeting up with Jinae for the rest of the day well spent at the beach even simpler.

Upon setting down the check for your last table and offering a polite farewell, you scan the room curiously until, after a few seconds of concern, your gaze lands on a certain busboy setting down silverware on a recently cleaned booth. "Hey Markipooh," you coo, greeting the unacceptably gorgeous brunette and sliding across the tiled marble floor to stand beside him and to help finish laying out paper placemats.

Mark Tuan—the Devil in Disguise. During your first few days at the new job, you were quietly aware of the only other employee that took advantage of the locker room, initially an exceptionally attractive blonde who had not even graced you with a glance since you started.

That was, until hardly a week later, you found yourself packing up for the day when he entered to do the same.

“Woah, you’re a brunette now.” It slipped out before your brain could truly even process the sentence, gears positively malfunctioning in your head because God, he’s hot but God, you’re an idiot. He blinked, running a hand through his darkened locks and eyeing you curiously for an agonizingly long heartbeat before he straightforwardly said, “It’s pink, actually.”

Oh, so he’s sarcastic. “Hilarious,” you retorted, watching curiously as he made way for his own locker. “I’m glad to see that you do in fact talk, though.”

He laughed lightly, a percussion that made your heart soar. He disregarded a chiming notification from his phone to stare intensely back at your inquiring gaze, saying, “Is that what keeps you up at night? Whether or not your incredibly hot co-worker is mute?”

You wrinkled your nose. “Don’t flatter yourself, you're not that special.”

And so, it came to be that the busboy was not who he seemed to be. Like two puzzle pieces that fit together seamlessly, you clicked with Mark so quickly that even Jinae seemed to impatiently grow jealous. Tirelessly cunning, Mark is a perfect force against your own quick-wittedness. However, he is a precious munchkin of a boy when he wants to be. The fact that he has not only been to but has lived in so many places in the span of twenty-four years, plus his expansive knowledge of more languages than you could ever possibly grasp, has heartily drawn you in until, you have realized your second joy—Mark Tuan.

And here you are, hardly two months later.

Instead of replying verbally, Mark only glares at you coldly before, finally, "You're going to use that against me for the rest of my life, aren't you?"

You grin mischievously at the mathematics major—well, the mathematics major working on his Master’s, as he likes to remind you at every chance that presents itself—and follow him once he makes way to the otherwise empty locker room.

“Probably,” you chuckle while slipping the suffocatingly hot sneakers off your feet. You check the door behind you once more before peeling your top and bra off and replacing them with the navy-blue bathing suit top shoved haphazardly into your locker. You add, “It’s really funny seeing you get annoyed.”

“It’s really funny seeing you get annoyed,” Mark mimics under his breath, voice uncharacteristically high to impersonate your own, as you slip a plain tee-shirt from high school over your head. “I had to become friends with the spawn of Satan, of all people.”

You laugh, shimmying out of your pants and underwear and swiftly pulling up the matching bathing suit bottoms. “You know I love you.”

“Nuh-uh,” Mark grumbles from somewhere behind you. You are too preoccupied with trying to fold your clothes as nicely as possible into your bag. He continues, “Don’t pull that shit on me. Just ‘cos you’re a senior now doesn’t mean I’m gonna deal with your crap.”

“Just because you’re a senior now,” you mimic as he had, only he interrupts your shenanigans with a hard punch to your arm as the two of you head outside. “Anyway,” he sighs, ignoring your scowl and pausing to inhale the briny aroma that never seems to leave the thick ocean air, “I don’t know what your plans are, but some of my friends are working at a joint that opened recently, and I was hoping you’d come?”

“Is this just another sneaky plan to hang out with Jinae?” You chuckle, digging into his side with your elbow. He gasps, “Hey! Maybe I’m just being a nice friend.”

“Oh, yeah, a friend,” you snort. At the genuine pout that clouds his expression, however, you stop and hook your arm through his. “Don’t worry, I promised I would be your wingwoman, didn’t I?”

Mark sighs, shrugging. Then he says, “Why couldn’t I have fallen for you instead?”

With a noise of amusement and disbelief that sounds like something between a snicker and a choke, you rest your head against his bicep momentarily before glancing up at him. “You’re too hot for me.”

“Sure, and pigs fly. I’m actually kind of worried that my friends are going to pounce on you.”

You scoff. “Yeah, okay. Speaking of, who are these friends of yours?”

“Oh!” Mark exclaims, visibly brightening, his white teeth dazzling as he smiles. “So there’s six of ‘em. We all ended up meeting each other at the studio for the first dance class.”

“Pause,” you interject, surprised. “They all go to the same school as us?”

He nods eagerly. “They’re all getting their Master’s, too. Youngjae just graduated with Jinae, and I think BamBam is in your class. Yugyeom is a grade below, I believe.”

Your jaw nearly hits the floor. “BamBam? Like, the—”

“The really cute, bubbly loudmouth?”

“Yeah! You’re friends with BamBam?” You gape. What a small world, you think. When you glance up you happen to notice Jinae waving like a madwoman several feet ahead. You wave back, however, Mark’s snort interrupts you. “What?” He says. “Am I not cool enough to be friends with him?”

You giggle. Though it is tempting to agree, you do not feel like delving into a full roasting session. You instead opt for, “No, shut up and stop being insecure. I was just surprised. I never spoke with him, but we had calculus together.”

Mark only hums in agreement. You assume that by reaching Jinae he has suddenly clammed up. You clear your throat. “Jinae! Mark has plans for us!”

Whether Mark notices it or not, you certainly catch the way Jinae’s face brightens, her enchanting brown eyes scrunching in delight. They’re so into one another, you think, just as she gushes, “No way! Let’s go, then! Where at?”

Your gut truly twists as a result of the saccharine sweetness between the two, an indisputable and perpetual attracting force that all people but the pair can recognize. In an instant, you clear your throat after a disgustingly long amount of time passes of them just staring at each other before you end up with a cavity. “C’mon, then. I’m not going to wait all day.”

Mark jolts, turning to you as the apples of his cheeks bloom pink. He scratches the back of his neck. “Yeah—Yeah, let’s go.”

You cannot help the satisfied smirk that comes with him rushing ahead and Jinae positively melting into a pile of mush. You snort, patting her flushed cheeks and following Mark’s speedy path ahead of Jinae’s delayed trailing.

Like most shops and grills lining the boardwalk, JJ’s—as you learned several minutes later once the two bounced back after whatever happened moments ago—is just the same.

With an entirely open entrance, aside from two small table-and-chair sets halfway on the boardwalk and halfway under the ceiling and walls painted butterscotch orange, the grill is squeezed between an unnecessarily expensive jewelry store and a bustling candy shop. The mouthwatering aroma of bulgogi and honey soy filling your senses is a grand contrast to the briny odor from outside. It’s so small you wonder if customers even order to stay, yet it is not cramped in any way—within a space of ten feet, give or take, there is shelving on each set of parallel walls, wide enough to dine at, with two metal chairs tucked in front, a black refrigerator stocked with cold drinks, the counter, which is checkered marble and decorated with a change jar and a vase of snapdragons, is to the right of a sliding barn door painted with doodles of the beach and a lighthouse.

Beyond the counter is a small kitchen with deep fryers to the left and three large aluminum dishes full of fried chicken resting on an island in the middle of the room. The archway that leads to an unknown area occupying the rest of the space is blocked by a plain maroon curtain; with one last scan of the quaint space and another deep inhale, you conclude that, even before tasting anything, this may be your new favorite place to eat.

Your captivated daze is cut short by the voice working behind the counter.

“Mark-hyung!” None other than BamBam calls from his perch on a stool, silver hair pushed up and over his forehead in a messy comma-shaped style. Mark scoffs, “Stop calling me hyung in front of my friends. It makes me feel old.”

“Is that Mark?” Shouts a disembodied voice as BamBam hops from his seat and slides open the drawn-on door. You glance to Jinae, whose baffled expression most certainly mirrors your own, just as said voice bolts over to greet your eldest friend.

“Mark!” Roars an unreasonably attractive brunette, shoving BamBam to the side so roughly that you lean back a bit just to make sure he doesn’t hurt himself.

“Jesus, you guys are so fake. Stop putting on a show. My friends are normal,” huffs Mark, sending the loud newcomer a condescending glare. Just as you begin to think you have gone invisible, he twists to you with a beaming boyish grin that reaches his eyes. “Jackson, BamBam, this is ___,” he says, introducing you and resting his palm on the small of your back. “and Jinae,” he adds.

“Hello!” Shouts another figure who you had not spotted working behind the counter. Like BamBam and this Jackson, he too is classically handsome, and you practically feel your stomach twist into knots at the sudden intensity of it all, not one but four strikingly gorgeous young men—where have they been your whole life?—in one room that is most definitely tinier now, and you cannot breathe, and there’s still three more you have yet to meet?

“Hey.” BamBam’s chirpy voice—having not heard it since sophomore year, you reckon that it matches the sweetness of his facial features—interrupts your short-lived tizzy of emotions. “weren’t you in my calculus class?”

“Yeah, that would be me,” you nod, smiling in response to his own heartwarming grin. “I didn’t know you lived around here.”

“Youngjae?” Jinae’s gasp cuts into BamBam’s potential answer. Evident surprise is laced in her tone as the aforementioned employee rounds the counter. Your gaze flicks back and forth from her and Mark to his three friends, not knowing where to focus. You decide on Jackson—Hell, he’s nice to look at—and find yourself thanking the heavens that fate has made it so Mark entered your life and has ultimately led you to a much too small grill, containing way too many blessed genes all at once.

“You look lost,” says the brunette god himself, catching on to your hazy staring and shuffling to stand beside you, “not that I blame you.” You laugh lightly, dragging your gaze from the distracting way his dark hair falls over his forehead to Jinae and Youngjae bubbling away, something about not having seen one another since graduation, and how they both will be working on their Master’s. Finally you look to Mark, who stands beside BamBam with an expression of delight gracing his features, watching two separate groups of friends intermingle.

“Yeah, this is a bit much,” you admit at last, refocusing on him once the cogs inside your brain begin working again. “I like it, though.”

Jackson grins widely and you positively swoon. He laughs. “Sorry to break it to you, but if you’ve survived three years avoiding Bam, your life is probably going to go downhill from here.”

“Hey!” The plump-lipped model—oh, he could definitely be a model parading down the runway with that face—cuts in, his brows drawn together in mock irritation. You choke, making a noise of surprise when he continues, pulling you into a tight side hug. “This is the beginning of the best chapters of their lives.”

