#also i blame my dog because when my alarm goes off he suddenly stands next to the bed wagging his tail begging to be allowed under the cove

[wonderwomemes]

i need a ''do it for her'' pic that pops up when my alarm goes off in the morning but the pictures are all from me going to bed with the intention to actually get out of the bed when the alarm rings and not stay under the blanket for another hour

[kilgarraghforever]

So The Son Of Bigfoot is this film from 2017 and it's completely nutty.

The opening scene is this science man getting chased through a forest by a load of helicopters, men with dogs and a pointy-faced dude with very blonde hair. The lot of them have stupid hairstyles. Science Man climbs a cliff, is cornered by the helicopters and then jumps off a waterfall. End scene, cut to title, then the main stuff starts. (I think I'm going to explain the entire film, so anyone who wants to watch it (and I heartily recommend you do so) leave now.)

The main plot is about this kid who gets bullied by three morons with stupid haircuts. Here they are:

(Sunglasses has this silly little goatee thing at the back of his head)

The three morons stick a load of gum in his hair, so his mum has to chop it all off. Next day, it's all grown back, and kid freaks and tries to chop it off himself - which goes badly. He finds his dead dad's old hat in a draw to hide it, goes to school and basically has a weird thing where his hearing suddenly increases and so does his shoe size. The kid's feat literally bust out of his shoes. Kid ends up in the PE hall to escape the noise and surprise! the three bullies turn up, he accidently punches one in the face and so they beat him up, steal his backpack and throw it in a basketball hoop. The lot of them get called to the headmaster's office to be punished (suspension), in which the kid - Adam - meets some blonde girl who flirts with him, gets his bag back and is told to remove the hat, revealing that his hair has grown back completely. Before he has time to contemplate this, the bullies turn up again, chase him home and throw a rock through his window. Rock hits a vent, breaks it and hits something metal, so Adam sticks his arm down and finds a tin full of letters from his dead dad and an address carved on bark. He reads the letters and his mum gets home, he accuses her of keeping his dad's living-ness a secret. Yelling ensues, Adam runs away, y'know - the usual.

Meanwhile, this massive hair company (Hair Co) are trying to make some serum to make hair grow. It's run by the pale dude from before, who never gets named, so I'll refer to him as Asshole. Asshole is showing these three dudes around and nattering, and then they get to this science lab. A short old science man shoots an intern in the ass with a dart thing that causes him to grow an afro. The afro then promptly bursts into flames.

We return to Adam, next to a highway trying to hitchhike in the pouring rain. Truck driver stops and Adam guilts him into taking him to the address on that bit of bark. Turns out it's literally just a post box in a woods next to the road. Adam gets out, truck drives off leaving Adam alone and so he ventures into the unknown. He wanders around for a bit looking for a house or something, yelling "Hello?" into the void. He climbs a small cliff, yells again and hears something behind him. Sees some bushes moving, so he throws a rock at them. The bushes go "ow" so he runs off and right into a bear trap. He falls, skidding the rest of the way down to the road. During said skid, his backpack falls off. This is important. Adam gets knocked out by the impact and is left sprawled in the middle of the road. Some trucker - I'm going to call him Carl - is driving down it, reading a magazine and singing something. He sees Adam at the last minute, slamming on the breaks. He's clearly going to hit Adam, but before he can, this blurry humanoid figure runs out into the road, scoops up Adam and runs off again. Carl is very confused, so plays it back on his dashboard camera. He goes "Well, I'll be" and reaches for his phone. It has no service. Carl ends up at a diner with a phone box, calls 911 and reports that he saw Bigfoot. 911 hangs up on him. Carl then proceeds to call the magazine he was reading and gets told that his sighting will get published.

Back at Hair Co, Asshole sees the report and smirks at the short science man, whom I'll be calling Billingsley, as that is his name. Billingsley wants to go after Bigfoot but Asshole says that they gave up the search ten years ago, leading to the question: 'What the fuck, Hair Co?' They eventually decide to go after Bigfoot again after seeing Adam in the photo.

Carl, back at the diner, is talking to the serving lady who I've named Sugar. They talk about the Bigfoot sighting, and then a load of black cars and a freaking helicopter turn up. Sugar shouts for someone to raise the prices.

Turns out all the men in black people are Hair Co looking for Bigfoot - and Asshole is with them. Carl explains about where he saw Bigfoot and an agent finds Adam's backpack (I said it was important) and his address in it. Asshole smirks again.

Two of the Agents of Hair turn up at Adam's address, break in and find the letters. Meanwhile, Shelly - the mum - is driving to the address on the bark in search of Adam.

This is where it gets a little nuts. Adam wakes up in some tree next with Bigfoot - inexplicably in a pair of jeans that look far too small for him because of all the fur - is standing over him. Adam understandably freaks out and tries to leave, only to nearly die from falling. Bigfoot grabs him before he does and explains that he is Adam's dad. His not dead, very much alive, rather furry and never named dad. (For that reason I'm going to keep calling him Bigfoot.) Adam calls bullshit and threatens him with a twig, then sees that the middle of the treehouse is decorated in photos of him and his mum. This somehow proves to Adam that Bigfoot is his dad, and I'm sure you guessed from the title. He then freaks out again, calling his dad a monster and Bigfoot makes the most funny offended face in animated history.

He then accuses Bigfoot of running away, to which Bigfoot responds with "Woah." He then explains that someone *cough* Hair Co *cough* *cough* were hunting him and he had to leave to keep Adam and Shelly safe. Adam then asks him what he meant by 'lab rat', making Bigfoot change the subject to Shelly and whether she knows Adam is here. Adam lies, his dad catches it, and they argue for a bit before Bigfoot says "Your mum must be worried sick."

Cut to Shelly driving up to a blockade set up by the Agents of Hair. They say they're looking for her, and she tries to escape but the Agents of Hair stop her.

Back at the treehouse, apparently Bigfoot and Adam have stopped arguing and Bigfoot is going on about being sorry he missed Adam's childhood and how Shelly sent everything to him. Adam then asks if he's going to have Bigfoot stuff happen to him - mostly refuring to the fur (I'm not sorry for the pun) - and Bigfoot says no. He then explains that he's already thirteen and hasn't shown any signs of being a bigfoot. Adam says "Yes I have. My feet went weird and so did my hearing." They eventually work out that Adam got all of the cool stuff about being a bigfoot and none of the fur. Cool stuff? I hear you and Adam ask. Turns out bigfoots (bigfeet?) have healing powers (which is how Adam is walking on a leg that got caught in a beartrap), run really fast, hear super well (like things around a mile away) and can talk to animals. They then zipline down to the ground, do some weird surfing thing and fall over. During the next 20 minutes, we meet two racoons, a squirrel and a woodpecker. Oh, yeah, and a giant bear. There's some nonsense with two idiotic hunters, baseball, some geysers and then they end up back at the treehouse. This sickeningly sweet bonding shit is interrupted by the raccoons who report that the Agents of Hair are scouring the forest looking for Bigfoot. Bigfoot blames Adam, which is fair but also really not, who then decides to give himself up to Asshole and the Agents of Hair. They take him to his mum and he tricks them into climbing into a geyser. This pisses of Asshole who, in a plot to lure out Bigfoot, traps Adam in a car and sends him into a forest fire the Agents of Hair started. When Bigfoot shows up to try and save Adam, he gets Adam out of the car but is shot by Asshole with a stun dart. The massive bear whose name is Wilbur saves Adam but a burning branch gets in the way of him going back for Bigfoot, who is captured by Asshole. Adam then blacks out from smoke inhalation. When he comes to, Wilbur and the other animals decide to leave, but Adam convinces them to help him save Bigfoot in a Mission Impossible style heist.

Back at Hair Co, Billingsley has almost perfected a hair formula and shoots the intern again, causing all his hair to grow prolifically. Asshole is pleased by this.

While that's happening, Adam and the rest break into Hair Co's nearest facility, and during the commotion, all of them but Adam get captured. Adam makes it to his dad, who then refuses to leave in a plot twist everyone saw coming, aside from Adam who is confused. Asshole has apparently promised to care for Shelly and Adam and not kill them in exchange for Bigfoot allowing them to run experiments on him. Adam, who is not crazy and doesn't trust Asshole, tries to convince Bigfoot to leave but then Asshole himself turns up and takes Adam out of the lab. Asshole talks about how Adam is going to like being rich while Adam spots a fire alarm, breaks it and causes the only door in to seal itself with him on the inside. This greatly pisses off Asshole, who yells for security to open the door and that the fire is a false alarm. Security guy, who Adam and co knocked out earlier, comes to, hears fire and sounds the evacuation alarm. Asshole gets taken to the bridge, leaving only Adam inside.

Adam then steals an access card from a guard he knocked out, releases all the animals, including the ones used by Hair Co to test stuff on (who all leave the compound and follow the evacuating Agents of Hair), and cause chaos. During said chaos Adam gets a flare gun. He goes back to Bigfoot and this time succeeds in convincing him to leave, threatening to tell Asshole that he's a Bigfoot too. This sentiment is quite sweet as he says that "If you don't leave, then I'm staying. It's the two of us here or the two of us out there, but I'm not loosing you again." They leave and Bigfoot decides to go into a large production area and break all of the gas pipes, deciding that Hair Co is going to be put out of business, permanently. They break many gas lines, leading to the door to be sealed so no gas escapes. They escape through a vent and come out at the top of Hair Co, and zipline down to the bridge using the cables holding it up.

Asshole is there waiting for them. He has found out that Adam is also a bigfoot and shoots Bigfoot several times with stun darts then kicks him off the bridge. Adam, with the most 'fuck you' look, shoots the flare gun's flare into Hair Co, igniting the gas and exploding the building and making the bridge collapse.

Adam then runs to the end of the bridge and climbs down to try and find his dad. Asshole also falls off the bridge because of his own stupidity and the Agents of Hair being incompetent.

In the gorge below, Adam finds his dad badly injured and dying. He cries at first, hugging his dad and his hands glow with blue swirls of light that disappear as soon as he takes his hand away from Bigfoot's arm. He then remembers the healing powers his dad told him about, and uses them on his dad. The blue magic makes Bigfoot's body rise into the air as the healing powers try to heal him, then gently place him back on the ground after Adam is done.

Bigfoot doesn't move.

"No!" Adam cries out, sobbing again. Then Bigfoot moves and wakes up, they hug, the animals show up and it's all very sweet, blah blah blah.

And then along comes Asshole, looking rather deranged and pointing a stun gun at them. He starts monologuing about how "it did not have to end this way" and then is shot in the ass by Shelly. Bigfoot, Shelly and Adam decide on "no more hiding". Meanwhile, the male raccoon discovers that Asshole has been wearing a toupee the entire time.

It turns out that Billingsley and the intern survived.

A few weeks/months later (it's actually only about a week later) Bigfoot and the animals are living happily with Shelly and Adam, who is returning to school after his suspension.

On the way, the bullies return and try to beat up Adam, only to be scared by Wilbur the massive bear. They end up with broken bikes (curtesy of the raccoons) and bruises. The blonde girl from the office shows up at the end of the confrontation and asks to walk to school with Adam. She also asks what happened to his shoes, as his feet bust out when the bullies show up. He jokes that he should switch to sandals, and the film ends on them walking away with his shoes hanging from a telephone pole.

It's a wild ride and I'd honestly recommend it to anyone with an hour and a half to spare. Despite what it looks like, I didn't get in everything and the whole film is a lot funnier that I said here.

This film got an 8/10.

[sapphirestarxx]

Customer Service

Find it on AO3

SUMMARY: Customer service is a thankless job, a fact Kagome knows well. Customers can be downright nasty; that’s just to be expected. What she isn’t expecting is for one of those customers to get physical or for a handsome and gruff stranger to swoop in and save her. How can she thank him? ONESHOT.

NSFW. SMUT. Lots of smut at the end. 

This is a birthday fic for @lavendertwilight89!! Her birthday isn’t for another couple days but I thought I would post this early after the terrible day she had yesterday. I hope you love it dear!~

Also, thanks go out to @neutronstarchild for helping me brainstorm some ideas out and to @fawn-eyed-girl and @hnn-wnchstr for being kind enough to beta it.

Tag Wall:  @lavendertwilight89 @hnn-wnchstr @cstormsinukagblog @fawn-eyed-girl @ruddcatha @liz8080 @itzatakahashi @kagometaishostory @neutronstarchild @bluejay785​ @ravisk @dangerouspompadour​ @omgitscharlie​ @arcprz​

***********

Kagome was not having a good day. It had gotten off to a terrible start and showed no signs of improving with the day’s passing.

Her alarm hadn’t gone off, and when her eyes finally opened, she’d only had five minutes to throw on her things before racing out the door, skipping breakfast. She hadn’t gotten very far because her car hadn’t wanted to start and she had fought with it before finally resorting to shocking the engine with her reiki in a last ditch effort. It had appeared to work (much to her surprise) but she had no idea when the effects would wear off or if it would even work again. Not that she had had time to worry about that, because the whole ordeal had made her roughly forty minutes late to work, where she proceeded to receive a lecture on punctuality from her boss, even though she had never been late before. And then, to make matters worse, she had used her entire break trying to call auto places to get her car in. Turns out every nearby place was booked out for the next two weeks because of course they were. So not only had she been unable to schedule an appointment for her car, she hadn’t eaten all day either.

Her car was a mess, her mood was a mess, and her life was a mess. And her store was also a mess. 

Stifling a sigh of frustration, Kagome tucked the wayward strand of black hair that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear and straightened the apron she was wearing. Just another year… she just had to deal with this job for another year until she finished her Masters in Reiki Manipulation. In the meantime this job was vital for her income. Customer service had never been her first choice but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

She had been working at Shikon Styles for roughly four years, give or take a few months. After the first couple years as an associate, she’d been able to work her way up to manager. With that title came the guaranteed hours, benefits, and most importantly-- better pay. Still not even remotely close to what she felt like she deserved considering everything she had to put up with, but wasn’t that always the case?

She finished cleaning up the mess someone had left behind (because no one seemed to know how to pick up after themselves ), and scanned the store to see if any shoppers appeared to need help. Turning her head towards the entrance of the store she saw another customer enter and her heart stuttered in her chest for a few beats. The person who had just walked in was quite possibly the most attractive man that she, Kagome Higurashi, had ever seen in the entire twenty-five years of her life. 

He was tall with a lean but muscular build, the features of his tanned face chiseled and sharp. The effect was softened slightly by a mane of gleaming silver hair that hung all the way to his no doubt perfect ass, but more intriguing to her were the dog ears atop his head; white and fluffy, and her fingers twitched with the need to touch them. And his eyes . Even all the way across the store, the piercing gold of them was unmistakable. When those gold eyes turned her way, she felt the blood rush to her cheeks in equal parts awareness and embarrassment. She couldn’t have been more obvious about checking him out. She also couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away from his, completely caught in his spell.

His face had been set in a scowl, but at the sight of her blatant staring, the edge of his mouth kicked up, hinting at a smirk. She felt lightheaded for a second, her heart beating faster while butterflies stirred in her stomach. She flushed further, but this time for... other reasons. It was like everything around her had just fallen away and there was only her and him. She wanted to get closer, feeling an almost magnetic pull towards him. It was ridiculous and crazy but she couldn’t seem to help herself.

Her feet started moving his way as she licked her suddenly dry lips in preparation to give some semblance of a greeting, but the sound of one of her employees asking for help over the headset quickly curtailed that plan. 

“Can I have a manager up front please?”

Kagome frowned at the distress in the girl’s voice. Her momentary annoyance was replaced with concern. Normally a bright and cheerful girl, Rin sounded close to tears. The radio picked up the slight sounds of someone raising their voice and once it clicked off, Kagome could actually hear the irate customer from where she stood near the back of the store. Several of the nearby customers were turning their attention towards the source as well. This did not bode well. 

“I’ll be right there,” she responded.

With quick steps Kagome made her way to the registers, mentally preparing herself. With that much yelling, she wasn’t expecting a smooth resolution. As she drew near, she saw that the customer in question had his hands on the counter and was leaning close in a move meant to be intimidating. It was a boar youkai, and she held back a wince; they were not known for their sweet temperament. Rin’s eyes were wide and she had her hands raised in a placating gesture. When she caught sight of Kagome the relief on her face was palpable. Kagome pasted on her customer service smile and came to stand beside the young girl.

“What seems to be the problem?”

“The problem is this bitch won’t give me what I’m asking for! I’m a paying customer, dammit!”

