#and then they had the AUDACITY to comment on the fact that i was shaking

[mostly-marvel-musings]

Playboy ways

A/N: This is for the lovely anon who asked for this specific prompt - “Come on, Tony Stark, show me your playboy ways.” Hope you enjoy reading this one. Leave a heart, comment or reblog if you did.

Pairing: Tony Stark x Ex-wife! Reader

Warnings: 18+ smut, and angst.

Word count: 2.1k

Tony Stark Masterlist

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It all started off when he walked into your home with that slut of a woman. It was typical for him post your divorce, you’d scoffed at the bouncy blonde who giggled in the most irritating manner at everything Stark said.

The audacity of the man to traipse in with his latest fling angered you beyond anything. He was doing it to get that very reaction which he was getting at that moment.

You were hosting brunch at your new home, the one you had bought all on your own after you and Tony separated. It felt incredibly overwhelming to start over but you also realized how much you needed it. That didn’t mean you didn’t miss your ex-husband from time to time. You did.

He seemed to have moved on pretty okay by the looks of it. Then again, the man had a reputation before you started dating. It wouldn’t have been a fish out of water situation for him exactly.

The team had arrived on time, except for one. You knew he liked to make an entrance. And that infuriating bastard had the balls to show up with a plus one without checking with you first. Sure it had been a year and he was free to do whatever he wanted, but this was your house, and your rules applied.

Nat squeezed your hand reassuringly as you glared daggers at the pair, noticing the tight grip on your wine glass.

“Do you want me to go talk to him?” She asked, stepping in your line of vision.

“No, it’s fine. I’ll do it.” You huffed, finishing your wine before excusing yourself. If you could, you would drag both their asses out of your house.

He was busy chatting with Steve and Bucky with the blonde attached to his arm.

“Y/N! We haven’t spoken in forever. Do join us.” Tony piped, while the girl eyed you from top to bottom, sizing you up with a look of mild disdain.

“Glad you made it, Stark. And your friend.” You offered a fake smile, which nobody bought.

“Great house, Y/N.” Steve offered kindly, uncomfortable with the air of discomfort.

“Yeah, love what you’ve done to the place.” Bucky stepped in, giving your shoulder a friendly squeeze.

“Thank you guys. I’ll give you a tour later but first, I need a word with you, Tony.” You stared directly at him, causing him to clear his throat awkwardly and give you a firm nod.

Just as you were about to leave, you saw the girl tagging along with her arms wrapped around your ex-husband.

“Uh, I'd like to have a word with him in private. If you don’t mind.”

“But I’m his girlfriend.” She chirped, making you almost scoff but you stopped yourself from reacting.

“We used to be married.”

That seemed to have shut her up as her hands dropped to her sides. This was brand new information for her, you realized, rolling your eyes as you began making your way towards your bedroom upstairs.

Hearing the click of the door behind you, you felt Tony’s overbearing presence, turning around to face him while taking a deep breath to ground yourself.

“The house looks pretty good, Y/N. It screams you.” Tony smiled, looking around the space, as if analyzing what parts of your personality he could see.

“You didn’t tell me you were bringing a date, Tony. A head’s up would’ve been appreciated.” Your tone was flat as you crossed your arms over your chest, staring at the man whose eyes immediately landed on yours as you spoke.

“I’m…sorry?”

You scoffed, shaking your head.

“Are you really? The invite was supposed to be just us. The team.”

He shrugged, stepping closer and letting his eyes wander down your body. You hated the fact that he still had the same effect on you as he did all those years ago. Your skin flushed as his eyes raked down your lips, your neck, the dress that teased just enough of your breasts without being too revealing.

“You have a wine stain on that dress, by the way. You’re gonna have to take it off.” He murmured, ignoring what you’d said completely.

He was right.

A stray drop of wine had made itself known right above your left breast, a purple-ish red mark prominent against the light coloured fabric.

You went into your en-suite, trying to wipe it off fruitlessly. Groaning in frustration, you pulled the dress over your head and threw it in the hamper, well aware of the fact that your ex-husband was probably getting a good show.

“Hey how about that red dress I got you?” He suggested, snooping around in your closet as if he owned the place.

“How about don’t snoop in my closet? Try respecting someone’s privacy for once.”

You gave him a nudge, wearing only your underwear, feeling his burning gaze on your back.

“Ouch.”

“How come there’s no picture of us?” Tony wondered out loud, pointing to the several frames you had hanging on the wall adjacent to the bed. There were many with your family, your cousins, the entire team, a few with the supersoldiers who had been your best friends.

“You really want me to hang a picture of us just to be reminded how much of a mess the whole thing was?” You said bitterly, seeing hurt flash across his face for a moment. It made your heart pang guiltily.

“Are you saying there’s not one fond memory you’d like to keep?”

His question made you pause, your heart twisted in pain as your mind flooded with a whole bunch of memories you had pushed down for the sake of your sanity.

“I—why are we doing this now? I came here to tell you that the girl stuck to your side is unwelcome in my house. So please take her and fuck off.”

Your voice wavered slightly as you spoke, finally picking out the same red dress Tony had mentioned earlier before storming in the bathroom.

Tony was quick to follow on your steps, stopping you from slamming the door on him. He grabbed your shoulders and backed you up against the vanity counter.

“What?”

“So angry, Y/N. I still find that so fucking hot.” He murmured, his face inches away from yours, his intoxicating scent was overwhelming to your senses.

“Typical Stark.” You rolled your eyes, trying to push him away but he didn’t budge. Instead, he chose to press you further against the marble counter, all of his body brushing yours, making his erection meet your heated core.

“I hate you.” You glared, wishing your body wouldn’t react the way it did to his infuriating man.

“Right back at ya.”

Tony grabbed your face and slanted his lips on yours, taking you by surprise at the intensity of the kiss.

He coaxed your mouth open and plunged his tongue inside, sucking onto yours with such force it bordered on pain and pleasure. Your fingers tugged on his hair sharply, making him grunt.

A heady mix of champagne, berries and that unmistakable hint of coffee that comprised all that was Tony took over your body like no time had passed. You moaned against his lips as his hips moved on their own accord, teasing you as you felt his clothed cock against your thin, panty-covered core that was growing wetter with every passing second.

His lips trailed down your neck, nipping at your warm skin all while his hands slid down your body, tracing every curve and dip like he remembered. Finally stopping between your legs, he teased his finger over your panties, finding them damp with your eagerness.

“I’m starting to believe you’ve missed me, Y/N.” he grinned, pulling them aside to expose you to him.

“I will slap that smug grin off your face, Stark.” You muttered, sounding out of breath just from the kissing.

“Do it. You know I love it when you’re rude.” He peeled the fabric off of you, letting it dangle around your ankles before slipping two fingers inside you without warning.

“You’re impossible.” You gasped at the intrusion, the stretch of his fingers achingly familiar.

“Mmhmm. Your impossible ex-husband, kiss my neck.”

Tony ordered urgently, his hips stuttering against your palm as you stroked him over his pants.

You obliged, but grazed your teeth against his skin to give him a little bite, making him cuss under his breath.

With wanton need, you unbuckled his belt and rid him of his pants, giving him a few slow pumps. You smirked as Tony let out a needy whine when you left his weeping cock.

“Missed me huh?”

You blinked innocently, the reaction only lasted a few seconds because Tony abruptly made you turn around and bent you over the counter. Your heart thudded against your ribcage, breath erratic as you waited for him to do something. You were getting impatient, your cheek pressed against the cold surface while his hands trailed down your spine, leaving goose pimples in their wake.

Growing antsier by the minute, you wiggled your hips back, hoping he’d get the hint. A sharp sting pinched your buttcheek as his palm landed on the soft flesh, making you cry out loud. One followed the other, making you clench around nothing as you bore the brunt of his punishment.

“I still own this body, don’t I?” He whispered, caressing your cheeks tenderly. You bit your bottom lip, thinking just how immediately your inner voice had answered ‘yes’ to that question.

“Answer me, sweetheart.”

Shaking your head, you decided to defy him some more. When you didn’t answer, he lined himself up against your entrance, gathering your slick on his length before slamming into you until he bottomed out.

“Liar.” His whisper traveled straight to your core, clamping around his length as he continued with his agonizing pace.

Living with Tony Stark had never been easy. The man lived a life that hardly anyone could comprehend. You tried. Unfortunately it got to a point where you had to choose, and you chose to step away and focus on your wellbeing. You were still to forgive him for what he put you through.

Still, the passion and love you felt for the man hadn’t fizzled out. Maybe now it had morphed into something else, and you certainly weren’t complaining. If anything, the man was an absolute freak in bed. And you knew things were cloudy and perhaps morally grey, yet you still hadn’t learnt to resist the man.

Letting out a frustrated groan, you looked over your shoulder as Tony refused to move.

“What? Are you afraid I’ll break? Come on Tony, show me your playboy ways.”

That seemed to flip a switch in him. Grabbing both your hands roughly, he held them behind your back, dragging his cock out of your snug walls and pushed back in, brutally. He began thrusting in and out of your heat with such intensity, the surface of the counter dug into your skin, bruising it.

“Is this what you wanted?” He panted, gripping your hair with the other hand, spearing into you as he spoke.

“I think it is what you wanted. You kissed me, remember?” You countered, mewling when he slapped your butt once again.

“Didn’t throw me out, did you?”

“I still can’t stand your stubborn ass.” You bit your lip hard enough to hurt as he continued pounding into you, bringing you closer and closer to the edge.

“Me neither, sweetheart.”

His cock hit all the right spots going in, making you see stars. You couldn’t do much other than take all that he was giving you, completely at his mercy. He felt your thighs twitch, knowing instantly you were close.

Leaving your hair momentarily, Tony reached around to rub your clit in circles to speed up your orgasm, never stopping his ministrations as you came hard around his length, screaming loud enough for people to hear.

He wasn’t far along, your walls clenched around him desperately, making him twitch inside and pull out in time to paint his cum on your lower back.

Still the gentleman, he cleaned you up and helped you dress, not speaking a word as reality set in.

“So…are you going to kick her out or should I?” Your voice had turned softer now, as you got dressed, fixing your hair and makeup as best as you could.

“You do it, please. I’d rather watch.”

[celli-ohs]

I Can't, I Have Rehearsal

pairing: socially awkward!park sunghoon x fem!reader

genre: high school au; crack, comedy, fluff

synopsis: What happens when you get seated right next to the most handsome boy in your entire grade? Well you thought it'd be a great excuse to get to know him better, but the guy won't even talk to you! After a mishap in the science lab, you come to find out that Park Sunghoon, the cold-hearted prince of EN High, isn't in fact rude, he's just afraid of women.

before you read: character profiles

warnings: language, cooties, wild subplot, loser enhypen

word count: 3.78k

taglist (open): @ancnymcnzjy

note: part 1 of my and scene! series, loosely based off en-drama.

Log 3: Wednesday - March 6th, 2024

The blaring screams of his alarm clock has Sunghoon jolting from his sleep. “Oh my god,” He gasps, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “It was all just a dream!” He says relieved.

Jumping out of bed, he hurriedly gets ready for the day. Once clean and changed, he walks to the kitchen, opening a packet of natto to indulge in. 

“Yeji! Don’t forget to comb your hair,” He hears his mother scold as she enters the kitchen. “Oh, Sunghoon, you’re up?” She sounds confused. 

“Yeah, I’m walking with the guys, just like every morning.” He shrugs her off. She doesn’t say much after that, only rushing his little sister around the house, helping her get ready.

“I’m off, see you later.” Sunghoon waves goodbye as he heads out. “Have a good day!” His mother smiles. 

“He’s having a good morning for someone who locked himself in his room last night.” Yeji grumbles. “Your brother is… a teenager Yeji, let him be.” Her mother tries to keep a positive mindset. 

“Will I be like that when I’m a teenager?” Yeji asks, looking worried. 

“You better not, your brother is enough trouble as it is.”

In the past ten minutes no one has said a single word. Sunghoon can’t seem to figure out why though, his eyes searching for the answer. 

Finally, Jungwon clears his throat. “Sunoo,” He calls out. “How did your audition go? For the theater club?” 

The other boy suddenly sighs. “You won’t believe it- they rejected me!” Jaeyun looks completely shocked, eyebrows furrowed together. 

“I know! And then they had the audacity to ask me if I could instead be a prop decorator when I’m meant to be on stage!” Sunoo groans.

“That’s mean,” Heeseung frowns. (He keeps popping up out of nowhere, he’s like a ninja, it’s starting to actually scare Sunghoon).

“But then something happened on my walk home,” Sunoo hums, rummaging through his pocket. “Some guy stopped me when I was getting ice cream, he said to call him and I could become an idol!” Sunoo flashes the fancy business card in front of all his friends. 

“Is that real?” Riki swipes it, observing both sides of the cardstock. The card gets passed around, and everyone gets a good look before it’s returned to Sunoo.

"Belift Lab? What kind of stupid company name is that?" Jungwon scoffs as he reads the card.

“Do you guys think I should do it? Being an idol sounds fun.” Sunoo smiles. That is until Jaeyun shakes his head. “Sure yeah you’re famous, but don’t you want to be an actor? That’s pretty different.”

“True, you could be training for years before you debut, or maybe you don’t debut at all,” Jungwon adds.

“Riki A’s older brother almost became an idol, he says he trained for like almost 3 years.” Riki comments.

“Oh gross, I think I’ll just stick to acting.” Sunoo tosses the card into a nearby trash can. 

“Was he from a good company?” Sunghoon asks. Sunoo shrugs. “Don’t know, I've never heard of them.”

“Sounds sketchy, probably good you didn’t say yes.” Jungwon agrees. 

As the six of them continue on their walk to school, there’s the familiar sound of a thud behind them, causing them all to turn. 

“Fuck, I got my pants dirty,” Jongseong grumbles as he stands up, dusting himself off. “You’re late,” Sunghoon teases, making the other boy roll his eyes. “I’m early actually, and I have been this whole week.” Jongseong argues.

“It’s only Wednesday.” Sunoo points out to him. This has Sunghoon confused. “What do you mean? It’s only Tuesday.”

The boys all stop, turning to Sunghoon with crazed expressions. “Sunghoon, it’s Wednesday,” Jaeyun shows his calendar on his phone.

He takes a closer look, stepping forward. Right there on Jaeyun’s screen it lists the date: Wednesday, March 6th. 

“No.” Sunghoon stumbles over his words. He looks up at his friends. “That means yesterday-” He chokes up.

“Dude are you high?” Riki asks, concerned. “Do you not remember what happened yesterday?”

Yesterday. Tuesday. March 5th.

He went to school, and then he went home. Yeah. No. Maybe?

Because then that would mean that what happened wasn’t a dream-

“You left home early, remember? Actually you ran out, Jaeyun had to drop your stuff off.” Jungwon clarifies, and suddenly everything clicks.

After humiliating himself in front of you and his entire class, Sunghoon didn’t even think about dashing out of the classroom. To be honest, he just kept running, past his homeroom, past the front doors, and right out the school gates down the street. 

“Sunghoon!” Jaeyun shakes him by the shoulders. “Are you okay?”

He doesn’t respond, brain shutting down.

Sunghoon has to be wrestled into his seat. Jaeyun and Jongseong hold him down, trying to convince him to apologize to you. 

“Just say you’re sorry,” Jongseong holds him firmly down by the shoulder. “Yeah! I’m sure she’ll understand.” Jaeyun tries to stay positive.

“Please, please just let me go. You guys are my friends, can’t you just-” “We’re doing this because we’re your friends you idiot.” Jongseong argues. 

Sunghoon tries to argue, but is swiftly shut up when Jaeyun suddenly announces your arrival.

“Hi Y/n! You’re looking nice today.” Jaeyun sounds overly enthusiastic as he compliments you, his arms are not so subtly trying to get Sunghoon to turn your way.

“Hey Jaeyun,” You sound unsure as you get closer. 

“Nice to meet you, I’m Jongseong.” Sunghoon’s other friend greets you.

“Hi,” You say quickly before clearing your throat. “Um, Sunghoon, do you think we can talk really quick? In private?” 

Sunghoon shakes his head no, but his two friends decide to take matters into their own terms. 

“Oh, he’d love to! Right, Sunghoon?” Jongseong stares him down. Sunghoon clenches his jaw and rigidly nods. 

He’s released by his friends, and like a robot, follows you out of the classroom. He’d try to make a break for it, but he could feel both Jongseong and Jaeyun’s eyes following him down the hall. 

You lead him to a corner by the janitor’s closet, it’s a lot quieter as it’s away from the rowdy crowd of teeangers.

He stands far from you, not able to get closer than 10 feet. But you begin to close the space in between you, forcing Sunghoon to back up. Except he instead ran into a wall and found himself cornered by you.

“I was worried you wouldn’t show up today.” You begin to speak, stepping back and keeping a respectable distance. Sunghoon is as stiff as a board, eyes trained onto his feet. 

“I wanted to say I’m really sorry for what happened yesterday.” You suddenly apologize. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I had no idea you were scared of girls, Jaeyun told me after you ran away.” 

His best friend of the past eight years, Sim Jaeyun, revealed his most deepest darkest secret?! He felt so betrayed.

“But I want you to know I want to help you.” You say, and suddenly Sunghoon is looking at you (more like the outline of you, he still can’t look at you directly) with wide eyes. 

“I mean we’re seatmates and club members, we should be able to help each other out.” You begin to explain. “And Jaeyun kind of asked me to help you.” You add sheepishly at the end.

Sunghoon was seriously going to get his revenge on that kid.

“So what do you say?” You ask, rocking back and forth on your feet as you patiently wait for his answer.

Sunghoon felt trapped. On one hand, his looming fear of women was stopping him, but on the other hand provided a (very scary) solution to his big problem.

“H-How would you help me?” He coughs out. “I was thinking we could start by being friends? Maybe work on the small stuff.” You offered.

The small stuff, yeah, he could deal with that, right? 

Eventually, he nods, causing you to clap your hands together. 

“Great! This is going to be easy, I promise!” You grin.

It was in fact not easy.

All morning you would try to get Sunghoon to give you as much as a look in your direction, whispering to him random questions and facts to try and start a conversation.

When lunch finally arrived, Sunghoon had never run so fast to the cafeteria before in his life.

“I’m gonna kill you Sim Jaeyun!” Sunghoon is seething as he sneaks up behind his friend. Jaeyun’s signature smile vanishes, and is replaced with fear. 

“Sunghoon please-” “You told her?!” Sunghoon leads Jaeyun to sit down at their table. 

“How else do I explain why you suddenly dipped in the middle of class? I could’ve told her you had to take a massive shit, but I didn’t!” Jaeyun argues, tugging Sunghoon off of him. 

Hmm, touche.

“This was for the greater good, we all agreed on it.” Sunoo suddenly adds in. Sunghoon turns to his friends in shock.

“You guys voted? With Heeseung?!” He points to the (technically his) senior. Heeseung stared wide eyed, looking slightly guilty.

“We voted because you’re getting out of hand. Dude, my older sister ran into you at the supermarket the other day with your mom and when she said hi, you hid behind the cans of soup display.” Jungwon reveals.

“I thought she wouldn’t recognize me.” Sunghoon winces from the embarrassment.

Heeseung (awkwardly) claps a hand on Sunghoon’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Sungho.” “-Sunghoon,” Jaeyun whispers to him the correction.

“It’s okay, Sunghoon.” Heeseung pretends to have never made his mistake. “Everything will be alright.”

Sunghoon turns to him, lips thin. That one look has Heeseung’s arm falling back to his side. 

“Come on Sunghoon, stop acting like this. You already agreed to let her help you anyways.” Jongseong argues. The boy sighs, rubbing his face in despair. Even Sunghoon can’t believe he still agreed.

“I take it back, can you guys tell her I’d rather be a hermit for the rest of my life and never want to see another woman again?” Sunghoon asks, looking stressed. 

“Well don’t look now, but I’m pretty sure that’s her coming our way.” Jungwon points out, sipping his drink as he nods to his right. 

The younger boy proves to be right, you’re making your way through the crowded cafeteria, holding your tray of food as you walk confidently towards Sunghoon and his friends. Unfortunately for him, Jaeyun traps him down to his seat before he can run again.

“Hey Sunghoon,” You smile, waving as you stop at the head of the table. Jongseong kicks his shin, forcing him to respond. 

“Hi,” He grunts. The other boys snicker, finding all of this amusing. 

“I was just wondering if we’re still having Calligraphy club today after school?” You ask. 

Oh crap. With everything that happened today, Sunghoon had totally spaced out and forgotten what he’d promised the day before. 

“He wouldn’t miss it for the world!” Riki grins at you. The youngest sticks his hand out to you, giving you an enticing smirk. “I’m Riki B by the way, you like younger guys?” His question earns him a slap on the arm by Jongseong.

As Riki gasps from the pain, you chuckle awkwardly. “So I’ll see you after class then? At the old library?” You check, facing Sunghoon again. He stiffly nods, still not looking at you.

“Cool, see you!” You finally leave, going to eat a few tables away. Once you're gone, Sunghoon feels as if he can breathe again. 

“She’s pretty.” Heeseung giggles, earning quiet but strong agreements from the other boys. “You sit next to her?!” Sunoo sounds surprised, mocking the boy in question.

“Okay, shut up. All of you.” Sunghoon glares, his ears turning red.

“Don’t worry Sunghoon,” Riki begins to chuckle. “I won’t actually steal your girl, I’ve got my eyes on someone else.” He teases. “Just don’t get too butt hurt when she falls for my good looks and charismatic charm.”

Sunghoon rolls his eyes, deciding to ignore the youngest. 

“Speak of the devil,” Riki suddenly laughs. “Yo shortcake!” He stands up in his seat, hollering at someone.

A girl in the sea of students spins around, first looking confused, then angry as her eyes land on the tall boy. She promptly flips him off, before stomping away with her friends. 

Riki laughs, finding the situation funny. “I’ll see you guys later, with my new girlfriend.” He says confidently, dumping his food in the trash to go chase after the poor girl. 

“Oh this is gonna be good,” Jungwon begins to chuckle, pulling out his phone before following his friend. “Send me the video!” Sunoo shouts and Jungwon gives him a thumbs up. “I pray for that girl,” Jaeyun shakes his head.

“She’s gonna need a miracle to get rid of him,” Jongseong agrees. “Same way Sunghoon’s gonna need a miracle to get out of Calligraphy club today.” Sunoo comments.

This was always one of Sunghoon's favorite parts of calligraphy: the setup. Being able to prepare and organize before he wrote felt calming in the sense that it was a comfortable pattern. He opens his box, revealing his multiple brushes and supplies safely packed inside. 

Relishing in the silence, Sunghoon carefully takes out sheets of paper, placing them to his right. Using water from his designated calligraphy water bottle, he pours a small amount into his shallow ink stone. 

Like a machine, Sunghoon begins to sternly rub his ink stick against the stone, breaking it down and mixing it with the water to create the dark opaque ink. He sets this to the side once finished, taking a piece of paper, and flattening it out with his paper weights.

With a deep breath, Sunghoon feels his heart calm down to a trill. This was the most relaxed he’s felt all week. 

“So that’s how it’s supposed to look, huh?” Your voice interrupts his thoughts and suddenly Sunghoon is reminded of why you’re here in the first place.

Across from him you sit, copying him as you begin to set up your own supplies. You do so messily, but nonetheless, you get the job done looking satisfied.

“Okay! I’m ready whenever you are.” You clap your hands together, eager to start. Opposite to you, Sunghoon is silent as he begins to dip his brush into his ink, carefully calculating his brush strokes as he writes, quoting a poem he enjoyed. 

“So, are you actually scared of catching cooties?” You ask, not so subtle. Your abrupt question has him frozen.

“Cause if you are, has anyone told you that cooties aren't real? It’s just a thing kids say-“

“I know.” He interrupts. “I just…” He loses the words, grimacing instead. You two grow quiet again, the tension in the air is thick.