“Keep dreaming, bud,” Mark snorts, slapping his shoulder. You watch from under his chin as BamBam frowns, shooting your friend a glare that could most definitely kill if it weren’t for the dazzling grin that follows.

“Where’s everyone else?” Mark questions as BamBam unwinds his arms from around you—why do they have to be hot and nice?

“Dad and Dad are trying to fix the sink and Yugyeom is...” Jackson says. Rubbing at his bottom lip, he trails off, looking to Youngjae and BamBam. “Where is Yugyeom?”

“I think he went to get chocolate milk,” Youngjae chuckles, dark hair falling over his eye as he does so. “You know how he is.” You look to Jackson, whispering, “Who’s Dad and Dad?”

“Jaebum and Jinyoung. They own this place, plus we’re all pretty certain that they’re an item, so we call them that. They’re in the back,” he explains, nodding to the archway. At this, you hear the muffled noises bustling from behind the curtain that you had not noticed beforehand.

“And Yugyeom?”

“Oh,” Jackson smirks again—trouble—and makes his way back to the counter, “He’s the big ol’ goof. You’ll like him.”

“You guys have bubble tea, right?” Mark changes the subject as Youngjae and BamBam follow Jackson. With them not clustered around you any longer, you take another moment to glance all around, pausing your meandering to glance over the options on the menu. Fried chicken, tacos, rice bowls, kimchi fried riceballs... kimchi cheese fries? You jab your elbow into Jinae's side, nodding to the overhanging menu, "Kimchi cheese fries, dude."

"That's definitely not part of my diet."

"Oh, fuck the diet," you hiss, earning a sharp glare, but you roll your eyes nevertheless.

"No, the bubble tea menu is just there for fun," Jackson snorts, finally responding to Mark’s question and grinning like a madman. Youngjae is howling, smiling so bright you fear his whole jaw may break. "Hilarious," Mark grumbles, turning to you for backup. When he finds you mirroring Jackson's expression, though, he frowns. "This was a mistake."

"Oh, lighten up," you coo, ruffling his parted hair, but he smacks your hand away with a huff. You roll your eyes and look to BamBam, who stands ready for your order. You say, "I'll have a large black milk with tapioca and, uh, hm—a chicken rice bowl."

"Sure," he hums, tapping the screen. "That's gonna be fifteen ninety-one.”

"Make it ten," Jackson butts in, grinning like he just won the lottery. Oh, you're burning up now. You smile to the floor but hide it as you fish for money in your pocket. "Thanks," you manage to croak out, passing the cash to BamBam. After he’s finished, he smacks Jackson on the shoulder, muttering something about his discounts for hot girls putting them out of business, which causes the elder to howl in faux pain while shuffling to the archway to yell back your order. You watch the entire episode with an amused smile that can’t seem to leave your face. You shake your head and at last move to sit on one of the barstools while Jinae orders.

“Should I pay for hers?” Mark whispers, leaning onto the ledge with an expression of apprehension etched onto his face. He chews on his lip. “Yeah, that’s sweet,” you grin, and with an encouraging squish of his cheeks, you push him forward.

You watch, utterly zoned in and praying to every god out there that he does not turn into an awkward pile of mush. The grin can’t seem to leave your face when he steps up beside her and—

“Oh my God, he’s become a man,” says a voice from beside you suddenly. You nearly jump out of your skin, jerking in your seat. “Holy fucking shit!” You wheeze, clapping a hand over your heart but, alas, this does not comfort the additional torment your essential organ faces once you look up to said tormentor.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” the boy-man-squish giggles—he giggles—with pinkpinkpink, heart-shaped lips pulling back to reveal quite possibly the cutest and most endearing smile you have ever seen.

And, just like that, you sit there, dumbfounded, positively enamored by this—this attacker, with every last working brain cell stuttering to a halt to admire him. “Oh,” you laugh—or was that another wheeze?—with a cough, then you clear your throat, squinting in some sort of weak attempt to make eye contact instead of gawking at his windblown, light golden brown hair that, conveniently, falls right into his eyes. However, as soon as you focus on the darkness of his irises, you realize you are totally, unquestionably screwed, lost in the depths of his nearly black eyes—obsidian is a better word—and even though there is nothing astoundingly exceptional or different about him, you simply cannot help feeling absolutely overwhelmed within a matter of seconds.

“That’s okay,” you finally force out. “I just didn’t see you come in.”

He smiles softer this time, and while your heart still jumps at the expression, you force yourself to look back to Mark and Jinae before a heart attack ensues. You come to find you missed whatever proceeded Mark’s initiative. However, judging by the threatening smiles and rosy cheeks, you assume it had to have gone well, and so your interest that's burning like a wildfire to peek at the boy that remains beside you proves to be preeminent.

Upon twisting back around, you take notice to the plastic twenty-two-ounce convenience store cup, full of what looks like chocolate milk, gripped lazily in his hand, an outrageous juxtaposition to his height and strong features. Condensation drips from the bottom and onto the tiled floor. You ask, hardly without thinking, “Are you Yugyeom?”

“That’s me,” Yugyeom hums, eyes scrunching into precious crescents as he smiles. “How’d you know?”

“They were talking about where you were earlier,” you say, waving your hand to the others. “Mentioned chocolate milk, so I assumed that was you.”

“Of course. That seems to be my only known trait,” snorts Yugyeom, sending his friends a condescending glare despite them being deep in their own conversations. You snort out a laugh, covering your mouth with your hand when his eyes fly back to soak in your reaction. You compose yourself, then say, “That’s not true. Jackson called you a goof.”

“Wow,” he sighs, frowning, and you watch with a grin etched onto your face as he slaps a hand over his chest. “What did Jinyoung say? Do I have to kill him?”

Snorting quieter this time, you shake your head. “I haven’t met him, so he didn’t say anything. Homicide is not necessary today, bud.”

Yugyeom beams—fuck, it is so unfair to be this good-looking—lifting his cup up to take a long sip. “Hold up,” he pauses, chewing on the straw, “are you ___?” Upon hearing your name fall from his lips, you sit up straighter in your seat as if being on a name-basis suddenly changes things. “Yeah. How’d you know?”

“Mark has a habit of talking about you and Jinae when he’s with us, seeing that you’re his only other friends,” Yugyeom says proudly, diverting his gaze to the aforementioned boy who is settled beside Jinae at the other seats. He takes another sip of his drink. “Well, it’s mostly about your friend, but I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget how many days he went on about there being a girl in the locker room.”

Your mouth falls open. “No way!”

“Totally serious. He was annoyed about not having the room for himself for a while, but he always whined about you being pretty, and then one day he started complaining about how sarcastic you are and how he can never win with you, so I guess his little crush ended. And then he met Jinae,” Yugyeom explains, grinning mischievously. “And we all know how it is now.”

“I’m—wow,” you whisper, flabbergasted, mostly from the clarification but also, deep down, hearing the unfairly tall boy use the adjective pretty while talking about you. “I’m glad they met, then. He’s too stinky and old for me.”

“Wait, aren’t—”

BamBam’s sudden calling of your name interrupts whatever the blonde was about to ask. You nearly stumble out of the barstool but relax upon realizing he has only placed your order on the counter, ready for you to grab. “I got it,” pipes Yugyeom from beside you and, heart hammering in your chest, you watch with starry eyes as he places his cup beside you before skipping over and taking your tea and a disposable paper bowl from the counter.

“Thanks,” you smile appreciatively as he places the order in front of you. You twist to sit correctly in your seat. Instead of staring at the wall, you watch curiously as the iced chocolate boy shimmies onto the chair next to you. You clear your throat. “You were saying?”

“Hm?—Oh! Yeah, aren’t you in the class above mine?”

You nod, tearing open the chopstick packet and diving right into the dangmyeon and honey soy chicken. “That’s what Mark told me.” You pause, stuffing food into your mouth. “Although, if I were to judge you by your height,” you chew, letting out a mesmerized sigh at the unacceptably delicious flavors,  “I would have thought you were older.”

Yugyeom, smiling charmingly once more, breaks into laughter. “Would you want to try that again without your mouth full?”

You gape, kicking his shin before silently realizing you’re not close enough with him to do that. Grumbling, you say, “What else am I supposed to do when you’re trying to talk to me when I’m eating?”

“Sorry, sorry, I’ll leave you be,” he chuckles to himself, taking a slow sip of his milk, and you look back to your meal, digging down to the rice and prodding tacky clumps into your mouth. Your neck suddenly begins to prickle at the notion that you’re being watched. With another mouthful, you slurp up a dangling noodle before building up the courage to look at the blonde only to find him already watching you intently, a lazy smile softening his features.

“You know,” you say as he raises a brow. You take a sip of your tea for effect, nearly choking on an unexpected tapioca ball. You continue, “A stranger watching you eat is rather uncomfortable, especially when it comes to noodles.”

“What else is there to do? Talk to Mark and his girlfriend?” Yugyeom retorts playfully, nodding to the pair, and you smack yourself when the idea of pushing away a stray strand of hair that falls into his left eye arises. Instead, you follow his gaze to Jinae and Mark cheerfully talking away.

“Point taken. Don’t you work here, or something?”

“I get out at one,” he confirms, chuckling when you oh-so-gracefully miss your mouth. Rice lands on your bare thigh. His gaze trails the grains and, upon realizing your lack of clothing, his cheeks flush cherry red, and you fight back a laugh. Deciding to save him from his internal, middle school boy panic, you continue, checking the time on your phone, “It’s one now. Yet when I got here, you weren’t working.”

“I had to get my iced choco.”

“But… don’t you need to work?”

“Eh,” he twists to look at the three behind the counter. “They don’t need me.”

“I don’t think that’s how jobs work, but okay,” you laugh, picking up the dumpling—Jesus, why is everything so good?—and, panicking over the fact that the conversation is ending, you opt to continue, devouring your meal in silence.

Barely two swallows later, a hand slaps against your shoulder and you drop yet another mound of rice as you lurch in surprise.

“Do you like swimming? In the ocean?”

Jackson, looking way more handsome than your average employee should—you’d love to meet the parents of everyone in this room—grins mischievously down at you, dropping his hand.

“Of course. My parents practically threw me into the sea the day I was born,” you joke, slapping yourself on the back when he rears his head to let out a roaring, high-pitched laugh. “Why?”

“On days when we get out at the same time, we always head down and stay until, like, seven. Do you guys want to come with us?”

“Oh.” Nearly choking on the lack of a response, you twist to look at Yugyeom, who watches with the same gentle smile that has not left his face. You cough, turning back around. “Definitely! That’ll be fun. Who is us, though?”

