#and all of the decisions he made were good

[seumyo]

just thoughts of growing old with bakugou.

“Y’alright, old lady?” he asked.

“Excuse me?” You shot back with a huff, but the laughter in your voice softened it. “You’re not exactly a spring chicken yourself, Mr. Dynamight.”

“Hah? I could still beat your ass in a race.”

“You could barely bend down to get your keys this morning.”

He clicked his tongue but didn’t deny it. “Should’ve let you get them. You’re closer to the ground anyway.”

“Now you’re just asking for trouble.”

You two walked a few more steps before he noticed your breathing was just a little heavier. Your hand was tighter on his forearm. You hadn’t said anything, of course. He knew you never liked making a fuss. But Bakugou noticed. He always noticed.

Because if he didn’t notice, then he’d think he’s the shittiest husband on the planet.

Bakugou stopped.

You looked at him, confused. “Katsu?”

“Turn around.”

“What—”

“I’m givin’ you a piggyback ride.”

You blinked. “Katsuki, we’re in our sixties.”

“And? You think that stops me?” He crouched a little, wincing more dramatically than he meant to. Despite retaining lighter exercises to keep his body in tip-top shape, age still creeps in like a barnacle to his back. “C’mon, get up before I change my mind.”

“You’re going to throw your back out.”

“My back’s tougher than yours.”

“That’s not saying much anymore!”

“I’d rather break my back than see you waddle like a fuckin’ penguin with those stuffy shoes.”

“Our daughter gave me these shoes!”

“I know,” he replied. “Get on, woman.”

With a chuckle, you carefully climbed onto his back, your arms wrapping around his neck like they did all those years ago when you two were barely adults sneaking out for late-night walks. He held your legs securely under him, your weight familiar even after all this time. You rested your head against the back of his neck.

He lifts you like it’s nothing.

“Still got it,” he mutters, somewhat relieved.

Because Bakugou wants to give you a piggyback ride—or just carry you as many times as he possibly could.

“You’re insane.”

“Yeah, well. You married me. So there’s nothin’ we could do about that now that we’re five decades in, huh?”

You nuzzled your cheek against his shoulder, your voice muffled. “Best decision I ever made,” you hum. “Do you ever think about what we were like back then?”

“All the time,” he replies.

“Do you miss it?”

Bakugou exhaled. “Nah. I mean, it was good. Great, even. But this…” He shifts you a little higher on his back. “This is better.”

“You’re carrying your wrinkly wife down the street, and you think this is better?”

“Hell yeah,” he replies without hesitation. “You still make fun of me. Still make me laugh. Still kiss me like we’re teenagers. And even if you walk slower now, you still walk with me.”

You were quiet for a moment. Then, softly, “That’s so sappy. I hate you.”

“Shut up,” he mumbles.

You chuckled.

“I love you, Katsuki.”

“I know,” Bakugou says, and then, a little quieter, “I love you too. Always have. Even when you fell asleep during Die Hard.”

“I knew it. You were paying attention.”

He laughs. Full, unguarded, and warm. His chest feels full, like it always does when you’re near. The kind of full that doesn’t need fixing. Doesn’t need anything more.

-

“See?” Katsuki muttered breathlessly, settling you down onto a wooden bench that overlooked the town below. “Didn’t break my back.”

“Not yet. Tomorrow, maybe.”

“Tch. Still mouthy,” he said, but there was nothing but tenderness in his voice. He reached for your hand, calloused fingers lacing with yours. “Old or not, you’ll never stop talkin’, will you?”

“Not if I can help it,” you murmured. “Someone’s gotta keep you on your toes.”

“You tickle my toes when I’m about to fall asleep, you psychopath.”

“As I said, keep you on your toes.”

You two sat there in silence, side by side, watching as the last of the day faded into hues of soft purple and gold. The town below lit up slowly—windows glowing, streetlights flickering on one by one. It was the same town where you built a life, where you came after retiring from the city, where you spent quiet afternoons and lazy mornings and stormy nights curled under blankets.

“I was thinking earlier,” you said, tilting your head toward him. “Remember that old apartment? The first one?”

“The one with the leaky pipes?”

“And the hole in the wall.”

Bakugou made a noise between a groan and a laugh.

“Don’t remind me. That place was hell.”

“But we were happy. And it was our first.”

He nodded. “It was.”

“You used to stay up late grading case files while I was asleep on the couch.”

“And you’d drool on every pillow,” he said, smirking.

“That’s love,” you quipped, “sharing spit on furniture.”

“Disgusting,” his eyes crinkled as he chuckled, quiet and deep, before falling into a softer stillness.

“Do you think we did okay?” you asked.

Bakugou turned to look at you. Your eyes were searching his face—not out of doubt, but for reassurance.

“We did more than okay,” he said. “We loved hard. Fought harder. Got old. Grew up.”

You smiled faintly. “We grew softer.”

He squeezed your hand. “You did. I stayed badass.”

You laughed, leaning your head on his shoulder. “Yeah… you did.”

A breeze blew past, and you shivered slightly. Bakugou was already tugging his jacket off before you could protest. He knows you well enough that it comes second to breathing. Something that he could never forget because he needs to remember it to survive.

“You don’t have to—”

“Shut up. You’re cold.”

You let him drape it over you, fingers brushing his wrist as he tucked it close. It was nice. This was nice.

“I still remember the first time I saw you,” you said after a while. “You were yelling at someone, I think.”

“That sounds right.”

“I thought, ‘What an ass.’”

“And yet, you married me.”

“Because you were very persuasive,” you told him.

He snorted. “Uh huh.”

Time passed like that—peaceful and unhurried—until the sun was a mere sliver on the edge of the world. Fireflies blinked into view. The quiet of the hilltop wrapped around you like a blanket.

“I’m tired,” you murmured quietly, closing your eyes for a moment against his shoulder.

“Want me to carry you home?”

“No, just…” You paused, then exhaled. “Let’s just stay here a bit.”

Bakugou nodded. “Yeah. We can stay.”

“You’ve always been stubborn.”

He grunted in acknowledgment.

“But also the kindest man I’ve ever known.”

He didn’t reply right away. He just looked at you—really looked at you. Your hair had silvered, your cheeks had thinned, but your eyes held the same sparkle that made him fall in love with you years ago. You were still [Name]. Undeniably his.

And he was still Bakugou. Your.

“Even if I get reincarnated,” you whispered, your voice barely audible now, “even if I forget everything—I hope I find you again.”

He swallowed hard, jaw tightening. “You will.”

“You promise?”

“Yeah. I’ll find you too,” he said. “You’re too damn loud to miss.”

You smiled. Your hand, much more wrinkly now, more fragile than it used to be, reached up to his cheek. Your thumb traced the scar that time left near his jaw.

“I love you,” you said.

He leaned in, pressing your foreheads together. “I love you too. Always.”

And in the stillness, with the cool air surrounding you and the stars beginning to blink into view above, you leaned into each other—together in warmth, in memory, in everything you two ever were.

Your hands stayed intertwined, steady.

And when the wind finally hushed, you drifted off into the quietest, most peaceful sleep.

Together, one last time.

Forever.

SEUMYO © 2025. PLEASE DO NOT REPOST, PLAGIARIZE, MODIFY OR TRANSLATE.

[enjakey]

Please Stop, Don’t Stop

Pairing: mob!Jake x mob!fem!reader

TWN | 9k- brother’s best friend | best friend’s sister | posted this in my old account a really long time ago which is now deleted | this was literally my first ever enhypen fic and I still love it | I love the mob trope maybe I should write some more of it | so much fun, so much yearning, sibling hate and sibling love | Jay truly is a good brother no matter how shitty he is | Jake is fine shyt and he proves it to you by sneaking around with you

Summary: living in Jay’s shadow as his younger sister was always the life you had known. Considering that he was the heir to family business, the now leader of a mafia, Jay took all kinds of protective measures to keep you safe. Which meant that you were always by his side- just, a room away from his in hotels with your own body guards. You loathed your brother, you did. He stripped you away of a life. But then he loosened up when his right hand man and best friend, Jake, pulled some strings and somehow had you swooning for him.

For the longest time, all Y/N knew was to hide under the shadows of her brother. Wherever he went, she had no choice but to follow. She’d been to exotic countries but stayed locked in hotel rooms while her brother tended to business. Never did she get the chance to enjoy travelling, never did she find herself smiling while she stared out of a balcony, and never did she feel sociable.

Granted, she had bodyguards with her, Sunoo and Jungwon, suffocatingly accompanying her wherever she went. They were at her feet, tracking everything from a lift of her finger to a dart of her eyes to report back to their boss by the end of the day. For all she knew, she thought they were insufferable.

They were all insufferable, blindly following her brother’s orders in the hopes of getting a minuscule ounce of validation. She wondered how her brother managed to get them wrapped around his fingers, having them- all six of them- live for him and his needs and his desires.

Because at the end of the day, Jay Park was in charge, the strongest of them all, the one that could wipe off their existence with a snap of his fingers. Y/N never believed her brother could possibly hold that much power. Maybe power was just a figure of speech, maybe it was just fear that drove everyone to fall at his feet. Maybe it was because they had all signed their souls to him- a devil’s contract.

Her brother, the same boy that fed her popcorn when they were kids, couldn’t possibly be the cruel man he now showed himself to be.

Her brother, who once thought of her as the apple of his eye, only coldly glanced at her when she cried or complained. With a glass of whiskey in one hand, the other tracing his jawline, he’d tut at her. “Don’t be pathetic,” he’d sneer. “What would mum and dad say if they saw you like this?”

Y/N would ask herself the same question. If her mum and dad saw her locked away in random hotel rooms with two men watching her like hawks, they would be disappointed. If her mum and dad saw her cry to her brother about her loneliness, their hearts would ache.

Well, those were the answers concocted from fantasy.

In reality, her mum and dad would tell Jay to do whatever he could in his power to keep her safe. Her mum and dad would allow her to live the rest of her life miserably, as long as it meant she was still alive, breathing. Her mum and dad would applaud Jay for making the decisions he made.

She hated it, Y/N hated him with every fibre of her being- in the beginning, at least. It got exhausting, after a point. To hate her brother was to hate someone he was forced to become. To hate her brother was to hate the industry she saw herself taking over someday. To hate her brother was to mar the good memories she had with him.

Y/N accepted it just around the time she turned eighteen. She accepted spending half her life around expensive hotels and services. She accepted being an unknown sibling when she attended gatherings with her brother on one of those rare days. She accepted being helpless.

She was pathetic. Or maybe she wasn’t, her life was. She had overheard Heeseung and Niki talk pithily of her to Jay. She had watched Sunghoon give her half-hearted glances as he walked past her. She would let Sunoo and Jungwon- who were ordered to not converse with her- ignore her mundane requests. She would endure the helpless shrugs Jake passed her-

Jake. How she envied him sometimes. How she envied the way Jay treated him, his right-hand man, more like a sibling than he treated her. Y/N didn’t know what it was about Jake that her brother admired so much. What was it that he could do that she couldn’t? What was it that Jake had to offer that she couldn’t?

He was so loyal to him, Y/N noticed. Jake Sim would do anything to protect Jay Park. To be fair, she did hear them argue quite a lot. She wasn’t sure about what, but every time they argued, Jay would become a little angrier, a little more controlling and a little more on edge.

In the world she lived in, loyalty was the only thing keeping them alive. Keeping her alive. Y/N stayed loyal to Jay by not running away. The boys he strung alone stayed loyal to him by obeying him, not selling him out.

In the world she lived in, looking over her shoulder was her priority. Physically and metaphorically, of course. Everything had safety precautions, from the keychains on her purse to her beloved phone- the same phone that Jay controlled with through regulations.

He baned her from using social media. All she did with it was watch movies, listen to music or play games. Nevertheless, it was better than having nothing at all. It was better than enduring an eternity of boredom.

Because, Y/N was currently tucked away in boredom, locked in a room with her two trusted bodyguards. They were somewhere in Italy- her balcony gave her a splendid view of the city and with the moon shining in the corner of her sight, her room sparkled with silver.

While she shamelessly hummed a tune and looked out the balcony, Sunoo and Jungwon sat in the room on separate chairs. The pair stared at their phone, thumbs typing away yet somehow, half their attention was on Y/N.

Their one order was to take care of her, and she was sure they vowed to do a damn well job at it.

“Y/N,” she heard Jungwon step into the balcony, his phone fisted into his hand as he waited for a response. She simply hummed at him, telling him to continue. “Your brother wants to speak with you.”

A groan drawled from her throat, head tilting over her shoulder as she glanced at him. Jungwon, though he wasn’t innocent, he certainly did look like it. With his beady eyes and puffy cheeks- Jay must have gone to hell and back to have him and Sunoo on his side. Both of them didn’t look like they belonged. Perhaps that was their advantage.

“What does he want?” Her eyes tiredly narrowed as she spoke but ultimately received no answer.

She rolled her eyes, following Jungwon back into the room. She was being guided out by him and Sunoo, strolling behind her as she strutted out the door and down the hall until the door to her brother’s hotel room came to view.

Swinging the door open, she was immediately met with the sight of two tramps- one entertaining her brother while the other danced in the middle of the room.

Niki sat on one couch, holding up a phone to record the tramps while Heeseung sat beside him. Jake and Sunghoon sat on another, smirks of amusement plastered on their faces as they watched. Y/N scoffed when Jungwon left her side to sit with Jay and Sunoo left to sit beside Niki.

“Dismiss your prostitutes before asking for your sister next time,” she crossed her arms, heels clicking as she came closer to her brother.

With a tut and a snap of his fingers, the two girls disappeared into the bathroom. Niki groaned out a complaint, something about being bored, and tucked his phone away. He was the youngest, yet he was the strongest out of them all. Y/N had heard rumours about his talents in wielding knives.

Heeseung, who sat beside him, was the oldest and smartest. The one in charge of planning and executing- or so she heard. He had his arm wrapped around Niki’s shoulders, a stoic scowl taking over his face as he looked at Y/N.

“I know you hate me but try being nice to me when my friends are around,” Jay smirked, standing to meet his sister’s gaze.

“It’s exhausting to feel anything towards you, brother,” as Y/N rolled her eyes, Niki involuntarily snickered.

Jay flashed the boy a glare and he quickly covered his mouth. “As I said,” he looked back at his sister. “Play nice.”

Y/N hid her disbelief by sucking in a breath, digging her nails into her arms. “Why’d you want to see me?”

“Mum called,” he said so casually, it made her raise a brow.

“What am I to do with that piece of information?”

“Again with the attitude,” he warned, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “She wants us to attend a gathering tomorrow,” he informed.

“Tomorrow?” She asked.

“Yes, tomorrow,” he echoed. “And not to worry, mum already has a dress sent for you,” he offered her a teasing smile which earned him another roll of her eyes.

“Are you bringing all six of your playthings or is it just gonna be the two of us?” She waved her hand, pointing towards the rest of the boys, eyes still trained on her brother.

“Have some manners,” Jay scowled. “They haven’t done anything to you.”

“Doesn’t matter. They’re all loyal to you, aren’t they?” Y/N cocked her head. “I don’t feel like giving you lot manners,” she seethed.

“I’m not gonna repeat myself,” Jay seethed back, snapping his fingers at her face.

Y/N flinched. She shamelessly flinched, eyes blinking and body leaning back. But then she shook away the shock on her face, standing straight and offering him the same stoic expression she gave her when she was angry.

“Just answer my question.”

Jay rolled his eyes this time, hand retreating to his side. “It’s only going to be me, you and Jake,” he promised.

“Awe, am I not gonna have my lovely bodyguards there?” She pouted, clearly showing off her sarcasm.

“Jake is more than capable of taking care of you for one night,” Jay smiled teasingly, looking over her shoulder to steal a glance from his right-hand man. “The rest of them have business to attend to.”

“Of course,” she smiled right back at him, narrowing her eyes. “Is that all?”

“Yes, that is all,” Jay nodded. “I expect you to be ready by tomorrow evening.”

“The dress better look pretty, then.”

“Oh, don’t worry. It is,” Jay cooed. “Mum even got it in pink.”

Her scoff went unnoticed by everyone when they fell into a stupor of laughter. Y/N was used to it, to be openly made fun of. Maybe she didn’t care, either. Regardless, if something happened to Jay one day, it would be her they listened to. She knew how she could get her way.

“Sunoo and Jungwon can stay here for the night. Have some fun,” Jay announced.

“Yay, I get to spend the night alone,” she leaned her weight on one leg. “Generous of you,” she crooned.

“I know,” Jay crooned back, eyes trailing towards his right-hand man. “Be a gentleman, Jake, and bring my sister back to her room, will you?”

Jake stood up, rubbing his palms against his jeans and giving Jay an assuring nod. Y/N didn’t bother to meet Jake’s eyes or bid her brother a good night. She trailed towards the door, leaving as she felt Jake’s hand hovering over her back.

The halls were empty, ground matted with blue carpets, walls plastered with ivory wallpaper, all the glory made visible by dimly lit golden lights. Yet her senses drowned in the sounds of their feet padding against the carpet, his hand guiding her by her back.

Jay must have trusted him the most. If it were anyone else, he probably would have chopped their fingers off for even dreaming of touching her- his sister. For someone that acted like she deserved no happiness, he sure was overprotective.

“Jay only wants to keep you safe.”

Jake’s voice rang loud and clear, his accent giving away his nerves. Y/N scoffed again, rolling her head to the side to get a better look at his perfectly styled hair and sculptured nose.

“I thought none of you were allowed to talk to me?”

Then came silence, just as she expected. And Jake had let her into her hotel room, locking the door as he left, leaving her in silence. Lonely silence and she liked that she was alone. For once she wouldn’t have two bodyguards shielding her to sleep.

The next morning, she was happy to realise that Jay was wrong. The dress her mum sent was, in fact, black. The satin wrapped around her frame effortlessly and Y/N admired herself in the mirror, her hands brushing over her collarbones and neck that hung a thin chain. Her fingers adorned with rings, ones that Jay bought for her.

She was brave enough to wear stilettos, and her feet tapped against each other while she sat in the back of her car, staring out the window. Jake drove, Jay sat in the passenger’s seat. The rearview mirror angled directly at Y/N, giving Jay a clean picture of his sister.

“When’d you get your nails done?”

Y/N admired her nails, shiny black liquor matching her dress. “I did them myself,” she spoke with a smile.

Jay hummed, amused by the way his sister entertained herself. He didn’t say anything else, just tapped his phone against his cheek and looked out the window. Jake found himself glancing at her through the rearview mirror.

Soon Y/N found herself standing in front of another hotel. The party hall, she presumed, where the gathering would be held. That would be the third time she was attending a party that year, to be able to witness human interaction.

Jay made sure to keep his hand wrapped around her forearm, subtly dragging her around as Jake followed them into a room lit by chandeliers and organised with circular tables- covered by white cloth, of course.

“Alright, listen,” Jay held her at an arm’s length, eyes sternly begging her to listen to his requests. “I need you to stay in one place. Where I can keep an easy eye on you,” he blinked.

“Am I not allowed to have fun?” Y/N crooked a brow, a smile creeping up her cheeks. “Dance with the rest of the guests, maybe?”

“Jake will be with you at all times. I’m sure he can give you all the entertainment you need for the night,” he clenched his jaw. Jake let out a hum, his hands clasped behind his back.

“Then why do you need to keep an eye on me?”

“Because I’m paranoid, Y/N,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Just tell me where you’ll be sitting. At least I’m letting you pick.”

“Yeah, because that’s being charitable,” despite her annoyance, she looked around the room, eyes landing on the open bar with tall stools. She pointed in its direction. “There. You’ll be able to see me from any corner and I’ll at least be able to drink.”

“Fine,” he agreed. “Just don’t get drunk. I expect to see you be able to walk by the end of the night.”

Then he exchanged a promising nod with Jake, leaving the pair alone while he went away to act like a polite guest. Jake, after a moment of silence, offered Y/N his arm and she hesitantly looped in hers. He guided her to the bar and helped her sit on the stool.

She fixed her dress, one leg crossed on the other as she ordered champagne. “What would you like to have?” She turned to Jake, her earrings shining under the light.

“I can order for myself,” he said, weaving his fingers together as he sat beside her.

“Too proud to let a girl speak for you, huh?” Y/N chuckled, wrapping her fingers around the drink that was being handed to her.

“Funny,” Jake passed her an annoyed glance. He called for the bartender with a wave of two fingers, asking for a whiskey that was handed to him within seconds.

“Strong men only enjoy strong drinks, I guess,” she mumbled, smirking as she brought the rim of her glass to her lips.

Jake scoffed. “You’re full of opinions, aren’t you?” He narrowed his eyes. “You don’t know how to be nice to people?”

“What?” Y/N scoffed right back at him. “I’ve been stripped away of living my life and now I can’t have emotions and opinions?”

Jake looked away, clenching his jaw and gripping his glass of whiskey. He wore his own set of rings, ones that strained against his skin and clanked against his glass.

“And please enlighten me as to why I have to be nice,” she continued. “Have any of you been nice to me? Hence, do I owe any of you my kindness?”

“Fair enough,” Jake let the words push past his teeth.

“That’s what I thought,” her lips frowned into a scowl as she sipped her champagne again. Upon looking at his defeated face, though, she recoiled. “But since my brother’s forcing you to keep me company tonight, perhaps I should play nice.”

Jake chuckled, involuntarily letting himself enjoy Y/N’s humour. “Here I thought you didn’t owe me your kindness,” he cocked his head, hiding his smile with his glass of whiskey.

“Don’t make me regret it,” she tipped her glass towards him.

Jake hummed, nodding as he mustered up the courage to look at Y/N- his boss’ sister, the same girl he wasn’t allowed to cross paths with until the previous night. He smiled at her, pondering if striking up a conversation was a good idea.

If he was allowed to, he might as well let himself use his freedom to his advantage. Y/N was doing it, too, after all.

“Your life’s always been this way, huh?” He asked, shamelessly showing his curiosity.

“What way?” She wondered, pushing her newly emptied glass away. Her fingers curled under his chin, propping her elbows on the counter.

“This,” he pointed his finger at her, looking her up and down. “Controlled by your brother, denied of freedom,” he listed.

Y/N pondered over his question while asking for a refill of champagne. She swirled her glass around, watching the bubbles fizz away. She cleared her throat, nostalgia filling her conscience.

“I used to be a wild girl while I was still in high school,” she chuckled. “You know, typical high school parties, cheap beer and making mistakes?”

Jake nodded. “Then what drove Jay to treat you like this?” He cringed. “He pulled you out of school, didn’t he?”

“You know, I thought he would have told you of all people the reason for his actions,” she chuckled but continued explaining. “Yes, he pulled me out of school. He forced me to live in secrecy and whatnot,” she shrugged.

“We’re all just as clueless are you are,” he shrugged back. “All we know is that you and your brother have an… Unconventional relationship.”

“Unconventional doesn’t even begin to explain it,” she sipped her champagne. “He was forced into all of this, you know? The Mob, the violent mentality. With that came paranoia and the constant need to keep up his guard.”

“You seem quite sympathetic towards him,” he noticed.

“Maybe I am,” she agreed. “But whatever he’s been through doesn’t excuse how he treats me,” she insisted, pressing her finger to her chest.

“Right,” Jake pursed his lips.

“His overprotective act just made me despise him a little. He ruined my life, after all,” Y/N rolled her eyes.

“Of course,” he let out a scoff, a slight grin taking over his features as he finished off his whiskey.

Y/N tilted her head, attempting to get a better glance at Jake. “What’s so funny?” She asked, the same grin spreading on her lips.

The more she examined him, the more she realised how little she knew of him. Of any of them, for that matter. They lived under the same roof, travelled everywhere but the only information she gathered of them was by overhearing conversations. To be fair, her brother did ban them from interacting with her, regardless of how much he trusted them.

She came to realise that this was probably the closest she had to a conversation in a long time.

Jake, on the other hand, shook away the glee on his face when he looked over Y/N’s shoulder, only to find Jay approaching them. He looked away, clenching his jaw and weaving his fingers together. Y/N’s brows knitted together, confusion slapping her harder than a wave.

When Jay finally made himself known, her expression contorted into realisation. Brow raising, she watched him smile at her and Jake. “I see you’ve been enjoying yourselves so far,” he said. “I hate to interrupt but I have a certain someone that was begging to meet you.”

Beside him stood a woman that Y/N found much too familiar. Her auburn hair flowed past her shoulders, almond eyes shining with a smile as she looked at her.

“Pearl?” Y/N’s eyes widened, excited as she started the woman up and down. She used to babysit her and her brother when she was still children, oblivious to the bad in the world.

Pearl was a reminder of her past, a sliver of naivety.

“Yeah, It’s me,” the woman fondly opened her arms and Y/N found herself leaping at the hug.

“My God, it’s been years,” Y/N gasped, holding her at an arm’s length.

“I know, a lot has changed,” Pearl enthused. “You look great, Y/N.”

“You too,” she agreed. “How have you been?”

“Good. Great,” Pearl nodded. “I’ve got two kids, a great husband,” she smiled at her, then craned her neck to smile at Jay.

Jake watched the scene unravel from behind with a refill of whiskey held between his fingers. He saw the way Jay licked his top teeth as Pearl smiled feverishly at him and that Y/N wasn’t oblivious to the looks they shared. Unloyal she was, it was obvious.

Jay was quick to cut the reunion, standing between his sister and their once babysitter. “Nostalgia is a joy, isn’t it?” He grinned. “Now, Pearl. I’ll have a few words with my sister and then come find you. Go on now.”

