#and i looked and yeah they like interlocked two of their hoops and i told them they should take one out and fix it

[cactusdodes]

.

[teruthecreator]

sweet surprises

lord forgive me for the cringe i’m about to post. i fully blame this post and this post for planting the seeds of berdley having a crush on kris in my brain. also shouts out to izel for listening to me go insane at 3 AM about this. 

anyways, here’s a thing. 

______________________________________________________________

Excitement is in the air.

Unlike the usual calm monotony of life at school, things recently have been quite...electric. Not because of the portal to the Dark World hidden behind the door of the closet, or the adventures had by a select group of students through the portal in the Librarby a few days ago. No, this isn’t about that.

This is about the Sadie Hawkman’s Dance. The once-a-year phenomenon where the school puts on its best interpretation of a formal dance for the incredibly small number of students who attend class. Students buzz in excitement for the event, preparing their most formal outfits and getting ready to dazzle their friends and fellow classmates with their dramatic entrances into the auditorium.

And, of course, there’s the all important ritual of asking someone to the dance.

There’s already been a few proposals made this week. Jockington rolled into class like a hula hoop and asked Catti to be his “best bro” for the dance, to which she happily agreed. (And by that, I mean she looked up from her phone, smiled, said not a single word, and went back to typing.) Temmie loudly announced to the class that she would be taking her egg, which was somehow...embarrassed that she mentioned it. And, of course, Noelle finally managed to work up enough courage to ask Susie to the dance. It was done in an incredible display of candy canes that spelled out the phrase: “CAN(E) YOU BE MY DATE TO THE DANCE?” Unfortunately, Susie was about halfway through scarfing the display down before she realized what it said. She then began choking on one of the candy canes out of disbelief, which wound her in the nurse for the rest of the day. But, when she could speak again, she very quietly agreed to Noelle’s proposal (and, if you happened to be a fly on the wall in that room, you could hear a tail thump rhythmically against the doctor’s bench as she did so).

Kris was pleased with everything. They were happy to see their friends so happy together. A long time coming, if you asked them. And they’d be just as happy attending the dance solo, since they’ll undoubtedly be dragged along by Susie. They’d never gone to the dance before--never had a reason to, truth be told. But with their newfound friends, they may just enjoy being a wingman for the night.

...Speaking of wingmen, Berdly will probably be going solo as well. Unsurprising, but Kris makes a mental note to ensure the bird will be in attendance. As much as he is kind of a lot sometimes, he’s their friend. And Kris is going to make sure all of their friends are having fun at that dance!

They walk into class thinking of this (surprisingly early, for a change), which is why they almost miss the massive display sitting boldly atop their desk. They freeze the instant it catches their eye and, for a second, they almost believe it isn’t real. Like some leftover thoughts of the Dark World lingering in their vision. But, after wiping their eyes and seeing that it’s still there, they decide to approach and...investigate.

The display is expertly crafted by someone who clearly knows their way around a glue gun. It is a heart-shaped arch that is decorated with a myriad of printed illustrations of Super Smashing Fighters Melee characters, all having cut-outs to hold different bars of chocolate. There are also numerous origami hearts glued around the characters on the arch, in colors spanning across the rainbow. The arch is painted in swirls of blues, pinks, and reds and covered with a border of glitter that sprinkles onto the desk when Kris reaches out to pluck a chocolate bar from its perch. On the desk itself is a big origami heart that says “TO KRIS” in gold calligraphy. It is by far one of the coolest, nicest, cheesiest things Kris has ever seen.

They look up from the display to see if anyone else is seeing this shit, and that’s when it all clicks.

Because sitting at the front of the classroom, fidgeting way more than normal, is Berdly. He keeps interlocking his ankles underneath his desk before unlocking them and kicking the air, turning around every half-second or so to try and catch Kris’s reaction. From the brief moments Kris can see the front of him, they notice he’s not in his usual white collared shirt and black khaki shorts. Instead, his shirt is buttoned all the way up, with a nice blue bowtie tied around his neck. He also traded out his khaki shorts for a pair of dress pants that look to be a tad too long for his legs. He keeps reaching up to smooth out the feathers on his head, which immediately stick back up from stress.

Now, Kris may be a straight B student, but they’re not stupid. Context clues are a very good thing, and all signs point to Berdly as the culprit of this public display of...affection?

Beyond Berdly is Ms. Alphys at her desk, who shoots Kris a look of deep understanding and maybe...guilt? She looks at Berdly for a split second and shrugs her shoulders, indicating he was probably in here long before she was and so she had no way of stopping him from leaving it there.

Kris looks back down at the display and picks up the large origami heart. As they begin to unfold it, they see a sprawling letter written in the same flashy calligraphy. Kris squints at the letters--they’re dyslexic, so everything kind of just looks like spaghetti on paper. Still, they’re able to make out the largely printed question of “WILL YOU GO TO THE DANCE WITH ME?” with no issue.

Huh, guess they won’t be going to the dance alone after all…? It’s a little confusing as to why Berdly would want to go with them, though. Like, they’ve hung out a little bit--usually whenever Berdly wanted a “worthy rival” to play video games with, he would come over and Kris would whoop his ass for a few hours. And, of course, there were the recent events in the Cyber World; but Kris is pretty sure them and Susie had thoroughly convinced Noelle and Berdley that that was all a dream. So, why them?

They’re lost in this train of thought for so long that they don’t even notice the other kids enter the room until they suddenly hear:

“Yo, Kris???????? What the heck is this thing????” Susie’s voice doesn’t startle them, but it is loud enough to get them to look up. Susie is standing next to their desk, looking at the display with genuine amazement thinly masked by disgust. She’s also loud enough to basically stop the whole class (who were all muttering amongst themselves about it anyway), which gives Kris only a second to gaze around the room before--

SLAM!