“Me, Jackson, Youngjae, and Bam,” Yugyeom interjects. Once more you turn and offer him a thankful smile before glancing back to Jackson, then past him to Mark and Jinae still chattering away over their meals like two doves sharing a bird bath. You sigh, half out of the dejection that comes with achieving the role of a third wheel but partially over the greedy realization that this means you may have these new friends to yourself. You clear your throat, glancing back between Yugyeom and Jackson before you say, “Are you the type of guys who like to yell ‘shark’ when we’re swimming?”

Jackson smirks. “Shit, are you not into that?”

Within the span of the time it takes for the foursome to change behind a dumpster outside of the grill and join you on your walk down through the sand, you have come to learn four things.

One—these five boys together are louder than any colony of seagulls fighting over a half-bite of a sandwich (if you have ever been the victim of that scene).

Two—Youngjae and Mark are co-parents to a fur child.

“You’re a dad?” You initially hissed, nearly dropping all the belongings you carried. “Coco is a dog,” Mark sighed, clearly exasperated by your conclusion-jumping. You rolled your eyes. “You never told me you had a dog.”

Three—Mark’s friends have a very in-depth plan to give him and Jinae their final push.

“You have to stay as distant from them as possible. We’re going to be your new best friends,” Jackson whispered once you fell in step beside him. “How do you plan on getting them together?” You whispered back, laughter lacing your tone at the idea of scheming on their future relationship. Jackson paused, blinking. He looked to Yugyeom on your side, who casually shrugged.

“We’ll have to leave during random times so they’re left alone together,” BamBam piped up from beside Jackson, nodding to the aforementioned pair walking ahead.

And four—when you are not used to it, insecurity has the claws of a vulture and the weight of an anchor.

And yet, insecurity may be the wrong word. Whatever it is, it sparks a small fire in your tummy, and butterflies are gradually coming to life at your obvious delay, barely there until you proceed to remove your tee. At this, you are startlingly aware of the quick glances thrown your way, and this is when it grows. Or, were there even glances? Had you imagined it? Yeah, that’s what happened, you tell yourself, laying your blanket onto the lumpy sand with unexpected accuracy that only comes with years of doing so. No, they’re staring, definitely staring. An internal panic—an unknown panic—now a forest fire, heart thumping against a glass ribcage. No, nobody is even looking.

You cast an inspecting glance over your newfound group, all mindlessly busy with their own belongings, until—there it is!—there's a fleeting peek from choco boy. You gulp, catching the way the right side of his mouth quirks up. Once you catch his agonizingly long stare, you look away, focusing on flattening the edges of the blanket until you realize, fuck, your boobs, practically spilling out like the Niagara Falls broadcasted on television for all to see with this position. Scrambling to stand upright—fuck the blanket—you skip on the sunscreen orgy and hurry towards the white blanket of froth that forms as the tide gradually approaches the shore, sighing in relief as your toes come into contact with the nippiness of the waves.

So. That’s what it was. Who it was. Shivering against the waves, you trudge on, dodging a wailing child who stomps madly toward his mother. You sigh blissfully as the burning temperature of your skin—whether it be from your fizzing nerves or from the sun beating down relentlessly—drastically cools once you duck through a wave.

In the past you were able to brush off passing thoughts of those around you, those watching you and possibly judging you, by starting up a conversation with Jinae, and even when Mark began joining you, he was so enamored by her that you knew you had nothing to worry about.

However, this is the first time in years you are at the beach with a group predominantly male.

Pushing back your now saturated hair and kicking your legs to stay afloat, you spin to look for your crowd, squinting at the shore that fades into liquid gold, vivid in the brilliant light, and search through the masses of gaudily colored umbrellas and chairs until you catch sight of your blanket and what looks like Mark practicing a backflip in the sand. Mark, Jinae, Youngjae, BamBam… fuck. Recounting, with your fingers this time, and still coming up with a measly four, you shudder into a silent panic all over again, rifling through the clustered vacationers for two certain boys. However, once you do in fact locate the duo resurfacing after diving with aesthetic synchronization under a wave, it seems to only benefit in their search for you, seeing as the older of the two beams like a star and quickens his pace.

“Thought we lost you there for a second,” Jackson greets. At this, you conclude that you may never get over his smile, and you force yourself to turn to the horizon in order to gather your thoughts. “Well,” you grin, looking between him and Yugyeom, both tanned honey gold from daily exposure to the sun, “You found me.”

“What happened back there? You looked like you saw a ghost,” Yugyeom continues, staring up at him. You wonder whether or not the glint in his eyes is innocent but brush it off as simple, playful banter. “I don’t know,” you lie, shrugging. “I think I just got really hot.”

Jackson hums, oblivious to the unexpected tension that has you longing to swim off to another nation and never return. “Do you think it’ll work?”

Yugyeom shrugs, finally breaking eye contact in order to look to his hyung. “Yeah, I mean, at least in the beginning. Don’tcha think they’ll catch on eventually, though?”

In the midst of focusing on jumping up with the current of the waves, you process their words, realizing you really do not even know what they are talking about. “Does this have to do with Mark and Jinae?”

“Mhm,” Jackson starts. “While we’re here, Bam and Youngjae are conveniently going to take a nap.”

“Oh, smart. You guys are really serious about setting them up, aren’t you?”

“At this rate, they aren’t going to do it themselves,” Jackson chuckles, running a hand through his darkened locks, pushing wet strands back. Your gaze absently follows the action. Barely a heartbeat later, salt water is splashed at your face, stinging at your eyes, but you are quick to squeeze them closed. Upon opening them again, you come to find Jackson, eyes wide and honest, and Yugyeom, biting down on rosy lips to hide his laughter.

“Did you just—” splash.

He does it again!

“Oh, you ass!” You yelp, lunging forward and reaching out for the younger boy’s shoulders. No matter how new of a friend he is, this is war. You fight against the strong tug of the ocean at your body. Cackling like a hyena, Yugyeom dodges your weak attempt of a punch, smacking away your insistent hands and shit, you can’t touch the floor anymore. In a split-second decision, you dive beneath the surface and peel open your eyes as much as you can despite the salty sting prompting you to close them. You swim toward your assailant, wrapping your hands around his leg, just above the knee. When you dig your nails lightly into his skin, you nearly choke on a mouthful of water at just how muscular his thigh is. When he starts to squirm away from your grasp, all mouthwatering daydreams about the thighs your new friend possess disappear, and you regain your pose, releasing his leg for hardly a second, just long enough to dig your fingers instead into his side and resurface.

“Stop!” He whines, thrashing away from your tickling. He splashes more water your way as a result. Once he finally trips over his own feet and his head submerges under an approaching wave you finally relent, backstroking away from him to an amused Jackson. “What a thot,” you grumble, rubbing the sting away from your eyes and warily watching the child as he recovers from your attack. “I met you guys hardly an hour ago and suddenly we’re close enough to beat one another up.”

Jackson shrugs, flicking your shoulder, and you shoot him a warning glare.

“I told you we’re going to have to be your new best friends,” he says.

“You! I could’ve died!” Shouts a bewildered Yugyeom as he swims over, looking way too gorgeous for someone who just got knocked by a wave. Despite his playful exaggeration, you smack away the finger he waggles in your face with an eye roll. “You splashed water in my face! Twice!”

“You were staring!”

“Staring? Staring at what?” You snort, unable to even recall what was happening before he suddenly splashed you. “I—hm. Nothing,” he sighs, the apples of his cheeks blooming pink. He looks down and focuses on the ripples of the water. “Never mind.”

“Ooh. ‘Kay,” you laugh awkwardly, looking to Jackson, who mirrors your puzzled expression. Finally letting silence settle in comfortably, you look to the shore in search of Jinae’s obnoxious rainbow umbrella to find all four lying on their towels.

“Anyway, I’m going to see how things are going. Try not to kill each other,” Jackson smirks—how dare he—before moving with the current to shallower waters.

Now what?

Praying to every god out there that conversation will come as fluidly as it did back at JJ’s, you look to Yugyeom, only to witness him with his leg held to his chest as he pulls a shell from between his toes. You wrinkle your nose, laughing, “Did you just pick that up with your foot?”

“It bit me!” He whines, frowning.

“The shell bit you?”

“No,” he caves, grinning stunningly. “It’s a hermit crab.” As he speaks, he moves closer to you, rolling the small cerith shell onto his palm before holding it out to you. “Aw,” you pout, pushing your wet hair away from your face to lean closer as the crab hesitantly taps Yugyeom’s hand with its claws. “They’re so cute.”

He snorts. “Not when they bite you.”

“That’s called karma,” you smirk, cupping your hands for him to drop the crab into. “People who splash their new friends and practically blind them get bitten by crabbies.”

“You’re very dramatic,” Yugyeom says, watching you the same way you adoringly watch the hermit crab. Your attention, however, is not so fixated on the small crustacean in your hand as it is on the slow rise and fall of Yugyeom’s chest—right there in front of you. Tears of water race down the toned muscles of his stomach each time the water level climbs and retreats. You’re just in the middle of ogling when you take notice to the sharp, black edges of tattoos on his sides, more so to the intricate pattern you can only partially see on his right. No, you scold yourself. What are you doing? You just met him today. Shaking your head to rid your mouthwatering daydreaming, you say, “So are you, Mr. I-splashed-you-for-staring. By the way, let me see your tattoo.”

“You’re not going to have it pinch me, right?” He chuckles cautiously, casting a wary glance to said it, and you laugh, gently letting the waves take the hermit crab out of your hands with a shake of your head. “I said I wanted to see it, not pinch it.”

Rolling his eyes, Yugyeom finally lifts his toned arm up to offer a better view to the precise design of a flower, a rose, on his side. You ignore his quiet intake of breath when your fingers subconsciously trace at the detailed ink. “It’s so pretty. I’d kill to do something like this.”

Yugyeom shrugs. “You should, then.”

You scoff, finally stepping back. “I wish, but then I’d have to deal with my parents. They already threw a tantrum when I got my first.”

“Can I see?”

“Oh,” you chuckle, heat rising to your cheeks—God, how old are you?—at the realization that answering his question would take a bit more effort considering you’re shoulder-deep in the ocean, “I’ll have to show you when we get out.”

“Sure,” he hums with a pretty smile, looking around quietly as you drop beneath the surface to once again cool the heat scorching your body. Then, when you come up, he says, “Do you want to get out now?”