The use of the word bitch had Kagome’s mind screeching to a halt as she stared at him in stunned silence. She'd had lots of customers get nasty before, but few had resorted to actual profanity. Finding her composure again, she attempted a polite expression, even though inside she was seething. How dare this youkai use obscenities, especially at such a sweet girl like Rin! She was one of her best employees and Kagome didn’t care for the way he was trying to bully her.

“There’s no need for such language, sir. I’m the manager here and would like to assist you if possible. What exactly is the issue?”

He scoffed at her rebuke, rolling his eyes, and her blood boiled. Asshole.

“You said you’re the manager?”

“That’s right.”

“Good. Maybe I can actually get some real help from someone competent, who knows how to take care of the customer.”

It was a struggle to keep her fake smile from slipping but she somehow managed. Ugh, she hated this man already. Rin was doing nothing to hide her own expression of displeasure and Kagome couldn’t blame the girl. 

“I’m listening,” she said.

“I’m spending 31,000 yen today but this dumb girl can’t give me any discount. I even have a coupon!! And she tells me you don’t have your gift-with-purchase available anymore and she can’t give me anything in place of it, either! My girlfriend was looking forward to it. You guys never have any left when I come in! This is BULLSHIT!!! I demand SOMETHING!!!”

Ah, profanity again. With more yelling.

“As far as the GWP goes, unfortunately they are only available while supplies last, and if you look closely on the back of the GWP coupon, it says it was only good until the 10th of last month. They tend to only be valid for a week before they end,” Kagome explained with a patience she did not feel.

A month. The man came in a month after it started and expected them to still have any left? She wanted to tell him maybe waiting too long was the reason he was always unable to receive one, but she held her tongue. Instead she reached her hand out for the other coupon he held, already sure of what it was going to say.

“May I see the other coupon, sir?”

He practically threw it at her and she blinked. Okaaaay…this man was seriously getting on her nerves. Feeling like her face was about to crack from the force of faking a pleasant expression, she picked it up and looked at it. Just like that, her customer service persona shattered. Her face went slack in disbelief. She looked up at him and met his angry red eyes.

“Sir...this coupon expired four years ago. On May 2016.”

“So? I’m here now!” He insisted belligerently, his lip curling as a nasty look overtook his face. The tusks on either side of his mouth stood out in sharp relief at his anger.

One thing working in customer service had taught Kagome was the sheer entitlement of some people. It truly baffled her, the things people thought she should do for them. They all thought that an exception should be made for them for whatever reason. You’re not special and the rules do apply to you, she wanted to say to them all.

And honestly, there was a similar public offer currently available on the website, and if he had been nicer maybe she would have mentioned it and taken care of him. But no. He was being a complete asshole so she wasn’t inclined in the slightest to help him in any way. She just wanted him out of her damn store.

“Yes, but the coupon you have is very expired. I’m very sorry but there is nothing I can do for you.”

“That shouldn’t fucking matter! You’re just as useless as that bitch, you damn cunt!!”

Alright, that was it. She was pissed.

“Sir, you need to leave.”

“Excuse me?!” 

“I said you need to leave this store now. We do not tolerate abusive language towards anyone.” There was an edge to her voice now, but she didn’t care anymore. Let him know she was angry. 

“Fine but I’m takin’ all this shit!!” The youkai snatched his haul off the counter after slamming down a few bills and started to stalk towards the doors. A quick glance revealed it wasn’t nearly enough to pay for the items he had grabbed and she rushed after him, cutting him off at the end of the registers. And then her bad day became worse.

“Sir, you still nee--” 

That was as far as she got before he pushed her roughly. She hadn’t been expecting to be physically assaulted and the move caught her off guard. Stumbling backwards, she fell hard on her side. There were gasps from her employees and the other onlookers. What the hell?!

“Out of my way! You want me to pay for them then give me my discount, bitch!!” He spat over her form.

Kagome was so angry she was literally shaking. Her breath was coming in pants and her reiki was beginning to swirl around her in a cloud in response to her strong emotions. If she thought she’d been pissed before, it was nothing compared to the rage that now coursed through her veins. 

“How dare you!!!” Rin was yelling at him while rushing over to her side.

Don’t zap him, don’t zap him, don’t zap him. Kagome chanted it like a mantra in her head, trying to tamp down the urge to fry the asshole with her power. You need the money, so far the only one here at fault is him. Don’t touch him

“You just gonna lay there like the pathetic bitch you are?”

Fuck it.

Pushing herself to her feet, Kagome was prepared to rain down fury on this customer, consequences be damned. Rin helped her up, then gasped, tightening her grip on Kagome’s arm. Kagome looked up to see what had elicited the sound of surprise from her employee. If this asshole had done anything else… Her eyes grew wide, the death glare slipping from her face as shock replaced it.

The hot guy from earlier was there and holding the nasty customer by the throat. It was a testament to his strength how he was able to lift the youkai off the floor with his grip alone. 

“Wh-what do you think you’re doing?” The boar youkai wheezed around the man’s grip on his neck. The merchandise he had been about to make off with lay at his feet in a pile.

 "You need to leave. Now. She's been nothin’ but nice while you've been a total dick. Get the fuck out," he replied in a dangerously low voice.

“I barely touched her.”

“You shouldn’t have touched her at all. Period.”

“Let go of me!”

“Are ya gonna leave?”

“Yes!” 

The sound was pitiful but Kagome couldn’t find it in her to feel sorry for him. She was still shaking slightly from the sheer force of the anger that had gripped her moments earlier. Her temper was now fading, the sight of this man serving justice in her stead somehow calming her down. Perhaps it was petty, but she took great satisfaction at his discomfort. It was what he deserved, in her opinion. Judging by how no one was protesting his treatment, everyone else in the store seemed to feel the same.  

She took a closer look at her savior while his attention was fixed upon the boar youkai. His dog ears twitched in irritation, the scowl back on his handsome face. He was even more attractive up close, the muscles of his biceps and triceps standing out in the red t-shirt he wore as he flexed his grip once more before releasing the customer. 

The boar youkai coughed a bit before glowering at her rescuer. 

“You’re brave for a half-breed, putting your filthy hands on a full-blooded youkai.”

Half-breed? Kagome frowned at the slur, wondering if it was impossible for a kind word to pass the other man’s lips. That must mean this man was a hanyou, and probably an inu youkai if she had to guess, based on the fluffy ears that were still calling her name. She longed to touch them but that would be all kinds of inappropriate.

The inu youkai scoffed at his words, seemingly unbothered by them.  

“Whatever. I could still kick your ass. Wanna find out?”

The boar youkai sputtered in indignation for a few moments before collecting himself, trying and failing to intimidate the hanyou as he puffed his chest out.

“That’s it! I’m going to leave a complaint!”

The hanyou rolled his eyes.

“I don’t give a shit. I don't work here so good fuckin’ luck with that. Now get the fuck outta here."

Walking back to the counter to grab the money he had left by the register, the man then beat a hasty retreat. He deliberately walked over the items he had left piled on the floor and Kagome rolled her eyes at the childish move, just grateful he was finally leaving. Never in all the days and years she worked there had she ever had someone lay hands on her. She would have to call her boss, who had already left for the day, and probably file an incident report about it later. What a pain in the ass.

“You okay?”

Kagome blinked, turning her eyes from the doors, where the man had just exited, back to the hanyou standing in front of her. His eyes were the most beautiful shade of molten amber and her heart rate kicked up again when she found herself swallowed up in his gaze. She cleared her throat in an attempt to find her voice.

“Yes, thank you.”

“Good.”

He turned and began to walk away and for some inexplicable reason Kagome felt her stomach drop at his absence. It was strange. As if fate had presented her with an opportunity that she was letting go to waste. She had no idea why she felt this incredible pull towards him, but the feeling didn’t appear to be mutual. And why would it be? She had literally just met this man. She didn’t even know his name. Why would he stay and chat?? You’re being ridiculous. The thought did nothing to dispel the notion that she had let this chance slip through her fingers.

“Get his number!” Rin whispered in her ear before returning to the registers to ring out the next customer. The show was over and people were ready to resume making their purchases. Rin was happy to gossip about it with all of them and Kagome didn’t have it in her to reprimand her about it. Instead, she chased the unknown man down.

“Wait!”

He stopped, turning to look at her. A dark brow was raised in curiosity. She faltered a bit, her sudden confidence from Rin’s encouragement fading a little. It was hard to read the look that passed over his face but what appeared to be his trademark scowl was taking hold again.

“What?”

His tone was laced with annoyance. Not exactly a promising response. Kagome tried to stay positive by reminding herself that the actual target of his ire had already left the store, so she didn't hold it against him. Much. He was just another customer, one who had stepped in to help her when he'd had no reason to. There had been nothing in it for him. She wasn’t sure why he had, but it didn’t really matter. 

“Um, I wanted to thank you. You didn’t have to step in but you did.”

“Keh. It was nothin’.”

“It wasn’t nothing. You probably saved me in more ways than one.”

“Listen, a thank you is fine. Don’t get all mushy on me. It was no big deal.”

“I would have probably lost my job if you hadn’t intervened. I was about to fry him with my reiki, I was so angry. So thank you. Really,” Kagome insisted.

She wasn't sure why he seemed so determined to brush aside her thanks, but her confession of potential violence seemed to catch his attention. He looked at her with new interest, giving a short laugh and exposing the tip of a fang. Amusement sparked in his eyes.

“Now I’m sorry I did.” 

“I’m not because I would have probably been fired.”

"Eh, don’t mention it.”

He looked a little embarrassed now. It was faint but there was definitely a light flush across his cheekbones. Kagome had to bite back a grin at the sight. Maybe he just wasn’t used to kind words from a stranger? She didn’t have a chance to ponder that too much, though. She wasn’t sure what possessed her, but she found herself speaking before her mind caught up with her mouth. It had to be Rin’s influence.

“I want to repay you somehow! Like...with more than words. What can I do?”

The scowl disappeared and in its place was that hint of a smirk she had glimpsed earlier at his entrance into the store. Her knees went a little weak while her breath caught in her throat. It wasn’t fair for someone to be so incredibly attractive.

“Do ya always ask out your customers?”

“I-I’m not asking you out! I’m just trying to thank you…” Kagome stammered, her cheeks flushing pink. Ugh, she was failing miserably at this. “Like maybe a drink?”

Something shifted in his eyes that she couldn’t quite put her finger on while she waited for his answer. This wasn’t like her at all. She didn’t chase after guys. But she really did want to thank him and if that meant she got to spend more time with him in the process and learn his name then so much the better. It wasn’t like this was going to be a date; it was just a show of appreciation for him saving her ass.

“Your boyfriend won’t mind?” he asked, his scowl deepening.

“I-I don’t have a boyfriend,” Kagome answered, blushing harder.

He considered her words, his expression lightening at that.

“Fine. You can buy me a drink if that means you’ll shut up about thanking me.”

Okay, not the most encouraging response but she would take it. At least he wasn’t scowling at her anymore.

“What’s your name? And your phone number?”

“Inuyasha Taisho. Gimme some paper…” He peered at her name tag and grinned. “Ka-go-me.”

She had no idea why he had said her name in such a drawn out way but she decided right then that she loved it, and she wanted to hear him say it again. And again. God, what was wrong with her? She had met plenty of attractive men before, and her exes had all been pretty good-looking. But none had ever affected her so strongly before.

Retrieving a sticky note from her apron along with a pen, she scrawled her name and number onto it, then held it out to him.

“Here.”

He took it from her, his fingers brushing over hers. A tingle of electricity ran through her at the contact and sent her heart racing. His golden eyes sharpened and it occurred to her then that with his inu youkai senses he could probably pick up on little things like that. She was so obvious.

“Um...I should probably get back to work. Unless you need help with something?”

“Nah, I’m good. I have everything I need.” 

He held up the piece of paper with her name and number, the tilt of his lips turning into a devastating smirk, then walked away to continue shopping. She wondered for a minute if there was a double meaning behind his words or if she was reading too much into it. Shrugging it off, she resumed her managerial duties, continuing to make sure everyone on the sales floor was taken care of. After several minutes she realized she had forgotten to get his number, too, and glanced around. She caught sight of him just as he was leaving and sighed. Chasing him down once was enough; she wasn’t about to do it twice. Oh well. If she didn’t hear back from him then that was that. 

A few minutes later as she was finishing up with another customer she heard her phone chime and glanced at it. It was a text from an unknown number. 

[Hey it’s Inuyasha. Text me the days you’re free.]  

He had texted her! A flood of giddy excitement rushed through her.

“So did you get his number?” 

That was Rin’s coy voice over the headset. Kagome couldn't contain her smile, feeling a sense of triumph. At least something had gone right today.

“I did.”

She could hear Rin cheering loudly all the way from the front of the store.

 *****

 “It’s not a date.” Kagome told her roommate and best friend for the fifth time.

“It sounds like a date,” Sango insisted, sitting on the foot of her bed as Kagome finished up her makeup, sipping her soda. “Look at you. Putting on makeup, dressing up. Going for a drink. With a man you find attractive. We call that a date, Kagome.”

Finishing the swipe of cherry-red across her lips, Kagome capped the tube of lipstick and turned to face her friend. Ok, so maybe Sango had a point. She had definitely dressed a bit more flirty than casual attire called for, wearing a pleated knee-length skirt in green that flared at the hem and a white off-the-shoulder blouse to go with it. Her long hair was hanging free in natural waves, the silky black a stark contrast to her porcelain skin. 

“It’s just a thank you. He basically saved my job,” Kagome mumbled, but even she wasn’t convinced anymore. 

Sango rolled her eyes. 

“Well have fun at your not-date. Maybe it will lead to an actual date.”

"Yeah, yeah. Alright, out of my room. I'm leaving."

Sango laughed and threw her a wink before rising to her feet. 

“I want to hear all about it when you get back home.”

“Sure, sure.”

Kagome grabbed her purse and car keys, slipping out of their apartment. Sango managed to get in one last remark just before the door shut. 

“Let me know if he has any cute friends!”

“Good bye! ”

It had been three days since her encounter with the hanyou at her store, and aside from the rather short texts asking about her availability and figuring out the where and when to meet, there had been no real conversation between them. She had been hesitant to come across as too eager and he hadn’t exactly been forthcoming either. It’s not like it’s an actual date, so it doesn’t matter.

Maybe if she told herself that enough times she would start to believe it. 

She hoped that maybe texting just wasn’t his thing. A lot of guys were like that, after all. Also, he hadn’t exactly struck her as the talkative type, but more so a man of action and gruff words. It was also entirely possible he had just been busy. She had no idea what he did for a living, or anything else about his life, for that matter.

Whispering a quick prayer, Kagome turned the key in the ignition. When her car started, she released a relieved breath, beginning to drive to the bar they had agreed upon. Her car hadn’t given her any problems since that day, but Kagome knew it was only a matter of time. Most of the drive it behaved...until it didn’t. And then, as if her thoughts had summoned everything terrible in the universe, her car shuddered and started making a sound she was pretty sure cars weren’t supposed to make.

It sounded like a cat was dying beneath the hood.

“No, no, nooo! Come onnnnn.” 

The car remained unmoved by her desperate pleading. A glance at the dash revealed every warning light lit up like a Christmas tree and flashing at her. The engine stalled and her car began to slow, despite her frantic pressing of the gas pedal. Admitting defeat, she turned on her blinker and managed to pull over onto the side of the street right before it idled then completely died.

She turned the key again and nothing happened.  

Giving the steering wheel a smack of anger, Kagome then lowered her head to rest upon it for a moment, releasing a scream of all her pent up frustration. She banged on the dashboard some more. Her eyes grew wet with the promise of tears and her throat hurt from the effort of holding them back. Why did everything always seem to go wrong for her? This sucked. She had almost made it there. Well, halfway. Digging her phone out of her purse she typed out a text to Inuyasha.

[I’m so sorry but my car broke down. I don’t think I’m going to be able to make it.]  

Wrapping her arms around the steering wheel, she lowered her head back down and just sat like that for a bit, sniffling. She was allowed to wallow in self pity for a few minutes. Surely she deserved that much. Her phone chimed in her lap and she groaned, unlocking it and looking down at the new message.

[Yeah I can see that. Look up.]

What?

Kagome raised her head and yelped in surprise. Standing in front of her car, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, was Inuyasha. His hands were in his pockets and he looked like he was fighting to keep his expression neutral. With a growing sense of horror she wondered if he had witnessed her mental breakdown. The answer was most likely yes. She groaned again. Way to make a favorable impression, Kagome. Meanwhile he was just as hot as she remembered. As she stared at him confusion mingled with surprise. How…? 

