#also I know the wild hair up Kendall’s ass turned out to be his entire self worth but there was a moment where the deal was the victory

[underthecitysky]

Last Succession thought but .. Mattson owns Waystar so CEO is a much diminished more tenuous kind of power than Logan had. If it was Shiv or Tom, the CEO is beholden to Mattson or the board (the business stuff is still baffling) and can be replaced, right? Like it’s a big deal but sort of a temporary, easily toppled victory.

And at the beginning of the season, they were all fighting for this deal before Ken got a wild hair up his ass to keep it so .. hey, a win is a win guys lol

[agustdef]

Here & Now - Chapter 12

Pairing: Yoongi x OC

Genre: Fluff; Chill romance

Word Count: 2,490

Warning: None.

Banner Marker: @dee-ehn​

A/N: Posting this early because it’s my birthday and I wanted to. Another chapter will still be posted tomorrow because it’s the regular posting day (Wednesday).

That lovely urge to burn my manuscript was back and in full force. Everything I read felt like it was already a dumpster fire, so adding actual fire wasn’t a wild concept.

I only had myself to blame for the feeling though. I’d finished the first draft in record time and Ara, the awesome woman she was, allowed me to keep the initial timeline to churn out the book. So when I had so much time left over instead of handing it over, I thought I could rewrite it so it’s less disaster. Told myself I didn’t mind having to do it and then do it however many times Ara or my editor for the series decided.

There was no greater lie.

The first ten chapters were a breeze, nothing major I needed to fix and the words just flowed out of me; better than the first draft. However, work started to hit hard and then before I knew it I’d hit a block wall with it. My music and work on other things were going fine, but the will to touch the particular story dissipated.

I’d finally reached the sixteenth chapter after a week and a half on the struggle bus that was chapter fifteen. And by some miracle, it was all flowing again. For the first time in like a month, I’d been able to pump out a rewrite in a day. It felt like heaven.

So when someone came knocking on my door like they were the police in the midst of the last five hundred word stretch I wasn’t amused.

On the other side of my door was Hals, who pushed her way inside and immediately went to my laptop. She bent down and stared for a few seconds.

“Can I help you?” I asked.

“Hm…” Another few seconds of nothing and then she turned to me. “The boys got here yesterday.”

“I know that.”

We stared at each other for several seconds, as if waiting on the other to expound on our statements. I was so deep into the fictional world that I couldn’t possibly pick up what she was putting down.

“So… you were texted that this was their day off before things got hectic and you were summoned.”

“Am I a demon?”

She rolled her eyes, clearly fed up with me. “Sometimes, but that’s not the point. The point is that you are also off today, minus the writing which I can see is almost done. Meaning you’re coming with me, since you failed to answer or look at any texts from Yoongi, Joon or the group chat.”

“I have writing to…”

“We both know that it will take less than an hour to finish that and you planned to nap the rest of the day.”

I opened my mouth to interject but had nothing. “You not wrong.”

Hals smiled, grabbing her phone and taking a seat on my couch. “Then I’ll wait and then we’ll go. Oh… you’re driving.”

Sighing, I retook my seat and got back to work. There was little time for me to internally cuss her out as I slipped back into the moment. Making sure that my main character ended the chapter full or rage and holding a knife to someone’s throat was the priority.

Before I knew it my fingers finished typing and the chapter was done. The clock on my computer alerted me it had only been fifteen minutes, which was a rare occurrence with pumping out six hundred and twenty-three words. I was pleased regardless.

“Now go change,” she said without even looking my way.

“Why am I letting you order me around?” I asked as I shut down my laptop.

“Because it would be pointless to argue with me. You’d be wasting time when we both know you want to go, even though you don’t like that I just popped up and interrupted.” The way she smiled so sweetly after made me want to throw a pillow at her.

I ended up just flipping her off and heading to my room to get dressed. With the lack of need to impress anyone, I threw on a pair of ripped gray jeans, a lilac crop top that said ‘The sky is not the limit’ and one of my million dark gray sweaters. My hair was already in two braids, so after laying my edges I grabbed a beanie and reentered the living room.