“Yeah. We should tell Jackson we smacked each other or something,” you grin, beginning to head back to shore with him trailing a few steps behind. Once you get to the point where the waves start to break, you cross your arms over your chest to keep the girls in place, angling your body to avoid being knocked to the ground for an inevitably sandy, humiliating death.

“Oh, yeah, we’ll think of something,” says Yugyeom.

The sarcasm lacing his tone has not even registered in your brain when his hands are on your waist, shoving you forward until you helplessly trip over the force of the current, flailing ungracefully into the sand with a cry that only gets smothered with the wave passing over your head. That son of a bitch.

When you surface and rub the stinging water from your eyes, you watch unamused as he reels back in laughter, louder than any of the children around you, and with him not paying attention you grab at his ankles, tripping him into his own sandy misery and ignoring all the judgmental stares from bothered teenagers sent your way. Although, you realize much too late that you should have taken him falling on you into consideration. This still does not prepare you for an elbow in the gut and his unfairly giant build squashing you further into the sand. To make it worse, as a wave recedes and another surges forward, all you can focus on is the gritty sand smearing your skin as you tussle in battle with Yugyeom.

“You are,” you spit, finally shoving him off once you’ve gained some safety from the waves, “a royal pain in the ass.”

Unable to contain his laughter, Yugyeom stays on the ground. You wrinkle your nose grossly at the sand not only coating your hair but also his lightened locks. At his lack of a reply, you scoop up a handful of wet sand and slap it onto his stomach. “Hey! That wasn’t cool,” he whines, reclining up on his elbows and glaring at the glop of sand spreading over his abdomen, torso heaving with laughter, “c’mon, that was pretty funny.”

Your irritated façade finally breaks once he flashes an unfairly adorable, boyish grin, and you finally join in with his laughing, scooping up more soppy sand and dribbling it on his toned arm. It does not hit you until he only frowns playfully instead of stopping you how unexpectantly intimate yet natural it is for someone you just met. “I like the tattoo,” Yugyeom suddenly states, poking at the lavender and coral shaded scallop shell right above the waist of your bottoms. You jolt in surprise, cheeks burning at his friendly gesture that only further supports your earlier thoughts.

“Thanks,” you smile. With the last bit of sand glopping onto his stomach, you cringe at your own state of filthiness. “c’mon, we should wash this off. And no more tackling.”

With another quiet laugh, Yugyeom stands to his feet, watching sickeningly as wet sand slides off his body and back into the shallow water with an unpleasant plop! Then, much to your surprise, he reaches his arm down to help you up. “I think your knee went up my ass,” he giggles once you’re up, walking ahead and using the waves to wash off. you grimace at the thought while walking out further to rinse out your hair. “Yeah, and you nearly pulled my top off,” you scoff, cupping water into your hands and scrubbing the sand off your skin. “You’re like a little kid.”

“And you complain too much,” he fires back once you start heading back. This time you keep a watchful eye on him in case he tries to pull another stunt. You gasp playfully, slapping a hand over your heart. “Ouch.”

“Don’t worry,” Yugyeom says. You look over to catch his playful expression. His lips are curled up into a sly smile and his dark eyes twinkle mischievously. “it’s hot.”

You blink, suddenly overwhelmed. Walking alongside the unfairly tall boy you look back to your feet, wary of holes dug and left exposed as a tripping hazard by reckless children. You scoff. “Since when is being a bitch hot?”

“Technically I paused in between those phrases, so I could’ve been talking about the temperature,” Yugyeom says, smirking like the little jerk he is as you lean down to pick up your towel. “What are the first three letters of assuming?”

Scowling, you contemplate kicking up a shower of dry sand if Jackson was not snoozing peacefully next to your own layout. Instead, you punch his arm and watch in satisfaction as he grimaces. “Ha, ha. Very funny. Please leave me alone now.”

“I need help putting on suntan lotion, though,” he pouts just as you plop down onto your blanket, towel wrapped snugly around your shoulders.

“Jesus Christ, how old are you?” You groan, falling back and glaring upside down at him, biting back your laughter when he lets out a loud sigh. “Please? Just my back.”

“Oh my God. Fine, you big baby. I’m not moving, though, so pop a squat.” Finally giving in, you lean up with a defeated sigh, scooting over to leave enough room for his tall ass. You watch disgruntledly as he drops beside you, crossing his legs with his back faced to you. Once he passes back the bottle, you give it a good shake before twisting the cap off. Spraying routinely over is skin, you mutter an apology when he breaks out in goosebumps. “Here,” you mumble, tossing the bottle into his lap before rubbing the greasy spray further over his back and shoulders. You cringe for a millisecond before quickly swiping over the lowest area at the waistband of his bottoms and slapping his shoulder. “Begone, thot.”

When he spirals to face you, you are momentarily whiplashed, and you almost—almost—tell him that he’s so pretty with the mole under his eye and indisputably gorgeous face. However, you quickly remind yourself, oh yeah, you have only known him for a few hours. Fortunately, he replies to your banter, concluding your drool-worthy trance.

“I’m not moving. Just because you called me that.”

You watch, dumbfounded, as he casually flops over and onto his stomach, burying his face between crossed arms without another word. “You—You’re despicable. You have a whole towel to yourself. Leave me be,” you protest, poking his ribs with your foot, still wrapped cozily in your towel.

At your insistent jabbing, he finally pulls an arm away and seizes your ankle, holding it still with an amused smile while he stares up at you. He looks way too hot for someone so incredibly, undeniably annoying. “Yugyeom,” you whine defeatedly, poking his thigh with your other foot. You watch the confidence only grow over his features. You say, “Stop being an ass.”

“Jesus Christ, I thought we were here to set up Mark and Jinae, not you two children,” BamBam suddenly grumbles from beside Jackson, leaning up on his elbows and scowling in your direction. “We’re the same age as you,” Yugyeom retorts, looking to him with a glare. You wait for him to deny BamBam’s accusation, heart thumping loudly in your chest, and yet he doesn’t. “Shut up or I’ll kill you,” BamBam grumbles, realizing it’s not worth the fight. He returns to his interrupted napping.

Laughing, you accept defeat as well and remove yourself from your towel’s shielding concealment, crumpling it into a ball as a pillow and placing it down a few inches from Yugyeom’s head. You lay on your stomach beside him. “Your friends threaten to kill you a lot.”

“It’s because I’m the baby,” he grumbles, resting his head on his wrists to look at you. You do the same.

He continues. “It’s whatever, though. They’re just jealous I’m taller than them.”

“No, you’re just annoying,” faintly, you hear BamBam mumble. Laughing, you cover your mouth with your hand. “I agree with him,” you whisper, the smirk growing harder to hide when Yugyeom frowns in playful hurt. “Shut up,” he grumbles, kicking your ankle with his own. “Don’t you need sun lotion?”

“I put some on before work.”

“But you went in the water,” he pouts, “and that was hours ago.”

“It’s fine,” you smile, heart warm at his concern. “It’s almost four, anyway. The sun isn’t as strong.”

“Oh,” Yugyeom seems to accept this, eyes traveling to your shoulder and lingering there long enough until you feel the heat spread from your head to your toes. Then he looks back to your face, expression soft. “You don’t actually mind if I nap here, right?”

Smiling against the dampness of your crumpled towel, you quietly say, “I don’t mind. As long as you don’t kick me, or something.”

“I can’t make that promise,” he smiles once more before finally resting his forehead on his forearms. You study what you can see of his relaxed silhouette for a moment before messily tying up your damp hair and comfortably burying your face into the towel with a peaceful sigh. What an odd individual.

What an odd joy.

Two hours and a series of blurred insignificant events later, you find yourself lying on your back. A hand jerks your shoulder and brings you back to blurred consciousness. “What?” You grumble, your mind hazy as a result of a long, hot nap that has your brain momentarily reeling at where you are. “It’s a little after six. I’m leaving. Are you good?”

Squeezing your eyes as a sort of fine tuning to get your mind back into business, you finally blink up to Jinae. Holding beach items in her arms, she tells you she's heading back up to your apartment. “Um,” you pause, straining to sit up and scan to see if the others are up. “I’m good. I’ll see you tonight.”

Once she’s off, a tired sigh escapes from your lips as you flip back onto your stomach. You easily drift off for another fifteen minutes or so before waking once more, this time to a screaming baby. Rubbing sandy knuckles over your eyes, you look to your side. Yugyeom, still fast asleep, remains spread out across your blanket, right hand positioned into a small hole in the sand an arm’s length away. You wonder if he dug it in his sleep.

“He sleeps like a dead man. Once we left without him and he came to me and Mark’s apartment at, like, two in the morning ready to kill us,” a voice grumbles ahead of you. Jackson is lying just as you are with a messy case of beachhead, strands dried and awkwardly sticking up in all directions. You laugh, momentarily looking away from the brunette to the dimming sun, which is much lower in the sky at this point. You finally respond, “I can tell. Every time I woke up, he was still knocked. Also, I didn’t know you were Mark’s roommate.”

Wrinkling his nose, Jackson glances over his shoulder to the other three boys still passed out on the sand. “Is that good or bad?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I just hear a lot about you. And now I have a face to match all the stories with.”

“Gosh, what does he say?”

You contemplate it for a moment. It's not like Mark has ever really talked shit. You decide on messing with him. “He says when you sleep, you talk about feet.”

Mouth hanging open, Jackson absorbs your bullshit before his face drains of color, spewing nonsense like a child caught in a lie. “What? Oh my God, you’re joking. You’re joking! Shit, you probably think I have a thing for feet or something. I swear I don’t, oh my—oh my God, bro. I definitely don’t talk about feet.” In an attempt to hold back your laughter resulting from his panic, you force your gaze elsewhere. You focus on Youngjae’s hair billowing from the light breeze until Jackson has exhausted himself breathless.

“I was joking,” you finally cave, but only when you glimpse the deep puppy frown he holds. “All he’s ever said it that you’re too loud in the morning.”

It takes Jackson a few seconds to process your trickery. He blinks. “Wow,” he heaves, sitting up onto his haunches. “I see how it is. You have betrayed me. I guess we’re enemies now.”

“Ha!” BamBam roars somewhere behind. “You really had him!”

“That was pretty good,” pipes Youngjae, sitting up and lifting his sunglasses to push back his hair. He pokes Mark beside him. “Yo, your side girl just flamed Jackson.”

“Side girl?” You snort just as Jackson flails to stand up, kicking sand in the process.

“No, she didn’t!” Jackson shouts defiantly, hands on his hips.

“What’d she say?” Mark grumbles tiredly, blinking to keep his eyes open. He reclines on his elbows.