He walked around to the driver’s side and rapped on her window with a knuckle. Sighing, Kagome undid her seatbelt and opened the car door. He moved back as she stepped out of the car and slammed the door shut harder than perhaps necessary. He raised an eyebrow at the excessive force and her bleak expression.

“Having another bad day?”

“It was going fine until my stupid car decided to break down!” Kagome answered darkly, giving one of the wheels a solid kick.

“Kickin’ it ain’t gonna help.”

“Well it’s helping me because it makes me feel better!”

“What’s wrong with it?” Inuyasha asked, grinning at her antics.

“I don’t know! Everything!” She wailed.

“I can take a look at it, if ya want.”

Kagome threw him a sidelong glance.

“How did you find me out here, anyways? Are you some kind of stalker?”

She wasn’t sure how she felt about that, to be honest. Inuyasha scoffed, looking offended at the idea.

“Please. I got better things to do than follow ya around.”

“So you’re telling me you just happened to be here?”

“Listen, I live nearby. I was walkin’ to the bar when I heard that god awful screechin’ your car was makin’. Looked over and saw it was you.”

Yeah, he had definitely seen her mental breakdown. Perfect.

“You want me to take a look at it? I’m a mechanic,” he offered.

“What?”

“I can probably fix it for ya.”

“No! Absolutely not. Then I’ll owe you even more.”

He paused a moment, seeming to hesitate before speaking again.

“Just call this a date and we’ll call it even, then.”

A date? All the blood rushed to Kagome’s face as her cheeks reddened. He had managed to make it sound so casual, despite his slight hesitation. Had he thought she would say no? The thought was oddly endearing but did nothing to dispel her nerves. She stammered a little bit before finally managing a response.

“O-okay,” she squeaked.

He graced her with one of his fanged smirks and her heart pounded wildly, trying to escape her ribcage. A thrill of excitement zipped through her and she silently conceded that Sango had been right. He’s actually interested in me, too!

Although she had hoped for it, she hadn’t really been expecting it. His demeanor around her had been less than enthused, after all. But then again, he had come to her rather valiant rescue days earlier. And he had seemed pleased when she had given him her phone number. Maybe the trick was learning to read between the lines with him.  

Inuyasha pulled his phone out and made a quick call. Kagome tried not to be too obvious but it was impossible not to listen in.

“Hey. I need ya to come out here. Her car broke down.”

Inuyasha’s expression darkened before he rolled his eyes in response to whatever the person on the other end of the line said.

“Look, just get the fuck over here with the tow truck, would ya?...I don’t fuckin’ know, Miroku. Ask her yourself.” He made a disgusted sound. “Damn straight, you better.”

He rattled off the street they were at and then hung up the phone.

"It's a shame we won't actually make it to the bar because I could really use a drink right now," Kagome said morosely as they stood there.

Inuyasha barked out a laugh and Kagome found herself taken in at the sound.

"Yeah, it's too bad. Maybe another time."

"Mmm. So who was that on the phone? You sounded close."

"My friend. We work together," he said by way of explanation.

"Surprised you have friends with that surly expression you always wear," she teased.

"You tryin' to pick a fight?"

"No, just stating a fact. Your glare could make small children cry."

"Oh yeah? Well at least I didn’t stare at a mirror so hard that it broke, Miss Misfortune."

“Are you calling me UGLY?”

His ears twitched as he realized how it sounded and she did her best to keep a straight face.

“No, not at all. Just tryin’ to figure out how many black cats you pissed off.”

Kagome gave a mock gasp, feigning offense, and Inuyasha grinned.

“I hope you step on a Lego,” she said, unable to contain her own grin.

“Really? That’s all you got?” He chuckled. “I think your luck has been cursed enough for us both, girlie. Don’t tempt the Lego Gods.”

“Rude!”

They were still trading barbs when a tow truck pulled up to their side of the street in front of where they were standing. They were so engrossed in each other that it wasn't until the man in the truck rolled the window down and spoke that they realized he was there

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," he said cheerfully.

Kagome turned her gaze to the newcomer and took in his appearance. He was handsome, with dark brows, high cheekbones, and full lips. His most striking feature, however, were his indigo eyes, brimming with amusement at the display before him. A light breeze floated through his open window and teased the strands of his black hair, currently pulled into a short ponytail. His arm came up to rest on the window sill almost lazily.

"About fuckin' time," Inuyasha greeted him rudely. The other man, presumably the Miroku from his phone call, just shrugged.

"I got here as soon as I could," Miroku replied, unperturbed by Inuyasha’s attitude. 

"Um, hi. Thank you for coming out here on such short notice," Kagome said politely.

At her words his attention turned to her. He blatantly looked her up and down before settling his indigo gaze back upon her face, smiling pleasantly.

“My pleasure; I’m Miroku. You’re the girl?”

“Um...yes...?” The girl? Had Inuyasha been talking about her?

“I can’t believe you agreed to go on a date with this brute here.”

“Hey!” Inuyasha protested. “I don’t want to hear that from a pervert like you.”

"He seems feral but I promise he's house-trained," Miroku went on.

"He doesn’t seem too bad to me, aside from his permanent scowl." Kagome felt compelled to defend him but she couldn't keep the smile off her face at their banter.

“You’re far too lovely for my friend. Are you sure you have the right guy?”

“At least I don’t flirt with anything female,” Inuyasha shot back.

“Please, I only do that to see their faces light up. Meanwhile, you make every woman run away crying. Except for this one, apparently.”

“At least I have standards.”

“Hey! I have standards, too,” Miroku insisted.

“Then you need to raise them.”

“Perhaps you’re right,” Miroku agreed amiably. “I’m turning over a new leaf tonight.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it,” Inuyasha scoffed.

“So you're clearly off-limits, but do you have any pretty friends?” Miroku pushed on unabashedly, turning his attention back to Kagome.

She giggled and Inuyasha glared. 

“It’s funny because my roommate said the same thing." 

"Same thing?"

"To let her know if Inuyasha had any cute friends,” she explained.

Miroku looked delighted.

“What is this roommate’s number?”

“Don’t you have a job to do?” Inuyasha cut in, rolling his eyes.

“Of course. Can’t keep a lady waiting.” He winked at Kagome and it was her turn to roll her eyes.

Together, Inuyasha and Miroku got her car loaded up. And by ‘together’ it was mostly Miroku doing the work while Inuyasha stood on the sidewalk making disparaging comments about Miroku’s skills. He took it in stride and made some cleverly sharp comments of his own right back. 

“Sorry about the tight squeeze,” Miroku apologized as they all piled into the truck. “This isn’t exactly made for three people.”

“No, it’s totally fine. I appreciate this. Both of you,” Kagome replied.

She was squished against the door with Inuyasha sitting to her right. He had refused to let her sit in the middle lest she be pressed up against ‘that damn flirt.’ She didn’t particularly care, to be honest, but his slight possessiveness warmed her. Or maybe that just was his body heat seeping into her, making her skin tingle in awareness.

The drive passed surprisingly quickly and they arrived at the garage as the sun was starting to dip below the horizon. The place was quiet and Kagome realized it must be after hours for them now, which made sense. She suddenly felt kind of bad about Miroku coming out after what had likely been the end of his shift. 

“Sorry, you were probably about to head home when you came to help me out,” she said, her voice contrite.

He waved her apology off. “It was no big deal.”

“Is that why you bitched to me about it over the phone?” Inuyasha snarked.

“Now now, let’s not split hairs. Dealing with you is different than dealing with a pretty lady.”

Inuyasha snorted.

The two of them got her car set up and then Miroku turned to Inuyasha. “You want me to stay and help?”

“Nah, I can handle it,” Inuyasha replied. “Get out of here.”

“Then on that note, I’ll take my leave. It was nice to meet you, Kagome.” Miroku said, giving her a nod.

“It was nice to meet you, too.”

“So about your roommate’s number...” He let the sentence trail off, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

“I’ll ask her about it. Goodbye!” Kagome said emphatically, but she was giggling.

After Miroku had taken off, her attention returned to the hanyou examining her dumpster fire of a car. He had removed his t-shirt, leaving him in a white wife-beater and a pair of jeans. His back was to her and he was putting his hair up in a bun to keep it out of the way. She watched his motions, observing the way the muscles of his back moved beneath the fabric, the corded strength in his arms as they bunched and flexed. A rush of warmth pulsed through her as he popped the hood of her car.

“Fuck, woman. When’s the last time you got an oil change?”

“Huh?” She looked up, snapped out of her reverie; she must have zoned out for a minute. “Um...I’m not sure, to be honest. Maybe a year or so ago?”

“You fuckin’ serious?”

“What?” She said defensively.

“You need to be gettin’ it changed every 5k miles. Everybody fuckin’ knows that. And that sticker on your windshield? It tells me ya should’ve gotten it done 3k miles ago.”

“I’ve been a little busy to think about things like that!”

He scoffed harshly but said nothing else as he...well she wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing, to be completely honest. She knew next to nothing about cars. The same was obviously not true for him, which was fortunate for her. He leaned over, getting a good look at her car’s inner workings and giving her a good look at his ass. It was perfect, just as she had suspected. 

“You seem more relaxed around me than you were before. I thought you didn’t like me,” he commented as he continued his work.

Kagome’s eyes snapped from his ass to the back of his head, feeling almost guilty about the way she had been checking him out. 

“I thought you didn’t like me ,” she admitted.

He turned around and gave her an incredulous expression.

“Why the fuck would you think that?”

She just looked at him and he sighed.

“Right. I s’pose that’s fair.”

“You seemed so...annoyed when we first met, and I didn’t know if that was because of the customer or me,” she explained.

“Definitely wasn’t ya. Sorry you got that impression.”

“It’s okay.”

“When you insisted you weren’t askin’ me out, I thought...well...”

“What??”

“Because I’m a hanyou.”

“But that doesn’t matter to me. It was because I just didn’t want to seem...forward, I guess. I don’t know, this kind of stuff doesn’t really come easily to me.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re fuckin’ beautiful.”

Kagome blushed furiously and he looked a little embarrassed at his honesty.

“Th-thank you,” she stammered, caught in the spell of his amber eyes. She resisted the urge to bite her lip out of nervousness. “I guess I just don’t tend to think of myself that way.” She gave a slight shrug.

“Well, ya should.”

With that pronouncement he turned back around and resumed his work on her car. His words had warmed her more than sunshine on a cold day. As she watched him work, something else began to warm her. She walked closer to get a better look at what he was doing and to keep her eyes from wandering to places they shouldn’t be.

“Why the fuck didn’t ya get this fixed sooner?” Inuyasha demanded suddenly, raising his eyes to meet hers. “This is a mess.”

She blinked.

“Well...I mean, it’s been giving me problems for a while, but every place is booked out for weeks now. I don’t have the time between work and school to drive far away to an auto place in a car on the verge of breaking down. With my luck it would die in the middle of the highway.”

“You have a point.” He laughed, and she suppressed a shiver at the sound. It washed over her in a wave, husky and rich.

"You know, your customer service is lacking," she teased. "Do you talk to all your customers like this?"

"Sometimes. Miroku usually has to smooth things over," he admitted.

"You could learn a few things from me."

"Yeah? Like what?"

"Not cursing at your customer, for starters."

"But you're not really a customer, are ya?"

"I guess that's true." She smiled.

She didn’t know how much time passed as he worked. The conversation between them was light and fun and didn’t touch on anything too serious. He took parts out of her car, put parts in, occasionally asking her to hand him a specific tool then making fun of her when she didn’t know which one it was. At those moments she would jokingly threaten to zap him with her reiki if he wasn’t careful and he would just chuckle at her empty threats.

The longer he worked on her car the harder it was to keep her mind from straying to less-than-innocent places. There was a fine sheen of sweat coating his arms, making his muscles glisten faintly. Her eyes took in every dip, curve, and swell, her mouth going dry at the sight. The way he was handling himself with confidence and ease spoke of his skill and it was...attractive, to say the least.

“So. A miko?”

Kagome mentally shook herself, trying to fight her growing arousal.

“It seemed like the natural choice; it’s always come so easily to me. It’s like flexing a muscle, an extension of myself. It’s part of who I am. While I could have chosen something else...why would I?”

“Makes sense,” he grunted.

“Did you always want to be a mechanic?”

“Well, I’ve always been good with my hands,” he shrugged.

I’m sure you are, she thought, biting her lip, her eyes inevitably drawn to those hands now. They were large and covered in black grease, tipped in claws. She wondered idly what those claws would feel like tracing the lines of her body and felt heat curl low in her belly.

Inuyasha inhaled, his nose twitching, and jerked upright, nearly hitting his head on the hood of her car. She frowned for a moment, wondering what had caused him to jump. Then realization dawned and she turned tomato red. Oh God. Embarrassment filled her.

Inuyasha was an inu youkai hanyou. He could smell her. His gold eyes practically burned as they turned her way.

She swallowed, fidgeting with her hands, and her cinnamon eyes skittered away from his form, hoping that would help to quell the rising desire in her. A desire for him and his touch. The force of it surprised her; she barely knew him! Despite that, everything with him just came so...naturally. She felt like she had known him forever, and feelings that normally took days and weeks to form had taken mere hours. It was insane, but she couldn't deny it.

She liked him so much it was crazy. 

Silence stretched between them as her mind cast about desperately for something to talk about. Something to divert attention away from the change in her scent and what exactly that meant.

"So, have you taken many dates to your garage?"

"Nah. You're the first lucky lady who's had the honor," Inuyasha replied with a fanged smirk, giving her a long look before turning his focus back to her car. 

Kagome breathed a soft sigh of relief and let out a small laugh at his answer.

"They really missed out. This is so romantic," she joked, gesturing about with a hand for good measure.

"Yeah, sorry." He lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. "This is probably a shitty date, but at least your car will work tomorrow."

"It's not, though," she told him sincerely. "I'm actually really enjoying myself. I have had way worse dates than this. This doesn't even rate on the scale."

And no date has ever had me so ready to be pressed up against the nearest surface with the need to have their hands all over me. Her mind was veering into dangerous territory again. She was completely ready to forget all propriety. Not good.

"You're kiddin'."

"Definitely not."

"Yeah? Then what's the worst date you ever been on?"

"Oh, let's see. There are a few contenders for that spot."

Kagome seized on the question. Talking made it easier to focus on something other than the way his lips would feel against hers. Or the way he might use his fangs to gently nip at the sensitive skin of her neck…

She needed to get a grip, and fast, or he was going to start smelling her again. She hastily tried to tamp down her libido with minimal success.

"There was the time I went on a date with a guy and he got so drunk he kept falling asleep at the bar,” she said, relieved when her voice came out steady and not breathless.

“Shitty, but not that bad.” 

“Oh, it gets worse. So I paid for my tab while he was in the bathroom; I just wanted to get out of there. As I was getting in the cab, he came running out after me, trying to keep me from leaving.”

“Guy obviously couldn’t take a hint.” 

Kagome gave a small laugh. “No. And well, just as I closed the door he projectile vomited all over the cab window.”

Inuyasha laughed so hard he had to stop what he was doing for a minute and Kagome grinned at his obvious amusement. It had been a gross and terrible experience at the time, but it definitely made for a hilarious story now.

“Ok, shit. That’s pretty fuckin’ bad.”

“It was horrifying. Then he texted me the next morning asking about a second date.”

Inuyasha laughed harder and Kagome began to laugh too.

“Needless to say, I said absolutely not.”

“Somethin’ tells me he didn’t take no for an answer,” Inuyasha grinned.

“I ended up blocking him,” Kagome confirmed. “So what about you? What’s your worst date story?”

Inuyasha straightened, surveying the innards of her car and seeming to come to some sort of conclusion. About what, she had no clue but he seemed satisfied, giving a short nod. Then he faced her, the corner of his mouth tilting up.

“I dunno about the worst, but probably the weirdest. I went out with this chick, and after we had dinner she said she just had to pick somethin’ up. We stopped at her twin brother’s place and there was the weirdest vibe goin’ on between them.”

“You don’t think…?” Kagome gasped.

“Fuck, I got no clue but they both basically ignored me and focused on each other ‘til I said I was leavin’.”

Kagome giggled. “Yeah, that’s pretty weird.”

Inuyasha lowered the hood of her car then grabbed a rag and wiped the grease off his hands before tossing it aside into a bin. When he looked her way again he stretched and his shirt rode up, exposing a tantalizing glimpse of his taut stomach. It whet her appetite for more and with a jolt she realized she was staring. She was also more than a little turned on. Even if she hid it well, there was no hiding her scent; Inuyasha would know exactly what kind of shameless thoughts were circling in her head. There would be no shrugging it off a second time.