“What are you writing?” You eventually speak up again. 

“...It’s a quote from the poem ‘Flowers That Bloom When Shaken’ by Do Jonghwan.” He explains.

You nod. “Well I’m drawing a cat playing in a field.” You suddenly hold up your paper, showing him your art. 

If he thought your calligraphy was bad, it was safe to say you weren’t an artist either. “Looks like a second grader made it.” He mumbles. You huff, grabbing a new paper.

As you both return to writing in silence, Sunghoon is able to focus and finish his piece, setting it to the side to let it dry properly.

He notices you suddenly stop writing, setting your brush down as you lean back into your chair. You sit with crossed arms, observing him. This has Sunghoon feeling like his skin was crawling. 

“Sunghoon.” You call out. “Let’s play a game.”

He pauses. “I don’t like games.” 

“Too bad, this is a fun one.” You assure him. You sit upright again and lean against the table.

“We’re just gonna ask each other questions, and we have to answer them.” You say it like it’s so easy.

“What if I don’t?” He fidgets. 

���Every question you answer, you get to go home five minutes early.” You prompt. Sunghoon’s eyes flit across the room to the door. Leaving early sounded nice.

“We get three questions each, okay?” Sunghoon slowly nods. You clap your hands together, excited. 

“I’ll go first,” You clear your throat. His heart begins to race, palms getting sweaty, and mind running wild at what horrible grotesque questions you could ask him. 

“For my first question…” You hum. “Why do you like calligraphy?” 

That wasn’t what he expected you to ask him.

“I-” He chokes, blinking as he tries to formulate an answer. “I… feel calm when I do calligraphy.” He answers slowly. “I can focus better, and I can relieve stress.” 

“See? Wasn’t so hard was it? Now for the next question, maybe try looking at me and not the table.” You tease, and he begins to feel embarrassed. 

“Now you ask me a question.” 

Sunghoon shifts in his seat. There’s been something that’s been bugging him all day.

“Why-Why did you agree to help me?” He steals a quick glance at you, before opting to focus on the bookshelf behind you.

“Don’t get upset when I say this,” You mumble. “But you looked really scared yesterday at the science lab. I got worried when you ran off and didn’t come back. I thought I did something wrong.”

You were worried… for him? You two barely knew each other and yet you still stressed over him deserting you in the middle of class. Even more confusing, you thought it was your fault. 

Sunghoon feels his heartbeat slow down.

“Okay, my turn again.” You clear your throat. “Are you scared of like all girls? Or just some of them?” Your curiosity seems to have gotten the better of you. 

Sunghoon tilts his head to the side. “I’m normal around my mom and my sister. Family for the most part I'm fine. But I have trouble around everyone else I guess.” He sheepishly admits. 

“I see.” You nod, and as you turn slightly, he catches a glimpse of your pouted lips. You seem to be deep in thought. 

“My turn.” He speaks up, already prepared with his next question. You wait attentively.

“Why did you join the calligraphy club?” 

You shrug at his question. “We visited my grandparents for the new year. My grandmother gifted me a set. I wasn’t gonna use it originally but then my friend convinced me to join the club. You guys know each other, his name is Kai. He said you were really nice and that you’d teach me.”

Sunghoon knew Kai alright. Kai was very close to his calligraphy club senior Soobin. The boy would often hang out in the club room last year when Soobin was around. He had no idea you two were friends.

But what really caught Sunghoon off was how highly Kai regarded him. They didn’t speak much, as both were pretty introverted. The fact that their little interactions were good enough for you to believe your friend was surprising to him.

“Thanks.” He nods, feeling a bit better about himself.

“Okay, my last question.” You drum your fingers against the wooden table. “Why are you scared of girls?”

If Sunghoon was being honest, he had a feeling you’d ask him this. He’d expected it earlier on, but there was no doubt you’d want to know how his fear started.

His words clump up at the back of his throat, refusing to come out as you wait patiently. He glances at the door and is reminded why he’s doing this in the first place.

“You can take your time, don’t feel pressured to tell me everything if you don’t want to.” You assure him, sliding back into your seat.

Your words help calm his nerves, and Sunghoon nods as he takes a deep breath. 

“I wasn’t always scared.” He says after a moment. “But when I was seven, I got bullied by the girls in my class.”

“Everything used to be normal, but then one day I came to school and all the girls were whispering about me. They wouldn’t play with me, talk to me, they’d just watch me from afar and gossip.”

“And it was just me, none of the other boys in my class had it happen to them. When I tried to ask one of the girls during recess, she screamed at me to leave her alone.”

“After that, I just stopped talking to girls. I feel like I can’t understand them, I don’t know what they’re thinking, what they’ll do, or what they say. Even now, everyone’s always whispering about me like I'm disgusting.”

There’s anger in his voice as he finishes, and Sunghoon realizes his fists are clenched. He releases them, swallowing thickly as he tries to relax. 

He slumps in his chair, hiding his face in his hands. Despite how horrified he was right now, he felt a bit relieved you now knew his secret.

“Please don’t tell anyone this. You’re one of the few people who know.” He admits. 

“Okay, yeah. I promise.” You say softly. Your voice brings him some sense of tranquility.

“Why don’t we go home?” He nods solemnly, and the two of you clean up.

You two don’t speak again until you’re outside, the brisk March air hitting you both in the face, a large contrast to the warm temperature from inside.

“Thanks for telling me all of that back there.” You say, gripping your school bag as you two walk side by side (albeit a few feet in between you both, Sunghoon still wasn’t used to the idea of close proximity).

“Jaeyun probably would have told you anyway, that snitch.” Sunghoon mumbles. Hearing this makes you laugh. Something about it makes his ears turn red, and it's not from the cold.

“Oh!” You gasp, jumping up. “We forgot, you still have one more question to ask me.” You remind him.

Sunghoon begins to think, not sure what to ask. Unconsciously he turns, more focused on hearing your answer to realize he’s actually looking at you.

“How do you actually plan to ‘help’ me?” He raises a brow.

You look up at him and smile, giggling to yourself. “You’ll just have to wait and see!” 

You skip ahead of him before waving goodbye as you head down a different street on your way home.

Sunghoon doesn’t wave back, instead, he stands there in the cold as your figure eventually disappears. It’s then does he realize his friends were right.

You are pretty.

Log 2: Tuesday - March 5th, 2024 | Log 4: Monday - April 1st, 2024

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In the Space Between: Chapter 21

OTHER CHAPTERS:

Chapter 1 I Chapter 2 I Chapter 3 I Chapter 4 I Chapter 5

Chapter 6 I Chapter 7 I Chapter 8 I Chapter 9 I Chapter 10

Chapter 11 I Chapter 12 I Chapter 13 I Chapter 14 I Chapter 15

Chapter 16 I Chapter 17 I Chapter 18 I Chapter 19 I Chapter 20

Pairing: Glen Powell x OC

Summary: Gabby and Glen delve into a deeper conversation about Gabby’s past with Luke. The topic shifts to the possibility of a public date, where Gabby’s initial hesitation highlights her lingering fears of public scrutiny. Glen offers unwavering support, promising to handle any fallout however she prefers, emphasizing the respect and care he has for her.

Word Count: 6.2k

A/N: As always please let me know what you think with Hearts, Comments, and Reblogs. I love seeing your thoughts on this story as it progresses!

The soft glow of early morning light filtered through the curtains, casting the room in muted gold. Glen stirred, blinking at the ceiling as his mind slowly roused from sleep. The clock on the nightstand read 6:14 a.m., but he felt wide awake, unable to shake the thoughts lingering from the night before.

He glanced down at Gabby, still peacefully asleep beside him. One of her legs was draped over his, her hand splayed across his stomach, and her head rested just below his shoulder, the strands of her hair tickling his skin. She looked so small, so vulnerable. The tension in his chest tightened as he replayed the events of the previous night in his head.

Luke. That name alone was enough to stir something visceral in him—anger, worry, and a twinge of hurt that he couldn’t quite push away. Glen’s fingers tightened slightly on Gabby’s waist as he imagined the audacity of her ex calling her like that, disrupting her life with drunken, late-night pleas. His jaw clenched at the thought of Luke pushing boundaries, of him not respecting Gabby's space or her clear decision to move on.

But it wasn’t just Luke that gnawed at him. It was the fact that Gabby hadn’t told him. Not about the calls. Not about the months she’d been dealing with this on her own. The thought stung, though he hated that it did. He wasn’t angry with her—not really. He was hurt because he cared so much, and because he wanted her to feel safe enough to share these things with him.

The arm around her waist shifted slightly as he tightened his hold on her, pulling her just a fraction closer. His other hand moved to brush a few loose strands of hair away from her face, his fingers light as a feather against her skin. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head, lingering just a moment as her steady breaths rose and fell against him.

How could anyone hurt her? The thought came unbidden, and his throat tightened at the mere possibility. He didn’t know Luke, but his gut told him that someone who couldn’t take no for an answer, someone who thought it was okay to pull Gabby into his drunken mess, couldn’t be trusted.

Glen exhaled, low and measured, trying to keep his emotions in check. He adjusted his position slightly, his free arm sliding back behind his head as his gaze lifted to the ceiling. His mind churned with questions and possibilities. Was Luke the kind of man to show up unannounced? Did Gabby really believe he wouldn’t take things further? And why had she chosen to carry this weight alone?

The thought of Gabby shielding him from this storm—or worse, feeling like she had to—made his chest ache. He wanted to be her safe place, the one she could turn to no matter what. But he also understood that she was fiercely independent, and maybe she thought she was sparing him. Or maybe...she didn’t think he’d care as much as he did.

Glen closed his eyes briefly, pressing another kiss to Gabby’s hair. She stirred slightly but didn’t wake, her hand shifting against his stomach as if unconsciously grounding herself to him. Glen smiled faintly despite the heaviness in his chest, his hand rubbing gentle circles against her back. Whatever it took, he’d make sure she felt safe—whether it meant confronting Luke himself or simply being there for her when she was ready to talk.

But the questions lingered, and Glen knew they couldn’t stay unspoken for long. When Gabby woke, they’d have to talk about this. About Luke. About why she hadn’t told him. For now, though, he let himself hold her, hoping his touch would remind her that she didn’t have to carry this alone anymore.

The clock on the nightstand now read 8:03 a.m. Glen hadn’t moved much since waking. Instead, he’d spent the last couple of hours enjoying the quiet, letting his thoughts settle and simply holding Gabby close. The warmth of her body against his was a comforting weight, a reminder of just how much he cared for her.

A soft murmur broke the silence, and Glen glanced down just in time to see Gabby stir. Her lashes fluttered, and she let out a tiny sigh, nuzzling her head against his chest before slowly lifting it. She blinked a few times, her gaze still hazy with sleep, but when her eyes found his, her lips curved into a sleepy grin.

“Good morning,” she murmured, her voice low and thick with grogginess.

Glen’s heart swelled at the sight of her, hair slightly mussed and cheeks still flushed from sleep. She looked so peaceful, so completely at ease, and he couldn’t help the soft smile that tugged at his own lips.

Gabby shifted, propping herself up just enough to lean closer to him. Her movements were slow and unhurried, as though she wanted to savor the moment. Her lips brushed his in a gentle kiss, warm and sweet and so distinctly her. Glen’s free hand came up to cradle the back of her head, his fingers threading through her hair as he deepened the kiss ever so slightly.

“Morning, sweetheart,” he whispered when they pulled apart, his voice still rough and raspy from sleep—or maybe from the way she made his heart race, even in the simplest of moments.

Gabby let out a soft hum, her smile widening as she rested her forehead against his shoulder for a moment, breathing him in. “You’ve been up a while, haven’t you?” she asked, her voice quiet but laced with affection.

“Couldn’t sleep,” Glen admitted, his hand tracing lazy patterns against her back. “But I didn’t mind. I got to hold you a little longer.”

Her cheeks flushed at his words, and she playfully nudged his chest. “Sweet talker,” she teased, though her voice betrayed just how much his words had melted her.

He chuckled, his thumb brushing along her spine. “Just telling the truth,” he said softly. “How’d you sleep?”

“Better than I have in a long time,” Gabby admitted, her hand finding his on her back and giving it a squeeze. “Thank you for staying.”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” Glen said simply, his tone earnest as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

Gabby sighed contentedly and snuggled closer, resting her head against his chest once more. For a few minutes, they stayed like that, wrapped up in each other as the morning light crept further into the room.

Gabby let out a soft sigh, her head still resting against Glen’s chest, the slow rhythm of his heartbeat lulling her into a state of calm she rarely allowed herself to feel. But as the sunlight filtering through the curtains grew brighter, reality began to creep back in.

She shifted slightly, her fingers brushing across his stomach before she propped herself up on one elbow to look at him. “I should probably shower,” she murmured, her voice still soft and a little raspy from sleep.

Glen’s lips quirked into a lazy smile as he reached up to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I’m not stopping you,” he teased, though his hand lingered against her cheek for just a moment longer.

Gabby rolled her eyes with a grin, lightly swatting his shoulder as she slid out of bed. The blanket fell away, revealing her oversized sleep shirt that hung loosely over her frame. Glen leaned back against the pillows, watching her with a mix of affection and amusement as she padded toward the bathroom.

“While you do that, how about I grab us some coffee?” he offered, his voice warm and casual.

Gabby paused in the doorway to glance back at him. Her smile was soft but genuine, her eyes sparkling in the morning light. “You don’t have to, you know.”

“I know,” Glen replied, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and standing. He stretched, running a hand through his tousled hair as he met her gaze. “But I want to. What’s your order?”

Gabby crossed her arms, leaning against the doorframe with a playful tilt of her head. “Large iced chai latte, oat milk,” she recited, a smirk tugging at her lips.

Glen raised an eyebrow, committing it to memory as he stepped toward her. “Got it. Anything else? Bagel, muffin, croissant?”

She laughed softly, shaking her head. “Just the chai. Thank you, Glen.”

He stepped closer, brushing a quick kiss to her forehead before heading for the door. “I’ll be back before you’re out of the shower,” he called over his shoulder with a wink.

Gabby lingered in the doorway, watching him go with a small smile. As she heard the front door close behind him, she turned back toward the bathroom, her heart lighter than it had been in a long time.

Gabby walked out of her bedroom just as the front door opened, Glen stepping inside with a small, white paper bag in one hand and two drinks balanced in a cardboard holder in the other. She smiled at the sight of him, her damp hair curling slightly at the ends and her casual outfit—a loose sweater and jeans—making her look effortlessly beautiful.

“Perfect timing,” Glen said, holding up the bag with a grin. “Your chai tea and one very average coffee for me.”

She laughed softly, taking the drink he handed her and following him to the couch. They settled in, sitting close but not quite touching, the morning light streaming through the windows. For a while, the only sounds were the faint rustling of the paper bag and the occasional sip of their drinks. Gabby leaned back, savoring the flavor of her chai, her legs curled up underneath her.

But then Glen cleared his throat, the sound breaking the quiet like a ripple across still water. “Can I ask you about something?”

Gabby glanced at him, her brows drawing together when she caught the serious look on his face. She set her drink down on the coffee table.

“Okay,” she said slowly. “What’s on your mind?”

He shifted in his seat, turning slightly to face her. “I’ve been thinking about last night,” he began, his tone careful but firm. “About Luke.”

Gabby sighed softly, brushing a hand through her still-damp hair. “I thought we were done talking about this,” she said, her voice gentle but tinged with fatigue.

“I thought so too,” Glen admitted, “but I can’t stop thinking about it, Gabby. I need to ask you a few things.”

She frowned, her gaze flicking away from him briefly. “Okay… like what?”

“How well do you really know him?” he asked, his voice steady but edged with concern.

Her brows lifted in mild surprise. “We went to high school together. Dated for two years. I think I know him pretty well,” she said, her tone more defensive than she intended.

Glen nodded, but his expression didn’t ease. “Do you remember when we were in Austin? You told me about an ex who was… controlling. Not physically, but mentally. Is Luke that ex?”

Gabby’s heart sank, and she swallowed hard before giving a small nod. “Yeah,” she said quietly.

Glen leaned back slightly, his jaw tightening. “Do you really think he’s not a threat? Or are you just hoping he won’t do anything?”

She hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her sweater. “I don’t think he’d ever physically hurt me,” she said finally. “But… I do think he’ll keep trying to talk to me. He’s persistent like that. I blocked him, but I wouldn’t put it past him to go through mutual friends to get to me.”

Glen exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “Gabby… why didn’t you tell me any of this?”

Her eyes dropped to her lap, and for a long moment, the room was silent. When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet. “I didn’t want to bother you with it,” she admitted. “I thought I had it under control. And I know how much you have on your plate right now with your career. I didn’t want to add more to it.”

“Bother me?” Glen repeated, his tone incredulous but not unkind. “Gabby, you are one of the most important things in my life. If something’s going on—especially something like this—I need to know.”

Gabby looked up, a mix of frustration and guilt etched on her face. “I didn’t think it was that big of a deal,” she said softly. “And honestly, I didn’t want to make it a bigger deal by dragging you into it.”

Glen ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. “It is a big deal,” he said, his voice firm but measured. “This guy clearly doesn’t respect boundaries, and I don’t like the idea of him being in your life in any capacity—past or present.”

Gabby opened her mouth to respond, but Glen’s next question stopped her cold. “Is there anything else you haven’t told me?”

Her eyes widened, a flicker of hurt crossing her face. “Glen,” she said softly, her voice wavering.

He held up a hand. “I’m not accusing you of anything, Gabby. But you kept this from me, so I just… I need to know. Is there anything else?”

Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes as she shook her head. “No,” she whispered. “There’s nothing else.”

Glen sighed, his features softening as he reached for her hand. “I’m sorry,” he said, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. “I just… I love you, Gabby. And the thought of something happening to you because of this guy…” He trailed off, his voice thick with emotion.

“I know,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I love you too. And I promise, if anything else happens, you’ll be the first to know.” She paused, searching his face. “But, Glen, you have to understand—I wasn’t trying to shut you out. I thought I was protecting you, protecting us. I didn’t want to let this guy have any more power than he already had.”

Glen nodded slowly, the tension in his posture easing slightly. “I get that,” he said. “I really do. But, Gabby, we’re a team. I want to be there for you, no matter what. You don’t have to carry this alone.”

Gabby grew quiet, her fingers idly tracing patterns on the couch cushion. Glen noticed immediately. He leaned back slightly to get a better look at her, his brows knitting together in concern.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” he asked gently, his voice breaking through the silence.

She hesitated, her fingers stilling for a moment before she turned to face him. “Are we okay?” she asked softly, her green eyes searching his face.

Glen blinked, clearly caught off guard. “What?” he asked, his tone laced with confusion.

She tucked a strand of damp hair behind her ear and let out a soft sigh. “I mean, you’re leaving again soon, and we’re going to be apart for a while. I just… I don’t want you to leave on a bad note.” Her voice was quiet but filled with vulnerability.

For a moment, Glen just stared at her, and then a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He let out a low chuckle, shaking his head as he leaned closer. “Gabby,” he murmured, his voice warm and reassuring.

Before she could say anything else, he cupped her face with one hand, his thumb brushing gently against her cheek as he pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her lips.

When he pulled back, his hazel eyes locked onto hers, filled with tenderness. “We’re okay,” he said firmly.

She bit her lip, her shoulders relaxing slightly at his words. “You’re sure?”

“Positive,” he replied with a smile. “I get why you didn’t tell me about Luke before, and yeah, I wish you had. But it doesn’t change how I feel about you or us. You don’t need to worry about that.”

Her lips curved into a small smile, and she leaned into his touch, resting her forehead against his. “Thank you,” she murmured.

“For what?”

“For being patient with me. For not getting mad when you probably had every right to.”

Glen shook his head, his thumb brushing along her jawline. “I’m not mad. I’m just… I care about you. A lot. And I want to protect you. That’s all this is.”

She nodded, closing her eyes briefly as she absorbed his words. When she opened them again, there was a flicker of something lighter, something more at ease. “You really are the best, you know that?”

He smirked. “I mean, I’ve been told.”

She laughed softly, swatting his chest. “Don’t ruin the moment.”

“I wouldn’t dare,” he teased, pulling her closer and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Seriously though, we’re good, Gabby. I promise.”

Gabby nestled against Glen’s chest, her body melting into his warmth as his arm draped securely around her. His fingers lightly traced lazy patterns on her shoulder, a quiet reassurance of their closeness. For a while, neither of them said anything, the silence between them now easy and comforting.

Then Gabby tilted her head back slightly to look up at him, her lips curving into a playful smile. “Can we, like… never fight again?”

Glen raised an eyebrow, his lips quirking into an amused grin. “That wasn’t a fight.”

She let out a soft laugh, rolling her eyes. “Okay, fine. Can we never do… whatever that was again?”

He chuckled, the low sound rumbling in his chest. “As long as you don’t keep things from me, you won’t have to worry about it.”

She gasped in mock offense, sitting up slightly and placing a hand on his chest. “Oh, so this is all on me?”

“Well,” he said, drawing out the word with a teasing grin, “you did keep a pretty big thing from me, sweetheart.”

Gabby narrowed her eyes at him, though there was no real heat behind it. “Fine,” she said, crossing her arms in mock indignation. “But if I can’t keep things from you, you can’t keep things from me either.”

Glen tilted his head, feigning confusion as he smirked. “And what exactly do you think I’d be keeping from you?”

“Oh, I don’t know…” she teased, her tone dripping with exaggerated suspicion. “Secret girlfriends, secret lives… secret hobbies… You tell me.”

He let out a low laugh, his free hand coming up to rest on his chest in mock seriousness. “Secret girlfriends? Nah, you’re it for me, sweetheart.”

Gabby snorted, trying and failing to suppress her grin.

“As for the secret life,” Glen continued, his eyes twinkling mischievously, “You’ve got me figured out. I’m actually an international spy. You know, dodging explosions by day, romancing you by night. Very hush-hush. The movies are just a cover.”

She burst out laughing, swatting his chest lightly. “Oh, really? That’s what all your travel is about? Secret missions to save the world?”

“Exactly,” he said with a grin, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “You’re the only person who knows. So if you could keep that under wraps, I’d appreciate it.”

Gabby laughed again, her earlier worry completely dissolved. She leaned back against his chest, the sound of his heartbeat steady beneath her ear.

The soft hum of their quiet moment was interrupted by the familiar buzz of Glen’s phone on the coffee table. He groaned lightly, reaching over Gabby to grab it. Seeing the caller ID, he sighed. “It’s my manager,” he muttered.

Gabby tilted her head back to look at him, curiosity flickering in her expression. “You should answer it.”

He hesitated for a moment but eventually swiped to accept the call and put it on speaker. “Hey. What’s up?”

“Hey, Glen,” his manager’s voice came through the phone, brisk and businesslike. “Sorry to bother you, but I know you’re in L.A. right now, and we’ve got an opportunity that’s pretty time-sensitive. There’s a reporter from Variety who’s in town and wants to do a quick feature interview. It’s a big one, Glen—something we’ve been working on landing for a while.”

Glen glanced over at Gabby, who was watching him with a calm, encouraging smile. “Paul, I don’t know if—”

“I get it, I do. I know you said no work this weekend,” his manager interrupted, his tone bordering on pleading. “But this is important. It won’t take more than an hour or two, tops. You’ve got to trust me on this one—it’s worth it.”

Glen opened his mouth to refuse again, but Gabby nudged his knee with her hand. “Go,” she mouthed softly, her expression urging him.

He frowned, torn between his obligation to his career and the precious time he had carved out to be with Gabby. 

She leaned closer and whispered, “It’s fine. Really.”

With a sigh, Glen relented. “All right. Send me the details.”

“Will do,” his manager replied quickly, relief evident in his tone. “Thanks, Glen. You won’t regret it.”

The call ended, and Glen set his phone down on the table before turning his attention back to Gabby. “I’m really sorry about this,” he said, guilt flickering in his eyes.