While Youngjae fills him in, you look to Jackson, who shoots daggers your way but fails to hide his own humored grin. You stifle a laugh as Yugyeom stirs beside you. He mumbles, “What’s all the commotion for?”

“She,” Jackson says, looking at Yugyeom and pointing a finger at you, “is a bitch.” He smirks, flicking your forehead on his way back to his towel. You stick out your tongue. In response he adds, “But a smart bitch.”

“I thought we already established that.” Yugyeom sighs. You shoot him a glare, and he returns the gesture with a sleepy smile that extinguishes your urge to smack him.

“Hey,” you wrinkle your nose. “Since when is it ‘national attack ___ day?’ For a group of guys, you sure are babies.”

Jackson gasps. “Shit, she’s Jinyoung in female form.” He shakes BamBam by the shoulders. “We can’t let them meet. They’ll be too powerful.”

“You’re so whiny,” Yugyeom says sharply. All eyes fly to him. He shrugs. “They’ll be too powerful.”

“Oh shit,” BamBam snorts, moments before Jackson shoots up and charges for the younger boy. Yugyeom flounders away in time to run away. You dodge the sheet of sand sent your way with a prepared duck and watch the two sprint up the beach. “Tragic,” Mark comments as Yugyeom stumbles face-first into the sand and Jackson hops on top of him to choke him in a headlock.

“Well, that’s my queue to go,” you quip, patting around for your crumpled tee shirt, finding it, and pulling it over your head. “This was fun. We should do it again sometime.” Shaking the sand out from your blanket, you become startlingly aware of the sudden silence hanging over the four like fog. You realize before Mark even speaks up that, chances are, this will be a regular thing.

He hesitantly says, “Well, I was thinking… maybe we could—”

“Yes. I know what you’re gonna say. I don’t think Jinae would mind hanging out, either. Anyway, I feel like I’ve known everyone for years, and the teasing is kind of fun,” you say, cutting him off. You return the smile he tries to hide before swinging your bag over your shoulder and waving to the others. “See you tomorrow, then.”

“Wait!” Youngjae yelps. You watch with wide eyes as he jumps up and gives you a warm hug, encasing his arms around you only for a moment but still long enough for your heart to warm. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” you smile, patting his cheek and waving once more to BamBam and Mark. You start up looser sands when Jackson finally separates from Yugyeom after shoving him once more into the sand for good measure. “Careful you don’t kill him!” You shout over, watching with a laugh as the older boy whips his head up like a dog summoned by the shaking of the treat bag.

“Are you leaving?” He shouts, bouncing away from Yugyeom and jogging to you. Abs. “Yeah,” you say once he has reached you. “A shower is calling my name.”

“Are we hanging tomorrow?”

Looking to the three still lying out a few yards away, you shrug. “I’ll be here. Who knows with Jinae, though. Sometimes she gets bored of beachin’ every day.”

“Oh, well, whatever you guys decide to do, we’ll be here,” Jackson grins sinfully, slapping your arm before walking away. Of course you couldn’t have gotten a hug from him. “Keep your eyes out for the baby!” He suddenly calls, and you twist around to dumbly watch the tanned boy return to his friends. Your heart is suddenly beating loudly in your ears, and your internal fire only intensifies when said baby whines, pulling you into his chest, “Why are you leaving?”

Sucking in a necessary breath, you practically fall limp against Yugyeom’s hold, pressing your cheek against his chest but turning away from his friends in fear that they’re looking. “I want to shower. And eat. Plus, I have some dramas to catch up on.” At this he leans back, gazing down at you peculiarly. You’re painfully aware that his arms are still looped around your waist. He’s just a touchy guy, you tell yourself as he continues to groan like a child denied what he wants. “We could get food together.”

“Don't fret; I'll be back tomorrow,” you offer, satisfied when his lips quirk up and the corners of his eyes crinkle. “And probably all the days after that. Also, when school starts, I bet we’ll all be hanging together. We have plenty of days to get food.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” He smiles, his expression soft. Then he pulls you in for another hug. “Text me when you get home.”

Flustered, heart beating frantically, you choke out, “I don’t have your number?” Grunting in realization, Yugyeom reaches for your phone in your hand. You watch with a held breath as he tries each of your fingers for the correct fingerprint scan until it unlocks. He goes into the Messages app and puts in a new number. “You do now,” he smiles, irises reflecting gold specks. He hands your phone back, and it’s not until you cross both arms over your chest that you notice the goosebumps painting your skin. “Thanks,” you force, spinning on your heels and making way for the sandy walkway up the dunes.

“Come back to the grill tomorrow with Mark and Jinae!”

“I will!” You shout back, not daring to look back for fear that the tall boy will make your heart hurt more, in a way that it most certainly should not. You sigh and concentrate on the sand dried on your feet rather than how you hope he will decide to crash on your beach blanket again tomorrow.

“Pussy,” Jinae taunts as you crash onto her mattress. You struggle to stretch your leg out far enough to give her bare ass a feeble kick as she changes out of her uniform. Scoffing, you tumble to lie on your stomach, twirling a strand of recently washed hair in between your fingers. “Like you’re any better. I just met him today while you and Mark have been galloping around each other like eighth graders since summer started.”

“Touché,” Jinae says, accepting defeat. She tightens the strings of her sweatpants before thumping down on the bed to be beside you. The bed dips as she rolls to curl her form around your own. “I bet you’ll both be in love with one another by Saturday.”

You laugh and wrap your arm around her shoulders, running your fingers through her dark corkscrew curls, the only thing she fully acquired from her mother’s genes. “You and Mark already are in love. You just refuse to act on it.”

“Yeah, whatever, I don’t wanna talk about him.”

Sighing, you tug harshly on a curl. “It’s gonna happen this week. You and Mark will be official.”

“Mhm,” she hums, smirking. “And so will you and Yugyeom, Miss We-Practically-Fucked-In-The-Ocean.”

“Stop,” you whine. You retract your arm and drape it over your face, shielding the burn that is creeping its way up. “Seriously, though,” Jinae giggles, tugging at your elbow. “I can’t believe you met each other today. The attraction was unbelievable. Chemistry classes across the world are quaking.”

“Shut up.” Groaning, you roll away from her relentless probing. “Listen, he’s cute. Really cute and yeah, sure, we got along great. But who said that I’m ready to date again? And you don’t even know if he would be interested.”

“You could always ask Mark,” Jinae says as you struggle off her bed, leaving her sprawled out alone. “Double dates!”

“Yeah, sure, Jinae. Keep dreaming.”

She pouts. “You’re no fun,” she huffs, reaching for her phone. “Get out, it’s almost two-thirty, and we have to get up soon.”

“Can’t we skip the jogging for one day? Sleep in? No one wants to see the literal ass crack of dawn,” you yawn. Folding your hands in prayer, you beg her to give you a break for one day. Jinae ponders it for a moment, rubbing her bottom lip with her index finger, before an open-mouthed grin evilly lights up her features. “Sure.”

Squinting, you waggle an accusing finger at her while slowly backing out of her room. “I don’t trust you. Try anything, Kim Jinae, and your ass is out on the street!”

“You can’t kick me out!”

“Yes, I can!” You shout, finally allowing your grin to show once you have closed her door.

Maybe some days are just a tad more joyous than others.

[imsopaigeyo]

Prey: Part 1

Shawn Mendes Fan Fiction 

Three Years from the present day.

July 4th 2015. The first meeting.

“I’m really happy you’re coming out tonight Marcy” Bradly said to me as he was spinning in my desk chair and playing with the pencil I was previously using to do homework. We had been friends since the day my family moved in next door. Almost 10 years of friendship.

“Have I ever missed one of your famous 4th of July Parties? No matter how much they push me out of my comfort zone.” I joked, but there was an incredible amount of truth behind my words.

Bradly was friends with the most popular kids, not just in our school, but within our entire town. He was one of the most charismatic and likable people that I knew. That translated to him being friends with anyone and everyone. I however was the girl that knew all the answers but never raised her hand. I would often peal the wood around my pencil tip to avoid having to make the dreaded trip to the pencil sharpener in fear of drawing too much attention. These parties caused me an insane amount of anxiety, however this was for Bradley.

“Well considering this is the only time of year you actually socialize with anyone other than me or your family, I don’t feel bad about it. You need it.” Bradley flashed his glorious smile. I have almost grown immune to his charm over our many years of friendship.

“I talk to Addy” I pointed out, more pleased with myself than I probably should have been.

“She’s my girlfriend! You are practically forced to talk to her!” Bradley laughed as I finish tying my shoes.

“Well I enjoy talking to her” I argued. While the socialization between the us was a must, I did genuinely enjoy the friendship that was evolving between us two. Even if it was only due to Bradley.

“Marcy you do realize you've warn that same exact shirt to this party for the past three years.” Bradly said standing up causing me to roll my eyes. I suppose it was officially time to embark on this journey.

“It’s my party shirt” I said jokingly lifting the collar of my breathable yet very warn gray tee shirt. This was the shirt I felt the most comfortable in, and I always wore when I knew I would be in a high stress situation. “Let’s kick it” I took a deep breath as Bradly through his arm around me and we made our way across the street.

The party went on much like the other years for me. I stood as far away from the crowd as possible without trying to come across as anti social. I did my best to keep Bradly in my view in case I would need to find someone to talk too. I would look around and notice what faces were familiar to me. However, I would never approach anyone. With What few people approached me, I would make polite small talk with until I or them would awkwardly walk away, then I would curse myself for being so awkward.

There were a few differences at this party then the last. There were more people than last year, however that did not surprise me. The amount of people has gone up every year, for Bradly was incredible at making new friends without loosing any it seemed.

Also this was the first party where alcohol was very much prevalent. I again knew this was going to happen eventually . The past few years there were a few kids that would sneak some here and there, but this year it seemed that everyone had a red solo cup in there hand filled with some mysterious liquid. Except for me.

“Marcy I brought you a drink!” I turned to see my second favorite face that could be at this party. Bradly's girlfriend Addy, I knew that I could talk to her without feeling awkward or out of place. However the thought of consuming alcohol under this much stress scared me, just as I was about to politely decline i was cut off. “No worries, it’s Sunny D! Bradly told me it’s your favorite” she smiled handing me the glass.

“Thanks Addy” I was thankful, for all of the thoughts running through my head were making me thirsty. And Sunny D was indeed my favorite.

“Of course! Now come on, Bradly wants to introduce you to his new friends!” Addy said grabbing My arm gently and pulled me through the crowd.