Pearl nodded, waving Y/N goodbye. “I’ll be waiting,” she said to Jay and breezed past them.

Y/N gaped at her brother, wide-eyed as she realised what she just witnessed. Jay raised a brow. “What?” He asked, holding his hands by his side.

“She’s married,” she reminded him. “She has two kids. And you want to sleep with her?”

“Since when did you have a say in my actions?” Jay jeered, completely careless towards her point. Y/N rolled her eyes, Jake scoffed and shook his head.

“Unbelievable,” she cursed. “You’re unbelievable.”

“I know,” her brother smirked, then strolled past her, leaving her alone with Jake again.

Y/N scoffed at him, returning to her stool while shaking her head out of disbelief. She didn’t say anything, just thought to herself that this was probably the most eventful night she’s had since her eighteenth birthday.

“He disappoints you, doesn’t he?” Jake swirled around his whiskey, training his eyes on the way her mouth gaped.

“He has no self-respect, does he?” Y/N ran her fingers through her scalp, meddling with her hair as she hollered for more drinks- this time, wine.

“No, I guess not,” he mumbled, too entranced by the anger that seemed to suit her so well. The way her brows furrowed and eyes narrowed, mouth parted and chest rising a little more than usual- Jake looked away.

For the rest of the night, he stripped her and himself of any interaction between them. The pair enjoyed their drinks, lost in their phones. A part of Jake hoped that she’d ask him for a dance or whine about how bored she was.

Maybe she was too proud to ask for anything else, maybe she was just angry towards her intolerable brother.

It was proven to be the latter when Jay came striding back, hair tousled and shirt wrinkled from his controversial expedition. “You’re insufferable,” she said to him

“Don’t ruin my mood,” he dismissed her, and it was back to being ignored by her brother.

She was taken back to the hotel, her diner waiting in her room along with Sunoo and Jungwon. She quietly changed her clothes, freshened up before eating and replayed the events of the night over and over again.

She thought about Pearl and Jay and Jake- Oh, especially Jake and the conversation she had with him. She found herself craving more conversations, desperate for an escape. But, wishing for leisure was like wishing for a unicorn.

She got over it by tomorrow, accepting her loneliness once again while she ate pancakes in bed while her brother and his friends were enjoying breakfast together. She swore she could hear laughter echoing from the banquet hall, overpowering the melodies she had playing on her phone.

A knock on her door, however, was not what she expected. She didn’t have to get out of bed and open the door, though that was the whole point of knocking. It opened on its own and Jake’s head peaked through the crack, his hand gripping the doorknob.

Y/N immediately sat straight, duvet pooling at her waist as she turned off her music and put away her pancakes. A breath left her lips as he entered her room, followed by her brother and Sunghoon.

“What a surprise,” she mumbled, fisting the duvet as the three boys stood around her bed, one on each side.

“Good morning,” her brother offered her a curt smile and she nodded at him.

“Am I in trouble?” She almost laughed. “Or do you need something?”

“I just need to talk to you,” Jay rolled his eyes. “Andrei has been asking to see you for a while.”

“And who’s Andrei?”

Jay smiled viciously, realising that his sister was curious, giving him the attention he expected. “He’s a work buddy of mine, it’s not important.”

“Seems like it is,” she furrowed her brows. “He wants to see me, after all,” she argued.

“Just listen, will you?” He scoffed. “I’m attending a meeting of his and he wants you there.”

“Then why are these two here?”

“They will be taking care of you. I’d much rather have these two look after you while the rest of the boys attend the meeting with me.”

Jake pursed his lips, nodding as he listened. Sunghoon passed Y/N a stoic glance from the corner of his eyes. She gulped, covering up her second guesses with a furrow of her brows.

“So, what? I’m just gonna sit outside while you have all the fun?” She chuckled half-heartedly, a hesitant smile gracing her face.

“I don’t call this fun, Y/N” Jay seethed. “You’ve been popular around my colleagues and I’d rather not know the reason. The least you can do is not ask questions and follow simple orders.”

“I am not one of your playthings to follow orders, Jay,” she seethed back. “It’s early in the morning, I don’t need you snapping at me.”

Jay, with a smile that screamed anything but good, crouched beside her bed, face inching towards hers. “I can say the same,” he chuckled, two puffs of air escaping his lungs.

Y/N glared at him, jaw clenching as she let go of her duvet and crossed her arms. “You’re insatiable,” she growled.

“I know,” Jay smirked. “Now get out of bed, get ready and change into something presentable,” he stood to his feet, stomping towards her suitcases and flinging them open. Y/N followed him, jumping out of her bed and yelping.

“I’m obviously not going to show up in my pyjamas!” She yelled. “Now, stop going through my stuff and get out!”

She swore she heard Jake and Sunghoon stifle their laughter as Y/N pushed her brother towards her door. Their hands covered their mouths, unsubtly looking away.

“Out!” She continued yelling. “The lot of you!”

“I’m only messing with you,” her brother grinned at her as he stepped out the door, ushering the two other boys with his hand.

“You show brotherly affection at the worse times,” she clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, Jake and Sunghoon strolling past her and out the door.

Jay shook his head, crooning. “Be ready before I get annoyed.”

Y/N slammed the door in his face.

Sighing, she brushed her hands down her face as silence consumed her once again. She strolled around her room, taking ten minutes to waste before ultimately disappearing into the bathroom.

It was rather dramatic of her to saunter out of her door in a little red dress, hands shifting her hair to one side of her shoulder. The carpet muffled the click of her heels and at the end of the hall stood Jake like a knight in tailored clothes.

His presence took her by surprise and her lips parted as she approached him. “Jay told me to get you,” he said and she curtly nodded.

Jake walked her downstairs, an awkward silence following their path as Y/N looked ahead; he fought to steal glances of her. Then they entered the elevator, metal doors sliding behind them.

He cleared his throat, licking his lips. “Had a good breakfast?”

“Of course,” she answered nonchalantly, eyes trained forward. It was a lie, obviously, but neither of them felt the need to acknowledge it.

She was piled into a car with him, Jay and Sunghoon. She didn’t say a word, didn’t seem like she wanted to either. Her earphones stuck to her ear, feet bobbing up and down to an unknown beat.

Jake, despite fighting his urges, had his eyes trained on her arms, legs, exposed neck and collarbones- any exposed skin he could get his gaze on, gaping from the corner of his eyes. He’d surely get in trouble if Jay caught his subtle glances.

An exhausted sigh left her lips when they reached her destination, her shoulders slumping as she stood in front of a rather tall building. “Come on, now,” Jay had clasped his hand around her arm and dragged her inside- Jake and Sunghoon followed.

“I can walk on my own,” she complained, a breathy whine escaping her throat as they entered a meeting room. Empty, it was- a long table surrounded by cushioned chairs for privileged backs to lean on.

“I know, I just don’t want my baby sister to get lost in this mess,” he taunted. “So, listen carefully and just follow the rules, yeah?”

“You make this sound like mission impossible,” she groaned. “Why are you making this such a big deal? I’m just meeting one of your colleagues,” she argued, tilting her head to the side.

“You’re meeting a colleague that’s killed people for fun,” he glared. “As surprising as it may seem, I’d like to keep you alive.”

“You’ve killed people too. What’s the difference?” She almost chuckled, disbelief taking over her features.

Jay had the same reaction. “The difference is that I’m your brother,” he reminded. “Now, can you just listen?”

“Fine. I’m listening.”

“Good,” he started. “When Andrei comes in, he’s gonna want to see you. obviously. All you have to do is behave, smile like the little princess you are and minimally answer all his questions. Simple enough, right?” He shrugged his shoulders, a sarcastic smile appearing on his face.

“Right,” Y/N rolled her eyes.

“Exactly,” he enthused. “When he’s done talking to you, Jake will take you away and you’ll wait in the bar, right across from this room,” he pointed his arm out the door, towards the area he was referring to. “Sunghoon will join you later.”

“Great plan, brother,” it was clearly a sardonic compliment. “Keeping me alive and all… You deserve an award.”

“I’m not in the mood for jokes, Y/N,” he sighed and she furrowed her brows, telling him that she wasn’t joking either.

Her reaction went ignored when the door to the meeting room flung open, revealing a man taller than the three boys Y/N was surrounded by. She presumed it was Andrei and he did fit the mental image she created for him. Tall, as old as her dad and holding pride as he walked in.

All three boys curtly turned their heads towards him, bodies stiffening as they greeted him with their hands meeting in the middle. “It’s good to see you boys,” he smiled.

“It’s good to see you too, boss,” Jay exhaled, letting go of his hand. Y/N lightly gaped at her brother, confused by his choice of… Words.

Andrew crisply turned around, surprised when his gaze was met with the presence of Y/N. He bellowed out a chuckle, brows raising as his arms extending past him. “My, God!” He cheered. “I didn’t actually think you’d bring her,” he directed towards Jay.

“I thought it’d be nice if you took a trip down memory lane,” Jay offered, shrugging.

“It’s been years since I’ve seen you!” Then he wrapped his arms around her, bringing her into a hug.

Y/N was taken by surprise as her cheek pressed into the man’s chest. She didn’t know what he was talking about, she didn’t know what either of them were talking about and Andrei sure as hell didn’t seem like he was the murderous type. Towards her, at least. So the confusion stayed on her face when she was released from the embrace.

“Do you remember me, sweetheart?” Andrei asked.

Y/N shook her head, almost embarrassed. “I’m sorry,” she chuckled.

“Oh, I don’t blame you,” he waved it off. “You were a baby the last time I saw you, clinging to your father’s side,” he smiled warmly, a stark contrast to the description she received of him.

“I’m sure she’ll remember if our dad gives her a little push towards remembering,” Jay smiled sarcastically again. Andrei agreed with a laugh.

“Regardless,” Andrei started. “It’s good to see you, Y/N.”

“Goodie,” Jay clasped his hands together, ushering at Jake with a nod. “I’d rather have my sister out of here before the rest arrive. Wouldn’t want her to die of boredom,” he took two steps towards his sister, a hand pressing on her back as Jake stood on her other side.

Andrei raised a questioning brow, turning to Sunghoon who answered with an inattentive shrug.

“I have so many questions,” Y/N whispered to Jay.

“I’ll answer them later,” Jay added. “If I feel like it.”

Then, Jake was guiding her away to the bar. It was like the previous night all over again as he helped her sit on one of the chairs, keeping the meeting room out of her sight. Y/N dryly laughed, scratching the corner of her brow with her pinky.

“He calls this entertainment,” the span of her palms spread across her thighs.

“He’s just being protective,” Jake debated.

Y/N shook her head again, chuckling out of disbelief. She ordered a glass of wine- a whiskey for Jake with it. The thought of being granted recreation was completely thrown out the window as her eyes met with Jake’s.

She scoffed. “You’d think that the right-hand man has to sit through every meeting,” she commented.

“There’s a lot more to my job than attending meetings and tending to your brother’s requests,” he chuckled. “Besides, my presence isn’t required. We already know what the meeting’s about.”

“Wow,” Y/N leaned her head on her shoulder. “There’s a lot about my brother I’m unaware of,” she stated. With that, it sounded like she affirmed it.

“I’m sure he’ll give you your answers when he thinks your ready.”

“I’m eighteen and he���s been dragging me along for three years. I think I’m ready,” she sipped her wine, eyes narrowed at the sight of Jake sighing. Her shoulders slumped again. “You know,” she trailed. “Jay treats you more like a sibling than me.”

Jake’s eyes widened, almost coughed up his whiskey as he gawked at her. Her statement came out nonchalantly, almost like she’d been waiting to finally say it.

At his reaction, Y/N laughed, waving her hand in front of her as she put away her wine. “No, no,” he coaxed. “Don’t freak out, I’m just saying,” she grinned.

He wiped the corner of his mouth with the side of his hand. “You don’t just say things like that,” he scoffed.

“Eh,” she shrugged a shoulder. “Am I wrong?”

“You are,” he insisted.

“You could be wrong, too,” she reasoned. “But then again, he wouldn’t be treating the lot of you like playthings if he actually cared,” Y/N raised her brows, hiding her expression by drinking her wine.

“Playthings,” he echoed. “You throw that phrase around a lot- what do you even mean by it?” He weaved his fingers together, perfectly styled hair falling over his left eye, curiosity taking over his duty.

“Well,” Y/N pondered, swirling around her wine glass. “You let him boss you around, use you, made sure that your sole purpose was to serve him-”

“Alright, I’m gonna stop you right there,” he silenced her with a wave of her hand and she couldn’t help but realise how similar he was to her brother. She exhaled, giving up. “You sound really stupid.”

“Is that so?” She hummed. “Please enlighten me,” she squinted her eyes, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.

“He doesn’t use us or boss us around,” he waved around his fingers, body language suddenly animated. “You think he’s some sort of monster and I don’t blame you for it but he cares, Y/N. He just shows it in a messed up way,” he crossed one leg over the other, finishing his whiskey in one gulp.

“I feel very cared for,” she rolled her eyes.

Y/N wasn’t going to admit the pit she felt in her chest, a rock of disgust and jealousy churning her stomach, making her abandon her wine. It stung to know that he treated his friends better than he treated his own sister.

“Protect me, my ass,” she mumbled, rolling her head and looking past Jake’s shoulder.

Heeseung, Niki, Jungwon and Sunoo walked down the hall, leading a small crowd into the meeting room. Her fingers drummed against the counter, lips pursing as she pondered.

“Listen,” she heard Jake sigh. “I know it stings but he cares for you. More than any of us. Hence the overprotective act he puts on,” he coaxed.

“Act?” She huffed. “Was that supposed to make me feel better?”

“I mean, did it work?” He tried, clearly getting a laugh out of her.

“No.”

“Fair,” he pursed his lips. “Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”

“We don’t even know each other,” she said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world, pointing between themselves.

“So?” He asked. “We can get to know each other now?” He offered.

“Is that allowed?”

Jake smirked, tracing his tongue over his teeth. “I’ll let you in on a secret,” he whispered, leaning closer to her for dramatic effect. “Your brother trusts me more than anyone, which means he trusts me around you more than Jungwon or Sunoo.”

Y/N raised a brow, smirking back. “Which means what?”

“He doesn’t mind me interacting with you,” he let out. “I’ve always been looking out for you. Longer than Sunoo and Jungwon.”

She gaped at his confession, a shiver of shock running down her spine. “How am I only finding out about this now?” She inquired.

He shrugged. “I told you. There’s a lot more to being the right-hand man than you think,” he grinned. “Plus, he knows you’re going crazy. That’s why he needs me to tag along with him if he’s bringing you,” he explained.

“And here I thought my day was ruined,” she enthused, finding it in her to finish her abandoned wine. “So Jungwon and Sunoo aren’t my bodyguards anymore?”

“I guess you could say that,” he said. “They’re not gonna be locked in your room with you all day. They have other work to tend to for now is all I know. And I’ll be looking after you when you need to be.”

With the new information that was practically being fed to her, Y/N felt a rush of relief wash over her. “I can be alone in my room now,” she gushed.

“Yeah,” Jake chuckled, nodding.

She was still being babied, she knew. But the little splinter of freedom she was being given gave her a little hope. Maybe this was just the beginning of a better future, maybe Jay was realising how unfair he had always been. Regardless, she still felt happy and confident.

Hopefully, nothing would burst that bubble.

“And, by the way,” he added. “You didn’t hear any of this from me.”

“Of course,” she grinned and Jake found his hand moving towards hers, cupping it right on top of her knuckles. Y/N didn’t oppose it, she let his contact be the big red bow to her good day.

Jake thought her skin was warm. He thought the sight of their hands touching was more than just a pretty picture. He thought he wanted to hold her hand for longer than he’d like. He spent more than a couple of years watching over her like a fairy godmother- or guardian angel, whatever it was they called them these days. This was probably the last thing he expected, but it happened.

He wished for the moment to last a little longer, but Y/N’s face contorted into realisation, her gaze moving past his shoulder. She slipped her hand away from his, clearing her throat and dusting her dress as Sunghoon stood in front of them, the same stoic expression gracing his expression.

“The meeting’s almost over. Jay should be out soon,” he informed and Y/N nodded, pulling her lips to the side.

Before Sunghoon could make himself comfortable on one of the stools and enjoy himself a drink, Jay was striding towards them. With his hands balled into fists, his arms swung as he approached them.

Y/N found it in herself to smile at her brother, head innocently tilting as he looked at her with confusion. “What?” He asked. “What’s so amusing? Why are you smiling?” He wondered, looking between her and Jake.

“Am I not allowed to smile?” She blinked innocently.

“You don’t smile for no reason,” he pointed out, then rolled his eyes. “Where’s the angry remark I usually get?”

Jake and Sunghoon exchanged glances.

“Don’t be a bore, Jay,” Y/N chuckled. “I’m just excited to ask you those questions I was talking about earlier.”

Jay sucked in a breath, face relaxing as realisation washed over him. He glanced at the ceiling, then at the ground, helplessly sighing. He only realised just how much his sister was going to pester him.

“Let’s just go, shall we?” He pursed his lips.

Jay grabbed her forearm, smoothly dragging her out of her stool and past the hallway, all the way down to the ground floor. Y/N let him, yet curious questions tumbled out of her mouth, none stop. By the time they reached the car, Jay was annoyed.

He ushered Jake and Sunghoon to get in the car as he held Y/N by the arm, glaring at her until she shut up and gave him a reaction deemed serious enough. “What do you want from me?” He fumed.

Y/N took a deep breath, throwing away the questions she had on Andrei, or her parents or about the business he leads. Instead, she pursed her lips into a smile. “I just want you to be my brother,” she freely admitted.

“I am your brother.”

“But you don’t act like one!” She argued. “I just want you to let me live my life and be happy when I find happiness. I want you to let me explore the places you drag me to, let me interact with people,” she listed breathlessly, hope filling her voice.

“Y/N, you know how dangerous it is to just let you wander,” he sighed. “I’m not willing to take that risk.”

Her tongue poked her cheek as her brother looked away, eyes frantically blinking as a wind blew past them. “Okay, then Jake can follow me around while I go wandering,” she offered. “You trust him, and he keeps me safe. I’ll be a good girl and won’t talk to strangers.”

Jay immediately let out a chuckle. “What did you and Jake talk about while I was gone?”

Her brows furrowed, lips forced into a frown. “What? We didn’t talk,” she insisted. “it was more of a chat. And he didn’t exactly tell me anything.”

With that, Jay pondered, hands resting on his hips as he looked his sister up and down. He sighed defeatedly. “Fine,” he said. “I’m not going to let you wander all by yourself. You can stay in your room alone and do whatever you want but when you’re outside, you’re either with me or him. Understood?”

Y/N couldn’t help the smile that reached her eyes, stretching her cheeks and showing her teeth. She’d jump up and down if she could. “Understood,” she said to him.

“Good,” he nodded. “I trust him enough to know that he’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. So, make friends with him or something, I don’t know. I’m only letting you do this because I don’t want you going crazy.”

“I know,” she nodded, lovingly looking at her brother who had his guard down. “Thank you, brother.”

“Don’t make me regret this,” he warned and she was being piled into the car, sitting in the back seat with Jake.

As Sunghoon started driving, Jake managed to catch Y/N’s attention. He curiously nodded at her, silently asking what she was smiling about. She only shrugged at him and looked away, hands resting on the exposed skin of her knee.

She was alone when she reached her, a silence she accompanied on her own. She starting squealing out of joy, skipping towards the bathroom with a smile that refused to leave her face. Music blasted through her phone and she shamelessly sang along.

Dinner was sent to her room later in the night and she happily located herself on the bed, duvet pooling at her waist as the TV played a random movie she’d never watched or understood. Nevertheless, she watched intently, wide eyes scanning across the subtitles as she stuffed her mouth with carbonara pasta.

She didn’t cross paths with her brother since their merry little conversation. And neither did she expect to see him or any of his friends. But her door creaked open, and a familiar set of fingers adorned with a familiar set of rings held the door frame and Y/N was wiping her mouth and placing her plate on a table.

Deja vu washed over her.

“Jake?” She raised a brow as he entered the room without an invitation, slowly and softly clicking the door closed behind him.

Jake gazed at her with doe-eyes, filled with some amount of hope and desperation. His lips crooned into a sheepish smile as his fingers laced together in front of him. “When I said I wanted us to get to know each other, I meant it.”

Y/N smiled involuntarily, blinking twice as Jake took two steps towards her bed. She had to admit, the conversation she had with him was forgotten about, overshadowed by the satisfaction of her new predicament.

For starters, she didn’t know if Jake alone was allowed in there. She didn’t know how her brother would react if he found out he was in her room. Bending and breaking the rules so early into freedom wasn’t the best idea.

But what the hell did she know? She let him walk right up to her.

“I don’t know why but something in me thought it’d be a good idea to sneak into your room,” he chuckled, pulling a chair towards the foot of her bed. He sat comfortably, eyes trained on the sight of Y/N pulling the duvet to her shoulders.

“He knows you won’t hurt me,” she waved it off. “He made it quite clear that he trusts you with his life. Ergo, he trusts you enough to keep my life in the palm of your hands. You chatting with me alone in my room shouldn’t bother him-”

“-But Jay’s ego is so big that if he finds me here, he’ll wig out,” he gladly finished for her, waving around his fingers as he spoke. “He told me about the small changes he allowed.”

“Exactly,” she laughed.

“Were you just saying all that to convince yourself that it’s fine for me to be here?” He inquired, smirking

“Maybe,” she trailed. “I just don’t want to mess up, cross a line, have Jay find out and wig out and treat me like a doll again. You know?” She shrugged, belting out her explanation with a single breath.

“I know,” Jake nodded, giving her a comforting smile.

Y/N had to wonder why she was letting this happening, why she found herself enjoying his company and the conversations he started up. She could have easily chalked it up to the lack of human interaction during all these years. She could have easily chalked it up to the desperation of needing valid attention.

He was sitting in front of her, with the first two buttons of his shirt undone, his fingers trailing up and down his thigh and he listened and spoke. He had a perfectly charming smile and a perfectly carved nose. He had eyes shaped like pointy almonds and his laugh- Y/N loved making him laugh.

If Y/N could box up his laugher and get lost in how ridiculously restricted it sounded, she would. Perhaps it was his laughter that put her to sleep that night, unaware of just how tired the adrenaline rush made her.

But it was the same adrenaline rush and the absence of laughter that woke her up hours later. Her head lifted off her pillow with a gasp, hands fisting her duvet when she realised Jake was still in her room, sleeping in the chair with his head thrown back.

The sight of him at peace didn’t stop her from gaping, though. “Oh, my God,” she said, then repeated herself a little louder. That was enough for Jake’s eyes to shoot open and look around in complete confusion.

“What?” He rubbed his eyes with his palms, fingers scaling through his scalp as he fixed his hair. “What is it?” He mumbled.

Y/N squinted her eyes, forgetting for a split second that he wasn’t supposed to be in her room. “How is it that your hair is still perfect?” Her lips parted while she dramatically parted.

Jake’s face fell, a disinterest washing over him as he stared at the messily clothed girl in front of him. “You were freaking out a second ago and now this?” He raised his brows.

“Oh, yeah!” Her fingers buried in her face. “You’re still in my room!” She reminded him like it was no big deal but the clench of her jaw betrayed her.

The warm Italian sun was rising and shone its light through the curtains. Jake found himself flinching at the hasty realisation, jumping out of his chair and straightening his shirt. “Shit,” he cursed. “I’m not supposed to be here.”

“No shit Sherlock!” Y/N scoffed, pushing the duvet off her legs and trudging towards the door. “Go back to your room before Jay wakes up,” she opened the door and Jake gladly followed with fisted hands.

“You think he’ll find out?” He stood at the entrance, hands holding the doorframe.

“He will if you stay any longer,” she closed the door as a scoff left his lips. “I’m sorry you had to sleep on a chair!” Then the door clicked shut and her back leaned on the door, a hand running down her face.

It was then she realised the grim on her face and stench on her skin but she didn’t find it in her to shower. Instead, she mulled over the number of ways the rest of the day could go while sitting on the edge of her bed and fixating on the chair Jake had slept on.

Now that she thought about it, her hotel room wasn’t as spacious as she thought. The ivory carpet was comfortable, and the golden lights seemed to brighten the bathroom more than the actual room. The bed was large and had pillows cosier than the ones back at home- Jay’s house.

All of that didn’t matter because today would be the day she would venture the streets of Naples and eat something other than five-star dishes for every meal. The thought brought a smile on her face, an exhausted smile but a smile nonetheless.

When she moved towards her suitcases, her door opened again and her face fell, lips pursing. “Good morning,” she heard her brother say, his sarcastic smile could be heard from a mile away.

“Morning,” she sang, the same sarcastic smile spreading on her face as she turned to look at him.

“You’re chipper,” he commented. “Why?”

He was oblivious to the fact that his trusted, loyal and honest right-hand man was previously in the room.

“Because I have a request that I know you won’t turn down,” she smiled ignorantly, a sparkle in her eyes and Jay strolled towards her, rolling his eyes.

“Ah, yes,” he mused. “Last day in Italy and the first day of filling your dream of getting the small sliver of freedom you’ve been chasing,” he taunted, holding up his thumb and index as he described what he meant by small.

“Come on, don’t ruin my mood,” she slapped his chest with the back of her hand. “When are we leaving, anyway?”

“Late in the evening,” he informed. “So whatever activities you have planned for today, they better fit the schedule,” he added.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “I just want to go shopping and try pastries,” she shrugged. Jay’s face contorted into mild disgust.

“You really are miserable,” he commented, though it was obvious to be passed on as a joke.