Halsey was already at the door, holding up a pair of shoes for me. I brushed her aside, grabbed the galaxy Converse I had and slipped them on. I’d swiped my phone and bag on the way to the door.

“Also you’re driving,” I said, shoving the keys into her hand and exiting the apartment.

The entire drive their she grumbled about it. It was hilarious, even more so when we pulled up at the house the boys were staying at when she jumped out without a glance my way.

We walked to the door in silence and before she could even knock Namjoon was yanking it open. The big dork was smiling way too hard when he saw us and without a word pulled us inside. I almost ended up knocking into the small table in the foyer but was able to stop myself last minute.

“Damn dude.”

“Sorry,” he said bashfully.

Shaking my head I just proceeded to kick off my shoes and then follow the two of them deeper into the house. We entered the living room/kitchen/dining room area where there were already five people: Jin, Hoseok, Jimin, Jungkook, and Taehyung.

They were scattered on the couches and chairs, all watching some show on the TV. When Joon clapped they all turned our way, smiles immediately gracing their faces as they got up to greet her.

Nerves kicked in immediately. Meeting people was always awkward as hell for me and I tended to overthink, so meeting five new people was weird.

While hiding I hadn’t noticed Hoseok slink over to me, arms wide and smile bright as ever. “Why are you hiding?”

The smile that tugged on my lips was because his was so contagious. Though hesitant I stepped into the hug. “Hi, Hoseok.”

Though we’d never met in person I’d spoken to him many times. First, when Joon had come over and they’d video chat while we worked. More so when Yoongi and I started, they talked often as well and when he’d returned back rap line tended to speak to me as a group. We clicked well and just like any in-person bonding it solidified and friendship.

“They’re nice,” he stage whispered to me.

We pulled away and I laughed, then realized eyes were on me now. They were all still smiling, waiting patiently.

“Hi.” I gave the most awkward wave of my life.

“Say it with you chest,” Joon said.

Whipping around to look at him I gave what I assumed was a look that said, ‘what the actual fuck.’ The man lacked shame though and just pushed me closer to the half-circle.

Sighing I put on my best, genuine smile and made eye contact with all four boys. “Hi. I’m Kendall.”

Before I knew it all four moved forward and spoke at the same time, but stopped when they realized. After several more seconds, they stared at each other and then tried again.

“Hello, I’m Jin.”

“Nice to meet you, Kendall. I’m Jimin.” He did that cute smile of his and I almost gushed.

“I’m Taehyung. Hello.”

“I’m Jungkook,” he blurted out. “I mean hi, I’m Jungkook.”

In the corner of my eye, I could see Joon roll his eyes and Hals trying not to laugh. I myself wanted to laugh, but Jungkook looked a little embarrassed.

“It’s nice to meet all of you.”

Before I could say anything else there was a jab to my side that made me jump. Whipping around my finger was already raised and inches from Yoongi’s face.

“You need to stop doing that. You pretend it’s a light poke, but it’s like your trying to push that bony finger of yours in between my ribs.”

All he did was shrug and smirk. Then he pulled me into a hug I wanted to reject but didn’t. His hugs were always nice and we always lingered longer than normal, but when I remembered where we are I casually pull away.

Hals, being the awesome person she is, directs attention to her so there’s no weird silence afterward.

“Sorry, would have been here on time but she was writing and I know better than pulling her away without finishing,” she said.

“Writing? I thought you were on a break after finishing the draft?” Yoongi asked in Korean.

I froze. Part of me thought I’d told him, but then I remembered I’d chosen not to. He’d been lecturing on taking a break of some kind because of all the projects I had, and I’d pretended to consider that.

“I’m rewriting it,” I mumbled.

“What did she say?” I heard Jin ask Joon in Korean.

Joon just shook his head, taking a step closer to me. He was only a few inches taller so he didn’t completely tower over me, but it felt like he was; staring down at me menacing. Hell, the same feeling was created when Yoongi also stepped closer and we were just about the same height.

“She said she’s rewriting it,” Joon said.