I knew better than to protest. For this was apart of the yearly tradition. At some point during the party, Bradly always deemed it necessary to introduce me to his top new friends of the year, and they always managed to be different than the last.

This was my least, and favorite part of the party. While I hated the anxiety that came along with meeting so many new people at once,I knew after this portion it would then be acceptable for me to leave.

“I’m for-warning you now, Brad has had a bit too much to drink. So just play along with his antics if you can.” Addy yelled to me over the roar of the crowd and I stiffened unsure of how I felt.

“Oh joy” I said Sarcastically. I had nothing against drunk people, only that I had never really dealt with one before.

“MARCY!!!!!!!!” I had heard Bradley obnoxiously yell only to then be embraced with a large and very smothering hug. “ I just want everyone to know how cool this chick is” Bradly yelled to everyone although no one was really listening to him. There was far too much commotion from everyone around. “Let’s go girls” Bradly then demanded the two of us.

Addy, gave me a pleading glance and mouthed “just go with it” and I reluctantly followed Addy and she followed brad into his crowded kitchen up to the table where there was a group of boys sitting around playing a game of cards. One of which looked incredibly familiar. I figured that he was probably a football captain for a rival school or something like that. I most likely saw a few of his posts on Instagram.

“Boys, Boys, Boys” Bradly drunkly got the entire tables attention and my insides began to twist anticipating all of the attention Bradly was about to cast onto me. “I want everyone to meet my best gal pal, Marcy Mae Dawson!” He said then proceeded to clap by himself.

I smiled and waved as I usually do when Bradly introduces me to his friends. Only this time was much worse considering an entire table of incredibly attractive teenage boys were gathered around a table.

There was a very very awkward moment of silence until Addy gracefully entered the conversation. “Marcy this is my cousin Johnson, and his friend Jack, Cole, Drew, and Shawn.”

“You mean Shawn mother fucking Mendes” Bradley drunkly yelled. “A mother fucking rock star. You here that Marcy there is a rock star at my party” Bradly aggressively sat down into his kitchen chair throwing his hands up. Almost falling if it wasn't for Johnson catching him.

Things clicked at that point. I had seen Shawn Mendes on line quite a bit, I even followed him on vine and he was really taking off. I was a little star struck but not really surprised. If anyone would have a celebrity at there party it would be Bradly.

“Alright buddy why don’t you have some water” Shawn handed Bradly his own glass. “It’s nice to meet you Marcy” he then smiled at me and my insides twisted this time in an entirely different way. I smile at him wanting to say more but not wanting to risk saying something stupid so I stayed silent.

As Bradly tried to take a sip of water he dropped the entire glass all over him self. “Well damn” he moaned as Johnson handed him some paper towels and I got a bottle of water off of the bar and handed it to Addy knowing she would have best chance at getting him to successfully drink it.

I stood my arms crossed, looking down at my feet and stealing a few glances at Shawn. Still amazed that it was actually him. While this was incredibly entertaining, I indeed did want to get home. As the table started to have discussion and share a good amount of laughs I couldn't help but begin to think of when the best time to leave would arrive.

“Marcy, would you like to sit down, I can go find another seat?” Shawn had asked me and while the offer did make me swoon, I thought this might be my only shot to escape.

“Oh no that’s okay, I was actually just going to leave. Thank you though.” I said trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

“Whattttt?? Marcy no! Addy tell Marcy to stay” Bradly whined but Addy nodded at me before reassuring Bradly that it was late. I smiled at her.

“I’ll see you tomorrow Bradly, thanks for having me. Nice meeting you all.” I said turning to leave in fear that if I stayed to socialize more I would make a fool of myself. As I turned to leave I felt a tap on my shoulder and I turned around expecting Addy but I was entirely shocked to see the eyes of Shawn Mendes a foot away from mine. This caused me to stumble back as I’m sure it would most however I was lucky enough to regain my footing prior to completely embarrassing myself. Shawn laughed causing my face to turn red im sure almost instantly.

“I just wanted to check and see if you were okay to get home, would you like a ride. I haven’t drank anything.” He asked and my eyes went wide.

Does he think I’m drunk now. How horrible would that be. I actually meet a celebrity and they think I’m trashed when really I’m just a giant pile of awkward.

“What! Oh, no I’m not, I didn't, I don’t drink. All I had was Sunny D!” I defend.

“Sunny D?” He laughed even more. Does he think I’m lying? Oh god.

“I swear, you can smell my breath” I defend. Smell my breath? what is wrong with me. “I’m just really clumsy.”

“I know your not drunk Marcy” he laughs. “Just making sure you have a way home.”

“Oh okay.” I say reassured. I then realize he is still waiting for an answer. “NO” I scream when I realize I’m not answering. “I’m so sorry I didn't realize you were asking me. I live right across the street. I just. God I’m so sorry.” I say rubbing my forehead looking down trying to avoid eye contact. This is mortifying. I expect him to walk away but instead his soft giggle escapes his lips again. I look up to see his smile. A smile even more charming then Bradly’s.

“It was very nice to meet you Marcy, have a good night.” He says and pats my shoulder before turning around to go back to his table of friends. ----------- Shawn and his friends have been at every party since. While every party I only socialized with Bradly or Addy, Shawn always made an effort to say hi to me and make small talk. Even as he grew more popular in the years. You could say I developed a crush on him, but really what teenage girl didn’t at this point in time. ----------- Present Day

“I can’t find it!” I yelled.

“Find what?” Addy asked looking up from her phone. She was FaceTiming Bradly about his party tonight.

“Her Party Shirt” Bradly answered for me causing me to aggressively shut my dresser drawer and rip the phone from Addy’s hand.

“Where the hell is it.” I don’t ask, I demand.

“To be returned on the morning of July 5th.” Bradly flashes me his smile.

“Then I won’t go to your stupid party” I threatened. I know it could seem a bit dramatic, but with social situations comes stress. With the incredible stress that will come from a social situation there is nothing wrong with wanting to wear what makes you feel comfortable.

“Then you won’t get it back.” Bradly threatened causing me to groan giving the phone back to Addy and flop onto my bed in the midst of a fit. “It’s been six years Marcy’s, it’s time to get a new wardrobe!” Bradly announced through the phone and I put a pillow over my face not wanting to hear it.

“Maybe Brads right, maybe you could take this opportunity to dress a little bit sexy. Maybe meet a cute boy” Addy began to insist making her way from my desk chair to the bed next to me.

“You were in on this” I take the pillow from my face and look at her in the eyes.

“Yes” she says regretfully.

“What is so wrong with my party shirt” I moan throwing my hands in the air.

“Nothing. There just nothing right about it either.” Addy says gently trying not to hurt my feelings. “ I’ll help you find something, something super cute and of course comfortable I promise.” She reassures me.

“Plus Shawn’s gonna be there, you want to look cute for your crush don’t ya Marcy” Bradly teased.

“I don’t have a crush on Shawn” I defend

“That is not what your Instagram, YouTube and Tumblr history says” Bradly continues and I put the pillow over my face again. I never planned to tell anyone about my crush, but when your best friend has no means for privacy it’s kinda hard.

I of course knew nothing would come of it. I was just like all of the other girls who had a crush on him. I was just lucky enough to be able to see him once a year. I wouldn't say I was I fan, but I was definitely into his music and watching him grow as an artist.

“I think that’s enough. Bye Brad, see you in a bit, love you.” Addy quickly hung up before ripping the pillow from my face. “He’s an ass, yes, but he’s an ass with a point”

“What point?” I look at her in disbelief.

“We are trying to get you out of your shell Marcy. I mean come on you just finished your first year of college and what exactly did you do all year?” She challenges.

“I got straight A’s.”I gloat.

“Aside from that, how many friends did you make, parties did you go to, Boys did you flirt with, what good memories have you made aside from getting honor roll and watching an obscene amount of netflixs.

“None.” I say regretfully.

“Exactly, you need to open up. Start living life.” She said and I saw her point, I just don’t see how my shirt had anything to do with it.

“Fine” I give in, I really didn't have a choice if I wanted to get my shirt back.

“Great I have the perfect outfit for you.” Said leans over and starts pulling cloths from her book bag. I should’ve questioned why she had brought a book bag to my house in the middle of summer. ----- Over all the outfit wasn't horrible. I was expect an entirely to tight a revealing mess however Addy was quite thoughtful when it came to my style. A pair of ripped jeans and a cozy white tee that was slightly cropped.

“This isn't to bad” I say and she glides the last of the mascara over my eye lashes.

“Don’t speak to soon” she smirks before going to her bag to pull out one last thing.

“No” I say the minute pulls out a pitiful excuse for shoes.

“Come on. They are just heels. Plus you live right next door worse comes to worse I’ll come over and grab your sneakers. Just try for me Marcy” she pleas and I shake my head no and go to grab my sneakers. “You want your tee shirt back don’t you?” She states causing me to stop into tracks and shoot her a death glare. ------- “I’m tired already” I say trying my best not to sink into the grass as I walk across my yard to get to Bradley's.

“Stop complaining, Addy does this every day” Bradly says. Addy seconds. I roll my eyes.

This year Addy and I are going over early, im too sure as to why. The only reason i agrees to so I may find a comfort place to sit and sulk for the night. As I walk over I see there are already two cars I don’t recognize in the drive way meaning people are already there thus I will need to socialize and I groan.

“It’s 6, how are people already here” I complain.

“My darling Marcy have you never heard of a pre game.” Bradley pats my back almost causing me to stumble.

“And that is how you always seem to get so trashed” Addy adds in and I laugh.

“I liked it better when you guys didn’t always team up against me” Bradley complained opening his front and the sound of men screaming and grunting. I reluctantly follow behind the two.

Inside are the same boys I met three years ago at Bradlys kitchen table. All stumbling around, yelling, drinking, and laughing. There is also a group of very pretty, incredibly dressed girls hanging on them. Shawn however is not there. I don’t know if I’m relieved or disappointed.

I take a seat on the couch in the living room that’s pushed against the wall away from the commotion. Addy and Bradly go over, while I go on my phone pretending to do something important, however I’m only playing angry birds.

All of a sudden the front door opens and in walks Shawn Mendes and my stomach immediately is flooded by a stream of butterfly’s, but they are quickly massacred as three women who look like super models follow close behind.

“Look who made it to the pre-game” Drew, one of the boys I met at the kitchen table exclaims and high fives all of his friends.

Shawn makes his way to the rest of them indulging in the high fives. I notice he seems different then the past years. He’s taller, more masculine, darker.