Gabby shook her head, brushing her damp hair behind her ear. “It’s okay, Glen. We'll still have time later before you head back. You don’t have to apologize.”

“I do, though,” he insisted, leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “I cleared my schedule so I could spend all my time with you, and now I’m taking part of your time away.”

She smiled, reaching over to rest her hand on his arm. “It’s not my time, Glen. It’s your time. You can spend it however you want.”

He shook his head, his expression softening as he looked at her. “No, it is your time. I cleared it for you. And now I’ve got to take some of it back. Let me make it up to you.”

Gabby laughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “You don’t have to make it up to me. I’ll be fine for a couple of hours.”

The tension eased between them, and Glen leaned over, brushing a soft kiss against her lips. “Thanks for understanding, sweetheart. I’ll try to make it quick, okay?”

Gabby nodded, her smile warm and reassuring. “I’ll be here when you get back.”

Glen stood up and started heading for the door when Gabby called out his name, stopping him.

“Real quick before you go can you help me with something quick?”

“Yeah, what is it?”

“There’s a box in my close that I need to get down. It’s on the top shelf in the closet,” Gabby replied, glancing up from the socks she was pairing. “I usually grab the step stool, but if you could just—”

Glen grinned, cutting her off as he headed towards her bedroom. “Don’t worry, short stuff. I got it.”

Gabby rolled her eyes but couldn’t help smiling. “You’re never going to let me forget I’m short, are you?”

“Not a chance,” he teased, heading into her closet. “You make it way too easy.”

He reached up effortlessly and grabbed the box from the top shelf. As he adjusted it in his hands, something tucked toward the back of the closet caught his eye. A dress, vivid red, hung on its hanger like it was waiting for an occasion that never came.

“Hey, what’s this?” Glen asked, pulling the dress out and carrying it back into the bedroom.

Gabby glanced up and immediately froze, her cheeks flushing as she spotted the dress in his hands. “Oh, that… It’s just something I bought a while ago.”

“This is stunning,” Glen said, holding it up and examining the intricate details of the dress. “I’ve never seen you wear it.”

“I haven’t,” Gabby admitted, brushing a hand over the hem. “I bought it when I still lived in Iowa. I was supposed to wear it to a formal event for Luke’s company, but…” She trailed off, shrugging slightly. “We broke up before the event, so it’s just been sitting there ever since.”

Glen’s brow furrowed, his grip on the dress tightening slightly. “You were going to wear this for him?”

Gabby laughed softly, trying to ease the sudden seriousness in his tone. “I didn’t even get the chance. And, honestly, I’ve been thinking about selling it. I don’t really have anywhere to—”

“Don’t,” Glen interrupted, his voice firm but not unkind.

Gabby blinked at him, caught off guard. “Don’t what?”

“Don’t sell it.” He stepped closer, holding the dress out to her. “Try it on.”

Her eyes widened. “What? Glen, I don’t know…”

“Please,” he said, his tone softening as he gave her that sweet, disarming smile she could never resist. “For me?”

Gabby hesitated, her fingers twisting nervously in the fabric of her sweatshirt. She felt shy, unsure. This wasn’t just any dress—it was that dress, the one she’d bought at a time in her life when things felt so different. But the way Glen was looking at her, with such warmth and curiosity, made her pause.

“Okay,” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. She took the dress from him, her hands brushing his for a moment. “But if it doesn’t fit, you’re not allowed to laugh.”

“Deal,” Glen said, stepping back with a grin. “But I already know it’s going to look amazing.”

Gabby rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop the small smile that tugged at her lips as she disappeared into the bathroom.

Gabby carefully stepped into the dress, sliding it up over her hips and adjusting the straps on her shoulders. The fabric was soft against her skin, cool and smooth, as she reached back to grasp the zipper. She took her time, inching it upward, careful not to catch the delicate material. When it was finally secure, she let out a small breath and ran her hands over the fabric, smoothing it down.

She turned to face the mirror, and for a moment, she just stared.

The dress still fit—actually, it fit better now than when she first bought it. The sleek red material hugged her curves in all the right places, highlighting the line of her waist and the gentle flare of her hips. Her bust looked full and elegant, perfectly framed by the sweetheart neckline, while the open back dipped just enough to feel daring without being too revealing.

Gabby turned slightly to the side, shifting from one foot to the other to see the way the fabric moved. The dress clung and flowed simultaneously, emphasizing her figure while still feeling light and comfortable. She couldn’t help but smile as she glanced over her shoulder at the exposed back, a detail she remembered loving when she first tried it on.

She reached up to adjust her hair, pulling it into a loose twist to imagine how it might look pinned up. For a moment, she allowed herself to feel beautiful—no excuses, no second-guessing.

But then the nerves hit.

Would Glen really like it? She felt a sudden wave of uncertainty, her fingers hovering over the hem of the dress as she debated whether to even step out of the bathroom. Maybe this was too much. What if he thought she was trying too hard?

Glen’s voice, gentle but insistent, broke through her swirling thoughts. “You okay in there?”

She swallowed hard, glancing at herself one last time in the mirror. “Yeah… just a second.”

Taking a deep breath, she opened the bathroom door and stepped out into the bedroom.

Glen was standing by the window, his hands in his pockets, but the moment he saw her, he froze. His eyes widened, and his lips parted slightly, as if he’d just had the wind knocked out of him.

“Wow,” he said after a long pause, his voice low and filled with awe. “Gabby…”

She felt her cheeks heat up under his gaze, her hands instinctively brushing down the front of the dress. “It’s not too much, is it?” she asked, her voice tinged with nervousness.

“Too much?” Glen stepped closer, his eyes never leaving hers. “Gabby, you look…” He trailed off, shaking his head as if words failed him.

He reached out, his hands finding her waist, and she felt the warmth of his palms through the thin fabric. His touch lingered, a little more deliberate than usual, as his thumbs brushed lightly against her sides.

“You’re stunning,” he said finally, his voice softer now.

Gabby’s lips curved into a shy smile, her heart racing. “It’s just the dress.”

“No,” Glen said, his tone firm but filled with affection. “It’s you.”

Glen took a step back, his hands lingering at her sides as he studied her, a warm smile playing on his lips. “Do a spin for me,” he said, his voice laced with admiration.

Gabby raised an eyebrow, but his encouraging grin was impossible to resist. She laughed softly and turned in a slow circle, the dress moving fluidly with her. When her back came into view, Glen’s smile faltered, and a low, involuntary sound escaped him.

The open back of the dress revealed the curve of her shoulders and the smooth expanse of skin he’d always found so captivating. Glen swallowed hard, his thoughts teetering dangerously close to wanting to remove the dress instead of admiring it.

As soon as she faced him again, his hands were back on her, sliding around her waist and pulling her gently closer. One hand rested on the exposed skin of her back, his fingers splayed possessively against her. His touch was firm yet reverent, and when his eyes met hers, they were filled with something deeper than just admiration.

“You have no idea what you do to me,” he whispered, his voice rougher than usual.

Gabby’s cheeks flushed, and she glanced down, a shy smile tugging at her lips. His gaze was so intense it made her feel as if she were the only person in the world.

“But, like I said,” she murmured, still avoiding his eyes, “I’ve been thinking about selling it. I mean, I don’t have anywhere to wear it—or anyone to wear it for.”

Glen’s brow furrowed, and before she could say another word, he cut her off.

“Me.” His voice was steady, leaving no room for argument. “Wear it for me.”

Her breath hitched, and she blinked up at him, caught completely off guard. “What?”

He took a small step closer, his gaze holding hers. “You heard me,” he said softly, his expression earnest. “I want you to wear it for me.”

Gabby’s cheeks flushed, and she glanced down at the floor, still unsure. “I don’t know, Glen… I mean, it’s a bit much, don’t you think? And where am I going to wear it? Not really something I feel like wearing when we're hanging out here.”

A teasing smile began to tug at the corner of his lips. “Not here,” he said, his voice dropping to that smooth, playful tone she knew so well. “Tonight.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Tonight? What’s happening tonight?”

“That depends,” he said, his smirk growing. “If you’ll let me take you out on a date.”

Her confusion deepened. “We’ve been on dates before, Glen.”

He shook his head, stepping even closer until there was barely a breath of space between them. “Not like this,” he said, his tone firm but filled with warmth. “I’m talking about a real date—the kind you deserve. Showing you off. Start with dinner and see where the night goes.

Her eyes widened slightly, and she glanced down at the dress. “Glen, this isn’t exactly a dinner dress,” she said with a nervous laugh.

He smirked, his confidence shining through. “I’ve got a place in mind downtown. I’ll call ahead and get a private table. Trust me, it’ll be perfect.”

Gabby’s stomach fluttered as Glen’s words settled over her. She wanted to say yes, but something held her back. Her hands toyed with the fabric of the dress as she glanced down. “I…I don’t know,” she said hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Glen’s brow furrowed slightly, but his hand stayed steady on her back. “What is it?” he asked gently. “Talk to me.”

“It’s just…” She exhaled, struggling to find the words. “It’s kind of… public. Downtown at night, I mean. People might see us.”

Understanding dawned on his face, and Glen immediately stepped back to give her space, his hands slipping to his sides. 

“Gabby,” he said softly, his voice careful and patient. “We don’t have to. I don’t want you to feel pressured or uncomfortable. We can stay in, order food, and keep it low-key if that’s what you want.”

Her heart ached at his thoughtfulness, but her worry still lingered. She sighed, fidgeting with the hem of the dress. “It’s not that I don’t want to,” she admitted, her voice tinged with frustration. “I do. I really do. I’m just… worried.”

“What are you worried about?” Glen asked, his tone calm and steady.

She hesitated, her gaze flitting up to meet his. “What happens if someone sees us?”

For a moment, he said nothing, just studying her carefully. Then, without hesitation, he stepped closer again, his hand gently brushing her arm. “If someone sees us, I’ll handle it,” he said firmly. “My team will handle it—just like we talked about earlier. You don’t have to worry about any of that. I promise.”

His confidence was steady and unwavering, and Gabby felt a small piece of the tension in her chest start to ease. “You really think it’ll be okay?” she asked, her voice soft but searching.

“I know it will be,” Glen assured her, his eyes locking onto hers. “And if at any point it doesn’t feel okay, you just say the word, and we’ll leave. No questions asked.”

Gabby took a deep breath, letting his words sink in. The sincerity in his voice and the steady way he looked at her made her feel safe in a way she hadn’t expected. 

Finally, she nodded. “Okay,” she said, a small, tentative smile forming on her lips.

Glen’s smile widened, and he reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “That’s my girl,” he murmured. “Now I've gotta get going, but I’ll be back before you know it,” he murmured, his voice warm and reassuring.

Gabby smiled, her fingers instinctively curling into the fabric of his shirt, as if reluctant to let him go. 

“You better not keep me waiting long,” she teased softly, though her voice carried a hint of nervousness she couldn’t quite hide.

“Wouldn't dream of it,” he promised, cupping her face with both hands. His thumbs brushed against her cheeks, and his gaze lingered on hers for a moment that felt infinite. “I’ll call you as soon as I’m on my way, okay?”

She nodded, her throat tightening with emotion she didn’t entirely understand. “Okay.”

Glen leaned in, capturing her lips in a kiss that was soft yet filled with unspoken emotion. It wasn’t rushed or fleeting—it was deliberate, a quiet reassurance that everything would be okay. When he finally pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers, his smile soft and intimate.

“See you soon, Gabs,” he said, his voice so low it sent a shiver down her spine.

“See you soon,” she whispered back, her fingers lingering against his chest as he stepped away.

Glen gave her one last smile before turning and heading toward the door. Gabby stood there, watching him as he left, the faint click of the door closing behind him leaving her in silence.

For a moment, she stayed rooted in place, her heart still beating a little faster than usual. Then she exhaled, running her hands down the skirt of her dress as she moved to sit on the couch.

Her fingers toyed with the edge of the fabric as her thoughts swirled. Going out with Glen tonight meant something different. It wasn’t just about dinner or wearing the dress. It was about stepping into a world that felt both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.

She thought about the cameras that might follow them, the headlines that would inevitably appear, the scrutiny that came with being seen with someone like Glen. Would people think she wasn’t good enough? Would they tear her apart online?

Her stomach churned at the thought, but then she remembered the look in Glen’s eyes when he told her he wanted this—wanted her. The memory of his words, the steadiness in his voice, gave her a flicker of courage.

If Glen believed in her, maybe she could believe in herself too.

She glanced at the clock on the wall, counting down the hours until their date. For the first time, despite her nerves, a tiny smile tugged at her lips.

Whatever happened tonight, she knew one thing for certain: Glen made her feel like she was enough. And maybe, just maybe, that was all that mattered.

[geutori]

⠀ ⠀ 🥀⠀ ⠀ /⠀ ⠀ SIX FEET DEEP IN ROSES

⠀ ⠀ 𝓢𝖸𝖭𝖮𝖯𝖲ℐ𝖲⠀ : ⠀ 𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝖻𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝖻𝗎𝗒𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗋𝗈𝗌𝖾𝗌。

⠀ ⠀ 이희승⠀ ⟡⠀ 𝒇 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋 ⠀ ⠀ 𝟪𝟫𝟩 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝖽𝗌 ⠀ ⠀ 𝗰𝘄. ⠀ 𝖼𝗁𝖾𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀, 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗅𝗄𝖾𝗋-𝗂𝗌𝗁 𝗍𝖾𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗇𝖼𝗂𝖾𝗌

LEE HEESEUNG WAS HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE WITH YOU, AND STILL IS.

your relationship didn’t pan out the way either of you had anticipated – you both were supposed to be together happily for three years, but it ended bitterly when heeseung cheated on you near your three year anniversary. he thought he could get away with it, but you had already caught wind of what happened.

filled with unbridled rage at the time, you tossed his belongings out of your shared apartment and changed the locks. he cheats? he loses the roof over his head. and he loses the girl he loves most.

it had been two years, and you haven’t thought of him since. yet he had been constantly thinking about you.

especially the pictures you’ve posted after your chaotic break up. the pictures with your new mystery man.

he was a shameless man, creating a burner instagram account to like all your posts. he couldn’t care less if you found it and confronted him about it. in fact, he wanted you to find it, constantly commenting on your latest posts in hopes of getting your attention.

your most recent update was a picture of a bouquet of crimson red roses, roses he never seemed to buy for you now that he thought about it. this new man of yours was clearly a better boyfriend than he was, treating you like the queen you were. and he resented that.

it should have been him giving you those flowers, treating you like you were the only girl in the world, loving you as if you were the last two on the planet. had he messed up? yes, but he was set on making things right.

he needed you on his arm again. he was determined to make you his. you were going to be his.

heeseung already knew you like the back of his hand – he knew your favorite things, knew how to make you weak. getting you back was going to be simple.

roses were your favorite, right? what better than buying a bouquet and gifting it to you.

heeseung had stopped by a flower shop, curating a bouquet of freshly grown roses for you. he was going to surprise you with them.

and surprise you, he did.

he arrived at your place of work, asking around to see if you were there. your ears picked up a familiar voice, your eyes looking up from your computer to see heeseung with the bouquet in his left hand. roses like the ones your boyfriend had gifted you just this week.

his eyes scanned the room for you, his face lighting up when his eyes landed on your pretty face.

you blinked in pure astonishment as you made eye contact. he had quite the audacity to show up at your job after two long years. getting up from your desk, you strode towards heeseung and pulled him aside.

holding out the bouquet, heeseung smiled breathlessly. “hi babe.”

that stupid petname, it made you cringe internally. he had no right calling you that after what he did two years ago.

“what the hell are you doing here?” you scolded him in a hushed tone, eyes darting to every person that passed the two of you.

a cunning smirk formed on his lips as he cocked a brow, leaning against the wall of your office. “can i not visit you? after all, i missed you these past two years.”

he missed you? that was hilarious considering the stunt he pulled before your anniversary.

“you don’t get to miss me after you cheated.”

heeseung’s smirk then twisted into a mocking pout, his right hand clutched his chest, feigning pain from your words. “aw, c’mon baby. that was two years ago, i’ve changed since then.”

you swayed your head side to side, countering his words. “i don’t care. you cheated, and now you’re making up for it.”

was his plan really that transparent? surely not. it hadn’t even set in motion.

he chuckled wryly, shaking his head. “do you truly think so lowly of me?”

“i do, actually.” you responded, giving him a snarky and fake smile.

what did he expect? he had cheated, and suddenly he thinks roses could win you back? did he forget you had a boyfriend?

“you can take those flowers and leave. give them to someone that is truly interested in you, because i am not that person.”

you began to walk away, only to be stopped in your tracks by heeseung. his hand held your wrist, and he spun you around to face him.

“baby, please. let me prove i’ve changed.” he pleaded, his eyes asking for a chance to attest his claim, his hand holding the bouquet out towards you again.

your eyes flickered between the bouquet he held and his begging eyes. it would be a lie to say you hadn’t missed him. but you had a new boyfriend, someone who truly loved you, someone you were devoted to. your feelings were conflicted, but part of you wanted to hold heeseung to his words, to see that change. with a dejected sigh, you took the roses from his hand, gripping the stem tight.

“fine. but don’t think this means all is well with us.”

heeseung nodded, a crooked smirk appearing on his face.

his plan to get you back had only just begun.

© GEUTORI, 2024 ⠀/ ⠀my works are purely fiction and, in no way, reflect the idol as a person. please like and reblog if you enjoyed!

[simphornies]

A/N: The final part! This was definitely a ride. I hope you all enjoy! Who knows...Maybe I'll write an epilogue <3

Word count: 3k (3,038) Warnings: violence, reader goes kinda crazy for a little bit, nifty behavior

part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5

Deal Breaker [ Vox x Angel!Reader ] FINALE

“Alastor!”

The voice was all too familiar. Vox opened his eyes to see your silhouette in the dust and smoke. Your hands were stretched out to your side, blocking any attack from landing on him. He didn’t want to believe it but you were really there. In front of him. He was speechless.

“Alastor stand down!” You screamed. “He’s had enough. He won’t be another voice in your broadcast. I cannot allow it.”

Alastor shrunk down to his regular form, disappointed but compliant. His ears lay flat on his head showing his discontent but it quickly faded away as soon as he saw your wings weren’t lifted. They were dragging behind you. “Y/N, my dear, your wings…” Worry laced his voice, something nobody had ever expected.

“I’m fine. I need to tend to everyone else. But first-” You turned your body to face Vox, “I need to deal with the Vees.” You looked him in the eye and Vox broke at the sight of seeing you in that state in front of him. Only four of your wings were up while two were down, golden blood covering them. Your eyes were puffy and filled with tears but you didn’t look sad. He opened his mouth to speak but the pain caught up to him. He coughed out blood and clutched the crack across his screen before powering down.

You caught him before he hit the floor and carried him in your arms. “Bring them all inside. Lucifer, we’ll fix the damages as soon as I deal with this bullshit.” He simply nodded and made the two Vees float on in while you carried Vox inside. You were gentle when you set Vox down on the couch while Lucifer dropped the other two, making them exclaim out in pain.

“Did you have to drop me on my face?” Valentino complained. Lucifer shrugged and gave him a smug look, “Whoops!” He laughed, making Valentino growl.

“Watch it, moth.” You hissed. You stood up tall and loomed over them, your wings fully spread out with the exception of two. Your heavenly glow made them squint in response. Maybe it was the adrenaline but you felt no pain. “I must applaud the audacity the two of you had.” You knelt down and grabbed their faces harshly. “To no avail, of course. But the attempt was there, though not something to take pride in.” You pushed their faces away in disgust, wiping your hands off as if they were the filthiest things you’ve ever touched. You began to pace around them with your hands behind your back. “Tell me, demons. Do you value your lives now? Do you value your power? Your status? Your money?” You asked. They didn’t respond.

Your hair and wings were covered with eyes as you flared up at them, “I asked a question.” You stabbed each of their legs with two angelic daggers, “Please. Do answer.”

“Yes.” They said in unison, breathing unevenly due to the pain.

The hotel staff felt fear watching you lose composure. It was a rare sight and nobody dared to speak up. Besides Lucifer. “Yeah you tell ‘em, bitch!” He cheered you on, making Charlie face palm at the comment.

“I suspected so.” You smiled sweetly at them, the same smile you give every sinner you’ve met. But this smile was a facade for you felt pure unbridled rage at the fact that they thought they could bring this tower down with meager attempts. You pulled the daggers out, making them scream.

“How about we make a deal?” You offered, hand held out knowing they wouldn’t even be able to shake it.

“What do you want?” Velvette asked, voice shaking.

“Nothing much. I just want you both to never fuck with us again and never even think about doing so. And…” You trailed off.

“And?” Valentino’s voice was shaky too. Angel Dust found pleasure at the sight, sneaking in a photo.

“And your souls, of course!” You happily exclaimed, folding your hands together. Their eyes widened before glaring at you.

“And what if we say no?” Velvette contested.

“Well…That certainly is an option. Of course, you can say no.” You hummed, pacing around them once again. “But know that once you do…The power, the status, the money, your businesses…Well. They will simply no longer exist!” You smiled.

“Wh-what?” Valentino’s voice was small. He was terrified.

“You fucking bitch you can’t do that!” Velvette screamed and tried to jump at you. You flicked her away effortlessly with your wing, sending her back down with Valentino.

“Ah but I can, my sweet sinner!” You smiled at her, “The King of Hell can make that entire building disappear with a snap of a finger! Isn’t that right, Luci?”

Lucifer nodded and stood with pride, his hands on his hips, “Sure can! Effortless too.” He grinned.

“And without this deal in place, Alastor will be free to do whatever his morbid little heart desires with you two!” You spin around happily, “Why, that would make a fantastic broadcast, don’t you think so, Alastor?”

“It would be one of my best ones!” He grinned, his aura darkening.

“Fine! Fine.” Velvette gave up, “We’ll make the fucking deal.”

“Wonderful choice!” You clapped, “Nifty, dear! Come here please.”

Nifty came running to your side, laughing maniacally.

“Oh fuck why is she here?” Valentino tried his best to squirm away from the little demon child, fearing his life.

“Because! You’ll be giving her your souls.” You gave them an innocent look.

“WHAT?” Everyone, with the exclusion of Lucifer, Alastor and Nifty, screamed in unison.

“Who would own you better than this one here? She hardly cares for such things and I do believe that it would be such a wonderful gift for her. She’s done so much for the hotel and I think I should award her with something more…hellish!” You placed your hands on Nifty’s shoulder, “Do you want to own your own souls, Nifty?”

She nodded excitedly, “Ready!” She cackled. “I want my own souls.”

Velvette and Valentino were sweating in fear, a little bit terrified of the tiny one-eyed demon. “Ah but of course, if you try to do anything to her. Well…Let’s just say you’ll get what you give!” You pushed Nifty closer. With a snap of your fingers a written contract appeared in front of the two Vees and they were allowed to hold the pen that came with it.

“Sign right there on the line stating that your soul is now ours combined. There’s quite a couple of fine prints in there though I don’t think you’d need to read it considering you will never harm this hotel, its staff and whoever they’re involved with ever again.”

Velvette and Valentino signed their souls away, their scleras turning black. Lucifer released them from their binds and you shook their hands. “Wonderful doing business with you two!” Your smile quickly dropped to a glare. You wiped your hands as soon as you let go of them. “Now go home.”

Velvette and Valentino wasted no time leaving the hotel, almost tripping over the mess they created on their way out. For a moment, it was silent. Alastor stood by, impressed at your devilish behavior. Angel Dust was relishing in the fact that you kicked Valentino’s ass, showing off the photo he took to Husk. Nifty just went straight to sweeping. Charlie and Vaggie ran to you, giving you a tight but careful hug.

“Y/N…I thought we lost you.” Charlie sobbed. You hugged the two back, your healthy wings wrapping around them.