“No, I just want to enjoy the little things in life,” she insisted.

“Please, don’t become a romantic,” he whined, his hand raising to hover in front of him.

“I’ve always been a romantic,” she snarled. “You’d know that if you bothered to spend a little time with me.”

“You’d be surprised,” he rolled his eyes. “Just don’t drag Jake into your romantic fantasies,” he waved his hand.

“You’re not funny,” she rolled her eyes. “And for someone who trusts Jake so much, you really have a way of being subtle about your concerns,” she pointed out. “Why?”

“Doesn’t matter how much I trust him,” Jay replied. “I know you and I know you’ll do something stupid and drag him into it with you. Why did you think I ordered Sunoo and Jungwon never to talk to you?”

“Seriously?” She scoffed, mouth gaping. “You thought I’d fall in love with them or something?”

“No,” he trailed. “But that might as well happen with Jake.”

“Wow, you trust him so much,” he taunted, drawling out her sarcasm.

“Seriously, Y/N. Don’t make me regret being lenient,” he scrunched up his face. “And it’s weird enough that I’m having a conversation about love and emotions with you,” he cringed while pulling out his phone. Y/N assumed he was going to call Jake.

She agreed with a tut, hands reaching into her suitcase to find new clothes to wear. Curiosity washed over her and she looked at her brother through her lashes. She licked her lips. “What would you do if something did happen between him and me?”

Her question was unacknowledged because he already had his phone pressed to his ear.

When Jake entered his hotel room, he wasn’t expecting Heeseung and Sunghoon to be sitting on his bed, with looks of what he thought was concern on their faces. He furrowed his brows and tilted his head. “What are you doing here?”

“Waiting for you,” Heeseung replied. “You’re supposed to join us for breakfast in a couple minutes, Jake. Where were you?”

Heeseung and Sunghoon glared at him, though it was unintentional. Jake looked between the pair with hard eyes, contemplating if he could be honest with them. They’d find out, anyway. One way or another.

“I was in Y/N’s room the entire night,” he confessed.

Heeseung’s jaw fell and he stood up, stepping towards Jake. “What, are you her new bodyguard?”

“I guess you could say that,” he shrugged. “But I wasn’t supposed to be in her room.”

That was enough to have Heeseung leering at him, his hands reaching to fist his collar and dared to threaten him. “Listen,” he seethed. “I know Jay won’t literally kill us- his friends- when we mess up but his sister is a different story. He will explode if he finds out-”

“Can you calm down?” Jake pushed Heeseung off of himself, just as annoyed as he was. “I was just in there talking to her,” he defended.

“Without his permission,” Heeseung added.

“He won’t find out unless one of us tells him,” Jake rolled his eyes.

Heeseung looked over his shoulder to connect his eyes with Sunghoon. The pair were worried, for Jake and themselves. They’d keep a secret, no questions asked, but it wouldn’t take long for the situation to unravel and become something more than a mess.

“You’re gonna get caught up with her,” Heeseung warned.

Jake tutted, then scoffed as his hands rested on his hips. “I already am!” He exclaimed. “I’ve been watching over her for years, I know all her schedules and the books she reads like the back of my hand. Can you honestly blame me for wanting to know more?”

Sunghoon sighed, leaving the bed and strolling towards Jake with furrowed brows. “No, I guess we can’t blame you,” he agreed, but the twitch on his mouth told him that he had more to say. “But whatever you do, don’t get yourself in trouble. Don’t throw around Jay’s trust. Don’t fuck yourself over.”

He clapped Jake’s shoulder twice and pursed his lips. Before the conversation could continue further, Jake’s phone rang and he rushed to get it out of his pocket. “It’s Jay,” he mumbled but a part of him knew that he wasn’t in trouble. He ushered the pair in front of him to calm down when he pressed the phone to his ear.

“Are you awake?” Jay’s voice rang loud and clear.

“Wide awake,” Jake answered.

“Good,” Jay said. “Be ready in thirty minutes. My sister wants to go shopping and as much as I dread it, I’ll still have to comply.”

Jake found himself chuckling and the boys in front of him looked at him, confused. “Where am I supposed to take her?”

“I don’t know, a mall? Some shopping street?” The confusion in Jake’s voice was hard to miss. No one could blame him, though. He didn’t know the first thing about letting his sister have fun. “She said something about enjoying the little things in life.”

“Right, got it,” Jake nodded and then hung up the phone.

He ushered Heeseung and Sunghoon out of his room after explaining the schedule for his day. The two boys glanced warningly at him for the last time before Jake shut the door and took a minute to himself. He leaned his back on the door, hands covering his face as he groaned and cursed at himself.

The next half an hour went past like a blur- he wore a shirt similar to the one he wore prior, black pants and leather shoes, a watch to top it all off. When he entered Y/N’s room, he walked into the sight of Jay handing Y/N his credit card. They then turned to him and bid him their greetings.

The rest went downhill from there because he found himself driving to the nearest shopping street. Y/N thought malls were suffocating. He found himself glancing at her while she sat beside him, wanting to reach over and play with the end of her sundress.

Then he found himself carrying at least five shopping bags, filled with cheap dresses and tacky jewellery that looked beautiful regardless- and would certainly look stunning on her. She laughed and giggled and twirled as she skipped down the rocky pavement with a newly bought sun hat on her head. It matched her outfit to a tea.

Jake followed her without complaints. He was annoyed, yes, but that didn’t stop him from smiling at how happy she was. It was like she was on top of the world, exploring for the first time in her life.

“You know, Jay was being nice to me this morning?” She said while walking beside him, a few shopping bags hanging from her forearm too. “Sort of.”

“Oh, yeah?” Jake smirked as she nodded enthusiastically. “What’d he say?”

“Well, he was being his usual overprotective self and all,” she started. “But in like a nice way. A funny, trying to keep it loose kind of way. He was talking about love and all with me,” she glanced at him from the corner of his eyes, waiting for a response.

“I knew he was trying to be open with you but I wasn’t expecting that,” he chuckled. “What’d he say exactly?”

“To not drag you into a mess,” she responded nonchalantly with a shrug.

“Me?” He asked, blinking with surprise as he gripped the shopping bags tighter. “Odd,” he commented.

“I know,” she crooned. “He thinks I’ll fall in love with you or something. I don’t blame him for thinking that but Jay saying it out loud is just weird.”

Jake stared at the ground, swallowing a lump in his throat as he nodded. His hair covered his forehead, rosy red lips threatening to fall into a frown. “Yeah,” he said. “Weird.”

Y/N laughed, apologising for even bringing up the topic and skipping past him and into a cafe. He followed with a groan, padding his way past the door and letting her order whatever it was that she was craving- a cheesecake, blonde brownies and two cups of coffee, one for her and the other for him.

They found a booth somewhere in the corner, against the yellow bricked wall and beside a few potted plants. They rid themselves of the weight of the shopping bags and sat across from each other, sipping their coffees and enjoying the warm blonde brownies and cheesecake.

“Did you enjoy today?” Jake asked while he jabbed his fork into Y/N’s cheesecake.

“Very much,” she grinned, chewing on a mouthful of brownies. “I plan on dragging Jay into my room so I can do a little haul for him. I’m sure he’ll love it.”

“He’ll suffer,” he laughed and as did she, agreeing.

“I’m just trying to bond with him,” she reasoned. “He’ll go back to being cold-hearted soon but I plan on breaking that shell,” she smiled proudly.

“Well, good luck on that,” Jake offered. “I’m sure he’ll come around.”

“Hopefully,” she groaned. “I want to have a good relationship with someone from my family,” she grabbed a fork and dug at her cheesecake too.

“You don’t talk to your parents?”

“Nope,” she shook her head. “Jay acts like a messenger between them and me. They basically just handed me over to Jay and said figure it out. I have no idea why but I’m honestly better off,” she explained.

Jake didn’t understand how none of what she said bothered her. Or maybe it did, the indifference of her demeanour just hid it. He didn’t know. “Why are you better off?”

“Because,” she started, running her tongue across her teeth. “My parents are worse than my brother. Jay at least tries to keep me happy. My parents would just throw me in some room,” she cringed.

“They can’t be that bad,” Jake furrowed his brows.

“Fine, maybe I exaggerated,” she confessed. “But they still don’t care.”

“I didn’t know all that,” he waved his at her.

“Oh, really?” Y/N raised her brows in surprise. “I thought Jay would have told all of you.”

“He never talks about it.”

“Don’t blame him for that either.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, shaking the great of his questions out of his head. He blinked and wet his lips. “What else do you have planned for the day?”

“Nothing else, I had my fair share of fun,” she finished the cheesecake. “Why? Do you have something in mind?”

As a matter of fact, Jake did have something in mind. He was going to take her to Museo Cappella Sansevero which wasn’t far from where they currently were. He was going to take her to an aquarium as well and call it an unofficial date.

He’d tell Sunghoon all about how she enjoyed it and how he made her laugh. He’d brag about how he spent an entire day with a pretty girl in a building surrounded by ancient paintings and sculptures and he’d gloat about how he took pictures of her in front of fish tanks.

Well, the fantasy was thrown out the window as the image of Jay’s livid face fogged his head. It was only then that he realised the idea of an unofficial date was foolish. Selfish, too. Y/N might as well have laughed in his face if he carried it out.

So he just shook his head, a tight-lipped smile answering her question. “We don’t have much time before the evening,” he reminded. “We should get back soon so you can torture your brother with your haul.”

That is exactly what she did. She dragged Jay out of his room and into hers and forced him to sit on a chair. Despite his groans, objections and complaints, he still sat with his fingers weaved on his thigh. Y/N put on a parade, showing him the various tops, skirts and dresses she bought.

Jay thought the necklaces and earrings she got were garish. Y/N silenced him and continued gushing. She talked about how warm the sun was and how she talked to the shop owners with the little Italian she learnt in her free time. She told him about the lovely cafe where she and Jake enjoyed a cheesecake and coffee.

“What, like a date?” Was Jay’s response and Y/N threw a pillow at his disappointed face.

“The thought didn’t cross my mind,” she said. “Even if I do end up falling for your right-hand man, you should allow it because you trust him so much-”

“One, don’t cross the line. It doesn’t matter how much I trust him, my ego will still get hurt,” he cut her off. “Two, Jake shall not find out about this conversation,” he held up two fingers. “Three, I’m never talking about love with you ever again. And four, I’m trying to be a better brother so let me.”

Y/N laughed at him, collapsing on her bed as Jay chuckled with her. They couldn’t remember the last time they laughed together, a moment where anger or arguments didn’t come into the way of siblingly bonding.

That smile stayed on her face as she was being guided around the airport, arm linked with her stoic-faced brother who gently sat her down beside him in the charted flight. They didn’t talk. In fact, the siblings enjoyed the comfortable silence between them as one read a magazine and the other sat with earphones plugged.

When they reached home, Jay told her to sleep in her room while he and the rest of the boys dealt with something he wouldn’t tell her about. “You can worry about unpacking tomorrow,” he said and she fell right to sleep.

She thought her sleep schedule would start messing up if she kept waking up in the middle of the night. A creak made her groan awake and as she opened her eyes, she was met by the sight of Jake and his innocent smile.

Y/N tiredly smiled back at him, mumbling out a question that neither of them could comprehend. He chuckled, allowing his fingers to brush away the hair from her face. She rubbed her eyes, pushing herself to lean against her headboard. “What are you doing here?” She murmured.

“Thought I’d wish you a good night,” he whispered back, crouching down to get a better look at her.

“How sweet of you,” she cracked a smile, leaning into the fingers that rested against her cheek. “But you didn’t have to wake me up.”

“Sorry, I wasn’t trying to,” he coyed. “I’m not supposed to be here,” he said, reminding himself rather than informing her.

“No, no you’re not,” she agreed. “But now you woke me up and I won’t fall back asleep any time soon,” her expression fell somewhere between a pout and frown and Jake found himself swooning.

“I can’t sleep either,” he shrugged a shoulder, tracing his fingers down her jaw.

Y/N doesn’t respond to that, just smiled warmly and moved enough to push away her blanket. Jake looked at her a little confused, then questioningly but complied anyway. He crawled beside her, meekly moving his arm over her shoulders and she gladly got comfortable.

“If only Jay could see this,” she snorted. “He’d be furious if he saw his right-hand man putting his sister to sleep.”

“Which is why you need to speak a little more quietly,” he uttered, but the pair laughed anyway. They struggled to hold it in and ended up in a laughing mess. But they were quiet enough. Nobody woke up.

“Sorry,” she chuckled. “My sense of humour is broken.”

“Pretty obvious.”

Y/N laughed at that again, one hand covering her mouth and the other lightly hitting his chest. “Oh, my God,” she snickered. “Not laughing is harder than I thought.”

“Tell me about it,” Jake took a deep breath. “But it’s better than lying awake all night with nothing to do, right?”

“Exactly.”

The pair turn towards each other, eyes connecting for only a second, smiles stretching to create a memory that would probably be burnt into their heads. Y/N looks away first, mostly because it was an involuntary action but also because she wasn’t ready to break another rule in one night. Jake took a second, eyes easily gliding down the bridge of her nose to the turn of her jaw. Then he looked away too.

It was quiet for exactly twenty seconds where Y/N thought about what conversation to strike up next while Jake’s head was riddled with ifs and possibilities of what would happen if Jay walked into her room. It was probably not the best thing to think about while her head was nestling into his arm.

“Why do you think Jay is trying to be better?”

Turns out, Y/N was thinking about the same person. A different reason but the same person, regardless. Fear was what she felt, a small dent in her stomach bringing her nerves. She knew what she was doing was wrong, to be letting herself feel so comfortable lying next to someone she acquainted with for less than a week.

“Because you asked him,” he said, though he wasn’t so sure of his answer. “He probably realised that he can’t control you for the rest of your life.”

“I hope so,” she sighed. “I’m turning nineteen soon, I’d like to build a life for myself,” she stated.

Jake shifts his head, eyes glancing at her hair. “When?”

“In a week,” she said, fingers reaching to play with the ends of her hair.

“Oh, Yeah,” he breathed. “I remember.”

“You do?” Y/N shifted her head too and Jake’s chin touches her hair. She doesn’t seem to give a response to the contact but a swarm of butterflies rushed to his stomach and a chill ran down his spine- stark emotions colliding within his body.

“Of course,” he swallowed. “Jay always reminds us. He gets excited.”

“Really?” Her heart swelled, a warmth wrapping around her as she realised just how much her brother actually cared. “I didn’t know.”

“He didn’t want you to know,” he said. “He’d be embarrassed if he found out you knew.”

“I can keep a secret,” she grinned.

Jake grinned back, tightly. “What presents does he give you?”

“A ring,” she simply said and Jake’s brows lifted at the mundane response.

“A ring?”

“Yeah,” she nodded enthusiastically. “Every year since I was three, he buys me a ring for every birthday. I’m going to get the sixteenth one next week,” she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’m only realising how much he cares.”

“I don’t blame you,” he cleared his throat, slumping further into her bed. That made her head fall against his shoulder- he had no complaints. “The bad parts overshadow the good parts, most of the time.”

“That’s true,” she nodded.

They were both tired, it was becoming rather obvious. Y/N smacked her lips together, eyes fighting to stay open. But she slipped into slumber, soon enough. Jake didn’t notice until he looked at her again, her breath steady and moonlight highlighting her cheekbone.

He sighed in defeat, slowly sliding his arm away as she fell back on her pillow and Jake slipped out of her bed. He took the liberty to properly drape the blanket over her body, covering her arms and legs equally. She nuzzled into her pillow, humming. He slowly crept out of her room.

The nights leading to her birthday went the same way. She didn’t ask him to, but he’d slip into her room to talk to her every night. He’d blame it on the lack of interaction between them during the day because he was either busy with paperwork or she was given no other choice but to stay in her room.

She usually spent breakfast with Jay, where they would talk about the most random things that came to mind. It was an unspoken rule- for Y/N to never ask about what he did for work every day. She was content enough with laughing and bonding with her brother.

Lunch and dinner, though, she was either sitting alone on the dining table in an empty house or sitting in her room with her face stuffed with food. The tv was usually playing a movie, other times she listened to music.

It wasn’t as depressing as it sounded, the constant loop her life scheduled. Because she had two highlights in her days. One in the morning, where she’d chat with her brother and the other at night, where Jake would lay beside her and keep her company until she fell asleep.

Neither did Jake talk about what he did in his day. He’d usually just tell her the gist- exhausting, boring, typical day for someone who worked in the business he did. With that answer, Y/N had to wonder what it was that she was being protected from, why she was being guarded like a precious gem that could be stolen. She realised she’d rather not know and she’d realised that they’d rather not tell. Living in a plane of oblivion was always better.

He once told her about his life in Australia and how he used to be with his parents and big brother. He talked about his dog, Layla, like he was talking about the love of his life and it made her smile. His accent finally made sense.

Y/N didn’t have much to tell Jake. Her life was boring. She elaborated on Pearl and how Jay had always had a crush on her when they were kids. They collectively made fun of him for sleeping with her even with the knowledge of her marriage.

She also told him how Jay finally told her about Andrei and how he and her dad were childhood friends. Andrei was the reason Jay was part of a mob and he was the reason they got to live in both luxury and misery.

When her birthday finally came, Jake didn’t have the chance to wish her. He knew for a fact that Jay would be surprising her at the stroke of twelve. That was exactly what happened.

Y/N, oblivious to her brother’s plans, was still awake, waiting for Jake to come into her like he was doing for the past week. But it was safe to say that she was much happier seeing Jay tip-toe into her room with a small birthday cake in his palms.

He had an excited smile on his face- a smile she rarely saw- as he sang Happy Birthday. A single candle was lit on the birthday cake and she quickly blew it out. The small celebration happened quietly and lasted until the pair managed to finish the cake. Before he let her sleep, despite knowing it’d be hard with the sugar rush, he handed her a birthday gift.

Another ring, like Y/N wished and expected for. A ring that was shaped with flowers, colourful enamel painted on the petals. “That is the opposite of tacky,” he said and she laughed at his humour.

She was glad that he could freely joke around with her, regardless of the situation.

She didn’t see Jake that entire day because her brother took her out for the first time in a long time. She wasn’t complaining, mostly because she was too engrossed in the empty park they walked around and the empty theatre they watched a movie in.

Regardless of how much Jay was willing to let Y/N have fun, he sure as hell wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to book out entire parks and theatres. He had the money, so why not.

Y/N honestly didn’t care as long as she was with him. She couldn’t remember the last time she enjoyed a day out with her brother.

They got home later in the evening and Y/N agreed to stay in her room for the rest of the day. When she walked past Jungwon and Sunoo, they wished her a happy birthday- she smiled gratefully at them, then shut the door of her room and sunk into the white sheets of her bed.

Suddenly it was like her old life chased her down, following the same loop she was so used to. Today was a rare day, a special day that probably wouldn’t be repeating itself until next year. It was just one day.

She wondered if she could plan something special for Jay’s birthday, too.

That night, when the moonlight filtered through her curtains and crickets chirped, Jake snuck into her room again, a determined look on his face. He held something in his hand, hiding it behind his back as he cautiously made his way towards her bed.

“Hey,” Y/N whispered to him, a beaming smile on her face.

“Hey,” he cooed back. “I didn’t get to see you all day,” he said as he slipped under the sheets beside her.

“I was with Jay the entire day,” she explained. “A special birthday surprise,” she jazzed her hands, earning a low chuckle from Jake.

“Before you tell me about it,” he started. “Happy birthday,” he crooned as a finger reached to tap her nose. They smiled at each other, humming. “And I got you something,” he added and pulled out an averagely sized box.

Y/N gasped softly. “You really didn’t have to,” she insisted but he shook his head, ushering her to move and sit in front of him. She complied, both crossing their legs as they sat in front of each other. Jake opened the box to reveal a bracelet, a simple, silver chain that would wrap around her wrist.

“It’s not much, but it’s something you’d like,” he smiled sheepishly.

“You’re right,” she gushed. “I love it.”

“Can I put it on for you?”

She nodded enthusiastically and Jake softly reached for her hands, fingers nimbly wrapping the bracelet around her wrist, cool metal touching warm skin. He was right, it suited her.

“Thank you,” she lifted her hand to ogle at the bracelet around her wrist. “It’s so pretty.”

“Pretty girl deserves pretty gifts,” the words slipped out involuntarily. He played it off with a shrug and leaned against the headboard. Y/N trained her eyes on him, moving closer so that their knees were touching. “How’d your day go, then?”

“Oh, right,” she chewed the inside of her cheek. “Jay came into my room with cake at exactly twelve in the night and then in the morning we went to a park and ate ice cream. Then we went to watch a movie.”

“Jay really did all that?”

“Granted, he did book out the entire park and theatre but it was still fun,” she added, a sly grin taking over her pursed lips.

“That’s the catch I was waiting for,” he laughed. “What about your parents?”

“They messaged me a birthday wish and sent me some money,” she scoffed, darting her eyes away for a brief second. “They act like they’re some distant relative of mine,” she commented.

“At least, you have Jay and me,” he offered. Y/N nodded, agreeing with a minuscule grin.

Silence followed with that. Neither of them were complaining, though, because they just gazed at each other, pupils fighting the dim moonlight. Y/N found it in herself to move her hands towards his, nimble fingers playing with his. She always thought he had pretty hands and she knew how bizarre it sounded.

Jake watched as her hands played with his fingers and recalled how he wanted her to do the exact thing. Her index scaled the span of his palm, then the crevices between his knuckles and veins. She paid so much attention to the one thing she was doing, he found it adorable.

“Can you believe that less than two weeks ago, Jay and I were at each others’ throats?” She mumbled, a light chuckle following her observation.

Jake hummed. “Can you believe that less than two weeks ago, you and I were strangers to each other?” He nodded between himself and her.

“Yeah,” she giggled. “And all it took was for me to be a whiney brat,” she muffled the cackle that left her mouth.

Jake laughed at her, chest rising and falling as he felt his heart race, banging against his ribs as Y/N absentmindedly wrapped her palm around his two fingers. Her delicate, little hand around his. He would curse if he could.

“I’m pleased with the way things turned out.”

While Y/N nodded, Jake let his free hand wrap around her wrist, tugging her towards him. It was clear that she wasn’t expecting it, almost slipping onto his lap. But Jake caught her, his other hand holding her waist as her palms landed on his chest.

He exhaled, chest heaving as her body pressed against his, lips parted. Y/N darted her eyes across his face, flitting to read what he was feeling. “I’m pleased too,” she gulped, smiling ever so lightly that anyone could have missed it.

“Good,” then his fingers were wrapped around her chin, guiding her face closer to his. Their eyes fluttered shut in unison and Jake caught her lips with his.

Y/N wouldn’t say that she felt sparks fly. No, it was something subtler yet more intense. It was like waves of butterflies crashed down on her, the back of her head tingled and her spine would have given up if it wasn’t for Jake holding her tight. As her hand travelled towards his jaw, she felt fire between her fingers.

A moan parted from her throat, her brows furrowing when Jake’s lips parted from her with a wet smack. Y/N’s eyes fluttered open, breathless just as he was. “Was that supposed to be my second birthday gift?”

Jake chuckled dryly, shaking his head as he leaned towards her again. “Take it as whatever you want,” he pecked her, repeatedly, punctuating each with a smile as his hands buried in her hair.

If it weren’t for the air conditioning, she was sure she’d spontaneously combust out of joy, excitement and ardour. She wouldn’t say she was pining over him. Hell, they only started talking a week ago. But a part of her knew he was pining for her, for a longer time than she knew.

He made it quite obvious. He was so nice to her, so caring and endearing. The bracelet as a birthday gift just gave him away. Maybe she was happy, maybe she was scared. She didn’t know which overpowered what as her brain turned into mush while he held her.

All she knew was that she liked him and he liked her. What more could she possibly ask for?

Right. Her brother’s acceptance.

“Shit,” she cursed as Jake’s palm pressed the small of her back, her chest arching into his. He sighed, darting his eyes up and down her face before kissing her nose, and then her cheek and then her forehead but his lips found their way back to hers nevertheless.

“What is it?” He breathed, giving up and resting his chin in the croon of her neck. She slumped against him, her arms latching around his neck and the smell of lavender filled her nose.

“Jay,” she reminded him.

“I just kissed you,” he pointed out. “And you’re thinking of your brother?”

“Exactly, you just kissed me,” she whined. “And if he finds out-”

“How will he find out?” Jake hummed as Y/N pushed herself off him, sitting inches away from his touch. His fingertips traced her cheek, pushing back any strand of hair that covered her face.

Oh, how long he had waited for this exact moment, to have her freely for him to touch. For her hands to explore his face and chest and for his hands to disappear in her hair. But there would always be something stopping him- them.

“I don’t know,” she hissed. “It’s Jay! He’ll find out somehow!”

“Then let’s just hope he doesn’t find out any time soon,” he tried. “I’m not gonna let him ruin this.”

Then Y/N felt butterflies in her stomach again and she fought the smile that threatened to grace her features. Jake didn’t hesitate to grin, pulling her closer to him and letting his hand roam her waist, fingers sliding under her shirt and trailing lines across the band of her pants.

She giggled, lips tracing his jaw and complaint that she felt ticklish. He told her that it was the whole point- she whined as she kissed his jugular. Jake’s hands refused to leave her hips, he held her in place, praying that he could have a few more minutes to spend just like that.

They didn’t know how long they stayed that way, lips on each other’s necks, hands teasing the little exposed skin they could find. But however long it was, nothing seemed to be enough. Jake left her room when Y/N started feeling sleepy. He left with a kiss to her head and mouth and slipped past her door.