The door to the classroom slams shut, leaving one seat unoccupied.

Berdley’s.

“This thing’s got chocolate on it????” Susie continues to marvel at the display while Kris looks at the door, frowning. They feel...bad. It isn’t Berdley’s fault for trying to fit in with the other kids' proposals; he admitted to feeling like he needs to do more just to stand out enough for people to acknowledge him back in the Dark World. And this thing is really...thoughtful! The characters are all ones Kris typically mains, or ones they know Berdley mains, which means he remembers things about Kris. And the chocolate is a given, but it is nice to be able to stock their personal snack stash with some fancy stuff. Ultimately, it’s very sweet, and Kris can’t help but feel a little guilty for not saying anything immediately.

They turn and lock eyes with Ms. Alphys, who looks extremely out-of-depth with this situation. She makes a number of gestures from them to the door in a flustered way of saying I have absolutely no idea what the hell is going on please help me Kris I know I’m asking a lot of you but I don’t know how to deal with teenage angst I’m like thirty-five. They sigh, standing up and walking past Susie (but not before giving her a stare that warns her if a single chocolate bar is gone that they will be holding that over her until the day she dies) and following Berdly out the door.

It doesn’t take Kris very long to follow the trail of labored breathing to where Berdley is--in the abandoned classroom, hyperventilating as he teeters on a breakdown. Luckily, when Kris opens the door, it seems to put a halt to his spiralling because he just kind of...freezes. Like a deer caught in headlights. Or a Berdley caught in Kris-lights. Kris takes this moment to let the door shut behind them, trapping the two in here. Together.

“U-Uhhhhh, hi--he--Um. H-Hello, K-Kris…” Berdly attempts to put on his usual bravado, but his voice betrays him brutally by squeaking and cracking on every syllable. Kris can’t help the smile that comes to their face.

“Uh, hey,” they reply with a wave. Berdley continues to stand there and stare (almost like he wasn’t expecting Kris to care enough to follow him) before the present circumstances return to his mind and he begins breathing hard again.

“I-I-I-I, uh...I was. Um. J-Just, uh. G-Getting some fresh air! Y-Yes! The classroom can be s-so stuffy sometimes, I’m sure y-you--you, uh...you agree?” Berdley makes a valiant attempt at hiding his panic, which Kris almost takes pity on. But they don’t think the monster will feel any better if they just pretend what happened back there never happened.

“Yeah. I liked the display.” Kris says simply. Berdley stands stock-straight at that, looking even worse for wear in the “being normal and completely cool” department.

“O-Oh??????? That ol’ thing????? I, um--well I just--y-you see, I--uh. Um,” You can really hear the gears in his head turning as he attempts to come up with an excuse. “I-I-I just thought you w-would appreciate the craftsmanship of!!! A t-true artisan, such as myself!!! So, I!!! M-Made it!!! COMPLETELY PLATONICALLY, OF COURSE!!!! I-I would never imply that my intentions w-were anything other than for bro-sies, i--You didn’t read that whole card, did you?”

“I can’t read,” They mean this as a joke, but they can see Berdley seriously consider this for a second too long. “Dude, I’m dsylexic. I can’t really read cursive…” Berdley freezes up once more, which makes Kris realize they haven’t really projected that as loudly as they might’ve thought.

“Oh! Right! How could I forget! That you’re! Dsylexic!” Berdley’s smile is stapled to his face as he begins to rhythmically knock on his head. “And I! Wrote! That! Entire! Note! In! Cursive! Which! You! Can’t! Read!!!” Kris steps forward in an attempt to keep Berdley from bashing his own skull in, but that only makes Berdley more tense, so they take a step back. “I-I just--The note isn’t important! None of it’s important actually can we forget this interaction ever happened okay? Okay yes that’s great have a wonderful day Kris I will be returning home to sitinmyroomandneverreturntothecorporealrealmalrightgoodbyeforeverKris--” He attempts to sidestep around Kris and out the door, but is very easily intercepted.

“Stop.” Kris grabs him by the shoulders, which seems to shut him up for a second. “Can you just tell me what’s wrong?” Berdley gapes at them as his face steadily grows redder, which makes Kris feel as if there’s something on their face. But he quickly shakes it off, going from completely neurotic to...dejected.

“I just…” He starts, trailing off immediately. “You deserve to have a big proposal, same as everyone else. I-I see you in the back of the class, just...watching. And I, uh, felt it was time to...give you the spotlight! But that was silly of me, wasn’t it?” He looks off to the side at the floor, smiling sadly. “After all, who’d want to go to the dance with me…? I-I’m alone every year, standing in the background. Just kind of...taking it all in...and th-thinking about how it’d be...nice to be a part of it. But that’s...not probable. It was just nice to think about taking you to the dance because you’re--well, you’re nice to me, and you’re funny, and you actually listen to me when I’m talking, an-and you’re a good person and an incredible gaming legend...but I shouldn’t have put it all on you in front of everyone...I’m. I’m sorry, Kris.” He won’t make eye contact with the human, but Kris can still see the tears collecting in his eyes.

“Berdley, that’s stupid.” Kris says, which Berdley cringes at, “Why wouldn’t I wanna go with you?” That part is...not what Berdley was expecting. He looks up at Kris, unsure of where to go from here.

“U-Um…? Because of all the previously stated things? Like me being a complete loser who nobody likes?”

“I like you,” Kris replies immediately, leaving Berdley’s feathers sticking straight up as he flusters. “And I like your display. It’s...really sweet.”

“E-Even if you can’t read the note?” Berdley’s voice cracks.

“I mean, I could read the: WILL YOU GO WITH ME TO THE DANCE part, so, like. Yeah.” Kris shrugs. “Plus, you got me chocolate. Nice chocolate. Nobody...gets me things like that.” They smile, a light dusting of blush across their face. “I’ll go with you.” Berdley’s entire body seizes up for the third time, eyes wide and mouth agape.