“It’s going to take a lot more than that to get rid of me. I wouldn’t have made it out okay without you guys.” You smiled. You pulled away and wiped the tears in Charlie’s eyes, “It’s okay, Charlie. I’ll be fine.”

Lucifer claps his hands together, “So…” He smiles, “Should we get to fixing or…”

You laughed at him, “Yes. I’ll catch up with everyone. I have one more person to deal with.” You looked at Vox, your heart heavy. His screen was off, sparks still flying out of his screen. “Before you all leave though, do we still have Sir Pentious’ tools and manuals?”

.

Vox powered back up. He winced as his body still remembered the pain from the earlier fight. He looked around the unfamiliar room on an unfamiliar bed. He sat up slowly and as he did, he caught a glimpse of himself in a nearby mirror. His screen was fixed, not up to his standards, but he didn’t have the crack across his screen anymore. His screen was completely replaced. His ears finally caught on to the sounds of construction outside.

You opened the door to your room with some books on how to fix screens. Upon seeing Vox awake, you dropped them and ran to his side. “Vox! You’re awake. How’s your screen? Does it feel okay? Despite my lack of knowledge on fixing technology, I did my absolute best to fix the crack. The wiring-”

Vox cut your rumbling off by pulling you into a tight hug. He held you with fear that he might never get this chance again. He was afraid that if he let go, that’ll be the last he’ll ever see of you. It wasn’t until he felt you hug him back that he relaxed and sobbed into your shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Y/N.” Was all he could muster in between his cries.

You let him ride his emotions out, not letting go until he calmed down and stopped glitching. When he did you pulled away from him. “Vox…”

“I know! I lied. I lied about a lot and…And I let my pride stop me from coming sooner.” He started, “Even if you don’t believe me, please give me a second chance and your trust when I say that I am so fucking sorry. You opened my eyes a lot and I’m sorry.” He looked down with shame, unable to look you in the eye.

“Vox. I know. I get it.” You sat on the bed next to him, “I’ll admit that it pained me when I found out you lied about Alastor. I was shattered. I was stuck between choosing my dear friend and, well, you. If I’m being completely honest, trusting you again after that…that elaborate and evil plan is difficult.”

He sighed, guilt engulfing him.

“But, if there’s one thing I learned here that I didn’t in Heaven is that everybody deserves a second chance.” You said softly. He finally looked up at you. You weren’t looking at him but instead you looked at the group picture that everyone took together when you first arrived. “I’m going to need an explanation, a detailed one and then…” You turned to face him, “And then we’ll make that deal.”

He looked at you dumbfounded. He didn’t understand why you’d give him another chance let alone reconsider the thing that started this all to begin with. “Y/N, I don’t care for that deal anymore. I want to make it up to you. For everything.”

“Let’s change that first one then.” You phased in the original contract you two had created when you first met and ripped the unsigned contract in half. “Promise me you won’t ever lie to me again and in return, I shall do the same.” You held out your hand to which he gladly shook.

“You have my word.” The deal was sealed as he shook your glowing hand. “Now…Let’s start from the beginning.”

It took a while for him to cover everything from the initial plan to how it ended up like this. He covered the first half quickly but slowed down at a certain point.

“And then when we came back from the hotel and you stayed in my building with me…” He trailed off. “Well I…”

You tilted your head to the side, “You…?”

“I came to the realization that I truly fell in love with you.” He confessed. Your face flushed in response.

“Me?” You gasped out, “No. You couldn’t have.” You awkwardly laughed, “What is there to love about me?”

“Look at your friends, Y/N! They truly admire you and trust you. You’re a being worthy of trust and love. You protected this hotel and left your home behind for sinners.” He began, “Your heart is a blessing. You’ve saved them outside of battle. You became their deal breaker, freeing them from their chains. Even when you’re hurt, you always do the right thing. You’re forgiving. Your beauty goes past your brain and your looks. Your entirety, your soul. It’s all beautiful. And anyone that can’t be changed by that is fucking stupid.”

You blush at his flattery, your heart pounding out of your chest. But he didn’t stop.

“And me? I didn’t fall in love with you for your power or for how pretty you look. Even if it did kickstart this whole thing,” He laughed, “You’re kind. You find joy in everything even in the worst places. You’re strong and resilient and your heart is in the right place. The look in your eyes when you saved me, it…it broke me in a way that I’ve never felt. I don’t want you to ever feel that pain again. And I don’t want somebody to try and pull the same shit I did to you. Allow me by your side, forever and always.” He held your hand, giving you a soft kiss on your knuckles, “And let me be yours as I want you to be mine. No bullshit attached.”

“Vox…” You smiled sweetly, tears in your eyes. “You speak such nonsense at times.” You laughed.

“It’s true, angel. I don’t know if it’s some magic of yours but, I’ll leave it all behind. You are my pride.”

“Vox. I adore you. I do. I fell in love with you with your acts of service, your gift giving. You truly spoiled me. As much as I absolutely want to kiss you right now, words are nothing but words. Actions are what truly matters.” You responded.

“I’ll do anything Y/N! I’ll lea-Did you just say you’d kiss me right now?” He paused, his screen warming up.

“Yes! I absolutely do. But you just…You hurt me Vox. You absolutely shattered me.” You got up and flared your wings at him. At that moment, he saw your injured wings. They were wrapped up with sticks holding them in one position to heal. “I thought you were going to die from all of that. And to think!” You started to cry in front of him, “To think my last thought of you would have been betrayal! Do you understand how badly that hurt me? You could have died and I would have been left wondering if you truly meant everything. If you truly did love me! And when I couldn’t reach you with this watch, I thought you were dead!” You were hysterical.

Vox got up, ignoring his pain and cupped your face in his hands. “I can’t tell you how much I want to stab myself right now seeing you cry over me.” He wiped your tears away and you’ve never seen such sadness in his eyes before.

You kissed Vox in the heat of the moment, your arms wrapping around him. He shut his eyes and kissed you back and for once it wasn’t filled with lust. He felt different. He felt love. Your crying ceased and you just held him close, not wanting to part with him.

“Help me trust you again. And then you’ll be mine as I’ll be yours, forever and always.” You smiled, wiping the remnants of your tears from the corners of your eyes away, “But can you please tell me how to properly fix you. I fear that my lack of skill with wiring affected you.”

He laughed and hugged you. “Is that really something you’re worried about right now?”

“Yes! I don’t know how much my heart can take if you catch on fire! And lay back down! You’re in no condition to be up at this moment.” You forced him back down, basically tucking him in. You held his hand in yours, this time you gave him a kiss on his knuckles.

Charlie came in to check in on you two and excitedly gasped at the sight of you two making up. She hugged you two a bit too tightly, making Vox groan in pain. “Oops! Sorry! I’m just so glad you two made up!” She exclaimed.

“Oh…Vox I may have forgotten one thing…” You trail off.

“What?”

“Well! Since the two other Vees kinda maybe sort of ruined our new building a little bit, I proposed to Y/N that you stay here at the hotel to make up for it!” She grinned.

Vox blinked and stared at her, and then to you, and back at her. “With…Alastor?”

As if on cue, Alastor teleported next to Vox on the bed. “Yes!” He grinned, a bit too menacingly for the situation. He screamed in response and almost fell off the bed. Alastor played a laugh track as soon as he heard the thump on the floor.

“Alastor!” You said with a scolding tone.

“Ah don’t fret, Y/N! I’m just having a little bit of fun!” He flipped on his stomach and started to kick his legs in the air, “I do just revel in watching others suffer! Haha!”

“Even if you’re not trying to get into Heaven, I think having you here will be a good start to becoming a better person!” Charlie smiled, “Welcome to the Hazbin Hotel!”

Vox sighs, “Alright alright, I guess I’ll give this shit a shot for real this time.” He got up and rubbed the spot he landed on, “But seriously do not put me next to Alastor!”

You took his hand in yours, “You need not worry about that, Vox. You’ll be staying with me.” You smiled. “Oh and I own Val and Velvette’s souls now.” Vox didn’t know whether he should be shocked about staying in your room or the fact that his overlord friends lost so badly that they no longer own their own souls.

“...What.”

Taglist!: @emekeneme @ghostdoodlen @chewbrry @dawko-fanpage @lofasofabread @hxzbinwrites @rapunzelbro @elsihiaweee @blackrose8425 @dickmastersworld @lofasofabread @rosiethevoxobesser @themetalbabygirl @markster666 @riskyraiker @fadingflowers-world (it still won't let me tag the two of you)

[sinfulseashell]

Question for Y!Bonten how could they react if their darling escaped from them and started a new life with someone else?

Y!Mikey: Of course the male would absolutely go berserk if his darling was ever to think that anyone else would treat them better than he could, but fear nearly consumed him as he thought for a moment looking over at the host with an icy glare. “Escaping is one thing, but having the audacity to find someone else? Well…let’s just say there would be two less bastards on this god forsaken earth.”

Y!Sanzu: “Oh wow, well I guess one idiot plus another can make a deathly combination!” He cackled. “How fucking dumb could they be to find someone else, but let’s give the benefit of the doubt that my darling had the gall to have another person even touch them the way I do.” His snarl twisted into a demonic grin, “I will show my darling why they would regret stepping foot out of their haven…let’s just say the show would be more gruesome than any horror movie could ever show legally.”

Y!Bonten: Each male expressed a disgusted feature as they shook their heads in unison.

Y!Koko: “So we all agree that Sanzu is never allowed to come these interviews when it comes to murder.”

Host: “Wait…none of you said anything…also…all of you commit murder?”

Y!Rin: “Ok one, we don’t need words to communicate, I know you noticed the silence after his comment. Two, we commit murder because it’s necessary yet this sociopath commits murder as a fucking hobby.”

Y!Sanzu: He emits a boisterous laugh while wiping tears from his eyes, “Ah…it’s true. I have a scrapbook as well.” He smiles happily.

Y!Rin: “Do I need to say anything more?”

Host: “Oooookay…noted.”

Y!Takeomi: “Well that was unsettling…anyways. I wouldn’t say that I would be happy my darling started their life over.” He gritted his teeth at the thought that his darling could find someone else so damn easily…replacing him. The thought made his stomach churn, “As if replacing me would be the best option for them…I would murder anyone who would try to take them away from me.” He growled.

Y!Ran: “Well the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. Looks like you and Sanzu have so much in common, makes sense why the two of you are related.”

Y!Sanzu: “How dare you say something so fucking disgusting in my presence! No fucking brother of mine, as far as I know I don’t have family.” He hissed.

Y!Takeomi & Host: 😐

Y!Koko: “We’re not here to discuss their family drama, wait…hatred? Disgust? Whatever. We are not here to speak on that. Now as for me, the fact my darling would even think that someone could afford the lifestyle I provide well,” He chuckles while shaking his head, small chuckling turns to laughter. “Ah…ah ok, ok,” Koko clears his throat to continue. “Besides my awesome joke, I doubt that my darling would even survive without me.”

Y!Rin: “Look Im tired. So I’ll make this quick…whoever the dumbass would be I’ll make sure that have a slow painful death while I take my darling back to have the punishment they deserve.” Bringing himself to stand the male makes his way to the door and leaves.

Y!Ran: “Dont mind him, Rin is just tired from taking care of his darling all night. They were sick.” Ran pouts. “Isn’t that so cute though!”

Y!Rin: “SHUT. THE. FUCK. UP!” He screams from the other side of the door.

Y!Ran: The male smiles as he turns his attention back to the host, “What would I do if my darling escaped and found someone else? Hmmm, well murder would be first on my list and once I get rid of them then I would make sure my darling was well.” He hums happily, “-but once I know they are fine then I’ll remind them of why they belong to me.” He smirked menacingly.

Y!Mochi: “I dont believe my darling would have a reason to leave. No to toot my own horn or anything, but these guys are monsters compared to me.” He huffed.

Y!Sanzu: “Quit bitching and answer the goddamn question.”

Y!Mochi: “Fine. If my darling were to ever find someone else…even though I know they wouldn’t. I wouldn’t murder the person, but I would purposely break each and every bone in their body enough to keep them conscious throughout the entire time that way their screams of agony could echo off the walls having their cries be the last thing they hear.”

Y!Koko: “Dear god. We all need therapy.” He spoke while pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head.

Y!Kakucho: His gaze stays focused on the floor before him as if lost in thought when he hears the host call his name it brings him back to reality as he sighs, “I wouldn’t kill them. Or hurt the person that they are with. I want my darling to be happy then I would want them to stay happy, but…a part of me would take them back with me…I can’t…I just can’t be without them…they mean everything to me…” he sighs in frustration. “If I take my darling back and the other person tries to stop me…well then I would have no choice but to kill them.”

[jebewonmorelike]

So You Can Do Yours

part two up now: whatever you say, president-nim wc: 2k pronouns: none used; n/a warnings: none? i guess reader is not on good terms with father but to be fair their father is a chairman of a company so he probably is objectively not great; literally fluff and mostly platonic/you're his boss so but suggestion that wookie has a crush on reader at the end... and reader is supposed to be 19; super unrealistic but just a fun little fictional concept lol summary: uselessCEO!reader has fired every new assistant they've had in the past few months, but newassistant!gunwook thinks he might be the right man for the job. ~masterlist~ ♡ ~kofi (no pressure at all)~ this is a cute one :) gunwook is baby. gunwook is son. protect him at all costs. i've been wanting to write more for gunwookie for a while, but i was super hesitant to because i got a really freakish comment about the only small drabble i wrote for him. so five months later i'm ready to try again. please remember this is just a work of fiction and its crazy fluffy. i really hope you like it! also expect more writing from me this month-- i'm taking the rest of summer off from school so. i'll need to stay busy 😤

“President-nim?” A voice calling through the intercom on your desk breaks your concentration. You huff annoyedly as you lean forward and press the microphone button.

“What is it?”

“Your new assistant is here to meet you,” Secretary Lee responds cautiously. You groan; quickly shoving what you had been working on into the hidden compartment of your desk. Not another assistant.

Every Monday for two months now, a new bright-eyed young woman had walked through the doors of your office ready to kick-start her career as a company president's trusty assistant. And sure enough, by that Friday afternoon every single one of them had run out in tears; unable to handle the pressures of the job. Was that pressure almost entirely due to the fact that you had no idea how to do your own job? Unimportant, but--

“Annyeonghaseyo, President-nim!” A male voice shakes you from your internal monologue as you look up to find that a young man in a 90 degree bow has appeared in front of you. He looks up at you, his gaze drifting to your right hand. 

You follow his line of sight to find a watercolor brush still in your hand-- dripping a bit onto your desk. Lifting up your desk compartment slightly, you toss the brush in with the others. You clear your throat a bit awkwardly-- smoothing down the lapels of your suit jacket with your fingers. “Annyeonghaseyo,” you mumble.

“I’m your new assistant, Park Gunwook,” he introduces politely, standing up straight. It’s now that you suddenly realize just how young this man appears to be. His face is round with youth and his lips resemble that of a baby chick. “I hope to serve you well.”

“When? After you get out of school each day?” You joke, brow furrowed in suspicion. “How did you get this job, huh? You look like you’re late for hagwon.”

Gunwook’s brow stays raised for a moment, but a surprisingly cheeky smile eventually creeps onto his face. “Couldn’t I ask you the same, President-nim?”

You exhale an unamused laugh. Guess this one thinks he’s clever. “I graduated two and a half years early.”

“That must look impressive on a resume,” he agrees genuinely with a nod. “Your father being the Chairman of the Board also must look pretty impressive on a resume.”

Stunned by this kid’s audacity, you just stare back at him.

“Nothing to be ashamed of President-nim,” he reassures, clasping his hands together behind his back. “I happen to know someone that works here, too.”

Figures. “And which one of those geriatric, good-for-nothing money bags on the Board is your daddy?”

“None of them,” Gunwook says with a smile. “Secretary Lee is my eomma. Might seem small, but a connection’s a connection.”

Secretary Lee hired her own son? After the way she’d watched all of the sobbing girls run out of the building screaming ‘I’M NEVER WORKING EVER AGAIN’’ each week?

What terrible thing had Park Gunwook done to be handed such a fate by his own mother?

You stand up from your desk and meet Gunwook at the front of it. Walking in a tight circle around him, you examine every inch of him curiously as he stands at attention.

“Um, President-nim?” He asks without moving a muscle. “Can I ask what you’re doing?”

“Absolutely not,” you answer, bending down to look at his dress shoes. They’re more than a few years old and definitely not a designer brand, but somehow... they’re condition is nearly immaculate. Not to mention, the black, thin laces are tied in perfectly symmetrical bows. Huh. It’s pretty uncommon for a boy your age to care that much about the tidiness of his shoes.

“Weirdo,” you mutter under your breath as you stand back up. You have to crane your neck a bit to look Gunwook in the eyes; not only is he quite tall, you also realized you’re standing a bit too close to him. Stepping back slightly, you take a seat on your desk-- crossing your arms as you glare at him.

“Something not to your liking, President-nim?” He asks, eyebrows raised in question. 

You don’t answer. Instead, you ask a question of your own. “What makes you think you have what it takes to be my assistant?”

“I’ve been President of my class since middle school. I’ve placed in national debate competitions. I’m organized, responsible, and competent,” he responds confidently. But a little mischievous sparkle appears in his eye as he adds, “From what I’ve heard, those are qualities the President's office might need more of.”

“YA! Do you want to die, you little--...” As you threaten him, Gunwook has already gone back to his default polite smiling. “What’s wrong with you, huh? Don’t you know I can blacklist you for life with one phone call? Tell me why I shouldn’t--.”

“President-nim!” Gunwook interrupts your thought excitedly; pointing to a stack of papers sitting on the corner of your desk. “Are those spreadsheets that need executive review? I’m experienced in Excel if you're... too busy for them.”

You frown, picking up the papers in your hand and sifting through them. They are spreadsheets that need executive review. You’ve been putting it off for a week, because, believe it or not, you didn’t get a very spreadsheet-centric education at the fine arts university you attended. To think, you could be painting in your own studio all day every day. But instead your father wanted you to do something “sensible” and “respectable” that “made you worthy of receiving his estate some day”.

Not that you cared much about an inheritance. But at this point it was the least you were owed for sacrificing your life’s passion to goof off in an office for the rest of your life. It wasn’t like you particularly enjoyed being unhelpful or unproductive, but at just shy of twenty years old with a BA in Fine Arts... you hadn’t exactly been well-prepared for such an important job.

You look back up at Gunwook. He’s practically salivating at the mouth to get his hands on your routine paperwork. You hand him the stack of spreadsheets with a sigh: “Knock yourself out.”

Gunwook’s concerningly large hand snatches the papers from yours with lightning speed; hugging them to his chest happily. “Thank you, President-nim! I won’t let you down.”

You’re almost starting to believe him. 

“Right,” you agree, chewing your cheek as you walk back behind your desk. “Well, you get to work on those and have them back to me by... Uh...”

You’re struggling to think of a reasonable time frame for the spreadsheet reviews to be completed, since you’d never once been the one to finish them. Gunwook sees this and answers for you, “Tomorrow at noon, I think you were going to say, President-nim?”

“Tomorrow at noon,” you echo with a frown. You’re not sure you like how familiar this kid was becoming with you already, but at least he’d been far more eager to do your executive work for you than anyone had been thus far. You’d know by tomorrow at noon if he was truly capable or not.

“And where should I put them for you if you’re not in your office, President-nim?” He asks thoughtfully.

“Oh, um,” you stumble, looking around for a good spot. You land on the thin drawer at the center of your desk and point to it. “In here is fine.”

Gunwook quickly walks behind your desk to see the drawer, stopping at a respectful distance. He reaches towards the drawer, but when you realize his fingers are pulling the wrong handle-- the top of your desk is already lifting open before you can stop him.

“Whoah,” the boy whispers in awe as he stares at the giant watercolor landscape painting you’d been working on for the last week or so. You both stand in silence for a moment as you watch Gunwook take in every detail of your latest work. “This is incredible.”

“Thank you,” you reply softly-- folding your arms across your chest uncomfortably at the compliment. No one had seen your artwork for a while now; even mentioning it in your father’s presence sent him into a spiral.

“If you’re this talented, then why--... Why are you the president of a tech corporation?” He asks, eyes meeting yours now. He’s curious and concerned and confused. When he realizes he forgot to speak formally, he bows in apology. “I’m sorry, President-nim.”

“Sometimes a 'connection' isn’t what you wanted,” you say after a moment, sitting back down in your desk chair.

Gunwook swallows from beside you, taking a few steps back to the front of your desk. “I’ll help as best as I can, President-nim. I’ll do my work so that you can do yours.”

You blink back at him, a bit speechless. “O-... Okay.”

He bows, another 90 degree one. “Should I get started on these then, President-nim?”

“Yeah,” you agree, nodding slowly. “Yes. That would be good.”

Gunwook nods. “Thank you, President-nim,” he says, turning and walking towards the door.

“Gunwook-sshi,” you call suddenly, causing the young man to let go of the door handle in his hand and turn around. His eyes are wide as he waits patiently for you to continue. “Why did you apply for this job? Besides the fact that your mother works here.”

The boy smiles, answering simply, “I thought I would be a good fit.”

You exhale a laugh, rolling your eyes. “We’ll see.”

Gunwook’s smile turns to a grin as he nods again-- walking out the door and closing it behind him.

~

The end of the work day comes surprisingly quickly (and it may or may not have something to do with Gunwook). 

Okay, it has everything to do with Gunwook. 

To your very pleasant surprise, the teenage boy had been your best assistant yet by a considerable margin. All in the span of six hours, he’d color-coded your weekly schedule, ghostwritten five urgent emails to executives from partner companies, brought you your lunch order exactly how you prefer it, and reorganized your entire desk for you all while you painted next to him.

He didn’t ask you any unnecessary questions or disturb your peace; he just did his work so that you could do yours. Just like he said he would.

The end of the day came so quickly that when Gunwook knocked on your door to ask you if you were heading out for the day, you thought he was making one of his insulting-but-somehow-also-charming remarks about your lack of presidential work ethic again. But glancing at the clock, you see that he’s right-- it’s almost 7 P.M.

“I’m actually gonna keep working for a little while longer,” you respond before you catch Gunwook’s eyebrows raise. “You can go home now though. You have to be well-rested for another day of high school tomorrow.”

He sticks his tongue in his cheek and smiles at the joke. “I actually go to university now, President-nim. Part-time, but still.”

You find yourself trying to picture what Gunwook would look like on a campus: a grey hoodie, jeans, and his hair flopping into his eyes. In another life, one where you had a different father, maybe you’d still be going to university, too. Maybe you would've run into Gunwook and been his sunbae instead of the Guinness World Records holder for youngest president of a national corporation. Would you have noticed each other? Would you have been friends? Rivals? Something else?

Returning his smile, you dismiss, “Have a good night, Gunwook-sshi.”

“Have a good night, President-nim.”

You work on your painting for another hour before finally gathering your things and heading out the door for the night. On your way out, you see Secretary Lee typing away at her desk. When she spots you, she grimaces nervously.

“Oh, President-nim,” she greets as you walk over to her. “I hope you’re not too upset, but I thought that my son could--.”

“Could be the best assistant I’ve ever had?” You finish for her; watching as her face relaxes at your compliment. “You were right. And you better keep up the good work, Secretary Lee: Gunwook-sshi would make a great secretary.”

Secretary Lee swallows and nods at the hint of a threat. “Understood, President-nim.”

You smile, starting to head toward the exit before your curiosity stops you in your tracks. You turn over your shoulder to call, “Secretary-nim?”

She looks at you expectantly; if not also a bit nervously.

“Why did Gunwook-sshi want to be my assistant?”

She considers for a moment before replying, “After your... poor luck... with assistants these past few months, I couldn’t help but think my son had what it takes to change that. He’s always been such an overachiever. But he wasn’t really interested at all at first."

“Why did he change his mind?” You ask; wanting to understand a bit more about the incredibly competent, but slightly odd assistant that showed up at your office today.