She woke up early regardless and she chalked it up to the adrenaline that still surged through her veins. The previous night’s activities dazed her head as she raced down the stairs and into the kitchen. Jay sat at the dining table just like she expected, a plate of waffles with whipped cream sitting in front of him. His attention stayed on his phone, though, even when she settled beside him.

“Good morning,” she sang but received no answer. Well, if she counted a hum as an answer, then so be it.

The cook hurried to hand her a plate of waffles as well and she smiled at him, reaching for a fork and knife. She wasted no time in eating, oblivious to the way her brother’s jaw clenched and unclenched, eyes narrowed to an empty screen on her phone.

“Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something?” She chuckled, chewing a mouthful of waffles.

Jay tutted, shaking his head and shoving his phone into his pocket. “I might as well have,” he grumbled. “How does one react to finding their right-hand man sneaking out of their sister’s room in the middle of the night,” and his hand reached for a tissue, wiping it between his fingers.

Y/N stilled her actions, fork falling out of her hand as her eyes connected with her brother. He was truly livid, fires of anger blazing in his eyes as his fingers intertwined under his chin.

“What?” She blinked, a chill running down her spine. Her hand hovered in the air, hair falling into her eyes, mouth agape.

“Don’t play dumb,” he rolled his eyes. “Do you know how angry I was?”

“What did you do?” She panicked, palms pressing against the slick wood of the table. The cutlery shook, her plate might as well have dropped to the floor.

“Yelled at him for a good fucking hour,” he seethed.

“That’s all you did?”

Jay doesn’t respond but takes his knife and fork to his waffles. Y/N watched patiently but it felt like her head could detonate at any given second. The worse possible scenarios crossed her mind- was Jake still his right-hand man?

“He’s still alive, if that’s what you’re wondering,” he said nonchalantly. “He’s not just my right-hand man. He’s my best friend. I’m not cruel enough to kill him.”

If she could, she would sigh out of relief. But more questions surfaced. But she wasn’t in a place to ask him anything. After all, she did betray him.

“Not two weeks and he’s bought you a gift for your birthday and had the nerve to kiss you,” he let out a breath in disappointment. Y/N bowed her head down, embarrassed by just how much he knew. She couldn’t blame Jake for confessing, though. She would have confessed too. “To be fair, it was inevitable, right? Falling for the brother’s best friend- you’ve always been a clichè, right, Y/N?.”

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, playing with her thumbs. She wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to say but it was the only appropriate response she could muster.

Jay ignored her, continuing to eat calmly. The shiny watch on his wrist slid up and down as he moved his arm while eating. Y/N knew her brother well enough to know that he was seconds away from exploding into fury. This was the calm before the storm, for all she knew.

“You’d think that I wouldn’t mind you having a rendezvous with him. You know, because I trust him and whatnot,” he continued, echoing the words she had said to him before. “But that’s the thing. I remember telling you not to drag him into your romantic fantasies,” he chewed on another piece of his waffle.

Y/N sat in her chair shaking, wondering how on earth she messed up so bad. Not two weeks and she had ruined her chance of freedom and a better relationship with her brother. Not two weeks and she proved that she didn’t deserve anything she asked for.

“Now I’m sitting here with my ego hurt. And we all know how I am when my ego is hurt” he reminded. “But I’m torn between minding my own business and doing something about it. So tell me, what should I do?”

It was a rhetorical question. Y/N knew that. She felt like a little girl being scolded by her parents after committing a small crime. But this wasn’t a small crime. It was a mistake that might as well cost her relationship with her brother. So she just sat there and took it. She was on the verge of tears, the corners of her lips twitching downwards.

“Because I don’t want to do something about it. You’re legally an adult. You can do whatever you want, right?” He coaxed, staring daggers into her head. “Right?” Y/N hesitantly nodded as he persisted. “Which means you can take care of yourself. So why need me at all? Why do I have to bend over backwards to do everything in my power to make sure not a hair on your head gets hurt?”

“Jay-”

“I’m doing everything I can to keep you safe,” he said. “But guess what? You aren’t the only one telling me that I’m being unfair. Heeseung, Sunghoon, Jungwon- all of them. I don’t want to know why they have a sudden interest in you and the way I treat you. But call it peer pressure. I was being convinced. And not two weeks, you find a way to make me regret being nice to you.”

“So you only put effort into being a better brother because of them?”

“No, Y/N. Everything I did was so I could call you a sister. So that you could look at me like I’m your brother. Not some monster that locks you up in your room all day,” he insisted, slamming the cutlery in his hands onto the table. “Can you blame me for being angry that you and Jake have your thing going on?”

“No.”

“What am I going to do when you have a falling out? What am I going to do if Jake, my right-hand man, my best friend, is the reason you get hurt?” He retorted, eyes squinting. “I can’t abandon him. Neither can I abandon you, can I?”

“What if we don’t have a falling out?” With the sudden surge of confidence, Y/N spoke back, head tilting at her proposal.

“Funny thing is, Jake said the same thing,” he scoffed. Like on cue, Jake was walking into the kitchen. The fear in his eyes covered by the clench in his jaw and fisted hands. Jay and Y/N turned their heads to look at him. “You did say that, didn’t you, Jake?”

Jake nodded, training his eyes on Jay as Y/N willed herself not to cry. Everything was going to be fine.

“But that’s the thing. Who are you to predict what might happen in the future?” He pursued. “It’s always best to prepare for the worse, right?”

“But why?” Y/N whispered. “Nothing bad will happen- Jay, I like him,” she reasoned. The girl might as well burst into sobs as she pointed between Jake and herself. “You and him are the only people I have in my life.”

“I know,” Jay growled. “That is what leads me to my conclusion.”

Jake and Y/N shared glances, both scared and confused. “What’s your conclusion?” Jake urged.

Silence was what followed as Jay continued eating. All Y/N and Jake could do was stare and wait patiently. This was their punishment, the silence that followed the verdict. The numerous thoughts and possibilities that conjured in their heads.

What could possibly happen now?

The sound of metal clattering with porcelain seemed to be the only distraction. Y/N fought the urge to coax him, force an answer out of him because she swore if she waited any longer, she’d go crazy.

Jay even stood up and kept his plate in the dishwasher. He cleared his throat, dusted his shirt and ran a hand through his annoyingly bleached blonde hair. He glanced at his sister and his right-hand man and gave them a curt not.

“You can do whatever you want.”

Y/N gaped, her jaw might as well have hit the floor, eyes involuntarily widening as she started her brother up and down. It was safe to say Jake gave the same expression, hands hovering in front of him.

“What?” Y/N asked.

“I’m furious,” Jay reminded the pair, the same stoic expression on his face. “But I’ll allow it. You’re so confident in yourselves, right? So be it, I’ll let you two live it down. Call this a test. I was just trying to see if you’re answers would stay the same.”

“You can’t be serious,” Jake stared, stepping closer to Y/N.

“I am being serious,” Jay said simply. “I accept this relationship,” it took every muscle in his body not to cringe.

Then Jay walked out of the kitchen because he didn’t know what he would do if he continued the conversation. Y/N and Jake were left frozen in their spots. They were still confused, puzzled at what just happened. So there was no storm, Y/N thought to herself, and he raged for so long just because he was mad.

Would it be appropriate to cause after her brother and hug him? Probably not the right timing.

She knew how much Jay had to suppress to let out the words he just said. So all she could do was be grateful. Her mouth only closed when Jake touched her chin with his fingers. She blinked, shaking her head and looking at Jake.

“What just happened?” She asked.

“I think we just got Jay’s blessings,” Jake mused, pulling a chair beside her and collapsing in it. A sigh left his lips, hands resting on the table as he tilted his head towards her.

“How are you so calm?”

“Why would I not be?”

Jake looked back to the prior night when Jay had caught him walking out of her room. He looked back to the way Jay seethed at him and spewed words but the tears that brimmed his eyes were unmistakable. Jay wasn’t just angry, he was giving Jake the protective brother talk.

Maybe a part of him saw this coming. Jay couldn’t do anything to stop it. Well, he could turn to physical force but he wasn’t as cruel as people made him out to be. So he wasn’t worried. He knew Jay would come around to it someday, learn to be happy with the way things turned out.

Because the way things turned out wasn’t so bad, after all.

“What did he say to you?” Y/N’s hand moved to rest on his, thumb touching his knuckles. She moved closer to him; Jake chuckled and placed his hand on her knee.

“Not important,” he assured. “But can we just celebrate? This is the best day of my life!”

[jaesblogstuff]

A day for moms like you

happy mothers day to all the mothers out there (ranging from humans to pets too), I appreciate all the hard work you do <3

⸻

It starts with the rustle of sheets.

You feel him shift beside you, slowly, like he doesn’t want to wake you. But you’re a light sleeper these days—baby girl’s fault—and you feel his warmth pull away from the bed.

The room stays dark. He made sure of that. Last night, he pulled the blackout curtains shut, clipped the edges with those little fasteners you always lose, just so the morning sun wouldn’t touch you before you were ready.

He stands for a second beside the bed, watching you breathe, watching her, sleeping in the bassinet by the window, and then disappears with the hush of a man on a mission.

Kitchen first.

He moves carefully. Pan on the stove, eggs soft-scrambled the way you like, pancakes a little misshapen but golden, strawberries sliced into little hearts. He lays it all on your favorite tray, folds a cloth napkin like he saw on Pinterest once, and pours your tea exactly how you like it—cream first, one sugar, stir clockwise.

Then the baby.

He pads into the nursery and scoops her up with practiced hands, whispering into her tiny ear like she understands every word.

“We’ve got a job to do, little one. It’s Mum’s day.”

She’s already smiling.

He changes her into the pink onesie he hid in the drawer last week: “Mum’s First Love.” Snaps it up, kisses her chubby cheeks, and tucks her into the carrier against his chest. She fits there perfectly, like she was made to rest against his heart.

Almost done.

He grabs the tray with one hand, steadies her with the other. The flower—one single, soft pink peony he picked up three days ago and kept hidden in the fridge, is gently tucked into the back of his sweatpants, half-tucked in like a secret.

And then, just as he reaches the bedroom door, he hears the faintest shift of movement.

You’re awake.

He steps in slowly, careful not to drop a thing. The room is still blacked out, cool and quiet. But your shape is stirring under the duvet, and when your eyes meet his— Time stops.

There he is. Standing at the edge of the bed, baby girl nestled warm and blinking against his chest, a tray of warm breakfast in his hands And your baby girl’s tiny fingers gripping the edge of the tray like she helped carry it all the way. And tucked away in the band of his sweat pants is an assortment of flowers.

You blink once. Twice. Then laugh, soft and disbelieving, eyes already brimming.

“Good morning, beautiful,” Simon says, voice low and warm. “Happy Mother’s Day.”

You smile through the sting in your eyes, trying to breathe around the feeling in your chest. “Simon…”

He sets the tray gently on your lap and leans down to kiss your forehead, your nose, then finally your mouth—a kiss so full, so slow and deep, it leaves you breathless and blinking into the darkness like maybe you’re dreaming.

You laugh through the tears, clutching your baby closer as her little hand reaches out and brushes your collarbone, completely unaware she’s just split your heart wide open.

You look at Simon again—your partner, your safest place, your best decision—and whisper, “You made this perfect.”

He shakes his head. “You made this everything.”

“I wanted it to be perfect,” he says.

You reach for his hand, the one resting on your thigh. “You are.”

And in that moment, breakfast growing cold, baby gurgling against his chest, the flower falling softly to the duvet, you realize there’s nowhere in the world you’d rather be than right here

Full of love, half-awake, and wrapped in the kind of softness that only comes from being seen completely… and loved anyway.

[finnlongman]

Some people nowadays have a spiritual connection to figures like Cú Chulainn, but there's no (surviving) evidence that he was considered to be a religious figure historically. He does interact with other figures who probably were, in some form we can't discern through our surviving sources, but that all becomes speculative and tenuous quite quickly. The classification of any medieval Irish literature as "mythology" is a somewhat contentious one -- some scholars agree with it, some disagree, some only agree based on a very specific definition of myth, etc.* He does show up as a folkloric figure, too, although this text itself doesn't fall into that category, so I don't think it would be rude to put him there, but I agree that can be a tricky call to make when you're not familiar with the topic in question.

I think in a text as late as this he would be solidly considered a literary character, perhaps with (pseudo-)historical import if not historical himself. (This text is however deeply obscure and there is no reliable or full English translation of it, including no translation of this poem, so this is not something I would expect somebody randomly coming across my academic shitposts to know, haha. I simply enjoyed the challenge of "but where would I put this, actually".)

What I like about the Library of Congress classification here is that by placing it under Celtic Languages and Literatures it's really only making a judgment about what language that text is in, and not the purposes for which it was written, which makes it somewhat less contentious for those texts that sit awkwardly across the myth/literature/history/folklore boundaries. In the library I used to work in that used LoC, we had Fingal Rónáin at PB1383, Kinsella's translation of Táin Bó Cúailnge and Meyer's Fianaigecht at PB1397, Dooley and Roe's Tales of the Elders of Ireland at PB1423, and also Old Irish Paradigms & Glosses at PB1247 (yes, I did double the size of the medieval Irish section during the time I worked there). This made it a better classification system for a library that had materials in a lot of languages, but not huge amounts of material in any single one of those languages.

The other academic library I worked in, by contrast, used its own in-house classification system which had been suited to the library's needs about 50-70 years ago but no longer met the needs of the collection at all. Every single new acquisition was a struggle to classify -- especially as we weren't experts in the subject area and sometimes couldn't understand much of the blurb! I deeply missed being able to plug things into Class Web or similar and let it make the decisions for me.

*Tbh, titles like Celtic Myths and Legends are very often red flags re: the reliability of the books in question, both for the use of myth and the use of Celtic -- grouping disparate literary and possibly-mythological traditions together because they belong to the same language family is not without problems, as they are definitely not interchangeable and while there are connections, they are often more specific and limited than these sorts of books acknowledge. Though occasionally scholars lean into these kinds of titles for marketing reasons and then spend the whole first chapter talking about why they're problematic -- see the intro to Mark Williams' The Celtic Myths That Shape The Way We Think for a cogent example of this and a good summary of the challenge of approaching medieval Celtic literatures as mythology.

Learn the days of the week with Cú Chulainn, featuring: murder.

[orellazalonia]

Heart First, Sanity Later

Summary: You, a dangerously chaotic genius with the common sense of a soggy spoon, somehow captures the heart of Bucky Barnes. Despite the constant emotional whiplash, raccoon-related injuries, and deeply cursed inventions, Bucky finds himself falling hard… somewhere between a Capri Sun intervention robot and a vent-related rescue. (Bucky Barnes x Avengers!reader)

Disclaimer: This was based on this post I came across from @ghouljams earlier. Please let me know if you want me to remove any of the information you listed here.

Word Count: 3.4k+

A/N: I had a blast writing this and I am begging on my hands and knees that other people like this as well so I can write more of unhinged reader. Happy reading!

Main Masterlist | Sequel | Extra

Bucky didn’t mean to get attached. In fact, he very specifically meant not to get attached to you.

You, with your wide smile and increasingly concerning decision-making skills. You, who walked into a briefing ten minutes late with a Slurpee, claimed you got “time-displaced,” and then flawlessly identified the year, model, and VIN of a car from a blurry photo Tony handed out. “That’s a 1972 Chevelle SS,” You’d said casually. “But the rims are from a later model. 1976, I think.”

He stared at you. Everyone did.

You slurped. “What?”

Later, Bucky watched you put your phone in the fridge, forget about it, then ask him if he’d “seen a text from 7-Eleven recently.” You didn’t even seem high. That was the worst part. You just… existed like that. All the time.

A living contradiction. A walking cosmic joke. The human version of a browser with 72 tabs open, one playing music, none labeled, and all of them about wildly different topics ranging from “theoretical wormhole stability” to “can ducks feel shame.”

And the worst part? You were insanely good at your job.

When it came to the field, you moved like you’d choreographed every punch in advance. Like your brain hit a switch and rerouted all the loose marbles into sheer precision.

But outside of that? Absolute chaos.

One time you asked if the word “colonel” was a typo because you’d only ever read it.

"Why is it spelled like 'colon-el'?” You’d asked Bucky, eating popcorn with a throwing knife for apparently no reason. “Like. You’re telling me we all just agreed to ignore the 'L'?”

He blinked slowly. “Yes.”

“Sounds fake but okay.”

He wanted to strangle you. He wanted to kiss you. He wanted to wrap you in a blanket and take you to a doctor because no one should eat four bananas and not know why their stomach hurts. (“I thought they were like… nature’s snack bars!” You’d wailed from the floor. “Why does nature lie?”)

Still, there was something undeniably magnetic about you. Something that made Bucky keep finding excuses to be around you. Something that made him bite back a smile when you declared, with utter confidence, that “Citizen Kane” was a man’s full name and you “felt bad for him growing up with that.”

Sam had to leave the room. Steve looked like he aged five years. Bucky? He just leaned back in his chair and muttered, “You’re so lucky you’re pretty.”

You beamed. “I know, right?”

And that was just the beginning.

-

Bucky knew it the moment you turned to him in the middle of a high-stakes infiltration and whispered:

“Hey. Do you think raccoons ever get embarrassed?”

He froze mid-step, crouched beside you behind a cluster of storage crates, both of you watching a Hydra compound patrol pace along the wall ahead. Guns primed. Comms live. Two minutes to breach.

You blinked at him, eyes wide and totally serious about the question in the entirely inappropriate setting.

“What?” He hissed.

You frowned thoughtfully, like he was the weird one. “They have those little hands, right? Like… what if one drops its snack in front of another raccoon. Is that, like, raccoon shame? Do they feel judged?”

Bucky stared. He wasn’t sure if he was hallucinating. It had been a long week after all.

Then you added, “Anyway, two guards approaching. They’ll pass each other in about four seconds. I can take the left. You want the one with the scar?”

You didn’t even wait for an answer. Your body vanished into the shadows, clean and calculated. Three seconds later, both guards were unconscious and being gently rolled into the bushes like unwanted pizza boxes.

Bucky just stood there, breathing. You terrified him but not in the way enemies did. No, that would be too simple. Because he could fight Hydra, take a bullet, disarm a bomb, but you?

You were something else. A walking contradiction.

You once tripped over your own shoelaces while explaining quantum theory, then beat four highly trained operatives unconscious with a clipboard. You called a Glock a “grippy lil’ pew stick” but recited the Geneva Convention word-for-word because you “liked bedtime reading.”

And tonight was no different.

By the time the mission was done, the intel recovered, and the building cleared, Bucky was sore, bruised, and fully convinced that he was doomed. Because somewhere between the absurd commentary, the flawless fighting, and the way you wiped blood from your brow and grinned at him like you weren’t covered in chaos, he felt it.

That thing. The awful, nauseating, heart-clutching feeling.

Affection.

It hit him in the middle of your post-mission debrief, which mostly consisted of you sitting on the quinjet floor, drinking chocolate milk out of a thermos and recounting the entire op like it was a cute story you were telling children.

“And then I was like, Bam! right to the neck, and he just went down like a sack of sad potatoes. Did you see that? You saw that, right, Buck? I did the thing with the kick!”

He didn’t answer. He was looking at you like you’d grown a second head or like how you were the only thing stuck in his head these days. God, you were awful.

You had blood on your elbow and half your gear undone. You were sprawled out on the floor like a sleep-deprived gremlin, and when you looked up at him and smiled, like he was the only person in the world who mattered… He was done. Gone.

“You okay there, Grumpypants?” You asked.

“I think I might hate you,” He muttered, sitting down beside you.

You grinned, bumping his shoulder with yours. “That’s fair. I’m an acquired taste. Like oysters. Or war crimes.”

He barked a laugh before he could stop it. You looked so proud.

“I’m serious,” He said, sobering. “You’re gonna get yourself killed one day. You don’t take anything seriously.”

You just stared at him for a moment, and then, quietly, you said, “I take you seriously.”

The jet went quiet.

And Bucky sat very, very still because somehow, that hit harder than any mission ever had.

You weren’t just funny. Or weird. Or brilliant in a way that made his head hurt.

You were kind. Kind in a way he hadn’t felt in years. Like you saw through the Winter Soldier and the scowl and the kill count, and you still chose to sit beside him, sipping chocolate milk and talking about raccoon shame.

And Bucky Barnes, world-weary assassin, trauma-laden super-soldier, turned to you and realized:

He was fucked.

In love with a person who once confidently said “quinoa” was pronounced “kin-oh-ah” and didn’t believe him when he corrected you.

You looked up from your thermos. “You’re doing the staring thing again. Am I bleeding from the ear?”

“No,” Bucky said, voice low. “You’re just…”

“Sexy?” You offered helpfully.

“…Terrifying.”

You winked. “Same difference.”

And Bucky Barnes, against all logic, reason, and survival instinct, knew he was already in too deep.

-

The next mission had gone off without a hitch… at least, for everyone except Bucky.

A few cuts here, a couple of bruises there, but nothing too serious. At least, that’s what he told himself as he sat on the edge of the quinjet, feeling the burn in his shoulder from a bullet graze. But the moment you walked into the medbay with a roll of bandages in your hand, it was like everything inside him twisted in a way he couldn’t explain.

“Okay, Bucky. Time to let the master do her magic,” you said, flashing that grin of yours, the one that always made his heart do weird, involuntary things.

Bucky blinked, trying to shake the disoriented feeling. “You’re the one who got shot today. Why am I the one getting patched up?”

“Because I’m immortal,” You said matter-of-factly. “Also, I’m not bleeding anywhere you can see, so that’s a bonus.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow. “You’re immortal?”

You sat down beside him, rolling your sleeves up. “No, but I like to pretend I am. You know, like a cooler superhero.”

He winced slightly as you poked at his side. “That’s what I’m dealing with, huh?”

“You love it,” You teased, squeezing out some antiseptic onto a cotton pad.

“You’re lucky I haven’t thrown you out of a plane for this,” Bucky muttered, though he couldn’t stop the faint grin from tugging at his lips.

“Not gonna lie, I’d be mad if you did,” You admitted, gently dabbing at his side. “Also, I’d haunt you. I know how to haunt people. I’ve read a lot of books about ghosts.”

He chuckled, despite himself. “Of course you have.”

“Oh, absolutely. I even have a theory about why the Titanic sank, and it’s completely different from the official one. But I’m telling you right now, it’s not what they say.”

Bucky glanced over at you, eyebrow raised. “This I gotta hear.”

You leaned closer, lowering your voice dramatically as if revealing state secrets. “Okay, so. It wasn’t an iceberg that caused the sinking. It was actually the government trying to erase all evidence of the giant squid they were experimenting on, and they blamed it on the iceberg to cover up the real cause.”

Bucky blinked, unsure whether you were serious or not. “Wait, what?” He asked slowly.

You looked at him deadpan. “You didn’t hear the rumors? They found footage, you know. The squid was huge. It even had tentacles.”

He stared at you, speechless.

"Anyway," You continued, as if you hadn’t just suggested the world’s greatest conspiracy, "What we do know is that my bandage technique is flawless. See this?" You lifted a corner of the bandage to show him a perfect wrap around his side.

Bucky blinked. "Did you just distract me with a giant squid theory while you patched me up?"

“Absolutely.” You beamed at him. “Works every time. Just don’t tell anyone you’re in love with me because I’m not responsible for any heart attacks.”

Bucky froze, his heartbeat suddenly in his throat.

You were still so nonchalant. Still so you, so damn confident and so sure of yourself. It took everything in him not to lean in and kiss you right there.

But then, you looked up at him, and for the briefest moment, that smile of yours softened. “You’re good, Bucky,” You said quietly. “You’ve been through more shit than any of us. But you’re still here. That’s something, you know?”

His chest tightened.

“And you know what?” You continued, your voice so much softer now, like a quiet reassurance. “You don’t have to be a soldier all the time. Sometimes, you can just be Bucky.”

He swallowed, looking at you. “And what about you?”

“Oh, me? I’m a mess,” You shrugged, finally looking away, as if it was no big deal. “I’m just here to make the chaos look cute.”

Your eyes flicked back to him, that familiar teasing glint in them. “That’s my secret. You like it.”

Bucky chuckled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He wanted to say something, wanted to admit something. That little voice in his head kept screaming at him to just say it already, but he was scared. He was scared of how deep you had burrowed under his skin, of how easy it was to forget everything else when you were around.

Instead, he just leaned forward and cupped your face, his thumb gently brushing your cheek. “You’re… something else, you know that?”

You blinked at him in surprise, your lips parted, as if trying to process the sudden shift in the air. For a moment, there was a palpable tension between the two of you, like the universe was holding its breath, waiting for one of you to do something.

But then, in your usual way, you broke it, shrugging with a grin. “I know. You’re welcome.”

Bucky’s heart did a weird flip, and for the first time in what felt like forever, he allowed himself to truly relax, just a little. He didn’t want to admit it. Not yet. Not even to himself.

But as you leaned in to finish wrapping his side, your hand brushing his skin lightly, he knew he was already in way too deep.

-

The next incident started with a toaster. Not even a cool toaster. Just a boring, silver Stark-issued kitchen appliance that you were suspiciously proud of. I You’d taken it apart and rebuilt it but “better.” No one asked you to. No one gave you permission. You just did it.

“Now it sings the SpongeBob theme when your toast is done,” You explained, beaming as you held up a slice of whole wheat like it was a golden ticket.

Bucky stared at you. “You tampered with government property.”

“Enhanced.” You corrected. “And before you ask, no, I will not apologize. This is the future.”