She wasn’t that type of girl! But something about Inuyasha made her want to be.

“All done a-already?” She stuttered out, her eyes fixed firmly on the floor in front of her now. Her heart was beating faster, making it nearly impossible to keep her breathing even. She cleared her throat.

“Yup. All done. Was a fuckin’ mess but thankfully I know what I’m doin’,” Inuyasha answered.

His feet came into view as she continued to stare at the floor. They stopped right in front of her, but she didn’t need to see his feet to know that. Her awareness of his body so near to hers was a signal all on its own. His aura brushed up against hers and she swallowed nervously, her cheeks warming.

“Y-yeah, for once luck was on my side. Thank you so much,” she said, still looking at the floor.

“You thankin’ the floor?”

She hesitantly raised her eyes to his face and heat flooded through her at his expression. An answering heat burned in his golden orbs while a smirk teased at his lips. He knew. He knew and he was not going to let her off lightly. Not this time. That thought allowed some of her ardor to cool and she scowled. He was standing incredibly close so she pushed against him, her hands lingering on his stomach, noting the ridges of his abs beneath the thin fabric of the wife-beater he wore. He retreated a single step and no more.

“Thank you,” she said again, this time looking into his eyes as she spoke, and his smirk widened. She wanted to be annoyed but that look was giving her butterflies and making her knees weak. Or maybe it was the look in his eyes that made her feel almost hypnotized.

“You hungry?” he asked in a low voice.

“A little,” she replied, unable to look away. But I’m more hungry for you.

“There’s a takeout menu on the fridge in the living space through that door. Go ahead and order whatever ya want.” 

Without breaking eye contact, he pulled his wallet out and removed a card, then reached down to grab one of her hands. Her breath caught as he placed it in her palm then curled her fingers over it, his claws lightly scraping over the skin of her wrist before pulling away. She couldn’t suppress the shiver it caused.

“O-order?”

“What? Ya need help orderin’ food?”

“No! Of course not.”

Kagome tried to muster up a glare but failed miserably. Inuyasha just looked terribly amused and smug. Ugh.

“While you order I’m gonna go take a shower.”

“You need help with that?”

Kagome tried to make it sound like a joke, to play off his previous words, but her voice came out breathless instead. The teasing smirk disappeared from his face and his eyes sharpened as he crowded her space, standing so close his body heat warmed her. Leaning down, he spoke, his breath brushing over her lips.

“If you’re offerin’.” 

Kagome’s eyes widened and she opened her mouth to reply but no sound came out. All the desire she had been trying to keep at bay rushed back, overwhelming her senses for a moment. Her brain short-circuited as lust flooded her, making it impossible to fight.

“I-I wasn’t being serious,” she finally managed. “Your customer service needs work.”

He leaned closer, and she became acutely aware of how little space there was between their lips. 

“That’s not what your scent is tellin’ me.”

He definitely knows. Oh God. Mortification and arousal vied for dominance, arousal winning out. And Kagome suddenly found she didn’t care that he knew anymore. For once, she didn’t want to be a good girl; she just wanted to give in. But still, she couldn’t make the first move.

“What is it telling you?” she whispered, hoping he would.

And he did.

Instead of answering her, he closed the last bit of distance between them and pressed his lips against hers. It started out soft at first and she sighed in bliss, leaning into his kiss while her hands ran up his stomach to rest upon his broad shoulders. His credit card dropped between them onto the floor, forgotten as they kissed. The taste of his mouth sent her head spinning. His hands reached up to cradle her face as their lips moved against each other and she shivered at the delicious heat spreading through her body.

It quickly turned from sweet and hesitant to something more demanding and deliberate. Kagome offered no resistance, opening her lips to him almost reflexively. His tongue dipped into her mouth while she traced the length of his fangs with her own and he growled in approval. At the same time, her hands moved to his head, reaching back and undoing the bun holding his silver hair in place. The silky mass tumbled down his back and she ran her fingers through it as their kisses grew more insistent. Her blood was singing in her veins for his touch and, as if he could read her mind, his hands began to roam her body. They slid from her face to her shoulders, down her back, skimming her waist and coming to a stop on her ass.

His hands cupped her, pulling her flush against him and allowing her to feel the evidence of his own arousal. A soft whimper caught in her throat and she clung to him tighter. He dragged his mouth away from hers, his eyes almost wild, as if surprised at the force of the connection between them. They were both panting as they stared into each other’s eyes.

“It’s telling me you wanted that. And more. Fuck, I want more,” Inuyasha said, his voice husky.

“So do I,” Kagome told him hotly.

“If I kiss ya again, I dunno if I can stop.”

Kagome smiled at him shyly, her cheeks heated with a blush.

“What if I said I didn’t want you to stop?”

She wasn’t the type to have sex on the first date, but whatever was building between them was undeniable. For once, she wanted to throw caution to the wind and indulge herself, and if the bulge she felt in his pants was anything to go by, he wanted her just as much as she wanted him. And this thing between them was more than physical; at least it was for her. She only hoped it was the same for him, too.

“Then I ain’t gonna stop.”

“I-I don’t ever do this, especially not on the first date, but I just feel something so-- so--...”

“I feel it, too.”

That was the only reassurance she needed. Her hands moved across the expanse of his muscled back while his lips captured hers again. She felt like she could get lost in the feel of his mouth over hers, the taste of his breath, the way his fangs nipped at her bottom lip. The need to touch him was strong and she tugged at the wife-beater he wore in silent demand. Breaking the kiss, he smirked at her and removed it in one fluid motion. She stared, transfixed, her eyes charting every ridge and dip of his abs and pecs. 

He was beautiful . 

Before she could lose her courage, she leaned forward and ran her mouth over his skin, pressing kisses over his bare torso while her hands mapped his body. His breathing quickened and he growled, the verberation from the sound tickling her lips as her tongue darted out to lick the sweat from his skin. 

While she explored him, his hands went to work, running down her back in a caress before gripping her ass possessively. He squeezed, relishing the feel, then surprised her by using his grip to effortlessly pick her up. She squealed, instinctively wrapping her legs around his waist and pressing her core right against the hardness of his cock. Gasping at the sensation, a rush of hot arousal raced through her system and left her lightheaded. She barely registered him carrying her until he set her down on the hood of her car as he kissed her. Then his lips trailed from her mouth to her ear, down to her neck, where his fangs played at the sensitive skin there.

“You smell so fuckin’ good,” he said, his breath hot. He inhaled deeply, breathing her in.

Moaning softly, she shifted her hips against him, hoping to ease the ache that was beginning to build at the apex of her thighs. Heat jolted through her core at the intimate contact as he groaned. 

"Clothes...off…" Kagome managed, her mind in a haze.

Inuyasha complied, removing her shirt and tossing it aside. Without wasting any time, he reached behind her to unclasp her bra, his claws lightly brushing against her porcelain skin as he slid the straps from her shoulders. Nervousness gripped her again as her bra fell away and left her bare to his gaze, but excitement quickly replaced it at the hunger in his eyes.

“Fuck, you’re perfect.” 

She held her breath in anticipation for his touch while he stared, drinking her in. The look in his eyes made her feel like a goddess. He didn’t keep her waiting long, his large hands reaching for her and lifting her breasts, savoring their weight as a calloused thumb brushed over each nipple. They pebbled beneath his touch and a soft sigh passed her lips as he repeated the motion before massaging the globes. Then his mouth took the place of his hands and Kagome cried out as he sucked at her nipples, his fangs gently scraping over the sensitive buds. 

As he lavished his attentions on her breasts, her hands buried themselves in his hair, holding his head in place. Unable to help herself, one hand freed itself to stroke along his soft ears and his grip tightened on her in response. She grinned wickedly; they were clearly sensitive. Lightly running her tongue along the edge of one of his furred ears, she gave it a small nip. He growled, the sound rumbling through his chest and sending pleasurable vibrations through her body, making her moan. Liquid heat pooled between her legs.

Slowly, he kissed his way from her breasts all the way down her belly until he reached the waistband of her skirt. He gave it a playful bite while the longing in her grew stronger.

"Inuyasha…" she breathed, his name a plea.

Sliding his hands beneath the green satiny fabric, he ran his palms up her smooth thighs and took hold of her panties. She lifted her hips in consent and he removed them, his claws trailing along her pelvis and the inside of her thighs. A small whimper lodged in Kagome’s throat as the tension inside her built.

Rather than toss them aside like he had her shirt, Inuyasha held them up to his face. The crotch was soaked with her arousal and she watched as he slowly and deliberately dragged his tongue across the wetness, closing his eyes as if savoring the taste. Then he gave her a wicked smirk, locking eyes with her.

It was the hottest and most erotic thing she had ever seen. Lust gripped her, hot and immediate. The pressure was almost unbearable now, she was so fucking turned on. She throbbed with the need to feel that tongue licking and teasing her dripping pussy.

"You taste amazing. But it'll taste even better right here," Inuyasha said, dropping her panties to the floor in favor of spreading her thighs.

"Do it. Taste me," she panted, her fingers curling into fists at her side to keep herself from grabbing his head and pressing him into her.

Then his mouth was on her and oh. Fuck. Her skirt bunched around her waist as his tongue lapped at the juices pouring from her opening, darting in and out and making her breath catch. After teasing her entrance, he gave her pussy a long, slow lick, flicking the tip of his tongue over her clit. Kagome gasped, her thighs tensing, as he spread her folds and licked at her faster, mercilessly tonguing her bundle of nerves. She cried out, her back arching.

“Ah! Ahh! Yes, oh fuck!”

Tracing fast and hard circles around her clit with his tongue, he positioned one of his hands at her opening and slid a finger inside her, being careful of his claws. Her response was instant, her hips bucking up against him to take his finger all the way inside her as she moaned loudly. Yes. God yes. 

Inuyasha gave a growl of approval at her reaction and the vibrations went straight to her clit, enhancing the pleasure. It was pure bliss. His tongue worked her nub furiously as he fingered her, adding a second digit to the first and causing a cry to escape her again. His fingers moved in and out in a quick rhythm, stretching her and making a slurping sound as wetness continued to spill from her. As he continued to devour her hungrily.

Her head fell back as she lost herself to the sensations, feeling the coil of her release wind tighter. The cool metal of the hood of her car against her skin was a stark contrast to the heat of her body as she burned from his touch. She couldn’t believe she was doing this , here, on her car, but she was too far gone to care anymore. Fuck, she was so close .

And then he began to suck on her clit while his tongue and fingers continued to stroke her and Kagome lost all control of herself. Moaning incoherently, uncaring of how loud she was being, she writhed under his mouth. When he gently scraped one of his fangs over her sensitive nub she came apart, her hands grasping for something to anchor her while the ecstasy took her sky high.

“Ah! Ahhh! Inuyashaaa!”

“Delicious,” she heard him say, and thought he might have been licking his fingers of her essence. She wasn’t sure.

The world spun for a minute while she panted, trying to catch her breath. When her eyes refocused she looked up and saw Inuyasha had divested himself of the rest of his clothing and stood in front of her, gloriously naked. He looked like one of those statues of a Greek god, his body chiseled and well-defined with muscle. There was one notable difference between them and him, however, and it was the rather large appendage jutting out from between his legs.

Kagome stared for a second. He was definitely bigger than average, and she wondered for a moment if he would even fit inside her. Her eyes must have given her away because Inuyasha chuckled, pulling her close and kissing her senseless, and any doubt regarding that faded away. 

He was going to the best she ever had: she just knew it. 

As he kissed her, her hands caressed his ears again, rubbing the edges between her fingertips. Inuyasha’s own hands traced patterns up and down her back, one of them breaking away to grab a fistful of her hair. Languid warmth bloomed inside Kagome from the way he was making her feel and she wanted to return the favor.  

“Your turn,” Kagome whispered against his lips.

Holding onto his shoulder to steady herself, her other hand trailed south across his skin. The muscles of his abdomen clenched under her feather-light touch before she reached her target and gripped his cock firmly. Squeezing, she ran her hand along the length of him, the pad of her thumb pressing against his tip and spreading the precum around in soft circles. He hissed out a breath, snarling softly.

“Fuck, your hand feels so good,” he groaned, burying his face in her neck.

Dragging her fingernail gently up the side of his cock as she pumped him, her hand tightened its grip, moving faster. He grunted out his pleasure, thrusting in time with the rhythm of her hand while his tongue rasped over her neck. Her head lolled to the side, allowing him better access as she stroked up and down, her hand giving a twist with each upward motion. His breathing became harsh, coming in pants, and Kagome gave a moan herself at the way his fangs scraped against the column of her throat.

She was already wet for him again.

“Smell amazing...fuck, gotta stop or I’m gonna....”

His voice was thick with desire and the sound sent tingles down her spine. Giving her neck one last nip, he raised his head and, reaching down between them, grabbed her hand in his, stopping her. She looked at him in confusion, uncertainty quelling her own desire, but the look in his gold eyes put any insecurities to bed. They were molten embers that burned for her and made her ache for him. A slow smile spread across his face and her body flushed.

“Why...why did you stop me?”

“I’m not gonna cum in your hand on the first date.”

But I came on yours . The words never made it past her lips as he spread her legs wider and rubbed his cock over her soaked pussy, pressing the head against her clit. She whimpered, falling back against the hood of her car as he repeated the motion before lining himself up at her entrance. She held her breath, waiting, and looked into his eyes. It might have been her imagination, but she thought she saw a hint of red at the edges and it thrilled her.

Then a thought occurred to her.

“W-wait! What about-- about protection?” 

“Not to be weird, but I can smell ya, and you ain’t fertile right now.”

She blinked, absorbing this information, and felt equally aroused and appalled that he could apparently smell every facet of her being.

“You still want this?” His voice was a deep rasp.

“I still want it. I want you,” she answered.

The blunt head of his cock pressed against her and, at her consent, he slowly worked his way inside her until every inch was sheathed within her hot, dripping core. She moaned as sparks of pleasure danced over her skin and he gave an answering groan of his own. He was stretching her to the limit and the feeling was incredible. It made a delicious ache begin to swirl within her, radiating out from where he was buried so deep inside. And he hadn’t even moved yet.

“Ah, God,” he breathed, holding still for a moment as her body adjusted to the size of him. His hands were on either side of her head as his body loomed over her. “Fuck, you’re so tight. You’re not--?”

“--no. But it’s been a while,” Kagome breathed back. “Please, keep going. Don’t stop.”

Inuyasha growled and withdrew before thrusting back into her and she gasped, her breath hitching on another moan. And he didn’t stop, pumping into her hard, while her wet pussy gripped his cock tightly. She shifted her hips up against him with each thrust, trying to take him even deeper. The demanding ache inside of her was building and it needed more. She needed more. The shaft of his cock rubbed against her walls with each urgent movement, pressing against places she hadn’t even known were sensitive until they began to send jolts of ecstasy through her body while he fucked her.

Some distant part of her mind registered that Inuyasha was fucking her on her car. And she didn’t care. She loved it, wanted more, all her inhibitions slipping away. Each fierce thrust was making her breasts bounce wildly, something that didn’t escape his notice. Her back arched into his touch as he brought a hand up to possessively grasp one of her breasts, claws playing with her nipple as he squeezed the flesh.

“Fuck, you feel so good,” he grunted as he pounded into her. “Uhn!! So fucking good!”

She didn’t even realize she was crying out at first, but she couldn’t seem to silence herself either, helpless against the way he was making her feel. Looking into Inuyasha’s face she decided she didn’t want to, anyways, because at each sound of pleasure that fell from her lips his eyes seemed to glow brighter, his breath catching, and his thrusts coming faster.

“Ahh! Ah! Inu-Inuyashaaa! I-- please-- Mmm! Yes!”

The coil of her release was wound so tight she was going to come apart any second. Inuyasha leaned down to scrape his fangs over her exposed neck, his tongue licking away the sting. When he moved his other hand from her thigh to her clit, rubbing in taut circles, the feeling sent her over the edge. She came hard, her legs trembling as she moaned loudly, her whole body shuddering.

“That’s it, Ka-go-me,” he panted at her, still thrusting into her wet, hot core and she whimpered.

Then he withdrew from her and she blinked, in a daze, wondering why he was stopping; he hadn’t reached his own release yet. She never got a chance to ask, his lips claiming hers in a kiss so tender that it belied the intensity of the way he had just been fucking her. Pulling away, his hungry eyes traced the length of her body before he gently picked her up, putting her feet on the ground, and flipped her over so her stomach was now against the hood of her car, her back to him.