“W-W-w-W-w-w-w-w-W-W-W-w-w-w-Wh-Wha-wh-w-w-wha-wha-w-wh-Wh-Wha-wh-Wha-wha-w-w-W-W-W--” Berdley continues to struggle with the word “what” for a solid minute and a half before he’s finally about to manage a: “What?!” Kris can’t help but laugh.

“I said that, Berdley,” at this, they move their grip from his shoulders to his hands, “I will go to the Sadie Hawkman’s dance with you.”

The circuits in Berdley’s brain struggle with this frequency for an extended moment before his face erupts in the giddiest smile Kris has ever seen the bird monster sport. He even begins to jump up and down, taking Kris along with him, as he cackles. It is a surprisingly cute display that Kris finds themselves blushing a bit at. It’s nice to be this...cared about.

“I-I--We have to start thinking of outfits immediately!” Berdley blurts out, returning to their usual demeanor. “I was thinking of some complimentary color schemes on the way to school today which I will be happy to show you at lunchtime. I’m also a master with a sewing machine, so if you are unable to procure an outfit that meets the color requirements, I would be delighted to take your measurements and--w-wait, don’t read into that phrasing, I just m-meant that I could make an outfit for you! B-But I’d need your measurements, and--Oh, goodness, hasn’t class started already, Kris?! We should head back, but--” He looks from the door to Kris and back again a few times before finally settling on something.

“I’lltalktoyouaboutthislaterseeyouinclassKris!!!!!” He says this right before he gives Kris a solitary peck on the cheek before bolting out of the abandoned classroom, leaving Kris blinking at the Berdley-shaped cloud he left behind. Their hand gently grazes the spot on their cheek--luckily not actually pecked by his beak, but more of a quick-kiss kind of peck--and feel their heart skip a beat.

Huh.

That’s...different.

They elect to not dwell on that feeling any longer and head back to class. They have to make sure Susie hasn’t eaten all of the chocolate on that display.

They wouldn’t want to make Berdley go through the trouble of re-proposing  just so they could rightfully claim their other sweet surprise.

[styleshollands]

DATE NIGHT | t.h.

Summary: Y/N and their boyfriend,Tom, have a classic date night.

Warnings: literally pure tooth rotting fluff!! some steamy stuff at the enddd

A/N: i'm a sucker for fluff yall 😌😌 this is some cute ass domestic shit with a little steammm at the end. hope you enjoy!

“Liz, where are my shoes?” Y/N called out to their best friend. They had searched the entire apartment that they shared with Liz, having no luck in finding the shoes needed to top off their look. “Check the closet in the entryway!” Liz responded knowingly. Y/N marched over to the closet and tore through it, finally grasping a hold of their Air Force 1′s. They slipped the shoes on and planted themselves in front of the mirror, eyes scanning over the outfit they had on. They sported a dark green crew neck under which was a white collared shirt, the collar of said shirt poking out and laid neatly upon the neckline of the crew neck. They wore a light washed pair of mom jeans and of course, their Air Forces on their bottom half. To top the look off, they wore small silver hoops in their ears and a matching dark green headband. “You look so good, babes. Don’t forget your bag, take the keys too, I’m staying with my mom tonight.” Liz informed her best friend who nodded at her and put the keys to the apartment in their bag and threw said bag across their body, securing it. The bag was a simple white cross-body that accentuated the white collar and shoes. “Okay, Tom should be here any min-” before Y/N could finish her sentence, there was a knock at the door. “Well thats him, I'll see you soon Liz, bye love you!” they called out, racing to the door. Liz responded with a “bye, be safe, love you too!” and with that, Y/N opened the door, being met with their boyfriend of 2 years. “Hey love, you look gorgeous!” Tom said, pulling his partner into his arms tightly. “Hi, you look quite handsome yourself.” Y/N said, running their eyes over their boyfriend. He wore a green hoodie with a jean jacket thrown over-top and a pair of black jeans with Air Forces to match Y/N’s. "Well, Y/L/N, if you're done staring, let's get a move on." Tom said with a smirk at which Y/N shoved him, a smile adorning their face. The two interlocked their arms, joining their hands as well, and began the fun night ahead of them.

"First stop, the carnival." Tom said excitedly as he pulled into the parking lot, shutting off the car and looking at Y/N. They smiled at him and said, "Race you to the ticket booth!" The pair quickly shuffled out of the car and ran towards the booth. "I beat you!" Y/N said, jumping up and down in excitement. "Yeah yeah, whatever." Tom said with a roll of his eyes, grabbing his partners waist and pulling them into him. The line ahead of them wasn't too long but it'd take a while so Y/N decided they wanted to be comfortable. They moved behind their boyfriend, wrapped their arms around his torso and laid their head on his back. "Comfortable there, Y/N/N?" he said with a chuckle, placing his own hands atop theirs that were on his tummy, intertwining his fingers with theirs. "You bet your ass I am, Holland." The two stood in line and when their turn finally came around, Y/N insisted on paying for the activity and before Tom could detest, they slipped the ticket man their credit card, receiving 2 wristbands from him and offering him a thank you before grabbing Tom's wrist. They pulled him straight towards the drop tower, longing for the jittery feeling that comes hand in hand with rollercoasters. The two got in line, Y/N took Tom's wrist and secured his wristband around it, then doing their own as well. Tom grabbed Y/N's hand and held it tightly. "Are you scared, bub?" Y/N asked sweetly. He nodded slightly, shuffling closer to them, a scared look adorning his beautiful features. "I got you, baby." they said, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Tom relaxed and melted further into them, feeling his heart flutter and feeling safe standing next to the love of his life.