Then it sang. “Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?” BWEEEEEP - Toast done.

Bucky looked like he was praying for divine intervention. “You’re gonna get us all court-martialed over this.”

Two hours later, you were banned from the kitchen, which didn’t stop you from relocating to the common area with your newest project: building what you claimed was a “mousetrap but for anxiety.”

It was made of pipe cleaners, glow sticks, and what might’ve been a dismantled Roomba.

“I call her Deborah,” You said, gently stroking it. “She senses emotional instability and gives you a juice box.”

As if on cue, it whirred over to Bucky, bumped into his leg, and slowly offered him a Capri Sun.

He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “I’m not drinking that.”

“Then she thinks you’re too far gone. She’s very wise.”

Steve walked in, surveyed the scene, and simply turned around without speaking. He didn’t even ask anymore.

Later that night, Bucky caught you in the hallway attempting to climb into the ceiling with a flashlight between your teeth and a jar of pickles under your arm.

“Do I want to know?” He asked, exhausted.

You paused halfway into a vent, dropping the flashlight briefly. “Depends. Do you believe in ceiling gremlins?”

“No.”

“Then I’m doing taxes.”

He rubbed his eyes. “Please. I’m begging you. Come down.”

You stared at him for a long moment, then slowly slid back out like a raccoon emerging from a trash can. “Okay. But only because you asked nicely and not because I got stuck.”

You had absolutely gotten stuck. And the worst part? He was smitten.

Every time you did something completely absurd, which was always, he found himself watching you a little too long, smiling a little too much, wondering what the hell you were going to do next and why it made his chest ache in a weirdly pleasant way.

Even now, covered in ceiling dust and holding a pickle jar, you looked up at him with that infuriatingly endearing grin.

“You’re in love with me,” You stated confidently.

Bucky blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” You popped a pickle in your mouth. “You’ve got that look. Like a grumpy cat who accidentally cuddled someone and doesn’t want to admit it.”

“I do not look like-“

“It's okay. You don’t have to say it.” You patted his chest affectionately. “Your body language screams ‘emotionally unavailable man finds chaotic cryptid and feels things.’”

“I am not emotionally unavailable.”

“You have a go bag, Bucky.”

“…That’s standard protocol.”

“Your toothbrush is still in the packaging.”

He opened his mouth, then closed it again. You’d won. Again.

“You’re gonna kiss me one day,” You said as you walked past him, pickle jar under one arm, flashlight in your other hand. “And when you do, I’m gonna be so smug you’ll try to throw yourself off the building.”

Bucky stood there in the hall, alone, heart doing its dumb little thudding thing. He hated you. He adored you. And he was never getting that toothbrush insult out of his head.

-

When the big moment happened, It wasn’t a big mission. It wasn’t even a real mission. It was just supposed to be recon.

And yet somehow, you were sitting on the floor of a dusty, abandoned warehouse with a concussion, holding a broken walkie-talkie like it personally betrayed you.

“Okay, but in my defense,” You slurred slightly, “I didn’t know the raccoon had a knife.”

Bucky stared at you, expression unreadable, as blood dripped slowly from your temple.

“You ran into an unmarked building alone, set off three alarms, fell through a skylight, and got jumped by wildlife.”

You held up a finger. “Armed wildlife.”

He ran a hand down his face.

“I swear to God, you are one poorly timed pun away from getting locked in a broom closet until the end of time.”

You blinked up at him. “Kinky.”

He turned away so fast you could almost hear his brain blue-screen. “Jesus Christ.”

But when he looked back at you: your lip bloodied, eyes dazed, hair full of insulation from where you’d crashed through the ceiling like a chaotic Christmas angel, something in his chest snapped.

You were always like this. Impossible. Endearing. Brilliant in the most horrifying ways. A human Wikipedia article with a death wish and a spark in your eyes that made him forget, just for a second, that the world was awful.

And that spark was flickering. Just a little. And he hated it.

“You can’t keep doing this,” He began, voice tight. “You can’t keep treating your life like it’s expendable.”

You blinked slowly. “That sounds fake. I’m clearly immortal.”

“I’m serious.” He crouched in front of you, fists clenched. “You run into every situation like you’re bulletproof, and you’re not. One day, I’m not gonna be there to drag your dumbass out of a flaming building or disarm a guy who has a bazooka made of forks or- or whatever the hell today was!”

“It was a raccoon with a grudge.”

“That’s not a thing!”

You stared at him in silence for a beat, then said, very softly, “You’re worried about me.”

He froze.

“I’m always worried about you,” He said, almost too quiet to hear. “You think I wake up every day wondering what country I’ll have to fly to because you thought jumping off a roof would ‘probably be fine’ if you landed in a bush?!”

You tilted your head. “It was a very fluffy bush.”

”I love you, you absolute menace!”

Silence. You blinked. Then he blinked. Somewhere in the warehouse, a raccoon chittered menacingly.

“…You love me?” You echoed, like he’d just said he wanted to marry a zucchini.

Bucky looked like he might actually combust. “I didn’t mean to say it like that.”

“Say it like what?”

“Like I love you. Which I do. But I was gonna do it after, like… dinner. Or when you weren’t bleeding.”

“Is this why you made me tea every time I electrocuted myself?”

“Yes!”

“And why you punched that guy who called me a liability?”

“Also yes!”

“And why you didn’t kill me when I installed motion sensors in the hallway and forgot to tell anyone?”

“I almost killed you.”

You were quiet for a long moment. Then: “Okay.”

He blinked. “Okay?”

You nodded, still loopy but smiling now. “Okay. I love you too.”

He stared. “You do?”

“Yeah. I mean, why else would I let you eat the last cookie that one time? Or give Deborah full permission to follow you around and scan your emotional damage like a clingy Roomba?”

He laughed, just once, short and stunned.

You leaned forward and poked his chest with one finger. “Also, I have a very deep fondness for emotionally repressed war criminals. It’s kind of my thing.”

Bucky groaned. “You’re insufferable.”

“And yet. You’re in love with me.”

“I’m regretting it deeply.”

“No you’re not.” You smiled that crooked, chaotic smile that had ruined his life in the best way.

And despite everything, the dust, the blood, the deeply traumatized raccoon now watching you both from the shadows, he leaned in and kissed you.

It was gentle. Just for a second. As if to say, Yes. You’re chaos incarnate. But you’re mine.

When he pulled back, it was silent for a moment. Both of you looking in each other’s eyes before you whispered, “Did you just kiss me in front of a knife raccoon?”

Bucky exhaled slowly, already regretting all his life choices. “God help me. I did.”

[sknyuz]

hi :)) i LOOOOOOVE your writing, you do all the boys so much justice. i was reading the intimacy one and saw you wanted requests for gotak 👀👀

this ideas been festering in my head so walk with me (or don't, that's also fine.)

new student!reader who comes to class and has a small run in with juntae (similar to how he bumped into sieun) and thinks he's adorable so they kinda just naturally becomes really close friends with him. gotak heard news about the new student and also started to hear juntae talk about them so he lowkey tries to swindle juntae into introducing all of them. juntae being the cutie (but also not naive!) he is decided to introduce them and gotak is taken back by how close they are and gets mildly jealous (for what reason 🤔😏).

sorry for the ramble and also that went no where but it's been in my head for sooooo long 😭😭😭

pairing — go hyuntak (gotak) x gn!reader (ft. bff!juntae) genre — fluff, comedy, f2l warnings — mild language, injury (minor sprain), sieun being an instigator, baku being a headass word count — ~2.1k

note: omg this took soooo long to post because of my break !! i finished this actually a week ago lol i just had lots of prior requests to get to so i never got around to posting it. alas, let us all welcome gotak’s debut on my blog !! the people have been waitinggggg and asking for this one !! and finally... !!

masterlist | join the taglist | request a fic

to put it simply, if you hadn’t turned the corner right at that moment, you don’t know how the rest of this school year would've turned out.

new school, new people, new everything. you had a map in your hand and maybe two brain cells left when someone rounded the hallway a little too fast and bumped straight into you. papers went flying. both of you froze.

“oh no—wait, i’m sorry, that was me,” he said, already crouched down to gather the mess like it was his life that had been scattered across the floor.

you blinked, surprised. he had soft eyes and glasses sliding halfway down his nose and this slightly panicked look like he thought you might cry.

“it’s okay,” you told him. “honestly, you might’ve saved my life. i was about to walk straight into a locked door.”

he smiled, awkward and kind. “my name is juntae. seo juntae. you’re new, right?”

you nodded. and just like that, he offered to walk you to class—it was the easiest decision you’d made all day.

juntae was the type of person who made space for you without ever making you feel like a burden. he brought you snacks during lunch and showed you where to hide out when the hallways got too loud. he also talked a lot about his friends, and one afternoon—like it was the most natural thing in the world—he said, “oh, you should meet sieun. you’d like him.”

you did. he was quiet and careful with his words, but funny in a dry way that caught you off guard. he’d glance at juntae like you really brought them here? but still offered you a spot at the table. he even let you steal a fry. so you counted that as a win.

after that came baku—loud, sunny, fast-talking. he practically tackled you into a high five and said, “juntae’s new bestie? you’re in good hands,” before dragging you into some debate about what counts as a sandwich.

somehow, you ended up kind of... just around. like a ghost that turned real. people knew your name before you introduced yourself. baku waved whenever he saw you. sieun always made room for you on the bench. and juntae, sweet as he was, forgot to formally introduce you to one person.

“yo,” gotak called, wiping sweat from his neck as he tossed the basketball to baku. “who’s that?”

baku looked up from tying his shoelace. “huh?”

“over there,” gotak nodded toward the sidelines, where you were doubled over laughing next to sieun and juntae. “they’ve been hanging around a lot.”

baku blinked, “that’s y/n.” as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

gotak simply stared, as baku tilted his head. “you know them. don’t you?”

gotak looked back at you. you were teasing juntae about something, eyes crinkled, whole face lit up. juntae said something back that made you shove his arm, half-laughing, half-gasping.

gotak frowned, “i’ve never met them.”

baku paused. “wait. what? i thought juntae introduced you already—he told everyone else. dude. even sieun knows her.”

gotak narrowed his eyes. “so why didn’t he tell me?”

“damn,” baku grinned. “someone’s feeling left out.” as he threw the ball to his chest, a little too roughly to snap his friend out of it.

“shitty pass,” gotak muttered under his breath, passing the ball back to him.

baku snorted. “you sure you’re mad about the ball and not the fact that your bestie got a new bestie?”

gotak didn’t answer. but later that day, when he caught you waiting for juntae outside the gym, he slowed down.

you waved, and he waved back. maybe a little delayed, a little thoughtful.

maybe a little curious.

he hesitated like he was deciding something, then crossed the space between you with that awkward confidence some people carry when they’re not used to starting conversations but do it anyway.

he scratched the back of his neck, eyes flicking down before landing on yours. “hey. uh... y/n,”

you smiled. “hi.”

he nodded, like that helped him keep going. “i’m also juntae’s friend, in the basketball team. with baku.” you tilted your head. “oh yeah—go hyuntak, right?”

he blinked.

you shrugged. “baku mentioned you once. and you were on the court earlier.”

gotak looked a little caught off guard, like he hadn’t expected you to know his name. then his mouth twitched, the smallest upward curve. “...right. that’s me. call me gotak.”

you stood there for a beat, quiet.

“it’s nice to meet you,” you said.

he glanced up, then back down, like he was working through a million thoughts at once. “yeah. you too.”

just then, the gym doors creaked open behind you.

“y/n!” jun-tae called, jogging out with his bag slung over one shoulder. “sorry—got caught up helping the coach—oh, hey gotak!”

gotak stepped back half a pace, nodding. “hey.”

juntae looked between you, confused for half a second. “wait—did i never introduce you guys?”

you and gotak both said, “no.”

juntae blinked. “...oops.”

you laughed. gotak didn’t, but his shoulders relaxed a little as he looked over at you again.

after that, he finally had an excuse.

or maybe it was just that now you were officially introduced—he started showing up more. like how he always just happened to walk by your classroom when it let out. or how he’d offer to carry your stuff from your locker even if it wasn’t heavy. he’d still act casual about it—mumbling something about "heading that way anyway"—but the look in his eyes always lingered a little longer than it used to.

you started showing up to practices more too. usually with a water bottle in hand. eventually, two.

then four.

baku started calling you their "hydration manager" and gotak rolled his eyes every time, but he’d take the bottle from your hands like it meant something, every time you handed him his bottle, your fingers would brush. lightly. deliberately. like a habit you weren’t in a rush to break.

he wasn’t loud about it, but as the days passed, he found himself looking for you more often than he meant to—your voice across the court, your laugh when juntae said something stupid, and the way you stuck around even when no one asked you to.

he didn’t say it out loud, but your presence became something he... liked. something that made the world feel a little softer when you were around.

and sometimes, when you laughed a little too hard at juntae’s jokes, gotak would glance over without meaning to. once, he got so distracted that baku shot the ball clean over his head and it smacked him right in the back.

“yo!” baku shouted, rushing over. “you good?!”

gotak muttered, rubbing the side of his head, “i wasn’t looking.”

“clearly,” baku huffed. “what were you looking at?”

gotak didn’t answer. just glanced back toward the sidelines, where you were sitting, completely unaware.

you weren’t exactly subtle either.

at first, it was just a glance. maybe two. maybe three, if you were feeling brave and he was too focused on the court to notice. there was something about the way he moved—steady, grounded, all quiet strength and furrowed brows. you’d never really watched basketball before, but suddenly it was your favorite part of the afternoon.

whenever he scored, you clapped a little louder. a little quicker. maybe even stood up once, under the excuse of stretching.

juntae caught you once. leaned over and whispered, “you cheer louder for him than for baku.”

you blinked. “no i don’t.”

he grinned. “yes you do.”

you smacked his arm. “shut up.”

but the next time gotak glanced toward the benches after a point, your hands were already mid-clap, eyes already on him.

he met your gaze.

just for a second.

you looked away first.

the more you saw of gotak, the more you saw him. it started with the little things—running into him by the vending machine after class, both of you reaching for the same pack of chips at the same time. you laughed, unsure of who should take it first.

“you can have it,” gotak said, smiling, though you could swear there was a flicker of something in his eyes. something that felt... not exactly like embarrassment, but not entirely casual either.

"no, it’s fine, you take it," you said, holding your hand out. "you reached first."

he paused, just staring for a second, before he gave a small shrug and grabbed it. “you sure?”

“yeah.”

you both took your snacks and stepped aside, awkwardly aware of how close you’d been. as you tried to avoid eye contact, you were almost certain your heart was racing. had he been looking at you like that... or was it just your imagination?

the awkward encounters started happening more often, though. a lot more often.

you’d bump into him in the hallway. near the library. at the school gates. suddenly, you felt like you were always in his orbit—and not just you. everyone noticed.

“you two are weirdly always in the same place at the same time,” juntae pointed out one day while you were grabbing lunch. “it’s like you’re following him around.”

you choked on your drink. “what? no. no, i’m not. i—he just happens to be there. i’m—just minding my business.”

juntae fixes his glasses, shrugging it off with a playful grin, though you could tell he wasn’t completely convinced. “alright, y/n. totally.”

and of course, baku caught on too. one day, while you were standing at the sidelines during practice, watching gotak and baku scrimmage, he glanced over at you, then at gotak, then back at you. then gotak. then you. he raised an eyebrow, clearly suspicious.

“hey,” baku said casually, tossing the ball to gotak. “you two are like, besties now, huh?”

gotak froze, looking at him, and then glancing over at gotak to avoid meeting baku’s gaze. “what? no. we’re not—”

“uh-huh,” baku grinned, spinning the ball on his finger. “sure, and i’m top of the class.”

during practice one afternoon, it happened.

gotak went up for a dunk, but his foot slipped awkwardly when he landed, and he crumpled to the ground with a loud thud. your heart dropped as you watched him clutch his ankle, wincing in pain.

“gotak!” you shouted, rushing to his side.

he grimaced, leaning against the floor, clearly in pain.

“dude, what happened?” baku called out, rushing over too. “you good?”

“i’m fine,” gotak muttered, trying to push himself up, but his face twisted in discomfort. “just sprained it, probably.”

sieun was quick to appear by your side, his usually calm demeanor shifting slightly as he assessed the situation. without missing a beat, he turned to you, a rare glint of something in his eyes. “maybe y/n can take him to the infirmary? we still have to clean up here.”

you blinked, unsure how to respond. “huh?”

sieun shot a pointed look toward baku, who was still oblivious to what was going on. his lips curved in the smallest, lopsided smirk. “baku doesn’t need your help right now,” he said, almost too casually, before giving a side glance at you.

you noticed baku didn’t catch the hint, just furrowing his brows at the situation. “wait, what? you seriously want y/n to drag him to the infirmary? you do realize that guy’s gonna crush ‘em under his weight, right? y’know gotak’s been having too much chicken—”

sieun’s eyes flickered with something that might’ve been amusement, though his expression stayed neutral. “go on,” sieun said, motioning to gotak, tone soft but firm. “help him out.”

you looked down at gotak, who was still struggling to stand, and it dawned on you that he was huge—much bigger than you. and the thought of dragging him all the way to the infirmary alone? absurd. awkward.

but you couldn’t exactly say no, not when everyone was watching and not when he was looking at you like he needed your help.

“you okay to walk?” you asked, kneeling down next to him.

“i think i’ll survive,” he grumbled, clearly embarrassed by the situation.

you offered him your hand. “come on, let’s get you there.”

he took your hand, and you tried not to notice how big his hand felt wrapped around yours. you both started walking, and although you tried to make it seem like a casual walk, every step felt like you were carrying the weight of his entire body.

sieun watched you both for a second, his gaze unreadable. the smallest of smirks tugged at the corners of his mouth.

the walk to the infirmary wasn’t as bad as you thought it would be, though you were still struggling to act normal when you finally helped gotak sit down on the clinic bed. his ankle was already wrapped up, but he kept fiddling with his fingers, looking down at his feet, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.

you sat across from him, the silence stretching for a moment as you both just sat there, waiting.

“uh, thanks for this, y/n,” gotak mumbled, his voice quiet in a way that was almost unlike him. he kept glancing at you, then back at his hands.

you tilted your head, a smile tugging at your lips. “no problem, seriously. i told you, i’m happy to help. anything for you,” you said, maybe a little more casually than you intended, your heart racing just a little.

he met your gaze then, eyes wide and slightly soft, a subtle smile playing at his lips. “anything?” he asked, teasing, but there was a hint of something more in his tone.

“well, yeah,” you replied, trying to sound more confident than you felt. “you’re my friend. i’ve got your back.”

there was a beat of silence as you both just looked at each other. gotak’s gaze lingered on you, his fingers still fidgeting, though a little more nervously now.

“you’re…you’re a really good person, y/n,” he said softly, his eyes lowering to his hands again, as if he was unsure of how to put his feelings into words.

you couldn’t help but feel your cheeks warm at the sincerity in his voice. “thanks, gotak. that means a lot coming from you.”

the moment stretched longer than it probably should have, but neither of you seemed to want to break it.

finally, he cleared his throat, looking up at you with that familiar mischievous glint in his eyes. “so, uh…if you’re willing to do anything for me…”

you raised an eyebrow. “yeah?”

he shifted a little, suddenly a little more serious, though his usual playful grin still tugged at the corners of his lips. “you think you could—i don’t know—not make me fall for you?”

your heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, you swore you didn’t breathe. his words hung in the air, the playful edge still there, but there was something different about the way he said it. something that made your heart flutter in that puppy-love way that only people in the early stages of affection could understand.

“w-what?” you stammered, unable to hide the rush of warmth that spread across your cheeks. “you’re—you’re falling for me?”

he raised both eyebrows now, the teasing gone from his voice, replaced with something more earnest. “maybe,” he said with a small, sheepish grin, his gaze never leaving you. “maybe it’s too late for that. i think i’m already halfway there.”

you blinked at him, unsure how to respond, and for a moment, neither of you said anything. the air between you was suddenly thick with something you didn’t quite know how to define.

you broke the silence with a nervous laugh, the words tumbling out before you could stop them. “well, i guess it’s not so bad to meet you in the middle if you’re already halfway there.”

gotak chuckled, his lips curving into that genuine smile you’d come to look forward to. “yeah, i guess it’s not, huh?”

if u liked this, a reblog would be greatly appreciated to help my work reach other people as well >><< !! thank u thank u

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[ldydeath]

Blind With Love | Kwon Ji-yong (G-Dragon)

Summary: You and Jiyong have been secretly dating for awhile. Everything has been running smooth until a new dancer gets a little handsy with Jiyong.  Word count: 2k Warnings: 18+, MDNI. Unprotected p in v, teasing, jealousy, fluff.  Author’s Note: This was sent over to me by my lovely best friend @wcnderlnds . Hopefully you all enjoy this! 

It has started off as a fling, you and Jiyong needing a way to release steam in between sets and after shows. But it had grown into so much more of the years. You’d been a dancer for BigBang since they started, having an instant bond with all four boys, but an especially close one with Jiyong.

You were two sides of the same coin, you’d fallen in love slowly and then all at once, the only catch was that nobody really knew. The guys did, sure, it was hard to hide it from them. But the rest of the crew and dancers had no idea. Neither didn’t fans of the general public. They didn’t need to know. A decision you’d made incase anything had happened during your relationship. 

You’d been paired with Seunghyun for Bae Bae, something you’d laughed about. Seunghyun always one to tease you and Jiyong and had tested those boundaries on more than one occasion. Pushing your head down to mimic a blow job. Jiyong had almost lost his composure for that one. Almost. But he was annoyingly professional and had decided it was best to just ignore it. 

Everything had been running smooth the entire tour until one of the dancers fell ill. Someone you loved and trusted who had also been paired up with your boyfriend during Bae Bae. Now there was a new girl and she obviously had a crush on him. It didn’t bother you at first. Jiyong was clueless and still only had eyes for you. But one day you’d walked in and she’d been just a little too close during rehearsals. You and Seunghyun hardly touched during the dance, something fans had grown to love and something you two laughed about on stage. 

So why was she being so handsy with your man? This wasn’t going to work. You watched closely during rehearsals, her hips brushing against Jiyong and your grip tightened around Seunghyun’s neck.

“Ow.” He whined, pulling away from you to rub his neck. 

“Sorry.” You frowned at him, before turning back to the group. Jiyong looking at you with a raised brow. You shrugged.

Rehearsal continued on, the Yoojin, the new girl standing close to Jiyong even after Bae Bae had finished and your hands balled into fists. 

“You good?” Seunghyun picked up on the tension, of course he had. 

“Peachy.” Your tone was nothing but light and you stormed off. “We need to talk.” You grabbed  Yoojin’s hand and practically yanked her from the stage.  

“We need to switch partners for Bae Bae. You’re too tall for Jiyong in heels. You’re a much better match for Seunghyun.” 

“Ok?” Yoojin shrugged before walking off. 

The rest of rehearsals went smoothly, Jiyong finding his way to you during breaks. His hand brushing yours. He always found time for you during long days like this, something you’d grown to appreciate throughout the tour. You squeezed his hand before heading off to your dressing room. 

Before you could make it there you felt a hand wrap around you and pull you into a closet. You spun around, coming face to face with Jiyong and let out a sigh as your body relaxed.

“Are you ok? You seem off today.” His hands cupped your cheek, his eyes searching yours.

“I’m fine. You’re killing us with rehearsals today, but I’m fine.” You smiled, but it didn’t quite reach your eyes. 

“We have a new dancer, I just want to make sure everything goes smoothly tonight.” 

“If you exhaust us now we’ll have no energy for tonight.” He raised a brow and you rolled your eyes. “Get your mind out of the gutter.” You swatted at his chest. 

He grabbed your hand, pulling you closer to him before pressing a kiss to your lips. You fully relaxed into his touch, your worries of Yoojin fading away as your lips parted to deepen the kiss. 

“I have to go get ready.” You mumbled against his lips.

“You look great to me.” He smirked, his lips brushing against yours again. 

The show started off well, you and Jiyong finding time for a few stolen moments while he got a little bit of a break. As he took the stage again you noticed Yoojin watching closely and rolled your eyes. Maybe it was time for someone other than the boys to know about your relationship. 

As the music started up for Bae Bae you took your usual spot, the guys having no suspicions that you’d taken matters into your own hands to switch up who was partnering with who. As the guys took their positions you moved to stand in front of Jiyong. Seunghyun frowned at Yoojin and Jiyong barely acknowledged the change. His brow raised slightly as you wrapped your arm around his neck. 

His hand rested on your stomach as your hips brushed against him and he sucked in a breath. So that’s how you wanted to play it? He moved against you and you turned slightly to look at him, a smirk on your lips. His hips bucked into yours as he held you tightly against him.  As you moved to stand behind him your hands ran up his sides before landing on his shoulders and he turned to face you, a brow raised as a challenge. Before you moved to the other side of him, you planted a kiss on his cheek. It was quick but it had definitely been noticed. 

Jiyong stumbled slightly, as you moved back in front of him and as you bent over, a move that typically required no contact from the guys, his hand moved to rest on your back. His hand moving to wrap around you as he pulled you to him. Oh. Everyone definitely noticed that. 

The song ended and Jiyong grabbed your hand as you walked off the stage. All eyes were on the two of you, but you didn’t care. Your cover was officially blown, you couldn’t change that now. 

“What the hell was that?” Jiyong yelled as you made it off stage. 

“She was flirting with you all day. She needed to know that you’re taken.” 