Hands spread her thighs and in one swift motion he was buried inside her welcoming heat again. She whined as his cock stretched her, her fingers fisting. God, he made her feel so fucking good. Those strong hands of his held her in place as he began to thrust in and out, one splayed around her waist while the other slid around her front to play with her breasts.

“Ya didn’t think I was stoppin’, did ya?” His breath teased the shell of her ear.

A shudder of need ran through her at the feeling.

“Good...don’t stop!” She managed before the pleasure took her over again.

All she could do was moan his name as he fucked her harder, his cock hitting deep. Filling her up in the most delicious way possible. With each rapid thrust she was pushed up against her car, causing her clit to rub up against it and sending tiny shocks of euphoria through her body that left her gasping. The delicious friction of his cock pistoning inside her, coupled with that, had her crying out again, moving her hips back into him as she keened.

Inuyasha was groaning and grunting behind her and the sound turned her on even more. The noises he was making were almost animalistic and it excited her. Desire shot through her, the evidence of how good she was making him feel intensifying her own arousal, and the coil of her release tightened in response. 

Raising her head, Kagome caught sight of her reflection in the windshield of her car and her eyes widened as she stared. Transfixed, she watched, her breath coming faster. Watched as she was fucked from behind, against her car, by the only man who had ever made her act in such a way. A man who should by all rights be a stranger, but who made her feel like no one ever had before. She had never witnessed anything like it, and a hot, sharp wave of lust pulsed along every nerve-ending before coiling low, right at her core. 

The blissed out look on her face, the almost feral expression on Inuyasha’s... It was such an erotic vision, one she couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away from. More liquid heat pooled between her legs as her arousal and need heightened, the pressure building to unbearable levels.

His rhythm quickened, his breathing turning shallow, and Kagome could tell he was close to his climax. She was close, too. Her heart was a staccato beat in her chest, her breathing ragged, her skin slick with sweat. The slapping sound of skin and their moans, harsh pants, and gasps permeated the air. Reaching behind her, she grabbed onto his perfect ass, rolling her hips back into him, meeting his hard and deep thrusts.

“Inu-Inuyasha--ahh! Ah! Oh fuck, yes!” she cried out.

“Fuck...Kagome, I’m gonna--” Inuyasha grunted, leaning over her to wrap his arms around her as he thrust. Harder. Deeper. Faster. His mouth found her neck again and she threw her head back.

“--do it! I want it!” she said breathily.

His body went rigid behind her as he spilled himself inside her, breathing heavily and groaning from the force of his release. The warm sensation of his cum shooting up inside her combined with everything else sent her over the edge and she came right after, her orgasm almost blinding her in its ferocity. It spread through her like wildfire, strong and immediate, more intensely than she had ever felt before. For a moment, she saw stars and the world fell away. When she came back to herself Inuyasha was smoothing her hair to the side and pressing kisses to her shoulder.

“You good?” he rumbled into her ear.

Kagome smiled, almost laughing at the question. She was completely sated.

“More than good.” 

“Good.”

He pulled out of her, turning her around so that she faced him. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her tightly while she waited for her legs to support her again. As the languid heat of her satisfaction began to dissipate, other thoughts took hold again, making her heart beat faster for an entirely different reason.

“Oh, God,” she whispered, suddenly feeling almost horrified. It made no sense after everything they had just done, but her sense of shame was returning along with her good sense.

Inuyasha frowned, his ears flattening.

“What’s wrong?”

Kagome buried her face in his chest as she spoke.

“I--I can’t believe I just… I mean, I know I said I wanted to, and told you not to stop, but--”

“--you regretting it?” His voice was low. 

Kagome didn’t miss the underlying emotion of hurt beneath it. She rushed to explain.

“No! No!! Not at all. I just… I never do this. And I did. On the first date. I just feel something so-- so strongly for you, and I wanted it so much, but-- God, I can’t imagine what you think of me...” 

Inuyasha seemed to relax at her confession, and he had the audacity to laugh. She glared against his chest.

“You said somethin’ like that before everything got heated. Listen, I told ya already. I feel it, too. And besides, I think you’re the hottest, most interesting woman I ever met.”

She raised her head from his chest to cautiously peek at his face. He gave her a fanged smile and she relaxed against him, sighing softly. 

“You mean that?”

“Absolutely. Though your luck is cursed and the way you take care of your car is a crime.” 

“Such sweet words. Keep talking to me like that and I just may believe you,” she teased, smiling back at him now.

“So...would it be weird to ask ya for another, actual date, now?” 

“Not at all.” 

She leaned up to kiss him and he returned it with interest. His mouth on hers, his body pressed against her...it was intoxicating. It was perfect. When they broke apart they were both breathing heavily again.

“Now, what was that about my customer service lacking…?” Inuyasha said, his gold eyes burning for her.

“I changed my mind. Five stars. Glowing reviews,” Kagome replied, her smile turning seductive.

And he proceeded to earn every word of praise.

[bangtan-sonyeonddaeng]

Vampire Hoseok Scenario

Hoseok was used to spending most of his life alone. That’s not to say that he was okay with it. Quite the opposite really. He hated what he was, and even though he doesn’t want to admit it if he could die he would have done so a long time ago. He didn’t want to spend his eternity alone.

Sure he had people in his life that came and went. However the inevitable always happened. They found out he was a vampire, and would either run away screaming, or curse at him and call him a monster. The last girl he was with absolutely broke his heart in pieces and he couldn’t trust anyone ever since. They had been together for a year, she promised no matter what she would always love him. But that was a lie. As soon as she found out what the was, she left. They always leave. And it’s that very 3 word phrase that keeps repeating in his head over and over again when he finally thinks he may be able to trust someone again.

That was 5 years ago that the girl he thought he’d spend his eternity with broke his heart. Now he goes through life with a gloomy look on his face, his usual happy and upbeat disposition completely gone. People pass him on the street and look at him with concern, but none care enough to ask him if he’s okay. Until you came along that is.

You were sitting in the park with your dog in your lap, having decided to go for a walk at night. You saw a man sitting on the bench across from you. You couldn’t help but think his expression looked so incredibly sad.  It hurt you to think someone could be hurting that bad on their own with no one to comfort them so you decided to approach him. He eyed you with suspicion as you got closer to him and sat next to him. Now his eyes had widened into pure shock, he doesn’t say anything, just stares at you. Your dog seems a little uneasy about this stranger and protectively jumps into your lap. 

“Um.. I’m sorry I hope I don’t sound weird for saying this but, are you okay?” He doesn’t answer you at first, he seems to be processing if he actually wants to continue this conversation with you or not.  Hoseok is having an internal battle with himself, a big part of him is telling himself to tell you he’s fine, that he just had a rough day and to please leave him alone or to just ignore you all together. But he doesn’t want to be alone any more. He’s so incredibly lonely and sad but it’s that that small sliver of hope, that maybe things will be different that encourages him to answer you.

“I mean.. no not really but it’s fine. You don’t have to worry about me I will be okay.”

“You don’t seem okay. I know you don’t know me but, I hate seeing people sad and your expression really says it all.” His expression crumbles as he feels the first few tears leak out of the corner of his eyes. This surprises you. You weren’t expecting him to be so affected by your words. You pick your dog up off of your lap and set her on the ground as you tentatively grab the man’s hands and place them in your lap, running your thumbs along his knuckles. “Is this okay?” He sniffles and nods his head. 

“Can you.. can I-…” He seems to be struggling to ask for you but you know what he wants without him having to say it. Without hesitating you wrap your arms around his neck and pull him into a hug. You feel his tears dampen your shirt as you hug him tightly in an attempt to comfort him.

“Hey listen it’s going to be okay. Everything will be fine. I know things seem bad now but I promise they’ll get better.” He pulls away and looks at you intensely.

“How do you know that?”

“Because. If they don’t on their own then I will do anything I can do make sure they get better.” 

“But you don’t even know me.. I don’t even know your name.”  You hold your hand out and smile at him. 

“Y/n. My name is y/n. And this little ball of fluff right here is Puff. And what’s yours?” He chuckles at the name of your dog.

“My name is Hoseok. It’s nice to meet you y/n.” He takes your hand and shakes it, but finds that he’s unwilling to let go. He hasn’t had human contact in 5 years and he now finds that he’s craving it. Your dog suddenly jumps up and places her paws on his legs, begging for his attention. “Oh I’m sorry how rude of me! And it’s very nice to meet you too, Puff.” Your dog seems to instantly take a liking to him as she jumps into his lap and curls up getting ready for a nap.

“Puff no! Bad girl!” He lightly pats your dogs head and runs his fingers through her fur.

“It’s alright. Really I don’t mind.”  You both sit in a comfortable silence after that for quite some time until your curiosity gets the better of you.

“So what was wrong earlier? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to but, I just figured it might help to talk about it, ya know?” He sighs heavily and reaches his hand over, as if he wants you to hold it. You grasp it as you patiently wait for him to tell you.

“I guess I might as well get this over with before I get too attached to you. There is no easy way for me to say this so I guess I will just come right out and say it. Everyone always leaves me because they think I am a monster. And they aren’t wrong. I am the monster every parent warns their child about. Countless horror movies have been made about my kind so I can’t really blame them. I’m a vampire.” He flinches as the words leave his mouth as he prepares himself for the inevitable yelling. He can’t help that he tightens his grip on your hand, a silent plea begging you not to leave. He releases your hand after a moment to give you the opportunity to run away but you don’t. He looks at you expecting to see fear in your eyes but he sees nothing but compassion and empathy.

“I am so sorry Hoseok. People can be horrid I know. I can only imagine the cruel things people have said to you but, I’m not like that.” Now his mouth is repeatedly flapping open and closed like a fish out of water. He can’t find the right words to say to you, he can’t think of anything to say at all.

“You.. you aren’t scared of me?”

“I mean if you were going to hurt me you would have done so a long time ago we are the only 2 people in this park you know?” He glances around and realizes that you’re right. “Hey, look at me Hobi.” If it were possible for him to blush he would be bright red right now. You’ve already given him such a cute and fond nickname and he doesn’t know how to handle it. “I’m not going anywhere. I promise. I’ll be your friend.” You smile warmly at him and he feels like he is going to break down in tears again.

“I… Thank you.” You squeeze his hand and let go as you stand up from the bench.

“I should probably get going now.” 

“Can I walk you home? It’s late and I am worried about you walking home alone..” 

“Sure Hobi! Let’s go!” You both spend the walk home talking and laughing happily with one another. Hoseok feels happier than he has in a very long time. This time, he feels like things will be different from the others. He also takes note of the fact that you haven’t let go of his hand the entire time he’s been walking with you. When you approach your door you walk inside your front doorway but feel yourself suddenly tugged back.

“Hobi?”

“Uhh, you have to invite me in first.”

“Oh! Of course, come in. You’re more than welcome here.” 

“You trust me enough to allow me into your home?” 

“Yes? I think we already established you aren’t going to harm me right?” You walk into the kitchen with him trailing behind you.

“Can I get you anything to drink?” He laughs at your question and you blush realizing what your question was implying.

“Not me! Oh god that was so dumb of me I’m sorry. I’m not used to this whole being friends with a vampire thing.” He’s still doubled over in laughter. “Okay it wasn’t that funny Hoseok!” You playfully smack his arm and he finally stops laughing. 

“I’m sorry your face was just really cute.” You grab his hand and lead him over to the couch to sit down with you.

“Have you um.. fed lately? How does this whole thing work you don’t.. kill people do you?” He sits down on the couch and sighs loudly. 

“I’m not going to lie to you and say that I never have but.. no not recently. I don’t like hurting people. I don’t even like taking blood from them no matter how small the amount but I have to in order to survive.” He looks away from you as if he’s ashamed.

“Hey none of that now, you can’t help it. It’s okay. You know if you ever uh need anything you can ask me?” 

“You’d let me do that?”

“Yeah..”

“Why? I don’t understand why you’re being so kind to me.”

“Because everyone deserves a chance. I don’t know why but I feel like I can trust you already and that I have known you for a long time. I know you’d never do anything to harm me.” He stares at you for a moment before he breaks down and starts sobbing loudly. You are alarmed and aren’t sure why he’s so upset. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to upset you, are you okay? What did I do? Oh gosh me and my big mouth I swear to God.” He looks up at you as he’s laughing through his tears at your little outburst. You wipe his tears away with your thumbs.

“I’m sorry for breaking down like that you just don’t understand.  Every single person that has came into my life has eventually left. Most run away screaming or cussing me out and you’re just so.. gentle and understanding I don’t know how to handle this.” You cradle his face in your hands and wipe his last few stray tears away.

“Well you better get used to it. Because I’m staying and I am going to make up for all the affection and love you’ve been missing for however many years it’s been.” It’s in that moment when he sees the determined look on your face that he’s realized he’s already falling for you. Quicker than he has with anyone before. But he finds that he doesn’t mind. Because just as you trust him not to hurt you, he decides he is going to trust you the same.

“I think I could get used to that very easily y/n.”

[mintyjin]

mermaid au: yugyeom

requested: yes, by anon

you were introduced to yugyeom through a mutual friend, youngjae

and right off the bat,,, there was something different about him

something you couldn’t quite put your finger on

the way his voice sounded absolutely musical, the way each movement seemed practiced to perfection, the way you felt almost compelled to look at him

he could be tying his shoes and you would be stunned into silence at the curve of his fingers

and you,,, have never been one to obsess over anyone you knew,, but when yugyeom looks at you, you feel as though your senses are blind to anything and everything but him, him, him

which is almost,, alarming 

when you’re apart from yugyeom, you tell yourself you’re done ogling him, you’re done agreeing with everything he says

but as soon as you see him, those resolutions crumble 

and you think he knows 

because sometimes he’ll sit beside you instead of by jackson or bambam and his hands or thighs will brush yours over and over and over again

each time sending a jolt down your spine

and that repeated ‘accidental’ touching... can’t be accidental at all

he’ll reach over with those long, slender fingers and gently pull a strand of hair out of your face

and in that close proximity,, with his fingers just barely touching your ear,, you notice a small chain bearing a single white pearl around his neck

and it strikes you as an odd combination- a simple gray chain and a perfectly formed pearl,, and it’s odd enough to knock  you out of the daze yugyeom’s presence puts you in

and you reach out to touch it, feeling the cool, smooth surface

but then you feel yugyeom’s breath fan your face

your eyes swivel up to find that he is close... closer than he was before

“sorry... i thought it was pretty” you say, moving back and willing yourself to look at anything but him... to no avail

because his cheeks are tinged red and wow,,, he’s pretty,,, prettier than the necklace, that’s for sure

and your mind is thinking of nothing but pulling him in by the collar of his jacket and kissing him until your lips bleed

and you almost do it- you feel your hands start to rise 

but then youngjae asks you if you would rather be reincarnated as a ferret or a hamster and you snap out of it

“uh... ferret” you stutter, trying desperately to fight back the heat rising in your face

and you try to immerse yourself in your argument with youngjae about which animal would be better to be reincarnated as, but your eyes keep darting to the tall boy beside you

and yugyeom,,, seems to know when you’re glancing at him

because he meets your eyes every time 

you don’t say anything in the moment,, you never do 

but when you get home, you wish you had 

you wish you had asked him what he’s doing with you

but that’s crazy,,, he’s not doing anything,,, you’re just drooling over him like a lovestruck preteen,,, right?

and though you can’t shake the feeling that there’s something different about yugyeom,,, you don’t think he's trying to keep you so entranced 

and you want to get to know yugyeom... to prove to yourself that he’s not this magical being keeping you under a spell...

but every time you see him, your knees go weak

you can’t speak

all coherent thought flies out the window

youngjae notices... of course he does, he’s your closest friend 

and he teases you about your ‘crush’ on yugyeom

but you can’t help thinking,,, it feels like more than a crush,, but that’s absurd,,, you barely know yugyeom

you tell youngjae about how there seems to be something about yugyeom you can’t quite figure out 

he just shrugs, saying “he’s kind of a weird guy... but i think he likes you, too!”

“weird?” 