He glances over and sees my eyes glued to him he smiles. But it’s not the same smile I had swooned over the past 3 years, it was a smirk. A smirk I haven’t seen before. Not from him, not from anyone.

I’m sure my cheeks go red when he catches me staring and my eyes go back to my phone. I try and stay calm even though I am still incredibly star struck, though this is my fourth time being in a social situation with him. Although I am never social.

As he goes around the room greeting everyone I notice his voice has changed. Not deeper, just harsher. He’s more demanding, asking the girls to get him a drink, and them all rushing to get it for him. Me still sitting glued to my phone hoping no one brings me into the conversation.

“It’s Macey right?” Shawn turns to me and leans back on the pool table about ten foot away. Everyone turns there head to me and my stomach drops. How could he get my name wrong? What do you mean Marcy. Of course he got your name wrong he hardly knows you. You should be happy he was even close. How do you even go about correcting him. Just smile and nod. Smile and nod.

“Her names Marcy.” Addy corrects him for me and again I’m conflicted. Am I thankful, am I mortified, I should of just corrected him myself.

“Yeah sorry” I say. Fuck why did I just apologize for my own name. I want to go home. The girl to the left of him let’s out a giggle. Not a nice one, a condescending one. My eyes go back to my phone and everyone thankfully goes back to there conversations.

That could’ve been worse is all I keep telling myself. They are all standing and laughing around the pool table. I don’t think they are playing the game really, more of less just using it as a prop.

“How about a little drinking game to get this party started” one of the suspected models that followed Shawn into the room raising her glass.

They all agree and circle around the pool table as if this had been rehearsed. Addy points to a spot next to her urging me to join then and I shake my head no.

“Marcy come on.” She demands and once again all eyes turn my way and I reluctantly walk to the spot not wanting to draw anymore attention to myself. The same girl that laughed before laughs again, this time joined by the others.

“You’re gonna need a drink dear.” Johnson laughs handing me a beer.

“I don’t drink. Thank you though.” I say hesitantly not wanting to come off rude. Luckily Johnson puts it back and hands a water with a smile.

"No no no!" Bradly, already seemingly less sober then he was 20 minutes ago, snatches the water from my hand and replacing it with the solo cup from which he was drinking from. I try to stop him but he cuts me off saying "I dont want to hear it, tonight, you drink. Don't worry, its not strong." I says as he starts to make himself another drink.

"Clearly." I saw not thinking,luckily my comment gained a few laughs from around the table and i feel grateful nobody saw the comment as bitchy. I look up to see Shawn looking at me with the same smirk he had when he first walk in. Im sure my cheeks turn red and i look down hoping he didnt see. I take i sniff from the red solo cup and the pungent smells throws me off and i pray I can get away with faking my drinks throughout the game.

"So what game are we playing" Addy asks. The room fills with a few suggestions and one of the girls mutter out the words "Truth or Dare" which seems to grab everyones attention and they all agree.

I think the idea is a little juvenile but im not complaining. No one ever calls my name anyway so i feel slightly safe in this..."Marcy!"

I look to see the Model who laughed at my social skills making eye contact with me looking incredibly devious. "Truth or Dare" She practically challenge and I feel my knees begin to shake and chest tighten. Stay calm I remind myself. Its just a game that everyone plays.

"Truth" I reply trying not to sound as frightened as I am. Obviously I go for the safest option.

"How many people have you slept with?" She asks trying to seem innocent. Im sure she already knows my humiliating answer is zero however i dont want to go through the mortifying defeat of saying that.

"I mean dare" I say somehow fooling myself into thinking this option would be better.

"Thats not fair, you can't..." She starts to ridicule me and I feel my body start to freak out even more before she is cut off by a deep voice that makes my heart stop.

"Finish your drink." I look to her left and see the smirk thats been haunting since hes gotten here. Shawn's.

His request may have seemed simple to some, but as someone who has never tasted alcohol it was a lot. I think he knew that too. However, the thought of having to answer the question put far worse fear into my body so I slowly and regretfully bring the red solo cup to my lips, and force my body to allow all of the awful contents to be consumed.

================

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[desdinovas]

storytime - part 5

Summary: in which telling your children about your relationship development with your husband each night before they go to sleep turns into a habit

Pairing: Tom Holland x Female Reader

Warnings: none tbh, just fluff

Word Count: 1,838

Notes: I keep saying this but if you wanna be on my taglist just hit me up!

part one || part two || part theee || part four || part six

“Did they ever get married?” Liz asks as you tug her in her bed.

“Who?” You ask in confusion, not sure of who she is talking about.

“The boy and the girl from the story,” Liz answers with a tiny smile on her face.

“Of course they got married.” Eli says as if it’s obvious.

“And how would you know?” Tom asks him with raised eyebrows before sitting down on the edge of his bed.

“Why wouldn’t they get married?” Eli answers with another question.

“Smart boy,” Tom announces, making Eli laugh. “Darling, you should tell them about the proposal.” He suggests with a huge smile painted on his lips.

“I’m bored,” you whined as you let your head rest on Tom’s lap, his hands immediately raising up to play with your hair as a reflex.

“Good, ‘cause that’s what every boyfriend likes to hear.” Tom teased with humour in his voice.

“I didn’t mean it like that.” You clarified although there was no need to.

“How about we play trivia?” Tom suggested as he rested his feet on the coffee table in front of him.

“Tom, we’ve been dating for almost five years,” you pointed out. “I think we know pretty much everything about each other by now.” You sarcastically added and he playfully rolled his eyes at you.

“I know that, dummy.” He said in his famous sassy voice. “We can just ask each other random, weird questions.”

You nodded your head in agreement. “Okay, you start.”

Tom cleared his throat and tapped his chin with his index finger, pretending to be thinking about his question way more than he should. As he kept gently running his hands through your hair, he asked; “what lie do you tell the most?”

You scoffed as you thought of an answer that would annoy him, just because you loved teasing him. “That one’s easy,” you began. “That you’re the best spider-man.”

“Hey!” Tom protested making you giggle. “You’re not funny.”

“Do you really expect me to think you’re the best when you’re up against not only Tobey Maguire but also Andrew Garfield?” You teasingly asked with a hint of a smile on your lips, trying your best not to laugh. “I’m sorry, love, but that’s not happening.” 

“I don’t even know why I still date you,” Tom stated jokingly.

“Because you love me.”

“Right,” Tom nodded his head. “Okay, your turn now. Hit me up.”

“Would you step on a puppy for five million quid?” You asked the first thing that popped in your head.

“What kind of question is that?” He asked, overreacting his astonishment by placing a hand over his chest. “I would never step on a puppy. Why in hell would I do that?”

“Chill, big guy. I was just checking what kind of man I’m dating.”

“You’re just checking now?” Tom asked as he raised one of his eyebrows. “After five years of dating?”

“Shut up,” you rolled your eyes at him, which made him chuckle.

“Would you rather be able to see into the future or be able to read people’s minds?” Tom asked and you took your time to think of your answer.

You tilted your head up so you could meet his eyes before saying, “I think I’d rather see into the future.”

“Aren’t you curious of what other people think of you?” Tom asked, his facial expression showing genuine confusion.

“Yeah, but wouldn’t it be nice to know what is going to happen? So if you see that something will go wrong, you can just change your actions to prevent it.” You explained.

“I guess so.” Tom answered. “Your turn,” he said as he tapped your forehead with his index finger before proceeding to run his hands soothingly through your hair.

“Okay, let me think.” After a few seconds, your face lit up as the perfect question popped in your head. “What is the best decision you’ve ever made?”

“Pfft, that’s easy.” Tom said, not even having to think about his answer. “Buying that plane ticket to Atlanta five years ago.”

You literally felt your heart skip a beat and your cheeks heat up as soon as the words left his mouth. Why does he have to be this cute? You were certain that he was going to be the death of you.

“Because that’s how we met?”

“No, because that’s how I became spider-man.” He answered mockingly, making you roll your eyes at him.

“What a way to kill the mood,” you scoffed as you lifted yourself up from his lap and walked towards the kitchen, pretending to be mad.

“Oh, come on, darling.” He trailed off as he stood up from the couch too, following after you. “I was kidding, of course it’s because that’s how I met you.”

You turned on your heels and leaned on the kitchen counter before crossing your arms in front of your chest. “Whatever,”

“I’m serious.” Tom said with a small smile and you smiled back. “Can we keep playing?”

“Fine,” you agreed. “You have to ask me something now.”

Tom’s throat suddenly went dry at the thought of the question he was about to ask. Without any second thoughts, he blurt out, “will you marry me?”

Tom had been thinking about asking you to marry him for quite a while now— almost a month to be more specific. The day he realised he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you, he quickly hurried to a jewellery store and bought the most beautiful engagement ring there was. The only thing missing were the guts to drop the question.

He was so sure he wanted to marry you, but as soon as he got home with the little ring box inside his pocket and saw you sitting on the couch in your pijamas watching your favourite TV show, he questioned everything.

What if marriage is too soon? Would it ruin his career, along with yours? What if she doesn’t want to get married just yet? Are you too young to be married? Would it scare her away?

But the question that scared him the most to the point where it kept him up at night was; what if she says no?

Just the thought of you rejecting him was enough for him to back away. Although he carried the engagement ring with him all the time because 1) if you somehow managed to find it, he’d much rather be dead, and 2) he was still determined to drop the big question. All he needed now was the perfect chance for him to do it, but every time a little chance showed up, something would always come up to ruin it.

But now, with you standing in front of him, looking as beautiful as ever, and with the two of you asking each other random questions, he thought to himself, why not? It’s now or never.

Everything was in slow motion all of a sudden as Tom got on one knee in front of you before taking the little velvet box he’s been carrying around for almost a month out of his back pocket.

Your heart was pounding so loud you were almost sure it could be heard from a thousand miles and you found yourself at loss of words. Tom shot you a shy smile as he opened the box, revealing the most beautiful diamond ring you’ve ever seen. Your hands involuntarily raised up to cover your mouth.

“(Y/N), I’ve been thinking about this for a long time,” he began, trying not to stumble with his own words. “At first I wasn’t sure about it, but as time passed by, it only made me realise that this is the thing I want the most in my life.”

Tears started falling from your eyes without you even realising. Of course, Tom took notice of this. “Will you hold your tears for a sec? I’m kind of in the middle of a speech.” He jokingly said trying to make you —and himself— relax. “Ever since the day I met you I knew you’d stay in my life, and I want everybody to know that I’m yours, officially.” He cleared his throat. “Because that’s the truth, I belong to you, just as much as you belong to me. You’re my home, and I can’t thank you enough for making me the happiest man alive.”