"Alright, next stop is the resutrant!" Y/N said excitedly, rubbing her hands together, trying to warm themselves up. All of a sudden, Tom picked them up and threw them over his shoulder, earning a small squeal out of them. "So this is happening then." Y/N deadpanned, far too accustomed to their boyfriend hauling them over his shoulder whenever he felt like it. "That it is, babe. That. It. Is" Before they knew it, Y/N was being plopped into the driver seat of Tom's car, him shutting the car door. "I take it your feet hurt and you want me to drive, huh?" they said with slight giggle. "Actually, I don't want my shoes to crease so that's why you're driving." Tom said as he sat himself in the passenger seat, closing the door. Y/N chucked before starting the car, locking the doors, checking the mirrors, adjusting the seat and of course, putting on the seatbelt. Tom admired them, even the smallest things they did causing his stomach to erupt into butterflies. "Put your seatbelt on please." they said to which Tom quickly obliged. Y/N set their hand on the middle console and Tom immediately reached for their hand, holding it tightly. The two then began their journey to the restaurant and they arrived sooner than they thought. They sat down at their table, already ready to order as Tom had read the menu aloud in the car, having found it on the website. He had also remarked, "I'm way too fucking hungry to play games!". The waiter took their order, saying their food would be out shortly and left them with that. The 2 sat across from each other in a booth, Tom placed his feet on top of Y/N's under the table, an old habit of his. "You really are showing no mercy to my shoes today huh, Thomas?" Y/N said with a smirk on her face. He smiled at her, "Oh shut up, these are like 500 years old." He earned himself a light kick on the shin and a "They're my emotional support old shoes, leave me alone!". Y/N and Tom continued eating their food and talking, simply enjoying each other's company.

As soon as they stepped inside Y/N's apartment, Tom let out a sigh of relief, rushing to the couch and plopping down on it. Y/N closed the door behind them and locked it, placing their keys back in the bowl. They took off their purse, taking out their phone, before hanging it up on the coat stand. They took of their shoes before waltzing over to their boyfriend who was fully sprawled on the couch by now. They grabbed his shoes and pulled them off, without a warning. "Hey! You almost ripped my foot off, jeez." "How many times have I told you not to put your dusty ass shoes on my couch? Liz will kill me if it gets dirty." Tom chucked at them, mumbling a sorry before relaxing back into the couch. Y/N put his shoes by the door before heading into their bathroom. They washed their hands and called out, "Baby, wash your hands! The world is a dir-" "Dirty place, yeah yeah I know I'm here." Tom finished for them, walking into the bathroom, making quick work of washing his hands. Y/N smiled at him fondly, placing a soft kiss on his now only sweatshirt clad back before walking back to the couch. Tom followed suite plopping down next to them. In a moments time, Tom pulled Y/N into his lap, making them straddle him. "Hi." they breathed out. He simply pushed the hair out of their face, leaned in and pressed his lips against their own. Tom pulled away after a few seconds to say, "I had a great time today, darling. I love you. So." he pressed a peck to their lips. "Much." followed by another peck. Y/N giggled, pressing a slightly longer kiss to his lips. "I had a great time too, baby. I love you more." Tom grinned, placing his hand on their face, pulling them in. When their lips met, they immediately began moving in perfect sync. Y/N ran their hands over his broad shoulders, squeezing them, causing him to gasp which was the perfect opportunity for them to slip their tongue inside his mouth. Their tongues battled for dominance, Tom's hands running wild. He slipped his hands down their waist, gripping their ass in his hands, squeezing lightly. Y/N moaned lowly, slipping their hands into his curly hair, tugging on it. Tom's hands remained on their ass, rubbing up and down while Y/N ran their hands along his toned stomach. Eventually, they pulled away, resting their foreheads together, breathing heavily. "You have a condom, right?" Y/N quizzed, still rubbing their hands over his toned biceps. "You better believe I do, baby." He rasped, keeping his hands glued to the underside of Y/N's thighs. "Well, Holland, get to it then." They smirked and Tom hastily flipped them over, pressing Y/N's back into the couch. "Your wish is my command, L/N." he devilishly grinned, the both of you eager for the night ahead. Let's just say it was the perfect way to end date night!

[xxsanshinexx]

“This place is a lot bigger than I thought,” You mumbled as you and Wonwoo walked down the steps to be closer to home plate. Jihoon and the boys were playing at the neighboring college, which had a nice and spacious baseball field. Only the best for the championships you supposed.

“You haven’t seen the stadiums Jihoon has played at for his national team.”

You raised an eyebrow at your best friend, “You seem to know more about him than i do.”

“I know shit on everyone, even the new science teacher.”

“He was only announced three days ago..”

“And yet I know he has two kids, three dogs, a masters in physics and a guilty pleasure for hula hooping.”

“You’re so goddamn weird Woo,” You laughed as you came to the only open seats close to home plate. It was a miracle there was any left for the pair of you; family members and television crews, along with reporters, had taken up most of the available space.

“I know literally everything, me and minghao could blackmail the school so hard but we don’t.” He shrugged and took his seat, “It’s my way of making sure everyone is safe.”

“Is that what’s it’s about?” You frowned and leaned back in your seat, watching as players began to take the field.

“You don’t worry about shithead, you worry about Jihoon. No exceptions,” Wonwoo brought out his phone, disregarding the game in front of him.

“Fine, seeing as you’re not giving me a-” Your voice faltered as you caught sight of Jihoon, fully dressed in his catching gear and his eyes wandering across the crowd until they landed on you. A large grin spread across his lips that you could only mirror once the pair of you locked eyes, your fond smile growing even more when he through a little wave your way. before going to take his position.

“You’re so whipped it’s disgusting.”

“Shut up, Woo!”