“yah, don’t read into that- all my friends are weird”

you’re not really sure what to make of that

but youngjae is dead set on playing matchmaker for the two of you

dragging you to parties at bambam’s house where you’re bound to run into the boy who makes your head spin 

shoving a drink into your hand and pushing you towards yugyeom from across the room and yelling “good luck!” in your ear

and you don’t actually see yugyeom... but it’s like your feet know where to go 

and when you run into his shoulder and he spins around to look at you with wide eyes,,,, you’re suddenly very glad you have a drink in your hand

it keeps you from running your fingers through his hair and kissing his neck and collarbones... cause god, you want to

he smiles “ah, y/n... i didn’t know you were here”

you took a swig of your drink and motioned across the room “youngjae brought me”

“ah, i’ll have to thank him, then” 

and that line was so cheesy that you forget the way he makes you feel for a second and look incredulously at him

only to find him blushing and cringing at himself 

which... cute... and it brings back that tunnel vision

all you see and all you want to see is him

his hand brushes yours as he moves to grab a drink from the table behind you

it’s so cheesy... but you feel a spark shoot through your veins 

you smile despite yourself and manage to say “don’t thank him, you’ll just be giving him ammunition”

“what do you mean?” 

“he’s trying to set us up” you explain, your heart racing at the small crease between his eyebrows

he tilts his head a bit as he looks at you, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly “oh... really? that’s-”

and you wanted to hear what he said after that, but bambam burst between the two of you yelling about how he needed yugyeom for something, tearing him away from you

so you went back across the room to talk to youngjae and mark, sipping your drink and trying, trying, trying not to think about how yugyeom looked with his eyes narrowed...

he looked hot 

and your brain keeps returning to that last unfinished sentence

does he like the idea of youngjae trying to set you two up? or does he hate it? adklhasdfnsldkjfasj

as you’re leaving the party, you turn to wave one last tipsy goodbye to everyone 

and your eyes meet yugyeom’s 

time stands still as he gives you a tight-lipped smile and a small wave

and the necklace he always wears... that beautiful pearl on a grey chain... seems to be glowing ever so slightly

...you’re just drunk

but still,,,, you can’t seem to stop staring at it

but then youngjae snaps you out of your daze by calling your name from the car 

so you turn and leave, still feeling his eyes on you

one morning, you were about to pay for a coffee when a voice behind you ordered an iced americano 

and when that person moved to stand beside you and pull out their card to pay,,, it was yugyeom 

despite your best efforts, a blush spread over your face just from looking at him... you choose to blame it on the lack of coffee, but you know better than that

“you don’t have to pay for my drink” 

he shrugs “i wanted to”

“...thank you”

he smiles brightly and then reaches over to take your drinks from the barista

and when you take it from his hand, you’re thinking you should turn and leave before you want to kiss him again

but yugyeom has other ideas “are you free right now?” 

you nod, unable to lie to him

he smiles again and points to a two-person table in the corner “how’s that?”

and your heart is racing... you’ve never been alone with yugyeom before... what will you do without any distractions?? 

answer: you’ll forget to sip your drink because you’re transfixed by the way his hair falls over his eyes

or the way he covers his face when embarrassed 

but strangely,,, you feel yourself growing more accustomed to him

that doesn’t mean you suddenly stop feeling like you’re under a spell around him, but... it’s easier to hold a conversation 

it takes a while, but soon you’re laughing at some story he tells of him and bambam at the beach

and you’re giving him advice on how to deal with jinyoung nagging him to put on some sunscreen, for god’s sake

yugyeom, whining: i don’t even get sunburned... i just want to go in the water 

and you’re kind of amazed... how does this boy spend so much time at the beach?? 

when you ask, he nonchalantly says that he really likes the beach, so he makes time for it

but also,,, his shoulders tensed a bit when you asked him that

so you change the subject, asking how exactly he manages to ‘make time’ when most days, you can’t even make time to watch a show before falling asleep

he laughs “oh, i cancel other things” 

“like what?” 

“like... today i was supposed to get a haircut, but i canceled that when i saw you here”

and you watch him try to play cool, turning his straw around his drink, but all his efforts do nothing to stop his cheeks turning pink 

as for you- you’re too stunned to blush “really?” 

he nods, bringing a hand up to hide his face and glancing at you through the cracks in his fingers 

you can’t stop the smile spreading across your face, but you try to hide it by taking a sip of your drink 

yugyeom sees it anyway... and he thinks it’s adorable

eventually, though, you have to leave to get on with your day 

“thank you for the drink!” you say, pushing your chair in

“ah, it’s nothing”

and you really don’t want to leave him... every fiber of your being is screaming for you not to... but life goes on “well, i guess i’ll see you later?” 

instead of answering, yugyeom rocks back on his heels nervously and says “um, how about tonight?” 

you blinked, trying to process the question, and he continues “i go to the beach a lot late at night... do you want to come with me?” 

and again you get that urge to pull him close so that your bodies are touching, so that you can run your fingers through his hair and he can let his hands go anywhere they please...

but you settle for nodding and saying the beach sounds lovely 

which makes him smile ear-to-ear as he tells you he’ll meet you at pier 4

and when you walk outside to get to your day, you take a few deep breaths to clear your head, to get thoughts of yugyeom out of your head

but whereas before you were able to push thoughts of him to the side when you two were apart, now he’s all you can think about 

the way his face lit up as a dog passed the coffeeshop window,,, the way his fingers drummed absentmindedly on the table 

how much you would like to feel those fingers on your thighs,, on your waist,, in your hair

woAh ok y/n it’s time to pull yourself together 

but still, you go through the day thinking about him... you can’t help it

especially not now, when you’re meeting him later... for a... date? is it a date?

you hope it’s a date

unaware he’s doing the exact same thing,,, he’s thinking about you,,, and how much he’d like to hold your hand and kiss you

that night, you head down to pier 4 and yugyeom is already there, waiting barefoot in the sand by the boardwalk 

and you’re struck dumb for a minute because his skin is pearlescent in the moonlight... and speaking of pearls, the one around his neck reflects the subtle glow of the moon ever so perfectly... 

holy shit he’s pretty 

he waves when he sees you and you start to jog over to him, feeling a need to get closer to him as soon as possible 

you take off your shoes, setting them beside his, and turn back to him 

he smiles kinda awkwardly and says “um, should we walk?” 

and that sounds like a great idea

and at first, it’s silent, neither of you really knowing what to say 

but then he thanks you for going with him and you’re like oh!!! um i don’t mind at all!!

and not much happens... you talk about your days and the things you wish you could do and see

but you feel,,, nice

like you’ve gotten to know him a bit more

he’s not so alarming anymore,,, but you still think you should pull yourself together and stop drooling over him

and you think it’s adorable how he gets excited to see crabs scuffling along the sand

how he runs over and tries to pick one up

definitely gets pinched and runs back over to you to complain about the state of wildlife these days 

he walks you back to the boardwalk and insists on sliding your sandals on for you, a blush coating his cheeks when he’s done

and he walks you back to your place, waving goodnight and smiling and asking if maybe.... you would want to do this again? 

you definitely do 

and he smiles even wider and says great- he’s always at pier 4 if you want to find him

you don’t have time for a few nights, but when you finally do, you run over to the pier 

sure enough,, yugyeom’s standing just to the side of it

when he sees you, his face lights up

“ah, you came!” 

“did you think i wouldn’t?” 

“well, no...” 

you roll your eyes and start walking down the shore, relishing the feeling of the water over your feet and of yugyeom’s eyes on you as he walks beside you

and again,,, it’s silent 

but then you feel yugyeom’s hand brush yours

the way it always does

and maybe it’s just because you're finally getting used to him, but you feel a surge of confidence 

so the next time his hand brushes yours, you clasp it in yours 

yugyeom is shocked... but also very happy 

giggling a bit, he shifts his fingers so that they’re intertwined with yours and starts to swing your hand a bit between you

“do you like the ocean, y/n?” 

“i do... especially at night or really early in the morning”

even in the dark, you can see him smile “ah, you’re like me, then”

“do you come out here every night?”

“i try to, but it’s not always possible”

“why do you like the beach so much?” 

he laughs “it’s complicated”

“...you can tell me” 

he’s silent for a bit, kicking up sand with his feet

finally, he stops walking and turns to you “i’m worried... you’ll be afraid of me”

“why would i be afraid of you?” 

“you aren’t now, but... weren’t you?” 

and it’s true that he alarmed you,,,, but that’s just because you liked him,,,,,

“i was never... afraid of you”

but he doesn’t respond, instead just looking into your eyes

“yugyeom, what is it?”

he removes his hand from yours “...if you really want to know, then you’ll have to follow me”

and then he just... walks into the ocean

you’re standing on the shore watching in confusion as he gets about waist deep and then,,, disappears under the water

and he doesn’t come back up

“yugyeom!” you call, panic setting in 

but then you see the silhouette of his face pop out of the water 

“what are you doing?” 

“you’ll have to come see for yourself!” he yells

and you,,,, well, you’re not wearing a swimsuit or anything, but you don’t really care

tunnel vision again... all you see is yugyeom 

so you wade out, clumsily stepping through the water

but again... he’s disappeared under the waves

just as you start to call his name again, something tugs you under the waves

you clench your eyes in fear, your arms going to cover your head

but then you hear a voice... so clear through the water 

“it’s just me”

you crack open your eyes and then they widen of their own accord when they take in the sight in front of you

it’s yugyeom,,, but his dark hair is swirling around his face, his arms and chest are covered in small gold veins,,,, and he has a tail

a deep purple tail 

you gape, unable to think clearly 

surely this is,,,, impossible?

but your eyes tell you otherwise 

your lungs start to burn and you pull yourself to the surface, yugyeom emerging shortly after you

as you gasp for air and stare at him with wide eyes, he feels fear set in his stomach 

“are you... afraid?” 

“no!” you sputter “i’ve just... i’ve never met a mermaid before”

“ah, i’m not a mermaid”

you blink

“i’m a siren... it’s a little different”

siren,,, suddenly it feels like the last pieces of a puzzle are falling together

why you felt so out of control whenever you saw yugyeom,,, why you want, even now, to kiss him until you can’t speak

“is that- is that why i- wait, were you using some sort of power on me?” 

“no! i promise”

“then why-”

“listen, y/n” and his cheeks turn deep red “i can only use my powers in water” 

“but i-” 

“i know. i felt it, too”

those words start a fire in your brain,, whatever thoughts yugyeom has had of you,,, you want to realize them all

“but... how?” 

he takes your hand in his once more and pulls you a little closer “there’s this old siren expression... once you meet your soulmate, you can see no one else”

and he’s close, he’s so so close to you

so close you can feel his breath fanning over your face once more 

“i never really believed in soulmates”

he snorts “did you ever believe in sirens?” 

...fair point 

but you don’t tell him so, instead choosing to do what you’ve been wanting to do for so long

you lean into him and he tilts his head and then your lips are on his and your hands are combing through his hair

and his kiss is gentle... so are his hands on your waist

but still,,, you’re breathless

and when you pull away, you feel like a load has been lifted off your mind

like,,,,, you can finally notice how pretty the moonlight looks reflected off the ocean instead of only seeing yugyeom

but for once,,, you don’t want to focus on anything but him

no distractions 

“kiss me again” you say

he does, and he smiles into it

[journeysintowebcomics]

Stand Still Stay Silent Liveblog #38

UPDATE 38: Just S’m Weird Spirits Is All

Last time Lalli had found a new place to camp, and also showed how his mage abilities don’t come for free. He was bleeding from his nose and eyes. Unfortunately, even though the path was cleared, going through it made a husk fall to the ground and tear down a wall, and now there’s one of these evil things scurrying behind them. Let’s continue.

First I’d like to thank you for the translations I was sent! And also apparently there’ll be a page about luontos at some point, so I’m looking forward to reading it. Also!

ravensofskyhold says: And missing that one troll: it was behind a wall, and probably not a problem, before cattank got stuck and pulled those flesh things, which then caused the wall those were attached to break. It’s one of those hard to predict things, like the weather.

Ah. When you put it like that I can’t disagree. Guess it was just really bad luck, then. I just hope this won’t cause them much trouble, because this day hasn’t been good for them so far.

Tuuri’s feeling guilty about having shouted at Lalli, but I think it was fine. Sure, Lalli wasn’t taking it well, but it sure pushed him to fix his mistake! And something good came from it. What may have been a problem has turned into a situation that was better than before. I’m sure Lalli won’t hold this against Tuuri, even if he was upset back then. Sigrun kind of agrees, on grounds that shouting makes people move and start doing stuff.

The path Lalli indicated them to take leads to some sort of...building, far in what seems to be a forest? The building is intact, for the most part, but there are scorch marks, enough to make Sigrun ask Mikkel is the crew he was in time ago is responsible for those. Apparently it isn’t. Maybe it was a fire from before this city was abandoned. If the building has lasted until now despite having been on fire before, then it must be quite sturdy. What’s once they pass that part is rather dilapidated. There are fences, there’s that spiny wire that’s usually on top of fences...are those piles of sandbags? Could this have been occupied by military of some sort before?

Tuuri’s an expert driving, using the tank as a ram to break through fences and dragging them with it for who knows how long. I have doubts that was intentional, haha!

Once the car is expertly parked against those poles specifically made to stop vehicles from parking beyond them, Tuuri goes to consult Lalli about how secure this entire place is. Sigrun wants to know if there’s anything to be worried about in this area. I don’t...think there is? I mean, if there were, I think Lalli would have brought them here. Or if there’s anything like the husks from before, then they’re dead and therefore safe to be around. I doubt any place is 100% safe anywhere in this city, yeah, but he’d have said anything before now, yeah?

...

Or maybe not. He’s not very good at warning about stuff. I admit all those buildings kind of make me nervous. There could be something inside.

Oh, just some weird spirits, that’s all? Doesn’t sound like nothing to me, geez. Someone sure isn’t worried about them, though, so I guess it’s fine, but still...I’d be creeped out knowing there are ‘weird spirits’ nearby. This must be nothing Lalli hasn’t seen before – more mage stuff.

I can see why Lalli chose this place. Since there’s no danger in those buildings, this is a pretty good defensive place. There’s only one way in, and it’s rather narrow, so the biggest creatures can’t enter and cause havoc in here. All sides are protected. There’s a lot of open space, good for maneuvering if they have to drive. Pretty good spot, I’d say. It’ll be a shame to have to leave it someday.

Ah, the chapter is ending? Guess there won’t be book searching this time. Oh well. There are who-knows-how-many-days left in this expedition, they can do it tomorrow. For now it’s worldbuilding time! Neato. Before that, hm, closing words for the chapter, as usual.

I think it’s undeniable Lalli was the main character in this chapter. It was all to develop him, flashback included, and it was done quite well! I feel I understand Lalli a little better, which is always good. All in all, I’m satisfied with this. Well done, Ms. Sundberg. Okay, let’s continue.

That’s what Lalli was doing with the dog’s skull at the start of this chapter. It’s a rather sweet ritual, the meaning is more or less what I expected – letting the animal’s soul free – but I didn’t guess the part about reincarnating in deities’ herds. I think if Emil had known what it was all for, he’d have been comforted.

There it is! A page about luontos – a long page, with lots of details. Let’s see...

So, luontos are these animal spirits that follow a person during their entire life, starting from early childhood. They can influence a person’s health and development, and through effort and hardship a luonto can be strengthened. I bet mages try hard to strengthen their luontos, Lalli included. I mean, the luontos can be used to make spells stronger, why not to strengthen luontos?

That’s alarming. I hope this information being here doesn’t mean this’ll happen to Lalli. Hah! But okay, you know, I wonder...is this a true believe in Finland? I’m curious about that. Guess I’ll have to research a little more once I have some more time.

Worldbuilding over, new chapter start!

...ah. Suddenly this new place doesn’t seem so safe. That’s a freakishly huge thing. I hope it’s metaphorical or something, instead of that literally being underneath the ground. Does that qualify as a giant? It doesn’t seem like a group of trolls, maybe it doesn’t, but the size is fitting for a giant. Also it looks like a big facehugger. Freaky.

I don’t think anyone lived here. Not only I had the impression there were several buildings here, this type of buildings are too large for someone to live in – or at least to serve exclusively as houses. The White House, for example. It is a residence – as far as I know -- but it also has many other functions, so the residence part is small in comparison to the size of the whole structure. If anyone lived here, then it must be something like that, yeah?

Heck, maybe they’ll be lucky and these are libraries of some type. That’d be good.

Reynir is a mage, right, so of course he’d notice there’s something off about their surroundings! He must be seeing the spirits, or if not seeing them, then at least sensing their presence enough to be worried about it. Or...who knows, maybe everyone else can see them too, and just don’t understand they’re spirits.