“Aein. Fuck. Warn me next time!” He pulled you closer to him, his voice barely above a whisper, “And don’t start something you don’t plan on finishing.” 

“Who says I wasn’t going to finish this?” You leaned up, your lips hovering over his. “It’s just too bad you have to get back out there.” You moved away from him just as everyone filed into the backstage area. 

“Hope we’re not interrupting.” Seunghyun smirked and you turned around to face them all, a smile on your face. 

“Not at all.” You turned back to Jiyong. “See you in a bit.” You pecked his cheek before walking away. Leaving him to answer the questions everyone else had. 

Jiyong stared after you, blinking a few times before he collected himself. He couldn't retaliate on stage no matter how badly he wanted to, he was a professional after all.

After the show was over, Jiyong found you just outside your dressing room talking to a couple other dancers. He didn’t even bother to say anything, just grabbed your hand and pulled you away from your group of friends.

“What are you doing?” You smirked as he pulled you back into the utility closet. 

“Finishing what you started.” He smirked, his lips on yours. 

Your tongue darted out, massaging his in a dance of dominance. His hands moved to your thighs and he lifted you up gently, your legs wrapping around him as your back rested against the door. Jiyong broke the kiss, trailing soft kisses against your neck, his hand moving, fingers ghosting across the thin material of your panties. 

“Thank fuck for skirts.” He smirked as he teased you. You moaned, your head resting on his shoulder. 

He pushed your panties aside, his finger entering your slick folds, your hips rocked into his hand and he entered you slowly, teasing you before entering a second digit. He pumped his fingers in and out of you quickly. 

“You’re so cute when you’re jealous.” 

His fingers pumped into you harder, faster and you let out a moan as you rocked against him. You could feel him growing harder beneath you and you needed him. 

“Ji please.” You whispered in his ear, not trusting your voice. 

“Please what, pretty girl?” 

“I need you.” He smirked and removed his fingers. Bringing them to his lips, he licked you off him, his eyes locking with yours. 

“Sweet.” He smirked before his lips were on yours again. 

Your hands moved to his pants, undoing his pants and pushing them down slightly. Your hand grabbed ahold of his dick and you positioned him at your entrance. He entered you slowly, allowing you to adjust to him. Your walls tightened around him. 

He let out a moan as he pulled out, slamming into you again. His thrusts were fast and desperate. His mouth stayed on yours and your hips rocked against him, meeting everything thrust. He’d been thinking about this since you’d rocked against him on stage. He wasn’t sure how he’d made it through the rest of the night without getting his hands on you. Now that he had you though, he didn’t want to let you go. 

His hand moved between you, his thumb rubbing circles on your clit. Your breath hitched in your throat and he swallowed your moans. You could feel yourself getting closer, your stomach tightening and your head getting cloudy. You pulled back from the kiss, your fingers clawing into his shoulders as your head fell back against the door.

You came, his name falling from your lips so loudly, you were sure everyone could hear you. You didn’t care though. Jiyong thrust in you faster as you road out your orgasm, he followed closely behind you, kissing your neck and then your lips. 

He kissed you slowly before setting you back down on the ground. His arm staying wrapped around you as you steaded yourself. You helped him pull his pants back up before fixing your skirt. 

“I love you, you know that, right?” You nodded as you looked at him. His hands moving to smooth your hair. “I only have eyes for you, gorgeous.”

He leaned in, kissing you softly and you melted into him. Not wanting to go back out there. You knew you had some explaining to do, maybe some apologizing, but staying in this room with your boyfriend was much more appealing. 

“How bad is it going to be out there?” Jiyong shrugged. 

“I took care of it earlier.” 

“Oh?” You raised a brow. 

“Yep.” He smirked.

He gave you one last look before opening the door and poking his head out. The hallway was suspiciously empty. He walked out first, his fingers lacing with yours as he led you down the hallway. 

“Oh hey. There you guys are.” Seunghyun rolled his eyes as you entered the dressing room. 

“Where is everyone?” Jiyong folded his arms as he leaned against the doorway. 

“Dinner. I said I’d wait for you guys. Is everything resolved? Can I get my dance partner back?” 

“Yes, and no. I think I like the new arrangement better.” Jiyong smirked, his arm wrapping around you. 

“Whatever.” Seunghyun rolled his eyes, moving to leave the room. “Everyone’s still freaking out. But us three are glad we no longer have to keep a secret.” He turned to face you both. “Maybe no more hooking up in closets though? Save it for your hotel.”

Your cheeks flushed and Jiyong let out a snort as Seunghyun left the room. He kissed your cheek before following Seunghyun out. Jiyong didn’t mind that everyone knew. He’d been planning on telling them when the tour was over, so what if it had happened a few weeks early? He was surprised you’d been able to keep it a secret this long. 

He didn’t see the issue with everyone finding out, you loved each other, he wasn’t planning on letting you go. It was a necessary next step in your relationship, so at dinner he’d formally announce it. Then he’d talk to you about going public so that everyone knew. He didn’t want to keep you a secret for another day.

tag list: @wcnderlnds @infinetlyforgotten @berfgrimm @aizshallnotbefound @loveesiren @gdinthehouseee @tulentiy @petersasteria @alosss-blog @sooyasya @dprvivi @mirahyun @breakmeoff @1950schick @flymetothexmoon @sherrayyyyy

[yanadolls]

PASSIONATE FROM MILES AWAY ⊹ ࣪ ˖

||| FEATURING: NAGI SEISHIRO X FEM READER

||| 18+, MDNI ── .✦ exchanged nudes, phone sex, video sex, petnames (good girl, angel, sweet girl), cursing, praising, fingering

||| SUMMARY: you've been in an online relationship with nagi for two years, and after today's long soccer game, what better way to spend his night then calling with his cute girlfriend?

you groaned as you curled up in your bed, alone in your apartment. you kept checking discord to see if your boyfriend nagi had come online yet, and checking imessages to see if he read any of your texts.

nothing.

"ugh!"

just as you were about to send a complaint to your best friend about how long your boyfriend was taking to come back from his game, which ended an hour and a half ago, a sudden notification that lit up your screen had your heart leaping with joy.

sei: hi baby :x

excitedly, you immediately clicked on the notification, happy that your lover was finally back. once you were in chat, you clicked on the phone icon and started up a call with nagi, to which he accepted within the first ring. his sleepy yet slightly rough voice made a smile come to your lips, falling back against your mattress as your phone laid in your hand idly. it was difficult sometimes for the both of you since you had been dating online when you both were reliant on touch, but the hope of someday meeting up and living together made it all the more worth it. after all, you both were in your 20s, so soon enough you would be in a physical relationship, right?

"hi baby!" you said with an obvious amount of elation in your voice. it made even the nonchalant nagi smile- you were so cute.

"hi, sweet girl." he yawned, "did you watch my game? i scored a goal for you even though it was kind of a hassle showing off.."

so lazy all the time, wasnt he? it only added to his charm, you thought. of course you had seen his game, and you'd be lying if you said he wasn't hot running around the field, sweat clinging to his forehead and muscles.

"of course i did. you played amazing, sei... missed you so much while you were gone, though."

"missed you, too."

there was a silence over the phone for a moment, before shuffling could be heard on nagi's side, and a sigh leaving his lips. his voice was a bit more lower as he spoke.

"can you send me nudes?"

the sudden question had you almost choking on air, a heat rushing to both your cheeks and in between your legs. he was as blunt as ever, and it flustered you.

"s-seishiro! you can't just..ask that so suddenly!"

the pout on his face could practically be heard through the microphone.

"can't i? we're dating and it's not like i haven't seen you naked before.."

"that's not the point!"

"please, angel...need to see your pretty pussy so badly. won't you reward me for winning my game today?"

a tension started forming over the phone as you felt your breathing labor a bit, plushy thighs clenching together at what thoughts could be going through your sweet boyfriend's mind. his words made a knot form in your stomach, and your decision was easily made.

"fine..okay. i'll send you something.. as long as you send something in return?"

"good girl." he hummed, "and anything for you."

you opened up your private snaps that you had taken a couple days ago for nagi, cringing a bit at the lewd photos. in one of them it was a mirror selfie of you sitting on the edge of your bed in a cute pair of lingerie, while the other two photos were your fingers playing with your clit. you saved the three photos again before selecting them to send to nagi, a shaky sigh of embarrassment leaving your lips before you hit sent. when the photos loaded, a groan was picked up on your boyfriend's end.

"fuck.. you're so sexy, baby. why do you have to be so far from me? 's such a hassle beating my dick when you could be here doing it for me."

your lip trembled at his words, hand snaking down to gently rub your clit through your already dampening panties. you could hear nagi breathing heavily on his side, his large hand fumbling to tug down his shorts and pull out his hardening cock, giving it lazy tugs.

"too lazy to send a pic..lemme just turn on my camera."

as promised, only a couple seconds later his camera began loading, and you were greeted with the delicious sight of his thick cock being stroked slowly up and down. it made your mouth and pussy water. it simply wasn't fair how fucking huge nagi was, and he didn't even realize how much of a flex it was either!

"s-shit, sei.. y'so big.."

you could see his dick twitch a bit at your words, his hand pumping his huge dick a bit faster. being an egoist at the end of the day, your words did wonders to his pride.

"turn on your camera, please. wanna see your pretty face and body in real time."

forgetting your initial embarrassment, you tapped the button to turn on your camera, giving him a small flustered smile before flipping the camera to aim at your bare thighs, cute lacey panties tugged to the side. nagi moaned lowly at the sight.

"take it off fully. be a good girl and fuck yourself for me."

only you got to see this side of nagi- horny, passionate, and needy. your eyes stayed glued on his own camera as your thighs trembled, sliding your panties off before parting more for him to see. your free hand went down to rub your nub, then you slid your dainty fingers between your pussy's lips, collecting your own juices. nagi hummed.

"such a beautiful girl you are. wish you were here right now, would fuck you so good.."

"s-sei.. please.. want that so bad. need you to fuck me.."

two fingers dipped into your hole as a soft moan left your lips, focus faltering for a moment before bringing your attention back to see that nagi was already leaking with precum.

"fuuuck.. such a hassle being online.. m'gonna fly you out next week. give you the time of your life."

you couldn't tell if the lazy soccer player was just saying that in a moment of heat, or if he genuinely meant it. either way, your fingers moved faster, walls clenching around them at the mere thought of being pounded by your taller, stronger boyfriend. as nagi continued whispering more praises and dirty things, you felt yourself nearing release and with the way the white haired boy was breathing a bit faster, it was obvious he was gonna cum soon as well.

"ah..sei! gonna, ahh.. gonna cum!"

"me too, angel. ugh..gimme a show, baby. cum for me."

you didn't need to be told twice. at his desperate, low words, the knot in your stomach tightened, and with a loud moan you came down on your fingers, gushing all over them. nagi quickly followed after, nutting in a tissue he lazily reached out and grabbed. after a moment of catching your breathes, your cameras came off and nagi spoke softly, out of breath.

"..mean it, baby. i'm gonna fly you out next week. need you by my side too badly.. wanna cuddle and kiss you."

a tired smile came to your lips as your highs wore out.

"i'm so excited to finally see you, love. it'll be the best day of my life."

despite what others may say about nagi seishiro, he was a sweet boyfriend to you and always stuck by his word. after a bit of cleaning up and a small conversation, you both fell asleep easy on the phone. you made sure to set a reminder to pack your bags in the next couple days, as well <3

AN: first time writing LOL i couldn't stop giggling, hope u enjoy though ♡

[huntingcupid]

LOWKEY — L.R

I don't really give a fuck about all the "he said, she said" bullshit so pick your poison love, let's go somewhere a little more exclusive

⌗ LARA — fem!reader, angst, fluff, silent animosity, no actual arguments, tension, swearing, dream academy mentioned, predebut - touch time line, 7thmember!reader, cyber bullying, etc...

⌗ SYPNOSIS — due to you being quiet and kept to yourself during dream academy, you unexpectedly made yourself seem like a mean girl, making the person you liked which is lara also have a secret animosity towards you

⌗ CUPID — warning missy and mitra are mentioned...ew, anyways request by @artistwitchgirl here ya go babe

you've been lurking around instagram for an hour now — until a message popped up on your phone, it was from a womans account, her bio read of being some producer and scouter — it sounded like a scam obviously yet you still opened the message

“do you want to be the next generation of idol’s?, today is your lucky day hybe has chosen to scout you, if interested send a 1 minute video of either a dance, song (with no backtrack) or rap, thank you very much” you tilt your head wondering how they even found your account, either way you didn't want to get scammed so you closed it

you didn't think about the message for a good week, there it sat in your inbox unopened since you first received it — it's not like you're untalented, and oh you only live once

you sigh defeatedly, setting up your phone to record yourself singing — you rewatched the video almost hundreds of times scared that you might have just did all this for a scam text — you clicked send and it was sent

you power off your phone, hands clammy and very much nervous, “it's just a video” you mutter to yourself trying to calm your nerves

ding, your phone vibrates with a notification just a few days after you had sent the video — you open it seeing the woman had responded, “can we have you in a video meeting later by 12?” you type and erase your response, eventually ending up sending a simple, “yeah of course!”

you take a cold shower, getting ready for the meeting wearing your favorite shirt that you barely even wear, doing your makeup extra pretty, the clock ticks each tick getting closer to 12, you anxiously open your laptop waiting for the woman to send the link

you tap your finger on the table, until you see the notification pop up, you click the link joining the meeting — two other people were in the meeting, the woman you had been talking to and some dude who looked quiet professional

throughout it they were speaking about what you are gonna join and how and where you needed to improve — and to be frank you didn't understand half of what they are saying you just smiled and nodded

well until they told you when you are gonna fly out to la, your eyes almost pop out of your head — you barely left your apartment now your gonna move to a completely different place almost thousands of miles away

you take a minute to let the words and decisions sink in, thoughts flood your mind of the worst case scenarios, what if i fail, what if i get into a accident, what if-

“y/n?, you there?” the woman's voice cuts through your train of thought, you blink and open your mouth to speak but your afraid of what you might say

“yeah, uhm I'll get my things packed and we'll fly out in a week right?” you mutter almost like it was a secret, “yeah, we will have one of our staff's pick you up when you get dropped of at la” the explanation continues

after the meeting the weight of your decision finally settles in, suddenly your packing away your life not sure of how this may affect it — you're ready to try it obviously

your shitty part time job that you got the quit was the best part — the plane ride was smooth and you didn't think about what may happen for maybe an hour or two

when you arrived you got picked up by a woman her name's aliyah, aliyah explained further where you'll be living and just what the woman you spoke to on Instagram said as well

when you made it to the house you finally met the other girls who had gotten scouted or auditioned to, “hi!, I'm karlee” the shorter korean said, “hi I'm sophia” the filipina one followed, there you met 7 girls, karlee, sophia, adela, megan, emily, daniela, ezrela and lexie — they helped you get familiar with scheduling and how to get around the house

after maybe a month or two you got introduced to more girls, and then the unthinkable happens

when the management had formed a group of 20 girls they announced how you were going public under the dream “dream academy” you however didn't like this

you had continuously asked the management if you were gonna compete or was it a competition yet they denied, now you're gonna go against the girls you had lived with for months?, this is absolute bullshit

you wanted to quit right away, especially when you realized how much you have grown to like lara, in a romantic way, the indian was talented, nice and so confident — you never really got close to her due to the fact you were scared to

for the next few weeks you tired your best to distance yourself from the rest, creating a barrier, as the show starts you got introduced to the world, you had a pretty big fan base, you always silently liked and commented on posts by the other girls, supporting them thru a anonymous account

the first group mission rolled around, you were grouped in the omg group, you did pretty well

what you failed to realize was lara's growing animosity towards you the rest of the girls had been talking about your strange behavior how you're very quiet and almost looked like your judging others

“yeah like why does she always side eye us?” lara chimes in as the rest of the girls nod in unison, “it's like if you hate us just say it?, don't be a bitch about it” adela follows

the door clicks as you enter the house, silence floods the living room as the girls look around keeping quiet — “hi” you mutter as the rest just wave, not lara though she rolled her eyes and went to her shared room, you follow up going to your room too — you knew something was wrong, the way they seemed to fake their reaction towards you spoke louder than their words, that night you talked to ezrela

“can i ask you something?” you said, the smaller girl nods smiling at you, “am i being a bit too off? like do i seem like a mean girl?” you follow for a moment ezrela stopped — her eyes wandering in the room trying to formulate a nice enough answer, “y/n, i don't know how to put this but the rest of the girls see you as maybe a bit of a bitch” she replies softly, you tilt your head confused and somewhat guilty of why they feel that way, you had acted way too distant making you seem so out of touch

the camera crew approached you and ezrela, and you went dead silent only nodding and hugging the shorter girl

two weeks in eliminations started — adela was first to go, making lara a bit upset — even more upset at you as you had the highest votes she didn't see you as deserving as the rest, yes you were talented but your attitude seem to tick her the wrong way

the night adela got eliminated you cried, you weren't close but seeing how much she worked hard and how loved she was by the rest made it hurt — and hearing the silent chatter around you made it worse, words like “y/n doesn't deserve it” or “she should've been first” made its way back to you — you couldn't help but feel lonely, feel unworthy, you stayed in your room until you heard faint rustling outside your door

“y/n can we come in?” sophias voice came through, “sure” you replied wiping your tears and composing yourself, “hey” you softy mutter, sophia, megan and emily came in

“we know you've heard what we've said about you, and we want to apologize for that” they explained which you nod to, “I'm sorry for being distant too, i just don't want to get attached” the girls understood, you started tearing up feeling so guilty about how you have acted — “y/n don't cry” sophia softly whispers hugging you, you haven't felt so safe in so long you four made up and they helped you make it up to the rest too

the last one was lara who refused to even talk to you — it was mission 3 near finals only a couple of you were left and it didn't make sense for you not to make it up to her

every elimination you felt scared maybe your next, maybe she is, you felt so vulnerable, how the management just recorded as you and the rest of the girls slowly got your mental health wrecked — you often talked to missy about your experience, since you had no one to run to

finally it was the finale — one by one the girls got picked it was the final spot only you, ezrela, marquise and emily were left, your hands shaky feeling nervous

“your final member for katseye is — y/n!” the announcer blares you crouch feeling happy and so proud, tears start flowing as you hug the others saying how proud you are — making it to the line up manon hugs you immediately as she mutters something about how grateful she is, “fuck i didn't expect this” you giggle as daniela laughs along with you

yet your eyes followed her, followed lara — she didn't hug you but only congratulated you from afar, after the event you went to stay at megan's house eating and celebrating

“we really are in a girl group now” you murmur as you and megan lay in her bed, “yeah, what the fuck is happening” she replies softly laughing — “missy told me we will be moving in a separate house in a few weeks” you mutter which megan hums to, “that'd be nice, god this journey wrecked me”, “me too” you replied

during the weeks you didn't have anything to do, you juggled working in a small local café and still training a bit, improving your dance and singing — during these days you reflected on how much you've grown as a person

the day you had to move in with the rest of the girls was the best — you were roomed with megan and lara which seemed a bit to targeted, knowing missy knew about your relationship with lara, you bunked with megan often sharing clothes with her

meetings were called about your upcoming debut — the girls got transformed some getting their hair dyed and some getting it cut, lara got this red fiery color which highlighted her features so well, you got a layered haircut with a dark blue dye

“okay miss fine shit” megan jokes which you laugh to, “yes miss ginger” you replied as you two giggle — you were in awe at how beautiful the rest were, yet you can't seem to peel your eyes off lara, how she looked like an actual goddess — manon noticed and teased you abit

“you are so gay” manon says, looking at lara too, you gasp, surprised with her words — “can't I just appreciate how a woman looks?” you tried explaining which manon only sarcastically nods to, “okay fine!” you mutter next defeated

the filming for debut was one of the best experiences ever, very tiring but fun — you got the hang off a building in the music video which was so amazing, it garnered quite a lot of views but when touch got released you really skyrocketed

the song garnered over 100 million streams in spotify and a few million on youtube, during this katseye was starting to promote in different countries starting in korea

that's until the documentary dropped — you didn't want to watch it nor promote it, yet seeing the hate you and the rest got was so draining, lara however got the most disgusting remarks ever, which made you boil in rage — you've addressed multiple times on weverse that you had no beef with anyone especially lara, despite this lara still got bullying allegations and non stop racism

during this you were in japan — promoting touch, the girls were out exploring tokyo as you and lara decided to stay in the hotel room, you heard faint sobs and coughing from the restroom, you didn't want to peek knowing she needed her own time

but as her voice grew louder and her sobs seemed to not stop you decided to enter, knocking and going in

“lara?” you ask as she sat on the ground head down hugging her legs covering her face — “what” she hissed, “lara you shouldn't take anything personally, don't mind them” you mutter sitting next to her,

she stood up abruptly and went to her bed, laying down muttering something, “lara, you are so beautiful,” you murmured, sitting next to her lying form, “why are you lying?!, you probably think the same way they do” lara snaps, sitting up as her tears continued flowing a moment, you were stunned, and quickly, you got upset

“lara i don't fucking know why you think i hate you but i don't, i care about you so fucking much that i want you to know what they say doesn't matter!, whatever those freaks on the internet say or do you'll always be pretty and talented — i know that, you're such a wonderful person and it hurts to see you cry” you heave, breathing heavily lara was shocked to say the least, “so don't fucking push me away now, hate me for as long as you want but I'll always love you and support you” you follow

a beat passes by and you two were silent, lara looks at you with this newfound interest — she slowly got close to you and hugged you tightly her head resting on your shoulders as she murmurs thank you's — her voice was small and vulnerable something you have never seen lara been, minutes pass with you two stuck in this predicament, the weight of the hate she got slowly faded replaced with your warm embrace

lara lifts her head up looking into your eyes, searching for something — her hands flew to your nape, soon connecting your lips together, it wasn't rushed but it felt fast, her lips tasted like cherries and were soft like clouds you melt deeper into her touch, your hands on her waist guiding her closer

“I love you,” lara mutters as you two pull away, needing to breathe. lara never looked better her lips swollen and her hair tousled — as her hands were on your nape, “I love you more,” you replied

it felt weird, that after months of animosity and how far you two were from each other just for it to be fixed with a simple comforting gesture — its crazy how lara hated your guts but now is gripping your body close to her

wc: 2.4k words

[mrsbuckybarnes1917]

EPILOGUE: HOW TO WIN AN ARGUMENT (& AN ORGASM)

Previous chapter < MASTERLIST

Summary: You and Bucky have a heated discussion about the status of your relationship.

Warnings: Explicit sexual content, teasing and playful power dynamics, fluffy moments with humor, mentions of career decisions and future plans

Word Count: 1787

The sheets were a mess beneath you, twisted and tangled from the last hour of slow, languid love-making. Bucky had drawn out four orgasms from you already and was working on the fifth. The air in your bedroom was thick with heat, the scent of sweat and sex mingling between quiet gasps and whispered laughter. The way Bucky moved above you was steady and precise, his weight pressing you down into the mattress in the most exquisite manner. Over the last year, he had learned exactly what your body responded to and was now using it to his advantage. Currently, his hot breath was burning your collarbone where his mouth was worshipping your neck. The light stubble on his jaw scraped over your skin as his lips painted their own picture against your throat.

“You know,” you murmured, words punctuated by breathless gasps, “we have that wedding coming up.”

The rhythm of Bucky’s hips faltered slightly before he caught himself, managing to regain his momentum. “You really wanna talk about a fancy party while we’re in bed, Princess?” he groaned.

You arched your back to press your body flush against his, a massive grin covering your face. “I’m just saying, you know. Maybe we can go together.”

Bucky’s hips thrusted deeper, in playful distraction and his lips latched back onto your throat. “Oh yeah? You think you can pull off being my date?”

The base of his cock rubbed against your clit and you whimpered in response. Your fingers slid into his hair, tugging lightly at the now long strands. He groaned into your neck. 

“I don’t know, Buck.” Your voice dropped into a seductive tease. “You think we can make it look convincing?”

In response to your question, Bucky slowed his movement, pushing deep inside you and then thrusting up just as he was fully seated, making you gasp and moan. He lifted his head, locking his piercing blue eyes onto yours. Behind those lust filled dark pupils was a hint of mischief and something else— something warm and tender. He smirked as his knuckle brushed along your cheek, his vibranium hand sliding down your thigh to hook your leg around his waist. Bucky was all about the angles.

“Guess we’ll have to do our best to sell it,” he murmured. A smirk crept across his face as he dipped his head down to capture your lips in a slow, lingering kiss. “What do you say?”

You sighed into the kiss, letting yourself melt beneath him. Your fingers traced the ridges along his muscular back and along the broad curve of his shoulders and down to the soft flesh along his belly. You absolutely loved the feeling of being completely wrapped up in him— in his warmth, his strength, his love.

Just as you thought things couldn’t feel more perfect, he slid his hand down, fingers intertwining with yours. The cold metal of your ring pressed against your skin as his flesh pressed against yours, the same ring he had slipped onto your finger mere months ago. The way he squeezed your hand made your heart flutter, his thumb brushing over the band encircling your finger.

“You know,” you mused, your eyes twinkling mischievously. “I reckon if we put on a really good show, we can pretty much fool everyone.”

Bucky’s smile widened, amusement dancing in his eyes as he leaned down again, pressing a flurry of peppered kisses to your bare shoulder. “I don’t know, doll,” he murmured. “Think we can make ‘Mr. and Mrs. Barnes’ look convincing?”

His charm never ceased to make your stomach feel like it was full of butterflies, their wings flapping a warmth through your chest. Your expression softened as you trailed your fingers over his arms back up to those strong shoulders, mapping every part of him as if you hadn’t already memorized him by heart.