The game was exciting, even if you had little idea as to what was happening. Seokmin was striking out players left and right and the few that did manage to hit we’re always out before they could get close to first base. Junhui was really fulfilling his position in the outfield and it was a miracle Mingyu hadn’t dropped a ball yet on first. Jihoon was extraordinary from what you could tell as well, catching every pop up and giving out odd signals that you figured meant something important. Not to say the other team wasn’t phenomenal as well, Pledis and NCT were well matched for such a game.

“They’re doing really well aren’t they?” You asked, your excitement evident as you turned towards Wonwoo who had finally taken his eyes off of his phone screen.

“They both are, both teams are playing no hitters right now. It’s what you would expect from a championship game,” He nodded in approval and watched as you tilted your head to the side in confusion.

“No hitter?”

Wonwoo nodded, “Yeah a no hitter is when-”

“You seriously don’t remember what that is, Y/n? I thought I had at least taught you something about baseball.”

Both Wonwoo and you froze at the voice above your heads. There was no way he could have got in here… and why would he have wanted to anyways?

You had never seen Wonwoo’s face contort with so much rage before, “So you finally decide to show your face, shithead?”

“Already so aggressive,” Seungmin chuckled as he hopped over the seats, so he was standing only a few feet away from the two of you, “I only came to say hello.”

“Like hell you did,” Wonwoo snarled, jumping up from his seat so he could stand between you and Seungmin. “Get out off here.”

Seungmin rolled his eyes and looked down at you, a gaze you never wanted to see again, “I want to hear what Y/n has to say before you.”

Yet you didn’t know if you could say anything, not with the steely gaze and viper like smile glaring down at you. Your throat was tight and your breath was labored, “Please…” you struggled to speak against your panic, “Go away.”

“Please? Was that it? You want me to take you back again?” Seungmin’s eyes glinted in a way that told you he knew exactly what you had said.

“She’s not taking you back, ever, Seungmin. Get that through your thick skull.” Wonwoo looked down at you, who was a whirlpool of emotions, and missed the shift of features in Seungmin’s face.

“Well, I got through you once, Jeon, i can get through you again,” Seungmin swung without warning, catching Wonwoo in the cheek as he turned around. Wonwoo staggered backwards into the rows of chairs, taking an impromptu seat while Seungmin just cracked his neck lazily, “That’s it? I remember you taking a few more hits last time.”

Seungmin’s eyes shifted back to you and you were out of your seat, taking frantic steps away from him, “You’re always so scared of me! I don’t get it Y/n.”

“S-Seungmin go away,” You said waving your arms out in front of you in protest, “Just go home and leave me alone, please.”

“There’s that please again,” He scoffed and reached out, getting a vice like grip on your arm, “What’s the point in apologizing if you’re just going to break my heart? That’s not very polite.”

Your panic went into overdrive as the feeling of his hand on you, and you thrashed your arm trying to get out of his grip, “Seungmin let me go!”

“Stop causing a scene, darling.”

“I said let me go!” You were practically screaming at this point and Seungmin’s eyes flashed with annoyance.

“You need to shut up, Y/n.”

“And i think you need to let the lady go,” A new voice growled, and you opened your eyes to Seungcheol standing right behind Seungmin. It wasn’t just Seungcheol though, the baseball boys we’re forming a circle around you bats and raging expressions on their faces.

“I heard her say to let her go several times,” Jeonghan huffed, toying with the metal bat in his hands dangerously, “It’s not very polite to refuse such a request.”

“So I say,” Soonyoung slipped in front of you, a new seriousness you had never seen on him before, and wrapped his hand around Seungmin’s wrist, “Let her go.”

Seungmin’s face darkened but he reluctantly let you go, and arms were pulling you back into someone’s chest. Hands ran down your arms gently and you glanced up ever so slightly to see the worried yet furious expression on Jihoon’s face. He noticed you staring and sighed, pulling you just a little closer against him, “I’m sorry we didn’t get here sooner. I’m sorry he managed to get in. I’m sorry-”

“It’s not your fault,” Your voice was quiet as you lifted your head up from his chest to watch the panic fill Seungmin’s eyes as boys with bats circled around him. “It’s all his.”

“You think some bats will scare me off?” Seungmin huffed as he glanced at the circle of nine boys with dangerous expressions.

“If these don’t,” Seokmin huffed, “Then Chan sure as hell will.”

Sure enough, Chan was twirling a black bat in his hands with a glint in his eyes darker than any freshman should have, “I’ve got three years left to play and no regrets towards hurting assholes.”

“A child doesn’t scare me.”

Jihoon sighed into the side of your head, “Dude just give up.”

“The new toy,” Seungmin snarled at Jihoon, pure animalistic anger coating his feature as he locked eyes with him and his eyes trailed the arm Jihoon had wrapped around you. “What a little shit you are for thinking you can take Y/n away from me.”

“Go home, Seungmin.” You sighed, tired of how this was going nowhere. “Just go home.”

Seungmin could never take a rejection though. Within an instant, Seungmin was pushing through the circle of boys and was before you and Jihoon; malicious intent clear on his face. You had seen that look so many times before, all of it always directed towards you or Wonwoo; but seeing it towards Jihoon? Something in you snapped, worse than the time Seungmin went after Wonwoo during school.

Seungmin’s hand didn’t even have time to connect with Jihoon’s chest before your fist collided with his nose. Your hand stung in protest but the look of a shock and albeit in pain Seungmin made you forget about your aching fingers, especially as he stumbled back into the ring of impressed boys.

“Fuck yeah Y/n!” They all cheered, as they pointed their bats down at Seungmin like they were about to do some form of ancient combat, “That’s what you get you piece of shit!”

“That,” Jihoon nodded his head, a expression of shock on his features as a security guard finally made his appearance, “Was actually really hot.”