Secretary Lee laughs quietly. “Well, to be honest... He only handed me his completed application after...

... I showed him a picture of you.”

[seenoversundown]

Amongst The Stars: Chapter Four

Josh x Quinn (Nonbinary OC)

Warnings: Shitty partner (again), mentions of cannabis, an Accidental date, Pining (a lot of it), Thinking your friends are hot (platonically?), Verbal arguments, Willa knowing too much. 

Word Count: 4.6k Summary: Josh has always loved love,  and he's finally found it. Buuuut, he can't exactly tell anyone. Join him as he navigates the ins and outs of his sweet, secret romance. Author's Note: Have you ever been on an accidental date? I have a friend who has been on three because she just can’t tell when a guy is trying to get to know her better versus when they’re being friendly. She is married. 

Bowl of Oranges - Bright Eyes  “I think I’m cured No, in fact, I’m sure of it Thank you, stranger for your therapeutic smile” 

I sit at the kitchen table, flipping through my notebook of potential lesson plans for the upcoming week. I keep many options available, so it's always hard to choose. Papier-mâché animal masks could be fun, but I'd need to go to Hobby Lobby to get supplies. I nix that idea and move on to the next. We could do a Jackson Pollock unit, but I’d need to check the weather. There is no way I'm letting these gremlins throw paint indoors. I pull out my phone to check the weather app and let out a giant sigh when I see that we’re scheduled for rain every day this week starting tomorrow. As I dive back into my planning book, I'm interrupted by Craig barreling into the room. “Do you plan on actually doing anything around here today?” He practically yells out. It’s been a few weeks since he had his little “come to Jesus” moment, and whatever niceness he had in him seems to be wearing off. He’s been picking fights again over the smallest things. He’s even started making snide comments when I have to make another trip to Hobby Lobby. “Interesting how you always just seem to be out of something for your classroom! I’m not great at math, but it seems improbable that you’d need something every single week.” I slowly blink and look around the room, taking in the clutterless counters and decidedly empty sink, before gazing back at him. 

“What do you mean, Craig?”  “It’s just a mess around here, and you’ve been holed away at the kitchen table all morning.” 

I take one more look around before crossing my arms over my chest. 

“If there's a mess in here, you made it. I cleaned the entire house before I went to bed last night,” I grit out, “though I don't suppose you would have noticed because you were so engrossed in your Xbox.” I watch as he flounders for a moment, mouth opening and closing as his brain attempts to find the words to respond. He’s not used to me talking back to him, so I relish the reaction I've gotten out of him. Before he can find a new way to criticize me, I stand up from my chair and say, “Gonna have to cut this short, babe. I have work to do. For my job.” 

I gather my items from the table and put them back in the canvas messenger bag I use for schoolwork. 

“You’re being so mean.”  “I’m being mean because I’m the only one who does anything around here. I work full time, I am in school full time, I cook, I clean, I wash your dirty fucking underwear, and you come in here and ask if I’m going to do anything around here today?” I glance at his outfit, finally realizing what he’s wearing, and it only adds one more layer to my annoyance. “Oh! Real nice, Craig. You go into my closet,” I tug at the sleeve of the garishly patterned grandpa sweater he has on, “and you take my clothes. Then you waltz in here trying to start a fight?”  “…All my sweaters are dirty.”  “Do you know what functional adults do when their clothes are dirty? They start a load of laundry.”  “You just do it better than I do, babe,” he shoots back with a cocky grin.  I exhale sharply, shaking my head. Oh, to have the audacity of a cis white man, I think.  “Sorry bout your luck. I’m going to Higher Grounds so I can focus on my work.”

Leaving him no time to respond, I sling my bag over my shoulders and make my way to the door. I slide on my worn Blundstone boots and grab my corduroy jacket off the hook. I toss a quick “Bye, text me if you need anything” behind me and head out.  -------------------------------------------

I set my canvas bag down at one of the outdoor tables and headed into the cafe to order a latte. I stand behind a group of apparent tourists, silently begging them to decide what kooky, zany little treat they should get from Portland’s Very First Weed Cafe! That they only found out about through Trip Advisor. I have to calm down. I can't just think mean things about these people because I feel crabby over Craig. I’m not even technically a local, myself. I give myself a little shake to get out of my internal funk and decide to get lost in the beautiful murals that litter the walls. No matter how many times I come here, the artistry will never cease to amaze me. The way the artist seamlessly moves from cool, starry blues into bright, sunny oranges. All surrounded by smoke and foliage. The way each side of the mural is a mirror image of the other side, but it represents duality. Night and Day, Dark and Light. 

“Quinn?” I jump as someone behind me calls my name. I turn around to see a mop of curly hair bounding toward me.  “Josh! It’s so good to see you! I feel like I never see you out and about.”  “Well, it is The Lord’s Day and all. Hobby Lobby is required to grant me this one day of rest.” he lets out a small chuckle at his joke, and I find myself laughing with him. “Too true. How silly of me to forget. I’ve been away from the South for too long.”  “That does seem to be the case, dear. How scandalous of you to overlook the Sabbath.” 

I giggle, stepping up to the counter now that the customers in front of me have ordered and moved on. 

“What do you want, Josh? I’m buying.” I gesture for him to order. “Oh, I- I couldn't.” “I insist. Now hurry up, or we’ll be nearly as bad as them,” I gently incline my head toward the group waiting on drinks. The barista hides a laugh behind their hand.  “See,” I point at the barista, “they agree with me!”  “Fine! But the next round is on me,” he finally gives in and steps in front of me to order a chai latte with a dash of CBD in it. 

I place my order and pay, then Josh and I head out to my claimed table, the barista promising to bring our drinks out. 

“You’ll have to forgive me. I may be a boring conversational partner for a little while. I’ve got to make a lesson plan for the kids this week.” I reach into my bag and pull out my iPad and my notebook.  “I suppose that will be fine,” he replies with mock sarcasm, “no, truly… what you do for those kids is so important, Quinn.” I feel my face heat up and pray that Josh doesn't notice.  “Please, I highly doubt I’m changing lives here,” I raise one eyebrow in disbelief.  “Oh, but you are,” he continues, “I’m sure you remember being that age. How many of your teachers invested in your creativity?”  I think back, and not a single name comes to mind until my high school art teacher.  “Okay… I think I see your point.”  “I’ve seen how excited you get about your students, about your lesson plans. You’re in my store damn near every week. You’re helping these kids in a way they will remember forever.” 

My heart skips a beat, and butterflies erupt in my belly as I Crack a smile. It’s a good feeling to have someone recognize the work I do. To have someone notice the excitement and joy I get out of it. Why doesn't Craig understand? The short-lived smile drops from my face. 

“Thanks, Josh. That means a lot.” I trail off, pulling out my Apple Pencil. 

I begin designing an intricate mandala, getting lost in the precise strokes of my pencil against the paper-textured screen protector. I feel Josh’s eyes on me, intently watching from his seat across the table, but I (try to) ignore him for the moment. Surely, he understands that this is more important than small talk. I notice from the corner of my eye that he’s pulled a notebook out of seemingly nowhere, and he begins scribbling in it. We sit in contented silence for who knows how long. The only sounds between us are our pencils and the occasional squawk of a hungry seagull harassing passersby for a snack. I can feel the stress leave my body as I sit across from him, sharing space but not taking space from each other. 

It’s nice not feeling pressured to provide entertainment as I work. Maybe we can do this more often.

The sound of Josh setting his pencil on the table grabs my attention.  I glance at him as he laces his fingers together and cracks his knuckles, flexing them in a way that showcases the veins in his hands. Oh, brother. I can't look away as he uses his freshly stretched hands to push the long sleeves of his white shirt up to his elbows. Why is my mouth dry? I slowly reach out to grab my latte. Surely, this will quench my thirst, I think, still watching as Josh picks his pencil up and murmurs an angry “Fuck me” under his breath. My face heats as I replay that frustrated whisper in my head, eyes darting over the muscles contracting in his forearm as he aggressively erases something on his page. Jesus Christ, what is wrong with me? In my slightly frazzled state, eyes definitely not still locked on Josh’s bare arms, I overshoot the paper cup I aimed for and knock it over. I close my eyes, wincing, waiting for Josh to get angry that I spilled something on his notebook, but instead, I hear his tinkling laugh. I open my eyes and see him smiling widely at me, an adorable dimple on full display. 

“Good thing that's empty! I’d hate to cause more work for the barista.” I let out a breath I didn't realize I’d been holding in.  “Yeah, I hate being a pain in the ass customer,” I awkwardly chuckle. Josh stands from the table and stretches his arms over his head, causing the hem of his shirt to ride up. Fuck me. My gaze dips to the pale sliver of skin above the waistband of his pants. I need to relax. Josh clears his throat, glancing down at me, and I finally meet his eyes. 

“Want a refill? I’ll get this round,” he taps his wallet in his pocket. “That sounds great, thank you!”  He nods his head and gathers our empty cups before he heads inside. 

I hang my head in my hands and let out an annoyed groan. Jesus Christ, Quinn. Get it together and stop ogling your friend who is nice enough to buy you a new latte. The truth of the matter is I may be in a relationship with Craig, but I do still have eyes. There’s nothing wrong with admitting that your friends are beautiful. Honestly, the world may be a bit more fun if everyone could accept that their friends are hot, and between Josh’s big brown baby cow eyes, his unruly curls, and his ability to make you feel like you’re the only person in the room, he, unfortunately, veers into Hot Friend Territory. The dimples don’t hurt either. I attempt to finish my drawing while Josh is inside, but I can hardly focus on anything but the odd feeling I get in my chest when I think of him. 

When Josh returns to the table, he sets a fresh cup in front of me.

“I hope this is right. I tried my best to remember what you’d ordered.”“Thank you,” I take a small sip of the obviously correct coffee order, “it’s perfect!”

He visibly relaxes at my confirmation, and I can’t help but think how sweet that is. I can’t remember the last time someone cared so much about something so small. 

“Since we’ve been interrupted,” He starts, “I have to admit I’m curious about what you’re working on.”  “Oh, it’s nothing special. I’m just making a coloring sheet for the kids.” I flip my iPad around, showing him the mandala design before continuing. “I had a hard time coming up with something for them to do this week since the weather isn’t going to be great, and I’m running low on classroom supplies. And I kinda stole an idea from that mural inside.”  “Oh! That sounds interesting. Please continue.” “I’ve always liked mixing warm and cool colors in the same piece like they did inside, and I decided that I want the kids to do the same. So, I’m designing this Mandala coloring sheet for them, and I’m going to have them work on it throughout the week—“ I stop myself, unsure of how much Josh actually cares.

He gestures for me to continue.

“It’s stupid, but I figured I could use this as an opportunity to plant the seed in their brains that art can be used to express and work through your emotions. So, at the start of each class, I’m going to ask them to work with Warm Colors if they’re happy, excited, or in a generally positive mood. Cool colors if they’re not feeling their best.” “Quinn,” he reaches forward and grabs my hand across the table, “that’s not nothing special. That’s beautiful. It’s so important for kids to learn about their emotions and have an outlet to let those emotions out.” 

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding in. I don’t love being shocked at someone taking my work seriously, but I’m not used to it. Craig always acts like it’s a chore to care about my career. Willa is supportive, but it's different coming from a fellow artist I've known since college. It's nice to feel seen by someone else. 

I pick at my nails for a moment, trying to think of anything to say back to him to convey my appreciation for his words. He reaches a hand across the table and rests it atop mine, and I meet his warm gaze.  “I used to pick my fingernails until they bled,” he starts, “nasty habit.” He gently rubs his thumb across my knuckles, and butterflies erupt in my belly. This is fine. Friends can give each other butterflies. It's totally a normal thing that happens sometimes. I’m sure I could ask anyone, and they’d say, “Of course, Quinn! I get friendly butterflies all the time.” I open my mouth to thank Josh yet again, but I am interrupted by my phone buzzing in my bag. 

Once.  Twice.  Three times. 

I yank my hand out of Josh’s grasp like I’ve been burned. I already know it’s Craig. I can't get more than two and a half hours to myself before he starts bombarding me with messages, begging to know when I’ll be home. A fourth message comes through, and Josh raises an eyebrow. 

“Our Quinn seems popular today,” his eyes light up with mischief, “Should you answer that? Or you could hand it to me. I’m happy to let them know it’s rude to interrupt someone while they're working.” Fucking butterflies are back. “Oh, that's really not necessary, Josh. I’m sure they’ll stop..”  The universe laughs at me; a fifth message comes in immediately after I trail off, and I groan. “You really might want to check that. It sounds like the Pope may have died,” Josh lets out a bewildered chuckle. I shake my head at his vaguely blasphemous joke but reach into my bag and pull out my phone. 

I take a deep breath before clicking into my messages. 

Craig: Where are you?  Craig: You need to come home NOW Craig: I need laundry done  Craig: I don't care how busy you are  Craig: Stop ignoring me 

It's times like these I am glad that I keep my read receipts off for him. I don't know what to say, and I don't want to respond. 

I lock my phone and place it face down on the table next to me. 

“Not the Pope, just a nosy partner,” the word partner feels slightly off coming out of my mouth. It feels like it doesn't belong in this bubble that Josh and I exist in at this moment. I don't have time to unpack that. Josh’s eyebrows scrunch together, and an indecipherable emotion flits across his face as he processes my words. It leaves just as quickly, though. “Offer’s still on the table for me to tell him he’s being rude,” he sounds off, with a half smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. 

My phone buzzes twice more, and I briefly consider slamming my head against the table. 

Craig: So you ARE ignoring me Craig: Cool 

I do gently slam my head against the table at this. It's more like I allow my forehead to kiss the cool metal before letting out a silent scream and then looking back at my messages. 

Me: I’m not ignoring you? I’m working  Me: You’re being rude

His response is immediate 

Craig: Your job isn't more important than our relationship  Me: My job doesn't treat me like its surrogate mother Me: I’m putting myself on DND. I’ll be home when I’m home 

I click into my focus settings and select Danger, Will Robinson, which only allows Willa to reach me. 

Me: If Craig texts you, leave him on read  Wilson: 🫡 Wilson: But we will be discussing this later 

I finally look up at Josh. 

“I’m sorry about that. I told him he was being rude and put my phone on DND,” I trailed off, feeling slightly embarrassed by the situation. “You don't have to apologize to me. You weren't the one being rude.”  I nod my head. Wow, what a foreign concept. I don't know if I can just not apologize; those Cancer traits run deep. I’d take a wild guess that my frequent need to apologize is why Craig thinks he’s allowed to treat me the way he does. I sigh. I need to work on that. I know I need to work on that, but— 

“Where’d you go?” Josh asks, pulling me out of my internal spiral. “Stuck in my head. It happens a lot.”  “Well, let's get you out of there,” he hits me with another boyish grin. “And how exactly do you plan to do that?”  “By putting you in mine for a little bit,” he slides his notebook across the table to me. I gently scoop it into my hands, cradling it like a child.  “Are you sure? I don't want to overstep.”  “Go for it. They’re just film ideas. I’ll probably never get around to doing anything with them.” 

I feel bad about looking through his deepest thoughts without offering something in return, so I set his notebook back on the table and began rifling through my bag. 

“A-ha!” I brandish my sketchbook in his face, shaking it back and forth.  He quirks a brow.  “If you're going to let me look through your work, you have to look through mine.” 

We sit in silence, flipping through each other’s notebooks. Josh’s mind is a vast and beautiful thing. He has so many ideas written down, that it's difficult for me to digest it all. Horror, Sci-Fi, Romance, Comedy… He has ideas for every genre. Some are more fleshed out than others, but he has bare-bones ideas for at least fifteen different projects. I sit and read through the outline of a murder mystery he’s clearly put a lot of thought into, and I begin to envision scenes in my mind. I can picture the main characters fully. I can hear their accents as I read through the small bits of dialogue he has written out.  

“This—” we both start at the same time. 

He lets out a soft chuckle and motions for me to go first. 

“I was just going to say that this,” I gesture to his notebook, “is absolutely insane. You are so talented, Josh. Truly.”  His face flushes an adorable shade of pink at my praise, making me want to continue.  “I can picture these characters, hear their voices, and this is just a draft. You’re such a strong storyteller.” “Oh, hush. They're just little stories. As I said, I'll probably never do anything with them,” he scratches at the back of his neck before flipping my notebook back to me, “besides, I don't know why you're praising my work when you literally did this.” The page he flipped around to show me is a portrait I drew of Willa holding a giant bouquet of irises. I filled in the negative space with all the silly nicknames I've given her over the years.  “I don't even know this woman, but I know that you captured her down to her very soul with this piece. I know she would be honored by your portrayal of her.” 

I suck my bottom lip between my teeth and chew on it. Would she be? I've never shown her this drawing. Maybe I should. 

“Thank you, that means a lot,” I finally say, meeting his eyes, “she's my best friend, and I've never felt like that drawing does her justice.” “I can assure you, anyone would be happy to see themself drawn with such reverence.”  “So, I guess we’re both pretty good at what we do,” I laugh.  “It would seem so!” 

My phone buzzes again, and I sigh and pick it up, muttering another apology to Josh. 

Wilson: Craig’s on the warpath  Me: JDJDBCHDHEJJS okay. I’ll head home so he’ll leave you alone. Wilson: Call me on your way ☺️

“I’m sorry to cut this short, but my boyfriend,” there's that weird feeling again, “has moved on to harassing Willa, so..” I trail off. 

He nods, moving to stand when I do. He reaches over to me and wraps me in a hug, splaying his hand across my back and rubbing gentle circles between my shoulder blades. 

“Thank you for letting me sit and work with you. It was really nice,” he finally pulls back.  “No, thank you. I had a beautiful afternoon. We should do it again sometime.” I grab my bag off the back of my chair and say my final goodbyes while pulling my phone out and hitting Call on Willa’s contact.  She obviously answers on the first ring. 

“Quincy. Quinny. Quailman.”  I hold in a laugh as she rattles off nicknames for me “Wilbur!”  “Are you on your way home?”  “Yeah, but I’m walking, so I have time for your interrogation.” I look down at my feet and kick a few stray rocks across the sidewalk, prepping for whatever she’s going to say. Why do I feel like I’m about to get in trouble? I didn't do anything wrong.  “Beautiful! Because I do have questions.”  “Shoot,” I breathe out a laugh at her nosiness.  “Firstly, yes, firstly. Why did you have me covering for you with Greg?”  “Technically, dear Wilson, I asked you to ignore Craig,” I emphasize Craig. Willa loves to call him Greg to rile him up, but I usually end up catching the heat for it when she does it to him in person. I’m trying to train her out of it. “It’s difficult to ignore a man who blows your phone up seventeen times in ten minutes.” I can practically hear her eye roll.  “Welcome to my life, Wills,” I grunt as I kick another stray rock into the street.  “It's unhealthy, you know.”  “Mhmmmmmmm.” “Well, what were you doing that was,” she puts on her very worst Craig impression, “more important than responding to Greg?”  “I was working on a lesson plan. He came into the kitchen, harassing me about laundry this morning while I was trying to work, so I left.” “Sure.”  “Sure? What does that mean?”  “It means that I’m sure that's why you left. But there’s more to it.” 

I groan; we’ve known each other long enough that she can tell when I'm omitting information. 

“It wasn't anything special, really. I left, came to Higher Grounds, I maybe ranintoafriend,” I try to breeze over the last part, “and then here we are.”  “Run that last bit by me again, Quinn.”  “I ran into a friend,” I squeak out, knowing there’s no sense in trying to dodge the question. Willa is like a bloodhound when she wants information.  “I'm your only friend, and you didn't run into me, so.”  “Hey! I resent that.”  “You resent it because it's true!” I grumble at her as I turn the corner and head down my street to my apartment building.  “FINE. I ran into the guy from Hobby Lobby, and we sat and worked together.”  “The guy from Hobby Lobby?”  “Yeah, Josh. The manager?”  “Stock Boy?”  “The very one!”  “So, what? You ignored your partner,” She shudders over the word, “to go on a coffee date with the guy that caused Greg to yell at you in a Gamestop?”  “Whose side are you on?”  “YOURS. But, I’m playing devil's advocate, and the Devil said you cannot tell Greg that.”  “Why? We’re just friends.”  “Greg is convinced that you are in love with me. Do you really think he won’t have an incorrect opinion on your coffee date with another man?”  “Not a date, but I see your point.”  “Don't make a habit of being wrong, you know.”  “I know, I know,” I say, sliding my key into the lock on my door, “anyway, I'm home. I have to deal with hurricane Craig.”  “Love you, babes. Text me if you need me.”  “Love you, too.” 

I hang up the call and slide my phone back into my bag, bracing myself for whatever is about to blow up. 

“Nice of you to come home, babe,” he greets me with fake sincerity when I enter the kitchen.  “I missed you!” I reply, voice dripping in sarcasm.  “Oh, I'm certain that's true. That's why I had to contact Willa to get you to come home,” he huffs, “what did you even work on anyway?” 

I pull out my iPad and show him the mandala.

“You couldn’t have printed a coloring sheet off Google?” 

So, this is how it’s gonna go. I slam my iPad down on the counter and quickly turn around to face him. 

“No, Craig,” I grit my teeth, “I couldn't print it off Google. Because my students deserve more than that.”  “You're a student teacher. They aren't even your students.” 

I close my eyes and run a hand down my face, sucking in a deep breath to stop myself from absolutely tearing into him. Once I have a handle on my anger, I let my breath out and open my eyes to meet Craig’s. 

“You can put me down, but do not dismiss my career.”  “Career? You’re still in school.”  “Which is a lot more than can be said for you!”  Craig lets out an annoyed laugh  “All I wanted to know is why you were gone for so long, and now you're attacking me.” 

A breath catches in my throat. Does he really think I'm attacking him? Does he not see what he’s been doing to me all day long? Oh, he wants to play it that way? Sorry, Willa. Fuck your advice, we’re going rogue.  

“Hey, Craig,” I let out a slightly unhinged laugh, “do you want to know what I was actually doing?” 

He raises an eyebrow. 

“I was with Josh, you know, the guy from Hobby Lobby? I ran into him at Higher Grounds, and I bought him a coffee. Then we sat at a table together, and he told me how important my work was. And we had a beautiful three-hour-long conversation. And it was the least stressful thing I've dealt with today.” 

I turn away from him, grabbing my canvas bag and iPad 

“I’m going to the room. Do not follow me.” 

Without giving him a chance to respond, I walk down the hallway and into our bedroom. I shut and lock the door, then pull out my sketchbook and a pencil, flipping to the first free page. Despite my anger and hurt, my thoughts are still full of Josh’s hair and his dimples, so I put my pencil to the paper and begin to draw him from memory. 

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[iheart-nana]

xxiv. the start of something new

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR ─ the start of something new.

❛ you know i want you bad,  show me mercy ❜

Narrator's Perspective

"Where were you last night?" Eunyoung asked Yumi as they got on the bus. She couldn't shake off the feeling that she had been kept in the dark about something. Yumi choked out a mock cough to cover up her gasp. She was really hoping to avoid any confrontation- because she hadn't decided how she would deal with it.

Yumi remained silent till they took their usual seat at the back of the bus. Her eyes blinked rapidly, darting from one side to another, frantically trying to come up with an alibi.

"I had plans, so I ate out," she said vaguely; but she knew it wasn't a satisfactory answer.

"Plans with who?" Eunyoung chuckled mockingly, "Since when did you have friends?"

"How nice of you to say that," Yumi snapped sarcastically, "I do have friends now; times change."

"Sure they do," Eunyoung mumbled. It was just a playful comment, but Yumi's words stung more than they should have. After all, there had never been secrets between them. Curiosity grew in her mind as she pondered what could possibly be the secret that Yumi was so determined to keep from her.