“I think,” you whispered, suddenly pulling him close, “we’ve got them fooled already.”

Bucky chuckled, dropping his forehead against yours, his thumb floating over your folds in search of your clit. “Guess that means I get to keep you,” he murmured, his hot breath fanning over your lips.

You tilted your head up for a kiss, letting his lips brush against yours— sweet and slow.

“You always had me,” you gasped as his thumb finally found your sensitive bundle of nerves, pressing on it with the perfect amount of pressure.

He was still inside you, still moving in and out with slow deep movements, only how his breaths were coming out ragged against your skin. Suddenly a ridiculous thought popped into your mind and your thoughts poured out unfiltered.

“Guess this means we need a real relationship agreement now,” you said, wiggling your engagement ring in his face.

Bucky froze mid-thrust. “Princess...” He lifted his head and gave you his most deadpan glare. “No. No way. Not the spreadsheet again,” he groaned, dropping his forehead onto your shoulder. 

“Oh, Buck, come on,” you whined. “We’re getting married now. Don’t you think we need to have some clear expectations of our relationship?”

You flung your hand over to your bedside table where your laptop was perched precariously close to the edge. Bucky rolled his eyes as watched you lay naked under him and opened up the electronic device. He let out a dramatic sigh as you opened a new sheet. He was now propped up on one elbow, his torso flush against yours and cock still buried deep between your thighs. “What’s it even going to say?”

You grinned, propping the laptop on the pillow beside you. “Well, Mr. Barnes, we’re going to need to outline our roles and responsibilities, our expectations…”

“Expectations?” he asked, tracing a small circle around your nipple, giving it a soft pinch.

“You know, like— who does the dishes, who gets control of the TV remote, and most importantly, who gets to eat the last pancake. Priorities, you know?” you winked.

Bucky narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “That was never in the first agreement.”

“Yeah, well,” you shrugged, “marriage is all about compromise.”

“Compromise?” Bucky scoffed, shifting his hip just enough to make you gasp. “More like you using his agreement to get what you want.”

You clenched in retaliation, making him groan.

“Fine, fine. So what do I get in return?”

You grinned, running your fingers through his hair, your nails scratching lightly at his scalp. “Me, obviously.”

Bucky smirked. “Sweetheart, I already got that.”

You shivered at the possessiveness in his voice. Before you could say anything further, he grabbed the laptop from your hands, flipped it shut and set it aside. Before you could verbalize a protest, he slid out of you and flipped you onto your back, his body immediately pressing down onto yours, a wicked gleam in his eyes.

“This,” he growled, trailing hot kisses down the back of your neck, “is how we negotiate agreements in this house.”

His hands slid down your sides, gripping your thighs as he spread them to make room for him. You moaned and tried to twist back so you could see him.

“You wanna talk contracts?” He pressed a slow, deliberate kiss to your hip bone, then another, right above where you wanted him most. “Let’s renegotiate the terms.”

Your breath hitched. “Bucky…” He was dangerously close to getting everything he wanted.

He was handling you like a ragdoll, rolling you onto your back again. He hummed, sliding lower, his lips grazing your folds. “How about this?” He spread them and pressed a teasing kiss just beside your center. “You let me have the last pancake… and I’ll fuck you so hard that you never even think about spreadsheets in bed again.”

You opened your mouth to argue, but the moment his tongue touched you, your words dissolved into a sharp gasp.

Bucky smirked against you. “That’s what I thought.”

“Fuck,” you cried, grabbing a handful of his brunette tresses to ground you.

But Bucky didn’t stop, he didn’t even lift his head from between your legs when he purred, “Oh and, I think we need to add another section to the agreement.”

Your fingers tightened in his hair, pleasure rippling through you as you tried to process his words. “W-what?”

He pulled back just enough to meet your dazed expression, lips glistening, smirking like he hadn’t just brought you to the edge with a few practice movements of his tongue. “Campaign schedules. Public appearances. Speechwriting deadlines.”

Your brows furrowed as you tried to catch your breath. “Wait—what?”

Bucky pressed a distracting kiss to your hip, looking entirely too smug. “Congress, Princess. Someone’s gotta clean up the mess.”

“You’re serious?” you asked, mouth falling open as you tried to blink away the confusion.

He crawled back up to hover above you, bracing his weight on his forearms. “Yeah.” His voice softened to a whisper. “Figured I couldn’t just fight fires forever. Thought maybe it was time to stop putting out one at a time and start making sure they don’t get lit in the first place.”

You stared at him, heart swelling with pride, knowing that this was a decision he has struggled with for a while now. You cupped his face, brushing your thumb over his cheek. “You’re actually doing it.”

Bucky huffed, looking almost sheepish. “You know you’re the one who told me to run for office, right?”

You laughed, wrapping your arms around his neck, pulling him into a deep, loving kiss. And when you finally pulled back, your eyes gleamed with merriment.

“So, let me get this straight.” You ran your fingers down his pecs, feeling the muscles flex beneath your touch. “You’re running for Congress…” You shifted your hips beneath him, feeling him twitch against you. “And that's why you think you’re getting the last pancake?”

Bucky groaned, dropping his head against your shoulder. “Princess,” he moaned. 

Grinning, you pushed him onto his back, straddling him in one smooth motion. “I think you need to get better at negotiating your terms, Mr. Congressman.”

Bucky looked up at you, dazed and completely wrecked. The sight of you on top of him always made him weak. Once he regained his composure, his hands were back on your hips without hesitation. “Guess I should start practicing my debate skills, huh?” he smirked. 

You leaned down, brushing your lips against his. “Better hope you’re more persuasive in Congress than you are in bed.”

Without warning, Bucky pushed your knees apart so you came tumbling down on top of him. As soon as he had you in his arms, he rolled over and pinned you beneath him once more. “Princess,” he murmured, dragging his lips along your throat, “let me show you just how persuasive I can be.”

Author’s Note – Thank You 💛

To every single one of you who read to the end— thank you. Whether you were here from chapter one or joined somewhere along the way, your support has meant the world to me. The reblogs, the comments, the little hearts, the passionate screaming in the tags (you know who you are)— I’ve read and cherished every single one.

Your kindness, enthusiasm, and emotional investment in these two idiots in love have been more motivating and inspiring than I could ever have hoped for. Honestly? You’ve made me start seriously thinking about a sequel… because how could I not want to spend more time with them when I get to share it with all of you?

If you have thoughts, hopes, dreams, or chaotic suggestions for what you'd like to see next— please don’t hesitate to slide into my ask box. I love hearing from you, and I’m so grateful for this little corner we’ve created together.

From the bottom of my heart— thank you for reading.

With all my love, @MrsBuckyBarnes1917 💌

[marvelwitchergilmore]

A Cup of Coffee

Summary: Bucky Barnes x fe!Reader -> You and Bucky make a promise to share a cup of coffee when he gets back from war. But sometimes a promise has to be broken.

Disclaimer: Fluff, hurt/comfort vibes, little angst. Asgardian!reader. 40s!Bucky/Winter Soldier. Kinda ignores the full MCU timeline but follows it enough to make sense...I hope. Mentions of death and violence (but not too much). Not Proof Read.

“Just a cup of coffee, please.” A voice spoke beside you before stradling the stool, two seats down from you. “Thank you.”

You’d been seeing them all day. Young men fighting for an old man’s cause across the water. A lot of them wouldn’t return. You knew that. You also knew the ones that would, would definitely have a few stories to tell. Most would probably take them to the grave. 

You’d seen plenty of men die in war. Some were stories. Most were beside you. 

“When do you leave?”

“Sorry?” The man turned and looked at you eventually. You hadn’t looked at him when you spoke. Your eyes remained fixed on the cup of coffee in front of you. 

You looked at him, eventually. A soft look in your eyes. “I asked, when do you leave?”

“Oh,” he seemed a little embarrassed. He should have known what you’d asked him. “A few hours. Got my orders this morning.”

As the waitress came back with his coffee, he went to pay. But you beat him to it. It’s the least you could do for him. 

“No, I’ve got it.”

He seemed a little surprised but thankful all the same. “I feel like I need to pay you back somehow.”

You shook your head with a light smile. “No need.”

He nodded, looking at his coffee cup before looking back at you. “I’m Bucky, by the way.”

You smiled, “Y/n.”

“That’s a beautiful name.”

You smiled. “Thank you.”

He motioned to the seat beside you. “Mind if I sit with you?”

“No. But I would have figured you’d be waiting on someone special.”

He chuckled a little, but shook his head. “No. Not tonight.”

Bucky moved to sit beside you and you turned your stool to face him a little better. It was up close you realised his eyes were blue. The corner of his mouth raised slightly as he talked, his voice deep. There was still a youthful and hopeful glint in his eyes. 

You hoped he held onto that. 

The conversation between yourself and the soldier lasted two hours or more. Eventually, you walked with him to his train station. Wives were kissing their husbands goodbye, sisters were hugging their brothers, kids were kissing their fathers and uncles goodbye, and mothers were drying their tears from the thoughts that they’d never see their sons again. 

“You really should have let me walk you home,” Bucky told you. 

You smiled and looked away, shaking your head. “No. It’s better this way.”

“If you say so.”

You nodded and looked back up at him in time to see his expression change. The smile faltered for a moment as his thoughts took over. 

“You asked me before if I was meant to be meeting someone special tonight.”

You nodded, stepping a little closer. “I did.”

The smile returned on his face as you felt his hand take yours. He raised it between you both. “I think you were meant to be that someone special.” 

You smiled, closing your eyes for a moment as he kissed your knuckles before kissing your palm. Soon, you felt the scratchy green material of his lapel under your palm, his kiss searing into your skin. You made a decision. 

Pulling him in by his lapels, you leaned up and kissed him. 

It was like electricity inside you before a calming wave of serenity took you over as he held you closer to him. All the other passengers on the train melted away; their voices became nothing but white noise behind you both. 

Laying a hand over his heart, you heard the final whistle being called. 

“Good luck, soldier.”

“Will you be here when I get back?”

You’d been moving from place to place on earth for the last five years. You never stayed in one place longer than a few months. You also never returned. 

But that was the first time you’d broken your promise to yourself. 

“When you get back, I’ll meet you at the cafe. You buy the coffee.”

Bucky chuckled. “Deal.”

He kissed you once more before one of the wardens walked by and tapped him on the back. “Better get on the train, son. Before it leaves without you.”

Bucky nodded, holding onto your hand and kissing your knuckles as you closed the door to the carriage with him. 

“Wait, I-I need your address. To write to you.”

The train was starting to move. You didn’t want anyone to have your address, just in case. 

“Write to the cafe!” You called over the sound of the horn. “I’ll write you back, I promise!” 

The train was moving faster than people on the platform could keep up with and eventually you had to let go of his hand. 

From the distance until the train disappeared, Bucky continued to wave goodbye to you. 

A letter was waiting for you at the cafe two weeks later. You and Bucky wrote to each other for almost a year. Little did you know, those would be the only thing you’d have left from him. 

A little over a year later, you found a thick letter waiting for you at the cafe. The waitress, Dottie, handed it over to you with a saddened look in her eye. 

“The mailman dropped this by, this morning. I’m so sorry, honey.”

You sat down with a weight on your chest as you opened it. A sob caught in your throat as four letters fell out. Three of them you recognised immediately. Bucky’s handwriting. But the fourth…

In the cafe, sat in the same seat you’d first met Bucky on, you read from Captain America’s own handwriting. What had happened on the train, what had happened to Bucky, how he’d talked about you enough to let Steve know the final letters and pictures should be sent to you. He wrote about how sorry he was. A real funeral couldn’t be held until the war was over.

Without a body, it was simply about raising a toast for another young life given to a cause. 

“Can I get you anything, honey?”

You wiped away your tears, quickly. “Yeah, um, can…can I get a cup of coffee. Please?”

Dottie nodded with a sad smile. “Of course, honey.”

So. 

Sitting alone in the cafe you were meant to see him again, you raised a cup. 

“I love you, soldier.”

When you finished, you thanked Dottie for everything and left her a large tip. That evening, you moved away and tried to move on. 

It proved more difficult than you expected. 

You’d lived thousands of years, seen thousands of people die, seen thousands of people fall in love. And yet, Bucky was the one person out of it all that never seemed to leave you. 

After twenty or more years, you stopped running. Asguardian soldiers stopped hunting you, Loki came to find you and you both hashed out your grievances. 

But despite all of that, you ended up settling back in Brooklyn. You watched as people went to and from work, forgetting the histories you’d lived through; creating futures they dreamed of. 

You heard of Peggy starting up Shield. And one afternoon you strolled past the memorial set up in the soldiers’ memories. 

And the first name you spotted was Bucky’s. 

He’d been lost years before Shield, but Peggy still continued to honor Bucky alongside the rest. You kept your eye on his fellow Howling Commandos. Watched as they had kids, who eventually had kids of their own. 

You watched them grow a family part of you still dreamed about with Bucky. 

As the years passed by, you settled into ‘normal’ life. You dated every now and again, but none of them ever lasted. None of them contained that spark you had with Bucky. You didn’t mean to compare them, but what had happened in the 40s…

That was the kind of love that lasted a lifetime. The kind grandkids would look up to and say, “That’s the love I want out of life.”

Yet, as the years rolled by, things started to happen that even you had never seen before. Men came back from the dead. Men you had known. 

First it was Steve. It was all over the news. A fallen soldier pulled out of the ice. A man out of his time. 

You could still remember the thundering in your heart as you watched him run through Times Square. 

He was alive?

He was alive.

“Oh, god.” You held a hand over your heart. 

Three weeks later, all hell broke loose. Loki, a man you’d once considered a brother, an enemy, and then a friend. He decided to have a moment in the spotlight for all the world to see. 

You had ran round New York, helping those you could. You tried to find him. You might not have seen each other in five decades, but you couldn’t just let him tear the world apart. 

But The Avengers beat you to it. From there, Odin and Thor would handle the rest. 

You thought about going back, but you never did. Something in you told you to stay for the sake of Steve. He didn’t know you existed. To him, you’d been long gone since the 40s. Probably dead. 

If he only knew. 

However, everything changed when he was made an enemy of the State and footage from a fight on the bridge made its way to social media. You watched as a masked man with a metal arm jumped onto a car and swaggered his way over, changing the clip in his gun. 

CCTV footage that was shown on the six o’clock news revealed a fight between the ghost dubbed The Winter Soldier and Steve. 

From there, your research began.

Decrypting Hydra files, travelling to countries you hadn’t seen since England’s Tudor era, facing climates some people would never know. But it was just before a bomb had been detonated outside the UN building that you came to discover the first successful subject of the Winter Soldier programme. 

James Buchanan Barnes. 

Bucky. 

You’d eventually found yourself in Serbia, but you were far too late. All that was left were scratches on walls in place of a fight. And, considering Steve was on the run, it didn’t take a genius to work out who it had been between. 

You searched for two years. 

You had tried to contact Thor and Loki. Maybe they could help. But they were no use. Off world and fighting someone else, probably. 

After a year and half in Wakanda, Bucky was finally free of the Winter Soldier’s control. And, ultimately, joined Steve to help weed out the final members of Hydra and The Red Room. 

But the longer he spent with his fellow man out of time, he started to feel like he was being watched. Not by the Wakandans. Not even by his team. But by…a ghost. 

He’d look across the street and see someone. But it was only a flash in his memory. Someone who’d been in his dreams long before the nightmares of Hydra took his mind over. 

But it wasn’t. 

Because a moment later, they were gone. A shadow in the dark. A sunray behind a tree branch. 

It took another year, but Steve and his team somehow received a full padron. Probably had something to do with the whole world going to shit. But even as he lived a semi-normal life outside of the Tower and training facility, the memory seemed to constantly follow him. 

Buses through the city, subway staircases, busy street-corner food trucks, green parks with enough space for kids and cyclists. 

Then one day he found it wasn’t a memory at all, but rather a person. 

The part of his mind that longed for his past was playing tricks on him. So, he made a decision. 

And it was in a cold warehouse with a dusty concrete floor and broken ceiling lights, Bucky came face to face with his ghost. 

You breathed heavily and smiled a little as his blue eyes landed on your gaze. “Hey, Soldier.”

Bucky couldn’t breathe. His hand still held onto your arm as you lay on the floor below him. “You…you…you’re not…this isn’t real.”

“I can explain.”

He was shocked, which you expected. 

“Mind helping a girl up?”

Bucky, for a moment, did so. But then stopped, pinning you back onto the dusty floor. “How do I know this is even…you? Who are you?”

You understood completely. “The day we met, it was in a cafe. I bought you a cup of coffee and our waitress was called Dottie. You asked for my address and I told you to write to the cafe, instead.”

He believed you. You could see it in his eyes. You could also see that he didn’t believe it could be possible. 

“I know I made you promise to buy me a cup of coffee the next time we saw each other, but I think I should buy this one.”

It took a little more convincing but eventually Bucky helped you up from the ground and walked with you to a cafe. 

“Is this?”

You smiled and unlocked the door. “Yeah.”

You locked the door behind you once more and lowered the shutters a little more. Walking around the cafe bench, you started up the percolator. Turning around, you saw Bucky look around the place. Photos scattered the walls. Some that were still on the walls when he was young. But the more he looked, the more he noticed. 

Old signs, posters and pictures. But the ones that stood out to him the most were the ones he was in. One from a pub table in London. Him, Steve, Peggy, and the Howling Commandos. A few more were filled with the same people. Others had soldiers Bucky had met or seen when he was still in the army. A few love letters had been framed and hung up, too. 

“Couples.” Bucky looked at you as you spoke. “Turns out this place can bring people together in unexpected ways.” 

He kept looking across the walls. That was when he saw an old receipt, the paper aged with time. 

The receipt from the night he met you. Dottie’s name was scribbled across the top, the bill was at the bottom. 

“Here,” you said as you began pouring the hot coffee. “Get it while it’s hot.”

Bucky took his old seat across from you, holding the mug in his two hands. 

“Thanks.”

You smiled, “You’re welcome.”

“So,” Bucky took a sip of the hot drink. “When did you buy this place?”

“Mid 90s, I think. It was a cafe for a long time. Then a sandwich shop, then a laundry place. Eventually, it went on the market and…I took it on. Restored it back to what I remembered it to be. 

Bucky nodded, impressed. But one question remained on his mind. And just like that night on the station floor, you watched as Bucky’s smile fell from his face. But this time, it didn’t return. Memories haunted his mind, part of him still not believing it to be true. 

For all he knew, he was about to wake up. 

“How are you here?”

You took your time explaining your past. How you were not from the world he knew…once knew. You were from a completely different one. 

Asgard.

A few earth years before Bucky met you, you’d upset a lot of people. Specifically one of the princes. Eventually, you were pardoned when they realised you’d only meant kindness when you gave your opinion in the court that day. 

You’d voted against Loki. 

He was one of your closest friends, but you knew he wasn’t ready. Considering he was Odin’s son, most people voted for him. 

As his closest friend, you’d not only betrayed him but also the throne he sat on. 

You nearly got caught a few times, but managed to evade them. But despite all being forgiven, you’d decided to come back to the one place that had felt like home since you’d left Asgard. 

“And you’ve been following me ever since?” 

You nodded. 

“So…in London? And Edinburgh?”

You nodded. “I didn’t think it was time for you to know, yet. But I wanted to make sure you were safe.”

“Does Steve know?”

You shook your head. “No. Peggy didn’t either. But I kept my eye on him when he came out of the ice. I waited for him to walk in here one day. He’d passed this place so many times. He would have known instantly considering the pictures I keep in here.”

“Why do you keep them here?”

You shrugged and smiled, if a little sadly. “Reminds me of a life I nearly had. Of a life others have had. That…” you gave a deep sigh, “that life keeps going but the past should never be forgotten. You never know when it might show up again.”

Bucky looked at you, and for the first time since the day he left you, he smiled. 

Your soul felt light again. 

Sheepishly, he looked at the cup in his hand before looking back at you. “I know I might be…”

Bucky took a guess at the amount of time. 

“Eighty years too late. And that you might own this place but…would you mind me buying you a cup of coffee sometime?”

You nodded, trying to suppress the glow in your smile. “I’d love that.”

[chalantzah]

IN A WORLD OF BOYS, HE'S A GENTLEMAN

hamzah x clueless reader oneshot

friends?lovers

| warnings include - slushynoobz humour, & fluff

‘ fancy restaraunt mukbang vlog’

“alright, intro time. everyone look good?” martin says, holding the camera up as he films you and hamzah, who is dressed in a navy blazer, with his ‘mama needs a blunt’ shirt peeking out from underneath, topped with none other than cargo pants to really tie the look together, you didn’t fight him on his decision, because to each their own.. but you dressed more appropriately to make up for his joke of an outfit. you wore knee-high boots, a slip dress, and a leather oversized bomber jacket with a print on it’s back.

martins outfit was also unserious- the bottom half included dress pants paired with fancy shoes, while the top half consisted of an emoji print zip-up hoodie, with his ‘find x’ shirt peeking through from underneath the jumper. you all stood next eachother, martin in your left, and hamzah on your right. he pulls you in close, arm around your shoulder, and smiles at the camera to do the intro.

a few minutes of walking pass, and martin dramatically informs the camera that we have finally made it to the restaurant.

“welcome to my crib.” hamzah teases to the camera, leaning on one of the grand pillars that stood close-by to the entrance of the restaurant. the restaurant itself looked like it was a castle worthy of royalty to own. the camera turns to you, letting out a laugh, at hamzah's pun, making him smile to himself.

“boi if all three of us put our money together we couldn't even buy the one of those pillars.” you gesture to the one he’s currently leaning on.

martin’s behind the camera, rolling his eyes at you and your jesting, then flips the camera so it faces him “incase you guys are new here, we aren’t picky eaters around here, so prepare to see some food you guys probably have never seen before because- well- rich people foods aren’t accessible to everyone, and every time you guys subscribe to us, we will plant a tree, because trees make paper, and paper makes money so you guys can be rich one day, just like us.” he rants, making movements with his hands, and giving a sympathetic facial expression to the camera, you and hamzah death stare him and stiffle your laughs- letting martin absorb his embarrassment.

“hey- my reservation was booked under my good friends name, khloe kardashian - is that anywhere in you system?” martin tells the receptionist.

i look at hamzah who’s already covering his mouth with his hand to cover a shocked laugh, pointing the camera to martin.

to both mine and hamzah’s surprise, the woman replies with “yes- table for three- for khloe kardashian...” handing martin the reciept that showed our booking number, booking name, and the table we were assigned.

“bro- why would you do that?” hamzah asks martin, still laughing.

“what? i told you- i read that they charge average people more than celebrities, you gotta do what you gotta do in this economy boi.”

“motherfucker they can tell you’re not khloe .” i emphasise, “yeah well i did say she’s my good friend, never stated that i was her.” martin sassed back, as our waitress walks us towards our table.

after ordering your meals, the camera faces all three of us, the order of seating going: martin, then hamzah, then you.

“you guys are probably wondering why mandy isn’t here, and that’s because she refused to leave the house until its spotless, so while we all eat good food, she’s setting a good example to all women, and cleaning” martin explains making unconvincing faces, and expressions during his explanation. which has me and hamzah nodding convincingly to play along with martins sarcastic, misogony-mocking joke.

the mukbang dinner ends up being a mix of gagging at how inedible some of overpriced dishes are- then seconds later moaning at how good the others were.

another thing that the dinner was full of, was hamzahs touch- he would constantly reach over to the tissue box halfway across your side of the table, when he had many clean napkins sat infront of him, he also enjoyed nudging you with either his shoulder, or knee, when he waiting for you to say your commentary about the food to the camera.

but it was all friendly.. right?

outside, the air is cool, the night dark but not too cold. the camera’s still rolling. martin’s talking to the camera about the “world’s most expensive mukbang in history,” but you’re not really paying attention anymore. your feet are screaming from the boots you chose to wear to fit the aesthetic of the video.

you try to keep up with the two friends, but the shoes are becoming unbearable to the point where it’s not cute and unnoticeable anymore.

hamzah senses your discomfort right away, of course. he turns around and raises an eyebrow.

“hey, you good?”

“yeah, just—” you wince and shift your weight from foot to foot, “these boots are brutal, wearing heels through a 30 minute walk, big big big mistake.”

he looks down at your heels, then at his own sneakers, and smirks. “alright, i got you.”

“what?” you start to protest, but he’s already crouching down, taking off his sneakers. “wait, you’re not serious.” you watch as he slips his feet out of the sneakers. “no you’re lying- you are not walking home barefoot bro.”

“dead serious. and no i’m not gonna be barefoot- give me the heels.”

“no way.” you laugh, but it’s already happening. he’s kneeling next to you and sliding the zip of your boots down, completely unfazed.

you step into his sneakers, feeling immediate relief. they’re way too big for you, but honestly? in this moment they’re the comfiest thing you’ve ever worn.

“how do i look?” he asks, slipping your knee-high boots with a 4” heel on like it’s no big deal. he stands up, wobbling a little but making it look… oddly natural. “dude how did your feet fit into that- theres so much toe space in your sneakers for me.” you ask with genuine wonder.