In the background, I could see Hals watching intently with a smirk on her face. The jerk knew what was coming next for me, I was very sure that the entire situation was a set-up at that point.

“Thought you were going to take a break?” Yoongi stepped closer again and I tried to step back, but Hoseok just pushed me forward again.

I made a mental note to beat his ass at a later time.

“What I said was that I would try to. But then I breezed through those last chapters and thought a rewrite wouldn’t kill me.” I tried to play it cool. Tried.

His eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms as he moved closer; Joon doing the same.

“She also is exceeding her producing limit which is three projects at a time to five as of last week. Plus she’s still working on that anthology,” Hals added.

Whipping around I glared at her. She just continued to smirk at me, especially when the boys moved even closer leaving me no escape.

“Why do I tell your punk ass anything? Why?”

Joon tapped my shoulder to bring my attention back to them and while he looked more amused than before Yoongi did not. His brow was raised and he was making that face he made when he was genuinely upset.

I was ninety-five percent sure if I made the wrong move I’d be murdered.

“Wait. It’s not that bad. Yes, it’s a lot but I’m handling it. The projects are at varying stages, two of them almost done. The anthology is just editing and rewriting certain parts of it. And I just finished the sixteenth chapter of the rewrite, leaving me with eight chapters left.”

Even though I was appealing to both of them I focused on Yoongi. I’d even given my little mercy pleading in Korean, though that hadn’t been intentional.

If nothing else showed how close I was to them and how I genuinely cared allowing them to scold me about being a knucklehead did. For over a year Joon had already been like a brother figure, we’d clicked and he’d asserted himself that way. Yoongi had made it clear at the beginning of our friendship how he’d operate if I was doing something slightly stupid. Hell, even Hoseok had grown comfortable enough to call me out on my bullshit.

For a second I thought I saw Yoongi’s expression soften, Joon’s did, but I was proven wrong.

Yoongi huffed. “You overwork your brain too much. You need to rest.”

“I promise things clear up in like a month. My mom and Marcus talked me into making myself unavailable for a month. Most of my stuff will be done by then and I’m restricted from starting new things. Plus it gives me time to truly sit and think about contract stuff.”

For a moment we just stood there, but then he sighed and he shoulders dropped. “Fine.”

With that, I let out a sigh of relief and then was aware of those around us. Most of them wore a confused expression, while Joon and Hoseok were trying not to smile. Halsey was hiding behind Joon was I couldn’t see her.

“So, back to the movie?” Jungkook asked, breaking the silence.

Everyone nodded and headed towards the seating. They all gave me brief smiles as they went by, but Jimin had this weird little smirk on his face that I didn’t have time to decipher. Hals tried to run past me quickly, but I pinched her arm and flipped her off as she went.

When Joon went past he paused to throat chop me, which I failed to block. “Stop being hard-headed.”

Hoseok walked by and I immediately punched his arm, to which he dramatically gasped. But he knew what he did, so he went on his merry way. It left me and Yoongi who just stared for a moment and then inclined his head so I would follow. I ended up on a smaller couch between him and Hoseok.

The atmosphere was nice and I got to know the other guys a little better. From my point of view, they were cool and none of them seemed to hate me. I knew I’d been awkward to start, but as time went on it became more comfortable.

We went through a few movies and ordered food at some point because no one was in the mood to cook anything. Everyone tired for one reason or another. Before I knew it though, I was drifting off to sleep on the couch. My body falling to the side and onto Yoongi’s arm. I was aware of it, but sleep had its hooks deep in me and I couldn’t move.

In my half-sleep state, Yoongi had adjusted me so I leaned comfortably on him. And just as I almost went over my phone went off, startling me awake. Fumbling for a bit I pulled it out to see it was Marcus, meaning I should answer. Before I could the phone was taken and tossed to Joon.

“Handle that,” Yoongi said.

I went to protest, but Joon was already on the phone greeting him. The haze of sleep was already reclaiming me, so I could barely make out what they were saying. I tried to shake it off, but then I was pushed back down onto Yoongi’s shoulder.

“Go to sleep, Kendall,” Yoongi said.

It was that last thing I heard before my body finally gave in.