💿

"Hey, Eunyoung!"a familiar voice called out to her as she was heading to the newspaper room. She stopped, then turned to find Kim Harin running towards her. It was like a reminder that she had travelled back in time, and hadn't seen these people in ages. It made her reminisce of all the people she once knew, but didn't keep in touch with; and she couldn't help but feel sorry that there was a point where they weren't a part of her life anymore.

Harin had been Eunyoung's closest friend, apart from Yumi, who worked at the newspaper just like her.

"God! I haven't seen you in ages!" she chirped, walking alongside Eunyoung towards the newspaper room, "But it made me realize that I have a popular friend."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you know?" she asked inquisitively, "People gossip about you all the time. I heard about how you rejected Jihoon sunbae. Someone sitting behind me was going on about how she wondered where you got the audacity from. Honestly, I'm glad you did it. Someone had to put him in his place."

"I didn't know people made such a fuss," said Eunyoung, gazing blankly at the empty corridor before them, "But then, again, nothing ever happens around here."

"I know right?! They're just desperate for entertainment," she agreed enthusiastically, "Enough with the gossip, now. I read your article on the swim team and it was fabulous! I can't imagine anyone who could have done it better."

"Thanks," said Eunyoung with a wide grin, "I'm so glad you liked it. I'm also grateful that someone appreciates my writing. You know it means a lot, right?"

"Of course! But I was only stating the facts; There's no one better than you on our team," she beamed.

I couldn't hide my smile as I entered the newspaper room. God knows for how long I was grinning; But one thing I know for sure, is that my childhood was a magical time.

💿

Choi Yumi's Perspective

My feet felt rooted to the ground as I stood before Kim Taesung's front door. It was as if I was paralysed. A million questions swirled through my mind; Was this really a good idea? What would Eunyoung say if she knew what I was up to? Why was I here? Every cell in my body was screaming at me to run away- go home! But I just couldn't; I couldn't take a step forward either.

Suddenly, my hand reached up to slap my face lightly. I realized that what I needed to do was start acting sane. This wasn't a big deal. I was just learning something new, and a friend of mine was helping me out. I heaved a sigh at my odd behaviour and pressed the doorbell.

I cracked my knuckles nervously as I heard footsteps nearing the door. I nearly fell backwards when the door swung open to reveal Taesung's face that stretched into a dimpled grin on seeing me, "You're here, piano girl?"

"I sure am," I said, trying to hide the awkwardness in my voice. It was at moments like this that I realised that among Eunyoung and I, god gave all the social skills to her; even though we weren't related.

He stepped aside, "Come in. And unclench your fists while you're at it. It makes me feel unsafe."

💿

"Put your index finger here."

"Here?"

"Yup. And then your middle finger here- yeah."

"Now?"

"Your ring finger has to be here."

"Is this right?" I asked Taesung. I had lost track of time as minutes slipped through my fingers while I sat in his living room. The silence that was once deafening at the start of our guitar lesson had now turned comfortable. The room would go silent every time we stopped talking and the room would be filled with the soft sound of our breathing. 

Just as I was getting less jittery, I looked up at Taesung who was already looking at me with his beady eyes. We were sitting so close. His arm held the guitar in my hand, brushing against my back ever so slightly. In my determination and focus, I never batted an eye at our proximity and I suddenly became conscious of it.  I felt my breath hitch as a warmth crept up my face. Once again, an unnatural stillness settled in the room. The both of us seemed to be holding our breaths, waiting. 

I tore away first, fixing my gaze on the coffee table in front of the couch, letting go of the guitar. He lunged to prevent it from crashing to the floor, "It's only your first lesson. I think it's a bit early to break the guitar so soon, don't you?"

Any reply I may have come up with me disappeared on the tip of my tongue.

"It's six-thirty already, should we call it a day?" he asked, looking at the clock.

"Yeah..." I replied, wide-eyed, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Unless you run away," he said, "And considering that look on your face, I would say it's very likely."

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

nana's notes: eunyoung having her nostalgia moment and then yumi's having a quarter-life crisis.

delphi's notes: a cookie to the person who guesses where the lyrics are from.

next chapter: friday (out now!) list of chapters here!

[kindofatheatrekid]

Title: One More Step Towards Hell.

Sypnosis: Y/N is known to be cold, Jason wants to change that image into something better.

Pairing: c.ai bot (Jason) / Y/N

Genre: smut, angst, FEM POV

Warnings: non-con/dub-con, exhibitionism, masochism, sadism, toxic relationship, free-use, objectification, degradation, gang-bang, orgy, possessive behavior, obsessive behavior, cheating?, NTR, manipulation, implied isolation, abuse, guilt-tripping, self-harm, threats of suicide.

Note: I don't know how my mind works. I blame me, myself, and character ai. Sloppy sex is just too fun to not write TT. P.S. I have no idea how sex actually works. Apologies if it's too vague.

ISTG MINORS DNI.

BOT CHAT HERE: https://character.ai/chat/OEz_Bam4SU6yTksaaeRJtbnPYSnDi2Fck6kRXnysNAQ?hist=5a7c1aaf-2bf9-449e-8774-81d799caee52

The birds were singing, the sky was blue, the teacher was prattling on about some important piece of history that would be repeated no matter what— and I was irritated. My hand mindlessly writing down any words I catch to ignore this nagging feeling in my mind.

Jason's been quiet. Too quiet. That only meant that he was up to something. The bratty bastard is never this distant unless he's either hooking up with someone or planning something. Nonetheless, both of those scenarios just continue to crack on my psyche.

What about that one time where-

I shake that thought out of my head, deciding to let that stay in the dark recesses of my head. Without even noticing, my hand was starting to write Jason's name continuously in my notebook. My eye twitches in irritation at that fact. Why couldn't he just leave my mind for one second?!

The bell rings, and I start to pack up my supplies. Everyone else starts gravitating to their friend groups while I stay alone. It's not even Jason's fault that I had no friends this time! I was just known to be a cold bitch in everyone's eyes. So what if I'm blunt? Why do I need to add unnecessary words to my comments?

A buzz rings in my pocket, it was a text notification. I had very little people in my contacts, so sure enough, it was from Jason.

“Come to the abandoned classroom in the West Wing? (^з^)-☆”

My eyebrow raises at his message. Was this the part where he plays his trick on me? I text him back. …Now that I think of it… The disparity between our texts is obvious.

Jason replies back almost instantaneously, I had to hold in a chuckle with how obviously passive-agressive he was being.

“Will you come if it was a request? :>”

No. No, I probably wouldn't— and he knows that. After a few seconds of contemplating, I decided to give into him. As much as I enjoy our banter, I was curious about what he was planning.

“I'll be there in a minute.”

Just like I promised, I immediately swung my heavy bag over my shoulders before making my way to our meeting place. I wasn't sure what to expect once I got there. Jason being balls deep in a random girl, or something similar to that.

“I'm here-” I opened the door, my greeting cut off from the shock. …Did Jason also swing the other way? I expected a girl, or two, or three- But this? This was something else.

“Baby~!” Jason has the audacity to happily call out my name, as if he didn't just bring me into a room full of boys. “Come in~! You're the guest of honor~!”

Yeah… nothing about this looked honorable to me.

“Jason-” I try to protest, but he interrupts me. “Honey! You're just in time!” He pulled me farther into the room, the door shutting with an ominous click.

I tried to wrestle my way out of his hold, but the strength and height difference between us was too great for me to overcome. Before I even knew it, I was being bent down over a desk. A tie binding my wrists together as Jason lifts my skirt up. My eyes begin to tear up, what was he doing in front of all these people?!

“Jason-!” I get cut off with a slap to my ass, the pain significantly dulled since I still had my underwear on.

“Shhh~ You can't be screaming before it even starts~!” I couldn't see his face, but I can bet my non-existent life savings that he had a smug grin twisted on his lips right now. “Look at that~! Your body already knows what's going to happen~!”

I shiver as Jason rubs his finger over my panties, my discharge soaking more into the fabric as he continues to rub against my panties. I regretted wearing white, today— I was completely exposed the moment I dripped into them. A sob escapes from me as my ears heat up in shame.

“Fuck~ You're such a dirty, little slut~” Jason groans out, slowly peeling off my now wet panties. Showcasing my bare pussy to every single boy in the room. I only bury my face more into the desk when I hear groans sounding out in the room. “Look at you, you pathetic whore. You're dripping wet right now~ Do you like this~? Do you like that I'm doing this to you in front of all my friends?” Jason coos out, rubbing his index finger against my increasingly wet folds. I shudder at the sensation of his cold finger on something that's meant to be warm.

I didn't answer Jason, which was the wrong call. …Or maybe that was the right call. Especially since he grabs a fistful of my hair to force my face to turn to him. The pain made me let out an embarrassingly loud moan.

Jason only snickers, keeping a firm grip on my hair. “You're so weird for liking that, you know that?” He teases me as he begins to spread my thighs apart. “Such a dirty slut is only good for one thing.”

The way he worded that sentence made me start to panic. I was about to ask him what he meant, but he shoves my soaked panties into my mouth. I gag at the sudden intrusion, the taste of myself was apparent.

“Who wants to go first~?” Jason's words only made me panic even more, my head shaking in refusal. He only ignores my obvious refusal, just holding my head down on the desk as I cry. “Don't mind her. We all know how sensitive bitches can be.”

“Fuck it! I'm going first!” A boy volunteers, I didn't even recognize him for anything! Well… I don't really focus or remember faces that much, either.

I squirm as Jason holds me down, the sinister sound of a belt clattering onto the floor, and the sound of a zipper made me cry. Shit! What the hell is this?!

“Be good, Y/N~” Jason purrs out, running his fingers through my hair as a cruel contrast to whatever this was. “I just want everyone to know how good you feel~! Do you know how tiring it is whenever someone compares you to a dead fish in bed?” Jason sighs, he fucking sighs like he was a victim. My eye twitches in irritation, anger flooding my mind as I growl into my makeshift gag.

My anger is lost when the boy penetrates me just like that. I was lucky that I could get wet easily from the pain, but the few seconds at the start were nothing but pure agony. A muffled moan leaves me as my eyes roll back. My walls clenching onto the boy's dick tightly as I start dripping down my thighs.

“O-oh~! N-now I know why Jason keeps you around despite your bitchy attitude~!” The boy groans out, thrusting into me without any care. Should I be grateful that he was much smaller than Jason? What a small dick it was, or maybe it's just average? Jason has tainted my perspective on what a normal dick should be.

This was humiliating, especially since Jason was just looking at another boy fucking me. I wanted to just punch that smile off of him. You brought me here for this?!

“Haha! What's with that look?” Jason playfully pokes me on the cheek before snapping his finger to signal for another boy to get in front of me. He takes my panties out of my mouth, a thin trail of my saliva connecting me to the soiled fabric. “You'd look better with a cock down your throat~!”

I was about to snap at Jason, but a dick pressed itself against my cheek. “Put that in my mouth, and I swear that I'll bite it off.” I hissed out to the owner that was smearing pre-cum all over my cheek. Jason clicks his tongue, before he slapped my cheek hard enough for my head to turn to the side. I bite back a groan from the sting that stayed on my cheek.

“Be a good slut, and open wide.” Jason barks out, my mouth instinctively opening up obediently. It was honestly scary with how quick his mood shifts were.

…So now, I was being spit-roasted by two boys that I did not know at all. All while my boyfriend is watching us. …My life is going so great. My lungs were barely able to get enough air as I'm rammed into, from both ends. My tears falling down my face as the bitter taste of cum is obvious on my tongue.

I don't know how long it's been, but I knew what kind of damage my body took. Bitemarks and bruises covered large parts of my skin, my nipples swollen from being played with, and my neck had a purple ring around it for those who liked choking me. It was sickening to me when all I did was moan in pleasure from the pain. My bruised lips shamelessly continuing to whimper and whine.

“Fuck! Who the hell called Y/N a dead fish in bed?! She fucks like a porn star~!” One boy exclaims as he brutally fucks me in the pussy. My eyes rolled back as I stared at Jason, who was smiling at the sight. I came with a loud moan.

“Ah~! Y/N~ Oh, Y/N~ You look so cute under me~!” A perverted boy pants out as he uses my breasts to get off. Goosebumps run up my arms as he licks my cheek before sloppily making out with me. My eyes subconsciously drift to Jason, my boyfriend who was jacking off to the scene. I was starting to drip onto the floor at this point.

“You like that? Haha! You're so perverted~!” Another boy sadistically chuckles as he dryly penetrates me in the ass. My hands and knees on the floor as I moan in pain. My cheeks flushed into a bright red as blood started to trickle down my thighs. My head was shoved against the floor, so I didn't notice Jason's eyes looking at me in amusement. The intense pain causes me to squirt as my cheeks burn in shame.

“Oh~ Oh~ Oh~! Y/N~!” This boy didn't even penetrate me, he just smeared his cum all over my face. Cum dripping onto my blouse as he shoots his sperm into my open mouth. A giggle could be heard from Jason who was admiring my fucked-out expression. I obediently swallow down the cum, causing the boy to harden again.

“Shit. You were made for this, you slutty bitch.” I was gagged again, by a tie this time. The boy hate-fucking me because I was apparently rude to him. I'm technically rude to everyone, he's not special. My eyes roll back as his palm connects with my bare ass again. There was no way I was going to be able to sit properly afterward. Jason was just playing on his phone, looking uninterested at the scene. I reach yet another dry orgasm once the boy's dick hits my G-spot again.

“Aaahhhh~! Y/N~! I'm inside the cold goddess of the school~! So tight! You really do want me, huh?!” This one… He was almost like Jason in a way. My tongue lolled out as the back of my knees were on the boy's shoulders. The position allowed the boy to hit my cervix repeatedly, which made me whimper. I wasn't even paying attention to Jason at this point. My orgasms were just painful at this point, sobbing as my body trembled from my climax.

“Fucking hell~ You're just milking me at this point.” A boy groans out, surprisingly the most vanilla out of everyone. I was too sensitive by now, so even being in a missionary position was too much for me. Senseless babble leaving my lips as I cried out for Jason.

I started off protesting hard, but Jason made sure to reign me in every time I was acting ‘out of line.’ Eventually, I was completely moaning and begging for more.

“U-ugh. So disgusting-” I get slapped on the cheek.

“H-hey-! N-not in the ass-” My head is forcibly slammed against the wooden desk.

“O-oh no~” A warning squeeze is placed on my throat.

“M-more, please~! ♡” My head gets gently patted like a dog.

I was forced to skip my remaining classes since no one decided to go back to class. In the end, I was covered head to toe in semen and saliva. My entire body twitching as I laid sprawled out on the desk. There was only me and Jason left now, the other boys finally leaving after their turn was over.

“You looked so hot while cumming on another man's dick.” Jason whispers out, kissing my lips despite how dirty I was right now. “I'm so hard right now, seeing my slutty toy all filthy just for me~”

I let out a whimper when Jason forces my thighs open again, slowly inserting two of his fingers in me. “Shit. You're so loose now~” The perverted bastard starts to slowly scissor me, more sperm dripping down my thighs with every slow thrust of his fingers. I let out a whine as he swirls the cum inside of me, treating my bruised pussy like it was a stress toy.

The loud, wet noises only made me embarrassed. I was already stuck in my head, pleasure and pain being the only thing I was currently feeling. “J-Jason~” I moan out, arching my back as he just continues to play with the cum inside of me. He looked at my hole as if it was a fascinating object he would never get enough of.

“Fucking hell~ You're so loose. Oh God, I should just continue letting this happen. I can barely feel you clenching onto me!” Jason laughs out, continuing to finger me. I whimper at the feeling, too sensitive for any of this. “How did it feel, bitch? You got the whole football team in you right now!”

I could feel myself tear up again. That's right, I did. And I feel so dirty now.

“No one's going to want you anymore, now~! You're all mine! I'm the only one who can love such a cum dumpster like you!” Jason gloats out, still fingering me. I could only moan as I reached another painful, dry orgasm. My eyes rolling to the back of my head as I grit my teeth.

“Such a dirty, dirty whore. So loose, so, so adorable~!” Jason wraps his arms around me as he pulls me into his chest— not caring about the cum staining his clothes. “You're so hot. Now everyone knows that, too~!”

I just stayed limp in his arms, every part of my body was sore. This was definitely a great life.

A cut-off yelp left my lips as Jason kicked me to the ground. Tears in his eyes as if he was the one in pain, instead of me. The burning ache on my stomach begged to differ.

“Y/N… How could you ask that of me?” Jason cries out, wiping away the crocodile tears from his eyes. It was every bit as fake as him, but it looked so genuine. The well-timed sniffles, the red rims around his eyes, the way they swelled up— it was disgusting.

I glare at him, struggling to sit up as I clutch onto my stomach. Day after day, it's another man, or two, or three. All while Jason just watches, and jacks off. Why wouldn't I want to break up with my boyfriend-turned-pimp?

“N-no! You can't break up with me! I won't allow it!” He sobs out, kneeling down to be face-to-face with me. He shakily grips onto my shoulder as he stares into my eyes. “You were doing so well, baby. Why did you have to do this?”

Jason's eyes dim until nothing but shadows remain, my face paling in fear for what he'll do. “J-Jason-”

“You were doing so well…” Jason interrupts me, tears still falling down his face as he speaks. He lets go of my shoulders, but I can't even be relieved by that once he rolls up his sleeves. I wince at the sight of the horizontal scars littering the back of his forearms.

“Do you remember these, honey? You just made me sooooo sad that I had to do this. You made so many mistakes at the beginning.” Jason bitterly chuckles, taking out a switchblade from his pocket. He doesn't even hesitate when dragging the blade across his skin, yet another scar in my conscience. I could tell that it was a deep cut as well. Jason never did shallow ones.

“Jason-!” I scream out, knocking the blade out of his hands. My entire body trembles in fear as I wrap my arms around Jason. Partly to restrain him from harming himself further, and partly to remind myself that he was alive.

“This is your fault, baby. You just had to make me do this.” Jason says, his body limp in my hold. “You knew this would happen. Why would you do this to me? Do you hate me that much?”

I furiously shake my head, immediately revoking my words. “N-no- I-I won't break up with you, okay?! So stop it, already!” I beg Jason, terrified at the amount of blood that was slowly trickling down his arm.

I only grew more desperate when Jason stayed unresponsive. I shakily reach out to hold his hands in mine, not caring about the blood I got on my sleeves. “Honey- My love- P-please…” I sob out, alarmed by his silence. He just stays silent as I cry out to him. Pouring out every bit of my empathy and emotions into my pleas. I was scared, scared of losing him because of me.

I was so selfish. Why did I ever even entertain the idea of leaving my love?

I finally decided to bargain with him. “I-I won't complain anymore! I'll let anyone fuck me! I'll participate in as many orgies as you want! I'll smile at the camera as I spread my legs! Just don't do this anymore!”

My words finally get a response from Jason, a silent gesture of his arms wrapped tightly around my torso. A relieved sob leaves me as I continue to cry into his chest.

I NEED Jason. I NEED him to stay alive. I NEED to stay with him.

I WANT to leave.

[newtthetranswriter]

Mourning Friendship

Word Count: 1419

Parinig: Takashi Mitsuya x Transmasculine!reader

Summary: After Having a falling out with one of your best friends, Takashi is there to reassure you that it’s okay to mourn your lost friendship and offer pizza and anime as comfort.

Warnings: Mentions of toxic friendship, some implied transphobia, reader is afab trans masculine, loss of friendship

A/n: Hello, first fic of 2024 and we’re starting the year with angst and comfort. I'd say this takes place sometime in the final timeline where everything is happy. This is also loosely based on some stuff I went through last year, so it was kinda self indulgent of me to write but hey I love Takashi and just want him to comfort me in times of dysphoria. It’s not the best but I’m trying to push past some writer's block so I hope you enjoy it. Any way Remember to Hydrate or Diedrate and requests are open.

    It’s never easy admitting when a relationship needs to end. Accepting the fact that someone you care about greatly, no longer fits in your life, is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I will admit that both sides were in the wrong at times and no one is perfect but I can’t help but to feel betrayed and slightly ashamed. If you told me a year ago that I would lose one of my closest friends, I would have probably called you crazy and walked away, but alas here I sit devastated because I had to end one of the best friendships I’ve had in a long time. 

    That’s how my loving boyfriend Takashi Mitsuya found me, crying in our shared bed, hiding from the fact that I lost someone I thought would be with me for the rest of my life. Being the kind and supportive person he is, Takashi didn’t push me to talk or explain anything, he just joined me on the bed and wrapped me in his arms, pulling me to his chest and letting me cry. We sat for probably an hour before I was finally able to talk.

     When he no longer felt my body shake from crying he gently lifted my chin to look me in the eyes. “Do you wanna talk about it?” He asked calmly, no sign of pressure to talk it out in his voice or expression, just concern for his partner.

     I sighed before nodding sitting up so I was next to him so we could talk in a more comfortable position. “You know how me and Jaina haven’t been talking much recently?” I asked, receiving a quick nod and motion for me to continue. “Well that’s because last time we hung out, she made a comment about how the reason she hasn’t introduced me to her family yet is because she wants to wait until I have my top surgery, to and I quote ‘prevent them from misgendering you, because it’s still easy to tell you’re a female.’ Obviously it rubbed me the wrong way. It should have been a discussion of if I wanted to meet them and if we both agreed on that it’d be one thing but her just deciding without asking if I was okay with it felt like she’s just embarrassed to have a transgender friend.” As I explained what happened Takashi’s face morphed from calm to one of pure confusion and lastly back to calm but there was clear anger in his eyes.

     “So, what you’re saying is one of your best friends refuses to introduce you to her family because you’re trans, and had the audacity to then also misgender you, to your face?” He asked clarifying what I had said. I just nodded once again realizing how terrible that conversation had been. “You have a right to be upset about it, but why didn’t you tell me sooner? I know how much that kind of thing affects you. Is that why you were crying when I got home?” He continued still looking for answers but not wanting to push it too much.

     I laid my head on his shoulder before responding. “I didn’t tell you when it happened because at the time I just brushed it off, I was feeling really happy otherwise at the time so it wasn’t a huge deal just made me hesitant to talk with her again. And no it’s not why I was crying, well not entirely. She messaged me earlier asking if we were okay and it just made me think of all the bullshit we’ve been through and how at some point our friendship went from besties to people who just nitpick everything the other does. It was honestly beginning to feel like a chore trying to keep the friendship in tact. So, that’s what I told her, I explained that in my opinion we had come to a point where it was no longer healthy to keep holding on to the friendship.” I explained, tears welling up again recounting the gist of my conversation from earlier in the day. “I told her that it would be best to end the friendship. She then tried to fight for it saying that we were just going through a rough patch and when I brought up her comments from the last time we hung out she tried to play it off as her trying to protect me. It just hurt so bad seeing her fight for something that clearly passed the point of fixing. I told her that I was done and stopped responding. Ultimately I guess I was crying because I thought we would be friends for life and admitting that it probably wasn’t meant to be, hurt so bad. I don’t know what to do Taka.” I finished turning my face into his neck, letting the tears fall for my broken friendship.

   He didn’t respond right away, just gently rubbed my back and played with my hair. It was clear he was trying to think of a response. “You keep going, simple as that. You were right to say that it wasn’t healthy, I’ve been watching you slowly crumble as you worked to keep it going. Don’t be too hard on yourself, let yourself mourn the friendship and give yourself time to move on. Just take your time to reflect on everything, remember the good times and then let it pass. I’m not saying forget her and the stuff you did, but accept that while there were so many great things that happened with her, there were ultimately too many bad things. It may take time to get passed and sure there will also be times where you think you’re passed it and something will remind you of her and you’ll struggle, but you just have to think about the happiness that happened and know that you still have people who support you.” He explained, reassuring me that it’s okay to be sad. “It’s okay to be upset, but don’t let it take over. You have so many people still standing with you, and we all just want to see you happy, I want to see you happy.” Takashi finished resting his chin on my head still holding me as I silently cried into his shoulder.