Or maybe not. Sigrun and Mikkel went inside, took a look around, and saw nothing. I can’t see anything either. Reynir keeps insisting, though, so Ms. Captain gestures him to approach and point where exactly the weird spirits are at. Hm. I hope that, even if they don’t believe him, they don’t start thinking he’s insane or something. I mean, they know mages exist – even if again, they don’t believe it, apparently. Spirits aren’t that much of a stretch if a mage talks about them. True, Lalli won’t be the one to talk about spirits, but Tuuri can vouch for him.

Okay, now I can see it. That sure is creepy. So, in this story, ghosts and spirits are these...vaguely-shaped black blots, with shining eyes. I can’t blame Reynir for being scared. Maybe it’s for the better only the mages can see them. At least Sigrun’s taking this seriously. Mikkel is all ‘this is a waste of time’, paraphrasing, but Sigrun is actually asking questions and assessing the danger. Are...these dangerous? Can they like possess someone, I wonder? Could mages be in more danger than the rest, perhaps in International Mage Dreamhub? With some luck there’ll be a worldbuilding page once this chapter is over.

Well no wonder there are ghosts here, there are also corpses – well, more like skeletons. They must have been dead since long ago, and not from the rash illness. They were sick once, but the illness didn’t advance so much they died from it. Mikkel’s the one who identifies that. Hm. It’s kind of merciful they died from any other causes. At least they didn’t undergo a mutation as tragic and awful as turning into a troll. Perhaps they died of old age? Or some other unrelated sickness?

Hah! Yeah, I knew Mikkel wasn’t officially a doctor. I mean...this crew isn’t what a lot of people would call ‘top-notch’, despite them being competent enough to not die in the first day. A medic that isn’t a medic fits it just fine.

Soooooo they were abandoned. They were left here to die, and these people didn’t even know. My guess is that they never woke up, and they dried and wasted away on these beds. I hope they were in a coma or something, and therefore unaware, instead of waking up and unable to move. Less horror that way. But yeah, no surprise there are ghosts, this situation is perfect to make a person have regrets and rancor.

Also, why didn’t they come back, the ones who left? The note seems to indicate there was a chance of these people waking up and reading it, yet they never returned. Perhaps something happened to them? Or were they so callous as to leave a few people to rot here unattended and alone despite the chance of them waking up? A mystery for the ages.

Since there’s no immediate danger to deal with, Sigrun decides it’s time to leave and return to the tank, and Reynir comments the spirits here are nothing like the spirits at home. Ah, so he has been seeing spirits all along, even before coming here. He just didn’t think it was anything special. Maybe in Iceland mages aren’t common, so he didn’t know how to know he was one. While they were leaving, the cat puffs up again. Hah! This is why having a cat is useful! Good for them!

But the consequences of this happening will have to wait for next time.

Next time: in five updates

[melis9900]

First Kiss of The New Year

I had started to write this before the ball dropped last year (goes to show how I spend my New Year's Eves: writing) and put it off for SOO long. I mean, I edited at times when I was bored and planned to finish it and post it when the ball dropped but things didn't go that way and my procrastination got the best of me.

About: The title of this one-shot is really just self explanatory. 

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 6,873

(Also, I’d like to add that this story is not edited and there are a shit ton of grammar errors and the tenses are really really fucking choppy and sporadic and don’t match. Sorry in advance~)

Happy late late New Years!!

•••

This was the first year your boss had invited you to his annual New Year's Eve party. Only a select few employees were able to attend, along with a bunch of other ridiculously rich CEOs. After working at his company for three years- from a pitiful young girl who was basically a dog for the rest of the employees (always rushing out and getting them food and drinks without any form of thanks) to a highly respected clothing designer- you had risen through the company ranks and became the main proprietary in their company's 2015 winter line, which was already one of the top sellers. You were proud of your superb achievements in such little time.

You pull into the parking garage of South Korea's most luxurious and expensive apartment building, feeling self conscious about parking your old, hand-me-down dark green car in the same lot with a Ferrari, Bugatti and Lamborghini. You recognize the navy blue Bugatti as your boss's. The lot was packed with cars and you guessed the party already started. You pray to the gods that you weren't the last one to arrive.

In your car's mirror, you check your makeup and hair- an elegantly braided low messy bun, and pull out a few more strands to frame your face. Finalizing your appearance, you make your way towards the elevator and press the button for the fiftieth floor, the highest part of the building and your boss's penthouse.

After trying on about twenty different dresses at home, you decided on a tight fitting black dress with a fine dusting of gold all over it. The dress stopped mid-thigh and the sleeves ended above your elbows. Along with an open back, it also had golden rhinestones on both shoulders. It was something you had picked out when you went on a shopping spree with your mom; the entire day had cost basically your whole paycheck for the month. Accompanying the dress was a pair of your sister's shimmering red and gold platforms that she had left at your house after drinking too much one night and breaking in through an open window to sleep on your bed.

Just as the elevator doors were about to close, a foot shot out to stop them.

"Yes! Told you I'd catch it Hyung," a deep voice shouted out in triumph. You pull your gaze up to the owner of the voice and black dress shoe. He had his head turned away, so he wasn't yet aware of your presence. His chest was rising and falling quickly with every raspy breath he took. You guessed that he had sprinted over in order to stop the door from closing, and your dark tinted lips turned up into a smile in amusement of his action. Finally, he turned around, and you gasped a little in shock.

It was Kim Taehyung of BTS. He, along with the other members, had modeled for the winter line. A huge reason the winter collection had sold so well was because of BTS and their popularity. It wasn't the first time you had met him. You had greeted BTS during the photo shoot and stayed for most of the shooting to finalize the photos that would be used.

Your boss did not inform you that BTS would be attending the party as well, so seeing him standing in front of you was a surprise.

Taehyung's eyes widened and he then smiled brightly."Ah! Hello," he said with a polite bow. You bowed back, still a little shocked.

"(Y/N), right?" he asked, still smiling. You nodded and let out a faint 'yes'. "It's nice to see you again," he said with the smile still plastered on his face.

The other members strolled up next to him, and quickly you bowed to them, saying hello. They all bowed and greeted you in unison back.

It didn't seem like they recognized you; you couldn't blame them though. When you were at the photoshoot, you had arrived bare faced with uncombed hair gathered into a rat's nest of a bun, wearing what you woke up in. Your alarm had decided not to go off that morning, and you had chosen punctuality over style. It surprises you that Taehyung remembers you.

You back up into the back left corner of the elevator in order to make room for the seven members, their manager, and the founder of Big Hit entertainment, Bang Si-Hyuk. With ten people in one elevator, it was a little cramped, and being the only girl in that mix made you a bit uncomfortable.

Taehyung was standing next to you, and you could feel the eyes of some of the other members and the manager on you, reflected in the mirror in front of them. They were all so tall that it made you feel minuscule, even while wearing 6 inch heels. You nervously play with the crystal on your necklace that rested a little below the middle of your clavicle bones. The members are talking amongst themselves, occasionally letting out a laugh. Jungkook turns his head slightly in order to catch a glimpse of you and then quickly brought his head back to it's original position when you notice him. You feel your face heat up a bit in embarrassment.

Looking up to see how many more floors to go, you find that the elevator only just passed the twentieth floor. Thirty more floors to go. You internally sigh.

You keep your eyes on your shoes, causing strands of hair to fall in your face; you attempt to blow them away, but they just fall back onto your face. You heard a soft chuckle come from Taehyung and, when you turn your head towards him, he plays it off like it was a cough. He bites his lips to cover the smile he's fighting, and you can't help but smile as well.

Taehyung, along with the other guys in the elevator, are wearing fashionable suits. Taehyung is wearing a black suit coat and a white undershirt, the top few buttons undone, with a pair of dark washed jeans. His light brown hair is somewhat wavy and falls into his long lashed eyes. His tanned skin is alluring. His plump pink lips are still caught between his perfect white teeth. As if in a trance, your cheeks flush unconsciously. Only realizing you were staring too long after his eyes catch yours, you whip your head back down to stare at your shoes. In your peripheral vision you see that Taehyung has his eyes glued to your face. You hate how quickly the heat travels to your face.

Suddenly he pulls out his phone and starts typing on it. Your tense shoulders relax the second he stops looking at you.

While you're still staring at your shoes, Taehyung moves his phone into your line of sight. 'It's nice to see you again.' Smiling, you take out your own phone and start to type a reply on a blank new message board.

'You already said that.' You turn your phone so that he can read it and he grins broadly.

'Haha, oh yeah, I did, didn't I? How are you?'

'Nervous. This is my first time going to a high class party.'

'Don't be. I bet it will be just as stupid as any other party.' He looks up at you and sends you a toothy, reassuring smile while scrunching his eyes. You don't say anything but giggle almost inaudibly.

He starts typing on his phone again and, almost apprehensively, he shows you the screen. 'You look really pretty tonight.' You smile shyly, cheeks flushing in the process.

'Thank you. You clean up nice in that suit. It suits you.' As soon as he sees the reply, a loud deep laugh explodes out of him. The other guys in the elevator look at the two of you suspiciously, causing you to lower your head again. Taehyung tilts his phone towards you, 'That pun was sooo bad,' followed by a bunch of laughing emojis. Your lips pull into a wide smile that stays on your face for a good minute.

As you're about to type a reply, a loud ding interrupts you, and you look up to see that the elevator doors have opened to a empty hallway. Music plays faintly behind the door directly in front of where you all stand.

Bang Si-Hyuk is the first to walk out with BTS's manager, and the other members follow closely behind. Taehyung stays back and waits to walk beside you.

As soon as the wide metal door is opened, the hallway overflows with the sound of music, chatter, and laughing. Your boss's personal assistant, Park Minhyuk, opens the door with a warm smile on his face then bows. "Welcome! Ah BTS, we have been waiting for you guys. Come in!" You really don't want him to call you out, so you sneakily squeezed in front of Taehyung, where Jimin's back is facing you and Jin is on your left, effectively preventing Minhyuk from seeing you. A smirk makes its way onto your face after you successfully get through undetected. Not noticing Jimin's halt until it's almost too late, you quickly stopped yourself, causing your back to hit Taehyung's toned chest and the back of your head to collide with his shoulder. You look up at him and immediately regret it when he looks down at you simultaneously and your lips almost brush against each others. You both freeze with your lips just centimeters apart, unable to pull away from each other out of shock. You become aware of his cool hand on the skin of your back and a shiver runs down along your spine. After a few seconds of staring into your eyes, his gaze travels down to your parted lips. Your breath is coming much faster than normal and you can hear your rapid heartbeat ringing in your ears. His Adam's apple bobs as he swallows and your eyes follow it. Feeling eyes staring, you pull away first.

You fix your hair and avoid looking at him. He awkwardly clears his throat and then, after looking back at you once more, he makes his way towards his group, where they are greeting people gathered in the center of the room.

You spot your boss and walk over to thank him for inviting you. As you approach him, you can feel his eyes travel all over your body, making you feel sick to your stomach. He nods in response to your bow.

"Wow, (Y/N), you look ravishing," he says flirtatiously. You don't like your pig of a boss, but he is someone you have to put up with in order to keep your job.

Dryly, you respond, "Thank you. I'm thirsty. I'm going to get a drink," then scurry off towards the bar covered in bright florescent blue and purple light. There's a DJ in the corner of a wide, sectioned off room, banging his head along to the music while playing with some buttons on his equipment. Some people directly in front of his stand are dancing as if they're at a club; the multi-colored lights bounce off the crystal glasses of alcohol in their hands.

Your boss's penthouse covers the whole entire top floor of the building. There is a dimmed lounge surrounded in purple neon light set up in front of tall windows that overlooked the beautiful night city of Seoul. People sit on white cushioned chairs drinking and chatting away. The most light in the house comes from the kitchen, where chefs are visible cooking deliciously decorated food. On the other side of the lit bar are big glass doors that open to reveal a huge pool that emanates dark blue florescent light. The strings of light that surround the ginormous patio glimmer on the water, making it look like a sea of stars. It is a very stunning sight.

"Boo," a familiar low husky voice breathes out into your ear. Yelping, you jump, causing you to stumble in your tall heels. Big hands grab both sides of your waist to help you steady yourself, and stay there while you regain your balance. You turn around and catch the cheeky smile of Kim Taehyung. His hands are still on your hips. You look down at them and he pulls them back to his sides shyly.

"If I fell on my face, your ass would have been thrown into the pool," you laugh out while smoothing down your dress. Thankfully the music and the loud noise of chatter drowned out your squeal.

He smirked devilishly."I'd make sure that I wouldn't be the only one enjoying the freezing water."

You scoff playfully at him and return the same smirk. "You don't want to mess with a woman wearing 6 inch heels. Anyway, how much alcohol did you drink?"

His signature cute contagious laugh comes out, "Just a little." While giggling, you lightly punched him on his chest.

"So how's your first rich people party experience going?" he asks while poking your side, making you squirm. You swat his hand away.

"It's really cool. Well, the house is, at least," you say in a flat voice. Suddenly he takes your hand and drags you toward a table in the lounge room where his members sit talking amongst each other . You silently prepare yourself for the upcoming awkward conversations.

"Guys this is (Y/N). She was the one that helped at the photo shoot," Taehyung explains. With a gasp in remembrance Hoseok hops out of his seat and comes over to sit you down next to him. The seat he put you in was facing all the members. It was hard to keep your cool. You actually secretly listen to some of their songs daily. "We didn't recognize you at all! You look like a totally different person from whom we saw four months ago. But I like this new look," Hoseok was a very friendly and outgoing guy. He talked comfortably with many people. You admire that factor due to the fact you severely lacked those traits. "SO. (Y/N). How is the party for you so far?"

Unexpectedly, Taehyung removes his coat and places it on your lap to cover your exposed legs. Your heart leaps in your chest at the gesture. He then sits down in the empty seat next to you. You finally answer Hosoek's question, "Well, it's....fun," you can't help the sarcasm that accompanies the word 'fun'. Hoseok chuckles, "Oh really? Liar." The response causes you snicker along with him. "I'm not a big fan of parties," you admit.

"Well you fit the look for a party like this," Namjoon chimes in.

Yoongi casually interrupts, "Has our Taehyungie been pulling moves on you? Gotta watch out for him and the eye-smiling washboard, Jiminnie, over here." He points his thumb next to him, towards Jimin, while facing you. "Hyung!" Jimin whines out, embarrassed but then a smile appears on his face. Yoongi shrugs while pushing his palms up towards the ceiling. You giggle at the affair.

"Your dress is really awesome," Jin says randomly. Namjoon nods in agreement. You thank him and retort with, "Your pink flip phone is really awesome." He held up the big light pink phone that is in his hand and beams at you. Namjoon gives you a funny questioning look silently asking with his eyes 'Are you serious?' You confirm with vigorous nodding and a serious face. Jin looks at Namjoon triumphantly.

Jungkook sat quietly in his seat- laughing when the other members laughed and occasionally looking your way. You figure he is just a shy guy around girls.

"Hey, (Y/N), let's go get some drinks," confused with Taehyung's abrupt suggestion you stand up and he grabs your tiny hand in his and pulls you through the crowd towards the bar. Before you are whisked away, you hand over Taehyung’s suit jacket- that was covering your legs -to Hoseok.

As you are walking, you yell out, through the music, to Taehyung, "I can't really drink." He stops and turns around to look at you. "I can't hold my liquor well," you say ashamed.

He puts on his puppy dog eyes and pouts his lips, "Just one drink? Pwease?" Staring at him and not being able to resist his cute expression you groan out in defeat.

"Fine. But you may have to help me home if I do drink." He wiggles his eyebrows playfully and replies with 'That is fine with me'. You roll your eyes and shake your head at him not even trying to hide your smile. He chuckles cutely. You quickly were becoming obsessed with his laugh.

You both precede to walk to the bar. Your hand was still in Taehyung's. You found the size difference between them funny. His hands were soft and his grip was delicate and gentle. He suddenly stops at the bar table and the halt makes you slightly crash into him. You curse your heels for their nuisance. He takes a look at you over his shoulder, smiles, then asks the bartender for two shots of sojou. Straightening out your dress that was riding up your leg, you step next to him while uneasily examining the bartender pouring the alcohol into the small glasses. "Tae I don't know about this. I don't want to do anything I might get fired for," you say. He turns his head towards you and then pouts his lips once again, "So you're not going to drink?" You sigh out loudly and look from Taehyung to the small glass a couple times. Finally, you reach out and grab the drink and chug it down in one gulp then slam the glass on the table. The sting of the alcohol travels down your throat and you make a face. Taehyung laughs, looking at you surprised.