Tom made a small pause and took his time to take in your small figure standing in front of him. “I gues what I’m trying to say is, you make me happier than I ever thought I could be. And if you’ll let me, I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make you feel the same way. So, darling, will you marry me?”

“Are you really proposing to me quoting Chandler off Friends?” You mockingly asked, tears still filling your eyes.

“I don’t know, are you totally ruining this moment?” He asked back with a hint of relief in his voice. You didn’t exactly reject him, so that was a good sign.

“I’m sorry,” you laughed. “That last part sounded really familiar and I had to ask.”

“Yes I did quote Chandler.” Tom admitted slightly tilting his head to the side. He’s always been a sucker for Friends, so this wasn’t exactly a shocker. “So? Will you marry me, darling?” He anxiously repeated.

“Of course I will,” you said as the biggest smile spread across your lips.

Tom smiled widely before taking the ring out of the box and sliding it into your finger before kissing you knuckles. He stood up and wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you up from the ground and twirling you around. You took this as a chance to wrap your legs around his waist and then buried your face in the crook of his neck, slightly staining his shirt with your tears.

“I’m so glad you said yes.” Tom whispered into your ear once he stopped twirling.

“Did you seriously think I’d say no?” You asked in disbelief.

“Kind of,” he answered, but it sounded more like a question as he now felt stupid about feeling like that.

“Well, here goes again, I’ll gladly be your wife.” You said locking eyes with him and you noticed how his brown eyes that you loved oh so dearly were filled with tears of joy.

“I love you, darling.” He smiled before pressing his lips on yours. “So goddamn much.”

“What was their wedding like?” Eli asks with genuine curiosity.

“Yeah, what was it like, daddy?” Elizabeth asks her dad with shiny eyes. “I bet it was a big one, just like one from a fairy tale.”

“That, kids, is a story for another night.” Tom announces as he gets up from his son’s bed, and you repeat his actions. “Now go to sleep, it’s getting late.”

“Fine,” both Liz and Eli sighed in defeat.

“Goodnight.” You sweetly said to the both of them before exiting their room with your husband by your side.

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[jojuarez26]

If you only knew how truly Erudite Blue you actually are not

Divergent fanfiction: Eric/OC Mature content and strong language. I do not own any part of Divergent

Tarrin's POV

I haven't seen or spoken to Eric in almost two weeks now, although Four has and admittedly, I am jealous as hell. Eric finally submitted all his legal documents. So the proverbial cat is out of its fucking back and the psychotic bitch that rules Erudite with a damn machine gun has flipped her shit.

Jeanine went on a rampage the second she knew about Analisse and the fact Eric was able to not be made compliant with threats as we for once are actually the ones two steps ahead of the game.

First she turned Erudite upside down on it's head trying to locate my daughter and I. Then being the oh so logical thinker we needed her to be, Jeanine stormed Amity because that's where Jacob of is at. Apparently both Jacob and Johanna Reyes told Jeanine to go pleasure herself with a barbed wire stick and get the ever living fuck out of Amity. Well maybe what they said was slightly more Amity but still the same interpretation.

Next she tried, and I do stress tried, to go to Candor and strong arm Jack and my Aunt Kathy. I'm totally confident that it would be accurate to say Aunt Kathy literally told her to fuck off and get the hell out of Candor.

The funniest part of the way Jeanine thinks is that she did not, nor would she ever think to so much as email Abnegation. As far as she is concerned Eric would rather poke his eye out with a stick on fire than ever stoop so low as to ask Abnegation, the useless stiffs, to help him find a pencil.

Technically she would be right. Eric would not and did not. But, Four would and he did. Well not the Faction itself, but a specific member. A divergent sympathizer and one of the nicest people I have ever met, Natalie Prior.

Without a second thought, no questions asked and not a single ounce of hesitation because of who I am essentially married to Natalie snuck the three of us into an unused and pretty much abandoned house in the older unused section of Abnegation.

Her and her daughter Beatrice made sure to come check on us every day and bring us anything we needed that they were capable of procuring.

Natalie's husband Andrew is on the council. This allowed Natalie to be in communication with Eric without any suspicion yet not giving up any knowledge of the where abouts of Analisse and I.

Eric and Natalie where still extremely careful of the content of their contact and mostly used codes and key phrases to relay information to each other.

Although Jeanine for the most part has Dauntless in her back pocket, they would still never allow her to rand sack Dauntless or shake them down looking for Eric's missing fiance' and mystery child that ninety percent of all people question even exist. I did such a spectacular job at hiding my pregnancy, not to mention how Eric's parents snuggled us out of Erudite, most had no knowledge or proof Analisse did indeed exist.

However Max was completely ok with pretty much monitoring all of Eric's daily life in Dauntless. From planting bugs and surveillance equipment in both Eric's office and apartment to placing spy details that followed his every move.

This was the reason Analisse and I have had no kind of contact with Eric period. Needless to say we are both going threw withdrawal and driving poor Four bonkers.

"Good morning Tarrin." Four murmured pouring himself a cup of coffee just waking up.

"Good? Seriously Four what the hell is so good about it," I spat sarcastically.

"Ok. Well I'm just going to get dressed and run some parameter checks, like all day," Four replies cautiously. Now I feel bad.

"Four wait! I'm sorry. Please don't leave me alone today," I suddenly burst into tears.

My horomones and the severity of my situation have me a hot mess of fuckery. Seeing as how Four is the only adult I have interactions with and well, Analisse only cries, eats and fills her diapers, Four gets shat on. Alot. Everyday. By the grace of God he takes it with a grain of salt and rolls with the punches.

"You T, I really do like you even with your poor taste in men. However even though said man is an asshole, at least he is consistent. He is constantly an asshole. You my dear are as inconsistent as the bowel movements of the elderly. Quite frankly your mood swings give me whiplash," he says all this in a quiet yet serious tone.

"I very very loosely understand that just having a baby turns you into a lunatic because your horomones are in overdrive. I also get being stuck in seclusion with a newborn and a stranger are probably about as helpful as a full moon at a daycare or in a nursing home but, damn you and mini Eric are exhausting me," he dramatically threw his head back throwing an arm over his eyes.

This is what I love about Four. Although I know he hides alot of pain and demons behind his humourous approach to life, it is relaxing and breaks the tension.

"Oh admitted Four, you loves us. Seriously though, I am so sorry. I know you didn't choose this mission, Eric ordered you to take it. For what it's worth I'm grateful you did."I tried to hold back the tears as I spoke.

"T it's not-"

"Let me finish. Please." Four just nods for me to continue

"I'm not exactly sure to the full extent why you and Eric hate each other so much. What I do know is Eric trust you and respects you as a loyal Dauntless soldier. Considering we are born and bred Erudite regardless of our aptitudes and Eric very recently defection to Dauntless. We were raised to keep your acquaintances close and your competition closer," I pause to make sure he is still on the same page as me.

Reading his facial expressions and body language, he understands, he's just not sure where I'm going with this.

"The point I am trying to make is this. The short list of people that is logically acceptable to trust, especially with someone with Eric's nature, is already exceeding it's limits at best. So the fact that he trust you. Especially with it being with mine and Analisse's safety, actually speaks volumes." I'm once again trying to choke back tears to continue.

"Both myself AND ERIC, are and will be eternally grateful. I know Eric will probably never say or acknowledge that, but I will. Thank so much for being here when you don't have to be. You have also become someone I would consider a friend so..... Thanks," I sniffed and put my head in my hands.

I suddenly feel hands on my shoulders. Four is rubbing them soothingly. This truly suprises me especially with him being former Abnegation. Once he can tell I've calmed down, he moves to sit across the table from me.

"Complete honesty, when Eric recruited me for this," he waves his hand around the room," I was baffled. I was slightly shocked any female could tolerate him for more than a one night stand let alone long time girlfriend who just had his child." He has an amused look on his face but his tone of voice is still serious.

"Four if your just going to bash Eric, I really rather not at the moment if you-"

"Hey. I let you finish. Let me finish. Please." He asked and pauses to see if I will. I do.

"Ok. So I generally viewed Eric as a cruel person who's only emotions are bored, angry and sadism. Well except when he is intimating people into pissing their pants just by glaring at them, I think that actually gives him joy," Four smirks and I can't help but laugh.

"That is until he told me about the situation and about you and his mini-clone. I actually saw love, fear, sadness and frustration. And it wasn't fake, forced or sarcastic, it was genuine. To say I was shocked is putting mildly. No I was not thrilled or happy at all that I had to do a favor as I saw it, for Eric. But I was more curious and intrigued when I got a glimpse of an actual human with actual humanity. I had come to believe he was really a machine and possessed a switch that turned his humanity off most likely permanently." He sipped his coffee and I took the opportunity to ask a question.

"What where you actually curious about, what made you more accepting of the situation?" I was liking the distraction of my craziness by this conversation.

"I wanted to see what ridiculous, crazy, hooker looking, sluty nose had actually melted some ice off of the cold steel that was Eric the asshole heart," he grins ear to ear.

"Excuse you!! Did you truly think so disgustingly of me?" I ask half shocked half offended.

"Of YOU personally? No. Of the mystery woman Eric knocked up, absolutely. However the second I laid eyes on you I was actually shocked, possibly slightly in denial," he smiles.

"How? Why?" Now I'm curious.

"You looked nothing like a hooker. You're actually really pretty, and normal looking. You're also nice. I am actually a little envious that an asshole like Coulter managed to have a woman as smart, beautiful, caring, yet still sassy and classy as you." He blushed and looked away.

I knew that Four wasn't actually jealous Eric had me personally or that he harboured secret feelings for me or something crazy like that. He was just jealous Eric had a good person who loved him in general. Four is extremely lonely with a very low opinion of himself for reasons I can't fathom. What I do know is someone in his past damaged him, scared him deep emotionally. Who or why is what I don't know.

Just as I was about to start asking him about his self, my peanuts piercing banshee wails filled the air. I stood up letting out a deep sigh.

"Hold that thought mi amigo. I have to attended to my motherly duties. This conversation is far from over though. I am going to pick your brain some more. I want to know more about you."

His demeanor faulted ever so slightly to nervous, maybe worried. It was quick, but I still caught it.

"How very not true Erudite of you? Wanting to actually listen when someone else speaks and value their opinions," he almost sounded desperate to change the subject with his attitude change.

"Oh fuck dick. I got your number. We are most definitely going to talk about you too," I playful shot over my shoulder as I walked away.

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