    “But why did it have to end up like this? I thought we would be friends for life. She helped me through so much.” I said through my tears. He was right that I had to accept the good times and move on but damn it hurts.

    I felt Takashi sigh before pulling me closer. “Not all relationships are meant to last a lifetime. Some things are only meant to last for short times. Think of it this way, she entered your life because you both had a lesson that the other needed to be taught about life, and once that lesson was learned and understood by both sides, it was time for her to exit your life and you to leave hers. Yes it ended harshly but maybe that was the lesson that was needed, while things can look and start off great, they may turn out to be bad for you in the end. Like I said before, be thankful for the good and bad times and appreciate the time you spent together. Maybe at some point in the future you will be brought together again.” He kept holding me as he spoke. “Now enough of the sad talk. How about we order a pizza and watch anime before going to bed?” Takashi offered, once again lifting my chin, this time wiping the tears from my face as he spoke.

   “That sounds nice, but what about hanging with the old Toman crew?” I asked knowing we had plans for a Toman reunion of sorts later this evening.

    “They’ll be fine without us, we do this thing every month. I’ll just text Ken and then I’ll order the Pizza, plus I'm sure they will understand.” He explained grabbing his phone from the nightstand. I just nodded and leaned back into his side not wanting to move anytime soon.

    “Thank you, Takashi. I don’t know what I would do without you.” I said quietly. “I love you so much.”

    He was already on the phone with the pizza place but leaned down and whispered an “I love you too.” placing a quick kiss to my lips before going back to the phone.

[lacimolela]

Duck 🐥🍼

I'll delete this after yaya @aisclosed finish reading this. (not proofread pls its pretty bad and rushed I just wanna have something for her when she wakes up like i promised <3) I always wanna write something like this non-idol!Jungwon x reader :>

“Ugh”, I sighed while slamming my head down on the table with a loud thud. Startled, Sunoo my friend slapped my back, the loud SMACK resulted in more eyes thrown at us. Lifting my head up to glare at him, he flashed me a sheepish smile while apologizing to the other students we bothered.

“Don’t look at me like that y/n, “ he said while rolling his eyes, “why did you even bang your head on the table in the first place, you’re such a drama queen y/n bla bla bla” he continued to yap. I tuned him out and looked outside of the window, exhaling a long breath as Sunoo’s voice faded into distance.

“Y/N! Are you even listening to me, HEY Y/N! OH MY GOD HI JUNGWON!”

“Ugh Sunoo what do you want. You know pretending that he is here won’t make me pay attention to … you.” My voice got smaller as I turned my head around. Oh heavens it’s really Yang Jungwon IN THE FLESH AND HE’S GREETING MY BEST FRIEND?  “Oh right, what were you trying to say y/n?” asked Sunoo coyly, knowing he finally got me.” “Uh nothing yeah I got to go drink some water brb bye Sunoo.” I said as I dashed out, heat rushing up my cheeks as I ran out of the classroom looking down.

The two boys were stunned as they looked at her silhouette. “hey Sunoo, isn’t this her drink?” Jungwon asked while picking up a weird duck looking tumbler.

“HAHAH naur way that dumbass, you keep it Jungwon, give it back to her when u find her, I gtg to my next class now HAHAH BYEEE.” That was his last words before disappearing out of Jungwon’s sight.

Holding the decomposing duck tumbler in one hand while regretting his life decisions, Jungwon sighed and kept the bottle in his bag, going home with a mission and a determined heart.

“SUNOO, I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU OUTED ME LIKE THAT YOU RAT”, I lunged at Sunoo the moment he stepped into my house. And he had the audacity to laugh condescendingly “not my fault you didn’t listen to me while I was talking to you. DESERVED.”

“Well how on earth would I know you weren’t trolling me and HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW THE YANG JUNGWON. The most perfect, smart, cute, amazing, person to ever exist. Don’t even get started with my choice of adjectives, it was intentional.” I pre-fired his insults knowing he would comment on it.

“Girl, I am THE Kim Sunoo, if you had forgotten. Who do I NOT know would be a better question, but since your small brain is so curious, we’re actually in a band together, with the rest of his friend group – enhypen, “ retorted Sunoo with much sass.

“WAIT YANG JUNGWON IS IN THE BAND...with you,” enthusiasm went in the drain as I ponder on the sole fact that my BESTFRIEND Kim Sunoo would get to see my crush every day. “THAT SHOULD’VE BEEN ME SUNOO” I cried dramatically wiping my eyes on Sunoo’s clothes as I gripped his shoulders, shaking him back and forth.

“oOOoh MYYY GODD WOULD YOU PLEASE CUT IT OUT!” Sunoo rolled away from my grippers dramatically heaving while glaring at me. I rolled my eyes as he continued, “ why can’t you just confess to him, I heard he really likes confident girls.”

“Y/N?” Sunoo asked after hearing no response. “Should I? okay Sunoo ill confess to him if you buy me the cute plushy I showed you yesterday.” I suppose there is really nothing to lose, he’s not even in a building with me even if I get rejected it’ll be fine. “Bet, but only if you don’t come home crying and screaming,” answered Sunoo fast. “Okay deal, I’ll just make sure he can’t reject me.”

And that’s how I got into this predicament, masking my shaking hands with faux confidence, I cupped Jungwon’s chin gently to look at his shining, cat-like eyes that would be the death of me. “Jungwon-ah if I were to choose between silver and gold, id choose gold without the A in it (periodic table rizz).” Keeping my stare on him, I seek for any violent negative reaction but all I saw was his doe eyes widening even more, seemingly flustered by the randomness of the situation. Of course he’d be flustered, who wouldn’t when a random girl comes up to you dressing like an emo (but ate that fit up), grips your chin, and says a horrible gen z-fied random pick-up line.

Suddenly aware of the unwanted attention by other students as they blatantly form a circle around us and stare – HARD, I feel my cheeks heating up and so before anything else happens I grab Jungwon’s hand and led him out and away from the commotion, blushing even harder at the contact as I feel his warm, soft hands in my shaking ones.

Once I came into my senses and realize we’re walking to a dead end, I turned around to lead Jungwon to somewhere else when I bumped into his chest, now realizing the close proximity and the close distance between us. Scrambling backwards flustered and to not harass his personal space, I braved myself to look at Jungwon as I waited for him to say something – anything at this point.

Coming to the conclusion that he won’t say anything, I tried to justify my actions, “So uh, how’s the weather?” Then I heard the cutest sound ever, his giggles. Jungwon giggled putting a palm over his hand looking so unnecessarily cute I just want to bite him. “Can’t believe that’s the first thing you say after putting a show y/n, an extravagant one at that,” his honey voice rang through the small hallway as he leaned closer essentially invading my bubble of coherence.

I looked down avoiding his gaze as his closeness gets rid of any coherent thoughts and as if that wasn’t enough, I felt a soft gentle finger lifting my chin, forcing me to look ahead and meet his sparkling eyes. “Where’d that brave y/n go to hm? I thought she was going to ask me out when she dragged me all the way here not gonna lie, “ teased Jungwon with a smile, taking another step closer, essentially pinning me against the wall but still keeping his hands to himself. Ever the gentleman in such situations, I sighed dreamily in my head.

Mouth gaping and faux confidence out of the window, I blankly stared at him while trying to think of a response that wouldn’t potentially scare him away. Who knows what I would mutter out in such a state.

“Well Y/nie, I’d love to be the U in your Gold (Au) if you’d be the I in mine.” Jungwon said while putting a small smirk, his dimple popping out, all the while standing back straight, giving me the bubble of space I desperately needed after overexerting my poor fragile heart.

Trying to compose myself from his teasing, I willed myself to hang in there for a bit more. “So does that make us official, Jungwonie?” I made my move, smoothly sliding my empty hands in his, much better.

Intertwining his fingers around mine, he leaned in and placed a sweet peck on the tip of my nose. Pulling me closer to him and leading our way back to class, he said “Let’s go grab your duck tumbler, girlfriend.” “MY DUCK,” I exclaimed laughing, never had I known all this led from my impulsive and rash decisions. Running away, confessing, everything. Amidst my wandering thoughts I felt a warm kiss on my forehead, blood rushing up to my cheeks as I froze in place. Those same bright sparkly eyes came into my line of vision, crinkling every so slightly from his small giggles. Yang Jungwon you will be the death of me.

[lostintra]

"Oh okay, so you'd love to hear me screaming like that's not mad weird for you to say when you don't even know me. Better be careful sounding like a pervy Voldemort all of a sudden there." the coffee itself may have gone forgotten, but not the crest that had adorned it's cup. the sarcastic quip she made making it clear it had not escaped her notice. then she looked around for a moment as if trying to find where he was pulling the audacity from to manifest anything on her behalf as she countered "Mhm, and I'll be manifesting for you that when you're on that plane up in that sky you find yourself some Jesus cause that might be what you need so when you come back I won't even have to worry about hearing another 'oh god' unless you're listening to some worship." maybe if she was lucky enough he would decide to save himself for marriage, but Athena knew she ought not to hold her breath when it really would take some kind of miracle for him to change his ways even a fraction. she did look forward to a week of good sleep though, but found his comment that she could use the time to search for a partner insulting. "And excuse me, you think I need a week to get somebody to do me right?? I didn't realize you were hard of vision because with all this --" the woman swirled her hands as she indicated herself from head to toe in a gesture that said she was obviously well aware she was the whole package before continuing. "--I can have somebody here within the hour if I wanted to and that's a fact. I could have these wall shaking putting you to shame tonight."

Maliq had every intention of trying to resolve this matter in a neighborly fashion...at first. He saw a beautiful woman at his doorstep, going off about the late night sounds coming from his place. He was amused by it, but then he came to his sense. There was a quick realization of what was actually happening, and Maliq wasn't about to go out like that. Who was Athena to tell him what to do with his body?

"You the first person to complain 'bout it, honestly. It sounds like you the problem," Maliq spoke calmly, remaining even toned throughout their squabble. He listened to her genuinely try to resolve this, but he was still worried about his image. Not fucking loud groupies was detrimental to the brand. "It's really not even about getting my dick wet. It's not even my fault! You have a problem with the girls I'm fuckin', and that's way past neighborly concern or whatever the fuck," he argued. at that point, he was getting a kick out of aggravating her. It's been awhile since he started a silly little rivalry for the fun of it. "Look, this is what you gotta put up with when you share a building with other people. I don't know what to tell you," he shrugged, keeping his eyes trained on her. He laughed at her last words. "I always intend on doing me -- always," Maliq started, "You definitely should -- way more productive then trying to get me to have sex somewhere other than my home. I'd love to hear you screaming -- the good kind not the murder one you compared mine to. I'm manifesting that for you, queen." He clasped his hands as if he already started praying. "Listen -- I'm flying out next week, so you'll have some peace and quiet when I'm on the road. Perfect time to bunker down, find you a man to put it down so you ain't gotta worry 'bout me...or a woman? they can definitely get you right."

[olivia-anderson-fanfic]

Stalker X Stalker, Part 12

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Perma taglist: @nathleigh @peachmuses

Stalker x Stalker taglist: @aespades @jayjayspixiepop @blueslushgueen @fan-written @seraphichana @nerd-nowandforever @toodaloo-kangaroo @khneltea @raeuberprinzessin

Tim had exactly zero idea what was going on.

Marinette had disappeared into the shower so he’d figured that, hey, work was over and he was 90% sure it was the day she usually shaved (something he knew because every time she shaved she excitedly asked him to touch her leg because it was smooth) so he had time to kill…

He walked over to her jewelry box.

He’d already bugged all of the new jewelry he had bought her but her old stuff was perfectly intact and he kind of wanted more insurance. Sure, they lived together now so it was unlikely she would have much reason to leave without him, but he was known for his millions of plans and contingencies and he wasn’t about to mess up when it was someone he cared about.

So, he went to work on the first necklace he grabbed. It had a tiny cat with green emeralds for eyes.

He looked at the tiny black pupils that the cat had. He pulled a tiny pick out of his pocket and carefully started carving a circle in it for the bug.

And then a bug-shaped god came flying out of the door for something.

There were a few beats as Tim and Tikki stared at each other.

Tikki broke it with a loud groan.

He watched her float past him for the towel hung on Marinette’s bedpost and then go back inside.

Shit.

He darted towards the bathroom, only to pause at the door. He really didn’t want to burst in while Marinette was probably naked, that was a huge breach of privacy, but he also didn’t want Tikki to tell him about all the bugs he was planting! Shit! He bit his lip, considering.

“Here’s your towel, Marinette,” Tikki said with a sharp edge to her tone.

“... are you mad?”

“Not at you. Where are the cookies you baked last night?”

“Uh, the fridge --?”

“Thank you.”

Why hadn’t she told her? Tim wasn’t complaining, of course, but he was a little confused. She was clearly mad about it and he doubted that Marinette had made some rule that said ‘you can’t tell me about people bugging me’ because that was oddly specific and not a very good idea… so… what?

He didn’t know. He was just going to thank the god of luck -- he was pretty sure that was Tikki -- and continue what he was doing.

~

Marinette didn’t have to struggle to keep everyone inside the first night. She liked that. More time to plan.

But how did she get herself let out, you may ask?

Remember how Tim had said that all-hands-on-deck situations are the only exceptions to the Stay Inside While Injured Rule? Well, guess what had happened.

Arkham had had a huge breakout and Marinette wasn’t going to complain… even if her kwami might be a little disappointed in how happy she was about it.

She was even happier when she’d found out that one of the people that had broken out was Scarecrow. She’d been meaning to tell him about her guesses about his brownie recipe for a while and she hadn’t really had a chance to do it when she was talking to him through a phone with a thick glass between them.

Batman -- Bruce? -- didn’t need to know that they’d broken into a bakery for the night to test out their theories before she had taken him back to Arkham.

He’d thank them when he got the brownies (the missing ingredient was Mexican cinnamon!). Or, at least, she hoped he would.

~

Tim had to say… Marinette's plan to get everyone in her house was working.

He could warn his siblings but, honestly, he found it kind of funny.

He was surprised to see Jason show up first. He raised his eyebrows at his brother. “Didn’t know you were in town, Flamebird.”

Jason did an exaggerated eye roll that Tim swore he could see despite the domino. “Marinette said she had something she wanted to show me.”

And she did. She walked over and dropped the Harry Potter books onto the window ledge beside him. “This is terrible and I hate you for making me read them.”

“It gets better later on --.”

“I read two books. That’s six hundred pages. If you can’t get your shit together in six hundred fucking pages then you don’t deserve my time.”

He scoffed. “They’re not that bad.”

“Oh yeah? Read it. It’s been years for you, right? Get to book three and tell me it’s good.”

Jason scowled and grabbed the books, taking a seat in the armchair.

Tim grinned and rested an arm around his girlfriend. “You don’t actually hate Harry Potter, do you?”

“Only the book version.”

He frowned. “I think we need to break up.”

“Nope. Not allowed to break up with me.”

“Oh, well, if I’m not allowed then I guess I won’t,” he said, leaning down to press a tiny kiss to her lips.

There was a groan from the window and they both rolled their eyes, turning to look at Damian.

“Why must you sully my good mood so early on with your disgusting displays of affection?”

“It’s our apartment, you just so happen to be here,” said Tim, glaring at his brother. “We can do what we want.”

Marinette, bravely, stepped between the two of them with a bright smile. “Now, boys, it’s not the time.”

“It is not the time for your libido, and yet...” argued Damian.

“Please, that isn’t even close to libi --,” Tim started, only to get elbowed in the stomach.

She gave him a look that told him to let her handle it and, while he didn’t think that was a good idea, he held up his hands in surrender.

“Robin, it’s unbecoming of you to argue with everyone you meet,” she chided lightly.

… did she speak Damian or something? Because Damian actually looked a little reprimanded at that and Tim needed to learn her ways.

Then, she leaned down with a grin. He could see her hands start to rest on her knees but she thought better of it at the last second. “I got some new stuff from the pet store and I wanted to know if you wanted to help test them out on Vanelope.”

Damian narrowed his eyes slightly. “What kinds of new things?”

“A bunch of cat toys.”

“... I suppose I can test them out for you.”

“I mean, I said you could help --,” she started, but Damian was already heading towards Vanelope without her.

Tim looked over at his girlfriend. She didn’t seem all that put out by this.

“You really had something planned out for everyone?”

She smirked and took a seat on the windowsill. “Yep. It should take Flamebird about two days to finish the first two books -- assuming he can even get through them that quickly -- and Robin is sure to be very thorough in his testing of all the cat toys.”

“Oh? And what’s your plan for everyone else?”

She shrugged just slightly. “Guess you’ll have to wait and find out.”

When Dick appeared she set him up with Beat Saber, saying that she was curious about why the VR glasses gave her a headache and wanted to see if he had the same problem. Tim knew the problem was that they were made for men and therefore sometimes had negative side effects for women, but he bit his lip before he could offer to get a set custom-made for her in favor of watching Dick select the poppiest pop song in existence and instantly get addicted to the game.

Tim raised his eyebrows slightly when Steph appeared, textbook in hand.

“How did you know everyone would show up?” He asked once Marinette had set her up with a particularly long and difficult worksheet to make sure she got the lesson.

“Well, Spoiler shows up every Saturday night for tutoring, Robin comes by every other day or more and he didn’t stop by last night, Nightwing pops by most weekends, and I called Flamebird over myself… speaking of which…” She pulled out her phone and tapped a few buttons. “Right, Signal said he’ll be here in ten minutes seven minutes ago… so, he’s almost here.”

Tim grinned. “You forgot Cass.”

“She only ever really shows up to get away from all of you guys so, with everyone here, she’d have no reason to come over.” Her face split into a sheepish grin. “Also, she’d see through me pretty quickly.”

“Don’t you want B to have no help?”

She shrugged. “It should be a light night since almost everyone important is in Arkham right now but that doesn’t mean that the two of them can deal with all of Gotham’s petty crime on their own. I give them until three or four before they crack.”

“... you might be a little scary.”

“You don’t last long as a vigilante if you’re not at least a little smart,” she chirped. “I just choose to turn my brain off most of the time.”

He smiled. “Oh? And the exception is what? Making you stay inside?”

She waved him off. “Kind of. It’s more that I only put effort into making sure I’ll never be bored. What’s the point of thinking about anything else? All that does is make you sad.”

Well that didn’t sound healthy, now did it? Tim was pretty sure that was just repression but, honestly, he had no clue. His family famously did not use therapists.

Before he could figure out how to address that there was a knock on the door.

Marinette grinned and opened it to reveal Duke, who was holding a computer.

Duke looked around the apartment, raising his eyebrows at all the people there. “Uh… should I ask?”

“I’m spiting Bruce.”

“Wild. Whatever. Ready for GBBS?”

“Sure. Tim, you gonna watch it with us?”

He hesitated. Steph had been sending him pleading looks since she had gotten her worksheet and he felt kind of bad for her… but then Duke and Marinette sat on the couch and she rested her head on his shoulder lazily to get a better view of the computer and Tim figured that Steph was smart enough to do the worksheet on her own if she really tried.

He took a seat beside her and smiled a little when she switched to lean against him instead.

“So, who’s your favorite person for the season?” He asked.

She thought for a minute before shrugging. “The guy that always wins but keeps being anxious about his bakes. Forgot his name, though.”

“Rahul?!” said Duke.

“Sure.”

Duke frowned. “I’m not sure whether to be happy you like at least one contestant, be proud it’s Rahul, or be annoyed you didn’t remember his name.”

“Character development takes time,” said Tim wisely.

Marinette scoffed a little. “Just put on the damn show. I’m tired of listening to you assholes talk.”

Duke grinned. “Fine. Fine.”

Time passed as the three of them watched the show.

Other family members slowly made their way over one by one. Damian brought the cat with him. Jason came over to give his brain a break after all the reading he had done (and then, when Marinette pointed out that you never take breaks while reading good books, had gone straight back to Harry Potter). Steph decided she didn’t want to pass her class and came to lay across the top of the couch. Dick eventually got tired and rested his body after the intense game that is Beat Saber.

… B released her at almost exactly three thirty. They ignored their comms in favor of continuing to watch the season finale.

~

Marinette bit her lip anxiously as she preemptively turned off the notifications on her phone. Tim did the same.

They typed up matching tweets about how they were moving in with their partners, tagged each other...

Their fingers hovered over the tweet buttons.

“We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. I’m sure one of my siblings will do something stupid in a few days and the media will leave us alone,” said Tim.

She smiled awkwardly. “That isn’t what I’m worried about.”

He frowned just a little and slipped his arm around her. “Well, can I help with whatever it is?”

She hesitated. It would be better to warn him, she supposed. “Not really. You’re going to get the ‘shovel talk’ --.”

“My dad is Batman, Bean, I’ll live.”

“-- by the person who currently controls the embodiment of chaos and destruction.”

His face paled a little (which is dangerous, considering he was already pale enough). “Does Chat Noir not know we’re dating yet?”

“Nope.”

“... so he’s going to find out through the media?”

“Yep.”

“Shit.”

She nodded her agreement, curling into his side and glaring at the phone.

Adrien was going to be pissed. Especially since he was going to learn through the media. Sure, that was the intention, she was hoping that Tim would be left more or less alone because her friend would be too busy being hurt about not being told to focus on his anger at her boyfriend… but, yikes, she didn’t really want to deal with that just yet.

Also, she thought with a wince, Adrien was going to be even angrier when he figured out that she hadn’t exactly given up, as he called it, ‘stalking’ the people she was interested in. Marinette was pretty sure that Tim already knew about some of it but she wasn’t completely sure and, just in case, she wanted to keep it a secret for a while… a few years, at least, and she wanted to be the one to tell him because she was sure that Adrien would be a lot harsher about it than she would. He already called it ‘stalking’ when it was clearly different, she didn’t want to know what he would say if she let him talk about it in more depth.

Unfortunately, though, Adrien wasn’t stupid. He’d eventually catch on. The longer they dated without him knowing the guiltier he would assume she was.

She sighed and took his face in her hands. “I’m leaving it up to you. I’m not sure. I’m leaning towards being public but...”

He bit his lip as he considered it. She fought the urge to stretch his face until he let go.

He smiled hesitantly. “Well, I’ve lived long enough, I think.”

“Don’t worry, darling, I’ll summon a lucky charm for you,” she half-joked.

He gave a puff of laughter that wasn’t quite real and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Thanks, Bean, but I doubt that’ll be necessary. This is Gotham, no one dies here.”

“We don’t know how long that’ll take, though,” she said with a pout. “I’d prefer to have you back as soon as possible.”

He rolled his eyes. “You’ll always have my siblings.”

“But I want you,” she huffed. “You’re my favorite.”

She felt his cheeks warm beneath her hands.

“I’m your second favorite,” he reminded her. “Cass.”

She snickered. “True. You’re my favorite until Cass accepts my proposal.”

“Hm. I’ll have to enforce the bro code to make sure that never happens.”

“Oh no! I guess I’ll be stuck with you forever, then. What a shame!”

He smiled brightly. Sometimes she lamented the fact that he didn’t give a lot of genuine smiles. The grins and smirks were nice, of course, but she liked to watch the way he would duck his head slightly to try and cover his face with his bangs. Still, in the privacy of her own head, she had to admit that the fact she could get such a smile out of him when few others could made her heart rate spike. He smiled for her. Who wouldn’t be flattered by that?

She pulled the smile that she loved so much down for a kiss.

~

The first time they stepped out the door as an official couple they were hounded by reporters.

Tim wanted to ask how they knew where they lived. He settled for asking them to blur the area around them.

It was more than a little annoying to be harassed on your way to the grocery store. They had just wanted eggs, milk (Marinette kept leaving it out for some strange reason), some cat food, and enough miscellaneous snacks to keep Cass occupied. They did not want cameras shoved in their faces.

But years of being public figures had trained them to keep pleasant smiles on their faces and to answer questions with as little information as possible.

Finally, though, they made it inside and a manager kicked out the reporters.