“oh trust me they do not fit, my toes are all getting compressed into one toe as we speak- but its kinda therapeutic.” he defends- unconvincingly as he coughs to cover his pain.

you throw your head back laughing. “cmon- this is torture to look at just give me-” and right as you begin to beg for your shoes back, hamzah makes a run towards martin who was atleast 20 meters ahead of us by now.

the way this man was running, you would think he just learned how to walk approximately 10 minutes ago.

martin’s behind the camera, trying not to laugh too loud. “this is gold, man- girls get yourself a man who would do this for you.” he flips the camera to show your feet in huge sneakers, alongside hamzah and his new heels. “boyfriend material- am i right?” martin nudges you and winks at the camera. “dude now they’re gonna speculate .” you roll your eyes at him “yeah but more clicks and views!” martin jokes and dances his tongue to the camera.

hamzah either didn’t mind the fact that they would get dating speculations- as he just stayed quiet, or he was too focused on the pain in his feet.

probably the second one though.. yeah?

hamzah then grins, obviously pleased with himself. “content for the people.” he winks.

NOTE i hope u enjoyed my first piece of actual writing, if you guys love this I may possibly turn this into a short series, but right now its just a one shot :)

thank you for reading.

taglist - @aalanahh0 @noturbabe22 @martiniibluee07 @mopslusher @ladylincoln @officialthrad @urfavblonde27 @infinitefireflies @notmeee3 @slicdfo0t @beybeys-world @shytrashpastadream-blog

if you joined my taglist and havent been tagged, please go and like the taglist post from your MAIN blog, or message me from it, as tumblr doesnt allow to tag sideblogs :)

[justarandomweeb]

Yandere LL x Earth Liaison Reader

No beta read we die like fucking men and I swear I'm a dummy in English (not a first language) OH YEAH the characters might be a bit ooc since I haven't finished mtmte

Edit: um chat... this shit was not supposed to be posted um- whoops I guess??? I can't take this shit out um, I thought Tumblr ate this drabble, turns out I accidentaly posted it???

'FUCK FUCK FUCK!' a lone human curse in their head as they crouch walk inside the vents, navigating the never ending maze, watching your steps and sound. You knew those bots have good hearing, but they're not your priority to be worrying. It was Skids and those with him inside the vents, you can hear the heavy bodies thuding and thumping. He knew the ship like the back of his hand, you would say. You could have used your inbuilt digital map over the paper map you crudly and hastily drew, but you knew it would be a matter of time before Perceptor or who over is smart enough hacks into your watch and pings your location.

You wished you would've seen the signs, no...

You wished you had never dreamed of meeting aliens as a child, riding a rocket ship, and fly through space. You wished you never pushed so hard for that silly dream that soon became a nightmare.

Yet, you were blind to it. Ignoring the signs, thinking, 'Oh, it must be a cultural thing' or 'They probably are curious about humans and our culture, most of them haven't met one.' The ones who didn't liked organics in general became more softer, yet possessive as the rest of others. The prisoners coaxed you to free them from their cells, just so they'd 'express' their love. The enemies bribing you to join them, promising you unbroken loyalty and adoration.

Those innocent questions became... intimate and invasive.

Megatron, he didn't want to be near you. You didn't know if it's out of guilt or a still prejudice against the organics. You knew his history, the war, and the devastating impacts he caused. You were willing to give him a chance. You talked to him. At first, it was one-sided, and then he replied back, with small answers, acknowledgments, and comebacks. You'd tease him when you saw a small smirk. He'd deny. You joined his poetry sessions, exchanging poetry to one another, critiquing and praising each other. You'd read him classic human literature, and he'd read you cybertronian literature in those moments it was just you and him. When did it all go wrong...

Ultra Magnus he intimidated you, a big guy with those stern eyes and broad shoulders. Of course, a big man like him would be the goody to shoes, abid to the law like its his only identity. You thought you could never relate to him outside of work, that he and you will never understand one another. You'd talk when the air was empty. You'd tell him about the dumb decisions you've made when you were a kid, stealing gums and candies, sneaking in an abandoned building with friends, attending street racing, laughing at your own idiocy and stupid antics, but you reminisce the bond you had with your friends. Ultra Magnus would criticize your actions, listing all of the laws and rules you've broken. But this time, he just listened, didn't list down your crimes, keeping quiet. You don't know what he was thinking other than the possible charges you'd have if you'd have gotten caught. When did it go wrong...

When you first met Rodimus, he reminded you of a frat boy who was given leadership in a silver plate. Not taking anything seriously, meteor surfing, delaying his reports, not even paying attention half of the time on the meetings. You'd chase him down, trying to get his attention. You've felt like a mother trying to discipline an unruly child, but this child is giant fucking robot leading an expedition in outerspace. That what you'd have thought of him, till you saw his struggles. The guilt of the deaths of crewmates, what he could have done if he did things differently. You'd shoulder his burdens, cradling his helm. You'd look at him eye to eye, telling him not to blame himself that he did what he could. You'd help him out with reports. You'd hold his giant servos that it helped him be grounded on the meetings. You'd laugh at his jokes, bite back with scarastic comebacks. You final smiled at him, when those days where he feels down, you'd let him in your lap again. When did it go wrong...

You've been invited to the movie sessions with the Minicons, sharing your favorite movies and series with them. You'd hang out with Rung, help him build his miniature spacescrafts, sitting quietly with him during the sessions of his patients and letting them hold you. It felt therapeutic for them. You'd help out on medbay reaching through the cracks of patients to close the delicate wires, medics freeting over you after a successful operation. You'd gossip with them and talk about the stupid antics those bots done to be sent to medbay, trying to knock sense on those daredevils.

Your time at Lost Light was up. You wished you've stayed longer, but you definitely missed home. Your family and friends are waiting for your return. You were walking through the corridors to the meeting room to talk about your retirement when you heard yelling from the cracks of the doors.

"Can't we destroy their space bridge? Brainstorm and Perceptor can make it seem it malfunctioned. Even blow it up completely for safe measures. Besides, it's the only space bridge that connects to Earth directly."

"Rodimus please, we can't do this to them."

"Please, Mags, I know you'd don't want them gone too! I can see the way you looked at them Mags, you love them too like I do. We all do here. The crew would help out Mags, I talked to everybody on the comms, so please do it for us."

You can't believe what you're hearing, why won't they let you go home. You turn around to see three mechs, your eyes water over the betrayal. You ran before they can catch you, diving into the vents for refuge. You can hear them telling everybody you ran away, you're scared. You didn't ask for this. You're regretting everything. Maybe you should have stayed at home, be a boring office worker over being chased by crazy giant bots who refuse to let you go home.

You wonder... When Did It Go Wrong.

[silkpagess]

Una Notte a Roma - Part I

Hi! This is my very first fanfic, so I’m a little nervous but super excited to share it with you. Thank you for reading it and I hope you enjoy this little Roman adventure as much as I enjoyed writing it 💫 (pls pls pls reblog if you liked it :)

Summary: Y/N’s just trying to enjoy her time in Rome—wine, karaoke, and maybe a little chaos. She definitely doesn’t expect to cross paths with Harry Styles at a random bar. He’s low-key, charming, and way too handsome for her peace of mind. What starts as one flirty, unexpected night turns into something neither of them saw coming. It’s messy, magnetic, and totally unforgettable—because when in Rome… right?

word count: 2k

It’s just another night in Rome, nothing too special, right?

The air outside felt like the remnants of the day, warm but with a breeze that pulled at your clothes, urging you to breathe deeply, to live in the moment. Y/N had been in Italy for just a few weeks, enough to know where the good gelato spots were, but not enough to feel entirely comfortable speaking Italian without second-guessing every word. She’d signed up for the exchange program on a whim, a last-minute decision, and now she was here, surrounded by cobblestones and ancient history, living on a schedule that barely made sense.

The bar she walked into was small, tucked between two old buildings in the heart of Rome, the neon lights flickering above the door, promising both danger and excitement. It was the kind of place where tourists and locals collided, unpredictable, but always interesting. Her friends were already sitting at a table near the back, laughing and talking in a mix of Italian and English, trying to decide who was going to be the first to grab the microphone when the karaoke started. Y/N didn’t really feel like singing tonight, but she could already tell they’d drag her into it anyway. It was just what they did.

She didn’t notice him at first, not really. Harry was sitting at the bar with a group of friends, quietly observing the room as if he were trying to blend into the background. He didn’t want to stand out, not tonight. The last thing he wanted was to be recognized, so he’d come to this bar, hoping that people would be too caught up in their own lives to notice him. But as she passed him on her way to the table, something shifted. He couldn’t help but notice her, how her laugh rang out in the chaos of the bar, how her dark hair bounced with every step, how the look on her face was one of carefree confidence. There was something magnetic about her, something that drew his attention and held it even as he tried to look away.

He couldn’t explain it, but there was something about her presence that felt... familiar. Not in the sense of "I’ve seen her before," but more like she was the kind of person you were always meant to meet. And when their eyes met briefly, the world seemed to slow down, just for a second. A moment that didn’t mean much to anyone else but meant everything to him.

She didn’t acknowledge him at all. She was too busy catching up with her friends, laughing, exchanging stories, her eyes sparkling with the kind of joy that only came when you were in a foreign place, away from home, doing something you’d never thought you’d do.

But Harry couldn’t stop looking at her.

⸻

The night dragged on with the usual chaos of a karaoke bar, people singing off-key, others trying too hard to impress, and some just there for the drinks and atmosphere. But as the first notes of Queen’s "Don’t Stop Me Now" blared through the speakers, Y/N jumped out of her seat like she was born for this moment. She had no shame, no hesitation. She was the kind of person who lived in the moment, the kind who threw herself into things without looking back. Her friends followed suit, their energy contagious, and soon, the entire bar was swept up in the beat.

Y/N wasn’t just singing, she was dancing, pulling people into the circle with her, encouraging everyone to join in. Her body moved with a kind of reckless abandon, like she was the only one in the world who mattered, like this moment, right now, was all there was. Harry’s eyes never left her, and neither did the grin that slowly spread across his face. She was a whirlwind of energy, laughter, and life.

The bartender, a grizzled older man with a thick accent, glanced over at Harry and his friends, raising an eyebrow. “What a character, huh?” he muttered under his breath, his lips curling into a smile.

“Yeah," Harry replied, his voice quiet but amused. "A character."

⸻

When the song ended, the energy in the room didn’t dip, it only grew stronger. People were still clapping, laughing, and shouting as Y/N made her way back to the bar, her cheeks flushed from the dance, her breath still coming in short bursts from the exertion. She walked past Harry again, close enough for him to catch the scent of her perfume—a soft, floral scent that seemed to hang in the air long after she’d moved on.

He didn’t know what possessed him, but he couldn’t let it go. He stood up and walked towards her, his steps deliberate, each one bringing him closer to the girl who had somehow captured his attention without even trying.

"Hey," he said when he reached her. His voice was low, but it carried an ease to it. “You’ve got some serious skills on that mic."

Y/N glanced up at him, her eyes narrowing slightly as she tried to place him, then shrugged. “I’ve been practicing my rockstar moves for years.” She shot him a grin, the kind that told him she wasn’t taking him too seriously. She was fun, she was playful, and he could already tell she had a sharp wit. “But thanks, I guess.”

Harry laughed, leaning casually against the bar. “I’m Harry, by the way. I know this might sound weird, but you kind of just... owned that performance.”

Her eyes flicked to his, and for the first time, she seemed to really register who he was. Not just some random guy in a bar, but the Harry Styles, or at least, that was what he thought she was thinking.

But all she said was, “Well, I’m Y/N, and if you’re expecting me to serenade you, you’ve got the wrong idea. I only do public performances for my friends.”

There was a challenge in her voice, a spark in her eyes, and Harry found himself leaning in, intrigued by this girl who seemed to have no interest in fame or recognition, who was just... herself.

“I wasn’t expecting anything,” he replied with a grin. “But I wouldn’t mind hearing more.”

Y/N raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? Well, you’ll have to catch me on a better night, Harry.”

“I think tonight’s pretty great,” he said, his smile widening.

She didn’t answer immediately, taking a moment to look him over—really look at him, her eyes scanning him with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. “You’re one of those people who likes to keep a low profile, aren’t you?” she said, the corner of her lips curling up just slightly.

“Something like that,” he replied, shifting slightly. “And you?”

She snorted, a playful sound that caught him off guard. “I’m not trying to keep a low profile. I just... don’t care what people think.”

Harry chuckled, his gaze softening. “I think I can respect that.”

Y/N leaned in slightly, her voice dropping to a more intimate tone. “Good. Because if you ever want a proper performance, you’ll have to catch me when I’m not surrounded by my loud, obnoxious friends.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Harry said, his voice low, teasing. "But for tonight, I’m more than happy to just watch."

And for the rest of the night, that’s exactly what he did, watched as she danced, sang, and lived in a way that made everything around her fade into the background.

It wasn’t just her energy or her confidence that captivated him. It was the fact that she didn’t need anyone else’s approval, that she could exist in the world as herself, unapologetically, without a care.

And Harry realized, as he watched her go back to her friends, laughing and shouting, that he hadn’t felt this intrigued by anyone in a long time.

Maybe it wasn’t just about the performance after all. Maybe it was about the person. 

And maybe, just maybe, it was about time for him to stop watching from the sidelines.

⸻

The night wore on in a haze of laughter and neon lights, the kind of night that didn’t feel real until the morning after. Harry stayed close, never quite hovering but always within reach. Occasionally, Y/N’s eyes would find his across the room, once during a particularly ridiculous rendition of “Livin’ on a Prayer,” another when she was taking a sip of her drink and caught him smiling at her like he’d never seen anything quite like her before.

And for the first time in a long time, she let herself enjoy being seen.

It wasn’t until her friends began gathering their things that Y/N realized how late it had gotten. The bar had thinned out, and the cool Roman night pressed in through the open door, carrying the scent of the Tiber and distant music from another street. Her cheeks hurt from smiling, her voice was hoarse from singing, and her feet ached in the best way.

She stepped outside with her friends, the group spilling into the quiet street like kids leaving a school dance. Some were headed to a club, others were calling cabs or figuring out the late-night bus schedule. Y/N pulled her phone out to check the time just as a voice called from behind.

“Hey, Y/N.”

She turned, expecting one of her friends—but it was Harry, hands in his jacket pockets, hair a bit tousled by the breeze.

“You walking back?” he asked.

“Yeah, I live just a few blocks that way.”

“I’ll walk you,” he said simply.

She hesitated for half a second, then nodded. “Alright.”

They walked side by side down a narrow street lit by antique lamps, the stones underfoot uneven and slippery in places. It was quiet now, the noise of the bar a distant echo, replaced by the soft hum of the city at rest.

“You always like this?” Harry asked after a stretch of silence.

Y/N glanced at him. “What do you mean?”

“You know… fearless. Like nothing can touch you.”

She laughed under her breath. “That’s just a good performance. Truth is, I barely know what I’m doing most of the time. I’m constantly second-guessing everything.”

He looked at her, a flicker of surprise in his expression. “You hide it well.”

“That’s the trick,” she replied, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Fake it until you start to believe it yourself.”

Harry smiled. “That’s fair. But still… it suits you. That boldness. That energy.”

Y/N tilted her head, a little amused, a little unsure. “Are you always this poetic, or is it just the Italian air?”

He laughed. “Maybe a bit of both.”

They reached her street, a quiet stretch flanked by old apartment buildings with wooden shutters and ivy crawling up the sides. Alice paused at her door, turning to face him.

“Well, this is me,” she said softly.

Harry nodded, but he didn’t step back. “You’ve made tonight feel... different. Good different.”

She looked at him for a long second. “You’re not bad company yourself.”

There was a pause—a charged moment where neither of them moved, where the possibilities of the night hovered between them like a held breath.

“Would it be too much if I asked to see you again?” he asked, his voice quiet.

Y/N smiled slowly, her eyes meeting his. “You already have. But if you’re asking if you can be part of the next performance...”

He leaned in, the space between them narrowing. “Only if you promise I won’t have to sing.”

She chuckled. “No promises.”

And then, before either of them could talk themselves out of it, she leaned in and kissed him. Soft and brief, more like a question than a statement—but it was enough to make Harry forget every reason he’d had for hiding that night.

When she pulled away, she said, “Good night, Harry,” and disappeared behind the heavy wooden door.

He stood there for a moment, lips still tingling, heart beating in a rhythm he hadn’t felt in years.

Rome had a way of sneaking up on you.

And so did she.

[darnell-la]

Old man Logan filming reader while fucking her while he threatens to blackmail her + humiliation kink

note: we didn’t know how to make the story, but we found a way as always. as you guys know, we’re freaked out, and by that, we mean, we’re the freakiest page on Tumblr. if we could say make our stories more spicy without getting reported, we would…

warnings: cnc, rough sex, kidnapping, manhandling, chained, angry Logan, etc

———

Y/n isn’t to much of a good person when it comes to hanging out with her friends. She had thought arguing with her Uber guy that her friends ordered wouldn’t come back and bite her in the ass, until now.

Once she woke up in a dark room, changed and gagged with the familiar smell, she had known she should’ve stayed home tonight.

Logan made the quick decision to teach people what happens when they mistreat strangers. He thought he’d maybe scare her a little, but after thinking, he wanted to do more.

No one knew where he lived. No one knows that she’s fine yet. She couldn’t possibly get away from him, and he didn’t have to let her leave. He could keep her for himself since a girl like her wouldn’t be too much to miss out in the world.

“Just look at you. Pathetic. All that talkin’ you did with your friends went out the window, huh, Bub?” Logan teaser as the young girl fought against the chains and tried to scream, but couldn’t.

“No one can hear you. We’re far away from any kind of human life — Perfect for me,” Logan said as she got up from a chair and stepped towards her, walking past a camera he had set up to look directly at her.

“You see this? This was thrown in the dump — It works perfect for what I need it for,” y/n’s heart began raising, not knowing what this man was going to do to her. She’s never been tortured before, and she had no plans to die any time soon.

“Please,” y/n cried through her gag, hoping to gain some sympathy from the older man, but the only thing that was gained was a rick hard boner that poker hard through his jeans.

“I’m not going to let you go- ever — And, if you somehow escape, just know I’ll have hundred of videos of you crying on my cock — Soon you’ll visibly enjoy it, and I don’t think you’ll want the world to see that, right?”

Y/n barely understood anything the man was saying as she never stopped fighting, screaming, and begging in her chains.

“You’re prettier then I thought — It was pretty dark out there hours ago, but now that I’ve got you in the spot light and closer to my face — I can definitely see myself making a good slut out of you,”

Logan quickly got into his knees and climbed in top of y/n, now hobbling onto her skin as she screamed for some kind of help.

Chaining her hands behind her back made everything easier to bite down on. Her kicks were annoying him, but not enough to stop tasting her.

“What a goddamn peach,” Logan said as he moved down to her lower body, now pulling down her skirt that she loved for the night. Now she had wished she never wore it. Same goes for her shirt that shoes to much of her cleavage.

“Please, stop!” Y/n tried her beg to beg the man through her gag, but that only turned him in. She was all bite out ago, and now she’s crying for him to get off of her. The night cousins have gotten any better for the old man.

“No need to shave for me, princess — You’re to pretty to be worried about a bush,” Logan roughly moved y/n around the mattress to make sure the camera a few feet away from then would catch the angle he wanted to use her in.

“I bet we’d make a great couple — Never liked a young brat, but if you’re as tight as I think you are, I’ll consider,”

Y/n knew she was ain’t getting out of this situation. Getting out of chains seemed impossible unless he let her out. Even if she could get out of the chains, what would she do then? Logan is way too huge to fight off.

“Hey, relax — Let me at least get in first, yeah?” Logan said as he moved in between her legs. “Might wanna save all that fighting for when it actually matters. Unless you’re fine with being relaxed on my cock,”

Those words had triggered y/n’s brain, instantly making her cry. She never thought anything like this would happen to her, but she just had to go home alone tonight. She ever does, yet, tonight, she did.

“See what you’ve got me looking like?” Logan said as he pulled himself out of his jeans, dropping his huge length on top of y/n’s now uncovered cunt. “Might take a bit to fit, but I’ll make it work,”

As Logan spat all over her heat snd his cock, y/n tried her best to make every begging word clear. Now she was more focused on how she would be able to take him. She’s never seen a cock that huge in real time.

“Hey- Hey — All that begging ain’t gon stop me, okay? You should’ve thought abut your fucking actions when you were bitching with your friends,”

Y/n wanted to argue back with the man and tell him how rude he was at first, but all of that died when she felt him push into her, almost getting everything in, in one go.

The young girl could celery scream. All she could do was stiffen up and and take deep breaths as the man began thrusting into her slowly, trying to get every inch of himself through her folds.

“Fucking hell, Bub,” Logan growled as he continued to thrust, feeling her grip him tighter than he ever thought anyone could. “I’m definitely filling you up more the once a day,”

“S-Stop,” y/n stuttered as she felt an instant knot fill in her stomach. “Relax yourself so I can push better,” even thought Logan wanted to teach the young girl a horrible lesson, he still wanted to make sure she enjoyed some of it.

To watch and see her hide the pleasure is all he wants, especially for the camera. She’d never leave or think about treating him like shit again if he had that against her.

“P-Please, no more,” y/n begged as she felt his balks brush against her other hole, letting her know he was all the way in. “I-I can’t,” y/n cried into her gag as her eyes rolled back.

Logan went to speak until he felt y/n gushing around him. He couldn’t believe it until he looked down then back up at her face. The way her eyes crossed showed him how hard it’ll be for her to ignore how much she’d love the pleasure he’s about to give her.

“Yeah, that’s it — Keep it coming,” Logan said as he placed his hands in her waist to pull her into his thrust. “All that crying, and you’re crying on my dick — What a fucking lie you are, Bub,”

Y/n shook her head, not wanting his words ti get ti her head, but they already had. If her were to ask her right now if he felt good inside her, she would be lying if she said another other then yes.

“Maybe after doing this a few times, we can let whatever happened earlier tonight, go — We can leave it behind us and get to know each other — Would be a dream to have a pretty thing like you around with no complaints,”

Y/n continued to shake her head, upset that the way he talked to her as he fucked her was making her feel a type of way. She’s not even scared of him anymore. The only thing she’s scared of is what he said before — Having her enjoying this caught on camera.

“I’ll tell you what, Bub — If you do good for me for a month, I’ll let you redeem yourself. I’ll be nicer and might even say fuck it to the tapes. How does that sound? — But, only if you stay,”

Y/n wanted to curse at the man. She wanted to scream and punch him, but sadly, the only thing she could do was nod quickly with her fucked out eyes. The way he pounded into her made her forget that he was a stranger who had kidnapped her.

“That’s my girl,”

[macsriles]

Mourning the fact that tomorrow is the end of Andor, so here are my thoughts on the last couple of episodes. (If it’s not obvious, SPOILERS for Andor s2 ep 7-9)

- Cassian and Bix: I think this was the best ending for them because it illustrates why they never truly worked as a couple and sets the stage for why he and Jyn work better together. (Again, no hate to Bix or Cassian/Bix shippers; this is just my opinion.) Throughout Season 2, we see Bix and Cassian hold on to their life on Ferrix and the comfort they find in each other, but their relationship is actively holding both of them back.

Then, after a year-long time jump, we see Bix trying to force Cassian to confront his destiny, but he resists. He chooses her and a peaceful life, but she ultimately takes that choice away. I understand her motivations, but it highlights another reason why Bix and Cassian would never work: they loved each other, but they were no longer in love. Both were clinging to the only thing they knew in a world they no longer recognized, and in the end, just like everyone else in Cassian's life, she made the final choice for him. She knew he was using her to escape, just as he had attempted with Maarva in season 1. Cassian never wanted to be a rebel, but he was consistently forced into situations where rebellion seemed to be the only option. He wanted to fight, but was never all in. Bix was his way out, but she refused to be that for him.

While this was necessary, it is still a tragic situation. I don’t hate Bix for her decision; it was her choice to leave, and he could have still left without her. It’s sad, but I believe this was the best ending for them and provides insight into why Cassian is the way he is in Rogue One, and why his relationship with Jyn was ultimately healthier. In their brief time together, he gave her a purpose, and she gave him a choice. Together, they chose the rebellion: she chose to fight for her new home, and he remembered why he was fighting in the first place.

- The Gormahn Rebellion: The entire thing was devastating. It hit very close to where we are now, which made it all the more heartbreaking. I cried the entire time.

- Syril: I know some found Syril’s ending anticlimactic, but I thought it was perfect. The way he died, realizing that he had been on the wrong side all this time. The government he dedicated his life to, and the woman he thought he loved, ultimately used him. Then in the midst of the massacre, he saw the man who started it all, Cassian Andor, and almost killed him, only to realize that Andor had no idea who he was. In the end, Syril died realizing how insignificant he truly was in all of this; he died as he lived—a pawn of the Empire.

-Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and Luthen: What I love most about the series is the depth it gives to the rebellion. We see the various types of rebellion and how each plays a part in overthrowing the Empire. Bail Organa operates within the system. He isn't naive or a coward, but he understands that his role is to work from the inside. Then there's Luthen, who sees people as tools. He crosses ethical lines and sets aside his morality for the “greater good.” While he may not be a good person, he recognizes that he's necessary for achieving that greater goal. Mon Mothma, on the other hand, believes that goodness can prevail. She feels she can no longer operate within a corrupt system, and her morals guide her decisions. She recognizes the wrongs around her and feels compelled to speak out. Mon reminds those who have sacrificed their lives and souls that there is still hope and that goodness exists. Each of these characters is important and necessary to the rebellion, and I love that we get to see how they all fail in areas where others succeed. They are all essential to the success of the rebellion.

I have so many more thoughts, but this post is long enough. I can't believe this series ends tomorrow. Andor is one of the best projects in the Star Wars franchise, and I will miss it and the characters so much.