You snorted in shock and turned to face him, a feeling akin to relief flooding over you as Seungmin was pulled up with handcuffs, “That’s all you can say?”

“I’m not gonna lie,” He shrugged and reached over so he could lace his fingers with your own, “That was really hot.”

“I-uh…” You stumbled over your words as your eyes looked over your interlocked fingers, as your mind processed everything that had just happened, as your body seemed to relax for a second. “Thanks.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jihoon said as he watched Seungmin thrash against the more than annoyed guard while the boys cheered on. He turned back towards you, free hand reaching up to softly trail your cheek, “I’m just glad you’re safe.”

“I’m just happy no one was…” Your eyes trailed to Wonwoo who was holding his cheek while talking to Mingyu, “badly hurt.”

“It’s not your fault Y/n,” He ran his thumb down your cheek and your eyes flickered back up to his, “Seungmin is gone, in custody even, and you’ve got yourself one of the best protection squads in the world. Nothing else is gonna happen to you anymore.”

“You forgot something in that list?” You said, the thought of what you were going to say making your face burn.

He smiled down at you, his breathy laugh fanning against your face, “Did I?”

“Yeah… I’ve got you now too.”

The blush that spread across his face was so un-Jihoon like, as was the giggle that bubbled from his lips, “Is this your way of asking me out?”

“Uh…maybe?” You gave an unconvincing grin which he smiled at.

“So are you really asking me out right now or is that questionable?”

You just rolled your eyes and reached up to kiss his cheek, feeling a spur of confidence, “Just go win your game and then I’ll have an answer.”

He blushed and reached his hand up to touch the spot you had just pressed your lips to before giggling like a child. “Can.. Can I get another kiss first?”

“Go play your game, Jihoon,” You chuckled and flicked down his cap to cover his eyes to which he nodded at, and stepped away, a dazed look in his eyes. His walk back to the dugout consisted of him looking back at you and smiling, with occasional punches thrown at a snickering Soonyoung.

“See,” Wonwoo chuckled as he came up to stand besides you, who was still watching Jihoon leave, “I told you baseball wasn’t so bad.”

“I guess you were right.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Baseball Player Jihoon X Female Yearbook staff reader

⚾️A Jihoon sm Au, where Y/n doesn’t want to do the yearbook page for baseball because really what good could come out of snapping pictures of boys in tight pants and snap-backs ?

Previous || Pt 16 || Epilogue

Batter Up Masterlist

Thank you all for reading Batter Up! There will be a small little epilogue part thing tomorrow but that is the end of the series. I am so sorry for the delay but it is finished now~ thank you for all the support

[maknaesdancersrappers]

[2 / 2] You feel butterflies when you see them, especially if they touch you.

read [1 / 2 ] first here

After the whole picture taking process (plus retaking them after remembering the absence of a corsage and boutonniere your mothers had stored in the fridge to keep them fresh,) your mom drops the two of you off at prom.

He takes care of your tickets at the registration booth and you’re lowkey enjoying all the swooning looks he’s getting as he politely smiles at everyone who greets him or passes by.

“Are you confessing?” You nearly screamed at how Joohyun crept up behind you like that.

“Jeez, you look great, too.” You scowl, “And can you please get off my back about confessing? It’s not happening - at least tonight.”

She sighs, “Fine, but at least slow dance with him? There are good songs on the playlist for it. You two look amazing, by the way, have fun tonight.”

Jaehyun returns by your side just as Joohyun leaves, “Let’s head in?”

You’re amazed at how the prom committee was able to transform the gym into a whole new place. There were silk curtains covering all the posters and slogans of the school, draped along the walls from the center where a disco ball hangs with fairy light weaved into them and bouquets of flowers perched on the hoops to hide them. The whole court had been carpeted which would be a bitch to clean out if anybody spills anything on, but it made walking in high heels easier.

You and Jaehyun find your table with your friends already seated.

“Ah, the couple of the table.” Mingyu exclaims, bringing the attention towards you and you knew it was best not to deny his teases because it’ll only get worse.

Aside from you, Minkyung was the only female at the table and she looked so happy to see you. Jaehyun helps you to your seat before occupying the last one.

“I’m so glad you’re here. I absolutely hate Yebin for bailing out on us.” She whines, pulling you closer, “I suddenly wish I had a date.”

“You could have chosen anyone here, sis.” Mingyu gestures to the other boys seated but Minkyung flips him off.

“If I had a date, maybe I wouldn’t have been on the same table as you. I’m only here for [Y/N] and Jungwoo.”

Before the twins could start fighting, you distract her by complimenting her dress. “Kyung, you look beautiful. I’m sure the other dress couldn’t compare to this one.”

Up until last night, Minkyung couldn’t decide between two drastically different dresses—but the fiery red mermaid gown she had complimented her dyed black hair beautifully. “I’m beautiful? Have you seen yourself? You’re fucking gorgeous, [Y/N]! Has Taeyong seen you yet?”

“Taeyong? Why are you asking? I haven’t seen him.”

She rolls her eyes, “[Y/N], he paid 300 to get a date with you for a reason.”

“He didn’t have to pay for a date, I would have considered if he just asked.”

“Maybe if you weren’t surrounded by giants,” She leaned forward, across your seat to glare at Jaehyun, pressing you back on your chair, “He wouldn’t be so intimidated.”

He laughs, “In defense of said giant surrounding [Y/N], I’m not always with her.”

You motion for her to move back to her own space, “Besides, who finds him intimidating?”

Minkyung looks at you like you had said something incredibly stupid, “You know what, whatever. Just try and find Taeyong, if he offers to dance with you, then do it. Get to know him a little before he avails that date.”

You passively agree even though you didn’t have any intention of doing so, grabbing the water filled wine glass in front of you to take a sip from.