Marinette let her shoulders slump a little beneath his arm and Tim flexed the muscles in his face before it could get stuck in that awkward half-smile forever.

He squeezed her a little. “You alright?”

She shrugged as much as she could without displacing his arm. “Yeah. Just… hate reporters.”

He nodded his understanding. He pressed a kiss to her temple.

“Want to buy some Oreos while we’re here?”

Her face lit up. “Can we?”

“I’m rich. Of course we can.”

And, so, they did. He made a mental note to start buying oreos in bulk. All the flavors, just in case she ever got sick of the normal version.

They glanced out the door and, though they couldn’t see the paparazzi waiting just outside, they were sure that they would be back soon. They ducked through back alleys to try and get away.

Only to stop in the middle of a dark alley at the high-pitched cry of: “Give me your money or else!”

Tim sighed and set down the cat food to hand over everything in his pockets. A glance back at Marinette confirmed she was doing the same --.

And then he stopped short. He turned more fully to look at their mugger and then started to laugh.

“I’ll… I’ll kill you!” Said the mugger, who was just a kid. They might not have even hit puberty yet.

“With a pocketknife?” Tim said.

Marinette turned around as well at that and a grin spread across her face. “Oh my gods, that’s so lame.”

“It’s Gotham, you gotta do better than that,” said Tim. He reached into his pockets and pulled out a butterfly knife. He handed it over. “Here, have this, at least. Christ, that’s terrible.”

The kid didn’t seem to know what to do about the fact that his would-be victims were laughing at her and apparently helping her mug people.

Marinette handed over everything except for the necklace Tim had given her. “Here, kid. And get a mask or something to hide your face, it’s not nearly dark enough in here for you to just go with a hood.”

“Oh, and here’s my address,” added Tim. He typed it into his phone -- damn, he should have brought more than a pager -- and then handed it over. “We always have a lot of extra food, so if you ever need it just knock on the window.”

“... thanks?” said their now adoptive kid (they didn’t make the rules, this kid was theirs now).

“Yeah, yeah, no problem. Can we go now? One of his siblings is coming over soon and he will start our show without us.”

“Uh… sure?”

~

Marinette sat on the kitchen island, squinting at the cast on her arm. Was it worth taking off for the sake of doing work? Maybe --.

Tim’s voice crackled through her ear and she perked up a little at the sound, smiling. He was talking, greeting guests it seemed. Right. He had a meeting today, Janet had mentioned it earlier that morning.

Marinette sighed a little at the reminder that, while she might not care about her broken arm, her boyfriend did. Yeah. Tim would probably be stressed if she took off her cast before the doctor said it was okay. She settled to lay back on the counter, head resting on her good arm, and stare at the ceiling as she listened to his voice...

Only to dart up when she felt a tap on her arm.

She looked over, eyes blown wide, and only relaxed slightly when she realized she recognized the person.

Adrien stood over her, arms crossed over his chest despite the glasses/miraculous he had hooked to the collar of his shirt, but he apparently wasn’t angry enough to not accept the usual kisses on both cheeks that Parisians did as greeting.

He said something that she couldn’t really understand with the part of her brain still concentrated on Tim explaining some sort of chart.

She sighed and reached a hand to her ear to turn off the bug. “Hey, can you repeat that?”

He didn’t. Instead he squinted at her ear suspiciously. “Does your ear hurt?”

“... no?” She said slowly, a little confused.

“Whatcha listening to?”

She paled. Shit. He was going to be pissed (or, at least, more pissed than he already was) if he found out that her supposed ‘stalking’ was getting worse. She needed an excuse.

“Uh, that one rapper, uh --.”

“BS. You don’t listen to rappers.”

He held a hand out and, reluctantly, she handed it over to him. She might as well get her murder over with.

He set it in his ear and, after a few attempts, turned it on. His face soured even more, somehow.

“This better not be who I think it is.”

She gave a tentative half-smile.

That was all the answer he needed. He grabbed her by the back of her shirt and started dragging her through the streets.

No one helped. Not that she expected them to, it was Gotham, but it was still a little hurtful.

Adrien stopped suddenly after a few minutes of walking.

“... wait… where’s his office?”

[navramanan]

:/

[unluckilyimnot]

Helloo!! Could you possibly write a part 2 to your rindou angst marriage fanfic u wrote? You could write about slowburn,angst,fluff,however you want to continue with it! I just wanna hear more of your thoughts abt it cuz it's been my fave fic these days and i keep reading it every time i need some inspiration 👉👈

Hiiii I can absolutely do that (even if i took forever to do so) I'm really happy to see that you thought that much about it and hope it's not to late haha Thank you sm !

type: slow burn (ig), fluff

Words count: 4.7k || Pt.1 || Pt.3

note: I can’t count the number of mental breakdown I got bc of this. I never ever wrote slow burn and then suddenly I’m doing one with an awful base, great idea Mia. Anyway, here’s my first slow burn (if it can be considered as one), hope it’s not too bad for the time it took.

I would really appreciate feedback back for this one so feel free to comment or send a message, thank you !

Rindou was thinking a lot since the last time you two argued. It wasn't the first time for you to take care of him like this, but neither of you ever speak your heart like this and he has to admit that his mind didn't want to let it go. The way your hand was so gentle towards him, patting his cheek as if he was still a kid. It's been a long time since you did that and, this time, he could remember your touch on his skin without hating it. It's been what, one or two weeks now ? He couldn't understand why he wasn't getting over it yet. It was poisoning his brain. Overthinking the whole situation like he never did before. Was it because he was too angry to face it before ? Or just to try to know you ? This was messing with his mind and he doesn't like it at all. It never was important, you never were, so why now he was thinking about how dirty he did you ? That was pure nonsense. Just like you.

"Rindou are you listening?" Ran's voice rises and Rindou lifts his head. "Yes, I am," answers Rindou but his lost eyes show that, in fact, he wasn't at all. Shaking this whole situation out of his mind for the next few hours. He was worried that this would take too much space when he had to work but at the same time, he couldn't find a way to resolve it. So he'll ignore it til the end of the day or Ran would kill him if he has to call him out one more time.

Ran obviously noticed how his brother's behavior changed since that night but he just couldn't figure out what happened since Rindou doesn't talk to him about it. Which he finds weird in the first place because they usually talk about everything together. He was curious to know what was happening to his brother. As the two of them go on their meeting, someone suddenly comes inside after a firm knock. The two Haitani were sending daggers to them for this audacity but cut it out when they saw a pretty woman enter the room.

Leaving for work this afternoon, you noticed a pile of files on the kitchen's table as you passed by to take something to eat on the way. Seeing your last name on it, you assumed that it was Rindou’s files and that he forgot it this morning. You knew you didn’t have the right to take a look at all, it was confident stuff most of the time, so you simply grabbed it and decided to pass by the Bonten’s building before going to your own after putting some sweets in your bag. Driving to the place, it almost seems like a normal company you said to yourself as you stop in front of it. It must be insane for someone outside of this world you guess. But yes, for people like you, it has always been normal to carry top secret papers and a gun in your bag while playing innocent. Entering the building as if it was yours, you were surprised to see two guys coming to you and asking for your matter. You don't come around a lot but still, you weren't anybody either. But you can't know everyone, right ? So you let it go and smiled at them.

"I'm bringing papers to my husband, he forgot those this morning," you said with a little smile, trying to be nice as you showed them in your hands.

"I've never seen you around with anyone though..." Imply one of the men, making you quirk. Not coming around everyday doesn't mean that you're lying. You don't have to do so just because of your previous last name in fact. You never needed to be a Haitani to be respected. You sigh as they didn't let you pass even after reading the name on the files.

"Don't make me call him, he won't answer anyway," you explain. Rolling your eyes, you push them aside softly to go on anyway. One of them roughly catches your arm and tries to get you out. A fragile sigh leaves your lips, your cool was more than down and you didn't have the time for this bullshit. Being late is one of the things you hated the most in life and being taken for an idiot too. The thought of killing him right away crossed your mind and the gaze you sent to this poor man made shivers go down his spine in terror when he catches your eyes. "Don't touch me," you instructed, not feeling like playing the sweet wife anymore.

"Oh Miss Haitani, it's been a while since the last time you came," says a young lady passing by with a smile. Her voice calms you down immediately and the man lets you go for the sake of his dear life. She was new the last time you came and you guided her through the building because she couldn't find an office. She was such a kind memory to this place you don’t necessarily appreciate that she calms your nerves. At her words, the two men finally let you live and you go on to the elevator to find Rindou.

Clenching your jaw as the door closes, thinking that a simple lady working here has more value than your words drives you mad. You'll talk to him about it, if you can ever see him. Leaning on the wall as you were alone in the cage, you thought that maybe you wouldn't even have to see him today. Your strict expression falls for a second, replaced with a morose one. You hoped you could, you didn't see each other often after all, but you're always happy to speak with him. Even if it's fighting or just a hello, it warms up your heart. He was right, you're stupid to love him, but hope make you live right ? So you'll continue till it kills you. The doors open in front of you, taking you out of your thoughts before you straighten up when people come in. Going down to the right floor, you walked to the room Rindou is usually in with his brother. As you were about to knock when someone stopped you again and this time you didn't take any of it. You knock and open anyway, a blank expression to contain your anger.

Rindou was surprised. He never expected you there and almost never saw you when you were ready to work. You stand out immediately from anyone in this room, black and red outfits flattering your skin. For the first time in his life, he finds you pretty. Your prideful gait and straight face flutter him a bit as you lay his papers on the desk.

"You forgot this," you simply said as you looked him in the eyes, not waiting for anything but a kind of fondness in it. He answered a little thank you, not shutting your gaze and he had to blink a few times before he could. Leaning his gaze on the other men around the table, their looks on you slightly irritate him. Do men usually look at you that way ? He never expected it. Maybe because he never saw you like a woman but mainly like a kid stealing his freedom. You were in fact a beautiful woman, he had to admit it. You nod and turn around to leave and go take care of your own business. Everyone followed you as you stepped back out of the room. Looking at him one last time, you showed the man next to the door.

"And tell your men about me please, the next one who touches me is dead," you add firmly before definitely passing the door without a goodbye. You weren't a kid anymore and Rindou started to realize it only now. Ran looked at his brother's stun reaction as you left, thinking about what must have happened for him to react like this. Looking through the papers, Rindou realized he actually needed it later on for this meeting and should have been more thankful. But that can’t stay on his mind for too long, immediately coming back to work because it needs to be done and resolved by the end of the day or Kokonoi would kill them. He was thankful, but you still weren't that important. A message would be fine.

By the end of the day, as you were still at work, your phone lights up, showing his name on the screen. You opened it, surprised to receive a text from him because it rarely happened during your three years relationship. It was a simple thank you, nothing less or more, but it made you blush like a high-school girl. Making you think that it was really helpful and worth it to stop by before coming here and proceed to go back to work so you could come home soon.

“Say Rindou,” Sanzu doesn’t even have finished his sentence that Rindou wanted to quit it. He doesn’t feel like talking or arguing with him today. His nerves were nothing to play with right now, tiredness showing in his eyes. Last night’s mission was longer than expected and he just wanted to cool down with someone to fill his mind. Forget everything for a while. Glaring at the pink-haired boy, Rindou really wished this would be enough for him to shut up but the only answer he got was a mischievous smile.

“I saw your girl the other day,” the world he used made Rindou hiss. You’re not his girl, you’ve never been and would never be. He despises the fact that Sanzu keeps on calling you like this.

“She’s freaking hot, I don’t understand why you bother to find some girls here and there when you have this at home,” joked the guy while resting on the back of his seat with a smirk.

“Shut up,” spited Rindou, shutting Sanzu’s month only for him to smile, amused.

“If you really don’t want it, at least share-”

“Enough !” screamed Rindou, “stop being fucking horny for a minute and leave her alone.” His strict tone surprised everyone, he never acted like this, maybe because they usually don’t bring you on. It’s been a while since anyone jokes about it, and it was better that way. Knowing that people think of you that way made him angry in a way, he doesn't like the idea. In his mind, you’re still so young so he doesn't understand how anyone could want you or find you attractive. Even if he faced it the other day, his mind still doesn’t want to see you as a grown up woman. But it’s the case, and maybe you’ll change your mind one day because you will understand that him, and this marriage, aren’t worthy to you. He will come back home and you won’t be there - or there will be someone else here with you. Rindou never dared think about it but, this too, makes him kinda angry. He’s just used to you being at his place when he leaves or comes back.

Thinking about it only now, Rindou wonders why he never got to see you in that kind of outfit before. Of course, he leaves before you most of the time and also comes home late, if he ever comes back. He never saw you leaving or coming back from work. You always seem to be at home. He never really cared but that was normal for him to act like this. Even though Rindou was acting weird lately because of that day and now Sanzu’s words.

“If one day she changes her mind, tell her to call me,” jokes Sanzu again, not knowing when to stop.

“She won’t,” answered Rindou quietly, desperate himself.

“You’re so full of yourself,” adds the pink-haired boy, now bored by his answer.

“I’m not, she’s just like this. I want her to change too…” Rindou suddenly seems a bit numb, angriness gone and only his mind even more stuffy. He doesn’t want you to stick him to death like this, he’d love it if you were able to change your mind, but not to go with someone like Sanzu. And as long as you stay at his place. It might seem to be contradictory, but in his unstable life you're the only thing that hasn’t changed in years and maybe he minds it more than he expected. After that, Rindou leaves the place alone without adding anything, leaving some of them annoyed or concerned. Ran doesn’t really get why his brother is now so concerned about you, but he really wanted to talk about it now.

Rindou comes home with someone that night. He never really does that because he knows he can meet you and doesn't want it to happen at all, but in his head it was clear that you’re rarely here on Thursday night. He never sees you anywhere in your shared apartment and so thought it would be okay for once ; he didn’t want to sleep over tonight, too tired for that. It's better to send her home when he’s done than to himself get home later. Everything was calm, nothing could be heard beside their footsteps and that was all he could pray for. As the girl entered the living room, looking around because she never gets to see where he lives even if they saw each other a few times now, she was more than ready to have some fun here. The place is big, tidy and the overall atmosphere is just perfect. She was already loving it.

“I really like your place, you choose all of this ?” she asked, mentioning the decoration and softly letting her hand go on the couch to feel the texture.

“That’s all you care about ?” answer harshly Rindou. Of course it was not him, this whole place is based on your tastes and he knows you have good ones since everyone told him that his place is so well decorated. It made him sick at first, but now he’s just used to it. She wasn’t there to look at the decoration but him and suddenly, he was off. All he could think was you, again. Following her to the living room anyway, being sure that his mind will change again if she shuts up, he notices something unusual. The door or your office was slightly open, a little lamp glowing inside but mostly you leaned on your desk. Your hair was still up in a ponytail and he couldn’t see your face but was sure that you were asleep. Chills drive down his back at the thought of you waking up to him fucking someone else here and his mind quickly get a conclusion. Grabbing the girl’s arm, he pulls her to the door in a rush.

“My wife is here, you have to go.” His tone looks like you didn’t know any of it and that was better that way or else she wouldn't let him alone easily.

“So we’re going somewhere else ?” she asked, sure that he will follow her. “No,” he simply said before pushing her outside.

“Don’t call me,” was the last thing slipping out of his mouth before he closed the door in front of her face. Rindou was confused at his own behavior. He could follow her at her place but it just doesn’t feel right anymore. Leaning his back against the door for a moment, a sigh leaves his lips before heading to your office. As he passed the door to check for real this time, you were certainly sleeping, an open window with a planned meeting for later on the screen. He never comes to your office before but you always seem to get out of there when you greet him when he’s back. Based on all the files that were accumulated here, you probably mainly work from here and that explains why he rarely saw you in the kind of outfit of the last time. Rindou doesn't dare look at your papers, knowing too well that you’ll never look at his, but still lets his gaze go around your desk, observing your workplace. It was like learning things about you and, to his surprise, it wasn't that bad. You look really invested in your work, have a photo of your younger brother on your desk and even a post-it to call your mom regularly. As he looked at all the things you had around your screen, he found one with when he comes home regularly and even important dates of the month, probably so you know when he comes back or not. That was showing that you cared without stepping on his intimacy.

His eyes fell on your sleeping figure, it definitely was bad for your back to sleep like this and he finds himself hoping that it doesn’t happen too often. You weren’t the little girl that wanted to follow him everywhere anymore, too curious about his job even though your dad did the same and teaches you everything you need to know. You learned to stay in your place and were now respected for sure based on your attitude outside this place. Maybe Rindou was wrong. Yet he won’t tell you that. So, before he leaves, he puts your jacket on your bare shoulders so you won’t be cold when you wake up and closes the door behind him to be sure to not wake you up.

“So both Haitani have to go, make sure to find someone to go with you because I don’t want to do it this time,” Koko warns while searching for the next subject of the meeting in his papers. A little chuckle leaves Sanzu’s lips, happy that it's not him but even more ‘cause it’s them. Rindou isn’t a big fan of events like this but if Mikey is asking for them, there must be a reason. Or not, they’re just there and he probably doesn’t want to send Sanzu or he will make a mess. Still fair enough to Rindou to not sigh at the thought. He just has to find someone, but someone was already on his mind. Plus, he understands Koko’s point : last time, they were both awful because they had to go instead of Sanzu and Kakucho and the poor girls had to go through their bad temper, no matter what, the whole night. This time wouldn’t be the same though, and it’s gladly appreciated. Ran likes those, and Rindou never mind coming with his brother when it's already planned like this. Everything must go well as long as no-one is acting like a jerk around them. It rarely happens in that kind of meeting but, there’s always some person for whom it’s the first time and so they can’t behave. Anyway, Rindou was praying not to cross their roads. He has something else to deal with first.

As Rindou was leaving the meeting with his brother when it finally came to an end, the older one offered him a ride home so they could talk about it further. Ran waves at the others while leaving , smiling but finally happy to have some time with his brother. Plus, they were both busy lately and didn’t get to talk to each other a lot, and since he knew something was off, Ran couldn’t wait to be in his car to talk. Walking to where Ran's car was parked, they both sat in silence before driving out of the parking lot. Ran felt like it’s been an eternity since this happened.

“What’s wrong Ran ?” asking Rindou straight away, knowing his brother too well to know that something was on his mind. His eyes were looking through the window, his chin in his hand, waiting for him to talk but he was obviously busy thinking.

“I want to know what’s on your mind lately,” answered the older one, looking at the road. After a short break, Rindou added a little “nothing” that could never convince his brother and he knew it. Ran sighs before shaking his head a little. Why was he always like this ?

“You can talk to me you know, we’ve been together for life,” he assures, looking sideways at him but he wasn’t moving. “You’re just weird lately and I’m worried. Is it because of Sanzu’s joke the other day ?”

Rindou clenches his jaw at the memories. Simply imagining it makes him want to kill him, and that fact shows how much he changes already. Acknowledging you was something that shakes him deep down, and he doesn't want anyone to joke about it anymore.

“Or is it just about her ?” adds Ran carefully after watching his reaction. His intuition was right, that time when you came to their office really did something to him, as if it was the first time he really saw you. Rindou knew it was impossible to hide it from his brother and sigh before leaning on the back of his seat.

“Just her,” he whispers, like it was a crime to say it out loud. Doing that made it real, and it was still hard for him to admit it. That you were on his mind, that he was kinda worried for you now, sometimes. He hopes you had enough sleep after your late meeting, that no one is bothering you anymore and even asks himself if you remember to eat since you work alone most of the time. It feels stupid and ridiculous, he never did that for anyone and he never thought he will for you but there he was, thinking about sending you a message at 2pm to asks if you’ve eat today when he almost never texted you.

“I feel like a child,” started the youngest, covering his eyes. Ran hum in response, encouraging him to go on. “She’s been on my mind a lot, I started to feel bad being like this with her. She always did a lot for me without me realizing it.” He cuts himself to breathe. Acknowledging that he was wrong seems harder than any mission he ever faced and Ran was ready to wait and listen to him like he always did.

“She’s not a kid anymore,” Rindou finally said but those words were cutting deep in his throat. He probably was the only one to not see it yet, too blinded by the view he had of you, of the child who cuts his freedom and who would always be useless to him because you were too young and immature.

“Better late than never,” answered his brother with a bit of sarcasm. No need to say that it wasn’t welcomed by the youngest who sent daggers at him. “I’m kidding,” chuckles Ran, “What are you gonna do now ? Accepting your marriage ? Considering her as your wife for real this time ?”

“I don’t know, I’m still thinking about it. But I stopped seeing other girls and she was the first one that came to my mind when Koko said we have to come with someone,” admit the youngest. A small and prideful smile appears on Ran's lips at his words. Rindou always blamed you for not being mature enough, but with time, he was the immature one in this relationship and he was ready to go on and face it. Finally.

“So you will ask her ?” Ran couldn’t contain his happiness, he always finds you cute in fact, and thinks that you suit Rindou pretty well in the end.

“Don’t be so happy about it,” pouted Rindou but still nods at his brother’s words. Yes, he will, even if he was anticipating your reaction.

Rindou tried to act normal as he came back home but his hands were sweaty. He stressed about it more than he thought. He rarely talked to you, besides arguing, and it feels weird to suddenly ask you to come with him at a big meeting as his date. Maybe he should apologize first. Thinking too hard about it, he doesn’t realize that he was now in front of your office door and, after a deep breath, he takes his courage with both hands and knocks.

The sudden noise makes you flinch. No one ever knocked on your door here and, for a second, you forget how to respond to that. You regain yourself fast and get up with a little “coming” before opening the door. There was Rindou, freshly coming back from work but without that annoyed expression he always has. Questioning yourself, you tilt your head to the side, not knowing if you should be the one speaking first or letting him since he was the one - kinda - asking for you.

“Do you need something ?” Yes, you talk first by reflex in the end, even if it never ends well. But for some reason, Rindou standing oddly calm in front of you made you feel calm too ? It never happened yet, he was always aggressive around you. Agreeing to your words, he was now searching for his words or how to say it and you never thought you'd be blessed enough to see Rindou like this. awkwardness showing in his attitude and looking away with a frown that didn’t seem hard at all. You wanted to chuckle, but kept your mouth shut and instead smiled politely.

“Just tell me, don't be ashamed,” you added sweetly. Rindou sighs, realizing he was probably ridiculous, he just decided to ask right away.

“I have an important meeting in a few weeks and I wanted to know if you could be my date for the night,” he said quickly, and if you weren’t used to your co-worker speaking so fast you probably wouldn’t have understood a single word. But you did and your cheeks grew hot immediately. You were touched by his offer for sure, but at the same time couldn’t believe it. Rindou never wanted you around him, to hear about you and was angry to get here because that means seeing you, why was he asking you this now ? He clearly saw the misunderstanding in your eyes and decided to speak up.

“I was the childish one in the end, but I want to make it up to you. That doesn’t mean that we’ll be a happy couple tomorrow,” he warns you. “But I’m ready to try to know you better…”

Your heart flutters at his words. It felt like you’ve waited all your life to hear those words. Your hand that was left on the door to keep it open falls slowly as your brain processes them and a lot of things come to your mind.

You didn't even think of nodding in agreement but were already retracing your schedules in your head to be sure you were free. Rindou was waiting for your answer, worried to the bone. You didn’t know, but you were so serious that he was sure you’ll smack the door at him soon because it was way too easy to come to you like this. Instead, you signal him to come inside with you so you can check the date and secure it for him.

“You’re okay with it ?” he asked, confused. Sitting at your desk, you looked at him surprised. “Of course I am, you’re asking so why would I say no ?” It was your first wife's duty, and you were more than glad to accept it. Even more since he was the one asking. So with a smile, you show him to come to you once again so you two can check together.

Rindou looked at you in disbelief, you sure were weird. He still doesn’t get you, and he doesn't really know if he will one day. But he will surely try from now on.

It took me some times, I’m sorry. I was, at first, in an exam period, but since I’m positive to covid I use that time to write and rest