"What?" you say defensively, sass coating your question. He chuckles and then grabs the drink, and tilts his head back to swig it down. Then lets out a noise of achievement. He finally looks at you, "That wasn't so bad, right?" He smiles widely. You smile and laugh. He raises his eyebrows up while asking if you want another one. You bump him with your hip, "Now you're just deliberately trying to get me drunk, you ass." He makes a silly face in response. With Taehyung's excellent persuasion, you drink another shot. You start to regret taking them when you begin to feel the effects of the alcohol. 

After drinking, you and Taehyung head out to the dance room. You shyly sway your hips to the music while Taehyung smiles at you. "Don't be so tense. Just have fun." He then proceeds to do a weird outrageous dance that causes you to laugh. You become more comfortable and move your body to the music. Hoseok, Jimin, and Jungkook head over to the dance room and begin dancing fluidly to the music. Hoseok comes closer to you and shouts in your ear, "You have good rhythm. You know how to dance?"

"I took a few dance classes. They were really fun," you yell back over the music. Hoseok smiles widely and resumes his movements, popping to the music. At this point a circle consisting of the members and you has formed and you all laugh as you dance. Suddenly Taehyung steps in the middle of the circle and shows off his moves, provoking a dance battle. You can't help but roar with laughter but become silent when he points at you, challenging you to dance. When you don't go into the center of the circle Taehyung drags you in and steps back to give you room to dance. You try to say no but Hoseok encourages you with two thumbs up. Jimin and Jungkook both seem to want to see you dance as well, as they smile broadly at you.

A new song erupts from the speakers and you're taken aback at how slow the beat was. You groan out in embarrassment and look over at Taehyung. He wiggles his eyebrows and when he sees your annoyed facial expression, he giggles. You reluctantly start to sway your hips to the sensual beat. You soon become in tune with the music and allow your body to move freely along to the beat. The song was a progressive trance mix therefore it was a painfully slow song. Your movements were steady, laid-back, and lethargic. As the slow intimate melody continues, you feel as if the beat is taking over your body and your being pulled to move like a puppet on strings. Suddenly remembering that you were supposed to challenge someone you become increasingly aware of the four pairs of eyes on you. Heat rises quickly to your face and you start to come back down to planet Earth. You point at Jimin while hiding your red face behind your hands re-joining the circle, sliding down your dress that had ridden up very noticeably.

You will yourself to calm down your racing heart as you watch Jimin dance and try to ignore your, still very apparent, tomato face. The earlier sensual song has changed into a faster beat and you look over at the DJ silently cursing him, thinking that he wanted you to go insane with embarrassment. 

Jimin dances fluidly to the tune with a big grin on his face, making it seem like dancing is the most entertaining thing in the world to him. You can't help but smile at him which makes you forget about your earlier dance and you become grateful to Jimin. You accidentally make eye contact with Taehyung and he looks at you with admiring eyes, meaning that he definitely did not forget about your dance. You allow your eyes to linger upon him and suddenly feel his hand graze your own. You finally realize how close in proximity he's gotten to you, but you don't shift away from him. You look down at his fingers which were skimming up along the skin of your arm, his touch hot and leaving your skin tingling where his long calloused fingers made contact with your skin. Looking back up at Taehyung, you find his lip caught between his pearly white teeth and the blush lingering on your face deepens to a bright scarlet red. Deciding to inch slowly away from him, you see an apparent look of disappointment flash on his face but he quickly covers it with a smile towards his group members.

As Jimin continues to dance, he makes funny gestures with his hands and then finishes by jabbing his pointer finger on Jungkook's nose. This causes you all to all giggle at the action. You sneak a peek at Taehyung and he grins at you. Although everything would seem fine, you feel this overwhelming tension between the two of you. Tension that makes your stomach pool with warmth every time you look at him. 

You turn your attention forward and look at the sharp movements Jungkook makes whilst dancing. Jungkook, although younger than Jimin and Hoseok, does not lack in dance skills in comparison to his hyungs. When watching the three best dancers in the group you see how differently they all dance. You find yourself appreciating the diversity of dance styles within the group. After Jungkook finishes, himself, along with Jimin and Hoseok, decide to walk to the bar and get some drinks, leaving you alone with Taehyung on the dance platform. 

An uncomfortable silence encompasses you two, even through the loud projection of music from the speakers. You both dance halfheartedly to the music.

Taehyung leans down and positions his mouth over your ear, "You surprise me, Y/N." His warm lips touched the edges of your ear as he spoke, and you fight the shiver of pleasure that wants to run down your back. He straightens his back to stand at his full towering height and a sly grin takes over his face.

Gaining some confidence you place both hands on his shoulders and pull him down so that you can speak into his ear, "Get to know me a little more and you'll find that I'm always full of surprises." You linger there with your hot breath against his ear for the 'full effect.' 

As you return to your original position you find that Taehyung's bottom lip is caught between his teeth once again. Feeling that the atmosphere was too intense for your liking, you quickly stick out your pointer finger and thumb on both hands, forming 'guns', and simulate shooting him whilst clicking your tongue in your mouth and not forgetting to wink playfully. Taehyung chuckles at your sudden gesture and mimics you. You both laugh at one another and you breathe out a huff of air in relief that the atmosphere had changed into a much more comfortable one. You internally hit yourself for your sudden burst of smugness.You blame the alcohol for making you become so bold.

As you both resume your dancing, you find yourself in the middle of the small crowd taking over the dance floor. The moving bodies of others around you hides you both from the eyes of the people not dancing. You and Taehyung begin to notice this fact, and you start to dance closer to one another. No one around you was even looking in your direction; they were solely focused on their own partners,the music, and their drinks. 

You both are hidden from your slimy boss, Taehyung's manager, and his boss; you are both free from the eyes of people who control you. Taehyung rests his hands on your hips as you move your body to the beat. You don't know if it was the alcohol or the fact that you really liked Taehyung, but you were going crazy with the body rolls and hip movements- which were your specialty. You turn underneath his hands so that your bare back is on full display to him. 

The dress you were wearing had shown almost your entire back with black cloth ending a little above your hips. You place both your hands atop of Taehyung's, located on either side of your hips, and intertwine your fingers into his. With your hands intertwined, you slowly slide his hands closer so that they are now on your stomach which prompts him to inch closer to you. As you dance, you can feel the smooth satin material from his suit jacket rub against your back. Taehyung's head is above the crook of your bare neck and his steamy breath on your sensitive skin makes you light headed. You let go of his hands to glide your own hands up along the length of your body and reach behind you to delicately place your hands on either side of Taehyung's neck. At this point your bodies are fit snug together like puzzle pieces and you both are moving in sync. 

You start to roll your hips into him, causing an approving groan to escape his mouth. Removing your hands from his neck and placing them back on top of his hands, you arch your back and bend slightly forward- still rolling your hips into him. 

Craning your neck, you look back at him and see that his eyes are glazed over with desire. 

You find satisfaction in seeing how much of an affect you have on him and further provoke him.

Suddenly, you feel his lips on your neck and then he starts to trail kisses towards your back.

As he peppers kisses over your skin, you finally come back to your senses and gently push away from Taehyung mid kiss. You turn quickly around and see his lips puckered out and his eyes closed. He opens his eyes, bewildered, and smooths out his lips in a straight line. 

With your reddened embarrassed face, you try to talk to him over the music and only ending up shouting at him, "I'm sorry, but I don't think you should be doing that here, I mean, you're an idol and I'm a nobody and if anyone sees us you'll get in trouble and I'll get in trouble and I know how dedicated your fans are and if they even know about this -," you use your hands to point at him and yourself, "us- then you will get hate and I will get hate and your image will be ruined and I'll probably lose my job and your life will become so stressful if I even let this- what we are doing -continue. I really do like you Taehyung but this can't happen betwe-" Taehyung stops your excessive non-stop rambling by putting his finger against your lips and smiles sadly. 

"No, I'm sorry Y/N. I shouldn't have even done that in the first place. It was wrong of me and I apologize. Maybe if I wasn't an idol, constantly under the surveillance of my manager and netizens, then maybe I wouldn't have to worry about hurting anyone who they wouldn't approve of. I'm sorry." He rubs the back of his neck looking down at his feet and then raises his head to look up at you with that same smile on his face, but the smile doesn't reach his eyes.

Your heart constricts with sympathy for him. The idol life was difficult, you had always known this. There was scandals on the news all the time and most of the time the scandals were not even really scandals; you never understood why one human being in a consenting relationship with another human being was such a big ordeal. It was like an idol's life was constantly on camera and constantly watched closely and scrutinized by others. There was no such thing as privacy whilst being a idol; especially being an idol as popular as Taehyung. 

You smile back at him and try not to let your emotions show on your face. You and Taehyung walk back out of the dancing circle of bodies decked out in expensive clothing and jewelry. 

Walking towards the lounge with Taehyung by your side, at a considerably far distance, the loud voice of your boss calls your name from across the room. You exchange a look with Taehyung and wave him a goodbye, a smile resting on your face. Taehyung mirrors your actions and mouths, "Good luck," to you.

Besides for the many scummy looks from your boss and various other disreputable men, the party goes on uneventfully. Your boss introduced you to so many people that you didn't even remember any of their names. 

"This is Y/N, she is the reason why my winter line was such a sellout," your boss would say while putting a hand on your shoulder. You tried not to act like his touch made you want to barf in your mouth and hurl yourself off a cliff into a pit full of blood-thirsty sharks, so you put on your best fake smile for people he introduced you to.

You found yourself allowing your eyes to wander the crowd, searching for Taehyung, but you didn't see him for the rest of the night.

When it was finally reaching time for the bell to ring, signalling the New Year, everyone crowded in front of your boss’s massive 128-inch T.V. 

The music volume of the D.J's system had turned down, allowing the T.V. to be heard for everyone. Not wanting to get caught up in the crowd, you walked towards the glass doors of the penthouse patio. The lights were still lit and the scene was still just as gorgeous as you had seen it hours before. As you open the clear glass doors, a gust of freezing wind envelopes you, causing you to shiver upon response. You grab a bottle of water and head toward the cushioned patio lounge chair. When the door closes behind you, the loud voices of the people inside is muffled and you focus on the calming 'swoosh' sounds of the night breeze. 

Goosebumps prickled on your skin and your teeth began chattering.

It was freezing but the cold air cleared you mind from everything. You took off your uncomfortable heels and sat down on the lounge chair which faced the steep drop toward the beautiful night city of Seoul. Views such as these always made you appreciate living in the city. The bright lights from buildings and street lamps twinkled below and you watched the cars and people pass by on the streets. 

Seoul was always busy with people and cars but tonight was special so the city was literally buzzing with life. Up here, nothing else mattered. Sighing in content, you lay back and look up towards the sky. It was nothing but a clear deep blue, illuminated from the lights below. You watch as planes flew by, lights flashing, signalling their presence to all.

Taking a swig from your water, you close your eyes, but then get interrupted by the sound of the doors to the patio opening. 

You clench up in fear that your boss had come outside to talk to you; disrupting the serene peace you were in. Staying completely still you wait uneasily. Suddenly a jacket falls on top of you, shrouding your freezing upper body in warmth.

The perpetrator to your peace takes a seat in the lounge chair beside you and you see the familiar smiling face of Taehyung. 

He grins and says, "I was trying to find you and then I remembered the way you looked at this patio and it was an easy guess to where you were." You smile bashfully, snuggling into the warmth from his suit jacket. "Why are you out here anyway? It's freezing." he says while crossing his arms and hugging himself.

You raise a questioning eyebrow and reverse the question on him, "Why are you out here? Aren't you supposed to be with all the other members for the countdown?"

"It's not like they need me. And it's not like I'm missing anything exciting. It's the same every year. The bell rings, New Year begins, but nothing is actually different," he explains, leaning back into the lounge chair and stretching his back. Your gaze follows the way his back arches and the buttons of his white undershirt pull against the button holes, as if they were fighting to come undone, and you see his smooth tan skin underneath. A blush covers your cheeks, but is undetectable due to your already reddened cheeks from the cold air.

Taehyung looks down at the night city view and his dark eyes reflect the lights from below. He finally looks back at you and you momentarily forget that you are staring at him until you finally look away. You hear him chuckle lightly beside you and can't stop the smile from appearing on your face, prompting you to cover your face with his jacket.

"You're adorable," he says through an impossibly wide grin. You uncover your face and look over at him, not thinking you heard him right.

"And your extraordinarily beautiful. I've never met anyone quite as real as you. From the very first day I met you, disheveled and bare faced, I thought you were amazing. It was the way you smiled, laughed, hid your face behind your hair when you were embarrassed; everything about you pulled all my attention to you. I couldn't even concentrate that day, during the photo shoot, because of you. I was so disappointed when the photo shoot was over and thought I would never see you again. After that day you were always there, in the back of my mind; I couldn't stop thinking about you. And when I found out that you would be here- attending this lame party -I was so relieved and I thought I'd die from pure joy. When I saw you in that elevator, I thought my heart actually jumped out of my chest because Jesus Christ, you were radiant. You are so stunning that I think--," he pauses furrowing his eyebrows together and shaking his head to himself,"no I know, you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life. Everything tonight was amazing. Being here with you is amazing. Being able to touch you, let alone kiss your soft, perfect skin, was amazing. And looking at you right now, all I want to do is actually kiss you. To feel how my own lips would move with yours. I know that because of my idol life things won't be easy and that if we get caught netizens will ride my ass, but honestly I don't care. I'm tired of caring because there has been too many instances where I haven't been able to do what I want to do because I was scared of the consequences but I'm tired of being scared, I'm tired of trying to please people and I'm tired of being tired. I just-" he pauses his long rant and sits up in his chair and looks into your eyes which are glossy from the tears you are trying to hold in. 

Although to some, his speech would be quite cheesy, but to you it was the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said about you in your life. He runs a hand through his hair like he's nervous to say what he wants to say. Sitting up in your seat, you smile at him, encouraging him to continue.

He lets out a long breath and says, "The thing I'm trying to ask is F/N, would you allow me to be your first kiss of the New Year?" He looks down at his hands in his lap and wrings them out of nervousness, expecting you to say no. You place your feet on the cold ground of the concrete floor so that you are facing directly in front of him. Grabbing his hands, you prompt him to look at you. He searches your eyes as if he could find the answer within them. You beam at him and say, "Taehyung, it would be an honor to have you as my first kiss of the New Year." 

He smiles a smile that makes your heart explode with warmth even under the freezing cold conditions. You take a seat beside him on his own lounge chair and grab his face between your hands. You grin brightly before planting your lips on his. You both smile between kisses and his hand snakes around your waist. While your lips are still connected, he moves you so that you are lying back on the chair and places both hands on either side of the chair to lean down to continue kissing you. 

As your lips move in sync with his own, loud bangs and shouts make you break apart from one another in surprise. You look over at the Seoul skyline to find the sky illuminating in bright multicolored sparks of light. People cheer loudly from inside the penthouse and fireworks erupt from all corners of the city, leaving puffs of smoke in their wake. Taehyung shifts himself so that he can also see the beautiful spectacle before the both of you. 

Each firework dissipates to nothing but sparkles floating to the ground, creating the illusion of thousands of falling stars showering the city. You look up at Taehyung and gently place your hand on the back of his neck, playing with his soft hair. He looks back down at you and smiles, pecking you on the lips, making you giggle. "Last kiss of 2015 and first kiss of 2016; you should feel very special Taehyung," you try to say smugly but only end up smiling like a dork.

He laughs a good hearty laugh and leans down to whisper in your ear, "With you, Y/N, I'll always feel special." He closes the distance between the two of you and kisses you passionately. 

The once innocent kiss becomes more intimate and your toes curl as a rush of heat embraces your entire body. Your mouth slightly opens, giving his tongue entrance to explore your mouth. Noses glide against one another as you shift your face every time you pull apart slightly for breath. The kiss was hungry, like you both had been waiting for it for years. You gently catch his plump bottom lip between you teeth and lightly tug on it which makes a amused smile light up on his face. You momentarily open your eyes to look up at his smiling face but quickly return to kiss him, not being able to get enough of him. Your bodies mesh together, sharing warmth between the two of you. 

Fireworks continue to go off as you kiss him and people may be watching but you don't care. All you care about is Taehyung, and this kiss. This kiss filled with so much passion and need; a kiss that you surely will remember for a lifetime.

As you kiss him you think, this is a very good start to the New Year and focus your sole attention to Taehyung, savoring every kiss, every touch, and every smile from him.

•••