“That’s not fair!” Mingyu interjects, “Jaehyun didn’t get a pre-date with Jangmi.”

His sister gives him a sarcastic smile, “Well, he could have if he wanted to, but he didn’t. Either way, dear brother of mine, it’s all up to [Y/N].”

Jungwoo clears his throat, never liking any hostility between the siblings and derailed the topic to something about the interior. Luckily for him, the twins take the bait and entertained him, even dragging the other two boys, Sicheng and Seokmin, into the conversation. That left you to your thoughts while Jaehyun looked around, mindlessly nodding at what your friends were saying.

He was uncharacteristically silent as he bobs his head to the soft music. If you really knew him, you’d know he’s nervous - but for what reason?

You know your mom told you to have fun, but Jaehyun is making it really hard - was he looking for Jangmi? The thought makes you feel sick and that fact makes you hate yourself; you have no reason to be jealous because you’re just his best friend and at this point, you don’t want to confess which basically means you don’t want to be anything more than friends.

The program starts and everyone’s attention is directed to the center of the makeshift dance floor where Doyoung (of course) introduces the school principal for the opening remarks. Every word uttered through the mic and speakers surrounding the room went into one ear and out the other, your mind is absolutely blank as you stare down at your hands on your lap. You only snap out of it when a large hand comes from the side and holds yours, but you don’t even dare look at him.

“Are you okay?”

There they are again; the butterflies winding up their wings before they take flight in the confines of your stomach as they sense Jaehyun’s presence in their territory. “Yeah,” You shrug him off, “It’s nothing, don’t worry.”

After he pulls his hand away, you feel cold suddenly. You compose yourself and remind yourself about your mother’s words; have fun tonight.

So you will.

As the night goes on with the food served and multiple performances happening, you were able to loosen up; mostly because Minkyung and Jungwoo kept your mind off of Jaehyun. You’re suddenly thankful that he wasn’t actually your date so you’re not obligated to interact with him, and either way, he and Mingyu are talking about something that’s making laugh - and that was good.

“We’re free to dance on the floor right? Should we?” Jungwoo eyes the empty dance floor as a band plays on the stage.

“No.” You automatically respond, earning a look of judgement from Minkyung.

“Yes!” She exclaims, grabbing both you and Jungwoo before dragging you out of your seats with a gleeful giggle.

You tried to grab on to Jaehyun for help, but your hand merely grazed his shoulder as you’re literally whisked away. At the dance floor, other people have jumped into the idea of dancing already and in no time, it was filled with dancing students; bouncing on their feet at the lively music. You did promise to have fun, so a little dancing wouldn’t hurt.

A little while later, the rest of your table joins the three of you and your little dance circle moves around each other for a few songs; you’re all laughing and you’re genuinely enjoying yourself. Eventually, the group slowly disperses; either finding other friends to dance with or taking a break and like always, you end up alone with Jaehyun.

“Are you feeling any better?” He leans down to your ear and tries to speak over the loud music.

“Ye-”

You’re cut off by the music dying and Joohyun’s voice coming through the speakers: “I think it’s time to slow things down. So everybody grab a partner, couples or friends,” You can sense her shooting you eyebrow raises as she says this, “and enjoy the the first slow dance of the evening.”

As the music picks back up with a soft piano intro, you watch everyone around you pair up and when you turn around, Jaehyun is looking at you with equal surprise.

His ears are tinged pink as he offers you a shrug, “Do you wanna sit this one out?”

“I-” In the corner of your eyes, you see Miyoung and Sora with their dates close off the possible exit routes you could have taken and you wanted to flip them off while they inconspicuously smile at you like they were innocent. “Don’t think we can leave even if we tried.”

He glance around and nods, “Yeah, I guess you’re right. So,” he holds out his hand to you.

You take it after a quiet sigh and immediately at the touch, the butterflies are at it again. You step closer to him and place your other hand on his shoulder while his goes to your back, just below where your skin is exposed. You wished you weren’t wearing heels because now you’re practically eye to eye with him.

He’s unusually quiet again; he’s just leading you to the slow beat of the song and looking away, only meeting your eyes when you faced him.

You’ve always known about the darker brown specs in his eyes, but why does it look different now?

“[Y/N], your eyes are blown out. Are you really okay?” He quietly asks, his brows just furrowing together in the middle.

“I…” For a moment, you consider confessing and it felt so easy to say the words; they were sitting right at the tip of your tongue.

I’m in love with you.

“[Y/N]?”

A heavy sigh leaves your lips rather than the words you thought of. “It’s… the heels. They just hurt now.”

“Oh.” He says as if it suddenly made sense, “Then let’s get you seated, yeah?”

You motionlessly agreed, allowing him to guide you through the crowd with your hands interlocked until you’re back at your table and he’s sitting you down. Jungwoo and Sicheng are there, chowing down on the excess desserts the buffet had.

Jaehyun glances to the side and you follow his sight; it was Jangmi, watching the crowd while the couple she was with were clearly flirting with one another.

You lick your lips, “You should… ask her to dance.”

He looks back at you, confused, “You’ll be okay here? You don’t want me to get you ice or something?”

This makes you snort, “My feet hurt, yeah, but I don’t I’m actually sprained. I’ll be up and dancing in a bit. Jangmi just looks like she needs to be saved.”

And she really does; being an unintentional third wheel to a completely oblivious, flirty couple must suck,

“Alright. I’ll be back.”

You watch him go off and make his way over to Jangmi, offering his hand to her. She says something that makes him laugh and your chest starts to constrict when they walk over to the dance floor to look for a place to dance. You wanted to tear your eyes away from them, but it was too late because you caught them smiling and your head is coming up with all the possible dialogues they can be talking about.

He wasn’t smiling when you two were dancing.

Abruptly, you stand up and turn to leave, but Sicheng asks you where you’re going.

“Restroom.” You answer, pushing your seat back under the table and walking away.

The hallway was colder than the gym when you stepped past the doors, taking only a second to breathe in before heading towards the restrooms. But when you reach the door with the ladies’ placard on it, you hesitate. Instead, you strode towards the exit and shivered the moment you opened the doors. You’re bound to get sick, except the cold night was way better than the gym that felt too congested.

Before you walk down the steps, you bend down to remove your heels and moan at the relief your feet cried out. You pace down the steps without knowing where to go or what to do. The music in the gym is so loud, you could still hear and identify the song from where you stood. As you stroll along the side of the building; barefoot and your heels in hand, you hug yourself when a breeze passes by.

You can’t help but wonder, with the song playing back to something more upbeat, if they were still dancing together. It does hurt to see them together, but a large part of you doesn’t regret suggesting it. You’re starting to think it’s better Jaehyun ends up with her because it’ll be easier for you to get over him or at least push them aside long enough to forget your feelings.

“[Y/N]?” A voice calls out and you turn to see Taeyong walk over to you. He just had some slacks and a button down on with a shiny pair of black shoes. “What are you doing out here?”

“Fresh air… what are you doing out here?”

He shrugs his shoulders, “Fresh air. You seem like you have a lot on your mind.”

“I guess you could say that… Prom isn’t as fun as I thought it was.”

“That’s why I didn’t want to go.” Taeyong scoffs, throwing his head back and you watch his hair move accordingly to his actions. “But mom said it was a once in a lifetime so,”

“Funny, that’s what my mom said, too.” You assess his features; Taeyong was incredibly handsome, compared to Jaehyun, he had sharper and defined features, “Hey, why did you… try and win the auction?”

“Why not? You sound like cool girl. We never had classes together so I got curious about you and wanted to meet you.”

“You could have easily approached me instead of paying hundreds for some date.”

He whistles, “Well, if you didn’t have a guard dog, I would have.”

“Guard do- Jaehyun’s not a guard dog.”

“Prince charming, then?” You can’t miss the sad glint in Taeyong’s eyes. When you try to deny, he cuts you off, “Whatever it is then, it makes it really hard to approach you.”

“He’s just protective - he always is… since we were young. He’s probably not aware he’s doing it.” You chuckle, hugging yourself tighter when another breeze picks up and sends shivers down your back.

“I’d offer you a jacket, but,” Taeyong gestures to his body and you nod.

“No, it’s fine.”

He hums, “I might have a sweater in my locker actually. It won’t match your outfit, but at least you’ll be warm, right? Let me go get it.”

“You don’t have to.” You say just before another breeze and your teeth literally chattered, “Okay, fine, I greatly appreciate it - but, I don’t really wanna go inside yet.”

“You sure? Then I’ll be quick.” He promises, jogging past you and towards the doors.

Without even a minute passing by, something soft comes over your shoulders. “That was fast-” You turn and almost gasped. “Jaehyun?”

He was standing there with the same concerned look etched onto his face and it took you awhile to realize he wasn’t wearing his coat anymore and had it draped on your shoulders. “Taeyong told me you were out here.”

“Oh.”

Jaehyun sighs, sounding fairly disappointed, “You’re clearly not okay, [Y/N]. I know I can’t force you to tell me what it is, but I’m here if you need anything.”

“I know,” You mumble, “I know you’ll be there. You always are… I guess I’m just having an off night. Probably almost my time of the month.” You try to cover your lie with a laugh. “It’s nothing.”

“Well,” He frowns, “Do you wanna go home?”

“I’ll go home, you should stay. I don’t wanna ruin your prom experience all because I got moody.” You start to remove his coat off of you but he stops you.

“I’m not going back in there and party knowing you’re not okay.” He argues, “How many times do I have to tell you that it’s you over anything.”

“I’ll print it out and hang it over my bed or have it tattooed one day!” You didn’t mean to snap at him, regretting your tone after seeing him flinch, “You can’t and won’t always choose me over anything. I-I’m sorry for snapping at you. I can’t think straight inside for some reason. Let me go home alone, Jae, I already ruined your prom experience for not even making it through a damn song-”

“Is that why you stormed out? You think you ruined my first slow dance or something?” Jaehyun grabs your hand and waist, “That’s easy to remedy. You’re not wearing your heels anymore.”

You blink up at him, “Here? Seriously?”

“No one’s around and we can still hear the music inside.” Of course the song playing is another slow dance song. “So?”

Maybe you could salvage the night, accepting his offer and pretend for a few minutes that everything is okay. His touch is nice and warm, perfect against the cold air that had been brutal over your skin. You lean in further until your cheek is on his shoulder and close your eyes.

“I don’t deserve you.”

“What makes you say that?”

“You’re always… looking after me, taking care of me… you deal with my moody and bitchy ass and all my sarcasm- I… I don’t get how you do it.”

He pulls away from you when he hears your voice crack, wiping a tear from your eye before it ruined your makeup. “[Y/N]... I love you.”

It felt like time stopped for you; it’s so dead silent outside aside from the bass thumping from the gym that you couldn’t have possibly misheard him. This couldn’t be a confession from him.

Time resumes and Jaehyun continues, “You’re my best friend. All that you mentioned is as easy as breathing to me. That’s why I keep telling you ‘you over anything’ because… I can’t be happy if you aren’t.”

Your heart drops, of course it’s too good to be true. “I’m not happy if you aren’t either.”

Jaehyun gives you a soft, easy smile and you return it, pretending it had the same meaning as his. And it seems that’s what you’ll be doing for awhile - pretend your heart isn’t shattered as he gives you a brief hug and take your heels from you, pretend you don’t want to hold his hand when he covers your own, and pretend that you never had feelings from him from the start as he takes you home.

the fourteenth sign